Letter To A Long-Ago Sensei

[agent_grey]

I was struck this morning by the curious urge to write this to a woman who once taught me Aikido.

Martha Sensei,

I don't know if you'll remember me or not. I was one of your early students when you taught classes at the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center some 18 years ago or so. My name is Tom. I was an energetic, unfocused kid who dabbled in

Comments

[chumpjuice]

Dear Martha,
I took some Aikido classes from you as part of a summer camp at summit school. During one of the classes, my foot got caught between the mats as I was rolling backwards. I tore all the ligaments in my knee. I was nine. It was 18 years ago and it probably wasnt your fault, but you know, still....
regards,
Nick

I remember her!

[ext_113098]

Wednesdays, dude!

For some reason, I remember an anecdote she told us when we were learning rolls. She was visiting some friends in Boston one winter, and slipped down their stoop on the ice. Just as she was falling, she said, she went into a Aiki-roll, followed through on the sidewalk and popped up unharmed. I have no idea why I remember that, but there it is.

Fourteen years after that class, and I'm still hoping to slip on some ice, to see if my Aiki-instincts are still with me.

Re: I remember her!

[ext_113098]

She actually wrote me back, but I decided not to publish it here without her permission. She remembered me just fine, and is finishing a Masters degree in something. Great woman.