My Calling, re-connection.

Just something to share.

Today I went to visit my old Teacher.

I don't fully explain how we work as it's what I call a budo come spiritual thing. Since leaving my friend and I had a kind of pact that we had now left the temple with the duty to find our own paths and wouldn't return until called for. This is how our teacher was and when he decided it's now time for you to go out and find your own way then that's what all students did.

As I have mentioned before last year I kept getting these spiritual feelings of someone in trouble and ill and consulted my friend. He felt from me what I was feeling and said he'd look out for if he comes across the same. A week later he phoned to say he felt that feeling when driving through watford and so decided to check it out. It led to our old dojo and low and behold he found our old teacher in a very bad way.

Everyone was worried and so he stepped in and and to cut a long story short proceeded to bring him back to health.

Then last week I got a message that he wanted to see me and my friend to come and meet and meet up with some old friends he had decided to get in touch with, all old students.

His aim was to reconnect and find out and share information about others past as well and then make another date for a bigger get together. It was very.....well I don't know what word to use here, it was like an honour, a duty, a long awaited happening and of course a pleasure.

Unfortunately his illness had left him with a bit of dementia and not so steady on his feet now but it was like a homecoming and all his family were there pleased we could make it.

The top teacher there now who had lived there for seven years before as an 'uchideshi' was someone I knew only for a couple of months before I left. It was good to see him again and the rest of his students who I had never met.

The old certificates and photos now lined the dojo walls which was never the case when I was there, from back in the seventies. Another photo of him with Tohei and an old friend of mine Yoshi and I find out they nhave Yoshi's address in Japan. I must get in touch.

One old student named Max was interesting to talk to for he was there when I first arrived and had gone off to teach himself. He remembered Gareth Jones and a lot of old timers and gave me quite a bit of information about those old days for he too trained with many of them. Another named Frank Sinotra was also there from back in those days however he didn't do Aikido as a teacher now. He also filled in some gaps as to who trained where with who. All fascinating stuff.

Anyway, we had lots of photos taken commemorating the different eras and we all honoured our old teacher by attacking him and being thrown. Although quite old and frail now and although we went 'with' whatever he did it was more a matter of respect and a great honour.

Then we all trained together, three generations of students and teachers. A great day.

We have decided to make it an annual event. Those who were not there we will find and next year should be even better.

Peace. G.

Graham Christian wrote: Just something to share. Today I went to visit my old Teacher. I don't fully explain how we work as it's what I call a budo come spiritual thing. Since leaving my friend and I had a kind of pact that we had now left the temple with the duty to find our own paths and wouldn't return until called for. This is how our teacher was and when he decided it's now time for you to go out and find your own way then that's what all students did. As I have mentioned before last year I kept getting these spiritual feelings of someone in trouble and ill and consulted my friend. He felt from me what I was feeling and said he'd look out for if he comes across the same. A week later he phoned to say he felt that feeling when driving through watford and so decided to check it out. It led to our old dojo and low and behold he found our old teacher in a very bad way. Everyone was worried and so he stepped in and and to cut a long story short proceeded to bring him back to health. Then last week I got a message that he wanted to see me and my friend to come and meet and meet up with some old friends he had decided to get in touch with, all old students. His aim was to reconnect and find out and share information about others past as well and then make another date for a bigger get together. It was very.....well I don't know what word to use here, it was like an honour, a duty, a long awaited happening and of course a pleasure. Unfortunately his illness had left him with a bit of dementia and not so steady on his feet now but it was like a homecoming and all his family were there pleased we could make it. The top teacher there now who had lived there for seven years before as an 'uchideshi' was someone I knew only for a couple of months before I left. It was good to see him again and the rest of his students who I had never met. The old certificates and photos now lined the dojo walls which was never the case when I was there, from back in the seventies. Another photo of him with Tohei and an old friend of mine Yoshi and I find out they nhave Yoshi's address in Japan. I must get in touch. One old student named Max was interesting to talk to for he was there when I first arrived and had gone off to teach himself. He remembered Gareth Jones and a lot of old timers and gave me quite a bit of information about those old days for he too trained with many of them. Another named Frank Sinotra was also there from back in those days however he didn't do Aikido as a teacher now. He also filled in some gaps as to who trained where with who. All fascinating stuff. Anyway, we had lots of photos taken commemorating the different eras and we all honoured our old teacher by attacking him and being thrown. Although quite old and frail now and although we went 'with' whatever he did it was more a matter of respect and a great honour. Then we all trained together, three generations of students and teachers. A great day. We have decided to make it an annual event. Those who were not there we will find and next year should be even better. Peace. G.

Dear Graham,
With Frank Sinotra/Sinatra? your buddy[Dean Martin ??]and you it sounds like a revival /relaunch of the Rat Pack.Next thing you will be saying is your doing a gig in Las Vegas. Cheers, Joe

Joe Curran wrote: Dear Graham, With Frank Sinotra/Sinatra? your buddy[Dean Martin ??]and you it sounds like a revival /relaunch of the Rat Pack.Next thing you will be saying is your doing a gig in Las Vegas. Cheers, Joe

Shame, I didn't ask them about you, shucks....

There were a few they called names a bit like a rat pack or rather a pack of rats though.

Oh for the human nature and politics. One person they all agreed was a great person though was the late Haydn Foster. So that's definitely worth a mention.

Peace.G.

Thanks for sharing that, Graham.

Mary Eastland wrote: Thanks for sharing that, Graham.

Thanks Mary. It was good to see that Max, who was from the seventies and Ralph who is the current Main Teacher there were both very good and high standard. I've never seen Mike look so proud and contented. An amazing experience.

Peace.G.

Graham Christian wrote: Just something to share. As I have mentioned before last year I kept getting these spiritual feelings of someone in trouble and ill and consulted my friend. He felt from me what I was feeling and said he'd look out for if he comes across the same. A week later he phoned to say he felt that feeling when driving through watford and so decided to check it out. It led to our old dojo and low and behold he found our old teacher in a very bad way.

This post reminds me of the multiple times my mother used to call me asking if I was OK because she had a dream....

We were/are on different wavelengths as the usual answer was "no, everything is ok."

You guys have something special.