Mr. John V Summers-cont'd

[JOHN THURSTON]

I did say I would be back, did I not?

Jack was the only practitioner with whom I Studied, although some came very very close in slightly unrelated points of strength. I add this last bit so none of my remarks "hurt" or upset any of our august seniors, as they do not deserve to be upset.

The first "Rule of Karate" "begins and ends with REI]". I remember when I was just out of hospital and a phone call came in regarding instruction in T'ai Chi Chuan. The Gentelman who called spoke in a most brusque, derisive and rude 'tone" is the only way I can put it. He began to become exasperated when I asked him when he wished to workout out--'OOP's" let my guard down, so to speak. I was in fact conveying the fact that I could start him on the basics, or my close friend Eric Sifu could begin the gentleman's training. In 19th Century England, and in the Late Republic of Rome, one had to be a gentleman. This included "not being involved in trade" and/ or hard physical labor.

Rei, in a nut shell means respect, well, not exactly. Several recalled passages from Funakoshi's Book shed some light on the thought of 'rei': "It is said that without order there is disorder and that the "difference between man and (Most) animals is REI. (the inserted ' most' is from me, as we have come to now that there are some animals who have developing 'Rei" as part of their evolutionary path, past, present and future.

As I noted in the first post on the matter, more or less, Jack instinctively understood 'rei" but he referred to it as "being considerate".. Funakoshi's genius was in understanding that Rei had to be inate in all participants, or things would go badly.

I will enter another paragraph remembered from Funakoshi's thoughts: Rei encompasses both an attitude of respect for others and a sense of self esteem. "When those who honor themselves transfer that feeling of esteem-that is respect (at least-parentheses contain a word from myself) -to others, their action is nothing less than an expression of rei..

Jack led, he did not 'drive', Jack corrected, he did not deride, Jack made the corrections that needed to be made without "downsizing or embarrassing the student" quotes mine) Jack, out of respect for effort and respect given to him, his associated instructors, et al may have promoted some (ME) when he, she or they where not completely ready out of respect for the student whose effort and respect REQUIRED consideration for promotion.

The man who spoke to me, the key to this little "everyman inclusion", indicated in a derisive tone that I was not the man who should teach him T'ai Chi chuan. I said plainly in response that based upon what I was hearing from him, that I was not GOING to teach him anything. jack would not have responded in that fashion or allowed the situation to enflame that far.

That was the difference.

Respect to my friend: Jack

John