Aikido × Travel: Enjoying an Aikido Seminar and Dojo Visits in Prague, Czech Republic – Part 14
The Hranice Abyss tour was scheduled to start in just five minutes.
While I stepped away to use the restroom, B kindly purchased our tickets. Unfortunately, M the dog couldn’t join the tour, so they decided to wait for us outside.
The tour was conducted entirely in Czech, but we figured we’d manage somehow and followed the guide down into the underground.
The air grew cool as we descended, and the natural formations of calcite—each uniquely shaped—were fascinating to see. Some areas even had small sculptures placed beside the formations.
Deeper inside, the guide demonstrated an experiment by lowering a lamp on a rope; when the flame went out, it showed that the oxygen level was low in that part of the cave. It was a short tour, but truly enjoyable.
During our walk afterward, M did her business on a ground covered with autumn leaves. Right after that, she kicked up a large spray of leaves with her hind legs, making it impossible to find the spot again. Hearing B gently say, “M, I’m sorry,” made me realize once again how kind-hearted he truly is.
Later, P joined us and we enjoyed lunch together—onion soup and a traditional Slovak dish.
We parted ways for a while and met again at 4:30 p.m. to visit the castle before evening practice. Unfortunately, the grounds closed at 5 p.m., so we couldn’t go inside. Even so, the sunset we saw from the hilltop was breathtaking, and I felt it was absolutely worth the visit.
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The dojo we visited that evening is located in the town where T and B were born and raised.
Practice was scheduled for two hours. Originally, Mike and I were supposed to teach only the second hour, but thanks to the teacher’s thoughtful arrangement, we were given the opportunity to teach the entire session—30 minutes each for the beginner class and the general class.
A few people had attended the seminar in Prague, but most were new faces. Still, everyone listened attentively and tried their best to follow our movements.
In the beginner class, I focused on ukemi, and in the general class, I shared what I could about applying techniques using the lower body rather than relying on arm strength.
The 30 minutes flew by, and before we knew it, the general class had ended and the full two hours were over.
“I’m not joking—I wish we could always train like this.”
B has such a gentle heart, always saying exactly the words that encourage us.
Thank you so much for giving us this precious time.
After practice, they took us to a lively local bar.
At the entrance, we happened to meet B’s grandfather. “I always meet him here,” B said, and the two embraced warmly. It was such a sweet moment to witness.
Earlier, when asked about food preferences, Mike had mentioned that the spare ribs looked delicious—so the same dish was kindly ordered for me as well.
In Japan, sharing dishes is common, but here, even in bars, everyone gets their own plate—something to keep in mind!
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Nearly twenty members joined us, making it a wonderfully energetic dinner gathering. Many were shy, but a few spoke English, and through them we gradually found ourselves chatting comfortably with everyone. I truly hope they will visit Japan someday so we can train together again.
Today was our last day in the Czech Republic. Tomorrow, we head to Austria. If we had one more day, we could have joined a vital-points seminar at this dojo—but at that time, we’ll already be on the train. It can’t be helped.
Czech people are gentle, considerate, and truly thoughtful—reminding me a little of Japanese people. Despite my persistent cough from a cold, my friends treated me with such care and kindness. I’m endlessly grateful. I will definitely come back.
I’m thankful for every experience and encounter I had in the Czech Republic.
The Next Morning
The station was about a 25-minute walk from our accommodation. Our train was scheduled for 11:27 a.m., but since we had luggage, we decided to head out right after checking out at 10 a.m.
However, when we went to check out, no one was at the reception. We rang the bell, but no one appeared. After returning upstairs to grab a forgotten item and coming back down, we finally heard someone rushing down from above.
“I need to confirm your payment.”
“I already paid online.”
“Wait.”
“Why?”
The curt tone made me feel a bit irritated, and then he said coldly, “You haven’t paid the city tax.”
If I hadn’t gone back for my forgotten item, they wouldn’t have collected it at all. The mechanical attitude left me feeling a little worn out.
We followed Google Maps and arrived at the station around 10:30.
The board showed no delays, so we relaxed with a coffee. Then an email arrived notifying us of a delay. Checking again, the board now showed a five-minute delay.
We headed to the platform 20 minutes early. Soon after, the OBB app notified us of a platform change, instructing us to “check the station board.” We checked again, but no change was shown.
We return to Japan the day after tomorrow, and online check-in had just opened. So we sat on a bench at the platform and secured our seats via smartphone.
There were still about seven minutes until our train’s scheduled arrival at 11:25, but the traincurrently sitting at our platform displayed a completely different destination.
“It should be arriving soon… why is another train here?”
Mike stood up, checked the board on the opposite platform, and said: “It says ‘Vienna.’” “What?”
At that exact moment, the train departed.
We hurriedly asked a nearby person, “When will the train arrive?”
“I think the one that just left was your train.”
You’ve got to be kidding…
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