Three Days
Santa Cruz was fabulous. me_n_mr_t was the perfect host, and Mary Sensei and Anno Sensei rocked my world, as they do every time I see them.
There was a moment of overwhelming gratitude, looking around the Civic Center and seeing hundreds of beautiful bodies dancing, and the feeling came to me as strongly and silently as anything ever has: I want to do this forever.
Strange to think I'll likely never train with Anno Sensei again. He has said this would be his last visit abroad due to his age and health concerns. At the end of the seminar, he was throwing people, smiling sadly. Through Linda Sensei's translation, he kept saying, "I don't want to end class. I want to keep training. I want to train with everyone." But too soon, it was over, and he urged all of us to keep going, keep training. And I thought this is a man who knows he's never coming back. What a strange feeling that must be.
And part of me wants to abandon all the other long-term plans, quit my job and fly to Japan right now, use my down payment fund for living expenses and study with Anno Sensei for every possible minute.
Linda Sensei spoke about how the first generation of teachers, those who trained directly with O Sensei, are getting fewer and fewer, and what a tremendous responsiblity it is on the second generation, such as herself, to keep the tradition going and carry their spirits and their words forward. And someday the second generation will pass on, and those of us in the third generation will bear that responsibility. How will we carry that legacy?
Back home yesterday, Uke-J and I worked on my test some more. Now it's gone from impossible to inevitable to fun. All filled up with seminar energy and feeling more confident, I'm actually looking forward to testing now, and hopefully I'll be able to carry some of this intensity forward once it's over.
There was a moment of overwhelming gratitude, looking around the Civic Center and seeing hundreds of beautiful bodies dancing, and the feeling came to me as strongly and silently as anything ever has: I want to do this forever.
Strange to think I'll likely never train with Anno Sensei again. He has said this would be his last visit abroad due to his age and health concerns. At the end of the seminar, he was throwing people, smiling sadly. Through Linda Sensei's translation, he kept saying, "I don't want to end class. I want to keep training. I want to train with everyone." But too soon, it was over, and he urged all of us to keep going, keep training. And I thought this is a man who knows he's never coming back. What a strange feeling that must be.
And part of me wants to abandon all the other long-term plans, quit my job and fly to Japan right now, use my down payment fund for living expenses and study with Anno Sensei for every possible minute.
Linda Sensei spoke about how the first generation of teachers, those who trained directly with O Sensei, are getting fewer and fewer, and what a tremendous responsiblity it is on the second generation, such as herself, to keep the tradition going and carry their spirits and their words forward. And someday the second generation will pass on, and those of us in the third generation will bear that responsibility. How will we carry that legacy?
Back home yesterday, Uke-J and I worked on my test some more. Now it's gone from impossible to inevitable to fun. All filled up with seminar energy and feeling more confident, I'm actually looking forward to testing now, and hopefully I'll be able to carry some of this intensity forward once it's over.