Just Quickly...

Oh dear - a big FAIL to the DojoMojo blog after last week's game against Heroes. No results, no A&B poll, no excuses.

Here's a quick recap just to set things back on a somewhat even keel. Dojo turned up lazy & missing Pete, Coops, Adrian & Ryan. We traded for the first few points, getting easy blocks against the rookies but then being too casual about holding on to the disc (or playing defence...).

It must've been something like 3-3 when Sensei C had a vision of Andy McLean, wearing a long brownish robe and speaking from beyond the BPL grave, who gently offered his advice: "use the time-out, Steve".

So we did. We gave ourselves a little lecture and, learning from the disastrous early-season failure of the Cobras, and the near-failures of both UQ teams against the rookie Heroes, resolved that this game needed to be won like any other.

So back on we ran, and what do you know - Andy's advice worked. End result 15-8.

Having had that big upset win early and a few close (and bitter) losses, these Heroes chaps have clearly settled into the BPL environment and are now playing to win. Heavily reliant upon their 3 main players they may be, but as the skill base of the team builds those wins are going to become much less sporadic.

Oh and speaking of those 3 main Heroes, if there is a prize for most-improved BPL player then without doubt this season it has to go to "Silent" George Salisbury. That guy has transformed his game in the space of a few months from being mostly a deep speed threat to an all-round cutter, popper and quick disc mover. Just goes to show what serious training coupled with a senior role in a developing BPL team can do.

Anyway - don't expect a match report from tonight's game against Passion either, as this correspondent won't be there. Perhaps another kenshi with a literary bent might oblige???

Out the Back with Stefan Rappazzo

A quick look outside at the brilliant sky this morning was all the inspiration we needed to decide it was time to load up the Dojo combi van. So with our pre-dawn kendo practice finished we set out for Slamtown, that famous fantasy land where ladies in golden bikinis pay for your parking and Ultimate players wear orange shorts.

Of course, there's always plenty of time to sit out the back at D-bah, waiting for the next set to come through. And it was in precisely those moments of sundrenched calm that we turned to Stefan Rappazzo, the don of Gold Coast Ultimate, for some reflection on last week's match between DojoMojo and his Slamtown Flatball Club:

DojoMojo Blog: Spaz - thanks for taking a sickie and joining me for a surf & a chat. After the late cancellation of our planned pre-season clash, that first game between the new-look Dojo and the largely ex-Dojo Slamtown FC teams was a long time in the making. How do you think it lived up to all that anticipation?

Stefan Rappazzo: Well, poorly from a GC point of view. It would have been great to have played ya in the preseason as the SFC is very much relying on developing some chemistry together, and there is really no other way of getting that done than getting more games played together. The Dojo were good on the night, and I think some of the lads that are a bit newer to the competition may have been a bit rattled by the pregame banter whilst SFC were warming up, and the Dojo were excelling at their usual pregame rituals.

DMB: Ah yes. In fact I spent most of my pre-game moments pestering Becky to shoot that video for us (thanks again Becky). I noticed a second video camera in use on the sidelines - can we be expecting some footage with more of a Slamtown focus to be popping up on the SFC blog soon?

SR: Video is something we are only starting to experiment with, and in all honesty our footage from the other night will not likely make it to blog, but we're hoping that future games will begin to find their way online. I've always been a fan of the video, win or lose, it's great to watch how things unfolded and a great way to continually improve. With nearly every BPL team represented via 'blog', it would be great to see this become the standard and you could have every game video documented. I can't put any firm time lines upon this becoming standard procedure, but I can tell ya it's a work in progress.

DMB: Yep - it certainly would be great to see all three BPL games getting video coverage each week. Anyway, back to the questions. What differences did you recognise between the 2010 Dojo unit and the team that you and so many of your Gold Coast colleagues were part of over the past few years?

SR: Well, height for one. In losing myself, Mike, Phil and Lee, and then gaining Pete and Jon G you definitely gained in the sky department. Getting Wallsy, Watto and Ryan back also helps. That said, short or tall, the Dojo continues to be the deepest team in the league with a solid roster of players who play nearly every position on the field. The real difference will come if you can get the finals monkey off your back... besides that... it seems business as usual for the Dojo.

DMB: Yes - winning the big game always takse a little more than business as usual. And speaking of outstanding efforts, does any one moment stand out in your memory as last week's "play of the night"?

