Stan was the head of the Japan Karate Association in South Africa and a grand master in the Shotokan tradition. He was the highest-graded non-Japanese in JKA Shotokan Karate. He introduced karate to South Africa and his dojo was in Johannesburg. I lived 6.5 hours drive from there, near Durban, on the East Coast of South Africa. At the time I was training with Sensei Duncan Player but was fortunate to be included in a karate tour to 'Joburg' to train with Sensei Stan. It was, however, in the middle of winter!!!
It was nuts! I was a Durban girl. Average winter daily highs in my hometown matched London's average daily highs in the summer! 'Joburg' was a different story!!! We woke at 3 am, dressed in our gi (karate suit), downed some breakfast and juice, and clambered into the tour van in sub-zero temperatures.
The invitation to attend Stan's Black Belt morning class, which kicked off at 5 am, was a privilege.. I remember it being pretty tough... not to mention in frostbite-worthy conditions. I also recall Stan being so gracious, humble, passionate, skillful, and kind. He was an impressive instructor and teacher, a true gentleman, and an inspiration.
I have always embraced the challenges that karate threw at me; whether I was on the mats facing up to an opponent in kumite or practicing the more meditative dance of kata. When I commit to something, I take that commitment seriously, and I loved karate.
Let me rephrase that: I love karate.
Now, I am not actively practicing the form, but I was... 3-4 years ago, just before covid hit. It is an affair of the heart that has never left me.
So... rewind and fast forward a little... by that I mean let's step back again to when I was a teen and had returned from the karate tour... but fast forward a few months after that tour, to when Sensei Stan visited our dojo in Pinetown, just outside of Durban. He took a couple of classes and then sat down in one of the offices at the dojo to meet any karatekas who wanted to drop by, say hello, and have a copy of his autobiography signed. Of course, I paid for my copy and entered the office with just a little trepidation and excitement at meeting this wonderful karate mentor again.
He greeted me warmly and asked me one simple question:
Why do you do karate?
I did not hesitate. I knew my answer.
Because I enjoy it!
That man beamed: his entire being lit up. He had the most soulful and engaging eyes. Then he opened his book and scribbled something inside and signed it. He handed it back to me and said:
Osu, Sam!
I bowed, as is tradition, and replied with:
Osu, Sensei
As I left the room, my heart leaped, feeling so inspired and motivated.
I was to discover shortly afterward why Sensei Stan loved my answer so much.
Being somewhat of a bookworm, I devoured his book. It was fantastic! It told of an incredible journey, a pilgrimage through the martial arts if you like, by a man intent on perfecting the Spirit of the Empty Hand (the meaning of the word karate and also the title of his autobiography). Stan had travelled to Japan, lived there for a time, and trained with the Japanese grand masters of Shotokan Karate, before returning to South Africa replete with tradition and skill under his belt.
In the closing lines of his book, he is sitting on an airplane headed home, pondering his life, his journey with karate, all the long hard hours of effort... and he sits back and says...
At least I'm beginning to enjoy it all.
When I read that line, I think my face mirrored the look I had seen in Sensei Stan's that day at the dojo. We had connected... over joy.
The inscription in his book to me reads:
*To Sam, may you pass on your joy to others! Osu, Stan Schmidt.
That single moment was pivotal for me. It was a gift that I had not expected to receive. Because it had been so easy for me to express how I felt about the art form, and why I chose to pursue it. On reflection, my answer was simple, honest, and complete. It was all about joy. And I realised, at that moment, that it has always been about joy.
To this day, when I am out in the garden on a beautiful summer's day, I find great joy in performing the moves of some of my favourite katas. It is so incredibly mindful and meditative. It is about breath, space, movement, speed, precision, grace, and balance. And it is about the pure joy that I derive from engaging in the art form. It is an intricate dance of epic proportions. Out of nowhere, I will perform a sequence of moves in my kitchen - my kids and hubby are used to this 🤣
Karate is one of those things that draws me back time and time again. I firmly believe that once a karateka, always a karateka. The art form takes hold in your heart and never lets go.
Through karate, I did not just find a sport or a form of exercise. I found a medium of creative expression, something that became a part of me... and something I have returned to through the years. The 5 maxims of karate are forever emblazoned on my soul:
character, sincerity, effort, etiquette, self-control
In life, I think I struggle with the last one the most - you see I am not afraid to admit my shortcomings - I do however use the other 4 to try to improve on the 5th.
However, this thing I discovered through karate - this gift of joy - is something that I try to take with me wherever I go. Whatever I do in life, I know that it has to be centred on joy. If the joy dissipates, then what is the point, right? Once that goes, you are left with a whole lot of emptiness... and then probably... it is time to move on.
So for me... what do I love? What makes me tick? What makes my heart sing?
I find joy in so many things... Karate is just a great example because it was one of the first times that I remember being able to respond so fluidly, effortlessly, and simply, about my feelings on something that I loved... and it was such an incredible insight for me... that in the end... the art of living revolves around joy.
Of course, these days, I appreciate that my life revolves around more than just joy... that my beliefs and faith play a huge role in bringing me into spaces that feed my heart, mind, and soul with joy.
So, in playing out my life center stage, joy has to be present, and it is a gift for which I am forever grateful.
Header image by Marilyn Nieves in Canva Pro
This post is in response to the Ink Well Creative Non-Fiction prompt #9: gift and the Dreemport week 2 Dreemer of the Year Challenge on #love which asks:
Tell us what you love? What makes you tick? What makes your heart sing?
Dreemport banner used with permission of @dreemsteem and @dreemport and designed by @jimramones
