Henry Mantel: Aikido

For my CIP I decided to continue taking Aikido classes. Classes are Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at the Kyoto Martial Arts Center near Heian Jingu. It’s between my home and school so it’s a very convenient location. So far it’s been a lot of fun and occasionally a great workout. Like last week when I got to practice with the older students and got thrown more times than I could count. I took classes last semester as well but it’s been a better experience this semester mainly because I know all of the other students a bit better and I can actually interact with them. I still have difficulty understanding them sometimes but I know enough to comment occasionally.

I had my ranking test a couple of weeks ago. I had to perform a few of the more basic moves and I passed, even though I tripped over my instructor’s feet on the last one. But I passed and I should be getting a certificate for it sometime soon. I think that would be the best souvenir I could bring back. Aikido is a lot like dancing in a sense: it teaches you great body control and I’m more flexible now than I’ve ever been.

The instructors are really good. Since I’m a relatively new student I usually practice with the assistant instructor and he’s a lot of fun to practice with. When he demonstrates the moves I do my best to resist but I never win. The harder I try the harder I just end up falling flat on my back. It’s really impressive sometimes because even when I try my hardest I know he’s going easy on me. All the moves are designed to use as little force as possible so no matter the size and strength of the person you’re up against you will be able to stop them. Aikido’s main philosophy is to be able to defend yourself without injuring anyone, even your attacker, so it’s the perfect martial art for pacifists. Every move is basically a circular movement and it’s really surprising how effective they are occasionally.

There are a lot of black belt students. A few of them must be over seventy years old but they all have really strong cores. The best students are pretty much steel rods wrapped in rubber: really flexible but immovable at the same time. I usually practice with the younger students but I occasionally practice with the older ones and those are always the better practices because they go through the moves much faster and they are always willing to offer advice. I definitely want to continue Aikido when I get back to the US if I can find the time.

Yeuting Wang: Kyudo & Taiko

For my CIP, I had originally wanted to do Kendo, since I had just started learning at BU. However, I quickly realized that it would be too difficult, because most practices- at circles and dojos would be too high-level for me. So, instead, I decided to do a different martial art, Kyudo, and Taiko.

One of my friends from a previous KCJS semester (whom I did Kendo with at BU) highly recommended Kyudo, so I decided to try it out The atmosphere of the dojo was very relaxed and it seemed quite common for them to accept and teach beginners, so overall it seemed much more welcoming and comfortable. Since it is a traditional martial art, I was expecting it to be very intense and intimidating, however it was very much the opposite. The sensei is very patient and individually attentive. Although it is a “practice” it really seems more like a lesson.

In addition to Kyudo, I also joined a Taiko group that practices at Kitano Tenmangu. Since the practices aren’t regular, it is sometimes difficult to fit it into my schedule, but the practices are very exciting and fun- despite the fact that they are also very long. The first practice I participated in lasted from about 5:30PM to about 11PM. The practice time included preparation/clean up time- taking out the drums and putting them away, and also dinner time. The actual practice was very enjoyable. I don’t have much experience with Taiko, so picking up the pieces is difficult, but the group members are all very energetic (even if they are a little bit older), enthusiastic and eager to help.

In terms of becoming part of a community- feeling like part of a group, I guess Kyudo isn’t necessarily the best way. However, if you want to take private lessons and are interested in learning Kyudo, then this is a great choice. Because everyone is in the same boat, aiming towards the same goal, you feel more part of the team, rather than an outsider looking in. In addition, the dinner afterwards is a good opportunity to socialize with other members. Taiko, however is great. Everyone practicing together, and eating together afterwards is a nice way to meet people and immerse yourself into a genuine Japanese community.

In comparison to the school activities I was doing at BU, the Taiko and Kyudo were significantly harder to actually get involved in. Initially, it was kind of a shock for me to not have all these club responsibilities and leadership positions. Because of the short amount of time that I am here- just one semester, it’s really difficult to do all the activities I want to the extent I want. In addition to that, just by being in a completely different environment with significantly different societal rules and norms, fitting in and feeling comfortable in a group is a challenge in itself.

