WADO-KAI WORLD KARATE-DO CUP005
Japan, August 2005 - Are you hoping to go? If so, please read on...
To establish a baseline, here are some fundamental questions to
consider: In what capacity will you be attending? Are you:
a) A member or guest of the Technical/Management Committee acting as
a UK representative?
b) A member of the National Squad, selected by your Coach(es), or a
guest thereof?
c) A spectator for the World Championships?
d) An Instructor/Student looking to visit/train at one or more Dojo?
e) A prospective holidaymaker/sightseer in Japan?
When do you want/need to travel, and how long do you want to stay? -
If you are a Squad selectee, remember there are acclimatisation &
jetlag issues to consider. For competitors, it will be imperative for
you to discuss your travel plans with your respective Coaches, Dave
Lloyd & Lee Minion. I have already asked them both to provide an
outline of their requirements in terms of numbers, timescales,
ancillary Squad support such as coaching assistants, physiotherapist
etc.For the duration of the World Championships event participants
will be our primary focus and our flagship, and so it should be in
everyone's interests to see that Squad requirements are met as far as
possible. Having spent (too little) time in Japan two years ago, I
have no doubt that we will all fall within (e) above. This then poses
some further questions to consider:
i) Where do you want to visit, and what sights do you want to see?
ii) How will you get there, and who else may be going?
One idea I've already heard is a visit to the summit of Mount Fuji.
Another is the Sword Museum in Tokyo (which, incidentally, is a lot
less energetic!).
There are plenty of holiday travel guides on the market, and there's
always the Internet. Better still, talk to the people who made the
journey last time. And if you want to sit down with Sensei to talk
about your prospective itinerary, well he's quite partial to an Apple
55 - not too much ice!
In addition to this epistle, and future newsletter inclusions etc as
the weeks/months tick by, I am hoping to have a Japan 2005
information page created on the Aiwakai website. This would then be
the place to monitor how our collective plans are progressing. There
will also be an email address specifically for this purpose.
So please help to make the visit a successful one, and fly the
England Wado Kai flag with pride.
Discuss things with your Instructors, Students, Coaches, Partners,
Parents, etc. Our next stage may be to invite expressions of
interest, accompanied by some basic travel information.
Hopefully, many of you will now have read my earlier report on our
plans for next August. As promised, following a meeting with Sakagami
Sensei, Sensei Peter May, and Dave Finch, I can now provide further
information, which should be useful in formulating and/or progressing
your travel arrangements. The fundamental questions to consider, and
I make no apology for repeating them, are: In what capacity will you
be attending? Are you:
a) A member or guest of the Technical/Management Committee acting as
a UK representative?
b) A member of the National Squad, selected by your Coach(es), or a
guest thereof?
c) A spectator for the Championships?
d) An Instructor/Student looking to visit/train at one or more Dojo?
e) A prospective holidaymaker/sightseer in Japan?
When do you want/need to travel, and how long do you want to stay?
Remember there are also acclimatisation & jetlag issues to consider.
For competitors…discuss your travel plans with Coaches, Dave
Lloyd &
Lee Minion.
Firstly, in regard to our junior travellers, it will be imperative
(and also a legal requirement) to address the issue of supervision.
For those who are under the age of 16 at the date of departure, you
must have parental, or AGREED 'in loco parentis' supervision. In due
course you may be asked to provide a signed authority to this effect.
Failure to do so will prevent you from travelling with the group -
and before you ask, no exceptions will be made, no matter
how "mature" you think you/your children are!
Secondly, those of us new to training in Japan would do well to
mention this to Sakagami Sensei, or Peter. I am aware, for example,
that there are common courtesies & traditions to observe on the first
visit to each dojo.
We feel that everyone who intends to go will want to be out there for
a minimum of one, probably two, or perhaps even three weeks -
in 'travel speak' 5, 12, or 19 nights. (Remember that Japan is 8+
hours ahead of our time, and so departure on a given day will, with
an average 11-hour direct flying time, see you arrive well into the
following one).
Having discussed timescale at length, a departure on the Monday or
Tuesday prior to the Japan National Championships/World Cup is
preferable. The other travel plans can then follow on after the main
event.
