Japanese Secret Technique #1

Here I reveal one of the many ninja secrets of the Japanese that keeps their edge: Onsen.

By definition, true onsen are only those that use water from geothermally heated springs that contain one of nineteen designated chemical elements, and must be at least 25 degrees Celsius before being reheated. I suppose in the truest sense, these are found completely untouched in nature, however, it can also refer to sites where the natural water is used in a bathhouse. In Japan you will find other bathhouses that do not fit the definition of onsen, but may still use the name. Their true term would be sento.

Aside from the wonderful ambiance and relaxation, it is said that these onsen have remarkable healing capabilities. There are many sources that say that it is the minerals and chemicals in certain onsen that carry these healing capabilities, but sources often going very little past that piece of information. Thusly, there are many who believe the healing capabilities of onsen are non-existent, or create merely a placebo effect. In research, I was able to find a couple of interesting leads on relevant information.
First, there exists a medical practice called balnotherapy. Balnotherapy refers to the medical use of spas and water such as drinking of waters, use of hot baths and vapor, as well as various types of mud and sand used in hot application. Often times, the water used in balnotherapy will contain various minerals, which is where onsen come in. According to these definitions, going to a true onsen with the intent of therapy could be considered a form of healing.

Second, the best website I found on the effects of particular minerals found in onsen on the body is listed here, http://www.nihonsun.com/2009/03/06/the-healing-properties-of-a-japanese-onsen/. Some commonly believed healing effects of onsen are aiding heart disease, blood circulation disorders, neurological disorders, painful joints, arthritis, rheumatism, menopausal discomforts, chronic skin diseases, etc. But the list goes on and you should check out the site for more examples if you want to know the specifics. It should also be mentioned here that onsen can be dangerous for some people who are pregnant or have certain heart conditions.

So what’s the REAL deal with this onsen stuff? Well, much of it greatly depends on the onsen, as they vary quite a bit. So far, I’ve been to one that was deep in the mountains which was only one medium sized tub outside which had an absolute amazing view, but the water was so hot that you really couldn’t stay in up to your shoulders for more than 2 minutes without passing out. Another hardly had a pool hot enough to consider an onsen. Another was one more like a theme park in Tokyo which wasn’t real onsen. And another one close to my town is new and has lots of interesting and strange baths, but isn’t real onsen, too many young people go, and it’s just missing something.

BUT! My absolute favorite thing I’ve found in Japan, is not just any onsen … but KINTARO! It’s the closest onsen to my house (30 minute bike ride) and is real onsen. After you pay about $7 for an hour, you walk into the changing room where you get naked and enjoy a preliminary beer if that’s what you’re into. Then, you grab your little hand towel, which you can hold discretely in front of your specials, or simply plop into a pile onto your head, or snap it at the closest person and laugh … NO! That’s a joke, and not a funny one because if you did that, especially as a gaijin, you’d probably be kicked out of the country for life after they cut something off. Anyway, then, you walk through the entrance into a large room where you are welcomed by the biggest bath I’ve seen so far (but not too big), and showers and a few other pools off to the left. You rinse yourself with water, and get soaking. At Kintaro there’s a large indoor hot bath, and two outside that vary very slightly in temperature. These are the main features, but there are other baths such as one’s with jets you can sit in, one’s with jets you can stand in, one waist high that is only warm which people usually walk in for exercise, and a freezing cold one I actually just discovered the other day. Also there is a sauna which is by far the hottest sauna I’ve ever been in in my life. When I read the thermometer inside I think it says 110 degrees Celsius, but I might just be hallucinating from the heat. Oh, and certainly one of my favorites which is just a stream of water coming down from the ceiling you can sit under and have it hit against your back and neck. Oh yeah. Inside and outside there are large rocks of various colors of grey, red, and purple, stained from the minerals of the onsen, and are in a very specific Japanese style. I can’t put a name to it, but if you’ve been to Japan you probably know what I’m talking about. It creates a wonderful scene I haven’t seen at any other onsen. Also, outside there are large pine trees and also sakura trees! Which means most of the year it’s a brilliant green, but in the spring its electric pink. Could you find a better hanami sight?

