Sosai's Memorial Day today.

Hi everyone

I am sorry I haven't been attentive here but I thank you all for the "missing you " emails!!!

I just wanted to share a bit of my day today, which was partly peculiar and partly wonderful...

I did my chanting for Sosai as today is his 19th year since his passing. I still miss himself dearly, and we I am still so touched by how so many people still miss him.

My yoga friends held a mini- ceremony for Sosai, we did Kirtan and chanting after a light practice. It was full moon yesterday and you know, Sosai was born on full moon day.

After this I huddled over to the Gokokuji temple where Mom and Dad rests. Interestingly, Other family members went there earlier in the morning to pay their respects to Sosai. As I approached the gravesite, I saw few people in track suits with broom and bucket of water already cleaning. They had shin Kyokushin t- shirt. So with my hat and my mask, I pretended to be a fan of Sosai just cleaning along with them. Then came Matsui san's fighters and branch chief . They also cleaned, dusted, wiped away the gravesite.

Then came Midori San, and I haven't seen him in like.... Decades. I was so surprised how happy I was to see him. It was so strange. Then I realized, I didn't have any animosity towards when Sosai was here.

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. Love it."
"Don't practice until you get it right. Practice until you can't get it wrong."
"Love waits for one thing. The right moment."
"You can forget what hurt you in the past, just never forget what it taught you."
Anonymous

Elders vs the Juniors.

Recently, I found myself sitting across from men who are already taking on the early bird special.

They reminded me of those old gentlemen on yachts by the.... Where people do those kind of life very world apart from the life my father had lived. World apart from where most of us live!

I say it in a jocular way because the meeting itself was so terrible. I had to look to humor really.

One man in particular, is now living his life high on the position he and they, gave themselves after leaving one particular group. When they learned they meant very little to this "leader", it seems  they threw a tantrum and decided to give  themselves a illusionary importance with, guess what, making a new organization with the name Kyokushin in it. Their theory is, since they trained and worked under  Sosai for 49years (some number that is a lot)  they are entitled to do whatever they liked with my father' s intellectual properties.

Of course, we all do consider them as "somebody's" . I mean, they were part of my fathers history , no matter how small or big their placements were considered. My father had that special ability to make people feel special, which gets misinterpreted as they being special.

Now today I met with the younger generation. They are enthusiastic, forward-thinking and polite. However, they have very little patience for the "older people" who are titled Shihans now who lived the era with my very own parents, and have very little respect or admiration for those who caused "more break up to make money",   as they put it.

They too, have their badge of honor, champion their established tournament résumé and their black belt certificates they received from numerous groups all using some connection to Sosai.


I can't help but wonder. Which came first?

Did the seniors who could have made proper rule and made an example to the juniors, screw up? Or is just the younger one's feeling the connection to Sosai and therefore, can detect the seniors who misrepresent themselves? Are the younger generation more keen to seeing, what is real and what is a foe?

Why do we fight?

A friend recently said "It seems people think you attack them when you try to correct them".

I thought, "is it an attack?" . The word baffles me, honestly!

So I thought what is the logic behind it and what I can do to make things better. It really is a fight for
"Peace of Mind". No body can fight for you, but yourself.

Donald Trump, a famous NYC developer once said, "My whole life is a big old fight. I fight everyday. I just don't use the brawns, I use up here (pointing to his head)."

For me in Kyokushin there were two things that propelled me to fight. One was the way how my father died and the will was designed. And two, was about my mother.

As I look to the "opposition", not all are despicable.
 I actually  jump to their defense if ill-words are spoken about them. Because I know them since their tournament days or Uchideshi days.  And some reciprocate the same mannerism to me. So it can be looked as a long sibling rivalry perhaps.

But there is also the element of invasiveness. It is a fact most refuse to acknowledge our inherited rights. In which country did it ever occur that third party refuses to respect the legal rights and then, they go and infringe them on the grounds of their own "rationale" ?

So am I attacking. Yes, but only those who dare trespass the respectful line which my father made. There was a clear dileneation. So I think I am defending, more so then attacking.

Coco Chanel, whom I love and respect left a funny but true quote.
"Gentleness doesn't get the work done unless you happen to be a hen laying eggs."

My father never, ever ran his organization without rules. In my opinion he simply did not have to enforce them. No one dared to cross him blatantly, until Steve Arneil betrayed him. Now it is the job of the ones left to stop the fragmentation and convolution. What is happening today can be quite distorting to Kyokushin as a whole in terms of Budo and in terms of societal influence. The one's benefitting from the chaos may not like what I say but I know chaos when I see one.

Going straight to the Source.

Never deal with underlings. They get in the way of natural process. And usually, they screw things up with their over zealous wish to be recognized as a person of importance.

This happens as they don't receive proper guidance.

They don't adopt a guru. And when one does not have a guru, arrogance and uncertainty takes over more strongly.

We all deal with this internally but what we do with the outward ones? Ones that comes from external factors.

As yoga we need to observe and trace it back to where it came from, yourself.

As business, protection of our boundaries is necessary. Do not let them ride on the coattail of your hard work. The bigger you become three dimensionally, more honest discrimination is necessary.

It is an ever balance-finding-act which requires strong discrimination. In the end everything is just between you and Atman.