SR: Hmmmm.... tough to say. Not much of a highlight type of an evening, no layouts that stand out, and no 'particular' throws that do either. During our post game discussions we spoke of the fact that we were very flat, but how the Dojo played nearly flawless O... I don't recall too many turnovers once you guys got the disc. The amount of crossfield hammers was uncanny, and Fatty's lefty breakmarks were disheartening. Not that it was highlight material but Darren Shi's foul call away from the disc to nullify Jody's endzone D was a heartbreaker. Daz had his revenge on us with his hard working game, and I think that call should have been made by Pete... or not at all.

DMB: Interesting that some sort of foul call has been included in the answer to that question two weeks in a row now. Anyway, looking ahead - you've got a big game coming up this week against UQ Passion. Do you think it's fair to describe JMac and Julz as "the new Jason & Mike"?

SR: No. I think JMac is much more of a dynamic player than just a pure hucker, and as much as Jules is an amazing receiver/player, I don't think he has as dominant a persona as Mike does. That said, they could very well be the hottest combo in the league right now, but I wouldn't go so far as calling them the next bromance. Speaking of hot combos, Pete and Fatty both being able to huck and both taking discs high is becoming a lethal pairing in itself...

DMB: Right again, Spaz. And with this swell starting to pick up again we should probably leave it at that...

Natural Enemies

No, not DojoMojo and UQ Lovers. We're talking about the big news from Round 3 of the Brisbane Premier League: Heroes upset win over Cobras!

Sure, not many people tipped that outcome. In fact nobody did. Even the Heroes themselves are so stoked that they've posted about it not once, not twice, but thrice already on their blog. And why not.

Ah, but with the benefit of hindsight we really should've seen this coming. Anybody with even the slightest historical perspective knows that the Heroes (i.e. the good guys) always beat the Cobras (i.e. the perennial bad guys). You only had to be a child in the 80's (surely there are still some BPL players who were, not including children of the 70's like Buzz & Sean?) to know that the Cobras always lose out to the Heroes. Take for example that legendary heroic organisation the Mobile Armored Strike Kommand (aka M.A.S.K.). Episode after episode, Matt Tracker and his buddies stuck it to those inexplicably nasty characters from the Vicious Evil Network Of Mayhem (aka V.E.N.O.M.), later re-written into the GI Joe storyline as stooges of the fiendish - wait for it - Cobra Command!!!

Ryan Black has often lamented the tendency of the modern-day Dojo to lean more toward the teachings of Mr Miyagi than those of Ryan's beloved Cobra Kai crew, but we do it for a very simple reason - winning.

Which presumably brings us to a quick wrap-up of last night's game between Dojo and UQ Lovers. We'll keep it brief, as we'll be taking a stroll around the Dojo gardens with UQ legend Al Don shortly. But what we can say is that Dojo pretty much walked away with a comfy 15-8 win, helped along by some incredibly rare off-target throws from the Cornerstone of Queensland Ultimate himself, Buzza Burwell. We won't be seeing that again anytime soon.

Anyway, more on that later. In the meantime, we'd very much like to read what the new Cobras frontman Reece has to say about things, and of course we're keenly awaiting news of the other Thursday night shocker, the perhaps equally controversial caning of the MBB unit by the current #1 BPL team UQ Passion. Sadly, we fear we could be waiting some time, as the Bugs are known more for their "hail-Mike" offence than for having an up-to-the-minute blogosphere presence, and the Passion boys don't bother having a blog at all...

The Above&Beyond poll is ready to roll on the right.

Our McLeans Are No Longer Showing

We've been meaning to make mention of the departure of Andy McLean, one of the founding DojoMojo players, for quite a while now, and it's simply a sign of our summer slackness that it took our descent on the BUB blog list to a position below even the Cobras to get us typing. This should put things straight, and be a good early test for Reece's commitment.

Ah - if only we had a suitably dorky photo of Andy to put with this post. No doubt Dave Watson or Ryan Black or Jay Sansness will have one hidden away somewhere. We certainly hope they do, as writing 1000 words in lieu of an image of Andy will take us most of the night. But fear not - we'll keep our recollections of Andy's glittering Dojo career brief enough that even Lee O'Dwyer might make it to the end of the post. Then again he would probably have stopped reading already, even if he had managed to drag himself away from the internet's other attractions...

