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I returned from the Jitsu Nationals with far fewer injuries than I expected.  A bruised forearm from knife defences, a swollen foot from accidentally carrying out an Atemi on the floor instead of a downed uke, and a few small bruises and scrapes around my body.  In fact, I'm pretty sure that the most lasting injury I received is the small cut on the back of my hand from proving to John (a Light Blue from Essex) that steak knives in T.G.I. Fridays are actually sharp!

The Nationals as a whole were a fantastic experience.  I'd never been to such a large martial arts event before (the largest I'd attended had been the Regionals, which was smaller by a factor of about 20), and it was really inspiring to see so much talent on display, and so much potential being nurtured by more experienced jitsuka.  A brief run-down of highlights:

• The fact that competitions were conducted in generous spirit and with no animosity.  I didn't see a single person sulking that they hadn't progressed to the finals, or sniping at someone else's technique - everyone was there to improve their own skills and appreciate others', and everyone benefitted from that spirit of co-operation and comradeship
• The brown belt who simply ducked a punch in his gauntlet (you had to be there :) )
• Mary Bishop's gauntlet.  For non-jitsuka, a "gauntlet" is a competition aspect wherein the tori (the one doing the techniques; the one being examined) walks between two lines of jitsuka, armed with various weapons, who attack him/her in sequence.  The aim is to deal with them in as showy and flourish-filled a manner as possible (brutal efficiency and pressure work is tested in another component, the "V").  Mary Bishop, the Oxford University Sensei ("teacher"), is a black belt of diminutive stature who is famous for putting on a great spectacle.  You can see her in action here (I think that video is public - let me know if not and I'll find another)
• Catching up with the CUJJC and a small contingent from Bath, and meeting other Jitsuka from around the country (and world!)
• The night out on Saturday.  Fancy dress theme of "Intergalactic" yielded a decent attempt at BSG's Helo, several Drs. Who, a lightsaber fight between Obi-Wan and Darth Maul (though the obvious Yoda costume for an unnamed black belt was sadly missing), a Blue Glove (wo)Man, and a full-body Dalek outfit.  Oh yes, and a young chap who'd clearly done some capoeira busting out some sweet ass-moves and embarrassing the rest of us.
• Practicing the secret art of huggi-garuma

(I'll be adding a "Jitsu vocabulary" page along with the "Deciphering geek-speak" page so that future Jitsu posts won't be indecipherable!)

I'm not sure how well my readership will respond to this swerve from computer games to Jitsu...but given that I'm pretty sure my readership at the moment only consists of my close friends (most of whom, if not Jitsuka themselves, are sympathetic to my rantings), that shouldn't be a problem!