Day 7 - Friday, the end!
Got up at 6.50 today too. Man, am I tired and sore from all the training! It’ll be good to sleep the whole weekend once I get back home again!
The morning training was outside again, and we did the rest of the kumi tachi, nr 4 and 5. For doing nr 5 you need a lot of room around you, since you’re moving in big circles around each other. It’s also the trickiest to do, since you change who’s attackning for a little while in the middle of the kumi tachi! Many times the attacker ends up as the defender when doing it.
The day was pretty hectic, not only did we have breakfast and lunch to prepare, but also to prepare the traditional gift for sensei and the party for friday night!
Before the training at noon, me, Zafer and Martina ventrured into town to buy the rest of the things needed for sensei’s present, and also to leave the group photo we took on wednesday to be developed. We made it back with 30 minutes to spare.
The training in the middle of the day was tai jutsu indoors. Sensei is very keen on warming up, and even though he is 62, he still makes us all sweaty with ease. I want to be like him when I’m 62! With all that vigor and energy he constantly shows. We did eri dori (grab at the neck), and some ryo katadori, if I remember correctly.
The training ended with 10 minutes for questions. I had a couple and I was glad that sensei demonstrated the solutions to them on Patrick instead of me! There was one thing he did, when he was talking about intention and kokyo nage, where he just lifted Patrick and threw him away! It looked sooo easy!
My question was about jo dori, how to do kokyo ho from it. I got two really good demonstrations, so now I know how to train them. Wheeee!
After training we ate left overs for lunch! We didn’t have any Sven left, but we drank Ulf (juice), and somehow I ended up saying: “The best part of the camp was when Ulf left my body!”, which, at the time, was hilarious! We wrote it down in the uchi deshi book, which is used for tips and tricks about uchi deshi life and also as a memory for fun/weird quotes and stuff, and we hope it’ll confuse future uchi deshis!
Then we did preparation for the party at the evening and pretty soon it was time for the last training of the week! We started at 4 pm, to create time for the party, so we didn’t have to eat too late in the evening. This time we did some ushiro ryo katatedori with kokyo ho. And we also did a ushiro ryo katadori (shoulder grab from behind), where sensei spun around, put his hand on my chin and grabbed my belt and heaved in two different directions!
The first one he did was quite calm, the fall is a bit tricky since you have to fall so you hit the floor with your entire side of the body at once. The second one… it felt like he threw me away across half the dojo! Cheesus! For a moment there, in the air, I was wondering if I would make it! It was marvelous 
One thing I haven’t mentioned is that since I had the highest rank I was the one picked as uke many times. No wonder I feel so sore! Sensei sure knows how to throw someone around!
Afterwards we prepared for the party. It was barbeque, and we decided to sit outside. Soon after we had started eating, it started raining. Typical! After having endured the rain for a while we ended up moving the party to the uchi deshi outdoor kitchen instead.
Sensei and Eva-Karin, his girlfriend, our heavenly masseur (she massaged us during the week!), brought out some really good spirits, which we drank happily. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, and then we had a de-e-e-licious chocolate cake for dessert, which Christina had made, and some apple pie, which I had made, and some bananas filled with dark chocolate and wrapped in tin foil and roasted in the grill, which Zafer made. Pweh, all the food an liqueur sure got to me!
It was then that we unveiled the gift to sensei. It was a basket with cheese, wine and crackers, and a photo of Claes, in a frame with a heart shaped passerpatou! I still don’t know how we came up with the idea, but almost everyone (except Claes, who was both amused and a little “terrified” 
thought it was a good idea! We were indeed a strange uchi deshi group.
But the look on senseis face and his grilfriend’s, Eva-Karin’s, was priceless!
Me and Zafer doing the 31-kumijo. I like the fact that I’m actually levitating!
Christina and Zafer training… ushiro ryo katadori kokyo ho! Sometimes you can’t hang on, but once nage’s hand (Christina’s in this case) comes up, you’re done!
Claes was a hero and did almost all the work at the grill!!! Zafer is at the left, inspecting something, and Pär, on the right, is trying to catch something to eat!
Here we have the infamous basket! We chose to take a picture of Claes since he has this look he does, which makes him look so darn sweet! He was The Chosen One! None of the rest of us would have been able to pull it off.
Here we have sensei’s reaction when he sees the picture! Also watch Eva-Karin, to the right of sensei, she laughed really hard when she saw the picture. It was the Perfect Gift!
So, that was the end of the week, next up is a short tale of the departing, the sadness of leaving all the good friends, and being followed by scouts on our way home!
Claes wrote,
Ah, the memories return, t’was a great day with lots of fun. Still can’t belive I actually let the picture go with the basket for Lasse Sensei, but it was all good, I likes the idea. Now, my picture will be forever stuck with Lasse Sensei…although no one konws where it will be
August 14th 2007 at 09:58 (9:58 am) — Using
Firefox 2.0.0.6 on 
Windows XP
Maria wrote,
August 14th 2007 at 10:31 (10:31 am) — Using
Internet Explorer 7.0 on 
Windows XP
Jenny J wrote,
Sounds like you had a great week! Now that you’re back, perhaps it’s possible to get some Mika-time again, I’ve missed you.
August 14th 2007 at 11:05 (11:05 am) — Using
Internet Explorer 6.0 on 
Windows Server 2003
Mika Perälä wrote,
Claes: I didn’t realise until we sat on the bus on saturday that you had qualms about the picture! But me thinks it was good that we did it. The looks must have been worth it?