But there’s one more factor that makes Kintaro different from all other onsen … the oyaji. Ojiisan is the word for grandpa, but for onsen situations, the ojiisan that visit Kintaro we will call oyaji. When I think of oyaji I have a distinct image in my head (maybe you have your own if you know this term), but its usually followed by a wonderful smell of hair tonic, cigarettes, alcohol and onsen. (I also apologize for anyone who takes offense to this, but it’s a humorous generalization that makes me laugh, so I will share it with you). Anyway, 75% of the people who visit Kintaro are oyaji, and you can find them doing various things in the onsen. Simply sitting and enjoying the bath, ignoring the one little kid who may be running around causing trouble, laying sprawled out by the side of the pool sleeping, scratching themselves very blatantly, or my favorite, doing various stretches and calisthenics while making “Issshhhhh“ sounds. Or also chatting away with their other older buddies. But it’s the feeling of Kintaro that is so special. Possibly one could relate it to the image of the quiet local pub where people go to relax and just be. At other onsen I see too many people making it social hour, or maybe just too many gaijin. But here you just come to hang out. I think I am considerably spoiled with Kintaro, because I stick my nose up at every other onsen I’ve been into. I am now currently on a onsen challenge, looking for one to rival Kintaro. I hope as a young gaijin, I haven’t ruined this oyaji heaven, and I hope it doesn’t change while I’m here.

Though if you visit me you absolutely cannot miss this experience, and are guaranteed at stop at Kintaro.

I think that’s enough onsen talk for now, but I hope I’ve left you with a good image. The pictures are not ones I’ve been to, but random ones to try to give you a feel of what its like.

An Excessive Equation

Well, though today was Wednesday, I had work off due to unusual shedules from midterm testing, and I had a lot planned with my free day. From nothing comes great waves of a lot of things. I thought it wholly possible to sleep-in, skype with my parents for the first time since talking in a long time, practice every facet of physical conditioning and martial arts I could want, clean my kitchen and bathroom as well as brush up on the other tatami rooms, take care of the miscellaneous business of papers and internet, write an elaborate blog, and have a couple hours of free time to spend as I like. I'm not sure what you think of that already, but I should have left it to cleaning half of the kitchen.

Slept in; almost as much as I wanted. Skyped with family; check, and it worked out so well it will have to be more regular. Martial practice and conditioning; two hours would suffice. Cleaning kitchen and bathroom; well, like I said, I could have just cleaned half the kitchen all day to pace myself in a desirable way. Instead, I scrubbed furiously every corner of everything in a frantic pace, and this is where I lost it. To spare what could be boring details, many many hours later I completed it 99% until I broke down in a frenzy and rushed out the door to the nearest izakaya (Japanese pub). There's one literally across the street from my apartment, but it was closed, so I flew on my bike to one a bit a way. There I would indulge in beers and a long line of exotic yakitori. I successfully let off a lot of stuff, but came back to the apartment to do the strangest looking Tai Chi form I've ever done. I followed the movements my body had memorized long ago, but sincerely expressed how I felt, which like I said, came out to be the strangest looking Yang long form ever performed in a tatami apartment in Kurobe, Japan. I know sit writing and eating a modest bowl of rice, and having just one more beer, and can only think of the strange and stressful adventure I had today racing across the cosmos.

My excessive goals, led to excessive actions, matched by apocalyptic excessive thoughts, and excessive physical repercussions. I now look and my apartment is clean; remarkably clean. I am exhausted and ready for a rest. But I wonder about the effects of excessive behavior. Maybe I'm a sucker falling to my knees before Eastern wisdom, but the teachings of moderation ring truer than the bells of Gion Shoja.

"The Sound of bells echoes through the monastery at Gion Shoja, telling all who hear it that nothing is permanent."

I saw many demons disguised as enlightenment today, and a grand array of illlusions based on skewed perception. I wonder if I saw anything real today.

Excess can sure be interesting, but sometimes it seems like it's nothing at all.

Hisashiburi Whitey

In Japanese, hisashiburi means "long time no see", and that's what I said to everyone before we started, and how I felt the whole night. It was just one of those extra white belt nights.

After Golden Week which is considered the longest stretch of holidays in Japan (though most Americans would probably eek to know that's their longest holiday of the working year), and then traveling with Jolene for her last week, it's been about two and a half weeks since my last aikido class. I've been practicing on my own, and been thinking of it extensively, but I am now reminded that does very little compared to consistent practice with partners.

It was a little frustrating, but with my aikido group it was just really nice to see everyone again, and have fun. What else am I doing it for? Pride? Power? Magic techniques? Well, maybe a little of all of those, but mostly fun.

I did however treat myself to onsen tonight. For those that don't know what onsen is, just wait for the next post or two for a spotlight on my favorite part of Japan.

