2/8 Martial Arts Experience

Today we were invited to try out different martial arts at the Ehime Martial Arts Hall. We all met at the the university and took a bus over to the hall. It felt very fancy. When we arrived we were escorted into a MASSIVE hall and ordered into lines. We received a scrip of paper telling us what order we would be going in, and then went to our assigned area. I think that we had 10 minutes per activity, and I think there were 8. So, I think we were there for about an half and a half.

Here was the order that I experienced everything in:

1) Karate

2) Sumo

3) Judo

4) Aikido

5) Kyudo

6) Naginata

7) Jodo

8) Kendo

I was most excited to try aikido and kyudo. Aikido is a self-defense martial art where you use your opponents power against them. You don't need much strength, and it is about technique. Kyudo is Japanese archery, so that was very fun to try. I learned about jodo, which is a martial art from southern Japan, and not so widely known.

When I tried sumo, the demonstrator was a local high schooler and man, I could not do anything. It was kind of funny because I noticed him weaken his stance so I could push him out of the ring. He was huge.

They were all interesting in their own ways, but Judo was the only one that made me consider joining a club for. There was no jiu-jitsu.

At the end they gave us commemorative mugs and chopsticks, and then we went home. Two of my classmates from Matsuyama University actually went and visited the Judo club afterwards.