(This is a true story)
"Mother is the name for God on the lips and mouths of children…"
-Eric Dreven
I think people really don't think about their Moms to often. Well sure people do think of their Mother but only in ways like going shoppin or chillin or who's makin dinner. What I'm sayin is that no one really thinks about what they have learned from dear ol' Mother. Like people really only think of God right before they die.
Well my Mother besides being goofy and sometimes odd has actually given me lots to think about. I liked to think of Mom as my "Chun" or Mr.Myagi cept she's cooler. Mom has directed and guided my Martial training she has alway been there to help me with my spiritual/philosipical(tee hee) training as well.
Well todays story takes us waaaay back, well not really that far back seein as how I'm still young but nevertheless backwards in time to when I was a wee grommit.
Now I'm not real sure how many of you have survived the 80's but things were different back then. Back then kids fought or "threw down" at school. I remember getting in several fights and all that happend was being seperated and told by the Principal that he was "disappointed" in us and they would try to decide who started it and punish that guy. These days they call the SWAT team and have you interogated as Al Queida operatives.
To make it a little more difficult due to the Karate ways I was forbidden to throw the first punch as my Mother and Father both taught me that "Karate first and foremost is for self defence". True wisdom can be found in that last statement.
Well what happend to kick this whole thing off is that I really can't remember. I remember this kid being upset with me and he challenged me to a fight on Friday. I don't remember what day it was or what I did to be challenged. I do know I had a little while and that this was also my first challenge. The fight was also scheduled to take place at the far playground. That is the farthest jungle gym from where all the kids normally played at.
I was floored! I was terrorfied! I asked a friend of mine about what I should do and the only advice I got was to pop my knuckes cause it makes them bigger. Despite not being very helpfull I did follow his advice and began cracking my knuckles as often as possible.
I sweated it out for several days and finally the night before the fight arrived. With no where to go, I broke down and went to talk to my Mother about what I should do. To be honest that took a little to do seeing as how I was probably between 8-10 years old and was going to seek wisdom from my Mom about fighting at school, I mean this ain't Ralphie and Scut Farkis were talkin about here!
Well I stopped at my Moms side as she was doing grown up things at the table with a pen and check book. I told her that I had a fight coming up and the only thing I could think to do was pop my knuckles often. She stared at me for a little while and then I told her that I was scared and that I did not know if I should honor the challenge or should I run away. My Mother looked at me for a second longer and then said " do what you think is right and do what a man should do..." and with that returned to her task, no longer looking at me, dismissing me.
I returned to my room and decided that I would fight. My father was a man of honor and I had to uphold the family beliefs, to be a weaponless warrior.
I don't remember the morning but I remember lunch was the time and when it arrived I summoned up all my courage and I went to the far playground. Sure enough the kid was there playing in the sand.
I approached and announced myself. I was prepared for a fight and an attack. Instead the kid just looked at me and said "Hi".
This had to be a trick, I asked" don't you wanna fight?"
"No, but do you wanna play?"
Me:"sure!"
Him:"unless you'd rather fight?…"
Me:"no, let's play!"
And we played...
It took a lot for me to hit that day. There's an old story about two okinawian masters who had a duel that was won and lost without a single blow. I fought two hard battles to win my own fight without throwing a single strike,block or kick.
It is written that good trees don't bear bad fruit, its true. My mother cultivated and mentored me, hell she still does. She changed my path, she showed me the light and I learned that the right thing is always the harder thing to do. If she hadn't done what she did that day I wouldn't be the man I am today.
To this day I still train the path she has taught me and I will try to teach it to my son.
-B
