News
Haramaki-Sensei/Kijukan Visit Perspectives
August, 2009
Photo courtesy of Arik Dao
Cenco has had an exchange program with a judo club a club from Wakayama/Tsukuba and the Tsuge family since 1993. CENCO again welcomed the delegation of Mr and Mrs Haramaki and 9 students from Wakayama/Tsukuba (students range in ages 12-15) on Saturday, August 15, 2009. Mr Haramaki is an outstanding instructor and all that attended had a great time and a lot of fun. While the club was in the Bay Area, several families from Palo Alto Judo Club and San Jose Buddhist opened up their homes to host the students. Below are some home-stay host perspectives of the visit.
Sierra Tokunaga, Palo Alto Judo ClubIn August, the Palo Alto and San Jose Buddhist Clubs hosted the Kijukan Judo Club from Wakayama, Japan. Two instructors and nine students stayed with various families from both clubs. The group from Japan was led by Koichi Haramaki-Sensei and his wife, Maki Haramaki-Sensei.
My family and I hosted Kenta Nakai, who is fifteen years old. This was Kenta's first visit to California. It was a short stay, but we were able to squeeze in trips to Great America and San Francisco (Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39). We had a great time together and took lots of pictures. I wish he could have stayed a bit longer. Kenta made me realize how important Judo was to me.
We had three workouts, in the three days the team from Kijukan was here. We worked out at the San Jose Buddhist Judo Club, the Palo Alto Judo Club, and the City College of San Francisco (CCSF) Judo Club. All of our workouts were led by Koichi Haramaki-Sensei and his wife Maki Haramaki-Sensei. Their exercises are interesting and unique. Our club has been incorporating some of these exercises into our weekly practices. The exercises are not always easy, but they are always fun. Haramaki-Sensei went over several techniques as well. He went over some interesting renraku-waza. I learned a lot in a very short period of time. I hope to learn more from Haramaki-Sensei in the future.
We really didn't speak the same language; in fact, the only common language we had was Judo! However, that was enough to build some great friendships. Haramaki-Sensei has made several visits in the past, but this is the first visit that I have been fortunate to be part of. I will always cherish how kind he was to me. I learned a lot from working out with him. I hope we can make this exchange program tradition.
I would like to take some time to thank Keiko Fukuda-Sensei. Fukuda-Sensei was able to visit us while we were working out at CCSF. It's always an honor when we are able to see her.
Elise Frankera, Palo Alto Judo ClubIn summer 2007, my brother, my dad and I went to Japan to study Judo. We also went to Kijukan to work out, so when the people from Japan came over here, it was fun to see them again. At first, I was nervous to see them because I didn't know if they would remember us, but when they arrived they recognized the faces of my dad's, brother's, and mine. Things started quiet, but we all opened up to each other later on in the day. Learning from the Haramaki's was a pleasure because they taught in an enjoyable way. We worked out at 3 dojos, San Jose Buddhist, Palo Alto, and City College of San Francisco. They taught everyone a lot of important judo techniques that a lot of people wouldn't think of doing. It was interesting how Maki Haramaki and Koichi Haramaki had different judo techniques that they both taught. My family hosted 2 boys. At times it would be hard to communicate with them, so my dad had to use his phone to translate. We went to the amusement park called Great America, and everyone who went had a great time. After judo, the boys we hosted would be hungry, so we would eat. One time, we went all the way to San Mateo to eat Japanese food. They were glad to eat at a Japanese restaurant because they could speak their own language there. When the time came that they had to leave, sadness filled everyone's hearts. The 3 days they spent here was filled with a year full of memories. Although they were leaving, I knew we would see them again and if not, we would always be judo friends.