And what it’ll do to Staffan (who also trains in Halmstad, as Claes) when he finds out! 
Maria: Helloooo!
Good to hear that the picture is where it’s safe! We need to find a very good spot for it next time we’re there. I’ve already signed up for the uchi deshi camp next may!
August 14th 2007 at 11:44 (11:44 am) — Using
Firefox 2.0.0.6 on 
Windows XP
Mika Perälä wrote,
Jenny: Yay! I’ve missed you too!!
And of course we have to find some time to hang out! Are you free on wednesday? 
August 14th 2007 at 11:45 (11:45 am) — Using
Firefox 2.0.0.6 on 
Windows XP
Claes wrote,
It’s not I had qualms about it in that sense, I was more surprised with myself that I allowed a picture of myself be a public display, so no worries Mika, I don’t regret it at all.
Ps: Ninja!
August 14th 2007 at 13:54 (1:54 pm) — Using
Firefox 2.0.0.6 on 
Windows XP
Maria wrote,
August 14th 2007 at 16:18 (4:18 pm) — Using
Internet Explorer 7.0 on 
Windows XP
Bengt wrote,
There was a boy called Sven
He dreamed to be a ninja, and then
Sven started to train and train
Filling his ninja brain,
with all the secret knowledge he could.
When Sven was 10
He mastered shuriken
When Sven was 18
He could kill you with your own spleen
At last Sven was 21
His final trial has begun
He was to infiltrate our team,
though we were aikidokas to the extreme.
The plan was risky and hard.
He would attack us when we were off guard.
Attacking while we were eating,
so we could not protect ourself from the beating.
Sven chose a disguise,
that looked like food to our eyes.
This was a fatal mistake;
the worst Sven could make.
He was the best ninja surprise,
in a batter pudding disguise!
The batter pudding was so nice,
that everyone took a slice.
Our thanks to Sven we send,
but here his story end.
August 14th 2007 at 21:36 (9:36 pm) — Using
Firefox 2.0 on 
Linux
Claes wrote,
My thoughts were drawn to a certain little boy we heard a story of, but Svens brother is also a very good guess =)
August 14th 2007 at 21:53 (9:53 pm) — Using
Firefox 2.0.0.6 on 
Windows XP
Christina wrote,
Sven may have left our bodies but he will never be forgotten, and thanks to Bengt he will forever be a part of cyberspace! Rest in peace dear Sven!
August 15th 2007 at 07:49 (7:49 am) — Using
Internet Explorer 6.0 on 
Windows XP
Anders wrote,
It’s been lotsa fun reading this uchi-deshi diary!
Keep the tales coming.
August 15th 2007 at 11:06 (11:06 am) — Using
Internet Explorer 6.0 on 
Windows 2000
Staffan wrote,
Undrar jag vart fotot på Claes hamnar till slut.. Hittar jag det på shomen nästa gång jag kommer upp så får vi nog ha ett litet snack
Du anar inte hur mycket jag skrattade när Patrik informerade om alla era hyss ni hittat på under veckan 
Hoppas bara Lasse sensei inte behövde lida allt för mycket 
Bara genom att läsa den här texten blir man ju toksugen på att åka dit igen, synd bara att man måste vänta ända till maj för att få komma dit igen.. får se om man får samma fantastiska känsla i Iwama nu bara, man kan ju hoppas att Iwama lyckas fånga “Lasse-känslan” lite
Fortsätt skriva så ses vi förhoppningsvis snart igen (det är ju Pat Hendricks nu ihelgen som närmast)
F.ö. så är jag nu anmäld till Maj-veckan nästa år 
August 17th 2007 at 10:57 (10:57 am) — Using
Internet Explorer 6.0 on 
Windows XP
Martina wrote,
Hi
I miss beeing with the uschi deschi group 
It was a very fun and interesting week but it so sad that it had to end so fast.. As Maria wrote the picture of claes is in our uschi deschi common room and it reminds me of how much fun we had 
I was agreat week and my first uschi deschi, I promise that it will be more of that maybe in may if the school not come in the way… 
Take care 
August 17th 2007 at 21:57 (9:57 pm) — Using
Internet Explorer 6.0 on 
Windows XP
Mika Perälä wrote,
Claes: Pweh! Okay
Maria: Oh nooo! Not Sven’s borther! Now we have to eat him too!
Zafer (aka Bengt):
Sooo good a poem! I’ll call you God of Poems now!
Anders: Hehe, I’ll do my best! I still owe you the last one. Much ado about everything has kept me from my blog!
Staffan: Hellooo Staffan!!
I think Lasse sensei was very entertained. He also plupped Pär!!! He had totally missed that we had the plupp-game going! I can’t fathom how he could have missed it since we have done it for so many times! I hope you have really fun in Japan! 
Martina: Hellooo to you too Martina!
I’ve already signed up for the uchi deshi week in next may! Be sure to come to that one 
August 20th 2007 at 11:15 (11:15 am) — Using
Firefox 2.0.0.6 on 
Windows XP
Martina wrote,
yes i will try to come in may on the uschi deschi
as it looks now my scheduale is very good and i hope it stays that way
August 20th 2007 at 21:34 (9:34 pm) — Using
Internet Explorer 6.0 on 
Windows XP
Mika Perälä wrote,
Wheee! I hope so too! Then well have another swell uchi deshi group!
August 25th 2007 at 01:47 (1:47 am) — Using
Firefox 2.0.0.6 on 
Windows XP