I think it's about time that I let all my readers in on my future plans. Firstly, at some point I will be coming back to updating my blog full time and doing outside work on occasion. Slack's Travels (I may think of a better name) will be my updates from the adventures which I am having through martial arts around the world. Below I'll give a little insight into my upcoming adventure.
In summer of 2013 I will be heading out to my favorite city in the world, Tokyo, once again. My previous trip to Tokyo was about three or four years ago and I had the great pleasure of being able to train at the Japan Karate Association headquarters (or honbu if you're feeling very traditional) and Kid Yamamoto's Yamamoto Sport's Academy along with the Krazy Bee team and their coaches.
This time around I will be trying to do a little more dojo hopping and will keep a track of my experiences. I'll be hoping to make it over to the UWFi Snake Pit, Laughter7, P's Lab, Parraestra and many other big Japanese MMA gyms. Then there's all the great karate dojo (is that plural?) that I need to visit.
Most of my writing is about modern, practical striking, but many of you will know that I also adore the traditional martial arts when they are practiced with some realism and intent. The JKA is one of the finest places to learn the meaning of true traditional martial arts. I lost a piece of one of my teeth at the JKA when I wasn't concentrating (tired or hungover, I can't remember); the guys there do hit to hurt, and that is what I love about it! Until my training at the JKA I had pretty much written off the front snap kick as a mediocre technique. A private lesson (by chance, not booked) with JKA All Japan female kumite champion, Yukko Takahashi quickly changed my mind about that as she drilled me through the fundamentals and practical applications of her great kick. Now just a few years later the UFC is filled with fighters attempting the same kick with varying degrees of success.
Here are some photographs which I took at the JKA headquarters during my last visit. It certainly is a beautiful environment in which to train.
I'll also be trying to have a bit more of a life outside of training than I did on my last visit! There's plenty of history to be found just outside of Tokyo and the shinkansen bullet trains connect Toyko extremely well with the more historic cities of Japan. For those of you who don't know, my degree is in history (rather than journalism as I'm sure you can tell) and my passion for museums is obsessive. There is also an incredibly vibrant nightlife in Tokyo and I'm sure I'll find time to sample some of it and tell you all about it and my poor capacity for drink!
Pictured: Womb, one of Tokyo's larger clubs with Japan's largest mirror ball. Photo from The Guardian.
After my jaunt in Tokyo I will be heading down to Okinawa with my lovely girlfriend. Many of you will know that this is the birthplace of karate but I'm under strict orders that this portion of my trip will be a holiday. There will be plenty of snorkeling along the coral reefs and exploring volcanic islands to keep me busy in a tropical archipelago. I'm sure I'll be able to charm my way into sneaking out to a couple of training sessions with the local masters though!#
Some more photos from my time in Tokyo. Top to bottom: Shinjuku at night, The grounds of the Imperial Palace surrounded by high rise buildings, Senso-ji Temple, The grounds of Senso-ji.
After my return from Japan it will be back to training around rainy old England until I have finalized some details on my next adventure. I am in the process of planning some time touring some major U.S. MMA and BJJ camps and writing about some of the aspects of training for big fights / tournaments. As the U.K., and particularly my part of it, are very limited in both MMA interest and facilities, I'm hugely excited to see how some of the major camps in the U.S. operate - and I'm sure I'll get my arse kicked a few times along the way! If you are a coach or have a coach that would be interested in letting me bum around at their camp for a while in my travels please do let me know!
My articles will continue as I try to punch my way into the top levels of MMA journalism, and if I can't I'll just work on this site full time until it is big enough to rival some of the other MMA sites out there. Furthermore I will continue to share what I know and what I learn with all those interested.
Stay tuned and thanks again for all your support,
Jack Slack
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