Paddington

If I had a choice - A microlite or jet pack on my back !!

Having been in a fair few in Japan, I can tell you - No-where is safe.

It's scary enough watching tiles fly through the air ilke a thrown axe; houses falling down, but worst of all is the terrifying effect the ground has as it trembles under foot.
I feet sick to the stomach straight away as my balance was removed. The instant reaction to run is stopped by the brain as it can't find a footing, so you join the masses that are standing in shock frozen to the spot, No matter what your training, as the ground opens up before you. 3- 8 seconds of the giant roar and loss of control. Then it just - STOPS.

On a brighter note: The sound of recovery is amazing. The sound of crying and shock are mufled by nature.Birds Chirp, insects buzz and dogs bark..they are all signs of life. A restart.

littlewoman

By the way I'm presuming the building in question is higher than it is wide and the floors are of about the same size and construction


Paddington, were you staying in hotels in Japan. If so what floor were you on? You might find the answer. The Japanese know which floor is most likely to collapse so its the one with the most vacant rooms, so thats where they put the westerners.

Paddington

I was studying in a village/small town Iwama. No high rised buildings there !
Just lots of wooden houses.

But I understand what you are saying. I did stay in acentral hotel in downtown Osaka. Felt the normal effects of guidiness one night and next morning after breakfast , found the road bridge next to the hotel had gone !

hippy

And lots of sand to rake.....

littlewoman

When the shock wave hits the building it causes the building to wobble at a frequency dependant on its height, just like a tuning fork vibrating at a set frequency. The wave travels up the building, bounces off the top and meets the next wave coming up. The most powerful part of each wave meets in the centre of the building. So the floor most likely to collapse is the middle one.

I was sceptical until in each of the 3 hotels I stayed at in Japan, we were on the middle floor of each!
Tall Japanese buildings don't have fixed fire escapes, they have a sort of rope ladder that you throw out of the window so that it isn't affecting by middle floors collapsing. Also every building up to about 3 floors high has a wood frame even if they do look modern as the wood bends and doesn't fall down. Likewise all over the far east they use bamboo scaffolding for the same reason.

If your hotel is a pyramid or pagoda shape the shock waves don't build up and your much safer.
Something to think about when doing a risk assesment :-)

Paddington

Very useful My little friend !

And we've made a positive use out of the website forum.


Nice one !
xx

covert munkey

Paddington......I'm not sure if you purposely made the above quote an amazing read and 1 of the best descriptions of an earthquake i have ever read but you did just that! Your English teacher would be very impressed..........seriously for a moment i was there!

Hats of to you.

CM

Paddington

You're too kind Sir.

But living out there, was in itself "an amazing" experience.

I'm often asked by other Martial artists "What's it like out there ?" Either because they have a genuine curiosty of the origins of their art and want to go, or just to compare it with some romantic image, brought about by books and t.v.

My reply, though somewhat unfair is " being an Uchi-deshi there was a comination of Tenko and Shogun "

So any memories I have stored of the place are kept with vivid detail. From arrival, training, tea ceramony to earthquakes.

hippy

And being named 'little rhino'......