Just to be clear, you can be compared with a lot famous people, but..........Musashi is not the first one that springs into my mind.
By the way did you tell the people in Japan that you have turned your back to them and that you now practice Kumdo? I wonder what they will say when they find out.
DISCLAIMER* The views and opinions expressed do not represent the views of Kendo World Forum, its Moderators, Employees or Affiliates, nor any other Member on this Forum. The opinions expressed above are not to be taken as fact, or relied on in a court of law. The views represent the opinions of the author and him/her alone.
copyright Alex Mc Grady
I don't say I am Musashi, I just quoted him. I don't do kumdo, I do kendo in Korean Team outfit to fool guys like you into believing something else. Strategy desu, semme starts with your hakama and gi. And the Japanese senseis will laugh with joy when I show up like that, they are far less strict and have a bigger sense of humour than you think. I don't fear their opion, fear is something to be conquered, not something to be followed.
Last edited by Gonzo Nakayui; 9th March 2005 at 04:15 AM.
"Before you judge your senpai, walk a mile in his shoes, than if he gets angry, you are a mile away and he is without shoes!"
You sure got me fooled again. The only thing I fear is getting blind when I look too much at your new outfit, but I suppose this is all part of the plan.
copyright Alex Mc Grady
Gonzo this thread reminds me of some other "personal account of japan" litterature i've read. Namely the now-abandoned "24fightingchickens.com" and the book "angry white pyjamas".
The former is about an englishman who is kinda stuck living in japan who decides to study aikido in Tokyo and eventually chooses to join the senshui, a year-long full-time aikido course designed to train Tokyo riot police.
I think threads like this are really important to read especially for the non-japanese "samurai wannabes" out there who have pre-concieved notions about what japan is like.
Reading stuff like this not only makes me respect japan as an interesting yet possibly "less-than-ideal" place (like most places in the world) but it also makes me value my own country more.
Thanks for your awesome thread!
_____________________Toire wa doko desu ka?
Arigato Nalogg! Robert Twigger's "Angry White Pyjamas" was one of my main inspirations to do the IBU Bekkasei Program. I wanted to experience the madness of a daily dose of Japanese kamikaze kendo and got a lot more than I ever paid for. Before I went there I expected to get totally killed, but I never felt more alive than during this very special year and I am working on it to go back to Japan for more. Much more!!
"Before you judge your senpai, walk a mile in his shoes, than if he gets angry, you are a mile away and he is without shoes!"
cool coolOriginally Posted by Gonzo Nakayui
That was a great book. I liked how he'd tie his experiences into snipits from hagakure and stories from various samurai's lives.
In a way I envy you.
As much as all that adventure is exciting, I enjoy my life exactly the way it is.
_____________________Toire wa doko desu ka?
What I mean is, is it feasable, time wise, to do two practices per day and still be able to do some part time work, and study? Also, what kind of part time work is available to gaijin, if any?
Thanks in advance,
Ali
Unless you work (late) at night there is no time for arbaito (part time work) during the week for bekkasei. Best time to work is on weekends and during the summer and winter vacation. If you are lucky you can find an arbaito in teaching English (there is not much of that around though), in working in a supermarket (but for this your Japanese has to be advanced), in carrying fish in the Katsuura harbor and I heard of some who worked in construction and in agriculture. But you must realise that as a gaijin finding an arbaito in Japan is not as easy as it is at home.
"Before you judge your senpai, walk a mile in his shoes, than if he gets angry, you are a mile away and he is without shoes!"
Arbaito?..they must have borrowed that word from the Dutch?
Jakob.
outta here
Thanks for the advice... I guess I'm going to have to start saving then,
and yeah I'm pretty sure arubaito is from dutch.
I've heard that it is German.
Well, it's germanic in origin and just means 'work'..I'm just curious of how it ended up as a Japanese word for part-time work
Jakob
outta here
Arbaito comes from the German word "Arbeit" which means work.
"Before you judge your senpai, walk a mile in his shoes, than if he gets angry, you are a mile away and he is without shoes!"
what about the scholarship?which people are eligible to it?do you have to attend every class to get it??and IF you cannot get scholarship,how much money do you need? I wrote to them about it but no answer,they just ignored the question
Everybody who gets accepted into the program gets the scholarship. What the scholarship means is that you basically get your school fee back in 12 months. And yes, you must attend the classes, if you skip too mucht they can take away your scholarship and eventually send you home. The idea is: not in class, not a student, not worth a student visa, no title to stay, go home! The scholarship is minimal, it's only for room rent and (a little bit of) food. Everybody who finished high school and is in good health can apply for the bekkasei program. Most sought after bekkasei quality is a very good sense of humour and a stable mind.
"Before you judge your senpai, walk a mile in his shoes, than if he gets angry, you are a mile away and he is without shoes!"
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks