Takada Dojo

[theraskal]

It's close to the GFs parent's condo/family-building in Musashi-koyama. I haven't been to the dojo itself but did have a JapFriend who trained there and the GF went there. I did do plenty of shopping in Musahi-koyama as it was the primary shopping area within walking distance from GFs parent's condo

JapFriend was funny, an Ash Ketchum type like me

[theraskal]

I did visit the famed Kosen Judo club often mentioned in the NHB VALE-TUDO days of MMA in the online arguments between the Gracie/BJJ Fanboys and the Jiudotaku

[theraskal]

also went to a SHOOTO club which looked like this place:

[Masato]

Dude this is AMAZING.

I fell in love with PRIDEFC when it came out, specifically for Sakuraba. Sakuraba was the fighter that finally inspired me start learning grappling/sub wrestling/BJJ

Those early PRIDE years with Saku, Takada, Matsui etc were living comic books to me.

I didn't know you were in Japan. Do you live there? Or was this a trip?

Thanks for sharing, brings back memories.

What city is this in?
If/when I get to Japan I would love to put that on my list of things to see

[theraskal]

I am not in Japan but have stayed there long enough to be considered to have lived there as in more than one month at a time

I stayed walking distance to Musashi-Koyama and I proudly possess a Library Card for that area

Tokyo is definitely cool as a tourist and I completely understand the infatuation but fortunately the GF has cured me of any such innocent infatuation and now I am able to experience the same imperfections in Japan and the Japanese as any other place.

Favorite thing about Japan is probably the SUPER IMPRESSIVE RAIL SYSTEM!

speaking of the LIbrary, two elderly pensioners got into a Rough-&-Tumble right next to me as I was browsing the books. I observed some CURmudgeonry Irritation between them, one called the other "Stupid" at which point I knew it was on....and next thing I know one does a Perfect Judo throw to the other straight into knee on belly.....I quickly used the Gracie Basics method to wrap him up as I could see he was clearly with the capability to hurt the other fellow who did not appear so well versed in violence.....

.....and when I wrapped my arms around that Elderly fellow he FELT LIKE IRON at which point I felt a panicked anxiety thinking what did I get myself into and worried he was going to Judo throw me next! But he hesitated...and it gave me and him both time to quickly excuse ourselves while the Librarian lady attempted to keep things from becoming a public embarrassment and which was my other thought for hugging that man to try and prevent him from getting himself into any legal headaches over a momentary condition of CURMUDGEONRY

[theraskal]

....a thing which I do not like about Tokyo is TOO MUCH CONCRETE and not enough GREEN space for me.......and all that CONCRETE makes for a miserably HOT summer experience

[theraskal]

I do have a set of these UNOPENED:

[theraskal]

one day I was in a USA Barnes&Noble...this is EARLY UFC days before it had become too MainStream and there were still some Adult McDojo disciples who still believed......

so I was browsing the MA section and one such fellow starts chatting with me asking about my Martial Arts interest and I just told him Judo/BJJ(with none of that early BlueBelt "I could beat Mike Tyson" attitude as I'm a respectable chap) and as we chatted he gave the impression of a NedFlanders/Rev.Lovejoy situation with his Sensei and told me how he was SHOCKED to one day observe his Sensei practicing "boxing" when he came into the Dojo which the Sensei seemed to explain away.......

and eventually I told him about the Judo experience in Japan and how they would DRINK BEER on the MATS after practice at which point he seemed to humor me as a child telling a TALL-TALE....and just then the GF comes round the corner and when she greeted me it appeared that the SHOCK of REALITY threatened to MELT HIS TMA FANTASY and was almost too much for his mind to handle! Oriental Martial Arts Masters DRINKING BEERS in the sacred DOJO....it was all too much

[theraskal]

.....those are some of my Japan/MMA memories

[theraskal]

Dude this is AMAZING.

What city is this in?
If/when I get to Japan I would love to put that on my list of things to see

not sure if I answered your question clearly. Musashi-Koyama is a large indoor/outdoor mall type center in Tokyo. It is there that the Takada-Dojo was/is located if still there. During the day it is bustling. Some times during the HOT summer nights when I could not sleep I would walk there in the AM hours. It was eerily quiet and one could observe what I am assuming to be the illegal undocumented African immigrants sitting on the ground in front of the closed shops with their goods laid out on rugs for sale. One such AM expedition there I walked with a South American woman who like me was suffering from a lack of sleep. No romance, just a walk and curious conversation concerning the life of the other.

there used to be a very good sushi restaurant at the entrance of this place. GFs dad took me there it was one of his favorite local places. I am not particularly fond of sushi but I really enjoyed what was served there and when I told the GFs dad how I was not a sushi fanatic but did find the food being served there to taste better than what I had generally experienced he said yeah, it's a better quality and not like the typical cheaper places which are common in Tokyo and the rest of the world and which we ate plenty of that too in Japan as it's like the difference between going to ShakeShack or getting a $5 value meal and nothing wrong with a $5 value meal but it's nice to sometimes enjoy the fancy stuff like ShakeShack