JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- Financial Advisor
- Select Asset Management KK, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥100,000 ~ ¥999,999 Paid Training Commission Based
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- Corporate Business English Trainers
- ACT Systems, Inc.（株式会社アクト・システムズ）, Tokyo
- Salary: ¥269,500 ~ ¥280,000 / Month
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- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- Berlitz Japan, Inc. (ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社), Kansai
- Salary: ¥125,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month
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Zen_Builder
I am with ambrosia.
This is not something confined to japan but will work everywhere. Many criminals don't do it for personal gain but more to feed their families, etc. In short they reached the end of the line and can see no other way than mugging/robbing someone.
They might be supporting a family or a habit, yet deep down they know they are doing wrong(and often feel disgust for their actions).
If you can get to those deep down feelings they can be reformed, etc. In short they are people that are at a dead-end and can't see beyond it. Can happen to me and you too.
Just my view.
Posted in: Housewife brews up plan to escape from robber: tea and conversation
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Zen_Builder
Like was said "Another sucker born every minute".
Said that I know many non-japanese that act just as bad and are willing to shell out major bucks to the big-ear mouse empire.
Hope that they upgrade and fix some of the rides at Tokyo Disney-world, some have had major shut-downs recently.
Myself only going there when my son whines too much about not going there. Wish I could pay someone to take him.
Posted in: Tokyo Disneyland Hotel offers girls chance to be 'princess'
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Zen_Builder
Coligny.
Met many guys like you across the last few decades. Let me tell once the punches start flying you are way too late to de-escalate anything. Your training failed you already.
Agreed, that she had other options but are those LEGAL?
Yeah, what I am saying and many others your responses might end up with you in jail and the attacker going free. Read the link I posted. She did the right thing and got out of there at the right time.
Again agreed that she acted late but still she did the right thing.
She did the right thing, yes, it was risky and yes she had other options. If you are in such a situation it ALWAYS is a gamble, no matter what course of action you decide on.
Posted in: Housewife brews up plan to escape from robber: tea and conversation
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Zen_Builder
timeon.
Or a CSI(TV) team member who can shine a blue light and pronounce things, never mind solve a case in less than 2 days.
Never knew that CSI could interrogate people, arrest them, etc. Heck, who needs cops when you got CSI/Bruce Willis/etc. ;)
Posted in: Forgetful janitor triggers Toyko subway terrorism scare
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Zen_Builder
Borscht.
No one can tell. But loosing 40.000(If that is what happened article is unclear), IMO, is a small loss compared to loosing/endangering a family member.
Ok, personal feelings. I HATE(with total passion) people that will sue/attach a value to a family member. If you settle for x-amount for the loss of a family member you attached a price tag to them, IMHO.
Personally, if a member of my family got killed/injured I CANNOT see myself suing the person as attaching a price will cheapen my family and myself. Covering medical expenses, etc I can accept.
For me there is NO amount in the world that can compensate me for the loss of my wife or son.
Just my view.
Posted in: Housewife brews up plan to escape from robber: tea and conversation
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Zen_Builder
Personally, I like him and his viewpoint.
I class him same as Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood(Ostwald in german). ;) IMO, they got what it takes to tell a story as it should be, none of the Spielberg mush.
Looking forward to it.
Posted in: Glover examines prejudices in new film set in Japan
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Zen_Builder
The bins are back for the most part but now got clear sides so you can see what is inside. Myself have the guys rather over-reacting than another sarin attack.
Had fun on Monday, 4 cops survived my home in the morning as we have 2 foreigners(chinese and european/both on PR) living here and a goverment official.
Had a good chat with the cops on duty, we know each other as my son trains MA with them.
Fun times, but I am used to it as back home we had a lot of guys visiting the UN-City.
Posted in: Forgetful janitor triggers Toyko subway terrorism scare
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Zen_Builder
Tea or Beer either will work.
I have lived in S.Africa, some houses even had bars and security gates inside the house.
Futile as it may prevent an attacker from getting to you, yet at the same time they also block YOUR escape route.
