The Training in Japan Log

[gordi]

I've been here about 5 weeks. We got settled in in Nara City about three weeks ago after two weeks of traveling around and eating pretty much whatever we wanted. One of the first things we did was get a gym membership. (Literally, we were in the gym the evening of our first day in the new place).

Cash is short, though, so we have to make do with the the 90-minutes-at-a-time, weekday-only pass which is WAY cheaper than the as-long-as-you-need, any time pass. The gym is closed on Friday, which means I need to pack all of my gym workouts into a Monday-Thursday window. What I've come up with is a three-day split where I work upper body pushing (chest, shoulders, tris) on Monday, Lower body, core, and upper-body pulling (back and bis) on Tuesday, and whole-body on Thursday. Three weeks in, it's working well for me.

The stuff we had shipped over from Vancouver has arrived already. I'm going to pump up my Swiss ball and add in an extra Mark Verstegen-style core workout on Saturdays.

The great thing is: Even after two straight weeks of eating whatever was put in front of me, I've dropped SEVEN KILOS in my time here.

I think it's a combination of eating WAY more raw fish, drinking WAY more green tea, eating WAY less cheese and fried food, and walking almost everywhere. Nothing shakes up a diet like moving to a new country!

http://photos-e.ll.facebook.com/photos-ll-snc1/v2744/47/115/538780357/n538780357_2813980_2063824.jpg

[gordi]

There just aren't a lot of big guys over here in Japan. When I get some more cash together I'll have to head over to Gold's in Osaka or Kyoto, just to get that motivation that you can only get from being around lifters that are much bigger and stronger than you are.

One of the great things about the local gym I'm going to is the incredibly positive atmosphere there. I may be the only guy lifting heavy 4 out of 5 times I'm in there, but... from the old guys doing Tai Chi on the mats to the teeny tiny young aerobics bunnies, someone always has a smile and some words or gestures of encouragement for me. It happens every single time I'm in there: Despite the fact that the way I look and the way I train is totally different from everyone else in the gym, someone will make the effort to cross the language barrier and give me a thumbs up. Maybe it shouldn't matter to me, but the truth is that it's really good for my motivation. I've only been here for a few weeks, but I have not yet had to force myself to go to the gym to get a workout in. You'd have to lock me up to keep me out of there on a training day. It's MY gym. I'm welcome there, and I'm happy there.

So, there's one upside of training here. One downside is the difficulty of trying to get my 200 grams of protein into myself every day.

Back in Canada, a typical week’s shopping cart would have included: 7 pounds of extra-lean ground beef, a pack of turkey sausage, 4 dozen Omega3 eggs, 2 kilos of cottage cheese, 6 cans of salmon, a kilo of rolled oats…

Outside of (maybe) specialty stores, I can’t get any of that stuff here.

What I can get, though, is tuna. Fresh tuna. Raw tuna. Cheap, delicious, fresh raw tuna. It goes on sale at our local grocery store around 7PM, and drops to half price around 9.

Does anyone know the warning signs of mercury poisoning?

[Felinecougar]

I had mercury poisoning this past fall. My hair was falling out. It use to be very thick and shiny. My hair dresser pointed out bald spots on the back of my head.

The X was living in the Orient and Mexico and I found that cooking a pc of salmon and tuna for myself to be the easy and quick before a gym work out. I was eating Tuna 2 x a week and Salmon 2 x. The other days might be a chicken breast and Talapia, Halibut or Sea Bass.

I would have times that I lost all composure. Ranting and screaming at nothing. I'm normally a even tempered person. Was it the fact I was single parenting 2 teens and dealing with his moms cancer and dying though?

Muscle twitches. In my face mostly.

My tongue was yellow and I had alot of pain in the gums.

I cut back all salmon and tuna and the levels dropped with in a week. I had blood work done every week for 5 weeks.

Now I"m eating Salmon 2 x a week. Tuna only 2 x a month. More talapia and chicken. Money is short and buying Ahi tuna here is expensive.

[gordi]

Damn. Wow. Don't want to have to go through all that. I'm going to have to look into this further. Thanks for the info. Worst thing? I can't even check if my hair is falling out...

[gordi]

The main reason I'm happy with my current gym is the atmosphere, as I posted above. Advantage #2 is the location. It's on the 6th and 7th floors of a building that has a Starbucks on the ground floor. I teach about half my private students in that particular Starbucks, so it's very handy to just bring my gym gear to work and pop up for a workout between students.

The big disadvantage is the lack of major free weights. There's a Smith machine, about 150 kilos of plates, and dumbbells going up to about 50 kilos. That's it, other than pulleys and machines. There are plenty of machines, some of which I've honestly never seen before, and some of which I haven't seen since the 80s.

There are more serious gyms in Japan, including Gold's in Kyoto and Osaka. There is one pretty big gym in Nara City, but it's hard to get to without a car. At the moment, I just have to make do with what's available to me.

The challenge, of course, is to get a good heavy workout with limited heavy equipment.

I dropped weight pretty steadily when I first got here, and in the last week my weight's been holding steady while my waist has been shrinking, so I think I've hit on a pretty decent plan.

