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| Deeply disappointed |
 So I went to the Genbukan Tokyo Shibu today.
I asked if I should dress out, and the teacher said yes. So I did. I went to the locker room and put on my dogi and then came back out. Then I was instructed to watch for literally the rest of the lesson, which was two hours long. Yeah, all right, I can do that. After all, I'm a newcomer. So I sat down in seiza and watched.
What I saw was definitely different from the ninpo I know and love. Really it looked a lot like EXACTLY what I learned in Kyoukushinkai karate while at college. And what I learned in Judo at college. Really there was no difference at all between Judo and Karate, and the Genbukan stuff. Not to mention the whole class consisted of three people and the teacher, and was held in a small room in a Sports Centre that took like an hour and a half to get toand cost a bunch of money for train tickets.
And they do cartwheels and handsprings and tell me that they are useful in combat. Yeah, okay, _maybe_ if you're fighting a paraplegic. Maybe I'm just spoiled, but I think I'm going to skip paying around 800 yen to go to a small, stuffy room once a week to train with three green belts who cannot do the techniques I watched them try to perform. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm only criticizing the art in comparison to the one that I know, which has sort of silver-spoon-ized me. I just noticed that afterone or two techniques, the students' form died real fast, and thet began to sweat and drip.
Instead of wasting abunch of time and money going to the Genbukan, I'm instead going to go check out the martial arts on campus. probably look most closely at the Judo, Kempo, and Karate clubs. I'd much rather do something that I already kind of know than something that claims to not be what it is and instead changes really little things.
And their fighting stance! Ugh! I'll post a picture of it at the end of this post. It hurts to see. Yes, those limbs in front are completely straight. The arm and the leg. They do this kamaeafter every single technique, regardless of what it was.
Anyway tomorrow I start classes officially. I've got Intensive Japanese level 1, and probably after that Buddhist Traditions and Creative Writing. Classes end at like noon, so I will be able to go check out the clubs tomorrow. Wish me luck.
And good luck to you guys. Check out my podcast if you want to, I guess.
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Posted by Tenkobushi on 2007-09-30 05:19:36 | Rating: | Views: 173
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