Self Defense Class

There is a non-JET named Douglas who collaborates with the Kochi City Board of Education. He is a Language Instructor at an elementary school. When we first arrived, he gave a small presentation on activities for elementary visits and offered to share his materials with us. All in all, he is a very cool guy.

A little while ago, he had the idea of starting a self defense class. He has a background in martial arts and wanted to share some of the things he has learned over the years. Although Japan is a very safe country on the average, self defense is definitely a skill worth having. I decided to sign up, and tonight we had our first class. Class is held in the gym at Douglas's elementary school. I have to say, it is a much nicer gym than we had at Longfellow.

Anyhow, tonight we mostly practiced wrist escapes. It is exactly what it sounds like: how to get loose when someone has you by the wrist. I practiced with another JET named Michelle. I think she might also have some martial arts experience because she gave me a lot of useful advice throughout class. I may have already forgotten most of what we learned, but I'm sure there will be plenty of review in the coming classes. Martial arts techniques aren't very useful unless you've practiced them to the point that they have become instinctive.

Tonight, I felt like I was a little awkward, but I'm looking forward to the next class. I think I'll be able to learn the skills reasonably well if I practice enough. Our class isn't huge and Douglas has two people assisting him, so we all get plenty of help while we're working on new things. I was really happy when I practiced with Douglas and was able to get my wrist free. I know he wasn't holding on with all the strength he had, but his grip was good enough that it still felt like an accomplishment. I managed to knock him off balance, as well, and he's a big guy.

I think part of the reason I enjoy this class is that everyone is fairly laid back. Douglas has repeatedly stated that it is not a contest to prove who has the biggest balls. Everyone is working hard, but it doesn't feel like a competition. It might take a while before I get used to practicing with a partner; I'm not entirely sure how much force to use. Right now I think I'm doing everything a bit weaker than I should, even in practice. I think I did a better job when I practiced with Douglas because I knew it was okay to use a good deal of force. With Michelle, I wasn't too worried about hurting her (she's definitely not weak), but I wasn't sure what was appropriate. I think I'll become less awkward over time, though.

Tomorrow I have an elementary school visit, and I'm hoping like hell that it will stop raining by the time I have to leave in the morning. It has rained all day and into the evening. It's some small comfort to know that at least it has cooled down to the point where wearing raincoat would be practical. When I arrived, it was so hot that if you wore a raincoat, you would just end up drenched in sweat instead of rain. The bike ride to school tomorrow will take about 40 minutes. I guess that in any case, I'll be wanting to change clothes when I arrive at school. I just hope I can keep the contents of my backpack dry. Riding a bike while holding an umbrella is a skill I have not acquired, and I'm not keen on trying to learn.