| This afternoon I discovered that The Reverend | | | | known as a "hard grader," awarding few A's. My |
| Kensho Furuya, founder of Little Tokyo's Aikido Center | | | | students had to work very hard for B's, and when |
| Los Angeles, passed away earlier this month, to the | | | | they earned them, I believed their performances were, |
| sadness of many friends, students, and fellow martial | | | | literally, "VERY GOOD," as the grading definition says. |
| artists. | | | | "Excellence," signified by the "A," wasn't totally elusive, |
| The memorial web page, posted by his dojo | | | | but it required a Black Belt effort, at least for one |
| community, displays his picture and simply refers to him | | | | semester. |
| as "Our Chief Instructor." | | | | Sensei Furuya sought excellence in everything he did. |
| Some may think this characterization is unduly modest, | | | | He was hardest on himself, acknowledging he didn't |
| given the Sensei's many accomplishments. But to be a | | | | have a life outside of the walls of the dojo, in which he |
| teacher is a very serious profession, often without | | | | dwelled on the second floor. |
| immediate gratification and bearing heavy | | | | We came to know each other through |
| responsibilities for the development of others. | | | | correspondence, mostly. Occasionally we would |
| Sensei Furuya bore his burden with humility and | | | | challenge each other's ideas, privately and respectfully. |
| dedication, sharing this story, about the life of a teacher: | | | | His fine book, KODO: ANCIENT WAYS, and his web |
| "Many, many years ago, my good friend always | | | | postings enlightened and elevated readers around the |
| complained about her "koto" (Japanese musical | | | | world. And he was very generous, especially in |
| instrument) teacher. If she was a little late, her teacher | | | | including my writings, tilted toward my background in |
| would already be on the telephone complaining her to | | | | kenpo karate, in his "Daily Message" postings. |
| come to practice or calling her mother to complain | | | | At 4 this morning, "by accident," I was reading a |
| about her absences. She always said that she hated | | | | Buddhist text regarding the dangers of attachment, |
| koto because of this but she went to koto practice | | | | whether it is to wealth or to life, itself. |
| regularly just to keep her teacher and her mother | | | | More than anyone I have ever known, Reverend |
| happy. Years later, after she had performed | | | | Furuya, a Zen priest as well as acknowledged Aikido |
| wonderfully in a concert in Little Tokyo, she then | | | | master, was able to care deeply while at the same |
| confessed to me, 'I am so glad my koto teacher | | | | time remaining detached. |
| forced me to practice, look at me now!'" | | | | But living without delusion takes its toll, and this month it |
| When I taught in the regular university curriculum, I was | | | | took him. |