So - Andy McLean. Here at the Dojo Gardens, we'll remember lots of things about Andy's game, including his delightful flick hucks, his honest defence (something you can't say about that many kenshi - although thankfully most of the slackers are now Slamtowners...), his speed, agility and most of all his graceful style. Indeed, it was that very gracefulness that made Andy the winner he is both on and off the field. Despite being seen wearing white waistcoats over black shirts, Andy is one of those guys who transcends the nerdiness inherent in his daytime profession of Town Planning (although calling it a profession is something of a stretch) and ends up marrying a ridiculously hot Brazilian lady. Yes - he's got it all figured out.

Andy McLean - kampai!

Going Way Back

Before we get underway with the first round of the brand new BPL season tonight, we thought it might be an appropriate moment to indulge in a little Dojo history. A short pictorial history, to be precise, showing the evolution of the Dojo jersey over the years...

Some say that there is a mythical "original" jersey design out there somewhere, perhaps under the pile of dirty clothes that Watto never gets around to taking back to his Mum's place for a wash, but as far as we're aware the chronology goes pretty much like this:



1. The Cobra Kai Frisbee Dojo (2001 or maybe earlier - 2004)

Very cheap cotton XL-only black & white shirts sporting hand-printed graphics that show an afro-touting, gi-wearing martial artist mid flight. Worn during what were primarily mixed weekend matches where Dojo was, of course, the dominant team. Other teams included The Collective, Boot Camp, and a few others we can't remember the names of right now.

Seems Liam and his buddies over at the fledgling Cobras team have pretty short memories as well, but that's to be expected from what appears to be a bunch of schoolboys (at least Mat and Jimmy still run around like schoolboys, although we can certainly quote Will Churchill as having said that the same isn't true of captain Wetnose...).



2. DojoMojo (2004-2008)

These quality VC Ultimate shirts first saw action at the 2004 National Ultimate Championships in Brisbane, where the Dojo team starred in the second-tier competition, blitzing the division and defeating the Div 1 Tasmanian team, then losing narrowly to the Div 1 Newcastle team early on the last day. DojoMojo went on to destroy their opponents in the Div 2 "Plate" final, a game which included the notorious behind-the-back cross-field throw from Ryan Black to Dave Watson (who appeared to have been the only person expecting it), Watto then throwing the game-winning huck. Dan Walls was holding the video camera at the time and managed to get none of it on film.

These shirts also saw tournament action in the 2006 Nationals in Sydney where Dojo finished a pretty superb 7th. Notable moments were Dojo winning a spectacularly tense local derby against the other Brisbane team in attendance (MBB), and then losing out via Golden Goal to a double-Dowle'd Fakulti team in the quarter final round.



3. DojoMojo (2008 - current)

Earlier in the year, many people voted for this jersey as the best in the world. And at least a small fraction of those people were real, not just fake Google identities that Stefan uses to vote for himself in the A&B poll each week...

Made from silky soft, lightweight Patagonia fabric, these things are an absolute joy to play in. Dan Walls even lays out in his and it still looks fresh. We can't see these being superseded for a very long time.

Okay, okay!

Yes, we're aware that it's now Tuesday - five days since our rip-snorting game against UQ Lovers. But when one takes into account the rural situation of DojoMojo headquarters and the positively Heian-period telecommunications technology it's serviced by, these little delays start to seem quaintly charming rather than plain frustrating... Don't they?

So let's not muck around with lengthy descriptions of the game. Here's how it went down:

The first half saw Lovers score more or less two goals for every one of the Dojo's. They played some really, really smooth Ultimate, throwing sharp passes to just-open receivers and capitalising on Dojo mistakes brought on by committed defence, mostly of the man-on-man variety.

The second half? Well, at the very least Dojo managed to hold the game to a points-trading situation for the first 4 or 5 changes of end, but then with time fast running out things took a significant turn. But before we go too far, let's show some video highlights from early in the game (and be thankful that the steady-handed Marijke Walls was back behind the camera):



As we said, lots of quick, precise disc movement in there from UQ, contrasting with a pretty static sort of dump-n-huck offence from the Dojo (not to mention some fairly casual defence!). No wonder things were looking grim. Here's some more action:



Starting to look a bit more fluent for the Dojo now, with a trademark grab from Dan Walls at the end there. And what about the hangtime Ryan got on that high grab over Stu? And as much fun as it'd be to speculate that the wildly errant pull earlier on from Pete "The Kiss of Death" Allen was a pivotal moment, it's more likely that the multi-turnover point which Dojo finally managed to grind out was where UQ started losing a bit of belief and Dojo did the opposite.

