It is late in the afternoon and I am travelling towards the north of the city. The climate is ideal in this season because the days are hot yet the nights are cool enough to ensure a comfortable sleep. The ever present air-conditioning is one thing I do find difficult to adapt to; it is usually set a few degrees to low for my liking and it does no good to the slight cold I have been dragging since my arrival in the US.

A common aspect of all the dojos I have had the occasion to visit since my arrival is the high quality of the equipments. I don't expect these training places to receive as a generous funding from the government as their French counterparts but each time, the practice space is large and the mats are of a god quality. This is obviously very different to the dojos I have trained in England or Ireland. Another striking aspect is the morphology of the American people but of course, the wealth of the country and the "work out" culture of the west coast can explain this easily, particularly since we are in California. Californians take great care of their bodies and don't hesitate to show it at any opportunity. Of course, this is not to my dislike as far as the feminine part of the population is concerned. What a change from Dublin...

Upon my arrival at the dojo, the first thing I notice as opposed to Chiba Sensei's dojo is the difference of atmosphere. I do not know if the fact that it is not supervised by a Japanese teacher is the explanation but I feel at home straight away. Kazuo Chiba Sensei's ruthless reputation probably did not help for my first approach of the San Diego Aikikai though... The head teacher, Jeff Sodeman greats me warmly and proposes me to take part to the class immediately. In fact, I really think that this apparent relaxation is a key element to understanding Mitsugi Saotome Sensei's style. Once more the heat is making me breathless but I am slowly starting to get used to it.

The main focus of the class is upon angles and unbalance of the partner with the use of extremely precise educational routines performed from grabs at the wrist or the shoulders. The application naturally follows with a series of kokyunage and tenchinage techniques. Because of all the work done on the positioning, the movements are rather short and to the point. The role of the arms is minimal because each time, the precise point of balance remains targeted and hit. It reminds me of a very sharp udekimenage practiced on the elbow as it should but in a very vertical direction while lowering the centre and keeping arms close the body.

Another noticeable fact is that Sensei takes me quite often as uke to demonstrate the techniques. Being uke allows me to get even more out of the few hours training thanks to Jeff and his open mindedness. As often when I travel, I get commentaries on my aerial "French style" ukemi; that is, as my 86 kilos allow... I explain to them that it is usually a good thing to do abroad when meeting people less mindful of your physical integrity than the fine people of the Jiai Aikido.