Interested in Training in Japan?

Some news here,

Anyone who happen's to be interested in Training in Japan, specificly Kyoto; please contact Sensei Rick Littlewood for more details, r.littlewood@xtra.co.nz

Aside from that, everything is the same old... busy month coming for November with 4 Shiaii's so looking forward to kicking some ass and getting on the mat for the competitions.

In the last Month or so I have also become a mater chief cooking up curry, fried rice, donburi and other simple dishes most days which makes life about 60% cheaper and gives me something to do.
Ritsumeikan are at the All Japan Collegiate Games this weekend, hopefully we don't draw Tokai first round...should go quite well.

Ivica has popped back to NZ briefly to Win the nationals and fight at the OJU World Cup then I believe he's coming back, so that should be cool - hopefully he does well there.

Work is going allright, its pretty draining work but I get to train before work with the Riot Police and also train at Ritsumeikan 3 days a week plus Daishin Dojo after work in Osaka so getting in about 9 or 10 Judo sessions a week on top of working.


The main development in Kyoto recently is that it's bloody cold, its gone from the insane 40 degree's to around 10 degree's now which is a bit of a change in lifestyle. Mum's just put a package of warm gear in the mail for me which is brilliant. Tanoshimi.
It's going to get to ice cold snow weather in another month so will need some more gears.

It's halloween in a week or so and the Japanese people are going all out to show just how connected to the rest of the world they are, I think they make more of an effort around here than the Americans do. All week my students (4-10 year olds) have been arriving to class in their costumes (usually a witch, pumpkin, vampire or something totally irrelevant like a top hat and tie, or cowboy hat and suit jacket?! wtf lol) it's pretty cute though..my Tuesday evening kindergarten class had a little halloween party and they walked around the room from parent to parent saying trick or treat and getting a bit of candy. I joined in and got some too. Have to teach by example.

Hugo has changed from Ritsumeikan University to training at Kyoto Uni which is Newaza orientated, he seems to be enjoying it so far which is good.
I'm based out of Rits and the Kidotai with a weekly forray to training at Daishin with Matsuura Sensei in Tsuruhashi, its perfect as it's on my way home from work. Might be visiting Doshisha Uni in the evenings soon as its on my way home from work on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday, but will have to check the times with Matsuura Sensei as I finish pretty late as I start late after morning training.

I have one pair of socks now, dont really know what happend to the rest of them. This house kinda seems to eat clothes.. things just dont come out of the laundry system or oneday arent in your closet. It happens to everyone I'm not sure whats up with that. Just another mystery. That said I have the same problem back home but blamed it on my dog generally.

J