maanantai 31. heinäkuuta 2017

2017 Shorinji Kempo World Taikai Preparation day - Saturday

 So, as you know, 2017 Shorinji Kempo World Taikai is being held in USA, in the city of San Mateo, near San Francisco, as we speak.
 I will try to report the activities from this event in English only, as I think everyone concerned know English enough. This is to save up some energy...
 Unfortunately already on Saturday morning, I felt like not everything was correct in the world. I felt like a cold was lingering onto me...:(
 On Saturday, we had an open practise time to get familiar with the tatami for those who were performing in the embukai and competition on Sunday.
 Kirsi and I have been training this week already in Peninsula Branch and San Francisco Branch who kindly let us visit on Wednesday and Thursday, but still we wanted to get this opportunity and of course start to meet the friends who have come from all over the world.
Some of these guys we see more often, in Gasshukus in Europe for example...
 But some we only have been seeing in Japan and it's been four years since the last World Taikai in Osaka 2013.
One of the most special things of this taikai is that Morigawa brothers were there with their two daughters who were also participating in the embukai.
 So Saturday was a good chance to get some last minute feeling to the embus and see what we are up against...
Indonesian girls and boys are very energetic, precise and quick. 
 Kirsi and I did some dance:)
 Not too much, because, as I said, I really wasn't feeling well.
 But mainly, it was just awesome to be reunited with all these friends.
 Team Vantaa was also prparing in good spirits.
 I looked at the Japanese women train. Of course they are 18 years old. They are 45kilos. These issues do come in handy when trying to win competitions like these. But mainly I was looking at how they have built their embus...
  We still have too many techniques. Not long enough breaks. Umpoho (leg work) is everything.
 Our coach, Teemu gave us last minute advice on kicking through in the first set and making that one count. I must say that it was a good advice and something that fixed a lot of our embu. Thank you Teemu! Even when it sometimes feels that we cannot take advise, we don't mean it! We really appreciated your support.
Ladies from San Francisco branch that we had met on Thursday night
 Connecting to new and old friends...
Dear Christina and Carlos from Portugal
 These two are my inspiration. At their age, what speed, what precision, what an awesome focus.
 And finally reconnecting with Evandro. We met him back in 2009 in Japan and have not since... But somehow he feels like our family member... I guess because there was only like 4 other foreign kenshis in Hombu training camp that year and sweating together for a week, does make a big bond. Evandro is a Shorinji Kempo legend and it was great that also Kari met him this time.
 That concludes my picture reportage of Saturday. Many more to come on this Taikai, so if you are not into Shorinji Kempo, probably better take a week's break from reading my blog. I must say, it humbles me a lot to see a room full of joyful people, who I have so much in common with. Like Yuuki So said in her speech: Shorinji Kempo was only one man's idea at the start, but now it is become a world wide family where people train their minds and bodies to improve themselves as well as the society around them. That's no small accomplishment...
Pictures from me and Kirsi (c) Seppo Ruusukivi

sunnuntai 30. heinäkuuta 2017

World Championships of Shorinji Kempo 2017

(c) Virpi Flyktman
 Noniin ja viimein on koittanut se päivä. Tätä varten on reenattu vuoden verran. Aloitettiin meidän embu viime elokuussa... Aikamoinen matka. Meidän ryhmä on "Women 3rd dan and above" ja siinä kisaa kuusi paria. Running order on seuraava:
1. Japan - Fukuoka
2. Finland - Jyväskylä!
3. Japan - Osaka
4. France - CSKN/Vallet
5. USA - Silicon Valley
6. Japan - Osaka

Ja skabat ovat suomenaikaa vähän puolen yön jälkeen.

Olen erinomaisen ylpeä meistä joka tapauksessa, valitettavasti minulle iski eilen flunssa ja ääni meinasi mennä... Katsotaan, miten onnistuu huutaminen. Tässä vaiheessa keskitytään omaan suoritukseen... Selvää on, että meidän embu on parantunut seitsemän vuoden takaisesta hirmuisesti. Tästä on hyvä jatkaa eteenpäin.
(c) Virpi Flyktman
/Today is the day. When Kirsi and I compete in Shorinji Kempo 2017 World Championships in San Francisco. In Women 3rd dan and above is six pairs:

1. Japan - Fukuoka
2. Finland - Jyväskylä!
3. Japan - Osaka
4. France - CSKN/Vallet
5. USA - Silicon Valley
6. Japan - Osaka

The competition is about midnight Finnish time.


