Remembering the Battle.

I was just speaking to a friend after yoga, which oil is better for our skin, argan oil or emu oil. And I told her to opt for argan oil as it works on same things like your skin and maintaining healthy hair etc... but cruelty free. The emu must be killed first for the oil to be obtained.

This kind of reminded me why I am always trying to go for cruelty free products.

I recall one of the first (followed by many more) court hearings, I remembered it was so brutal. The other side basically comes in to verbally annihilate you and character assassinate you. It literally is the battle of words.

What was most surreal to me at the time was in one of the cases, which was up against Matsui San. At the time, everyone supported him and his case.  -_-
bTheir lawyers were all too prepared to kill off my mothers credentials. This case was about the Honbu building and that it belonged to the family, not him. It was weird. He was my father' s student and watching him interact with his lawyers with stack of proof on their desk, which looked more like an encyclopedia because of it's thickness, really hit me hard. It felt almost cruel. (He may sound like he is the only villain but that is not the case. Many supported him when it suited their needs. )

When my mother took the stand, his lawyers were all fangs and claws. What saved my spirit at the time was the Judge's humanness. After slightly ignoring the mockery made on my Mother by the defense, the Judge waved away the stack of "proof", he turned to her and asked in a gentle, kind manner. "Mrs. Oyama. Can you tell us who built the Honbu Dojo?" and she replied with a smile, "my husband and I did." and he just nodded in agreement with her.

It was such a humane way how this Judge handled the case as well as how he handled Matsui's lawyers, that I was thankful there was that integrity in the judicial system.

We can try and opt for cruelty free as much as possible in all areas of life. Even if there is a time when you have to fight, there is a way to do it- cruelty free. Even in the case of cosmetics. (#^.^#)


This is lettuce wrap with portobello mushroom... Vegan. From a burger place in Brooklyn ,NY.

In Ikebukuro.

Yesterday was very quiet but today was completely different story! There was streams of people already back for shopping and other amusement!

Picture taken at the East exit of Ikebukuro Station. In case some may not know, Ikebukuro is the station where Honbu is located. The address is West Ikebukuro (^^)/

Again at the my father's gravesite- A New Year visit!

Just showing some of the "Osechi" cooking. a traditional new year day cooking. The theme of the dishes are related to health, happiness and prosperity for the coming year and prepare to be eaten on the first day of January (^^)/ . It was Suzuki who did all the preparing... hehe... 

Happy 2012....!

How is your first day in 2012?

It is going to be an amazing year of bliss and servitude for me... I can feel it! It is so nice to do what you love- I feel so blessed to be doing the things I love!

I hope all of you will receive the result you wish for this year.... ! Be flexible and flow with the wind and adapt....be open to the new changes....!

And remember, eating the right food also makes the right mind....(^^). This is a tray of organic food- brown rice, sesame powder, pickles, miso soup, spinach, chick peas and potatoes, lotus root sautee and soy-mayo cucumber salad.... (^^)/

I hope to see you all again in 2012 Mas Oyama Memorial Cup....!

End of 2011(o^^o)！

How is everyone's end of the year cleaning coming along?

We cleaned Honbu and the Shrine yesterday and today all of us went to Gokokuji Temple where mother and Sosai is resting(o^^o)

I really want to thank each of you and thank you so much for supporting us!

Here are some picture's from the temple....

We found this cute flag of...... Aruba? Let us know where this is from! Whoever this was, we really appreciate your visit to the Oyama grave. 

This is the MAIN TEMPLE where the Dalai Lama prayed in.... is it not amazing to think Sosai and mother is resting in the temple where HIS HOLINESS visits?! 

Flag of Japan. 

The entrance of the Gokokuji Temple- By the way this is the back of my son- I still can't believe the boy I referred to as my "pea" is growing so much~~~!

My Beautiful Trip to Poland.... (^^)

I think flying disturbs my prana or something- I could not seem to function (barely) with my usual rhythm... I wanted to share my trip to Poland blog as soon as I got back! So here it is....

I was first blown away by how beautiful the city of Warsaw was. I think the landscape plus the night fall vision played some magic to my eyes- I started reminisce the movie "The Pianist"!!! So my mind was off to wonderland.