I want to keep up as much of my upper-body thickness as I can while cutting down on my bodyfat and getting my aching knees and back into condition to handle some real work.

As I've said, I am limited to taking my gym workouts from Monday to Thursday.

[gordi]

So, here's the rough plan:

Monday:

Warm-up: T-pushups, 3 sets.
Smith Machine Bench 5X5 as heavy as I can handle.
Dumbbell Shoulder Presses 5X12,10,8,6,6
Side Laterals: 3X10-12
Cable Pushdowns or Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extensions: 3X10-12
Ab Work: Crunches or V-Ups, Machine Crunches (never done machine crunches before, they are kind of fun) 3X20-25

Tuesday:
Core and Mobility Work: About 20 minutes of various lunges and planks, inchworm, sumo squat into hamstring stretch... (I've been doing a ton of foo-foo-looking Mark Verstegen stuff for the last year or so, it really seems to be helping, and it's definitely tougher than it looks).
"Deadlift Shrugs": 5X10-12. Deadlifts on the Smith don't really work for me, so I use a machine for these. It's one of those things where you just gotta make the best of what's available to you.
Inverted Rows 3X8-12. One of the few legit uses for the Smith Machine. I love this exercise!
Lat Pulldowns: 2X15. This is more or less for rehab purposes. I messed my back up pretty good getting packed up to come here, and the 11-hour flight didn't exactly speed the healing process. I seem to have less pain on Wednesday and Thursday if I finish off with these on Tuesday.
Dumbbell Mechanical Drop Set Curls: Regular dumbbell curls until I can't do any more, then pull out a couple of hammer curls with the same weight, then grind out some cross-body hammer curls to finish off completely. 2 or 3 sets.
Sometimes, I'll just "go down the rack" instead, doing a regular drop set or two.

Thursday:
Warm-up: Lunges, planks, earthworm, etc.
Dumbbell Cleans and Presses (from the floor): 5X12,10,8,6,6
Dumbbell Incline Presses: 3X10-12
Dumbbell Rows (Unless my back is still too sore from Tuesday): 3X10-12
I'll finish off with ab work, arm work, laterals, leg presses, or whatever else seems like fun.

Once I adapt to this, I'm thinking of getting in some extra weight work on Thursday and moving the Verstegen stuff to Saturday instead. This seems to be doing the tick for now, though, so I'm going to stick to it.

[gordi]

I think I'm actually making some progress on this making-the-best-of-what's available Monday-Tuesday-Thursday routine:

http://www.canadabodybuilding.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=8&pictureid=246

Maybe because I know I've only got a limited chance to use the gym, I've really been giving it my all every time in there. I'm usually totally fried by the end of Thursday's training, but I know I've got three days to recover so I just blast till I drop. I'm definitely getting a bit stronger, too.

Could also be the food here. The fruit and vegetables are really delicious, my wife is doing an amazing job of keeping the clean meals coming while we are waiting for our first real pay cheques to come in, and I've found a bunch of places to get cheap chicken and fish. Plus I'm drinking green tea and oolong tea every single day. The ONLY supps I am using are vitamin/taurine drinks every morning and BCAA drinks with every workout. That's all I can afford right now.

Whatever it is, I'm really happy with how my training is going here so far. To be honest, I'm really happy with everything here so far.

[gordi]

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs137.snc1/5850_127989715357_538780357_3458335_3369294_n.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs137.snc1/5850_127989710357_538780357_3458334_706872_n.jpg

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs157.snc1/5850_127989700357_538780357_3458333_6623309_n.jpg

Haven't posted here in forever. Sorry 'bout that bros and sisters! Life just got really busy really quickly here, I got up to 20 teaching hours per week before I knew what hit me, and between that and making new friends, hitting the iron, travelling around and taking in the sites, going to pro wrestling shows, and spending time with my wife, I turned around and it was mid-July! I'm down to 102-103 kilos now, after showing up at 113. It's the food here: raw fish, fresh fruits and veggies, yakitori cooked over a charcoal grill...

The Mon/Weds/Thurs split is really working out, I'm getting stronger while losing weight.

I'm not ashamed any more to post pics that show my lower chest. The moobies are still there, but shrinking at long last. No more love handles, no more saddle bags... I just have to keep it up for another... rest of my life, I guess.

Life is good!

[gordi]

For those of you who get a kick out of pro wrestling, here are some shots of me with the guys from Osaka Pro:

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs116.snc1/4852_120895200357_538780357_3314709_1071878_n.jpg
Tigers Mask, named after the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. Best bad guy wrestler in Japan.

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs116.snc1/4852_120894515357_538780357_3314697_3906517_n.jpg
Asian Cooger, my favourite wrestler, who spent time in Vancouver and knows some of my buddies from the All Star days, and Yuji, an awesome kid who just loves pro wrestling.

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs137.snc1/5850_123375205357_538780357_3362467_7978390_n.jpg
Life? It's good.

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs157.snc1/5850_123375560357_538780357_3362530_5805181_n.jpg
Mr. Hito, the guy who trained Bret Hart!

