After all the hard work planning and coordinating, we were finally on our way for our long awaited trip… Here we come Johor Bahru.
Fifteen of us, aikidokas from various dojos including Hombu Dojo, Serangoon Gardens Country Club, Jalan Besar and Paya Lebar Kovan CC, travelled in a hired coach, delighted and excitedly towards the Tuas custom.
After clearing customs, we went to our hotel and met Instructor Chee Meng, Instructor Aw and Joanna at the hotel lobby. They brought us to Taman Daya for a delicious dim sum breakfast before “escorting” us to our much anticipated paintball game.
Group photo taken before the ‘war’
It started off with a briefing from the staffs, and then it went wild. The young boys and young at heart, fully geared with vest and mask, started to shoot at each other on the ‘battle field’. Despite the ‘injuries’ marked by yellow paint and bruises, everyone had a fun time.
The Weapons Briefing Time….
All Geared Up… The Casualty…. Medic at Work…
Philip Lee Sensei joined us for a sumptuous seafood dinner at a kelong style restaurant and we had an enjoyable evening, complemented by the delicious dishes and the music of the waves. The night ended off with a relaxing spa and massage session, followed by drinks at one of the local pubs where our group joined the many high-spirited football fans cheering their team in the World Cup 2010.
Sensei: “These crabs look good…” Seafood Seafood… Yummy Yummy…
In preparing for main event of this trip, a few of us woke up early to assist Instructor Chee Meng in setting up the seminar venue before we went for breakfast at a nice café couple of streets away from the hotel.
The seminar kicked off with Instructor Ronald Tan (3rd Dan) leading the first half of the seminar. Philip Lee Sensei (6th Dan) took the final half, giving a great finish to the wonderful seminar. Over fifty aikidokas from Singapore and Malaysia participated in this seminar and everyone had a fruitful time, especially those who took their grading after the seminar, it was a great opportunity for recapping the techniques.
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Sensei Getting ready for Grading... |
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| Grading Begins...... | Minor Earthquake...... | |
After the grading ended in the evening, we went for a celebration dinner before bidding good bye to our friends in Johor Bahru. Special thanks to our fellow aikidokas from Aikido Shinju-Kai Malaysia for making this event a successful one.
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| Bring in the Drinks.... | Now where the food? | |||
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| Here come the yummy food......finally |
It’s time to plan for our next trip.