I wish I remembered his name.
He gets by on what people want to call a pair of prosthetic limbs. Not the super, high tech, bionic, space aged materials, and better than nature type but the ones that look more like wooden batons with shoe trees. That’s how they made them in 1985. Mere stumps hinged only at the knees. Up until now, I hadn’t really paid much attention to him. Not because I chose to ignore him, but rather he seemed “normal.” He attended classes regularly, did his kata without complaints, sparred a little, loved movies, and had a good sense of humor. Up until now, the fact that he had no legs was a non-issue. Oh, he has no legs. Really – no legs. He wanted help with a spinning hook kick. …And why not. He wanted to learn how to do a spinning kick and why should anyone deny him this lesson. Little would I have predicted however that the lesson was more of a learning experience for me than it would be for him.
With the dojo to ourselves, we bowed informally to signify the beginning of the lesson. He had already made it to green belt and his next wish was to learn a fairly advanced technique that is not very practical for most of us. Those who are good at it though make it look spectacular. At first, it seemed so natural to say pivot the foot, twist the body, raise the leg, and make contact with the bottom part of the heel. Of this list though, perhaps he could raise his prosthesis, but everything else was not so easy or maybe not even possible. As we began to dissect the techniques into tiny tasks, it had finally occurred to me that simple chores such as getting up and getting changed, going to the washroom, riding a bike, or even running to catch the bus is really not so simple for him. Yet, I don’t recall any complaints about blisters, bruising, or joint pain of any kind which happened in every class. Surprisingly, his reaction was typically quite the opposite. He tackled his disability on a daily basis with a positive mental attitude that made him seem fearless. By hour’s end, his stoic tenacity had him achieve what he wanted. He was performing the spinning hook kick consistently. “Normal” people would have already given up. BRAVO! His perseverance humbled me. If only we could harness his positive thinking.
That’s the thing about Karate. It can bring out the best in you. It doesn’t matter if you are 4 or 94, super-fit and unfit, rich or poor, with or without legs. You can’t say that about Judo or Golf. Back in 1985, I thought I was giving up my time for this boy but instead he gave me an appreciation of patience, seeded a positive mental attitude, and sparked a belief that the power of change exists in every human being. It was a gift that would forever change the way I approached Karate and my life. Ever since that day, I have come to appreciate the journeys that each student has taken to come to train in the dojo. Not just the drudgery of travel but the emotional obligation to make the decision to train. To commit. Everyday when some one needs a little extra motivation I think of – what’s his name. The angel of positive thinking. Yeah, the angel.
Fast forward to today. Uber couple du jour Dawood and Ayesha are training in the dojo. Together, they have lost well over 130 pounds since joining the dojo 3 years ago. They admit however that greater benefits of the dojo are found beyond the tangible measure of the scale but in the strengthening in the soul. In just a few days, Ayesha will be traveling to Morocco where she plans to hike for four days in the Sahara to bring awareness to and volunteer her time to build a school for young girls. The cause is vital to the community because the male dominated culture in Morocco systemically denies women an education and promotes the cycle of poverty and dependency. Without the tools of an education, women are stuck in a subservient role for the rest of their lives and for future generations. Like the angel of 1985, Ayesha prefers to go unnoticed. She is quiet and doesn’t say much. Like the angel of 1985, she has her own blisters and daily scars. Like the angel of 1985, Ayesha will be changing lives – of an entire community.
It was as though the angel himself is holding Ayesha’s hands. Without his touch, perhaps I would never have cultured such an atmosphere within the dojo. I might have gone purely sport karate and maybe even totally commercial. Instead, I had vowed to contribute to a better world. I hope I have done him justice. I hope that Ayesha changes the world these girls live in and I hope these girls one day contribute also to a better world. Perhaps one day these girls will grow up to be doctors or engineers. Perhaps one day my angel’s legs will be built by one of these young girls. Ayesha is their angel.
I wish I remembered my angel’s name.
Please be an angel to help a generation of Oulaid Driss visit http://aeww.org/mrcco.html and donate.