[gordi]

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs137.snc1/5850_123375585357_538780357_3362535_879818_n.jpg
Clownin' with Ebessan!

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs084.snc1/4579_107527680357_538780357_3063075_2817343_n.jpg
Miracle Man!

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs084.snc1/4579_107527905357_538780357_3063107_4790337_n.jpg
Shobai Hanjo!

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs034.snc1/4320_100655540357_538780357_2948913_1154415_n.jpg
My wife and I with Osaka Pro champion Billyken Kid, and Jonel Sanders, a character based on a statue of the fast food mascot that got tossed into the Dotonbori river by rabid Hanshin Tigers fans back in the 80s... since when they have never again won the championship. Osaka Pro Wrestling is awesome!

[Born2Juice4Ever]

Hey Gordi,

Thank you for sharing your pics!
Your wife is gorgeous!!! I have always loved the Japanese culture...grew up with Chuto-ryo in my teen years...but transitioned into Wing-chun do later.

Seems as though you are having a good time so far....those are "pro wrestlers"?? HOLY!!! Rich can take those guys any day!!

Keep us posted on how things go :)


B2J

[JonnyO]

Man your so lucky to be out there, its something I've always wanted to do. Maybe one day. Great pics by the way and you look like you;ve tightened upa lot since you got there.

Keep up the log Im not sure how I missed it in the first place but now looking fwd to updates. Take pics from the Golds if/when you go there be neat to see.

Have fun!

[INked]

Interesting read,great pics experience of a lifetime I'm sure!That new diet looks good on you!:a+

[wolverine]

Thanks for the great read Gordi!!

[gordi]

Thank you bros, I appreciate the kind words and encouragement.

Still haven't been to Gold's but it's definitely on my "to-do" list. One of the interesting things about this culture is that virtually everyone does some kind of sport at school and at least through the generation thats in their 20s now they seem to keep up an active lifestyle.

Guys like B2J4E who are into martial arts would love it here, I'm all but sure. It would be wildly inaccurate to say that everyone does martial arts in Japan (in fact, it's seen as very funny that some foreigners assume that to be the case) but it would be fair to say that everyone here has respect for martial arts and those who practice them. I even get honest respect for having been a pro wrestler, which is a bit different from the reactions I'd get in Canada.

Pro Wrestling was HUGE here in the 50s and it stayed very popular and was treated like part of the mainstream sports scene right through the mid-1990s. IN the aftermath of WWII, Fred Blassie had the brilliant idea of training some Japanese guys to wrestle, mowing through them, and having a big Japanese hero finally step up and knock Blassie down. It worked like a charm. Half the people in Japan watched the first Blassie vs. Rikidozan match, and three people died of heart attacks while the match was going on.

These days, it's still everywhere, and people take it more seriously here than they do in North America, but it's kind of a niche entertainment. Sumo, Boxing, MMA and Kickboxing are all more popular now.

[gordi]

This past weekend we went to the Island of Shikoku to attend a family wedding.

The feast was amazing, particularly the sashimi and fresh fruit:

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs126.snc1/5410_130422485357_538780357_3504835_6110901_n.jpg

Of course, there were some temptations as well:

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs126.snc1/5410_130422515357_538780357_3504841_5260678_n.jpg

That's sparkling wine, whiskey, beer, and sake. I escaped without a trace of a hangover.

Driving to and from Nakamura, where the wedding was held, was a long adventure in eating delicious things. At one roadside restaurant, I said that I'd try whatever was on special. What was on special?

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs126.snc1/5410_130422565357_538780357_3504849_6411654_n.jpg

A ONE-POUND STEAK! Was I pleased? Does a one-legged duck swim in circles?

Nice steak, too: tender, juicy, and not too fatty.

[daande]

Looks like your having an amazing time!

EDIT: You should also get some CBB.com T-Shirts to rep out there haha

[White T]

gordi: great journal! I arrived in Japan 1 week ago and signed up at the local Gold's Gym the day after I got here.. Nice gym, but it costs $110 Canadian per month for the 'daytime only' membership! I totally understand the lack of foods which we were accustomed to loading up the shopping carts with in BC.. I've been eating a ton of tuna, some chicken breast, and like you alot of raw fish in sushi etc. It's definitely a good time going to train and everyone seems friendly for sure. I know it's only been a week but I can tell I've dropped weight already because of the lack of calories and especially protein...it's so expensive for everything here. Anyhow, thanks for your journal and I'm looking forward to keeping up with your progress.

[MuSuLPhReAk]

It's 5:30am here in Montreal. I read this thread and now I'm in the mood for a steak.

Nice pics!! Keep them coming :)

[gordi]

As always, thank you for the kind words and encouragement. It sure helps to have a supportive online community to draw inspiration from!

White T, which part of Japan are you in?

Have you tried Egg Tofu (Tamagodufu) yet? Not a bad way to get some extra aminos. I go through a bag of five pretty much every day (I might cut back soon in an effort to completely get rid of my moobies, though).

