the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

Hi Folks,

I am planning a trip to Japan next year. I wont be there for long but would love to see some Wang Su Chin related practitioners, Some Yi Quan, or any other highly regarded internal stuff; and of course Karate.

Does anyone have suggestions?

Many thanks in advance.

Konn

When are you planning on going? They have been closed for two years and counting to tourists and only opened for about two weeks for researchers and exchange students last year. There is talk of opening to select visa holders in the next couple of months, but not tourists.

There's the All Japan Soft-Style Martial Arts Federation, headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo. They teach Wang Shu-chin's Tai Chi, Xingyi and Bagua, also Daito-ryu Aiki-bujutsu and Shin Kage-ryu techniques.

http://www.taikyokuken.co.jp

Many thanks Daniel - San,

I will look them up.

Kind regards
Konn

Walk the Torque wrote:Hi Folks,

I am planning a trip to Japan next year.

Maybe. I suggest that you pay very close attention to Japan’s entry restrictions and requirements before you buy airline tickets. Japan is very behind the rest of the world with regard to Covid-19 vaccinations and no one has a booster, yet. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law just got their second shots last month. As of today, gaikujin are required to quarantine in a hotel room that is located close to the arriving airport for 14-days and then test negative for Covid-19 before being allowed to continue with travel plans. By quarantined, Japan means that you cannot leave that hotel room for 14-days. If you hold a Japanese passport, you can travel on to your destination in Japan, quarantine for three days and then submit a negative test result.

Have you visited Japan before or do you have friends/family already there to arrange introductions? Japan is not like China, Europe or the U.S. and Japanese budo teachers don’t usually appreciate foreigners popping up at their dojo unannounced to watch a class, especially if that person has no plans of joining the dojo. Koryu ryuha (i.e. Shinkage) absolutely require an introduction and dojo visits have to be arranged in advance. Aikido dojo and Judo dojo are, somewhat, more relaxed but not all. If you want to observe budo, you ought to time a trip that coincides with annual public demonstrations. With regard to Chinese martial arts, I would suggest looking around the cities of Tsukuba and/or Yokohama to seek out teachers.

Zonker wrote:

Walk the Torque wrote:Hi Folks,

I am planning a trip to Japan next year.

Maybe. I suggest that you pay very close attention to Japan’s entry restrictions and requirements before you buy airline tickets. Japan is very behind the rest of the world with regard to Covid-19 vaccinations and no one has a booster, yet. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law just got their second shots last month. As of today, gaikujin are required to quarantine in a hotel room that is located close to the arriving airport for 14-days and then test negative for Covid-19 before being allowed to continue with travel plans. By quarantined, Japan means that you cannot leave that hotel room for 14-days. If you hold a Japanese passport, you can travel on to your destination in Japan, quarantine for three days and then submit a negative test result.

Have you visited Japan before or do you have friends/family already there to arrange introductions? Japan is not like China, Europe or the U.S. and Japanese budo teachers don’t usually appreciate foreigners popping up at their dojo unannounced to watch a class, especially if that person has no plans of joining the dojo. Koryu ryuha (i.e. Shinkage) absolutely require an introduction and dojo visits have to be arranged in advance. Aikido dojo and Judo dojo are, somewhat, more relaxed but not all. If you want to observe budo, you ought to time a trip that coincides with annual public demonstrations. With regard to Chinese martial arts, I would suggest looking around the cities of Tsukuba and/or Yokohama to seek out teachers.

Unfortunately inaccurate. There are no tourist visas being issued now and it ain't going to happen soon. Doesn't matter how many shots you have or how long you are willing to quarantine. I just, after two years almost, got the final documents to get a visa. It's a professor visa and took over a year to approve and will still require triple shots, guarantee from my national university, negative tests before and after arrival, etc...

As I mentioned before, you can't just go to Japan right now. it is possible that 2023 will see opening to tourists, but no guarantees.

If you get out, in addition to the good recos above, check out Akuzawa and Su or his students. There are also some skilled practitioners in Japan who post here. Ichimonji?

Good luck!

The other main school of Wang Shujin's material in Japan is Sato Kinbei's school:

https://jujutsu.jp

(Although Sato was officially a disciple of Li Ziming, they teach Wang Shujin's style.)

It looks like there is a chance for Japan to open mid summer to tourists after the upper house elections.

Walk the Torque wrote:Hi Folks,

I am planning a trip to Japan next year. I wont be there for long but would love to see some Wang Su Chin related practitioners, Some Yi Quan, or any other highly regarded internal stuff; and of course Karate.

Does anyone have suggestions?

Many thanks in advance.

Konn

Imho you should try to join some courses of Chen Peishan.
https://www.chen-taijiquan.org/our-schools/

It sounds like Japan will be opening to select tourist groups starting in June, which should lead to a complete opening up to tourists (so long as you have the required vaccinations). Good news for non-professional travelers and non-permanent residents!