Over his 20-year NBA career, the late Kobe Bryant granted over 200 wishes for kids in the Make A Wish Foundation. One of those children was 11-year-old Marina, who had cerebral palsy. Marina’s left side was affected. She wore a brace on her leg.
Kobe walked over to Marina and said, “What’s up sweetheart?” Her eyes lit up. Kobe was her Hero. Kobe gave her a big hug. Then 6’ 6” Kobe lifted Marina up to his shoulders.
Kobe asked, “What do you like most about basketball?” Marina looked up at Kobe and said, “Defense.” Kobe smiled. They fist bumped. Kobe was the basketball savant, and a Good Man. Kobe gave Marina an official NBA basketball. They dribbled around and spent time together. Marina had the biggest smile.
Kobe said, “Basketball is something that will come and eventually go. The beauty in that is trying to use that time to try to inspire others and provide some sort of escape for them. I think that lives well beyond the game of basketball. And is probably the most important.”
Perhaps 5-time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant‘s greatest legacy is making a difference for children. No one on Planet Earth worked harder being the greatest that he could be than Kobe. Along with the Make A Wish Foundation, Kobe created the space for children like Marina to escape from whatever limitations they imposed on themselves and be the greatest that they could be too. That was Kobe’s meaningful legacy.
Maybe the most profound gift we can grant anyone is the space to escape and the freedom to be themselves. I’ve dedicated my life to Aikido for 35 years. Ishibashi Sensei said, “Aikido is freedom.” Kobayashi Sensei said, “The purpose of Aikido is to forget yourself.” I’m free to be the best version of me. Free to be of service and make a difference for others.
The late Mizukami Sensei taught both Ishibashi Sensei and me until he passed away several years ago. When I started Aikido training with Mizukami Sensei, I needed to prove that I was good enough. Growing up at home, I got that I would never good enough for Dad. I would never be good enough for anyone, especially me.
Mizukami Sensei became a father to me. He said, “Just train. It’s not like you have to get somewhere.” Sensei generated the space for me to escape and invent the greater-than versions of me. I escaped to where I had the freedom to succeed, fail, and grow from both. For the first time in my life, I was just free.
I practiced Aikido technique over, and over, and over again. Practice makes the unnatural natural. Like Kobe was for Marina, Mizukami Sensei was my Hero. Sensei inspired me to escape from my self-sentence that I’m not good enough to I can be great. I put my head down. Put in the work. Just train.
One Sunday morning in Aikido class, I trained with 14-year-old Lukas on iriminage (clothesline technique to the attacker’s head). Mizukami Sensei said, “You’re a better teacher than me.” Both Lukas and I stared at Sensei. I honestly said, “I don’t think so.” Sensei smiled. Then he walked over to help other students in class.
No, I was not better than Sensei. Mizukami Sensei was my GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) Sensei. Still, I got his authentic acknowledgement. Over the years, Sensei did all he could to bring me up to his level. I was humbled and grateful. I’m Godan (5th degree black belt), because of the late Mizukami Sensei and Ishibashi Sensei. I have nothing, but mad love and respect for both men, always.
In Aikido practice, I worked with Ishibashi Sensei on katate (hand grab) technique. I invite the attack. I don’t oppose it. I got that when I move forward or backward, I keep pushing against the attacker’s center. The attacker keeps attacking my center, too. When Ishibashi Sensei and I trained with Mizukami Sensei, he said, “Keep your feeling out.” I extend out my feeling from my one point, ki. Ishibashi Sensei simply refined Mizukami Sensei’s instruction in detail. It was still the same feeling. It was Mizukami Sensei’s feeling.
After class, Sensei said that I know the technique. That I know what I need to know. I have to show the younger students how to use that same feeling from Mizukami Sensei. Pass it on. I create the space for students to escape from their own stories about themselves. Help them overcome themselves; become as strong as they can be. That’s what Mizukami Sensei passed on to Ishibashi Sensei and me. Sensei granted us the freedom to escape and be the greatest that we could be.
After his 20-year Hall of Fame NBA career, Kobe retired with no regrets. He left it all on the court. Kobe moved on to what’s next. His next included winning the Best Animated Short Film Academy Award for Dear Basketball. Tragically, Kobe and his daughter Gianna passed away a couple years later in a helicopter crash. Had 41-year-old Kobe lived, I believe he would have worked on being the greatest that he could be and help others escape to become the greatest that they could be, too.
I’m 61-years-old. I’m Godan in Aikido. I’ve given everything I had. I’m good with that. I just train. I work on myself, not on others. That’s all I can do. I work on myself so that I can escape and invent the greatest version of myself. Then I can help and inspire others to escape their own self-sentences about themselves, be that “I’m not good enough.” or “I suck.” They can escape and invent the greatest versions of themselves, too. I try to bring everyone up. That’s probably the most important thing. That’s what the late Mizukami Sensei and Ishibashi Sensei have done for me. Just pay it forward. Amen.
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Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
