Fall trip to New York City
Niandoryu Ju Jitsu, Japanese Rock, Kendo, and Chinatown

10-8-08
This trip I tried to keep it as cheap as possible to get away for a good week. The cheapest ticket I could find was out of Madison, Wi for only $200. And as luck would have it that is where Mary's sister lives. So I was able to keep the truck at her place and not have to worry about having to pay for parking. Left around 6am from Iowa City and got into Madison about 9am. Mapquest was working as crappy as normal and put me in the wrong position but I was able to find Kitty's apartment ok.



The flight was pretty quick and I arrived in Newark, NJ sometime around 6pm. After meeting Mary and driving back to her place on Staten Island, we unpacked and relaxed a little bit before heading out for supper. We visited one of our favorite local places "Goodfellas" they offer brick oven New York style pizza that I am a big fan of. On the walk back to Mary's apartment we walked by a local dance studio that had a sign in the window advertising Ju Jitsu classes. We poked our heads into the front office and picked up some information on the class. Turned out it is called Niandoryu Ju Jitsu. When we got back to the apartment I did a quick google search to find out some more about it. I was unable to find out specifics on Niandoryu but I was about to learn more about the local instructors teacher. He was taught by a Professor Vee, a Filipino man who studied multiple arts and was awarded title as Professor by the Ju Jitsu federation. The local club only had classes on Thursday nights so I decided if nothing else was going on it would be nice to check it out.

10-9-08
Thursday we took our time getting up and around (normal for Mary) :P We took our time eating bagels for breakfast/lunch, watching tv and napping. We decided we better get some exercise and groceries, otherwise all we would eat would be bagels for the entire visit. So we headed out to the boardwalk. I seemed to have hit the jackpot for as far as weather goes. It was mid 70's the entire visit. We walked for a better part of an hour on the boardwalk



we than headed to the grocery store to stock up on things so we didn't get stuck eating out all the time. Bout that time it was close for the Ju Jitsu class to start. So I walked over to the dance studio. The area that the class was being held was in the back of the dance studio. To get to the back I had to stand at the door and wait for permission to cross the room to the back due to multiple ballet students spinning around in the front room. Once the dance instructor told me it was safe I was allowed to go to the back. Since I was not familiar with the Dojo and their views and etiquette I wore a tank top and my black Hapkido pants but I had my ebay dobak and belt in my bag in case they wanted me to wear something. After introducing myself to Shihan Douglas Spano I explained that I did Hapkido and had a top with me. Unlike the Manhattan Hapkido school that I visited last time, that made me buy one of their beginner uniforms and would not recognize my rank. Shihan Spano did not mind or care. In fact, once that he saw my belt he introduced me to the the rest of the class as "Sensei Williams" and put me at the head of the line. The class was fairly small with the same type of mats that we use for our demos we do outside of the Dojang. The class was an hour and a half long and consisted of falling exercises, striking, 1 set of forms, and self defense techniques that consisted of Judo style throws. I was paired up with two other members. I had a little trouble with the Judo throws when it was my turn to throw due to my height. Being as tall as I am it can be really difficult to get my center under other peoples. Both of my partners were considerably shorter than I was and on the stout side. But it was still a pretty good workout. Both my partners and Shihan Spano's assistant instructor really enjoyed throwing me and was impressed by my falling. On one occasion after being thrown hearing one say "My god, he falls like butta" (New York for butter) " where was he for my testing". After class Shihan Spano invited me back for another class if I was going to around and made me feel real welcome. It was a nice change to what I had been finding on my past trips. Having to pay $20 to "try" a class or not even being able to watch or try a class without signing a contract was really making me frown on some of the arts I was finding on my trips.
gun attack




(for those who have not seen my checkered Dobak, I got this pretty cheap and It is a nice Saturday uniform to help keep caught up on laundry, I have since made this my travel Dobak since it takes up allot less room in the suitcase then our normal tops. Plus the style is more recognized for Hapkido which I thought visiting other schools might help )

10-10-08
Friday once again found me getting sucked into Mary's schedule. Sleeping in late and starting the day in the afternoon. It was nice just taking our time with breakfast and lunch. Then we planned our travel routes, collected our Metro cards and headed off to go downtown. We decided not to mess with the car at all and take the bus and ferry into Manhattan. Once there we headed to the East Village to the the Delancy bar. Over the past few months I have been hooked on a podcast called "The Zerohour" It is a free audio podcast that showcases allot of local Japanese rock groups in and around New York City. According to the website of the creator of the Zerohour. There was to be a local group called "Low Kick Manah" I thought it sounded pretty interesting plus the Delancy bar on friday nights have different bands all night long for only $5. We got there pretty early and got to watch the very first band plus the MC Frankie Woods. That alone was worth the $5 getting in. Next up was Low KIck Manah. Mary was not to keen on loud rock but luckily I thought ahead and brought some earplugs so she could get thru it. I on the other hand really enjoyed it. The did covers of "Helter Skelter" and "Kick Out the Jams" which when done in half english and half Japanese and loud volumes how can you go wrong :) .







after Low Kick Manah was done we were both pretty hungry so we walked further north thru the village to a small Japanese restaurant "Sapporo East" I had Yakidon and some sushi. It was pretty good, the only downfall was Mary and I was stuck in a small little corner of the restaurant out of sight. So even just getting our water glasses refilled was hard to get the waiters attention.



Afterwards we started the trek back to Staten Island.


10-11-08
Saturday we had to get up and moving fairly early. We had made plans to meet up with Raf and Laura.



These are friends of ours that used to live in Iowa City. Laura I believe got up to Blue belt in the Hapkido club. We had made plans to check out the Cloisters a part of the MET museum. The Cloisters is a building made up of not just artifacts from medevil times but the building itself contains parts of old churches and buildings. Like an archway or wall would have been from an 18th Century church and the rest of the museum would be built around it.

