A Tribute to my Teacher (Grandmaster Crimi) By Associate Professor Shizumi B.Sc.
I don't know why God loves me so much. I don't know what I ever did to deserve the blessed life that I live, I only know that I have been given the highest of privileges - the great fortune of being the student of a real teacher, and since I have been afforded this immense privilege I feel compelled to show through the sincerity of my breath and my actions the deep gratitude that I feel towards my teacher. With these men standing before us today it has become evident to me that as deadly and powerful as each of them are, they want nothing more than to touch each of our hearts and minds with that spark of passion that rages like a wildfire inside their souls. They can kill with a touch, but they heal with a smile. Always helping, always giving, never not there! With the strength of their love for us and their undying devotion to their teachers; to their paths, they break us down and build us up into powerhouses of strength by pushing us beyond the boundaries that even we have set for ourselves. They show that it is better to be a person of compassion, a person of truth and integrity. A person who always keeps their word even through the most troubling of times. We have been raised to shine as dynamic, sincere individuals that always think of everyone else before ourselves. We don't have to run in fear through our lives. We can face our fears and our problems because we have been shown to always be true to ourselves, and never lower our standards for anyone or anything. They have shared with us their Minds, their Hearts and their Spirits, that we now do our best to emulate and carry on their traditions. How could we even begin to payback what they have so selflessly given to us? The truth is that we can never really pay them back for what they have given to us. But let us pay tribute to them every day by honoring them and letting them know how special they are. Each day we can try to give as they give. Every Grandmaster up here has been deemed a cultural treasure, and they truly are. All of these Gentlemen are my teachers dearest, dearest friends. They are all here because of his incredible love for them, and the common bond they all share with each other in the Martial Arts and in life. There could not be a more appropriate name for this Seminar than Martial Arts Unity - The Gathering of Warriors. The world is not becoming a better place, it is actually getting worse. I see how so much of the Martial Arts of today are not carrying on the traditions, and it's because they don't have real teachers like we do. When I think of what our masters have so sacredly preserved dying, it makes my heart ache. It is our duty now to forge ahead into the future as our teachers have intended us to and become the beacons of light and unconditional love that they already are.
2nd,
2004 October |