A visit to the Wado Honbu dojo of Grandmaster Ohtsuka was the main highlight of today. You would just not believe just where it exactly is and how unassuming it appears from the outside. Short of a small sign and the Wado Ryu logo, nothing else gives it away. Once Kazutaka Sensei opened the shutters though, it was totally different.
Whilst a small dojo, possibly no more than 18x8 metres, offering a maximum of around 30 students at a time, it was steeped in a wonderful history. From what we thought Kazutaka Sensei said, the original Grandmaster lived and trained there, as of course does the current Grandmaster, when not instructing at the various clubs they have dotted around Tokyo and beyond.
The walls were aligned with all of the various awards, pictures and gifts collected by the Ohtsuka family over the last 75 years, including the Meijin license awarded by the Emperor. The one that I found most bizarre was a picture of some English Wado Ryu students sat beside Frank Bruno!
It was a very humbling place, steeped in vast amounts of Wado Ryu tradition, whilst being located about as far away from what you may imagine as possible.
I think we all got some wonderful pictures from the days events and it was a superb day out, enjoyed by all.
Anyhow, tomorrow brings a days training at Nihon University at the famous Nichi Dai, which we are all looking foward to. (well, most of us are!)
Thinking of an early morning trip to the fish market in Tokyo, which is the biggest in the world, so an early night beckons, as we only have a few hours spare in the morning, before heading off training.
Weather here is still pleasant, with a cooling breeze, long may it continue!
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