Where Are You At?

Shihan James in November 2018, standing in what would become the Dojo, shortly after we received the Keys to Cypress Pillar

Cypress turns 6! And it is often these times that lead us to reminiscing.

I look back and see the very first steps on the path that brought me here: I had earned a yellow belt in Shintoyoshin Jujutsu, an art I now rank as a 6th Degree Black Belt & have been awarded the title of Shihan, and had written a letter to my teacher (that’s right, a letter! We didn’t have text back then and email wasn’t so widespread among the boomer generation) saying this right here is what I want to do until the end of my days and please put me on the path to teach it.

Since then I have worn many hats, some which I had never thought would be in my line of sight.

I have been a low voltage electrician, a licensed insurance agent, a fence & gate installer, a licensed security guard, a bouncer, tech support for one of the biggest computer companies in the world, a musician, a studio producer, and a healer.

Many of these paths were moments, some longer than others, but my teacher Osensei Roensch explained that we all have places and those places have time. In the context of martial arts, he said ‘we see customers, students, and disciples. Each type of participant in our classes has their purpose and everyone knowing where they are makes the training go more smooth for all. The customers? They are just there for the short term and to try things out. They won’t have the same needs as those disciples who are at the door before it’s unlocked every day and train in their free time. Students will train and study, and usually journey with us longer than customers, but sometimes they might need to take a break or a pause. While disciples we tend to see make a lifetime of study in the art.

Being given this insight has always helped me in understanding where we all are in those moments, no matter how long. Some folk are in a thing until they move on to the next world; some only for a brief period. To all of them, though, I say thank you. To every customer, client, student, friend, disciple…thank you! Without each and every one I wouldn’t be where I am today, and where I am today is a very good moment indeed. And it is one I aim to make last a very long time!

-Contributed by Shihan James Smith