The world of traditional martial arts is filled with lore, legends and stories of mystical powers. This story has none of those things, but it is a true story.
If you have read any of our other blog posts, you would know that the dojo where I studied aikido in Misawa, Japan was a spartan one. The training and atmosphere were harsh and unpleasant most of the time.
Because the dojo had such unappealing qualities, I was surprised when a young, American woman from the air base walked into the training area and asked to speak to our teacher about starting lessons. I was the head student at that time, so I introduced this lady whose name now escapes me, but we’ll call her “Julie.”
Julie was not an impressive looking individual; her dirty-brown hair was somewhat matted and oily. She had some facial acne and she was very thin, almost sickly. She carried herself in a very submissive manner, shoulders somewhat lurched forward and she tended to look at the ground when she spoke. I remember explaining to Julie that the training has difficult and there were no creature comforts at the dojo. She said she understood. The head instructor, Yamamoto-san, wanted to know what inspired her to study aikido and after some awkward silence, she said she wanted to learn how to defend herself and to get stronger. I translated this as best I could and Yamamoto-san told her to come back the following Monday.
Like other people new to aikido, Julie struggled with learning how to roll, how to move, etc. You would have thought she was holding a sledge hammer the first time she practiced with a wooden sword (bokken). She had almost no grip strength and tended to pull back uncontrollably when grabbed during practice. She hardly ever spoke but was one of the most diligent students we had and rarely missed a class.
Over time, Julie’s technique improved. More importantly, she began to open up a little and we found that she had a quirky but funny sense of humor. This once shy and meek person started to come out of her shell and began to demonstrate strength and confidence. She enjoyed practice so much that she brought her son whom I believe was about 11 years old at the time. He was the only child training at the dojo, but he was welcomed by both instructors and by all of the students.
Julie had been training for about seven months when our head master, Issoyama Shihan, came up for from Iwama for a weekend seminar. This typically drew aikido practitioners from local towns in the area. During this particular event, a man in his late 40s or early 50s came to participate. It was immediately evident that he not only disliked foreigners, but had distain for female aikido students. He was unnecessarily rough with Julie when paired with her, uncharacteristic for a udansha (black belt) training with a relatively new student.
Issoyama Shihan, well-known for his powerful and linear aikido, subsequently asked this man to help him demonstrate the next series of techniques. Issoyama proceeded to throw, joint lock and generally toss the guy every time he tried to get up. He (Issoyama) never said a word; he just kept going until the man could no longer continue. Then he told everyone to practice. I happened to be sitting next to Julie and before we got up to train, I leaned over and quietly said, “I’m pretty sure that was for you.”
Shortly after that experience, Julie and her son stopped coming to the dojo. I was asked to check on her but no one ever knew her last name and the air base was a big place, well over 5,000 active duty and dependents as I recall. It occurred to me that we never knew a whole lot about Julie other than her husband being active duty and I remember meeting him once shortly before she disappeared.
Several months later, a beautiful woman with a full head of blonde hair waked into the dojo shortly after class. She knelt on corner of the mat and asked to enter - - a respectful practice only martial arts students know. No one recognized Julie until she smiled and made some off-the-wall comment. I can’t remember what she said but I do remember being shocked.
Julie was a completely different person. Clear skin, beautiful hair, strong and confident. She carried herself in a way that none of us had ever seen before and she was open and engaging. She told us that her husband had been beating her for years. He knew to limit his physical abuse to her torso so as not to leave any marks on her face and arms that would alert the close-knit military community. Julie lived in constant fear for herself and her child. Trapped a foreign country with a monster, she knew she had to find a way out but had no friends, no family and no hope. That is, until she found aikido. How she came to the conclusion that training in aikido would help her escape continues to intrigue me.
She told us that through her training she gained the strength and courage necessary to go to her husband’s commanding officer and report everything that was happening. The commanding officer immediately placed her and her son in a safe house and had her husband arrested. In the months that followed, her husband was court-marshaled and sentenced to Leavenworth Military Prison. Because of the nature of the charges and impending trial, Julie and her son had to live away from the public - hence her abrupt absence.
Julie came to the dojo that night to thank all of us for our friendship and training. She and her son were returning to the states the next day where she planned to live with her parents for a while and start over. She bowed deeply and respectfully to Matsumoto-san who had taken over as head instructor and he returned the gesture in the same way.
In my time, I’ve seen a lot of tough dudes and some pretty bloody fights. I’ve seen people break stacks of bricks, witnessed incredible weapons skills and amazing feats of physical prowess. But few of those experiences motivate me to continue teaching and training as much as this one does.
We all face our own Goliath at one time or another. A cruel and unrelenting giant of a problem that holds us back from who we are meant to be. Martial arts is not the answer for everybody, but this experience taught me how life-changing it can be for some people. I sincerely hope that Julie’s story inspires you the way it continues to inspire me.
Dave Magliano
Tatsu Dojo
Jissenkan Budo
Dojo Cho
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