Photo courtesy of Arik Dao
Ten hours. Japan is far from the United States. Not including the cultural, language, and ethnic differences. When the Wakayama, Japan's Kijyukan Judo Club visited Palo Alto Judo Club and San Jose Buddhist Judo Club, it seemed the only tie between us was judo. Even after the explanation of the history between the local judo clubs and Kijyukan, it struck me how far ago those memories felt, having never been there. Yet as practice started and Sensei Haramaki and his students showed the class new drills and techniques, I started to understand the bond that had begun long ago - that just loving judo is enough to close the miles between Japan and the United States. That night, my family took in one of the girls from Japan, and we ended up talking about judo late into the night. Talking judo became our nightly ritual. She shared about her practices, her tournaments, everything. She even helped my sister and me understand the lessons Sensei Haramaki had showed during the lessons, patiently showing us the correct way though she must have been tired. Her stay seemed so natural as if she had always been with us. By the next lesson, I was sure everyone felt the same way. The language barrier was nothing. All we needed was a smile and a few words. On the mat, judo spoke for us. Nothing needed to be voiced. Just doing randori conveyed how much all of us loved judo. Of all the experiences from the home-stay, I feel that practicing techniques on them, trying to remember what they had taught us and applying it, was the most direct speech. Something grew as the visitors knocked me off my feet with every ashibarai. They did judo because they loved it. I did judo because I loved it. Judo spoke for all of us. Japan still seems far. It still is ten hours away. But, I feel that this visit has brought me closer to judo and my Kijyukan friends than any physical distance possible.
Amy Suzuki, San Jose Buddhist ClubDuring this summer, I was given a chance to practice with the Kijyukan Judo club from Wakayama, Japan, for three days through San Jose Buddhist Judo Club and Palo Alto Judo Club. We learned new ways of practicing judo with unique warm ups and training methods, which was extremely fun. Also we fought with the Japanese middle school students. They were all extremely strong using clean technique like foot sweeps with amazing timing. Fighting with the students was a valuable experience for me. Outside practice, I talked with Ayako Sogawa, our home stay guest, and learned how she trained five times a week. She helped me realize that hard work is necessary for being an extraordinary judoka. Learning from the Japanese senseis and their students and fighting with them inspired me to work hard so someday, I could be as strong as they are today.
Photo courtesy of Arik Dao
Judo has always been the hub of our lives and the high light of our summer was when we hosted Yasuko and Noriko Haramaki. Since Wayne and Gary had gone to Wakayama 2 years before they both had worked out at Kijukan and knew all the members.
The jet had arrived late and customs seemed like it was taking forever. Waiting over an hour for the Kijukan group to come through customs seemed like forever. When Haramaki Sensei, Maki Sensei, and the students arrived I had never seen such big smiles on their faces. For the students it was their first time to California. After loading their luggage into the Abad van and the Kijukan members into Minori's van, off the group went to go sailing for the afternoon.
After practice at the San Jose Buddhist Judo Club, we finally go to take Yasuko and Noriko home. Gary took the girls to In-And-Out Burger for a quick dinner and they told us that they really enjoyed hamburgers.
The girls had a choice on what they wanted to do for the day. It was either Great America or shopping. Yasuko and Noriko both choice shopping. Wayne and I took them down to Gilroy Outlet and they were amazed at how many stores there were in that one place. We started at the Nike Outlet and went through 30 different stores. For lunch we took Yasuko and Noriko to Santana Row for an Italian restaurant Of coarse we had to purchase two different pizzas because that is their other favorite food they like to eat. One cannot visit the bay area without having a dessert at Bearded Papa and Yogurtland. We ate that all up before we even got back home.
The "...until we see you again" Party was a great way to send the Kijukan club off with respect, the friendships that were started, in addition to all the hugs and photos that we took that evening. There was guitar playing and singing from the Frankera Family, exchanging gifts, sharing experiences from each of the families and more happy tears than I had seen in a long time. Finally we had to kick everyone out of the gym so that the students could go home and get ready to leave the next day.
Although we can't speak Japanese and they are too shy to speak a lot of English we still had a great time. They both have sent us letters telling us that they will study their English very hard so that when they come back to visit they will be able to speak with us a little better. Who needs to know how to speak a common language when judo is a universal language. A smile, a bow, a high five, enjoying their trip is all the language that I need to understand.
I hope that we continue the "friendship exchange" in the coming years.