And just as a side-note, for any future students interested in doing Kendo, there is a practice held at Kyoto Fucho Center every Monday and Friday from 7-8PM. I’ve gone a couple of times, it’s considered to be a recreational practice and it’s not actually at a dojo. People who practice there are all very high level (I think the lowest rank is 5-dan), but they’re all very nice people and very enthusiastic about Kendo and teaching Kendo. So, it is a great opportunity to learn, if you’re not intimidated by the level difference. It’s 100yen every week.

Liu Yi: Japanese Calligraphy (Shodo) and DESA

Perhaps the best way to understand society is to be a part of it. Certainly, my experiences taking Japanese calligraphy (shodo) classes and participating in the Doshisha Exchange Students Association (DESA) were an integral part of my stay in Kyoto. In particular, taking part in these two different activities gave me different perspectives of the society that I eventually became a part of, albeit for a fleeting moment.

My initial decision to learn shodo was motivated by my desire to learn how to relax, focus, and achieve a semblance of serenity. Given my lack of background in shodo, that was the most I could ask to achieve within the short three months I had in Kyoto. Certainly, I have gained some insight on how to achieve these goals. Far from being a master calligrapher, I can say that this experience has benefitted me greatly in my own personal development.

What most interested me, however, was the social interaction that occurred at the shodo classes. My class, which is structured for adults, followed right after a session conducted for children. On certain occasions, I entered class early and, as a result, was gifted the opportunity to see teacher-student relations between the teacher and students of various age groups. Also, given that the adult class was the last class of the day, I was able to observe group dynamics in action during the packing-up process. Also, the usage of varying language forms, such as keigo and plain form, together with the varying involvement of students in the packing-up process, reflected the steep levels of hierarchy and social position embedded in Japanese society, though in a microcosm of a relaxed calligraphy class setting. For example, at the end of each class, the only other male student, who was an elderly man, would pack his equipment and leave straightaway while the rest of the students (including myself) helped to clean up the room. It was an intriguing insight as it reflected unsaid gender roles: men (especially older men) could be excused for leaving while the women cleaned up the area. Although integrating into Japanese society was a major goal of CIP (which, fortunately, I did to some extent by participating in group activities), it was this outside-in perspective that I have found most intriguing and precious.

DESA, too, was an opportunity to immerse into Japanese culture, though in a largely different manner compared to shodo class. Comprised of Doshisha University students who sought to further cultural exchange opportunities with foreign students, DESA succeeded in its goal and the activities organized by them certainly enriched my stay in Kyoto. Other than the all-too-typical nomikai, DESA-organized events, including a trip to Osaka and other recreational activities, provided ample opportunity for KCJS and other foreign students to bond with the Japanese students. Specifically, the trip to Osaka was exceptionally fun as we watched sumo wrestling and toured Osaka with the students as our guides! Given that we were hanging out with Japanese students, involvement in the community was more proactive through DESA as compared to shodo, for foreign students had to actively engage and respond in conversations with our DESA peers.

More importantly, the interactions with DESA students gave me an opportunity to understand the importance some of them place on learning English whilst providing me with an insight into their worldviews. I remember vividly an exchange I had with a Japanese second year university student who lamented on his less-than-perfect English capacity. He saw fluency in English as a key to the world, opening doors to different cultures and societies. Inadvertently, I ended up promoting study abroad as the best way to learn both the language, as well as the culture, of a particular place. Their perspectives on university, job-hunting, and the corporate world were certainly precious in adding to my understanding of Japanese society. Not to mention the least, the chance to practice Japanese with DESA students certainly was much appreciated, for casual forms of speech were more often used as compared to the shodo classroom and, from time to time, host-family conversations.

The perspectives I have learnt about Japanese society and the opportunity to practice conversational Japanese are among the most cherished takeaways I have from KCJS. Indeed, without the experiences at shodo and DESA, my stay in Kyoto might have been somewhat less enriching.