I just got back from Kobe. We went out there for the fireworks: a 50-minute display where they set off 10,000 works! There were about a quarter million people crammed into the harbour district to catch the show but the atmosphere was totally laid back and easy-going. No hassles at all getting in, finding a spot, getting drinks, or getting out. It was just a good time.

For lunch, we had Hayashi Rice: Thin-sliced Kobe beef in a tomato and onion sauce served over a pork cutlet and steamed rice. This country sure offers up some fantastic cheat meals!

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs125.snc1/5370_136254200357_538780357_3602448_5140318_n.jpg

[White T]

gordi: I'm in Kanagawa prefecture about 25 mins away from Yokohama. I also went to a huge fireworks display last night where there was over 100,000 people all crammed together. With the massive heat and humidity combined with that many people all trying to move along made for some trying times but everything was great.

I haven't tried tamagodofu yet but I will look for it next time I go shopping.. Hayashi rice is really good; my girlfriend cooked some delicious Japanese curry for me tonight! She wants me to eat natto but I tried it once and never again.. don't tell me you actually like that stuff, hah.

I take it you moved over to Japan from Vancouver for a job opportunity?

[gordi]

I take it you moved over to Japan from Vancouver for a job opportunity?

Kind of, but not exactly. I fell into teaching English when I lived in The Czech Republic from '95 through '02, and after moving back to Canada in '02 I ended up meeting and eventually marrying a Japanese-born woman... so when my contract ran out at my last job it made sense to me to give teaching in Japan a shot. I really enjoy one-to-one conversation and small-group business English lessons, and that's the lion's share of what I do here. Are you teaching as well or do you have a real job :) ?


gordi: I'm in Kanagawa prefecture about 25 mins away from Yokohama. I also went to a huge fireworks display last night where there was over 100,000 people all crammed together. With the massive heat and humidity combined with that many people all trying to move along made for some trying times but everything was great.

I haven't tried tamagodofu yet but I will look for it next time I go shopping.. Hayashi rice is really good; my girlfriend cooked some delicious Japanese curry for me tonight! She wants me to eat natto but I tried it once and never again.. don't tell me you actually like that stuff, hah.


Anywhere near Kamakura? That's a nice area. Hopefully your deal is not too different from the sweet set-up I've got going on here in Nara: close enough to have easy access to the sight-seeing and night-life places (in my case, places like Uji, Kyoto, and Osaka) with plenty of nice stuff going on locally but also with a quieter pace and lower cost of living than you'd get in a big city.

I LOVE the food here... but you are right about natto. That and umeboshi are the two very popular foods that I can't hack. (For anyone who isn't living here or steeped in the culture: Natto is fermented soy beans. It's very healthy and the taste isn't bad... but the stench and the slimy, stringy texture are pretty disgusting. Umeboshi are salty, pickled plums. I juts can't get into those yet).

I assume I'll develop a taste or at least a tolerance for them eventually. My tastes are changing pretty quickly over here.

[White T]

Sounds like you have a good gig there gordi.. I am very close to Kamakura actually... It is definitely a nice area around here, close to the Pacific ocean. I'm actually really familiar with Kyoto/Uji area because I spent a year there back in 2001. I never did make it to Nara but I heard that deer wander throughout the city freely hah. I am not working at all at the moment..just enjoying the life and spending a few months off. What kind of visa did you come to Japan on, a work visa or a spousal visa?

And I agree with you completely on umeboshi as well..just can't get into that stuff at all. Natto has one of the worst textures of any food ever. It looks like someone with a really bad cold just sneezed all over some beans and let them sit in the sun for a few days.

Are you planning on making Japan 'home' for a long time to come?

[ubcpower]

Nice Journal! Keep those food pics coming pleaseeeeeeeee

[tex]

keep up the good work gord!!

[gordi]

Thank you tex, thank you ubcpower. Will do!


Sounds like you have a good gig there gordi.. I am very close to Kamakura actually... It is definitely a nice area around here, close to the Pacific ocean. I'm actually really familiar with Kyoto/Uji area because I spent a year there back in 2001. I never did make it to Nara but I heard that deer wander throughout the city freely hah. I am not working at all at the moment..just enjoying the life and spending a few months off. What kind of visa did you come to Japan on, a work visa or a spousal visa?

And I agree with you completely on umeboshi as well..just can't get into that stuff at all. Natto has one of the worst textures of any food ever. It looks like someone with a really bad cold just sneezed all over some beans and let them sit in the sun for a few days.

Are you planning on making Japan 'home' for a long time to come?

Ahahaha that's a great description of natto.

I'm here on a spousal visa (which is great in terms of freeing me up to do a lot of private teaching instead of having to work for a school) and I am planning to make this home for at least three years and maybe much longer. How about you?

[gordi]

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs125.snc1/5370_143419385357_538780357_3727805_3426205_n.jpg

Chicken kebab with Israeli carrot salad. mmmmmm.

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs163.snc1/6100_252325050531_513365531_8311864_2863930_n.jpg
No fooling, these girls took me and some friends out for beer after a wrestling show and insisted on picking up the tab. I LOVE Japan, brother!

