TAMIYA WORLD opens in Osaka!

Howdy, Madda!
Well, if ya come to Osaka, ya got yourself a translator right here.
I actually helped a guy out today who was looking for a gasoline-powered RC car.

I did take a buncha pix myself (35mm), but the pro boys'll have their amazing digital pix up on the Naniwa Sensha-tai website soon enough, and I'll let ya'll know when.

Well, I appreciate the offer for sure! I'd be totally clueless, unless, of course, I could start studying Japanese right now, and then maybe by the time I get the money saved, I'd be fluent. I've actually always wantedt o go to Japan, with the Tamaya store opening there, I'd have an actual excuse. By the time I make it, I'll have my black belt too, so I'd probably find some kind of justification there as well. I could justify my way into becoming a world traveler, all thanks to Tamaya! WooHoo!! I'm sure it wouldn't take more than a few more years to save the bucks. I'm just sure of it. I really do want to go, but there's no way I can for a good while :( Ah well, I"ll just have to keep saving and building models.

madda

Well, when ya can, bring it on over!
There are actually more karate dojos around here than model shops!
Or will your belt be in in aikido?
Ah, plenty of aikido dojos, too!

Jiu-jitsu actually, but I might dump some Aikido on that as well, it's an offshoot you know. My instructor teaches Aikido as well, I just like Jiu-jitsu better. Groundfighting rocks. Most of the groundfighting is Brazilian style though, he lived with the Gracies for a number of years, but his first black belt was in Japanese style. Wonderful stuff.


madda

Ah, I gotcha. The Gracies are big here in Japan. K-1 is huge! Have you heard of Bob Sapp? Monster. 2 meters, 175 kilos.

I doubt any of them have ever built a model, though.
But, ya never know!

I'm a big fan of k-1, and have indeed seen Bob Sapp several times. He's about my size actually, though he might outweigh me a bit, how much in pounds is 175 kilos? Right about 300 I'd guess, we're close to the same, but he's a much better fighter than I. I'm a mere amateur :) From what I've seen, he's a super nice guy too. I prefer Pride to K-1 though. All of it is super fun to do. With all the time it takes to train for that, I'd be shocked if they had time to build. Hah, modelers win! Plus, we don't get bruised and broken and addicted to painkillers either.

madda

Hey J-Hulk I saw you are from a small Ga town ,where abouts? SOunds kind of like me with no shops arpund except I don;t think the Ace hardware sells kits. The closest I have to me is a gun shop/ pawn shop/ a couple of shelves of kis and paints about 20 miles away from Dahlonega.

Hi, folks!
Madda, Bob is 6' 7" and 394 pounds! I've never seen anyone like him! He is a nice guy, and has taken the Japanese media by storm. He's on TV all the time.

Lizardqing2, Dahlonega, you say! Northwest of Atlanta, no? Up in the mountains? I'm from Brunswick, way down on the coast, 30 minutes south of Savannah and 30 minutes north of the Florida border. Great little town, just not much going on for modelers! Savannah had a few shops, though.
Lived in Stone Mountain for a coupla years, then did 5 years in Athens during the UGA years.
Beautiful places, all of 'em!

Ahhhh well, that's a bit larger than me, I don't have a good grasp of kilos ya know :) we still use standard over here. Hehe, I need to brush up on my metric I see. Egads. I feel shame.

When you went to UGA, did you ever meet the guys from REM? What took you to Japan?


madda