【Aikido × Travel】Enjoying an Aikido Seminar and Dojo Visits in Prague, Czech Republic – Part 10
The next morning, we headed to Brno, where T’s dojo is located.
We planned to stay there for two nights, enjoy some sightseeing, and train at his dojo. Since they had come by car, we were grateful to be able to ride along with them.
T is a big guy, and his car matches his size—large, sturdy, and perfect for long drives. He teaches Aikido at his own dojo from Monday to Friday, and on weekends he travels across Europe to participate in seminars. “Dedicated young martial artist” describes him perfectly.
During the drive, we stopped at a highway rest area for a short break.
I picked up a small donut and a drink called Kofola. According to T, it’s the Czech version of cola. It’s made with extracts from 14 kinds of herbs and fruits, plus licorice. Instead of an artificial sweetness, it has a gentle herbal flavor, a light sweetness, and refreshing carbonation—exactly the kind of taste I love.
Around midday, we arrived in Brno, a city known for its large student population.
Fortunately, the place we booked was right across from their dojo, and a coin laundry was within walking distance.
We immediately put our long-unwashed clothes into the washing machine and headed to a restaurant for lunch while they were being washed.
This restaurant is one of their regular spots and serves both Italian and Czech dishes. They ordered the “daily menu,” while I, still dealing with a lingering cold, chose soup and pasta.
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After lunch, we moved the laundry to the dryer and spent some time killing time until check-in.
The key to the accommodation was to be picked up at a café located behind the dojo. The café is known for its delicious waffles, but since I was still full from lunch, I shared one with T’s girlfriend, V. It was fluffy and wonderfully tasty.
By the time it passed 3:30 p.m., we headed to the room. The building was similar to public housing in Japan, and the entrance was a bit hard to find, but thanks to their help, we arrived safely. They adjusted the central heating to a comfortable temperature, and we had free time until practice.
After picking up the dried laundry, we went to a supermarket to buy fruit, tea, and some light breakfast items. Once we rested a little in the room, it was already time for practice.
This is T—Tomáš’s dojo, Aikido Ikigai Dojo.
https://www.facebook.com/aikidoikigaibrno/
They renovated the dojo themselves, creating a clean, bright space with white as the main color. From the kamidana to the slippers and the noren, you can feel touches of Japan throughout the dojo.
Since the next day was a holiday, T mentioned that there might be fewer students. But in reality, around 30 regular students showed up. Among them was a man we had met at a seminar in Luxembourg—an old friend of T’s, as it turns out.
T had actually asked us to teach special classes, one day each for Mike and me. But since we didn’t yet know the students or the dojo’s training style, we decided to join T’s class for the day.
It was a beginner class, but the students ranged from those who had just started in September to black belts.
Even though it’s an overseas dojo, T visits Hombu Dojo every year and has experience as a live-in trainee, so within his modern teaching style, you can still see movements reminiscent of Hombu. Time passed quickly.
After practice, we returned to the room for a shower, then headed back to the dojo to meet everyone before going out for dinner in the city center. One Japanese student and B, whom we met in Luxembourg, joined us.
We took the tram—which runs 24 hours—to the center. In the square with a church and a clock tower, there is a large statue of a horse.
T told us to look at it from underneath, so I obediently did…
Once you see the photo, there’s really nothing more to explain.
T’s recommended restaurant was unfortunately full, so we went to a traditional Czech bar-restaurant instead.
T chose the beer for us, and we shared finger chicken, French fries, and T’s recommendation: the famous “stinky cheese.”
A toast to this wonderful day.
According to T, “Czech beer is the best in the world!” And honestly, I could understand why. It has depth without being too bitter, is easy to drink yet still has a satisfying richness.
The stinky cheese spreads its aroma the moment it enters your mouth, but it pairs amazingly well with beer.
With delicious food and great company, conversation flowed endlessly, and before we knew it, it was almost midnight. Since the next day was a holiday, they planned to take us to a castle.
The bus schedule didn’t work out, so we walked about 20 minutes back to the room, pleasantly tipsy.
After deciding on the meeting time for tomorrow, we each returned to our rooms.
T and V—thank you so much for everything: the drive from Prague, the training, the meals, and even helping with our laundry.
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