[Mad-Bull]

haha looks like your having a blast out there man, I'm jealous!

[gordi]

haha looks like your having a blast out there man...

I totally am!

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs183.snc1/6100_254733735531_513365531_8366982_1729596_n.jpg
Chicken liver, chicken heart, chicken neck meat, grilled over charcoal. Oh yeah!

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs163.snc1/6100_254736940531_513365531_8367010_1400573_n.jpg
Sashimi-style chicken. That's how they serve it, and that's how you eat it!

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs163.snc1/6100_254736950531_513365531_8367011_1690390_n.jpg
Chicken breast with plum sauce and plum leaf. Maybe the single tastiest food in Japan. Maybe.

[gordi]

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs183.snc1/6100_254736985531_513365531_8367014_4371838_n.jpg
Grilled eggplant with dried bonito flakes.

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs163.snc1/6100_254736960531_513365531_8367012_4871261_n.jpg
Japanese cucumbers are, on average, much smaller than Canadian cucumbers :flagC

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs125.snc1/5370_146772215357_538780357_3785916_7188186_n.jpg
Kimchi, grilled organ meat, and raw liver. Seriously pretty damned good, too!

[gordi]

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs125.snc1/5370_146772255357_538780357_3785923_1679445_n.jpg
With Jun Akiyama, a truly great pro wrestler.

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs145.snc1/5370_146772225357_538780357_3785918_3851388_n.jpg
With the guys from the organ meat grilling place. Some people over here just get a kick out of meeting huge white guys. The owner of the place kept forking over free samples of anything I wanted to try, which was hilariously awesome (Pig's ear? Really? OK!).

[deleteduser0002]

Man, what a great journal! Am I ever jealous, I've always wanted to visit Japan...one day..one day.

[LonelyBedouin]

Man that food looks soooo good, I cant wait to go to Japan. But raw chicken? Is that safe?

[gordi]

Man that food looks soooo good, I cant wait to go to Japan. But raw chicken? Is that safe?

I hope so!

[gordi]

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs145.snc1/5370_147672470357_538780357_3803905_7110717_n.jpg
My special friend Youko

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs145.snc1/5370_147672620357_538780357_3803931_6875950_n.jpg
"The Bodyguard" AKA Noboru Kurakawa. His wrestling character is a total arrogant dick... but he's actually a total bro who made a huge effort to talk to me in English about lifting weights in Japan.

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs161.snc1/6010_151051600357_538780357_3853174_3622358_n.jpg
Ultimate Spider Junior, some white guy, and Ebessan

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs181.snc1/6010_151432090357_538780357_3859682_4728693_n.jpg
Pork buns from Kobe's Chinatown. Best cheat food ever.

[gordi]

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs264.snc1/9122_154574920357_538780357_3902146_1467502_n.jpg
With some of my fellow-foreigner friends. Left to right: Victor, also from Vancouver, whom I met literally on my first night in Nara when I hit the gym here. Grant, from Australia, who goes to a different gym. Altai, from Mongolia, who is into full-contact fighting and local-level sumo. Billy, yet another Canadian (from Ontario) who goes to my gym. Billy and Faizel (who couldn't make it out that night) are both Canadian guys I met at the gym who are also married to Japanese nurses. What are the odds of that? Me. Mike, from Wales, who is even older than me but still competing in Kyokushin Karate. Japanese people often mistake me for Mike or Mike for me. I guess I could see that.

I feel pretty lucky to have met so many English-speaking people who are also into working out.

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs244.snc1/9122_154574900357_538780357_3902143_6797562_n.jpg
At work. I only teach three kids' classes per week, and they are all pretty fun. Mainly I do one-to-one lessons in cafes, and also some business classes for Panasonic.

[Born2Juice4Ever]

Thank you bros, I appreciate the kind words and encouragement.

Still haven't been to Gold's but it's definitely on my "to-do" list. One of the interesting things about this culture is that virtually everyone does some kind of sport at school and at least through the generation thats in their 20s now they seem to keep up an active lifestyle.

Guys like B2J4E who are into martial arts would love it here, I'm all but sure. It would be wildly inaccurate to say that everyone does martial arts in Japan (in fact, it's seen as very funny that some foreigners assume that to be the case) but it would be fair to say that everyone here has respect for martial arts and those who practice them. I even get honest respect for having been a pro wrestler, which is a bit different from the reactions I'd get in Canada.

Pro Wrestling was HUGE here in the 50s and it stayed very popular and was treated like part of the mainstream sports scene right through the mid-1990s. IN the aftermath of WWII, Fred Blassie had the brilliant idea of training some Japanese guys to wrestle, mowing through them, and having a big Japanese hero finally step up and knock Blassie down. It worked like a charm. Half the people in Japan watched the first Blassie vs. Rikidozan match, and three people died of heart attacks while the match was going on.

These days, it's still everywhere, and people take it more seriously here than they do in North America, but it's kind of a niche entertainment. Sumo, Boxing, MMA and Kickboxing are all more popular now.


Hey bro!! GREAT show of pictures for sure.

