Thread: A Silly Poem
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Old 10-19-2003, 09:54 AM   #63
Kensho Furuya
Dojo: Aikido Center of Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 341
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No, No, I didn't think you were referring to Arikawa Sensei, but your poem was timely in light of his recent passing. Although I didn't know him as well as many others, he left a profound influence on my life in my younger days of training for which I am always grateful.

2nd Doshu, Kisaburo Ohsawa Sensei, Seigo Yamaguchi Sensei and Arikawa Sensei are all people whom I miss very sorely. . . . .

My stay at Hombu was cut short due to the death of my grandfather who was the only one in my family who supported me taking off to Hombu for training. My parents were really against it. My grandfather was suffering from cancer at the time and needed an operation quickly, but he and my grandmother kept it a secret from everyone, knowing that I would not leave for Japan if he was sick. . . . . It was only after it was too late for the operation did my family find out and I was only told just before he passed away. . . . . Ohsawa Sensei invited me to return to Hombu as soon as possible to continue my training and that I could stay in Japan if I wanted to, but another Hombu teacher requested that I stay on the West Coast and help out with Aikido here. . . . .and quickly the years passed by. . . . . .

Ohsawa Sensei's poem to me at the time:

"A sudden rain, he returns home too quickly. . . ."
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