Asian Summer

I always seem to forget how humid the summers are in Japan. Every season I try and tolerate the extremely humid days, but I still seem surprised when summer comes around again. I guess once it's over, I quickly try and forget it all.

Today when I entered the dojo in my keiko-gi (uniform), I immediately felt the stifling heat all over my body. After we warmed up and I started to sweat a lot, I actually felt cooler since my uniform was becoming drenched.

I attended Irie-sensei's beginner's class because it has been several weeks since I last trained. I didn't feel like getting my butt kicked all over the place in the regular class. We started with tenkan (turning while partner grabs one wrist). My partner (uke) was 1st kyu rank, so he gave me some pointers concerning the placement of my hands after I turn and release ki energy. He showed me that I should lower my palms more and force his hand down more. I was pleased with the results.

By the way, the Japanese female students at Hombu never cease to surprise me. Most of them are small, slender, and in their 20s or 30s, but just under that exterior lurks a ferocious ambition. Today I was partners with two different women, and my main concern was going extra easy on them so I wouldn't cause any injuries. (Because of my size, I have to be careful, especially since a lot of the students are small.) Well, when it was their turn to execute the moves on me, I was amazed at how rough and strong they were.

For those of you who are reading this and don't know a lot about Japanese popular culture, the cuter something or someone is, the cooler it is. That goes for schoolgirls and young women as well. But in aikido, the "cute" culture doesn't exist, and only serious, determined students train here. I am glad for that!

As I was putting on my shoes in the lobby after class, I saw Irie-sensei in his street clothes taking some dishes to the kitchen. I commented on how hot it was, and he responded by saying, "It's Asian summer, isn't it?" It sure is!