Unexpected barometer of life expectancy! You can determine your risk of death by your grip strength! On NHK’s “Tameshite Gatten” program, it seems that data shows that people with a strong grip live longer.
Thank you to everyone who emailed me about trying to share my posts on Facebook, but were unable to. It seems that my website and/or posts don’t meet Facebook “community standards”. LOL. I have no idea what this means or how to fix it, but I’m not terribly concerned.
Since the lock-down as a result of Covid-19 I have had more time for self-training. This past week I was able to practice some Kobudo kata that I had been neglecting; in particular Soeishi no kon and Chatanyara no kon. After practice I began to think of a few years ago when I was visited by Fred Lohse and Russ Smith who put on a great empty-hand and Matayoshi Kobudo seminar in Vancouver. Afterwards we talked about “advanced” bo kata taught near the end of the Taira curriculum: Urasoe, Chinenshikiyanaka, Chatanyara, Sesoko, and Soeishi. These are very long and complicated kata that are typically taught only at the higher dan grades and after a long apprenticeship under a competent teacher.