Now it's time to sleep to the sound of rice field frogs.

Are you the forging of a katana?

After researching a few different websites on the forging of a katana (Japanese sword), Wikipedia had the explanation I deemed best, (although I found a really interesting article on the comparison between old European swords and katana, which seeks to demistify the Japanese blade it seems here at http://www.thearma.org/essays/hype.htm) and so here it is (from Wikipedia):

"The authentic Japanese sword is made from a specialized Japanese steel called "Tamahagane"[13] which consist of combinations of hard, high carbon steel and tough, low carbon steel[14]. There are advantages and setbacks to both types of steel. High-carbon steel is harder and able to hold a sharper edge than low-carbon steel but it is more brittle and may break in combat. Having a small amount of carbon will allow the steel to be more malleable, making it able to absorb impacts without breaking but becoming blunt in the process. The makers of a katana take advantage of the best attributes of both kinds of steel. This is done by a number of methods, most commonly by making a U-shaped piece of low-carbon steel (the outer edge) and placing a billet of high-carbon steel (the core) inside the U, then heating and hammering them into a single piece. Some sword-makers use four different pieces (a core, an edge, and two side pieces), and some even use as many as five.[15]
The block of combined steel is heated and hammered over a period of several days, and then it is folded and hammered to squeeze the impurities out. Generally a katana is folded no more than sixteen times, then it is hammered into a basic sword shape. At this stage it is only slightly curved or may have no curve at all. The gentle curvature of a katana is attained by a process of quenching; the sword maker coats the blade with several layers of a wet clay slurry which is a special concoction unique to each sword maker, but generally it is composed of clay, water, and sometimes ash, grinding stone powder and/or rust. The edge of the blade is coated with a thinner layer than the sides and spine of the sword, then it is heated and then quenched in water (some sword makers use oil to quench the blade). The clay slurry provides heat insulation so that only the blade's edge will be hardened with quenching and it also causes the blade to curve due to reduced lattice strain along the spine. This process also creates the distinct swerving line down the center of the blade called the hamon which can only be seen after it is polished; each hamon is distinct and serves as a katana forger's signature.[16]"

From that point the entry goes on to explain the hardening process of the blade on the molecular level, but for this topic, the excerpt I chose was enough.

Created from two different types of metal to make one ideal blade, which is then hammered and folded over itself up to sixteen times for its construction; this is the part I have been pondering lately...

With each seperate fold, the blade is made stronger.

Do our lives have folds in them? Events that are begun and finished, only to start again in a similar but advanced progression?

I have been here in Japan since October of last year, and I can look at my experience in retrospect and already see patterns and upgrades. After a week of being here I had settled in a bit. Then after two weeks again. Then a month. Two months. I left to visit my loving and sorely missed girlfriend Jolene for three weeks in New Zealand during their summertime, only to return to many feet of snow in Japan. But that was a new beginning. Thing's kept changing about every couple of weeks to a month. Jolene came to visit Japan for two months, but alas has left, and another cycle has already begun.

The folding, the hammering, the working of a young human experiencing the world around in waves of spiraling cycles of growth.

And if I am the sword, I wonder who is the smith?

Weighted Step Tendencies

"Weighted step": In this circumstance I mean turning or stepping with a foot that is already bearing most of the weight in the middle of a movement. I just realized the other day while correcting papers, that it seems Aikido uses this very often while Tai Chi Chuan from my experience usually doesn't ... but then does in some styles of movement.

In my Tai Chi Chuan experience, with formwork and push hands, I started internalizing and developing a pattern of movement that would rock back and forth between feet; rolling back while yielding, and moving forward for a push. I think this tendency reflects the yielding soft side of Tai Chi Chuan, but it is not by any means a law or requirement of TCC. At a seminar a year back, we were working on Ward Off, starting from a stance with partner who had their hands on our Peng for a push, and we would deflect that push with our Peng and bring the other arm underneath the armpit for another Peng or Parting the Wild Horses Mane. However, we could do this in generally two different ways. One, is shifting our weight to the back leg while neutralizing the push and then coming forward, or two, we would keep our weight on the front foot while deflecting the push to the side, and progress forward. In the latter movement, there is no movement of your weight to the back, and progresses straight forward (Hsing-I people would probably prefer this). That is the "weighted step" I'm talking about. At the time I was confused when I asked which one was better, because the answer was both "There is no better", and "It depends on the situation," and I ended up settling on the non-weighted turn with the roll back because I thought it adhered more to TCC ideals, and it was easier for me.