Posted in: Housewife brews up plan to escape from robber: tea and conversation
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Zen_Builder
She did the 100% right thing. Kudos to her. This is something I teach in Self-defense classes and also to my MA students.
"Create an environment where there is no confrontation". Don't try to be a hero and tough person.
And, yes, there is always a risk, no matter what you do.
Myself have used a similar technique many times to get out of a bar-fight. I offer the guy a pint and say lets talk it over, most of the guys will calm down, sit down and have a chat.
You just have to remain calm and be non-aggressive. And listen to the guy than act when the time is right.
I posted links here before to 2 sites that cover those topics. Will repost one(don't have the other on-hand). http://www.nononsenseselfdefense.com/
LOT to read on that site but a good starting point.
Posted in: Housewife brews up plan to escape from robber: tea and conversation
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Zen_Builder
I am with usaexpat.
How many of the people that those african guys represent sleep on a straw-mat on dirt floors with only a blanket to cover themselves. They most likely felt insulted that they had to sleep like their subjects.
From what I saw on the Telly, they conference center and the media center seem to offer all the stuff needed to do the work. And I doubt that they were packed 6~8 per room.
Posted in: Tatami rooms don't agree with G-8 visitors
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Zen_Builder
I also think there is more to the story. And, yes, many girls shorten their skirts deliberate.
Posted in: School teacher arrested for peeping up student's skirt in Oita
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Zen_Builder
I prefer Excelsior Coffee, their food is also great.
Only thing I ever bought at Starbucks was their standard Frappucino.
Posted in: Starbucks Japan to raise coffee prices
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Zen_Builder
Sad Tragedy and sorry for the parents.
Yet there are many, many more kids out there playing unsupervised and have done so for centuries and millenia.
Can't recall anyone in my generation being supervised when we were out and playing. Yup, some broke limbs, bloody knees and elbows, etc but that was part of the fun of growing up.
Did we do stuff that we were forbidden to do, you can bet on it. And we knew we would face the music if we were found out.
My 7r old son is out in the park playing with his friends every weekend, they also go together to the library, walk to school, etc.
To be honest I have him rather playing in the park with friends and maybe coming home with a bloody knee than him parking in front the telly with a game-controller and munching on snacks for hours.
Just my view.
Posted in: 4-year-old girl drowns in sewage drain in Tottori
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Zen_Builder
Fine line between patriotism and jingoism and I think many americans crossed it.
Posted in: Bush urges Americans to be proud of country
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Zen_Builder
What do you expect him to say, "I messed up and we are up to our ankles in shyte(while doing a handstand)".
Nah, be proud of america and its history and achievement but at the same time also acknowledge the bad stuff.
Most of the world is doing it.
Posted in: Bush urges Americans to be proud of country
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Zen_Builder
Another thing a LOT of schools/Instructors will train students towards competitions and not teach them a specific style.
Those do not teach self-defense/real fighting(Self defense and fighting are different animals anyway).
Those are easy to spot, usually lost of trophies/certificates around the place and they will point to them as proof that what they teach works.
IMO & IME, the less flashy the place the better the instructions(exceptions exist of course). But a lot of your fees go towards the upkeep of a place/school and its associated creature comforts.
Example: I mostly study now CMA(internal arts) now, my teacher(head of his style worldwide) claims nothing apart from teaching us his style. No health benefits, no magical fighting skills, etc. He teaches in a rented/borrowed school gym that we share with a ping-pong class. We have NO uniforms/belts, NO mats, NO bowing/rituals, NOTHING, a 10yr veteran will train together with a 3month newcomer.
We also don't do stretching/warmups in class you are supposed to do them yourself before-hand same as some exercises you are taught. Class is for corrections and teaching/showing you new stuff but I reckon that less than 10% of our actual training happens in class.
Students that show commitment are invited for extra advanced classes(free of charge).
I prefer this system.
