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Post by Otagiri Tatsuzou on Sept 19, 2005 15:17:29 GMT -5
I just recalled that I arrived at Burning Man straight from this aforementioned Korea/Japan trip. Did the event living out of a rented van, eating MRE's purchased 'under the floor' in Korea, wearing hakama and sun screen, and doing sword kata very early in the morning far from camp.
Happy Memory!
I'm going to fork a new thread ...
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Post by Torayoshi on Sept 19, 2005 18:05:15 GMT -5
An interesting thought. I have met a person who lived Similar to this for a portion or their life. though they didn't give up their life to "walk the Earth". (you mean be a bum. NO MOTHER F@#*$% I said Walk the Earth!) He's job left large amounts of down time and he would often travel sometimes for work and just to do it. He would alway keep a Dogi and hakama with him and visit any Akido Dojo that happened to be in the area that he was in. He once spent some months in Mexico City sponging off a particularly good commission and meet some of the best Akidoda he's ever met.( He Speaks no Spanish, which is the cool part 'cause all the techniques are the same in Japanese)
He called it his "Warrior Journeys"
Torashi
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Saionji Shonagon
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One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
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Post by Saionji Shonagon on Sept 19, 2005 18:28:00 GMT -5
Lots of sun screen, one hopes! ;D
S.
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Post by raycornwell2 on Sept 21, 2005 14:49:06 GMT -5
Very interesting stories! Otagiri, I imagine you have had quite a colorful life up to this point! And, the SCA is a very colorful society to be a part of. Intersting stories!
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Post by Date Saburou Yukiie on Sept 21, 2005 16:15:49 GMT -5
When I lived in Japan, there was a point where they screwed up my leave time and i was not needed for about two months...
I traveled to the mainland, bought a good 15 speed bicycle, and did the "Castle Circuit". I had two sets of clothes, two sets of underware, and a hakama and keikogi. I took several dozen rolls of pics, and stopped at every dojo I could and worked out. My Japanese was passable, though I learned every day.
I had just the month before picked up my ni-dan in kendo, and could point to the ANKF un-official rankings and say - "That is me" I want to point out that I was a "guest" in the ANKF, and could hold no official rankings...but they kept track of foriegners who played in tournaments. I fought a lot in that two month stint, and loved every minute.
Suprisingly, many kendoka thought I was a young gaijin upstart, and I heard more than one sensei whisper to his senior student..."take this American out..." Of course, many did not know I had a grasp of their language, and that is not actually what they said. (edited for politeness)
I not only proved I was not just an upstart,but was competent and knew what I was doing. Having been raised in what was formerly known as the "East Kingdom" I was quite accustomed to fighting...beyond the pale in terms of brutality.
Many of these senior deshi were quite brutal, and I gave as good as I got.
Do not fall into the belief that every Japanese practicioner of kendo is a pacifist. This is not true - especially when a gaijin comes in and asks to train under their sensei without any prior working relationship.
there was one episode where, in my "home town" of ginoza, where I was training, that a kid kicked my ass swollen and square. He whooped me black and blue and there was little I could do to stop it. He gloated in his oh so subtle way for a month or two, but then he found about the SCA combat Iwas doing. I took him down to Kadena AFB and suited him up in full armor, and did the same. We explained the rules, and the contact points... then let loose. i smacked him a few times in the leg. I smacked him a few times in the head. He was having trouble defending the non-kendo targets that the SCA uses. Then, he thought he had a grasp on it...and invited me to fight full on... We fought with the idea that we would just keep going till one of us asked to stop. :-) :-) and now that I think of it... :-) by the end of the day, I was quite vindicated... our heavier, more period weight weapons were too much for the lad... Our heavier, more period armors were too much for the lad... Our striking targets were way too much for the lad.... He earned a new respect for period or near-period gear... heh heh.
Date
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Post by Otagiri Tatsuzou on Sept 21, 2005 17:00:23 GMT -5
Thanks for the story, Elder Date! Best grin for the week!
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Post by Date Saburou Yukiie on Sept 21, 2005 17:01:11 GMT -5
And before Our good Saionji-hime chimes in, like i know she will be dying to...I washed the clothes I had frequently at automats... Don't go there girl! :-) Date
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Saionji Shonagon
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One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
Posts: 7,240
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Post by Saionji Shonagon on Sept 21, 2005 17:50:45 GMT -5
I had no intention of doing so.
I'm willing to bet you never went to the ER covered with horse manure.
S.
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Post by raycornwell2 on Sept 22, 2005 17:05:12 GMT -5
What a great tale! Man, I am envious of you, Date, interesting, just interesting!
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Saionji Shonagon
New Member
One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
Posts: 7,240
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Post by Saionji Shonagon on Sept 22, 2005 17:27:42 GMT -5
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Post by raycornwell2 on Sept 22, 2005 20:11:30 GMT -5
An interesting style of animation, though, I did not get it... Hmmmmm..... I guess that makes me the odd man out, eh? But the idea of a bunch of flag bouncing around is funny by itself! ;D
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Post by Please Delete on Sept 22, 2005 20:30:52 GMT -5
Are you familiar with 'sashimono'? The flags on the back of a retainer's armour? High enough to peek out over the jinmaku (camp curtain)...
Or was it just the jokes you didn't get? They might require some outside knowledge (like who Saiaiko-hime and Solveig-hime are).
-Ii
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Saionji Shonagon
New Member
One dreamed of becoming somebody. Another remained awake and became. (Found in a fortune cookie.)
Posts: 7,240
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Post by Saionji Shonagon on Sept 22, 2005 22:15:19 GMT -5
I was thinking the one where the punchline is 'So I hit him,' bore some relation to Date-dono's adventures with uppity kendoka. Hmm, bigger than me. Uses the adjective "brutal" like it's a good thing and is proud of being a former EK thug. Knows hojojutsu. Date-dono, remind me to stay on YOUR good side. Saionji
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Post by raycornwell2 on Sept 23, 2005 13:33:26 GMT -5
Yeah, I knew that they were sashimono, it was the jokes I didn't get... But, the artwork was great! I guess it just takes some inside info, like you said, Ii.
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Post by Please Delete on Sept 23, 2005 15:47:39 GMT -5
Ahhh.....
I think the first one is definitely one that you should know the personalities.
In the other one, think of it this way: Is it more important how you fight, or how you die?
-Ii
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