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Bruce Baker · 06-10-2002, 10:57 AM

I have many kinds of teachers, both in Aikido and in other facets of life, but indeed there are not that many who teach from foundation to finish as they give us our legs to stand and learn on our own.

Indeed, I have spoken once too many times, when a smile and a little slower execution of a technique would be the better voice.

I happen to be lucky to have such a teacher who is very simular to Saito sensei, he is very humble and posesses many of the qualities brought forth in this article. I don't know how long my illness will let me practice and learn, but I understand the feelings of students, friends, peers of Saito sensei by being allowed to be a student of another man who seeks the best of Aikido's teachings. At seventy plus years old, it is only a matter of time before time limits me or him from practicing Aikido. I am grateful to be able to practice with someone who tries excemplify the qualities found in Saito sensei.

I am sorry I was not able to meet this giant of man, Saito sensei, who so humbly served as student to O'Sensei and teacher to so many of us today.

Maybe that was the other lesson we were to learn, the humbleness of our practice reaches out in ways we never really begin to understand?

With a little luck, we will learn to be an imitation of this great spirit, even if it is a pale imitation. From this, we will learn to be more than we are today.

(Each time we touch another human being, we take a piece of the beings energy into our own. If we then shake the hand of another being, we pass on the essence of that energy and ourselves, so goes the saying of shake the hand that shook the hand, that shook the hand. And so passes the energy of good human beings in our world.)

06-10-2002, 10:57 AM	#2
Bruce Baker Dojo: LBI Aikikai/LBI ,NJ Location: Barnegaat, NJ Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 893 Offline	Those who teach I have many kinds of teachers, both in Aikido and in other facets of life, but indeed there are not that many who teach from foundation to finish as they give us our legs to stand and learn on our own. Indeed, I have spoken once too many times, when a smile and a little slower execution of a technique would be the better voice. I happen to be lucky to have such a teacher who is very simular to Saito sensei, he is very humble and posesses many of the qualities brought forth in this article. I don't know how long my illness will let me practice and learn, but I understand the feelings of students, friends, peers of Saito sensei by being allowed to be a student of another man who seeks the best of Aikido's teachings. At seventy plus years old, it is only a matter of time before time limits me or him from practicing Aikido. I am grateful to be able to practice with someone who tries excemplify the qualities found in Saito sensei. I am sorry I was not able to meet this giant of man, Saito sensei, who so humbly served as student to O'Sensei and teacher to so many of us today. Maybe that was the other lesson we were to learn, the humbleness of our practice reaches out in ways we never really begin to understand? With a little luck, we will learn to be an imitation of this great spirit, even if it is a pale imitation. From this, we will learn to be more than we are today. (Each time we touch another human being, we take a piece of the beings energy into our own. If we then shake the hand of another being, we pass on the essence of that energy and ourselves, so goes the saying of shake the hand that shook the hand, that shook the hand. And so passes the energy of good human beings in our world.)