The Cloisters is located pretty far uptown so we hopped on the A train and headed north. Raf and Laura picked us up at one of the nearest train stops and drove from there. The museum was really interesting. I am not really what you would call religious but I do really enjoy religious statues no matter what faith that they belong too. We walked around the museum for a couple of hours. Luckily the museum is not so large that it takes all day to see everything.









After we were done Raf and Laura drove us further north closer to where they live in the Bronx.



We went to a small Italian neighborhood where there was an open marketplace that was really neat to walk thru. Walking up the street you saw allot of cheese and sausage shops. We found a nice Italian restaurant that Raf and Laura had been to before and recommended. After dinner Mary and I got to see Laura's lab and and some of the projects that she works on at the college where she is employed. Luckily once again they were nice enough to drive us all the way back to the ferry terminal instead of taking the trains or taxis back.

10-12-08
On Sunday after all the traveling and late nights from Friday and Saturday nights we decided to just take it easy on Sunday and hang out on Staten Island.



We milled around the apartment for awhile before going to Panera so we both could use the internet and Mary could get some work done. Unfortunately the internet was not working there so we did not stay long. So we decided to take in a movie and saw "Body of Lies" It was ok. I was dying to see "Beverly Hills Chihwawa" but Mary wanted to ignore the box office hits and see something else :P

10-13-08
Columbus day. Monday found Mary needing to get more work done. So I grabbed the skateboard and bag and headed into Manhattan.


As my normal course I like to walk straight out of the ferry terminal and head up Broadway. On that day for a small stretch Broadway it was close to traffic and there had been booths set up for vendors to sell different things.




Most of it was tourist stuff but it was still nice to walk thru and look. I attempted to find a specialty store that I wanted to visit but with the way that the economy is now it was not surprising that even though it was listed in my Not For Tourist book for 2008 that the store was closed and out of business. So I kept on up Broadway to Chinatown.



I had been to Chinatown before with Mary but it was nice to take a little more time during the day to check out some of the shops. By then the sun was starting to go down and more and more vendors start hitting the sidewalks to sell bootleg wares. Mary was getting done with her work and was ready for supper soon so I headed towards the "greenway" the greenway is right next the west side highway thru Manhattan. I skated over to the greenway and headed back towards the ferry terminal.





the weather was absolutely perfect and it was a beautiful night. Once on the greenway it was only a 20 min board ride back to Battery Park. I was a little disappointed that some points of the greenway was under construction so I had to hop off and walk a little but it was still a nice night. Once I was able to get back on the board it was still funny to zip along and weave around people in suits getting off work and walking home. After the ferry and bus ride back to Staten Island I hopped back on the board for the final leg back to Mary's.

10-14-08
Tuesday Mary still had a little work to get done. So later in the afternoon we both headed into Manhattan. We attempted to visit the Strand book store in the Financial District but like the store I attempted to visit the day before it was closed and out of business. So we headed up Broadway by foot, paid a visit to the quicksilver store and then went to the main Strand bookstore. The store advertises 16 miles of books it's a little overwhelming the first time you go there. After which we kept heading north to 26th street to visit the New York Kenshinkai Kendo club.



I really enjoyed visiting this club. The one of the best parts of this visit was the fact that I forgot to write the building number of the address for the club. All that I knew was the street and block that it was located on. The club worksout in the Chelsea Dance Studio. So I figured no problem there will surely be a sign for the dance studio. Mary and I walked up and down the street with no luck of finding a sign. We stopped in a couple of store fronts on the block and asked where the dance studio could be located. No one knew at all. We were about to give up and head back to the village for supper when I happened to notice 2 individuals walking down the sidewalk with what possibly looked like Shinais and Bogu bags. I caught up with them and asked if they were from the club and of course they were :). I asked if we could follow them and they led us up to the room where after which they left us there to go change. After a few moments a few of the members showed up and I introduced myself.(which looking back realizing I rudely did not do that when I approached the couple that led us in) The member I introduced myself to said that he would be happy to introduce me to their sensei. And of course if you have not already seen it coming when the sensei came in it was the man of the couple that had led us into the building. :P

the club seemed really nice and friendly. Compared to the other Kendo club that I visited on one of my last trips where no one came to talk to us or anything. Sensei Kishino offered to lend me a shinai if I would like to try the beginer class even though I totally did not dress or was prepared to workout.





I had allot of fun I would really like to go back and workout and learn more from this club.

Afterwards Mary and I headed back to St.Marks street and went to what is becoming one of my favorite spots to eat when I am in town....KENKA!! I LOVE KENKA!! We were pretty lucky this time and did not have to wait to get in. The food is so good here and compared to other places in New York it is really inexpensive. The 2 of us was stuffed for $30 and that included my 6 beers :)



10-15-08
Wednesday found another day where Mary had to work. So I hopped back on the ferry and headed back into Manhattan to do some more looking around. I went back to Chinatown to pick up some knick knacks that I wanted to get some friends. Then I headed up Lafayette to a skateboard shop called "Supreme". I have to say I was totally unimpressed. The place was basicaly a tiny store front with hardly anything on display. With items like $40 for a hat that just said Supreme on it. I was way more impressed with NYPD shop. After walking around the village a little more I hopped on my skateboard and headed back to the ferry to meet up with Mary back at home.
We had allot of saved TV to watch so we(mary) cooked a nice dinner and we settle in to watch some tv and relax.

10-16-08
Thursday I came home :( My flight left at 11:25 out of Newark. With packing and sleeping in a little to long I had to eat my Bagel Bistro bagels on the run. Other than that it was pretty uneventful getting back to Madison, WI where Kitty was waiting for me to start me on my 3 hour drive home to Iowa City.