ryoma
04-05-2010, 01:33 AM
Hi all
My name’s Martin from Basel, Switzerland. I am new here on the forums but not new to JSA . I am 37 and started out with Karate at twelve. My focus shifted then more to Japanese history, culture and arts with frequent trips to Japan. With 21 I picked up training in Iai (Seitei, MSR, Tamiya Ryu). Ten years ago I quit my job and moved to Tokyo for studying Japanese full-time and I have entered a Ishido sensei affiliated dojo. I passed my shodan at the Tokyo Taikai.
In ’98 I’ve married my longtime girlfriend (yes, Japanese…) and started working in the sales dept. of a japanese company. Then I realized that my one year full-time study just covered the basics… and my Japanese ability kicked in then with daily customer contact. Due to the “nice” working hours I was forced to quit Iai.
Since 2002 we are back in Switzerland. Also our son was born then (his second name's Ryoma :D). Unfortunately my old dojo changed a lot and I never managed to train again. Interestingly my oldtime friend has trained in MJER and just passed his rokudan. With him I have travelled in the ninties to Japan and visited also his sensei in Shikoku. Now I am with his dojo and studying MJER (ZNIR)....
Besides that I am a longtime member of the NBTHK and I am very much into contemporary japanese ceramics now.
My name’s Martin from Basel, Switzerland. I am new here on the forums but not new to JSA . I am 37 and started out with Karate at twelve. My focus shifted then more to Japanese history, culture and arts with frequent trips to Japan. With 21 I picked up training in Iai (Seitei, MSR, Tamiya Ryu). Ten years ago I quit my job and moved to Tokyo for studying Japanese full-time and I have entered a Ishido sensei affiliated dojo. I passed my shodan at the Tokyo Taikai.
In ’98 I’ve married my longtime girlfriend (yes, Japanese…) and started working in the sales dept. of a japanese company. Then I realized that my one year full-time study just covered the basics… and my Japanese ability kicked in then with daily customer contact. Due to the “nice” working hours I was forced to quit Iai.
Since 2002 we are back in Switzerland. Also our son was born then (his second name's Ryoma :D). Unfortunately my old dojo changed a lot and I never managed to train again. Interestingly my oldtime friend has trained in MJER and just passed his rokudan. With him I have travelled in the ninties to Japan and visited also his sensei in Shikoku. Now I am with his dojo and studying MJER (ZNIR)....
Besides that I am a longtime member of the NBTHK and I am very much into contemporary japanese ceramics now.