Today I attended a Tai chi competition in Todoroki Arena, Kawasaki, 32 Yang Style straight sword.
I was scheduled around 10:00 but I actually I performed around 12:00. Those two hours were very stressful, I kept warming up, sweating, cooling down and warming up again, repeating the cycle for several times, in order to be ready for the performance.
I got a very high score (8.67) with a penalty of 0.2, because my performance lasted few seconds beyond the regular time (time over!).
Something really strange occurred to me: I don’t recall the central third of my performance, as if I were somewhere else, in a different dimension. I flew away…
And when my consciousness came back into my body I was finishing the form and I had the awful feeling I forgot to do some parts of it. But then I saw my other two mates doing the same moves and I felt somehow relieved…

Today was the last time I performed as a member of Kanagawa Bujutsu Tai Kyo Kae because in few weeks I will leave for Amsterdam. It had been my “Sayonara” to Tai Chi and to Tai Chi mates in Japan.

I am still fascinated by the passion and dedication of all people I was with today, especially elder people.
This gives me plenty of hope about my future as a Tai Chi lover and student: you can practice until you are 80!

My teachers, Ra Kyo and Liu Sei sensei, closed the event performing Kung Fu and Chen style Tai Chi, respectively. Just amazing!

From left to right: Ra Kyo sensei, me and Liu Sei sensei at Todoroki Arena, Kawasaki, June the 7th, 2014