My Senpai's and Me.

In the last few months we've decided that once a month we will hang out and do something new together outside of the dojo.
First was bowling, then batting practice and today was park golf.
I've never done it before so thought it would be a lot of fun. It's also good for us all to swap languages and practice communicating together.
Today had a eventful start when we were driving to the park golf near the dojo we saw a bike drive into the back of a car. Naturally we stopped to help, No one was seriously hurt but we ended up seeing how all the emergency services work in Okinawa. The Police, Fire and Ambulance came and as a precaution the bike guy went to the hospital. We had to wait for about 45 minutes before we could get out of the situation because of all the new added police cars etc.
So we finally made it up to the castle site where we were going to play golf. It was incredibly windy and dare i say it- even a bit chilly! (considering the recent Okinawan summer!)

So we get the 'golf clubs' - i've not seen a golf club like it before- this isn't 'crazy golf', and it's not 'real golf' so i guess some hybrid in the middle! Toshimune, Connor and I are a team and the two senpai's and Satoko are another team.

Obviously, I end up losing, like dead last- as i have with most of the sports we've gone to try together so far, but i had a lot of fun. I think we all did, it even got pretty competitive at times!

Then we go back to Toshimune's house where we made Takoyaki without the Tako.

It was really good. We also had Yakitori, Salad and Steak.

Good food with good friends and good fun. Something different to the usual routine and being able to relax with no expectations is just what i needed (until the pull ups and push ups and weight practice started!).
I always come away from spending time with them feeling so happy and loved just for being myself.

They like and accept me just the way that i am. It seems like it's rare to find friends like that nowadays.

I think it's just as important in the dojo to have good senpai as it is to have a good sensei.
I've got some pretty cool ones that are so much more than just dojo senpai. I'm learning a lot from them, more than just karate.

I'm a part of something really special with some really incredible people #mykaratefamily.

5 Places to Visit in Shuri

1- Shuri Castle:
Obvious i know. Everyone Knows about Shuri Castle and goes to see it, but if you haven't been here before then it is a must see both for karate people and everyone else that visits the island.
There is a lot more to it than just the castle itself, the entire park is worth exploring; even though the castle is not the original, because it was burned down in the war- this is the restored, rebuilt replica version.
For me personally, the park is more exciting than the castle.

2- Zuisen Awamori Distillery:
This one is a little off the beaten track.

However, should you decide to take the long route up to the castle along a few beautiful little back roads you will come across this little gem.

It's a tiny little place but very interesting. Awamori is unique and indigenous to Okinawa and they do a tour where you get to learn all about how it is made, you can even do a taste test!


3- Sueyoshi Park:
I love this place.

Before i ended up with so many other commitments i spent a lot of time exploring this incredible place. There's karate pillars and pine trees to remember Funakoshi Gichin Sensei and his Son, a river, a forest and a shrine.

You could easily spend the day here enjoying the outdoors and quiet of nature.

Even though, this park is just off the main road and in the centre of Naha, once you get right into the park, you could be forgiven for thinking you are in the middle of the mountains in Nago.

It's what i imagine old Okinawa would have been like before everything was built and industrialised.
I guess, it still is a small part of mostly untouched natural Okinawa.
I love it for that.


4- The Ramen Shack:
we found this place because when i get hungry, i get hangry. I'm not even Joking. Ask Steve Sensei. A hungry Becka is not a fun one. After a busy morning of exploring Shuri, i was getting hungry, which means angry too. Steve sensei made us stop at the nearest place he could find to eat and what an excellent little place this is.

It reminds me of something out of Kung fu panda. A tiny little wooden shack, that is painted black with seating for maybe 10 people maximum.

The kitchen is just big enough for the chef and his pots and pans, but there isn't much wiggle room. Nevertheless, this place produces probably one of the best Ramen and Giyoza that i've eaten in Japan-yet. It's very reasonably priced too.

5- Makabi Cemetery:
If you aren't interested in Karate, then you won't be interested in this one.
In fact, if you aren't interested in Karate history, then you won't be interested in this one.
it is a cemetery. Where dead people are laid to rest.
However, to karate enthusiasts this place is pretty incredible.


Here, there are the Haka (Grave Sites) of Itosu Anko Sensei, Matsumura Sokon Sensei and Hanashiro Chomo Sensei.

To me, it feels as though Karate and it's history books just became very real.
All those time when your sensei would be explaining karate lineage and history to you by pointing to the pictures on the wall and giving you dates. Well, this brings all that to life.
It turns these legends that you only read about in books into actual people, like you and me. Except cooler.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt...

We're going on a bear hunt...

Well, we weren't really but that's all that kept going through my head on the drive to Nago.

I've wanted to go hiking for a while now, and we finally made a plan to go.
I got really excited because it would be another thing off my 'list of things to do'.

So, bright and early on a Wednesday morning we all get into 'the James taxi' and off we go.
It's around a 2 - 2 and a half hour drive to where we we're heading- Kunigami Village.
To get to the hike trail start we followed other instructions from-

http://www.mapitokinawa.com/2013/12/mount-yonaha.html

This was a first time for all of us, which helped because then we were all just as unsure as each other what we were going to find.

It's a real Habu!
Photo courtesy of Nic, there's no way i was getting close enough to it. 

Well, we definately weren't dissapointed! It was amazing.

Probably one of the best days I've had in Okinawa so far.

It was perfect weather, sunny with a few showers (but we we're in the forest so it didn't really affect us and it gave us some respite from the hot Okinawan summer).

We were probably the first ones on the trail because we started the hike around 9.40 and came across so so many animals- which probably went into hiding after we found them!

We saw crocodile newts,  a wild tortoise, green Ryukyu snakes (non venomous) and a real Habu (venomous snake) in it's natural habitat- that was super scary but incredibly cool and maybe a little dangerous.

I put together a video from all the shots the boys took on the gopro. A really cool video, of a really cool adventure.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/wgtm7sbnamwjj8j/Mount%20Yonaha%206th%20Sept%2017.mov?dl=0

I can't wait to go exploring again, on our next bear (or should it be snake?!) hunt.