Back on the mat...

After a far too-long injury imposed break, I finally got my ass, and face...and every other bodypart back on the mat to train at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Shinjuku...

Where I was greeted by this rare-for-Tokyo sunset on the Shinjuku skyline:

I can tell already that it is going to take some time before my ankles are used to the stress/pain placed on them from sitting in Seiza for prolonged periods. It sucks getting old....but it feels good to be back in to train. Now if my right shoulder will just hold up, or better yet, get *better* from the 'therapeutic' effects of "knocking the dust off of the joints" that comes from Aikido as O-Sensei used to say.

Speaking of Aikido, here are a couple of pics I took a couple years ago at the 45th Annual Aikido Demonstration:

Kokusai Taikai

Some pics from the Meishi-ha Mugai-ryu Kokusai Taikai held on July 4, 2009.

Gyokufu-kai group grope... >;-)

Some old pics....

I have a BUNCH of old pics that I have snapped over the years that I figure I should do something with, since I took many of these pics for the express purpose of sharing with others. I will group them together by theme, especially in cases of pics taken at different times and locations, the details of which my already-halfway-senile brain is hard pressed to remember. So to start....Let's very make play the Engrish!!

Restaurant Anytime... unless it is before 9:00 A.M. or after 8:00 PM...in which case you're screwed.

If you get attacked by a "molefter"...



...ask the Doctor to kick his Assy...

Even MORE pics!!!

Shinken (real) top; mugito (alumi/zinc) bottom

Closeup of mekugi (pin), fuchi (collar behind the -->), tsuba (guard)

Gold Dragon menuki

More Pics:

Tsuba, Habaki, & Hamon 1

Hamon 2

Hamon 3

Hamon 4

Hamon 5 & Kissaki

....and just to prove that it is actually in *my* possession...Get the point?