Sensei Granny

My dear friend and sempai Linde Belt posted this to a karate list I'm on. I thought it was so good, I asked permission to quote her. Here it is:

This morning I took off work, drove 45 miles one way, to Grandparent's day at one of my grand daughter's schools. Parked what seemed like a mile away. The minute I walked into the door of her classroom, the teacher looked up and started to ask who I was there for but she never completed her sentence. Harleigh Rose hollered out "GRANNY" her smile was as big as Texas and there was pure joy in her voice. ( It was all worth it in that moment.) Right after that an elderly man ( probably a great grand dad ) walked in and again before she could ask a little voice hollered "POP PA". This little boy was just as excited as Harleigh Rose was. Well, I went over to sit behind Harleigh Rose, but the little boy next to her moved over so I could sit between them. When I got up to leave, I hugged Harleigh real big. Then the boy on the other side grabbed me and hugged me as did one other little boy. At that moment I was a "GRANNY" no matter that I was not their granny, that moment I was a granny. Grannys to a first grader are love, hugs, and someone that accepts them. One person's Granny is everyone's granny. ( I left there with so much more then what I gave them today.)

On the way back I got to thinking, A Sensei is like a Granny in a lot of ways. We look up to them. Though we do our martial arts for our selves we still love the approval of our Senseis. Grannys are always there for us in life no matter what. So is a good Sensei. Yes, there are Senseis who abuse this relationship and do not hold up their end of the bargain. However, they are not true Senseis in all senses of the word. A true Sensei will push you and guide you but allow you to make your mistakes then be there to guide you out of them. A true Sensei will never injure you, though they will push you and you will have known that pain is not something you want to feel again from them. ( There is a difference in feeling pain from a technique and being injured.)

From what I have heard from the first generation students I have known is they all loved and respected Sensei Shimabuku. They respected his techniques and knowledge , yearned to learn from him and get his approval. He never injured them, though he definitely made them believers in his techniques. He guided them. Just like a Granny guides us.

A Sensei is a Sensei to all martial artists. He may not be their Sensei but they know he/she is a Sensei, and they know that they will guide them in the correct path (as they see it) . Just like a Granny has responsibilities to their grand children, so does a Sensei to not only their students but anyone who wants to learn, whether that be the physical, mental or spiritual part of the martial arts.

I am glad to be a granny, not only to Harleigh Rose and the 4 other grand girls but also to all those first graders today. I am proud to be a Sensei, not only to my direct students but to anyone who will allow me to be.

Thank you Sensei for showing me how to be a Sensei.