Anyway, the video never lies (especially with our factually-faithful editing), and what you'll see below is a Dojo team in vintage form with the long throws and big grabs flowing freely. You'll also see (or moreso hear - time for a language warning!) a few Lovers' tempers start to fray (if they weren't frayed already by pre-game shenanigans) as the Dojo serves up the style of play that the Lovers themselves are usually notorious for:



And there it is - Dojo claws its way back from 9-12 down to take out the game 14-12 in pretty supreme style. Yes, UQ were missing the unparalleled throws of Buzz Burwell, but Dojo were also missing the non-stop mongrel of Gold Coasters Mike and Stefan, so we're calling it a fair fight at the very least and a very satisfying win. Especially considering we were in UQ's shoes this time last week...

That's it for now, then. As usual, the Above&Beyond poll for this week is ready to accept your votes for players that trumped their usual game (please only vote for yourself once this week, Ryan), and the current A&B standings have been updated below that.

Also of note is that if you scroll down you'll now see links to all the official Ultimate organisations that are relevant to the game we play here in Brisbane, and for those needing a rules refresher the latest WFDF Rules of Ultimate are linked below that.

Check back shortly for a chat with that most Wolverine-esque Lover, Alistair Don.

Sipping the Sake with Mat Ryan & Mike Neild

Some people eat lots of chocolate or ice cream when they're anxious or down about something. But here at the Dojo, on the rare occasions that misfortune strikes and gloom prevails we find instant comfort in the familiar flavours of a big bowl of tofu miso, served up just how we like it at our sushi bar.

And it seems we're not the only ones who enjoy pulling up a seat at the Dojo sushi bar and asking our ex-sumo sushi chef to serve it up "omakase onegaishimasu"... Stepping through the half-height curtains we immediately noticed Mat Ryan and Mike Neild busily knocking back the contents of a very large sake tokkuri while they tucked into a fabulous array of sashimi. And we thought Jon Good had a big appetite!

So we placed our order and joined them at the bar for a little recap of last week's game. The discussion went something like this:

DojoMojo Blog: Mike, Mat - it's great to see you chaps here. No doubt we've all spent a fair bit of time thinking back over our last game during the week, and it'd be good to hear things from your perspective. Firstly - how did it feel coming away from that game with a win when moments beforehand a loss looked inevitable?

Mike Neild: That was a famous victory and it felt great. It is the obvious closeness between towering success and crushing defeat that makes sport such an emotional experience. I think we were right up towards the top end of that continuum of emotion due to the narrowness of the win and the highly unlikely nature of the result. We've been talking about it all week.

Mat Ryan: Indeed we have. You know those rare and special moments when everything falls into place just perfectly? Like the time when Miss Alexander's blouse popped open in English class in Year 11? It was kinda like that. It was like we snuck in, pinched the crown jewels and got away with it. That said, a lot of the euphoria was due to the fact that the team played as well as it possibly could to steal the win. Everyone was totally focussed and played the perfect game at the perfect moment. You could just feel the focus and intensity. Magic.

DMB: That sounds very familiar - if only that focus & intensity was something that could be reproduced on demand... Now - coming into the game, all looked pretty normal with the Slippry warmup. No special strategies formulated to deal with trademark Dojo tendencies?

Mat: Mike's probably got more to say on that. I don't think we had any special strategies. We recognise Dojo as having a long roster with a lot of throwing strength. I think we spoke about keeping the pressure on and not making it easy... But not much more than that. It's not rocket science.

Mike: We probably talked more about what we wanted to improve in our game than we did about how to combat the Dojo game. We did consider avenues for dealing with a 'German' style set up from you lot, and about the forcing options we would take in our man on man defence. Things have changed in the Dojo with the addition of the height, throwing power and experience of David, Ryan and Daniel and so some defensive adjustments are required. But the reality was that the strategy that worked the best for us was something that we didn't plan to use at all.

DMB: It didn't seem planned from our end of the field either, but it was certainly effective! And what do you call that Zone D you played against us when you were down to six?

Mike: I've don't know what that zone is called. I was a bit dubious when James was explaining it at half time, but my goodness did it work.

Mat: That zone is called 'got no other options'. But somehow it seemed to work. It actually felt far better than many other 7man defences I've been involved with. To be honest, I think Dojo might have won it if they'd played a bit closer to their regular gameplan. It was almost like you expected to just walk it in, so you didn't take any chances, and we were able to build pressure and finally get a turn.

