Job Discussion Forums

[Sudz]

Hmmmm is no one here into MMA (mixed martial arts...or 'UFC' as some people call it)? I don't live in Japan, but this would certainly be a big perk for me - I love Japanese MMA. Though it doesn't have the same popularity as it used to (in Japan), there are still some very high profile fighters there (local and international), and they can still put on a great event!

I caught one of the DREAM events (DREAM 4) 3 or so years ago in Yokohama, and it was brilliant It was tough to watch a local hero (Kazushi Sakuraba) get pummeled mercilessly, but it didn't take away from the night.

I think I'd be going to at least a couple of shows a year if I was located in Japan.

I could go on, but I'm pretty sure I'd be boring 97% of the posters here

[PO1]

I'm into MMA, although not as much as I used to be. This is the place to be in pretty much all the world if you're into martial arts. There are shows for practically everything: boxing, kickboxing, grappling, wrestling, MMA, freestyle. I haven't been to any shows, but K-1 seems to be most popular.

There's a boxing gym not far from where I live, that I hope to get involved with, just to get into better shape, not to actually fight.

[steki47]

I go to an MMA gym. They have BJJ and kickboxing. It's a small gym but the teachers are great and dedicated. I try to go out and watch the local amateur fights (mostly Nagoya) whenever possible.

[baki]

I used to be into MMA, but that was after I left Japan so there was a lot of catching up to do.

Croc cop was my favourite

[Sudz]

Good to see there are some fans.

Yeah Cro Cop used to be my favorite fighter - ACTUALLY he was the fighter that got me BACK into MMA...around 5 or 6 years ago. Unfortunately, he's not quite the fighter he used to be, but I'm always crossing my fingers for a return of the left-high kick knockout.

The Japanese fans are great too. Respectful of the fighters, both Japanese and international. Watching a show among them is almost like being in a library. Nice to have silence during the more uneventful moments, rather than the relentless booing at many UFC events.

I'd love to catch one of the Dynamite shows on new years eve - hopefully before I die

I've done some kick boxing and grappling in Ho Chi Minh - at a gym owned by a former French fighter. Unfortunately, my schedule (and location) doesn't mesh well with theirs at the moment. Also, the owner - and many of his higher ups - are prototypical alpha males (hitting on female students, picking fights in the streets, and so on....) Not really someone I look up to, or want to support - though I suppose I wasn't going to make friends. I'd feel sorry for anyone in his path, formerly in the French foreign legion, and built like a bulldog!

[midas224]

In the middle of the summer, one of the most refreshing things is to bike past a rice paddy. The air is always a little bit cooler next to them.

That was always my favorite memory.

[flyer]

yes, it is good, esp as we don't have any rice fields back home

[TokyoLiz]

The national health plan includes medical and dental. My home country Canada has medical but excludes all but emergency dental. Hooray for Japan!

It also includes seitai, and I've been worked on for a few months now. Working at a desk and squinting at my computer takes a toll on my back and neck, and the seitai guy makes it go away.

All-you-can-eat martial arts, I find, is a great　antidote to stress. Have fun training in MMA, kobujutsu, and gendai bujutsu.

[gaijinalways]

[TokyoLiz]

Gaijinalways,

I've had fillings done by a dentist here, and was impressed with the speed, precision and type of filling I got. I didn't know there was any premium filling material better than what I received!

I feel for parents whose children need to have orthodontics. I, too, as a child had teeth like Agrajag, nearly piercing my face when I smiled

I'm glad for cheap MRIs, as I sustained a serious head injury from the dojo (not MMA, but kobudo), and the doctor showed me what the interior of my head looks like. He confirmed I had a brain, and it was only very slightly damaged.

Stay genki, all!

[flyer]

[gaijinalways]

You might have noticed (if you were asked, depends on the dentist) that if you want ceramic filling material (looks best, lasts the longest) you'll pay a hefty charge for it as insurance in Japan doesn't cover it. Crowns also are prohibitively expensive here, talking about 90,000 yen for one (about half or less than that in the US)! So if you're looking at major dental work up front (if it's near the back, some people don't mind the cheaper silver stuff), you're almost better to fly back home, especially if you're doing more than one at a time.

Braces are becoming more coming here now, but they are about 3-4x the rate that you would look at in the US (we looked into it for my wife). For dental cleanings and 'usual' stuff, Japanese national insurance is okay, anything beyond, not really.

[mc]

[tokyo10]

[rxk22]