You know I have been in the sport since my mid teens.
I absolutely love the Japanese culture for its richness.

It's def interesting to see and hear that the Japs are so much into wretlesing hahahhahaah
Your log is full great stories and a lot of surprises:a+
I would love to some day visit undeground gyms!! or even open gyms, where the elite black belt instructors get nominated with wins and or even loses!! WOW~!~~

Keep us posted on how things are going!!

here this will help!!!!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3212611340919064813#



B2J

[gordi]

That video... man...
:tu

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs227.snc1/7427_184859555357_538780357_4244362_1889542_n.jpg
With Osaka Pro champion Dick Togo

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs227.snc1/7427_184859730357_538780357_4244389_1478791_n.jpg
With Musclemania Japan 2002 and 2007 champion, Noburu "The Bodyguard" Kurakawa. I'm hoping to train with him at Gold's in Osaka one day.

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs244.snc1/9122_180062350357_538780357_4198902_8292611_n.jpg
With Daisuke Harada outside Minami Move On Arena, where Osaka Pro holds shows almost every day.

[gordi]

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee179/gordiw/Osakashakalaka/DSCF3499.jpg
Not hard to eat well over here, bro!

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee179/gordiw/Osakashakalaka/DSCF3567.jpg?t=1256140482
Not hard to stay motivated, either.

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs264.snc1/9122_180085875357_538780357_4199213_8207625_n.jpg
It's fun making the most of cheat meals here, too!

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs207.snc1/7427_184859575357_538780357_4244365_1916138_n.jpg
But you gotta keep the motivation up, right?

[gordi]

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs063.snc3/13044_190171520357_538780357_4292930_2044329_n.jpg
Ichyo is our favourite restaurant in Nara. They use a sumiyaki, or traditional; charcoal grill, so the chicken is crispy and juicy at the same time.

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs001.snc3/10867_192700940357_538780357_4319593_7341315_n.jpg
Ryusuke is the sumiyaki master.

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs063.snc3/13044_190171530357_538780357_4292931_2696808_n.jpg
Cheap, delicious grilled chicken? :yeah

[gordi]

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs112.snc3/15938_201629210357_538780357_4425562_2336183_n.jpg
Kaki no ha sushi, a Nara specialty: It's pressed and wrapped in persimmon leaves.

Had a rough experience last week, bros and sisters. Some old guy at the gym saw my tattoo as I was soaking in the hot tub, and asked one of the staff whether the gym has a rule against tats (Most gyms in Japan do, because Yakuza used to fake injuries and try to shake gyms down so they came up with the "no tattoos" rule as a way of keeping them out of the gym). The old guy wasn't even complaining, just asking. Unfortunately for me, he asked the skinny little rat-faced racist staff member, and he used it as a chance to try and get me booted from the gym. Luckily for me, the old guy who asked the question and some of the other staff jumped to my defense, but in the end they were still going to ban me from using the bath and limit me to the weight room and the shower stalls only.

When I joined the gym, I came clean about the tat, and they just said I couldn't use the pool. I was OK with that. I wasn't OK with losing the use of the tub, though. A soak really helps keep the pain manageable after a hard session.

In the end, my wife did a great job of explaining my side of things, they agreed that I'd been going regularly for 8 month without any hassles, and I just had to sign a form promising I'm not a Yakuza, and agree to try and keep it covered as much as possible in the change room.

If it hadn't worked out that way, I would have been devastated. I don't think I would have felt welcome there any more. It would have just been some gym, rather than MY gym... I'm sure most of you know what I mean.

[Scaffer]

Really enjoy reading and looking at the pictures!!

[gordi]

Thanks bro. Looking forward to reading your GVT log. I'm doing the opposite, more or less, full-body high-intensity stuff... when it stops giving me results, I just might switch up to GVT or something else totally different for a change.

[kloan]

Awesome pics, thanks for sharing Gordi.

I'm glad everything worked out ok in the end at your gym. It would truly suck if you were banned just for some minor ink. I know how sensitive they are over there about the Yakuza, but you'd think they wouldn't even allow a white guy in their organization in the first place. In any case, you don't want to feel like an outcast in your own neighborhood, so it's good they compromised.

[gordi]

Thanks, kloan. I knew there'd be bros who understood on this board. Luckily for me, my wife also understood how important this was and went to bat for me. If anything, since it all went down the staff at the gym are going out of their way to be extra-nice to me.

Crazy thing is, I was just reading that young Yakuza are no longer allowed to get tattoos, since it makes them too easy for the police to identify, so the rule REALLY makes very little sense any more.

[gordi]

Long time no update. Time for a monster! As far as the tattoo thing goes, I bought some flesh-coloured elastic tape and I just have one of the gym girls tape over my tat whenever I want to use the tub for a post-workout soak. That seems to be the end of the issue.

Christmas in Japan is great! There are lights and displays and music here and there in Nara and Osaka... or I should say there were because it's the 26th here and already everything is taken down and put away and they are playing classic jazz at Starbucks again. I'm good with that. I LOVE Christmas, but I never got into the total overkill way that we got beaten over the head with the holidays in Canada. Also: No pressure to eat to much (though there is a bit of pressure to drink too much in December... pressure that I totally caved in to. Lost three kilos this month anyway, with no drop-off in strength at all).

