Noguchi Sensei and Michael Glenn toast Hatsumi Sensei on his birthday There are no classes today 令和5年12月2日 because we are celebrating Hatsumi Sensei’s birthday. This day always makes me reflective and nostalgic. It has been four years since I last trained with Soke in the dojō because of his retirement. But every time I’ve seen him in the last four years it has felt like a celebration full of humor, joy, and good conversation. When I arrived at the party Niigata-San informed us that Hatsumi Sensei was in the hospital with a fever and could not join us. They said he was busy pestering the nurses and trying to smuggle in some wine for his birthday. We still celebrated in his honor. I got to see many friends including some that I only see once a year at his party. The new Soke in attendance made speeches and shared stories of their memories of training with Hatsumi Sensei. Noguchi Sensei gave us some inspiration when he compared training to forging a Japanese sword. He spoke
I woke up on the day before Hatsumi Sensei’s birthday party and cranked open the window to find another spring day in December. The weather feels like it is trying to confuse the trees to bloom early. I arrived in Japan over packed with jackets and sweaters, but I end up walking around Tokyo in my t shirt. This Japan report is summarized from the FULL video available on Rojodojo . During my preparations for the party tomorrow I was thinking about a class with Hatsumi Sensei a few years back. It was on the day when Soke awarded the Daishihan to 筒井巧 Tsutsui Takumi. During the training Hatsumi Sensei told us that he wasn’t teaching, he was just giving examples. Even so, we cannot steal his technique. Soke went on to say that artists must create works that can’t be untangled or stolen. You must create unique or original work that can’t be understood only on a superficial level. This kind of work is unique to you and your spirit. Hatsumi Sensei’s taijutsu or budō is like this. It