The hotel I stayed in had the best pillows!!!  I know that kind of sounds funny but I slept so well because the pillows were just heaven!

The next day, a lovely young lady M, we will call her- took me to a Museum. I was not aware of the national holiday but it was Independence Day. I was so moved by what I saw and learned.

Unfortunately I lost my camera few weeks ago- (tears) so I took some picture's on my phone but it was not as inspiring to take them... (sigh).

The food was lovely too! I was warned by the ever cautious hubby of mine, that I will have difficult time finding vegetarian food. I found salad bars and Perogi? Pierogi? sorry I can't spell right... but that was another heavenly experience! I had it every day of my stay there.... lol. They made some without the meat and replaced it with mushrooms and cottage cheese (I think) . It was delicious!

From a work perspective, I had a strained meeting. But every person I have met so far from Poland is so lovely. I felt at ease. Even students from another group seems so nice and humble and sweet. Ha!

I must thank Sensei Tadeusz and Sensei Richard (plus the lovely Jacob san and Beatrice....!) for traveling 8 hours or so by car for the meeting!!! This trip I had to be in Warsaw for the job I have- so I could not move as freely as I would have liked. But thanks to them, they did not show any sign of fatigue or exasperation and went straight to work! Amazing!




Anyway, back to my rambling. In Tokyo and being a vegetarian, I don't really see like this, fully shaped chicken- (is that the correct term?) . So I had to take picture's when it was served at our Mr. Tomasz Boruc residence....! wwww


*The pictures below are posted in random orders.

 My heart melted with this little girl.... (^^)//

 I was just admiring the rows of fruit juices at a deli......

 Usually I stay away from sugars but this was a yummy ice cream sundae......

 Lovely salad with pesto dressing at the mall...... it was a great shopping mall.....

                                             Mother Mary......

 The plaque outside the museum......

     This is the chicken I was talking about!!! Courtesy of the Boruc Family.... (^^)

 The Polish IKOK.... and they are such great people who loves my father's legacy. I am so appreciative of their love for Kyokushin. I am truly inspired by them. From the left: Maciek, Sensei Tomasz, Horaitu Sensei is the ECC from Romania, beautiful Beatrice and Mr. Czepczak who came to Japan this fall, Sensei Richard, Jacob and Sensei Tadeusz.

                          The ticket from the museum I visited on the Independence Day....

              Hand made Tiramisu by the lovely Mrs. Agnes Czepczak...... it was so nice. ^^/
     

I actually left my yoga mat (and equivalent for leaving your dogi for me) with one of the Dojo Operator's because I am already planning to return to Poland~~~!

A traditional Breakfast....

This was my menu. I usually do not take any solid foods in the morning but this one was an exception!

Sosai had ham and eggs.... and large bowl of salad consisting of at least 9 different veggie's! ^@^/ 

I will try to recreate the menu one of these days. 

This was all vegan menu. From left to right: Burdock root n Lotus root lightly stir fried in soy sauce, cucumber and lotus root in tahini sauce, curried chick peas and potatoes, miso soup with radish, cucumber pickles and seasoned spinach. And yummy brown rice cooked in high-pressure pot!

Have a great day folks!!!

Memorial Cup Preparation!

Hi Everyone!

So the annual Memorial Cup is coming up in September and we are all busy preparing now.

Some thoughts I wanted to share is on cattiness from other kyokushin people. I use small letter for Kyokushin instead of capital K, because they weren't my father's student but just happened to fall in line to teach or open some classes by fluke accident of fate. (yikes)  The fight is never up-front and is always behind the back- so how do we do it? By bringing them out to the surface so they are held responsible as much as possible.

It's funny because people ask, wow don't you ever get tired? But the more opposition I encounter, the more feeling of servitude soar in my heart! I get more energy to prove that whatever hardships my parents went through is not to enable them, but actually to bring deserving recognition to those who actually do deserve them from their devotion to Sosai and Kyokushin.

I feel we are doing the right thing and there are numerous projects. Difficulties and setbacks are a norm, and I started to learn to expect problems. Every and any experience gives you resiliency. Take the positive and don't give up! Focusing has brought Honbu to great places and change attitudes that should be changed.