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| Japanese calligraphy for "ki" or "life force" |
Rather I am referring to the passing of a very good friend of mine this week. His name was Shaam Rodrigo and his death, like all deaths, was way too soon. His death was sudden although he had been fighting Multiple Scleroses for several years. In his death, I would like to discuss his life and the lessons I think he can show us all, martial artists included.
First let me tell you about my friend Shaam. When someone close to anyone dies we tend to overlook their shortcomings and focus on the better qualities of their character. In this case I have no choice as when I think about the 20+ years I knew him I can only think of the good. Always enjoyed his company- never a bad word between us on all that time. I recall many fond nights of going out for a drink or playing pool and discussing life in general, the mysteries of the universe, the need for world enlightenment or just hanging out. I consider myself to have few close or "real" friends and he was one of them.
Shaam was very smart and gifted intellectually and he had a passion for science. He dropped out of University when he was younger because it was not teaching him what he wanted to learn. He had the courage to go into the world on his own terms instead of what we are told we "should do", and became very successful financially through his various business ventures. This extended into his personal life as well. He knew what he wanted (or didn't want) and was always honest and sincere with himself and others when it came to personal relationships. There were women in his life that wanted him to "settle down" but was not deterred from following his inner voice.
In any friendship there are moments that stand out, moments you will never forget. One of these moments for me was a little over 10 years ago when I was essentially penniless and did not have an ATM or credit card to my name to use. I called Shaam to see if I could stay over at his place that night as I had no where to sleep but my car and it was January in Toronto, Canada. Not only did he say yes, when I got there he pulled out the biggest roll of cash I had ever seen and just handed it over to me. No questions asked. No stipulations around repayment. In fact he did not want me to even pay him back. A gift of pure benevolence. In addition he let me stay with him for a couple of weeks until I got back on my feet. The kindness and loyalty he showed me that day was something I will never forget. True character is discovered in the things we do everyday or on any given day, they are not planned events. I would like to think that I repaid Shaam for his friendship but I will never know for sure.
Another thing that I should mention about Shaam is that he discovered he had Multiple Scleroses later in life. This is another moment that I will never forget. When he told me about it he did not want sympathy or any special consideration. He fought this battle privately, with dignity and honor until the very end that ultimately cased his death.
More than anything, Shaam was a defender of the truth and justice and worked tirelessly to transform the world. He had a vision of a sustainable world, socially, environmentally, economically and politically. He was a promoter of the free sharing of ideas and a knowledge economy through science and technology. He was dedicated to various projects and groups that I will list here:
TheNZP.com
The Orion Project
The Hanged Man Project
The Venus Project
The Free Economy Community
Take a moment to visit these sites- they say it all. Whether you agree with his politics or not- he had the courage to stand up for what he believed and in his own way tried to make a difference.
In writing this article I struggled at first to find the words to say and how they would relate to an audience that is interested in the martial arts but then it came to me. There is an article I wrote earlier this year entitled What Do Ancient Samurai Have To Do With Karate Today. Shaam was a modern day knight or samurai to me. In my article I summarized the definition or qualities of a samurai as follows:
- 1. Rectitude or justice
- 2. Courage
- 3. Benevolence or mercy
- 4. Politeness
- 5. Honesty and sincerity
- 6. Honor
- 7. Loyalty
- 8. Character and self control
Shaam was all of these things as I tried to describe above. I even thought about calling this article "Death of a Samurai" but the article is not just about Shaam, it is about all of us as I will try to explain.
Whatever your goal is for martial arts training- personal fitness, social camaraderie, self-defense, self- discovery or passing along an ancient tradition- we never know when our last training class will be just like the samurai lived each day knowing it could be their last. Therefore, it is important to train each day as if it were your last, like living each day as if it were your last. Life is too short and we can not take anything for granted. This is an obvious truth, but there is more.
In another recent article I wrote about the Niju Kun Part 7- Apply The Way Of Karate To All Things I discuss the idea that karate is life and life is karate at the end of the article. How you show up and train is a microcosm of how how you live your life and vice versa. When I was younger I wanted to change the world. As I got older I wanted to change others. Now I know that the only person you can change is yourself. Changing the world means starting with yourself. Be the change you want to see in others, in the world. Inside or outside the dojo. If you agree with my philosophy then read the qualities of the samurai I describe above and make every effort to apply them in you training and your life in general.
Lastly, I believe that martial arts training is about the flow of energy. Life is about the flow of energy. Energy can not be created or destroyed. It just takes different forms. Use this energy to stay close to your highest self or aspects of who you are- whenever I am out of town and train at other dojos I am always amazed about the brotherhood there is in shotokan and the willingness to share training techniques. Remember that you train for the people who came before you and the people who will train after you are gone as my former sensei Kancho Okuyama would say. Remember that karate is a way to promote peace and non-violence through the betterment of personal character.
Karate is about how you live, and therefore how you die.
This article is in part a eulogy to my friend Shaam, in part a reminder to myself about what is truly important, and in part a kick in the pants about what I would want my legacy to be on this earth when I die.
Shaam you were an inspiration to me and I miss you but will never forget you. Your energy will always be with me. Thank you for reading along with me and I hope in some way Shaam will have a positive impact on your life like he did on mine. OSU!
Since 1988, Way Of Life Shotokan Karate has been committed to teaching traditional karate and values for a modern world. Under the leadership of Norman Smith Sensei, Way Of Life Shotokan Karate instructs hundreds of students at our various locations from beginner to advanced levels of all ages that come from across the New York City metro area. Our unique way of combining martial arts training, etiquette and philosophy with the modern concepts of fitness, self-defense and competition is unparalleled. We ensure your training is vigorous, while maintaining a safe and fun learning environment that encourages students to reach their fullest potential.
Way Of Life Shotokan Karate Do martial arts school is now offically open at 501 East Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck NY, 10543 serving the local Westchester County communities of New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Harrison, Rye, Port Chester, Mount Vernon, Scarsdale, White Plains and Yonkers as well as the Bronx and NYC metro area.
