~Retired Ninjas~

Ok, this one was random.

We hoop at a school in an obscure neighborhood in Tokyo. There's an exercise room on the floor beneath us which has proven to be quite entertaining. The last time we played there, there was one of those 'big ball' exercise classes going on when we finished up. This in itself was not so comical. Although I'm sure most would have found ample reason to laugh if they'd watched the retired old ladies doing a little good for their bones. However, the instructor must have brought her daughter along, cause there was a 5 or 6 year old girl who was TOO CUTE!

She couldn't do any of the exercises the grown folks were doing. But believe you me she was trying with all her heart. And it was downright hilarious. (in a beautiful way) Wish you could've seen that one.

Anyhow, the following week. We staggered down the stairs on hollow legs. And lo and behold, there were some old-timers, (this time men) doing something I had never seen before. I guess you'd call it blow-darts. I was transfixed from the moment I saw them.

From what I gathered. They'd take out a dart. Hold the bamboo shoot looking....blower??? at their waste and pause for a moment. (I think this is when they're getting their mind right!) Then they'd raise the shoot to the sky in a very reverent fashion, as if praising it or perhpas exulting the entire process. Before loading the dart. Lifting the shoot, aaaand.. PEYUNT!!...Whap!! Smack dab on the target. Amazing!

The actual execution itself was astonishing, but what really took me by surprise was how accurate these guys were. None of 'em looked younger than 70. And I don't know what type of darts they were shooting, but they were hitting the target REAL hard. So you can imagine the look on my face as I watched one of them slowly stroll down his 'alley' to retrieve his darts. WHILE the man 4 feet next to him was shooting.

I thought, "Man! That's a lotta trust!" But I watched for a good while, and every single one of them was on target time and time again. And that's when it hit me....

This is what ninjas do when they retire!