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs106.snc3/15349_211120075357_538780357_4508213_8313179_n.jpg
Yakitori and Sake is my Japanese wings and beer. The totally reliable night-out snack and drink combo. At least I'm getting some protein!

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs086.snc3/15349_211120105357_538780357_4508216_5193759_n.jpg
My friends Noburo and Youko

[gordi]

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs086.snc3/15349_217889490357_538780357_4566070_7177389_n.jpg
The real pressure to drink starts up around the end of November, with the many, many Bonenkai (year-end parties) that a teacher gets invited to. The first and probably the best one was the Osaka Pro wrestling drinking party histed by Atsuhi Kotoge...

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs106.snc3/15349_217889540357_538780357_4566080_2942406_n.jpg
Asian Cooger...

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs086.snc3/15349_217889615357_538780357_4566091_4994801_n.jpg
and Ebessan.

The snacks at this one were incredibly delicious and healthy.
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs106.snc3/15349_217889435357_538780357_4566062_4270269_n.jpg

[gordi]

... including hawt pot!
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs086.snc3/15349_217889585357_538780357_4566086_5835642_n.jpg

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs106.snc3/15349_222657130357_538780357_4608942_5585410_n.jpg
Still managed to get a few calories in, though. It was a total blast drinking with Cooger, who wrestled in Canada back at the beginning of the decade and who knows some of my friends from the All Star Wrestling days.

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs086.snc3/15349_237513590357_538780357_4688233_6673721_n.jpg
Another nice one was with my students from Panasonic. The food there was amazing!

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs106.snc3/15349_237513620357_538780357_4688235_2266536_n.jpg
Meat and veggies steamed over flame in a porcelain dish. Every bit as good as it looked.

[gordi]

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs106.snc3/15349_237513640357_538780357_4688236_2960468_n.jpg
We also had a kind of fish shabu in "paper pots" which is something that I've totally never tried before.

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs106.snc3/15349_237513645357_538780357_4688237_1144563_n.jpg
You get fish (yellowtail, in this case), veggies (including shitake), and bean-starch noodles...

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs086.snc3/15349_237513650357_538780357_4688238_768418_n.jpg
then boil them in broth inside the paper pot, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like.

Also, with the drinking at these parties: If you drain your glass, someone will always fill it again immediately. If you don't want to drink, you need to leave your glass full... I think...

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs086.snc3/15349_237513655357_538780357_4688239_3116579_n.jpg
At the after-party. Drinking sake out of little wooden boxes (masu) is something that I always get a kick out of.

[gordi]

About a week ago, the Osaka Pro bad guys had a drinking party of their own. Once again, the food was delicious and healthy! It's so easy to stick to clean eating here, since there are always great options available, like this salad:

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs106.snc3/15349_242034345357_538780357_4705389_4081171_n.jpg

Year-end parties here tend to be all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink. This one was a Genghis Khan, or Mongolian feast:
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs086.snc3/15349_242034455357_538780357_4705400_8061972_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs086.snc3/15349_242034920357_538780357_4705448_3111026_n.jpg
The hosts were Tigers Mask, Black Buffalo, and Tadasuke. Evil cheating bastards in the ring, total warm-hearted and hilarious bros in the restaurant.

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs086.snc3/15349_242034430357_538780357_4705398_4037904_n.jpg

[gordi]

Instead of buying each other presents, my wife and I took her mom out to a ryokan, or traditional Japanese inn at a hot spring in Arima, near Kobe. It was amazing, and taking three long soaks over two days totally took the knots out of my back and hams, too!

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs185.snc3/19238_246345740357_538780357_4727475_3905874_n.jpg
They serve up a really elaborate dinner with a million or so little courses, right in your room.

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs185.snc3/19238_246345745357_538780357_4727476_35667_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs165.snc3/19238_246345755357_538780357_4727478_3212663_n.jpg
I LOVE my turkey, but in a pinch I guess lobster will do.

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs165.snc3/19238_246345770357_538780357_4727479_4792458_n.jpg

[gordi]

http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs185.snc3/19238_246345750357_538780357_4727477_4594794_n.jpg

http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs185.snc3/19238_246345785357_538780357_4727481_575532_n.jpg
Breakfast the next morning was not too bad, either!

On the 24th we went out for yakitori. Hilariously, many Japanese families eat KFC as their "traditional" Christmas Eve dinner. On the 25th, we went for shabu-shabu.

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs185.snc3/19238_250621895357_538780357_4752877_1331824_n.jpg
For those who haven't had it: It's a kind of do-it-yourself stew or hot pot, here with thin-sliced beef and pork, and ground chicken (on the bamboo thing)...

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs165.snc3/19238_250621900357_538780357_4752878_4911943_n.jpg
Various veggies and tofu and things of that nature...