-words of my perfect teacher

Failure =Opportunity

It is just less than two weeks into  2013. And I feel BLESSED!  Can you believe it?

I don't know why.

But I recalled this quote by Michael Jordan.  Think it was HBO... I watched his interview one day and said:

"I failed over and over and over in my life, that' s why I succeed."

All obstacles I encountered in my life forced me to make myself more clear with the vision I have. It pops up when necessary! Take it in stride. It is actually a good thing.

Remembering the Battle.

I was just speaking to a friend after yoga, which oil is better for our skin, argan oil or emu oil. And I told her to opt for argan oil as it works on same things like your skin and maintaining healthy hair etc... but cruelty free. The emu must be killed first for the oil to be obtained.

This kind of reminded me why I am always trying to go for cruelty free products.

I recall one of the first (followed by many more) court hearings, I remembered it was so brutal. The other side basically comes in to verbally annihilate you and character assassinate you. It literally is the battle of words.

What was most surreal to me at the time was in one of the cases, which was up against Matsui San. At the time, everyone supported him and his case.  -_-
bTheir lawyers were all too prepared to kill off my mothers credentials. This case was about the Honbu building and that it belonged to the family, not him. It was weird. He was my father' s student and watching him interact with his lawyers with stack of proof on their desk, which looked more like an encyclopedia because of it's thickness, really hit me hard. It felt almost cruel. (He may sound like he is the only villain but that is not the case. Many supported him when it suited their needs. )

When my mother took the stand, his lawyers were all fangs and claws. What saved my spirit at the time was the Judge's humanness. After slightly ignoring the mockery made on my Mother by the defense, the Judge waved away the stack of "proof", he turned to her and asked in a gentle, kind manner. "Mrs. Oyama. Can you tell us who built the Honbu Dojo?" and she replied with a smile, "my husband and I did." and he just nodded in agreement with her.

It was such a humane way how this Judge handled the case as well as how he handled Matsui's lawyers, that I was thankful there was that integrity in the judicial system.

We can try and opt for cruelty free as much as possible in all areas of life. Even if there is a time when you have to fight, there is a way to do it- cruelty free. Even in the case of cosmetics. (#^.^#)


This is lettuce wrap with portobello mushroom... Vegan. From a burger place in Brooklyn ,NY.

My Beautiful Trip to Poland.... (^^)

I think flying disturbs my prana or something- I could not seem to function (barely) with my usual rhythm... I wanted to share my trip to Poland blog as soon as I got back! So here it is....

I was first blown away by how beautiful the city of Warsaw was. I think the landscape plus the night fall vision played some magic to my eyes- I started reminisce the movie "The Pianist"!!! So my mind was off to wonderland.

The hotel I stayed in had the best pillows!!!  I know that kind of sounds funny but I slept so well because the pillows were just heaven!

The next day, a lovely young lady M, we will call her- took me to a Museum. I was not aware of the national holiday but it was Independence Day. I was so moved by what I saw and learned.

Unfortunately I lost my camera few weeks ago- (tears) so I took some picture's on my phone but it was not as inspiring to take them... (sigh).

The food was lovely too! I was warned by the ever cautious hubby of mine, that I will have difficult time finding vegetarian food. I found salad bars and Perogi? Pierogi? sorry I can't spell right... but that was another heavenly experience! I had it every day of my stay there.... lol. They made some without the meat and replaced it with mushrooms and cottage cheese (I think) . It was delicious!

From a work perspective, I had a strained meeting. But every person I have met so far from Poland is so lovely. I felt at ease. Even students from another group seems so nice and humble and sweet. Ha!

I must thank Sensei Tadeusz and Sensei Richard (plus the lovely Jacob san and Beatrice....!) for traveling 8 hours or so by car for the meeting!!! This trip I had to be in Warsaw for the job I have- so I could not move as freely as I would have liked. But thanks to them, they did not show any sign of fatigue or exasperation and went straight to work! Amazing!




Anyway, back to my rambling. In Tokyo and being a vegetarian, I don't really see like this, fully shaped chicken- (is that the correct term?) . So I had to take picture's when it was served at our Mr. Tomasz Boruc residence....! wwww


*The pictures below are posted in random orders.

 My heart melted with this little girl.... (^^)//

 I was just admiring the rows of fruit juices at a deli......

 Usually I stay away from sugars but this was a yummy ice cream sundae......

 Lovely salad with pesto dressing at the mall...... it was a great shopping mall.....

                                             Mother Mary......

 The plaque outside the museum......

     This is the chicken I was talking about!!! Courtesy of the Boruc Family.... (^^)

 The Polish IKOK.... and they are such great people who loves my father's legacy. I am so appreciative of their love for Kyokushin. I am truly inspired by them. From the left: Maciek, Sensei Tomasz, Horaitu Sensei is the ECC from Romania, beautiful Beatrice and Mr. Czepczak who came to Japan this fall, Sensei Richard, Jacob and Sensei Tadeusz.

                          The ticket from the museum I visited on the Independence Day....

              Hand made Tiramisu by the lovely Mrs. Agnes Czepczak...... it was so nice. ^^/
     

I actually left my yoga mat (and equivalent for leaving your dogi for me) with one of the Dojo Operator's because I am already planning to return to Poland~~~!