Well, a year later, and now in Aikido, that weighted step has come back to haunt me as its present in so many movements. As Aikido emphasis yielding and opposes using force against force, I thought my freshly acquired "yielding" experience would give me a head start; but it didn't. I would naturally always put my weight back when yielding, but that is just not done in my experience here in Aikido. When yielding and neutralizing, it seems always to be done with footwork that moves you forward and to the side or a bit underneath your opponent. If you move back, which sometimes is the case, you move your whole body back, but keep your wieght on the front foot (in my eyes sometimes looking like a bow stance, but I hesitate to make connections between Karate bow stances and Aikido movements).

I'm getting better at this, and see a great advantage to this ever moving forward movement, and see how my TCC teacher a ways back at that seminar would employ the wieghted step Roll Back. And actually, I now remember that teacher preffering the weighted step Roll Back.

I have to say though, I miss that shift of weight to the back in push hands, because I think it allows you to make big movements, or fully neutralize someone without even taking a step.

Weighted step: What do you think!? Especially for those Aikido people, I'd like to hear your experience.

Martial Arts as a Way of Life

"Martial arts as a way of life." This is a phrase/idea/question that most everyone who seriously practices "martial arts" will often approach. As a general interpretation I think it implies that practicing "martial arts" is not just about sport, health, violence, self-defense, or being cool; though often it does include all of the above. Rather, "martial arts as a way of life" sinks deeper (or rises higher) to a spiritual level of sorts, where everything in one's life is affected by this thing called "martial arts".

I thought about this early on in my training thanks to an truly enlightening and amazing Sensei when I first began my own journey. However, because of many many many countless reasons and circumstances, it seems to have always been a point of frustration. That "martial arts as a way of life" turned the entire world into black and white questions; or more so, answers. Either you're living "martial arts as a way of life" or you're not. Either it works or it doesn't. A "martial artist" has to do this, and can never do that. Thinking this way has forced me into an ever-apocalyptic state of mind. Everything seemed to be an ultimatum, and goals seemed so many decades in the future, or maybe a couple hundred years in the past. This way of thinking has brought me to where I am, and still plays a part, but I can see its limitations as well as its potential threat to my health and sanity.

So, lately, I have had a bit of a revelation concerning what it means to practic "martial arts as a way of life." Looking back to my experiences in the martial arts, to my situation now, and to my future goals, I'm constantly looking for common threads. And it seems any kind of ultimatum, apocalyptic, black and white limitations are beginning to seem trivial or limited next to an instant and perfect realization of the wonderful nature of the people I've trained with. Aside from any tangible practical reasons, I've been attracted to martial arts because of the students and especially the teachers. I've kept up and revitalized my enthusiasm time and time again because of the same reason. Now I'm beginning to think, "Yeah, those other things are definately awesome, but, there's something different about the people I've met along the way." "Martial arts as a way of life" now seems to me to be something real and tangible, and relating to every single microscopic part of my life ... and it doesn't have to be so judgemental.

I saw this clearly today when talking with my students at school. I can't really explain it, but that's when it happened.

Anyway, enough of that, time to practice wazas!

Aikido Demonstration

Here's a game for you, its called "where's gaijin?"

Anyway, here is my current Aikido troop posing after our demonstration this last Sunday. Usually in class there are about 10 to 14 participants, but for such an event just about everyone attended for this occasion. Everyone had a chance to show off their techniques on a partner for a minute or two, and ranged from the lowly basics of the white belts to cool multi-opponent sword techniques by those in hakama. It was in a community gym in a neighboring town, and the crowd was mostly composed of family members and friends, so no huge crowds or techno blasting, but I was very impressed by the group I train with. As a matter of fact, if anything this was a good opportunity to train hard with my Aikido-mates for a single goal, and now I can revel in retrospect at the past 4 months. I may actually be building on my skills, and really feel part of this group. On a more specific level though, I feel basics that were started especially in internal arts really starting to be applied more and more often such as softness/non-effort, and keeping my spine straight when I move.

Here's Gaijin loading up for a wicked technique (though a bit off-center).

But a reversal is performed mid take-down and white belt Gaijin is thwarted again!

On a side note, I apologize for the lack of posts lately, but soon there will be more so stay tuned! I'm also experiencing camera problems. Jolene was able to take many many tens of great pictures of the demo but I can't connect my camera to the computer now and must settle on these, but maybe later I can post some more photos from this event.