Life update

[torakiyoshi]

So I've discovered that a VPN is ok to use on a somewhat regular basis, so I've been linking to Facebook from work (I don't currently have enough bandwidth at home to both connect to my VPN and use web pages... it's a long story), and commenting mostly on my kendo dojo's pages, with occasional little updates to my own. I figure it's time I did

Comments

[ccdesan]

Such a fascinating experience you're having!

[torakiyoshi]

I am certainly enjoying myself, in spite of day-to-day difficulties. I just wish I had better ways to learn Chinese. One two-hour session each week is hardly enough, and my Pimsleurs CDs lack the interactive element.

[c_eagle]

If those students are really sincere, that's very encouraging!

[torakiyoshi]

Yeah. It's awesome, working with them. One class is pretty noisy, but it's not defiance, they just have a lot of energy.

[thewayne]

That is quite interesting about your students, and very strange about your kendo dojo. I look forward to hearing about a kendo tournament over there if you manage to get to one.

And I finally mapped you on Google, and wow! You're pretty far north!

[torakiyoshi]

Yes, central Manchuria (though I've learned, Chinese don't like admitting that Manchuria existed). About the same lat. as Spokane, actually.

There are a couple taikai coming up, which my friend promises will be an opportunity for me to rank test, too. I need to practice my kata! Are you familiar with kendo, then? Do you do martial arts?

[thewayne]

I did some aikido and shotokan karate, I wouldn't mind taking up aikido again as I have a better understanding of my personal philosophy now. I was in grade school when I studied it and really didn't appreciate it for what it was. And karate just wasn't for me. As it turns out, I have some pretty severe problems with my right shoulder that dictate that I probably ought not do martial arts. On top of that, I had a birth defect with my right thumb that causes some problems with my hand, but more importantly, for reasons unknown it has almost no rotation at the end of my arm.

I would've loved to have done kendo, it looks like a lot of fun. I talked to an iado instructor and while I understand that the normal right hand-oriented model is left hand power, right hand control, I have very poor control and would be pretty much doing power and control with my left.

Maybe I should have just tried epee. :-)

[torakiyoshi]

Nito (two swords) might serve you well. You can choose which side you want to use for the small sword, and it's primarily a means of blocking, so you don't have to do much with it.

I'm having a lot of trouble with my sword because I my left wrist does not twist, and only flexes about 15º south of the elliptic. Trying to explain that to Laoshi that don't speak English any better than I speak Chinese is a LOT of fun, let me tell ya. I think no. 2 Laoshi, who usually works with the bogu class, is finally accepting that fact. But he's being extra hard on everything else to make up for it. In Spokane, my senseis basically let me come up with my own grip, which meant I overcompensated with my right hand. That's really, REALLY bad, here. I'm fixing my grip, but it will take time to move the power to the left.