tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020823067576006225.post6874073123257080108..comments2024-02-15T17:22:22.519+09:00Comments on Gaijin Explorer: Lesson 7: You Are Doing ItZacky Chanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17174486813298415578noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020823067576006225.post-81791861099585735392010-06-18T20:39:23.208+09:002010-06-18T20:39:23.208+09:00MUSHIN! No mind. That's it Daniele, and you...MUSHIN! No mind. That's it Daniele, and you're right on. Over the next few posts, that will be at the center of my discussion.<br /><br />As for my sensei, I've developed a remarkable knack for understanding the feel or direction of what people are trying to say to me, so I get the feel of what my sensei is trying to tell me, but when he tries to say specific concepts to me they are lost BECAUSE of the martial vocabulary as well as accent. In order to understand what he is saying, I need to know basic vocabulary of anatomy like wrist, waist, hand, center, pull, punch, turn, etc. And I've come to understand those particular words, but that is only the beginning. So, I'm trying to read books on aikido in Japanese to get the usual lingo down, but its a work in progress. He is also from a different part of Japan (Kyoto), so he often speaks in Kansai-ben (dialect used in Kyoto). In Japanese, the standard would be that which they speak in Tokyo, which is what I learned, but even coming to where I am in Toyama, I've had to overcome a lot of Toyama-ben (Toyama dialect, which even differs from town to town only 10 km away from each other!). As a fellow linguist, I'm sure you understand the different realms you can be familiar with. I am proficient in topics used to learn a language as I am an English teacher, and I am good at Toyama-ben conversation, but martial arts specific Kansai-ben is another deal. I'm getting better, but the delicate intricacies of specific explanation he gives me still escapes me.Zacky Chanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17174486813298415578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3020823067576006225.post-47649366507674568302010-06-17T23:58:13.759+09:002010-06-17T23:58:13.759+09:00There is a nice Japanese word usually translated a...There is a nice Japanese word usually translated as "no-mind" (I can't remember how it's spelled right now). Martial artists should always keep that in mind. I'm usually focused enough when practicing external styles, but not at all with the internal ones.<br /><br />One more thing: you often write about having a hard time understanding your sensei. Otherwise you seem to get on quite well with japanese (except perhaps with elderly strangers in nameless Onsen that should have been buddhist whaterfalls). Is it because he uses a specific martial vocabulary, because of his accent or what else?daniele.perkelehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03341030886386168290noreply@blogger.com