Pacific International Invitational

I am currently watching the tournament live on my laptop. Can you believe it?! I almost can't!

My current laptop screen : Two girls from Tokai fighting, Azusa (white) and Miyu (blue)

This is the first time they televise the tournament and my mother sent me the link to the website. I had to wake up at 5:00 o'clock in the morning (noon, British Columbia time) but who cares? I get to watch my brother, my Canadian friends and teammates, and the Tokai girls fight. I almost feel like I'm with them. I'm screaming and cheering them on from my room... maybe they can hear me in spirit ; )

There are four mat areas and it's hard for me to watch everyone I want to see. My brother will be up on mat 3 while a girl from Tokai is fighting on mat 4 while another friend is fighting on mat 1. lol Of course my brother comes first. He fought in both the junior and senior divisions, winning the gold medal in junior and holding his own in the senior category.

It's great seeing so many familiar faces: athletes from other provinces, girls I previously fought with, teammates, even referees. It's a world I'm used to: the sounds, the fighters, the referees, etc. I feel like a stalker though because they have no clue that I'm watching them all the way from Japan. A bit scary if you think of it... what is possible with Internet today... but so COOL at the same time!!! : )

And even though I'm Canadian, I found myself cheering on the Tokai girls, even when they were fighting some of my friends or teammates. Although I've been training with them for only five months, and I don't yet understand everything they say to me, I still have developed a bond with and allegiance (I guess you can call it that) to the Tokai girls.

Please be patient...

To my faithful readers, I know I haven't been updating as regularly as in the beginning. For my defense, I'll tell you that I have very little time between classes, judo, and studying. I'm living a busy life! And if I have a bit of free time, I try to catch up on some ZZZs (sleep) or get a headstart on the next chapter in my Japanese textbook. Furthermore, things are starting to feel like routine now so I don't feel the need to update as often. It's incredible how quickly we adapt to a new environment or way of life.

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Yasuhiro Yamashita (note: I do not own this picture)

I saw Yasuhiro Yamashita yesterday. For those who are not familiar with him, he's probably the most famous name in the history of judo, aside from Jigoro Kano (the one who created judo). He took the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles as well as numerous other gold medals at World Championships. He also went undefeated for almost 8 years, with 203 consecutive victories.

He is still an imposing man but he looks like he could be 30 years old or probably even less! (according to Wikipedia, he's 54 years old now). I think it's mostly due to his facial traits that make him appear much younger than he really is. Anyhow, it was amazing to just be in the same room as him and to finally get the chance to see him with my very own eyes after seeing his face numerous times on video clips or the Internet.

A few more interesting things about judo at Tokai University:

- there are special days for blue guis. If you grip left-handed, you're allowed to wear a blue judogi on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you're right-handed, you can wear a blue gui on Mondays and Fridays. They're very conscious about gripping stances here and so different colored guis are worn to help fighters pick their opponents according to their gripping style.

- they don't stop... even if you're almost off the floor, or leaning against the wall, they will almost never stop trying to throw you until someone has landed on the mat.

- there is a clear separation between the male and female athletes. In Canada, I'm used to training with boys and following the same training regiment. But here, the two teams have their own training schedules. A few boys will sometimes come down to the girls' practice to be partners for the bigger or more experienced girls but that's about it.

- there is a clear hierarchy in the judo club, what they call sempai and kohai. If you are a first-year university student, you're at the bottom of the chain. If something needs to be done, the first-years are responsible. Before practice, they have to sweep the mats, bring out the ice, hand out the belts, etc. And they always have to be very respectful with the older girls. It's a new concept for me. Back at the U of M, the younger athletes are expected to show respect for the older and more experienced fighters. But that's all. No need for bowing or using more polite language. But in Japan, it's very important, and not just in the sports clubs. In all situations, if someone is superior to you (in age or rank within the company for example), you must use a more polite form of speaking and be very careful of not being disrespectful in any way.


Coming up:

- Tomorrow (Friday), I'm taking the night bus to Amagasaki along with the other judo girls. There is a big team competition in which both the men's and women's teams are competing. I'll be staying with one of the athletes' family. I'm also told that I'll have the chance to visit an onsen, which is a hot spring. They're very popular here and I've heard a lot about them so I'm curious to see what they're like.

- There is a student festival next week, which means no school for a whole week!!! Judo doesn't stop of course but having that one week break is something I've been waiting impatiently for since we first learned about it. Apparently, there are supposed to be little tents and shops set up around campus that sell little souvenirs or delicious food. Pictures guaranteed! : )

Getting my feet wet

I finally had the opportunity to take the train and see something other than the university campus. On Saturday, my roommate Moe and I took the train to Shinjuku, a famous shopping district in Tokyo. I don't think I've ever bumped into so many people in one day. The train station is PACKED with people walking in all directions. In fact, pretty much anywhere in Japan is packed with people.

In Shinjuku, we did some shopping. I bought a one piece swimsuit (which is mandatory to enter the university's swimming pool), some clothes (ironically from H&M and Forever 21, which are both American stores), and a great Japanese cookbook in English. So as soon as I have time, I'll start studying Japanese cooking, something I've wanted to learn for some time now.

My favorite place in Shinjuku is probably the bookstore, Kinokuniya. I could spend hours in that bookstore (in any bookstore in fact), which has eight floors full of books. And on the 7th floor, there are plenty of English novels and books which for me was like paradise lol. At least I know where to go if I happen to finish all the novels I brought from Canada.

Moe, my roommate

A guy dressed as Johnny Depp (the resemblance is incredible!)

We came back late that day and I was pooped. Shopping itself is tiring, but in Japan, it's ten times more so, with so many people hitting you by accident and having to squirm your way around people in the streets or in the train station. Then, even once you're done shopping, to get back home, the trains are also crowded and there are often no places left to sit. By the time you get back home, you are exhausted.

Then the next day, I had to wake up early to take the train again, this time to Nihon Budokan to watch some of Tokai's judo club members participate in the "All-Japan University Students tournament" (English translation). The tournament site is enormous. I'd been there once before with my dad two years ago but I didn't remember it being so big.

There were only five mat areas... I say only because in each weight class, there were about 30-40 athletes. In Canada, even at our Nationals, we will usually only have about 15-20 per division. Honestly, compared to Canada, the number of people who practice judo in Japan is mind-boggling. I knew that before coming but seeing a tournament of this size was still a shock for me.

There are some interesting differences between tournaments in Japan and tournaments in Canada. They don't wear blue judogis. Instead, they use red and white belts to differentiate the fighters. Concerning the scoring, what would easily be considered a yuko in Canada isn't even acknowledged here. And what would probably be wazari or ippon in Canada is only given a yuko score. The tournament was very efficient... hmm... does that mean I'm saying that tournaments in Canada are not efficient? ; ) Compared to the little number of people that compete in tournaments in Canada and the long breaks when the tv screens don't work, Japan is a lot more efficient. The tournament started at 9 and was over by 3 o'clock. And that's taking into account the large weight divisions mentioned above.

I also had the chance to meet my dad's aunt, Shizuko. Only saw her for a few minutes, but I left a lot heavier than before. She gave me a bag full of Japanese snacks and some homemade applesauce.

My aunt Shizuko and me

Went back home after... tired once again. Took the subway all by myself on the way back. I'm starting to understand the subway system a bit better but I'm still clueless about all the different lines and types of trains (express, local, rapid express). Hopefully I won't have to get lost too often to figure it out : p