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

End of 2011(o^^o)！

How is everyone's end of the year cleaning coming along?

We cleaned Honbu and the Shrine yesterday and today all of us went to Gokokuji Temple where mother and Sosai is resting(o^^o)

I really want to thank each of you and thank you so much for supporting us!

Here are some picture's from the temple....

We found this cute flag of...... Aruba? Let us know where this is from! Whoever this was, we really appreciate your visit to the Oyama grave. 

This is the MAIN TEMPLE where the Dalai Lama prayed in.... is it not amazing to think Sosai and mother is resting in the temple where HIS HOLINESS visits?! 

Flag of Japan. 

The entrance of the Gokokuji Temple- By the way this is the back of my son- I still can't believe the boy I referred to as my "pea" is growing so much~~~!

What is NON Uchideshi?

Hi everyone,

It is just a week away for our annual tournament and we are furiously preparing to welcome all the participants.

Meanwhile, I'd been asked what Uchideshi was when my father was alive and what it was like so here are some stories I want to share with you all.

An Uchideshi (内弟子　内〜inside/ internal/ interior/within 。弟 younger brother/  pupil/ junior/  子　child/off spring. All three characters put as one word means a disciple. ) is someone who takes an oath to devote their life to Sosai's Kyokushin Karate. It was quite militant (as my Dad was in the military) and very regimented.

This life starts as soon the Uchideshi takes the Entrance Oath that he will dedicate solely to Kyokushin training living in the dorm (若獅子寮 Young Lion Dormitory)
and finish the three years to continue on as Mas Oyama's Kyokushin Karate-ka.

My father always, always told my mother how much he adored Uchideshi's. He said, "やっぱり弟子は弟子でも、内弟子はかわいいよ。" meaning he loved all his students but adored the uchideshi's.

 I 've heard this too... (^^) Although he did add he adored me more when I was listening. (^^* LOL.

I understand this. I feel the same with Guruji. That connection felt is effortless because there is absolutely no force. And every single one of the Uchideshi's who did finish the program, did so for Sosai.

Nic Pettas who is in the last graduating class while Sosai was alive said, "I wanted to do my best for Sosai."

I write this blog because 1) In the recent months few of the Uchideshi's returned to Honbu to help. 2) Comments and questions from other internet forums were brought to my attention.

There was a Uchideshi program right after my father passed under Mr.Matsui. I don't doubt the dedication but the essence is slightly different. I have seen them when I walked passed to go upstairs in Honbu (when Matsui san still occupied Honbu) but they were there to "help", not so much to serve any more.

Some misconceptions are arising that taking part in Uchideshi program started to equate actually being a Uchideshi.

Over the years, I was frequently asked about N.L, who did a bit over a year of the program but now claims otherwise. He was a nice fella.  However since his existence in Sosai's life is being blown out of reality by him, we are continually asked about his credentials.  Him being a branch chief of another group does not help his insecurities either. It seemed to have propelled him to add fancy colors to the truth.

N.L came from the US where he studied martial arts with my uncle. I am told he was a good student but his severe lack of self confidence was an issues. My uncle asked if he can take part in Uchideshi program to fix this. NL came to Japan and he was one of the three foreigners in the Young Lion Dorm at the time.

The first year he was in the Uchideshi I got the impression that he was so pure. My Dad said NL was really trying hard to work on himself. I was in Japan for summer break and I really got to know all the uchideshi's at the time since we were close in age.

The  following year (April) came and the Uchideshi's moved up a year. That summer I returned to Honbu, NL was gone.

I asked my father what happened. He just grunted and did not offer a reply.

My father hates quitters.

I asked NL's dormmates what happened. They all said it was too much for him. He ran away during the morning training.

Later that year, NL returned and tried to meet with my father. He came to the winter camp site but my father did not see him. He left a note which attempt to explain his abrupt departure.

In the note it said,"Due to the accident my teacher, I had to return to the US."

My father knew this was a lie- since my uncle had contacted my father to apologize for NL.  My uncle did fall ill around that time- but NL was using it as his "reason" for quitting, which understandably infuriated my uncle. I was told NL did not see my uncle for many years.

After the Kyokushin turmoil and break up ensued, his stories got colorful and a bit detached from really happened. In the beginning, no one really took notice of little adjustments here and there. So it now snowballed into a completely different story.

To this day my uncle says the greatest mistake he made was to get NL into Uchideshi program when he was not ready mentally and spiritually. It undeservingly added extra mileage to his ego/ resume and made his self-image unrealistic as well, he said.

And most people won't doubt when someone offers to impart their life experiences- like the title of being Mas Oyama's Uchideshi.

Some voiced NL's actions offensive to those who did finish Uchideshi and those who did serve Sosai to the last minute. And also to those who did receive special grants from Sosai to train certain amount of time with the Uchideshi's and finish the selected time frame. I agree with the sentiment completely.

Although I do sense his pained insecurities from not finishing what was committed. It wretches the soul to lie because it brings you further apart from your Self.

I am glad to have given this opportunity to write this. To the group he belongs to now, the officials do not know much about what transpired while NL was in Japan.

And it is not just NL who slightly fabricates their experiences. There are few, even one's calling themselves Kancho's- who hardly trained or blows their position under my father way out of proportion to get more "ducks in line." So having facts spoken out through our experiences are so crucial now.

Hopefully having stories set straight can relieve the anxiety for those who know the truth.  And the lie will not snowball into another monster if we are aware of all side of the story.

Problems?

"It is not that I am smart- I just stay with problems longer." -Albert Einstein

I learned to love solving problems. It is one thing the past 17 years gave me- it is the ability to see problems as an inevitable. It is always, always around, always close by to remind us not to slack.

I wondered how Sosai did it during his time- running one of the greatest, if not the only, karate organization that went beyond borders and religion. I asked him one time, how did he do all this? And even while I asked the question, I wasn't even close to the degree of what he was doing! He said, "I spend 98% of my time thinking of good moves. Like in kumite too."

I think I only  do 45% for now, but it is increasing compare to where I started.... 17 years ago lol...