Leila Lin: Kyudo

This semester I continued to practice kyudo with Kawaguchi Sensei at the Budou

center one to two times per week. Unlike the first few months, the sensei does not
come to supervise me as often. What happens usually is I would practice by myself
for one or two sessions, and then Sensei comes over and corrects one small posture,
and then I continue to practice for a few sessions focusing on correcting that one
posture until Sensei comes to correct another small posture. This may sound
incredibly boring but for the archer herself every shot is a brand new cycle of self-
examination and so it was never boring for me.

Kyudo is not a group sport and people like to be left alone especially during practice,
which makes perfect sense, so I only rarely interact with people other than Sensei.
My interaction with Sensei, however, varies session to session but sometimes is
quite a lot. We have talked about everything from her family to knitting to my class
project related to kyudo. I definitely do not always understand 100% of what Sensei
says, but luckily kyudo is not something that requires one to understand 100%
verbally. I have, however, gotten involved in a few “Changing Room Chats” but never anything very deep because most of time I don’t understand what they are talking about. Instead I just made it an opportunity to observe the way female acquaintances communicate with one another.

As to advices, kyudo is definitely not a workout or a very social activity but what
you get out of it is a deep sense of connection to Japanese tradition. Many people
began practicing kyudo for its relationship with Zen. But what seems to be the
common consensus is that you don’t usually get to think about that until you’ve
perfected your skills, which takes years and years and years. At this early stage, you
just get used to simply follow the Sensei and not question. This sounds like a very
negative thing, and of course if you have a question the Sensei will always answer,
but the chance is that because your skill is so horrible at this point that even you
understand the idea of what she says you would not be able to put it into practice, so
you might as well focus on the actual skills first.

サム・アレン:弓道と京都市ボランティアサークル

京都大学の近く武道館センターで、一学期間弓道のレッスンを受けたが、手をけがして学期続けられなくなったから、新しいCIPを探した。ボランティア活動をしたかったから、よく調べてから、選択肢を三つ見つけた。

まず、京都市青少年センターという色々な活動をしているところがあったので、そちらの説明会に行って、イベントやカフェでのボランティア活動のことをよく聞いた。しかし、場所は結構遠いし、ボランティアが必要な時間が合わなかったから、探し続けた。

先生からバザールカフェという場所でのボランティア活動を聞いた。同志社大学のすぐ傍にある雰囲気がいいカフェで、料理をしたりウェイターをしたりすることができる。そこでせいじさんと話して、今木曜日から日曜日まで自由にそこでボランティアできる。

また、京都市内のボランティアサークルの説明会に行って、今回すごく良いと思った。ボランティア活動は大体二つある。毎月二回小学生と楽しい習い事をすることと、他のは京都市内の掃除とか環境を守る活動だ。

シンル・リ:合気道

今まで武道センータにおいて合気道を一ヶ月ぐらい稽古しました。一周は3回で、月曜日と木曜日は6:3時から8:30まで、土曜日は10時から12まで練習します。 この選択は間違いないと思います。 合気道は日本の武道の一つです。他人を打ち負かすより自分の身体や精神を鍛えることの方を大切にします。 でも、これは一人の武道ではなく、相手を通して、習うことが必要です。 京都の合気道は合気道がとても好きな人など、経験がある人など色々な人がいます。 一緒に稽古したら、元気になって、体がリラックスします。 最初は武道をするのであまり日本語を使わないかも、と心配しました。 しかし、年上のおじいさんと話す時、よくはっきり理解出来ないです。 これも日本語を勉強する経験だと思います。 それに、稽古の相手とすぐ友達になって、学生以外の日本人の生活が理解できるようになります。 ところで、アメリカの合気道部と比べて、いろいろな勉強するべきことがあります。 稽古の時、礼儀や相手の変わり方やアメリカに帰ったら友達に教えたいです。 合気道はKCJSのCIPだけじゃなくて一生のCIPにしたいです。

ヘンリー・マンテル:合気道の練習

ぼくは春学期のCIPも合気道を続けています。まだ楽しいです。ゆっくり上手になっています。でも、まだ若い人と練習します。練習の後で、たいていぼくは日本人の合気道性と話してみます。難しいけど、面白いです。もっとも日本は英語を話せませんから、時々ぼくは日本語の言葉が分からなければ、辞書を使わなければなりません。

