Today's illustrious band:

Barefoot, Accompanied by Dogs

Brought to you by Salon.com columnist Terry Greene Sterling, in an article about being an aging hippie chick who breaks down and decides to get a facelift (http://www.salon.com/mwt/style/2002/08/19/facelift/index.html). Among Sterling's memories of being an educated free spirit in the 1960s: leading campus protests about the lack of organic food in the cafeteria and attending classes barefoot, accompanied by dogs.

Not a bad way to spend some summer hours — barefoot, accompanied by dogs. I did a little of that yesterday. The annual Lantern Lighting Festival and celebration of Japanese culture took place in Como Park this weekend. My jujutsu club was invited to do a short demo in the martial arts area (along with karate, judo, aikido, kendo and a couple other -dos). Though I'm extremely short on experience, Sensei encouraged me to take part because . . . well, because none of the seasoned students were available. So it was just me and Sensei and a guy who's new to jujutsu but at least has a strong background in judo and could execute some good throws.

The demo consisted largely of Sensei and our new friend throwing me and one another while Sensei explained the techniques. We got lots of "ooh" from the crowd, mostly for hitting the ground hard, loudly and often. Also, our designated section of mats had for some reason been set up on a slight slope, so we tended to slide toward the low end after impact — aided by the fact that they were firm, smooth mats rather than the cushy kind you sink into. I'm sure the "distance" throws were quite impressive. The skid and slope factors also contributed to my doing an unexpected breakdance spin after receiving some sort of spiraling propulsion. It's hard to pass that sort of thing off as self-defense, especially when Sensei is snickering from the top of the hill.

As for the dog aspect, there were quite a few dogs in the park enjoying the perfect weather with their people. Japanese martial arts are practiced barefoot, so you can bet I watched where I stepped until I was able to reunite with my sandals. No mishaps occurred, and I enjoyed the teriyaki beef and the kite-flying until it was time to go home.