Some Training Shots

Hi,

Here are some training shots from earlier this year.

Hopefully they might be helpful in giving a bit of an idea about what we do at training!

These are mainly during free sparring practice.

Thanks

Bring a Friend Night

Hi all,

Just a quick post to let everyone know that a bring a friend night is planned for the first Tuesday in May (6-8pm).

The event date might change, but is tentatively planned for the above date. It will be just like a normal training night, but everyone will bring a friend to try out karate.

Therefore, for any other people thinking of coming along to see what it's all about, it will be a good night to come...there will be lots of other beginners around!

I look forward to it!

Thanks
 

AKJ_Back in Australia

Hi all,

Well, I've returned to Australia, so this will probably be the last post I make on this topic. It's been fun, and I had a great time in Japan. Thanks to everyone over there!

I guess I'll finish off with some final photos of a little side trip I took to Hokkaido on the way home. The snow at Niseko was great - I'm not surprised that a lot of the skiers were Australian. The Sapporo Snow Festival was also lots of fun - though a bit chilly.

Thanks for looking at my corner of the IGK blog!

AKJ_Gifu Travels

Hi all,

Well, my days in Japan are numbered, but I still have a few exciting things left to do, which I will be able to report on.

Recently final tests and the likes have been keeping things busy, but a few of us did manage to slip in a bus tour to Shirakawa, Takayama and Hida in Gifu Ken.

Shirakawa is famous for its 合掌造り (gasshou tzukuri) style roofed buildings. As you can see in the pictures below, they are big, slanting roofs. The winter scenery is particularly popular, and it was very enjoyable to wander around the old village.

The final two photos are of lunch and making senbei.

Thanks!

AKJ_Snow Day in Nagoya!

On your typical last Thursday, I awakened in the morning to something extraordinary. As I debated whether I was ready to actually get up or not, I could see the apartment building across the street through the window, and couldn't help wondering whether its hand rails had always been white.

Before long, I remembered what one of my teachers had been saying about the extreme snowy conditions in Hokkaido, and suggestions of snow for other parts of the country as well. I sprung out of bed to a full view of my everyday world turned pure white through the window.

Needless to say I was fully awake after that. I grabbed my camera and was out on my balcony taking photos for at least 10 minutes...

Nagoya had got, according to the teacher, 23 centimetres of snow. For Nagoya, both the amount, and timing were unusual. It was a great novelty to me, and I felt lucky that the unusual snow fall had come.

Here it is in photo form for you to enjoy too!

My everyday world covered in snow!

Of course, we had to take the most of the opportunity...

While I'm at it, here are a few shots of the Christmas decorations at Hoshigaoka Terrace.

Hope you enjoyed the photos!

Thanks to Okubo san and Emi san for some of the photos...

AKJ_Dressing Up...Again!

Hi all,

Yep, we got dressed up again. This time we had the chance to wear Furisode, a Kimono worn by young women - including at the Coming of Age Ceremony.

Anyway, it was fun to try on another style of Japanese clothing. My thanks go to the teachers for the opportunity.

Thanks to Everyone for the photos!