(My partner for the past 27 years, and my wife for the last 25, Kathy. What little I have been able to achieve with my efforts in karate, have stood upon the foundation of her unending support)As you enter a strange dojo for the first time, it is all too easy to imagine the sensei standing in front of you as a lone figure, facing the adversities of karate, and life, alone. After all, you have travelled far to learn from him. His skills are legendary and his achievements well known to all. He is the kind of karateka you want to be, right? And so you follow his every move in the dojo and model your karate on his. You learn to copy his bunkai, you learn to copy his technique, you even learn to wear your gi like him. He is your idol. While this is a childish way to look at your seniors in karate, it is sadly not an uncommon way. Western students of karate are all too quick to see the man in the gi, while failing to notice the man himself.
One of the things I miss about Okinawa the most since my sensei passed away, are the meals his wife often prepared after training. Three or four times a week, Miyazato sensei would motion for me to go upstairs once my training was over, and waiting there, a table of food for me to share with my sensei. Mrs Miyazato would appear in the doorway holding a tray with steaming bowls of mizu soup, and with a friendly smile, place one of them on the table in front of me. Miyazato sensei used this time to talk about karate, or if there was a Sumo tournament on the TV, explain the finner points of the contest to me. His English not being so great, and my Japanese being even worse, our conversations were often punctuated by strange looks, and shrugs from his massive shoulders, as I failed to understand something he said.
At such times I got to see the human face of my teacher and how he interacted with his wife. His gentle manner and obvious affection towards her was something I have fond memories off. Since Miyazato sensei's death in December 1999 I have visited the dojo several times, and each time I bring a small gift for Mrs Miyazato. She is old now, and I am no longer invited upstairs to dine after training, nevertheless, I remember her kindness and always show my appreciation. One thing I know for sure about pursuing karate properly is this; if you are married or in a committed relationship, you can't practise your karate seriously without the support of your partner. I have seen many good karate-ka leave the dojo for no other reason then their partner's support has been withdrawn. It is a sad but common situation.
While we think ourselves lucky to have strong training partners in the dojo, we often forget the strength and courage of the silent partner at home who supports our efforts, often to their own detriment. Miyazato sensei would speak to me, as we ate, of finding a balance in life between my family, my work, and my training. First among these things, he always placed family. When I see people having to walk away from karate because they no longer have the support of their partner at home, I think myself lucky to have had a teacher who taught me just how important to my karate my silent partner is: and a partner who's support has been so generiously given all these years.
