Japan trip 3: UFC Japan2, Berlitz party, Groundslam training, Ice cream, Kawasaki Daishi, Sweets Paradise
Sunday the 27th was the UFC! I had no trouble waking up early. I met Tsuru-chan at 7 AM and we rode the train to Saitama shintoshin station. This is the second time we went to the UFC together. The first year they had it they also had it in the early morning to time it with the Fox sports broadcast Saturday night in America. The second year they had it, I worked it, and they had it in the evening. Tsuru can only go in the morning because he works at night, so when I got two tickets to UFC, I invited him!
We got seats SO close to the cage! The first up from the floor!
As we were sitting down, some people called out to me. I thought, “oh, fans.” Oh no, so much more! They were the production crew of The Ultimate Fighter in Japan! The director, then the voice actor for Dana White (middle tall guy) and then MY VOICE ACTRESS! SO cool to meet her! Omg. So I hadn’t been able to watch the whole series dubbed into Japanese, but somebody sent me a five minute clip so I could hear my voice dubbed. I thought, “Cool, they didn’t get some high-pitched squeaky voice, but actually someone with a similar voice.” I got to meet her and tell her I think she did a good job. 😀 I think I was as excited to meet them as they were me!
The fights were great!
I’m so excited that K-Taro got offered a last minute fight. He had fought for the UFC before, years ago when we both trained together at Wajitsu Keishukai and he taught on Sundays. But he lost three in a row and got cut, so we were all cheering for him now. Man, that Korean guy was laying a beating on him! He was hanging in there, but definitely would have lost by decision. Then suddenly with 30 seconds left to go in the third and final round, there was a scramble and K-Taro took his back!
The whole audience erupted with insane cheering and screaming! K-Taro is super famous for his rear naked choke. He wrote a book on a billions ways to take the back and finish the choke (which I own, actually!) and he DID CHOKE HIM OUT! OMGGGGGGGGG I was jumping up and down screaming like a crazy person. XD
Mizugaki fought George Roop, both of who I know and like personally, but I had to cheer for Mizugaki. He won! 😀
Uriah Hall beat veteran Musasi with a spinning-back-kick-from-Hell followed by jumping knee!
After the UFC, I crashed my former co-worker’s going away party for Karen and Matt! Karla invited me. It was such a different vibe from when I used to work there. I didn’t get to see certain people but the new people were lovely!
Man the food was so unhealthy but tasty! Haha
Monday the 28th Brittany had off from work so she joined me at GroundSlam! More people came than on Thursday, but I did only grappling. My body was pretty sore from the previous week since I didn’t have my normal recovery methods (hot yoga, ice bath, Dr. Steckel my chiropractor). Fun grappling with Brittany! She is so much stronger than before! 🙂
I grappled with Caol Uno! Man, the whole time we were rolling, I was thinking about how when I was 19 years old and just starting Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, I watched my first UFC at Rich’s house. He fought on the card! And here I was casually talking with him and training with him! How cool! And he praised me! Omg! He said I got so much better over the last year. Eeeee! That made my week, which was already awesome. I got praised by Caol Uno.
Then Brittany and I tried to go to the Honey Honey maid café for lunch and a huge ice cream, but they didn’t have omu rice and couldn’t make the meat dumplings before 5 PM. Why not? No reason. Dumb Japanese reasons. They probably had them but had this rule. So we left and got yaki niku at gyukaku. 😀 Where I burned chicken nuggets on the grill. Hah! I had been wanting to have Yaki niku at least once on my trip, so got that out of the way.
THEN we went BACK for the ice cream. Haha! The lady had to be nice and smile at us, it’s her job. I wonder what she was thinking. Lol
I took Bri to Kawasaki Daishi because I wanted to pray for health for my teammate and buy omamori.
Then….I think I just ate salad for dinner and Buri went home. :/
Tuesday I had lunch at the Sweets Buffet with Karla! 😀 All you can eat cake and ice cream. I had two sticks of yaki tori chicken before I went to get at least a little protein in my system. Lol I loved talking to her, and loved going to the sweets buffet again.
I met my friend and former Keishukai training partner Mizuho at 7 PM. I had missed seeing her on my last visit, same with Karla, so I wanted to make sure I saw them this time! She treated me to Japanese food at Lazona! And gave me socks and One Piece figures as present! And lost her wallet! Sad! ;_; But I loved talking with her again! Next time I’ll go to her new gym!
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