JOURNEY - on Mastering Ukemi by Daniel Linden (classic books for 12 year olds .TXT) 📕

in Ron’s eyes and realized that he was no more than a coward in a bully’s body. But he was a trained coward, and he turned Jake’s fist away and took him over his shoulder and into Jake’s first perfect break fall. Jake no more than touched the mat when he bounced up lightly to his feet and sent a slashing hook at Ron’s head. Ron had to block it hard and then a kote gaishi sent Jake’s feet high up into the air. Higher and higher they seemed to rise until he was stretched out all the way and then suddenly, like a cat, he had spun, turned over and fallen smoothly to the mat in as soft and pretty a break fall as had ever been seen there. But Jake’s rage and years of frustration were not quieted yet. Over and over he slashed, punched and lunged to get at Ron. And he was not attacking for the sake of training… he was trying to kill Ron, that was certain. Over and over Ron threw him until finally he was truly spent and then in a moment I will never forget we drew together, and putting our collective arms around him, we all cried.

Five grown men, sweating and exhausted, bound together, for those minutes at least, by one man’s courage and will to overcome a lifetime of fear; we stood like that until we were through. Then Jake walked away.

I saw him only twice after that, or so it seems to me, now. It might have been more, but over thirty years have passed and I no longer remember. I do remember he came back to class a few nights later and while we took a break he told us excitedly about the woman he had met through an ad in the newspaper and the symphony seats they would share for the coming season. He apologized that he would have to miss a few classes, but we encouraged him nonetheless. The last time I saw him was when he came by to let us all know he was getting married.

Jake never got his black belt. He never finished his aikido education, but I have always considered him to have graduated. He had grown up to be a man and a warrior and simply didn’t need us anymore. I think of him when a student looks at me with eyes filled with despair of ever getting a handle on what we are doing. I see Jake every time Christian attacks and I have to move him out of the way and into a throw or pin I would not normally use. I wish I could see Jake one more time to know his life turned out well. I would take my hakama off and untie my own belt and give it to him. He earned it. Not the hard way, the real way.

Because, you see, there is a truth to all students. Some are gifted and some are not. Some have no potential and some more than they will ever be able to use. I prefer those with no natural talent, myself. Those students who are gifted find it too easy and quit before they discover that they are doing it all wrong. They can imitate aikido with smooth coordinated muscles and dance-like moves. But they don’t understand and are not really doing aikido any more than a good stunt man is being thrown off a motorcycle into the side of a building. They go through the motions and it seems to be perfect, but they are a far cry from perfection and the total sum of what they could achieve if they would simply keep training for twenty years is staggering, but few will ever find the end of this potential. Christian is talented. It’s a good thing he can’t imitate ukemi. Or at least not well enough to fool me.

Probably his greatest downfall is also his greatest strength. That indefinable quality of likeability that I described earlier is absolutely genuine in him. I doubt he harbors a single negative or angry thought. Self doubt and longings? Sure, plenty. But he really is the nicest guy you have ever met.

Part 2

In The Wind

Chapter 8

New York to Paris…

To be a man who is taken seriously, a man who is respected and honored, it is imperative that he be a man of discipline. Disciple, discipline, they are of the same root and of the same spirit. When my teacher said that he needs disciples not sycophants, he was not saying that he wants us to blindly follow each and every word that falls from his lips. He was not saying that we should not think for ourselves. He was not saying that he wants us to march forward with no thought of the consequences and do his bidding like a troop of Marines following orders from their company commander. For many years he inspired me.

Over the years I have seen too many aikido senseis who failed the tests that were placed before them. Each year I saw the lack of discipline and the failures that surrounded their desperate need to be recognized by their own Japanese senseis, or by the Ueshiba family at Hombu. When