There are not too many people in the Akita / Daisen (Omagari) region taller than I unless it is summer and ‘Jan’ (residing in Canada on loan from Slovakia) comes to town!

After training this morning I discovered that Abe Shinzo, the former Prime Minister of Japan, had been assassinated by some looser with a homemade shotgun. Such types of events are rare and relatively unheard of in Japan. This event comes as more than just shock. The conversations will loom in the news through the week as Abe Shinzo was a generational icon for Japan.

The heat and humidity in Japan can be brutal and, as we are now well into training, the stress and tension of attending individuals should start to show any day now. This means the less mature or those not mentally ready to grade will be unfocused or talking during their training and lashing out at others. Generally, the toxic members of the group. By and large, we put them at ease as best we can or ignore their mentality all together. Regardless of the state of their physical preparation to grade or for training, these individuals have to deal with their interpersonal problems either on their own or after training. I mentioned this because in the future and for those planning to attend at a later date, all should be aware of the interpersonal relationship with themselves and remember to act accordingly, and in a respectful manner to themselves and to others.