At Friday night Aikido practice, 10-year-old Sophie gave Ishibashi Sensei a bag with some of her Halloween candy. She wasn’t at practice on Thursday, because she went Trick-or-Treating. Sensei opened her bag. He smiled. He said, “Thank you.”
I stood next to Sensei tying my hakama (black skirt). That poignantly moved me. Touched my heart. Ishibashi Sensei is Sophie’s Sensei, her Hero. She wanted to let him know that he was important to her. That he makes a difference for her. That’s so important.
After Aikido practice on Halloween, Ishibashi Sensei said, “Today’s Mizukami Sensei’s Birthday.” I smiled, “I know.” I said, “I thought a lot about Sensei today. Actually, I think about him a lot every day.” Sensei nodded and smiled.
The late Mizukami Sensei was like a father to Ishibashi Sensei and me. He taught us, “Just train.” We can always be better in Aikido, always be better as men. Sensei said, “Take a glancing blow if you have to. You’re not always going to get away scot-free. It’s one time.” Sensei taught us character. Who we are and all that we have that’s important is because of Mizukami Sensei. We remember Mizukami Sensei with nothing, but mad love and respect. He was to us, who Ishibashi Sensei is to Sophie. That’s an honor and privilege.
Ishibashi Sensei is my Sensei, my big brother. He taught me to apply the Aikido technique to myself, not to the attacker. I work on myself, not on others. That’s all I can do. When I work on myself that creates the space for others to work on themselves, too. They put their heads down. They put in work. That raises everyone’s level.
Ishibashi Sensei said, “The purpose of Aikido is to release your fear.” When the bigger stronger man punches, I wait it out. I enter the attack, get under the attack, in the danger. Sensei said, “The safest place to be is under the attack, in the danger.” I hold my position under the attack. I make my timing. I open up. I let go my fear inside that I’m not good enough. I apply nikkyo (wristlock) to myself and match the attack with yoko-iriminage (strike to the side of the head) to the attacker. I can let the attacker pass or end the attack. The attacker chooses to take the fall of get struck straight to their face. We both choose. What happens, happens.
Although my fear inside never completely disappears, every time I enter the attack, enter what I fear, get in the danger, I let go more and more of my fear inside that I’m not good enough. I open up myself. I free myself. I get my life training with Ishibashi Sensei. He creates the space for me become the greater man, the greater person.
After every Aikido class, I tell Sensei, “Thank you.” He says, “Thank you.” We hug. I let Sensei know that he’s important to me. That I appreciate him. I keep that present, in the present. All I have is the present.
The late great NFL Hall of Fame Running Back Walter Payton said, “Tomorrow is promised to no one.” Truth. Walter said that while he fought cancer before he passed away. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone. I don’t take anything or anyone for granted. Especially those who are important to me. Those who make a profound difference in my life.
In a way, Sensei and I teach oursleves into obsolescence, so that others no longer need us. They can do it on their own. They create themselves on their own. When they do that, we know that we did our job. That’s what the late Mizukami Sensei did for us. We’re part of Sensei’s lineage, part of his meaningful legacy.
I still have much to learn from Ishibashi Sensei. That’s a good thing. I put my head down. Put in the work. I work on myself, not on others. Just train. Sensei is so important to me like the late Mizukami Sensei. I let him know my mad love and respect. I’m forever grateful.
“Tomorrow is promised to no one.” That poignantly reminds us to let those who are important to us, know that they are. Let them know they matter to us. That they make a difference. Say, “Thank you” in the present. Because the present is all that we have. Really.
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Photo by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on Unsplash
