TANABE DOJO - MALLORCA

"Mallorca's nice in June", I said as we searched through the holiday brochures. "So's Ibiza or Minorca,"
suggested Kate with a suspicious look. "How about the C'an Pastilla??", "How about Lanzarote?".

I knew she didn't really wish to go to the Canaries. We settled on C'an Pastilla, and she agreed (bless her heart)
knowing that there was a new Zen Judo Club starting there. I even e-mailed the new Sensei and gave him the
dates when we'd be there, but no reply. "I guess they're not interested in me," I said the day before departure.

The flight was hell! Seated right in the middle of a group of hooligans from Bristol, we were subjected
to swearing, shouting, Ghetto blasting and that was only the girls!! The cabin staff hid elsewhere on
the flight, and we were glad to disembark at Palma airport. Two hours of being meat in a teenage
sandwich! A fine start to our holiday.

Arrived at Hotel Orleans and there was a message waiting from Sensei Bartolome Canellas (Tolo for short)
saying he would contact me. Oh joy, thank goodness I had packed my suit on the off-chance.

Mallorca is HOT, even in June, and we basted gently by the pool the next day, catching up on errant tanning,
bacardis and the sight of topless young maidens wobbling indecently in the background - what a bore!! By lunchtime
it became too much to continue on the tanning couches so after lunch a lie down and sleep was indicated.

Sleep? Well y'know what I mean - read a book, shower, siesta - no such luck. The room phone springs to life
at the most inappropriate moment. It is Sensei, he is downstairs!

Another beer at the pool bar and we arrange for him to call for us on Thursday evening. A session is booked
at his Dojo. I am left biting my fingernails. Can I still perform (Judo, that is), am I too old and fat, will my sobriety
hold up till then? What the hell is an aging pillock like me doing here amongst there young Spaniards,
expecting to teach them something about the wonders of Zen Judo, when all I want is to crawl into bed
and have a rest?? Time for a few ZZZZs.

Thursday arrives all too quickly and we are spirited off in Tolo's white Peugeot 206 to the downtown area of
Palma where everyone on the street corners looks like an active terrorist and the dogs drool at the sight of a
live Englishman! The Tanabe Dojo is a delight and an Aikido session is in progress when we arrive,
which is good because Kate has never before witnessed Aikido. The lads take good care of her while
I change and pretend to be a Judo Sensei.

Tolo has arranged for Sergei, a personable young man, to translate for me. He is a yellow belt with the skill
of at least a green belt - in fact ALL the students are wearing belts a grade or so below the level I would have put
them. Or is it me? Anyway he has also arranged for a Uke to take the pounding I am expected to put him
through while demonstrating our techniques. He looks pretty fit and lively, which makes me appear half
asleep and hung over!

Joking aside, the session consisted of a trip through the techniques of the Zen syllabus, explaining the ways
in which we do the business. I try to take the class carefully through each technique so they are familiar with
what is roughly expected of them. Tolo takes part and partners every one of his students as we proceed. He
is an extremely good Sensei and I am amazed at the depth of questions which are quickly thrown at me. Luckily
I am able not to leave any of them unanswered.

After almost two hours we come to the end of the syllabus. The students are all hyped up and fighting fit - I am
sweating and feeling like crap!! Time to rei out, take the photos and say goodbye. Not so, there is a gift for me - a
bottle of special Mallorcan wine, and one for Kate as well - she is well pleased.

A shower and off to a restaurant for a meal - at half past ten?? Wine and steaks help us to feel better, a few
more photos and off back to the hotel.

Thank you Tolo and the Tanabe Dojo for your hospitality. It really was a splendid session and we got through
plenty of work. The students have a good sense of humour (which is just as well seeing it was me who made
the trip) and we had planty of laughs during the session. We were made to feel at home and I could not have
wished for a better reception.

We now have a special place in Mallorca which we must visit if we are on the island. Don't leave them in isolation.
They invited me for a Seminar sometime later this year or next year, and I said I would attend. That would be a
good time to see what they have learned from my visit, and how they are developing. I look forward to returning
to Palma soon.

Brian N Bagot
6th Dan
Zen Judo Family Custodian