lauantai 29. heinäkuuta 2017

Tinahäät

Tänään on meidän 10-vuotis hääpäivä. Ollaan myös tavattu 14 vuotta sitten. Tänään on tullut mietittyä ihmisten parisuhteita, vuorovaikutusta, maailman monimuotoisuutta. Onko avioliitto "selviytymistarina", ollaan selvitty 10 vuotta, vieläkö selvitään 10 lisää... Onko avioliitto päätös elää tietysssä yksikössä lapsen turvallisuuden takaamiseksi? Onko se paperi, joka kertoo mitä tapahtuu, kun avioliitto päättyy tavalla tai toisella... Ainakin se tuntuu olevan täynnä odotuksia - sekä avioliiton solmijoilta, että sen ulkopuolelta. Ovathan ihmiset uhranneet aikaa siihen, että ottavat perheenjäsenekseen ja ystäväkseen tämän jonkun "uuden ja ulkopuolisen ihmisen", kun hänet ikäänkuin virallisesti tuodaan yhteisöön solmimalla avioliitto ja ehkäpä myös juhlimalla häitä niinkuin meidän tapauksessamme 10 vuotta sitten. Paine avioliiton huoltamisesta ja onnistumisesta on siten myös lähipiirin silmän alla... Voiko odotuksia muuttaa kommunikoimalla, saako niitä muuttaa vai onko sopimus elinkautinen... Millä tavalla kommunikoimalla vaikutan toiseen? Toista ei voi muuttaa, mutta itseä voi... Kohtaavatko haaveet ja toiveet vielä vuosien päästä... 

Ajattelen niin, että tämä ei ole ollut erityisen helppo avioliitto. Elämään on sattunut vastoinkäymisiä jos jonkinmoisia. Jotenkin niistä on selvitty. Matkalle on mahtunut paljon hyvää. Ajattelin nyt muistella niitä hetkiä. Paljon reissuja. Ystävien ja sukulaisten kanssa yhdessäoloa. Lapsen kanssa naureskelua, sen kehityksen seuraamista. Yhteisten unelmien toteutumista, ulkomaille muuttoa, yhteisen asunnon ostoa, väitöskirjoja, toisen uran tukemista, yhteisten ystävien kanssa iltojen istumista... Ja niin edelleen.

Ehkä parhaimpia hetkiä ovat ne, kun molemmat ovat olleet hyvällä tuulella - on ehkä syöty hyvää ruokaa, juteltu mukavista asioista ja kaikki on ollut hyvin. Sellaisia hetkiä on edelleen. Se on hyvä merkki. 

Hyvää hääpäivää kotiin!
/10 years anniversary of our wedding today. I have been reflecting on marriage today: its ups and downs, why people want it, why they commit to it, what does it mean in the beginning, what does it mean along the way. Can marriage change when people change? These are difficult questions. Is a it a commitment to one person only, or actually, to a whole bunch of people in that person's life, who you 'officially' bring into your life by throwing a wedding...? What does better and worse mean? How do you forgive without remaining bitter when issues pile up? How do you stay connected when your first child is born? When you are both not sleeping enough? When the circumstances change... 

Sure, life is easy for the first few years when meeting a person. There's the hormones. You fall in love and the other can do no wrong. What happens when the hormones stop...? When you need to actually decide to be with that person, to actually struggle and compromise and walk the really hard roads... What happens when it is the endless diaper show with no sleep? What happens when your child turns out to have special needs..? What happens to that marriage? Is your lives just about who does the laundry or who picks up the kid from daycare... What is marriage?

It is not easy to spend one's 10th year anniversary on the other side of the globe, far away from the family. Our 10 years together have not been easy. But there has been some great moments. I have decided to look back on some of the good times in our lives. We have accomplished so much: many trips, buing a house, having a child, raising that child without him speaking, moving to abroad, traveling around the world, writing two dissertations... and so on. 

 I think the best times have been quite simple. Both have been on a good mood. There has been good food and drink and we have been talking about something interesting. I guess that's what life is all about. There's still days like that. That must be a good sign.

  The pictures I found from some small moments.
2007 Instant honeymoon to Estonia

2008 Visiting the Clutes in London
2008 Christmas pub with Adam & Sharon in Gypsyhill

2009 In Vancouver - Picture was taken by KG!
2010 Juhannus at the "Shed" with my family

2014 Tops's birthday at Gimploft

2013 - Kyoto
2010 - Hermitage w Kirsi

2010 - Summer in Albys

2007 December in Albys
2007 Dinner at Leigh Tandoori w family and friends
2007 Christmas in Disco Room London
2007 Honeymoon in Japan: Hakodate
2008 Summer fashion comedy bra
2007 Kamakura
2009 Around the world trip in New York
2010 Summer in Leigh-on-sea
2010 Marimikko's party
2010 St. Petersbourg w Kirsi & Pekka
2010 Leigh-on-Sea
2011 home
2011 May
2012 Walberswick
2012 Albys
2012 Albys
2012 Albys
2012 - My family visits Xi'an for Christmas
2016 - Xi'an. The most beautiful part of this marriage is this happy little darling who I miss very much.


Happy anniversary Dr. Clements <3.

Like in Facebook

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...