合気道はとてもいい運動です。ぼくの先生はとても強くて、ぼくは先生と練習する時に、ぼくは全然勝てません。ぼくが強い力を使うとぼくはもっと激しく倒せます。ぼくの強さに応じて、先生はもっと強さを使います。

ユーティン・ワン:弓道&太鼓

弓道は京都武道センターで毎週2回の練習がある。練習は月、木曜日5時から6時まである。初めの2〜3回の練習は順番の練習で、弓を持たず形だけ練習する。順番を覚えた後、先生に弓の持ち方と矢を撃つ方法を教えてもらう。先生は優しくて、この道場で弓道を学ぶことは思ったほど威圧的ではない。

弓道の道場はとても寒いけど、練習の後いつも休憩室で皆一緒に暖かいお茶とお菓子を食べるのは、私が毎週弓道を楽しみにしている理由だ。

それに、私はメロティー・ウーさんと一緒に北野天満官で太鼓をしているグループにも参加している。練習は指定時間がないから、グループの担当人は皆にメールで練習時間を知らせてくれる。

私は太鼓をした経験は少しだけあったけど、全然上手と言う訳ではない。その状態でもそのグループとの練習はとても楽しかった。太鼓の練習時間は長いけど、後で、弓道の練習と同じように、皆一緒にお菓子を食べる!練習の後、お菓子を食べるのは普通の日本の文化かどうか分からない。でも、たくさんの美味しいお菓子を食べられると嬉しい。

レイラ・リン:弓道

今学期も先学期のように弓道を練習しています。毎週二回武道センターへ練習に行きます。練習の雰囲気は相変わらず穏やかですが、いつもとても楽しいです。弓道の先生はとても可愛くて、親切な人で、先生が好きではない生徒がいないと思います。先生と出会って、本当によかったと思います。または、初心者として来る生徒はふだん様々な外国人なので、練習中に色々な外国の話を聞くことができて、いっぱい勉強になりました。私は弓道がすごく難しいと思って、色々なことがまた分からないけど、弓道の穏やかな時間を大切にします。

Aarron Lee: Kyuudou

Kyuudou, as a sport, is a rather peculiar one. It doesn’t really strive for perfect accuracy and precision (unlike its western counterpart, archery). Instead, it is intensely focused on being able to maintain a perfect form, going through a set of 8 steps (called the hassetsu) while maintaining a very rigid posture. The “sport” of Kyuudou has a huge emphasis on self-discipline, but it does not have an end goal like “getting the highest score” or “being the most accurate”. Or at least, that’s my impression of Kyuudou after doing it for the past few months.

The basic tenet of Kyuudou seems to be “self-improvement”, where you pretty much must discipline yourself to follow those 8 steps that are so vital to Kyuudou. And with no real end goal (like a score, etc), the only real motivation for improvement is your own desire to do so. That, in itself, is a rather refreshing difference from most sports that I do play (basketball, skiing, snowboarding, etc). There’s no real standard you need to compare yourself, you don’t need to get particularly skilled or accurate, you simply need a desire to improve your Kyuudou abilities in a way you see fit. While the hassetsu is quite regimented and strict, at the same time it’s rather freeing due to how you can define your own vision of what you want Kyuudou to be.

With that being said, I don’t find Kyuudou particularly fun or exuberating. Rather, it gives me time to simply focus on something other than the chaos of real life and student assignments, and that shift in focus is a blessing during times of stress. You sort of just forget about the ongoing world around you, and focus on the target in front of your face. You temporarily forget about that paper due in a week, or a test the next day, or ongoing drama amongst your friends, etc. All that matters is that target, and whether you can hit it. Yea, I did talk about how, unlike archery, there aren’t really any defined set goals in Kyuudou. But mine is being able to hit the target where I want it to, so in a sense, my goals in Kyuudou align with what an archery practitioner may strive for. With enough practice, will I ever reach my goal? Who knows, but if I ever do, I know that it was a goal I set for myself.