In Writer and Director Joseph Kosinski’s F1: The Movie (2025), Brad Pitt played Sonny Hayes, who returned to F1 racing, 30 years after the tragic race car crash that ended his career. His friend former F1 teammate Rueben Cervantes, played by Javier Bardem, hired Sonny not only to win an F1 race, but teach his talented brash young driver Joshua Pearce, played by Damson Idris. F1 Apex owner Rueben was $350 million in debt with his company. Sonny could be his last ditch savior.
When distracted, Joshua stared with his phone, Sonny said, “That’s just noise, man. Drive the car. You’re really good at it. You might be great.”
Joshua looked at Sonny in quiet surprise. He got the mad love and respect.
In the final F1 race in Abu Dhabi, Joshua and 7-time F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton’s cars collided in the final lap, that knocked both out of the race. Still, Sonny’s car remained in the race.
In the final lap, everything goes quiet, Sonny sees everything. No one can touch him. Tech Lead Kate McKenna, played by Kerry Condon, smiled, “He’s flying.” Sonny was doing what he loved most. He was free.
Sonny won his first and only F1 race. 30 years after he thought his career was done.
Joshua said, “We did it!”
Sonny said, “Yeah, we did!”
F1 is a team sport. Sonny and Joshua are a team. Like Sensei and Student.
In the conclusion of F1: The Movie, Sonny leaves the Team.
Joshua asked, “Hey, where do you think you’re going?”
Sonny said, “You know. Couple more dragons to slay.”
He pointed to Joshua and said, “I’ll be watching. See you around, swan.”
Baptiste Shihan, Ryokudan (6th degree black belt), instructed an Aikido Seminar. Sensei is about my size. He’s also 30 years younger and stronger than me. Because we’re the same size, I learned a lot from Sensei, about timing and spacing in my Aikido technique.
We practiced yoko-iriminage (strike to the side of the attacker’s head) when the attacker grabbed my shoulder and punched to my face with their other hand. Baptiste Sensei instructed what to do as he attacked me. Sensei told me to put my hand under his hand grabbing my shoulder and move back off the line. I change the line of the attack, change the kensen. Create space between the attacker and me. Make the attacker defend.
When Sensei grabbed my shoulder, I put my hand under his hand and redirected his attack. I moved back changing the kensen. I drew his attack to me. I applied kotegaeshi (wristlock) to my other hand. I kept Sensei moving forward as he punched to my face. As he moved forward, his face hit my other hand in yoko-iriminage. Sensei smiled, “Yes!” I got it.
I put the technique on myself. The attacker puts the technique on themselves. There is no fight. It’s one time. What the late Mizukami Sensei taught me. The Aikido technique is more refined, more precise. Still, the feeling is the same. I throw with my feeling out, from my one point ki. I throw through the attacker.
I bowed. I said, “Thank you, Sensei.”
I’m still getting better. Just train.
My friend Jackson, who’s training for Ryokudan, said, “I wonder if Mizukami Sensei is watching… What would he think?” The late Mizukami Sensei was like a father to Jackson and me.
I said, “He would be proud of you.”
Maybe if Sensei is watching, he might be proud of me, too. Not because I got better over the years. He would be proud that I work on getting better. Just train.
The late Mizukami Sensei said, “The world would be a better place, if everyone practiced Aikido.” That was his profound wish. I believe Sensei knew that would not happen. Not everyone would practice Aikido, much less would want to practice Aikido.
Mizukami Sensei taught Ishibashi Sensei and me until he passed away several years ago. Ishibashi Sensei now teaches me. Ishibashi Sensei and I teach students to just train, to become good people. What the late Mizukami Sensei did for us. I’m 63 years old and Ishibashi Sensei is a couple years older. We have more years behind us than ahead. We do what we love for as long as we can and perpetuate Mizukami Sensei’s enduring legacy.
I teach Aikido to 16 year old Isabel and 15 year old Jason. They are really good at it. They might great. They just train. They have love for Aikido, the same love Ishibashi Sensei and I have, the same love the late Mizukami Sensei had. If Sensei is watching, I know he’s happy. Maybe even smiling. The world is better place, because of Isabel and Jason.
I’ll be watching as Isabel, Jason, and the next generation of students become as great as they can be. They don’t have to get somewhere or be someone else. They put their heads down. They put in the work. Just train. I’ll be here for them for as long as I can. It’s not all about me. Never was. It’s about them, about the future.
I know the late Mizukami Sensei is watching somewhere out there. The world is a greater place because of him. As part of his legacy, the world can be even greater in what we do and who we become. I’ll be watching.
—
iStock image
