© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
Strong in the Rain by Kenji Miyazawa translation by Roger Pulvers Strong in the rain Strong in the wind Strong against the summer heat and snow He is healthy and robust Free from desire He never loses his temper Nor … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
Sometimes a word will start it, like Hands and feet, sun and gloves. The way Is fraught with danger, you say, and I Notice the word “fraught”…. John Ashbery, Variant Lawn as white as driven snow, Cyprus black as … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
Scultz: I always thought of you as an Aryan. The Barber: I’m a vegetarian. Charlie Chaplin, The Great Dictator Strolling, I yammered metaphysics with Abramowitz, a jaundice-yellow (“it’s really tan”) and fly-weight pacifist, so vegetarian, he wore rope shoes … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
I, a virgin, can make my frank boast that I communicate to no mortal man my secret counsels except to such as I have chosen on account of their taciturnity; then, if these secrets are later discovered, I know … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
Where’s the mountain I ‘ve just come down? Where am I? Ko Un, Walking Down a Mountain Even if you know the way, ask one more time. Korean proverb There has been a Korean boom in Japan for a few … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
Shochugeiko: Training conducted during the hottest months of the summer in order to cultivate physical and mental strength, a Kodokan tradition since 1896. Kodokan New Japanese-English Dictionary of Judo It’s 35 degrees Celsius today in Tokyo – 95 degrees Fahrenheit. … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
at ease talking or remaining silent moving or staying still serene even when greeted with sharp weapons Yoka Genkaku, The Song of Enlightenment If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs Rudyard Kipling, If This … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
If you don’t believe in magic you might want to stop reading this now. I’m not talking about the Magic of an Aikido Throw. The magic I saw when I saw my teacher Asoh Sensei in his seventies effortlessly tossing … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
I’ve written about a time travel movie before in time takes. I saw another ‘time slip’ movie recently. This one didn’t sound very promising. A time travel movie starring a member of an aging boy idol pop group. Tsuyoshi Kusanagi … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
To pursue surfing not just as an athletic endeavor or as a sunny day diversion, but to try to glean whatever lessons you can from the practice. It means being aware of your surroundings, and respectful of the people and … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
It was the All-Japan Aikido Demonstration in May. Years ago Nobuyuki Watanabe Sensei used to stand inside the entrance of the Budokan in an immaculate white suit greeting everyone with a big warm smile. Then later on he used to do … Continue reading
© 2012 niall. All rights reserved.
Patrick Swayze died in September 2009 of pancreatic cancer. He was in a few popular movies, for example Road House and Dirty Dancing. I liked him very much in Point Break (which was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, who won the … Continue reading