HIS Karate-Do

Well, 2010 has just flown by and July’s here already, which means it’s already mid-summer and we’re finally grandparents (just call me Gigi, haha). Yes, we are now blessed with a little grandson that my wife can spoil and dote over. When I look into his cute little face (I’m not kidding, he really is cute!), he seems to encapsulate facets of so many of us whose DNA is intertwined with his own. I am jazzed, just like I was jazzed when his mother was born. Unlike the first time I ever saw and held our own children as newborns however, this time I’m not overwhelmed by the mantle of responsibility of his young life…rightfully so, that mantle belongs to his mommy and daddy. Instead, I experience feelings of continuity and tradition, also seeing in him, the many faces of those who preceded us. Looking at other family members gathered in the crowded Post-Partum room to welcome the newest addition, I wonder if the other relatives feel the same. Whether we know it or not, each of us lives in our own little world, shaped by our own perceptions, our own memories, our own huge bag of experiences. For most [...]

Let’s face it, one of the major legacies that one leaves behind after one is gone is…our offspring and their descendants. If you can pass on anything to them besides your DNA, you have the chance of beginning or continuing what, over time, becomes a real family tradition. One obstacle to continuing old family traditions in America is that the very process of immigration into the U.S. often meant that various traditions were lost or cut off in the huge move to this country. This is especially true when one considers the language barrier between our grandparents from the “old country” and the third, fourth, and later generations. The fact that our first generation (Issei) Japanese/Okinawan forebears came from a culture that didn’t talk much, coupled with our Nisei parents becoming “Americanized” within one generation, and the flow of information and tradition naturally trickles down to nothing. I can’t tell you how many hours I have questioned my dad about our family history over the years, and how many times he’s said, “I don’t really know, my parents didn’t say much and I never thought to ask.” I’ve mentioned before that the one tradition my dad passed down to me [...]

We are all fortunate in that we get to train in a great area, the Momilani Suburb of Pearl City. Today, PC is considered a nice, central area that’s not so far from town, close to many stores, restaurants, theaters, schools, parks and all the amenities families desire. My wife and I have been residents of another great suburb, Mililani, for over thirty years, but we both grew up in PC and consider it our original home neighborhood. My family moved to PC in 1960, into the brand new tract homes of what was Phase I of Momilani – the rec center where we train at, is actually part of the Phase II development of Momilani, which came up in the late sixties. My wife’s family actually moved to and older part of PC around 1954, when the area below Highlands Intermediate School was constructed. So while we’ve been Mililanians since the late 70’s, we still regard PC as our old stomping grounds – and what changes there have been! In 1960, the “big” shopping center was the old Foodland (still there!) with ShopRite Drugstore located where the FoodCourt is today. Zippy’s sits where our favorite burger place (Scotty’s) used [...]