A present from Fujita Masatake Sensei

About 4 years ago, just after a wonderful Aikido seminar in Holland with Fujita Masatake Sensei, he collapsed in Tokyo at the Hombu Dojo (Aikido World Headquarters). He was diagnosed with a brain stroke, and spent two years in hospitals and rehabilitation. In the past 2 years, he is at home, taken care by his wonderful wife and weekly visits by a medical team. His close students and friend visit him often, and sensei listens to them, sometimes responding a bit with very small body gestures.

We all miss Masatake Fujita Sensei so much.

Whenever we visit in Japan, we go to visit him, and his wife always welcomes us at their house. These visits are always emotional... Our son Kazuki loved so much Fujita Sensei's visit in Israel. He was like a third grand-father for him, and there was always a nice present for him and a good word during Aikido practice. A year and a half ago, when Kazuki was 8.5, we visited Fujita Sensei, and as always, some of Fujita Sensei's close students and us, stood together with Fujita Sensei's wife around Sensei's bed and spoke with each other, occasionally saying something to Sensei. After a while, we all went to the living room to talk over some cake and tea. Kazuki sat quietly for a while, and then he went back to Sensei's room. He sat there, looked around him at photos and at Sensei, and then he went to Sensei's bed, took his hand, and spoke to him: "How are you Fujita Sensei? I hope you get well soon"...

Whoever was with us over there, will never forget that heart-touching moment. We all had tears in our eyes...

Fujita Sensei changed our dojo, and he changes my aikido. He taught me so many things, not only about Aikido, but also about life and how to look at life. He sometimes spoke about his experience as a student of the founder of Aikido for over a decade. Fujita Sensei helped and fully supposted me and our dojo when we had a problem with our previous teacher who taught me for 14 years...

A couple of years ago, I asked Fujita Sensei's wife, to change my dojo's name, and to call it "Masatake Dojo", using Fujita Masatake's private name. She imemdiately said yes. Last summer, when I visited at their house, she gave me Fujita Sensei's personal stamps with his name on them "Masatake". Use them please, she said, I am sure Sensei is glad to know that you are using them as your dojo's stamps.




The name "Masatake" means: Masa: prosperous, bright, clear,  Take: warrior - same as "bu" in Budo. His name was given to him by a very special person - China's last emperor's calligraphy teacher".





Comments

  1. Hwoarang5Thursday, May 29, 2014 at 10:20:00 AM GMT+3

    very touching article, i had a chance to meet shihan Masatake Fujita once, in malaysia 4 years ago, in a seminar here, even though it was brief he left a strong impression to all of us, i can still remember his demonstration and cross training with everyone during the seminar, he shall me miss dearly.... i wish i still practicing aikido, so miss it, so miss it...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Torifune and Furitama exercises in Aikido

Image
Please enjoy this very interesting instruction and meaning of Torifune and Furitama. As we were taught in Aikido, these exercises prepare us before conducting Misogi (Shinto purification of body and mind). Founder of Aikido considered Aikido as a kind of Misogi, and therfore regularly performed Torifune and Furitama before every Aikido practice. Thank you Tsubaki Shinto Shrin e for this clear explanation: AME-NO-TORIFUNE-NO-GYO Sometimes called  Fune-kogi-undo.  Ame-no-torifune is one of the Misogi Jumbi Taiso or exercises to prepare the mind/ body/ spirit for the activity of Misogi Shuho. These exercises have been widely adopted as Aiki Jumbi Taiso. Torifune (Bird Rowing) 1. Stand straight and put your left leg forward 2. Clench both fists with your thumbs inside 3. Lean forward and move your arms as though rowing a boat starting from your left knee and ending near your *armpits. As you "row," shout "Yie". 4. Perform this 20 times
Read more

Nanso - Hakuyu and Hakuin's healing method

Image
Initial Steps in Aikido Eighth Keiko 軟酥鴨卵法 nanso One of my most cherished memories from the dojo in Kyoto, is the special feeling I had just before the end of each aikido class, when we used to sit for a few minutes, and practice an ancient meditation method called nanso . Nanso helps us to relax our body and mind. It is said, that it can relieve us from pain and that it helps to overcome physical or emotional difficulties. As well as I know, nanso meditation is not part of aikido classes in most dojos in the world. Perhaps it is something unique to my old sensei's dojo in Kyoto where I began my aikido training in the year 1992 and practiced there until my return to Israel in 1999. As I found nanso significantly helpful and pleasant, it was just natural for me to continue practicing it at the end of each class also here at Masatake Dojo in Rehovot. About 300 years ago, lived in Japan a zen -buddhist monk called Hakuin . He is one of the most important and in
Read more

Misogi and Aikido

Image
Misogi 禊 “Polish the heart, free the six senses and let them function without obstruction, and your entire body and soul will glow.” Founder of Aikido “Aikido is misogi” said the founder of aikido. One definition of the term “misogi” is purification. As a matter of fact, many aikido practitioners talk about a special feeling of mental freshness they sometimes experience after an aikido practice. Sometimes we arrive at the dojo with a tiered body, worries or stress. Sometimes when we arrive, our head is occupied with thoughts, troubles and conflicts we sometimes all have during our day. As we bow in at the entrance to the dojo, we let our daily matters drop off from our back. They wait for us outside the dojo, but at the end of class, when we "pick" them up, we often realise that their dimensions are reduced to a more reasonable size, and so, our heart gains more space for constructive and calm thoughts that help us deal with those worries. Aikido practice
Read more