Said that there are a lot of shysters in the Internal Arts, many teach the PRC forms that were created by the chinese goverment and claim to be certified by one of the 5 main-styles.
Back to my original point.
You NEED to train towards a goal, may it be self-defense, competiton, UFC, etc. There is not one training that fits all the bills.
Will be interesting to see what will happen in the west when the K1 scene opens up. I reckon a lot of the MMA/UFC guys will get beaten as K! stops a fight when it goes to the ground and restarts with both guys standing.
And watch out for the kyokyushin fighters, those are nutscases who NEVER wear protective gear, etc but go full-out.
Heck even the Dojo we rented from a 9th Dan Aikido Master had blood-stained Tatami. FYI, the Dojo is in Kichijoji opposite Seiyu in the basement of a Zen-Buddhist temple.
Just my view.
Posted in: Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai
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Zen_Builder
Gimme a "Two-Dogs" or "Jinro" over a Pepsi any day.
Would prefer "Hunters Gold" but that is not available here.
Posted in: Pepsi's at it again
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Zen_Builder
Same here, I am also in IT.
Over-time and callouts are the norm and with overseas clients/customers we often have meetings at around midnight. Where should I get a quick meal at 02:00~03:00am when I get home. Few 24/7 bento places like Origins, etc are local to me.
Even if all the office workers didn't work over-time what about the other guys that need to work shifts like hospitals, security, maintenance crews for roads, gas, electricity, railroad, etc.
People forget that for every salary-man there are a few guys out there that make sure that he has food, electricity, etc when he wants/needs it and most earn less than he does.
How about the staff that cleans the offices during the night.
bad idea, IMO.
Posted in: Plan to cut convenience store hours 'playing with fire'
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Zen_Builder
Also what people forget, it is hard to see/hear what is going on a few rows away on a train.
You really need to make a major ruckus to get noticed. And I would guess that the lady was too scared/intimitated to make a big ruckus.
You see a guy walking down the isle with the JR staff and how many CAN see if she is being led, possible even at knife-point.
Posted in: Man arrested for allegedly raping female JR employee on train in Kanagawa
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Zen_Builder
Problem is that a LOT of the martial arts schools are run by people that themselves are not good or fully qualified. Many of the teachers today don't even know the applications of the forms/techs. Sad but true.
Majority of what is taught these days is more acrobatics(XMA, etc), fitness and mumbo-jumbo by many guys that bought their ranks from fake associations or simply elevated themselves to sell themselves better.
Looking at the history of the fighting arts(don't like the term "Martial arts" as it is less than30yrs old). When I started you were simply a style X or Y practicioner.
Kano-San the guy who created Judo & by extension BJJ also created the Dogi/Keikogi and the belt-ranking system about 100yrs ago. http://www.e-budokai.com/articles/belts.htm
Another problem the fabled "Black Belt" and being told you can teach once your reach it. Add to that in most schools belts are handed out like cookies at a scout meet. And the introduction of junior and kids black-belts, etc.
When I started in the fighting arts, you couldn't get a Black Belt prior to the age of 18(Junior BB at 16), Black-Belt exam also included having to write an essay about the style and its application as well as creation of a demo-from with explanation. After that you had to spend a minimum of years equal your Dan-rank before you were allowed to test for the next rank.
This is mostly for the Japanese & Korean styles though. You will find less of that in the Chinese, Phillipine, etc arts. One reason for that I think is the history of japan, during the edo-period japan was relative calm and peaceful, samurai were not allowed to duel, etc so they shifted them emphasis towards the mental developments "-Jutsu --> -Do". Whereas in other countries the styles remained more martial and thus were practiced more with the original intent.
Not saying the Japanese and Korean styles are bad, there are very good and tough styles/teachers out there.
Like with anything you need to do your homework prior to joining a style, find out who the good guys are what they teach, etc.
IME, I found that the good teachers don't advertise themselves much and train in non-flashy locations with very few creature comforts.
For me I found many similarities between the styles and got to say the teacher is more important than the style you practice.
Just my experience.
Posted in: Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai