OVER 45 years ago at the Shibuya subway exit in Tokyo, a young karate teacher (sensei) spotted one of his students, a foreigner, hungry and begging for alms. The sensei ordered the student to get up and follow him to a nearby restaurant where the teacher ordered food for both of them. When they finished their meal, the sensei warned the student against begging again. It would be hazardous to his the student’s well-being especially if he would be seen by his sempai (senior students). The teacher was Kunio Sasaki of the Japan Karate Association (JKA), one of the leading traditional martial arts organizations in the world. The anecdote was told by C.W. Nicol, then a student of Sasaki, in his...
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