DMB: Yes - that much is also very clear on the video footage. And dare we suggest that dropping down to six players actually worked in your favour, as the six you ended up with had proven to be the most dangerous on the night?

Mat: As above. Part of the success was the focus that our 6 applied, but maybe part of it was due to the change in mindset that happened to the Dojo. As Phil Jauncey says "If you've only got plan A and plan B, don't try plan C". I dunno. A combination of total focus from our 6, a bit of luck and a seed of doubt in the minds of the opposition, all converging at the most propitious moment...

Mike: Look it was a turning point in the game however it is difficult to really believe that playing with one less person on the field could be an advantage. I'm inclined to agree with Mat on this one, and I always agree with anyone involved in the 3 time premiership winning phenomenon that was the Brisbane Lions of the early 2000s. Maybe the Dojo just got a bit too comfortable with the position they were in - it seems in line with what I understand of the vibe of the Frisbee Dojo.

DMB: Perhaps we did start to cruise a bit, but that mess-in-front, Mike-at-the-back zone is one you guys should really develop. And talking strategy, we noticed that you recently had a win over the UQ Lovers, next week's opposition for the Dojo. What sort of gameplan would you be taking into this match if you were calling the shots here at the Dojo?

Mike: Put your guns on Al, Buzz and Stu and make them get it going backwards rather than forwards towards their line. Be enthusiastic and energetic on both offence and defence. There is a bit of a weakness of connection that occurs when all the Lovers players are closely marked. They should be the best team in the comp based on their list however something just hasn't clicked yet. The rest of us have to keep up the pressure on them because if we let them and they do connect then it will be troubles for us.

Mat: I'd say just do what you do best. Play your own game. Perhaps send Ryan streaking long a bit more, because you're not getting the full value out of him in a dedicated handling role. That long cut from a handling position can be very effective. Particularly when you've got another tall threat to worry about in Dan Walls. It can split the defence. But hey .... Work it out yourself!!

DMB: Thanks chaps - we'll do our best. Now, would you mind passing the wasabi?

* 06.11.2008 postscript - Turns out we've been spelling Mike's surname incorrectly all these years. Sorry about that Mike - it's now been set right (at least in this post...).

When the Batteries Go Flat...

We've been putting off writing about last Thursday's game against the all-new UQ Lovers team for a few days now, partly due to other pressing matters but primarily out of denial.

You see, just how Dojo lost to this all-star UQ team isn't exactly clear upon first examination. The score was pretty close throughout, the teams pretty much evenly matched on a pound-for-pound talent basis, but somehow the formely-maroon-clad, temporarily-in-light-blue and soon-to-be-in-who-knows-what UQ lads simply managed to quietly and inexorably pull away from a mildly implosive Dojo team.

Perhaps the scars on every bony surface of this writer (no doubt Dan Walls is still festooned with bruises as well) are a clue to how things seemed to fade away toward the end of the game. Whereas the Lovers played a smooth, full-field game all night, it seemed that the Dojo players were constantly forcing themselves to do something special to score goals or even just retain possession. As the game wore on, coming up with something brilliant every point proved more and more difficult and eventually the inevitable just sort of happened...

But let's not sell the game short - there was some absolutely first-rate play from both sides throughout the night. From UQ it was mostly sweet, sweet long throws from Buzz and Al into the wide-open hands of Big Julz or Gref, and from Dojo it was mostly Dan Walls putting his body in danger catching heavily contested discs and going horizontal to save an overly-ambitious Dan B throw for goal.

Given that the kenshi spent most of last season learning to overcome this self-defeating style, it's a little disappointing to see it re-emerge so soon. But no matter - it will only be a matter of time before the Dojo style adapts to the return of old guns Ryan Black and Andy McLean and the rhythm returns. For now, let's just say that next week's opponents UQ Passion can expect to have their deep defences severely tested...

We're also pleased to advise that Big Julian Sacre is out strolling the Dojo bamboo grove at the moment, and today he appears to have some colleagues with him. We'd better rush out to catch them by the Eastern Gate for a quick chat about last week's game and the season ahead.

In the meantime, our usual MVP poll is to the right, and the MVP standings have been updated below. Vote for as many players as you think deserve it!

The "John Kreese Way" with Ryan Black

With last week's game at AJFC being cancelled at the last minute due to fields looking much like the rice paddies that adjoin the DojoMojo estate, some people turned up only to gnash their teeth at their misfortune. Oldest-of-old-skool Dojo founder Ryan Black was one of those (he was hoping to play his first game in the white, black & red for a couple of years), so we thought the least we could do was share with the world some choice comments Ryan had when we got together for a sparring match in the DojoMojo kendo hall a few weeks back.

