First snow in a couple years in Tokyo, and it just kept coming, actually accumulating for a change.
Almost ready for bed, I snuck a peek outdoors and my fate was sealed. Illuminated in the lights of night, the falling flakes called to me.
Some work on the Sha tai ji forms was long overdue, as I have been heavily focused on the arts I learn from Liu Jing Ru as well as a nanquan form. All the more so, since tomorrow night is the first of a new once-a-month class on the Sha tai ji forms (not usually taught anywhere around here). We have a twice-a-month class for the tai ji jian sword forms, but are pretty much on our own for the Sha family tai ji quan – once we learn it (usually over there in Kunming, from the family), that’s it. We are expected to remember it and cultivate it on our own.
With tomorrow night’s rare chance in mind, I hopped on my bike and rode through the falling snow to my favorite outdoor spot. Late at night, mine were the only tracks on the snow-covered road, and it was ideal.
I remembered late nights in Nebraska, riding a bike home late after closing down a bar and slicing through the still-falling snow, my bicycle tires leaving the only marks on an otherwise undisturbed road. And other days and nights, taking my karate practice outdoors in the falling snow.
This time it was only about 90 minutes but I wanted to stretch it out longer and longer. The flakes falling on my face, in my eyes. The night was mine and I forgot that I lived in a metropolis of over 10 million people. No big news to those living in northern climes, but this was a special night in Tokyo. And a full moon to top it off.
Mostly Sha family tai ji quan stuff indeed, but who could not resist cutting a few circles in that rare and pristine snow? I kept to the basics, just the 8 basic ba gua circles, and it was enough.
I trudged off to work as usual the next morning, returning to my teaching-the-salarypeople existence. The magic of the prior night faded slowly, but the remaining wetness in my gloves (not quite dried in front of the space heater) reminded me of the prior night.
2 comments:
Ah snow fallen nights in Japan, and the mystical oppurtunites at training they have. The ceilings in my apartment are too low to get a proper ken session going...so I'm eyeing an abandoned noh stage across the street as a new midnight training spot. Fears of looking strange and being comfortable in my warm apartment with a deucer of asahi keep me from such happenings as of yet.
"fears of looking strange" - no worries, we are gaijins here so we look strange whatever we do. So, might as well get out and practice in front of them!!! Keep it up over there in Toyama.
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