[gordi]

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs165.snc3/19238_250621910357_538780357_4752879_3065661_n.jpg
You get ponzu and sesame sauces for dipping, and you cook the meat and stuff up in a kelp broth right at your table. We ended up having two plates of beef, two bamboo things of chicken... and four plates of pork. All you can eat shabu-shabu makes for a very nice Christmas meal!

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs165.snc3/19238_250622075357_538780357_4752902_6968142_n.jpg
Jonel Sanders is one of my favourite Osaka Pro characters!

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs165.snc3/19238_250622080357_538780357_4752903_6860500_n.jpg
Christmas in Japan, brother!

[gordi]

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs185.snc3/19238_250622090357_538780357_4752904_285006_n.jpg
As cheat meals go, curry beef udon is a pretty good one. At least you get some protein!

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs165.snc3/19238_250622125357_538780357_4752908_1395673_n.jpg
Christmas posedown with the udon guy!

Merry Christmas, bros and sisters!! Hope you all had a great one!

[The Brick]

Cool log man, merry xmas!

[gordi]

Cool log man, merry xmas!

Thanks bro, you too!


Great pics...how did zou meet zour wife

Thanks! We met in Canada, where she was working as a sushi chef. A mutual friend set us up. She works as a nurse here.

[gordi]

No need to set you up, bro. If you come here, the cute girls will come flocking to you.

[gordi]

Thanks, bro! I have found it very easy to adapt in most ways, but I still make a ton of stupid mistakes and there are always language and cultural misunderstandings. People here seem to be very forgiving an tolerant, though. I have no knack for languages at all. It took me four full years to really be able to communicate in Czech when I was living over there, for example. I'm hoping to pick it up a bit faster in Japan, but progress has been very slow. So far, I'm totally happy in Japan and hope to be able to stay here for many years.

[gordi]

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs161.snc3/18838_308604090357_538780357_5047109_423467_n.jpg

[MuSuLPhReAk]

Whenever I see you post, I always think of food. This thread is great to get me to eat...lol

Nice pic above. Who is it?

[gordi]

Whenever I see you post, I always think of food. This thread is great to get me to eat...lol

Nice pic above. Who is it?

Bro, I am LOVING the food here. I has sea cucumber the other day. Not too bad, actually...

That's yet another pic of me with Musclemania Japan 2002 and 2007 champion, Noburu "The Bodyguard" Kurakawa. He's the only totally serious/hardcore lifter I know over here so far, though a bunch of my drinking buddies here are also right into moving the iron.

Here's a pic of Nobu when he's in contest shape:

http://www.musclememory.com/images/amateurWorld/KurakawaNoboru.jpg

[gordi]

I went off TRT for three months in order to provide some DNA for the baby my wife wants to make :sex

I took FSH and HCG shots instead. Those sub-Q shots are a bitch! I'm back on the test again.

My strength didn't decrease at all, but I did find that I needed to drag my ass to the gym instead of chomping at the bit to get in there. Also, the last month I was in a fair bit of pain, with my shoulder, elbow, back, and knees all giving me grief at one time or another. I put on a couple of kilos and overall felt a bit softer... but I was pretty pleased that going off my test for three months didn't totally destroy my progress!! :fwave

I probably drank a bit more than usual over the past three months, but I am happy to report that I just kept gorging myself on healthy high-protein Japanese food.
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee179/gordiw/LOV%20party/DSCF5297.jpg

This is Mongolian-style grilled lamb, which they call "Gengis Khan" over here. I've been twice, both times with the bad guys wrestlers from Osaka Pro wrestling.

When I go out with the good guys, we eat grilled beef (Yakiniku) instead:

http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs154.snc3/18138_333304185357_538780357_5148323_4964831_n.jpg

I've also been out for cheap grilled organ meat (Horumon):

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs445.ash1/24562_413414120357_538780357_5533356_2636151_n.jpg


...and my wife and I went to Okinawa, where we ate roasted chicken smothered in garlic. That might have been the best thing I've eaten since coming to Japan, which is REALLY saying something!

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs394.snc3/24002_415490220357_538780357_5595511_2098412_n.jpg

[gordi]

Okinawa was nuts. All we did was eat and swim... and look at stuff. I was 103 kilos when we left, and came back at 107!! The food there is fantastic.

I've also been getting into sake a bit recently. Here's my daiginjo t-shirt:

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs439.ash1/24232_417964110357_538780357_5659517_5987382_n.jpg

Daiginjo is sake made (using traditional methods) from rice that has been polished down to 50 per cent or less of its original size. This has the effect of totally removing impurities. The best daiginjo have a perfect balance of sweetness, dryness, bitterness, sourness, and astringency, and are subtle in flavour yet rich in character. They can be a bit pricey, but I've recently started trying out different local daiginjo, and I'm loving them... so the t-shirt was more or less a perfect gift.

Also, I met Abdullah the Butcher back in February!

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs134.snc3/18138_333304105357_538780357_5148318_6129736_n.jpg

Life continues to be great over here: Teaching, training, watching wrestling, eating, making friends. The wife and I are talking about separating, since she REALLY wants a baby and I REALLY don't want to be a dad... but I'm pretty sure I'll be fine either way.