We'd hoped to have his partner-in-babysitting Dave Watson join us, but his hectic schedule prevented him from strapping on the bogu for a quick bout. We're hoping to get him along to see some sumo wrestling with us sometime very soon, and may be able to squeeze some gems of wisdom out of him then. In the meantime, here's what Ryan had to say about the genesis and subsequent rise to dominance of "The Dojo Way":

DojoMojo Blog: Kiai Ryan! Thanks for spending some time with us here away from your monastic chamber at the top of the DojoMojo pagoda. Now - the legend of the frisbee Dojo is known across the country, with successful Nationals campaigns in 2004 and 2006. But few people know the story of how the Dojo began. How did the idea of establishing the world's first Ultimate Frisbee Dojo develop, and who would you say should take the credit for the original idea?

Ryan Black: If my memory serves me correctly then I believe the brilliant idea was created way back in 1984 by the then legendary (and some believe fictional character) Sensei of the Cobra Kai Dojo John Kreese. John began to teach members of the dojo the more traditional and admirable qualities of frisbee such as: playing without fear and mercy, winning at all costs, and that when it is game time then it's pain time!! This philosophy is now the ethos for the game of ultimate disc worldwide! The use of popular music being played at ultimate feilds across the world also began in the Cobra Kai Fisbee Dojo - with hits such as "You're the Best" (by Joe Esposito) and "Eye of the Tiger" (by Survivor) commonly heard at many tournaments inspiring the youth of today.

DMB: Wow - I'll bet very few people were aware of just how important John Kreese's contribution was to the game we play today! Imagine a frisbee game without Eye of the Tiger! Okay - so we're all sharing the benefits now from the hard work done all those years ago, but what was the Ultimate scene like in Brisbane at the time?

RB: Dead

DMB: Ouch! You're quick with that shinai! I can imagine that there were many obstacles to be overcome in building the world's first frisbee Dojo?

RB: Without a doubt, this trailblazing concept had its fair share of opponents. But just two stand out above all the minor concerns though - Daniel LaRusso and Mr Miyagi. They were a thorn in the side of the Dojo for numerous seasons.

DMB: At least three seasons, as I recall... So, how long did it take for others to try to imitate the Dojo's success? I'm thinking particularly of now-defunct organisations like The Collective here...

RB: Oh don't get me started on the collective!!!

DMB: Another time, maybe. I'm sure there's a rich seam of Brisbane Ultimate history to be mined there though... Anyway, it's widely believed that the fundamental tenets of the Dojo Way were laid down many years ago by the esteemed Mr Miyagi. But from what you've told me already, it seems that nothing could be further from the truth?

RB: Grrr - that's the wrong dojo Steve!!! The fundamental tenets of the Dojo were laid down by John Kreese - why don't people ever remember the ex-special forces Vietnam veteran who on return from war tries to make an honest living beating up on street kids!

DMB: It's an inspiring story, Ryan. If only more people had that kind of moral fibre. Speaking of which, many people wonder why Dave Watson is the only founding Dojo player to still make the occasional on-field appearance*. Jay Sansness left town, and many thought that you had simply vanished. What happened? Can we expect comebacks from some or all of you in the near future?

RB: The golden boy of QLD ultimate gets a mention hey!! Well word has it that a few old members may be back soon to give golden bollocks a run for his money!

DMB: Prophetic words, already fulfilled by "weapon from antiquity" Dan Walls. Now - do you see the changes which have happened at the Dojo since its inception as a good or bad thing, or a bit of both?

RB: I just hope that the Dojo doesn't take itself too seriously. Time outs were never intended to set up team plays, they were created so everyone could have a laugh.

DMB: Well, you'll be glad to know that we still have an iron-clad rule that frisbee must never be discussed at halftime. And we never call timeouts (except when Andy McLean calls them - some sort of momentum theory he's got going). Following on then, what would you like to see done differently today?

RB: More afros and mullets to be worn by members playing for the Dojo. Big hair is a prerequisite for entry into the Dojo.

DMB: Yep - always will be. And lastly, what item(s) would you like to see added to the Dojo's extensive range of merchandise?

RB: Wigs. Oh... and hammers - so Matt Eastburn, throw real ones!


* Post-interview note: Dojo Oldskooler Dan Walls can now be seen on the field every week, usually horizontal & airborne.