Costs: Basically, there will be four elements:
Flight: I have been in touch with our Travel Agent contact for prices
for both a return, and a one-way ticket (I have already been made
aware that at least one family wishes to extend their holiday after
the competition). We may be looking to book an indirect flight, which
is usually cheaper, with preferably either a Birmingham or Manchester
departure. Again, age is significant. Children aged 11 & under (NB -
at the return date) pay a reduced fair. 12s & over at that date are
classed, by airlines, as adults. Based on this year's prices, I
obtained the following guideline information: Lufthansa (Birmingham,
change @ Frankfurt) Adult £644, plus £77 tax. Child £439,
plus £77 tax
Singapore Air (Manchester, change @ Singapore) Adult £689, plus
£73
tax. Child £521, plus £73 tax. Accommodation: With Sakagami
Sensei's
assistance, we are looking to block book some "weekly mansions". I
understand that these facilities were used last time, much to the
satisfaction of the majority (and don't worry, they have western-
style toilets!) At present, the quoted cost is (two people sharing)
£17.50 each per night plus electric for air-conditioning £1.00
per
day.
Rail Pass: As some of you will have already discovered, train is by
far the most efficient, and easily the most economical way to get
around in Japan. I know from experience that the price of taxis can
be extortionate. The cheapest ticket option is called a 'rail pass',
which provides for unlimited travel, apart from some 'local'
journeys. This is an absolute MUST! Notwithstanding exchange rate
fluctuations in the interim, the cost of is estimated to be: Adults:
1 week - £155, 2 weeks - £245, 3 weeks - £320. Children: (12
& under)
50% of the above.
Meals etc: We advise you to budget at a rate of at least £30 per
person, per day.
Payment: Ah, now that's the $64K question (actually, not quite that
expensive!) We feel that this can best be managed in three segments:
1) The earliest we can obtain actual airfare costs is 11 months ahead
of the travel date, so we will need you to meet this by, say, 1
December 2004 at the latest. Full payment will be viewed as evidence
of your firm commitment to go.
2) Payment for your accommodation will probably have to be in by 30
April 2005.
3) Finally, the cost of your Rail Pass must be met by 1 July 2005 at
the latest.
What to do next? By 31 October 2004, therefore, please send an email
to grahamjapan2005@... to express your interest in joining
us. We will need to know: -
1) How many children (11 & under) & adults (12+) there will be in
your party.
2) (Assuming departure on the Monday or Tuesday prior to the World
Cup) When your party wishes to return, i.e. one-week stay, two, three
etc. If you are not planning to return direct to the UK, please also
confirm this.
3) It would also assist me if you could indicate under which group
heading, i.e. competitors, management committee, squad support, dojo
visitors, tourists etc [you expect] will be most relevant for each
member of your group.
I would also now like to receive some (sensible) suggestions of
places you would like to visit after the competition. We hope to
formalize at least a couple of excursions, possibly with the help of
a professional tour guide.
Please lend your support and assistance in making our travel plans a
success, and also help to make England Wado Kai's attendance at the
event a well-respected one. Don't forget to continue discussing your
plans with your Instructors, Students, Coaches, Partners, Parents,
etc. Also, please keep an eye on the Website/s.
August 25th AM: Seminar for Referees (Thursday) PM: Examination for
Referees; Yoyogi Olympic Centre, International Conference.
August 26th: Urayasu Undokouen (Friday). National Championship
(Preliminary) Gymnasium.
August 27th AM: National Championship (Final) (Saturday). PM: World
Karate-do Cup 2005 (Preliminary) Nippon Budokan.
August 28th (Sunday). World Karate-do Cup (Final) Nippon Budokan.
August 29th (Monday). (For Overseas Members) AM: Technical Seminar
Yoyogi Olympic Centre. PM: Dan Examination
The details of programmes for games, etc., will be informed later.
If you have any questions, please contact Wado-Kai Headquarters at E-
Mail; wadokai@...
TEL; (81) 3-3595-0100
FAX; (81) 3-3595-1040
Shinji Kohata International Affairs Wado-Kai Headquarters.