Enjoy End-of-2009 Festivities
One associate of mine (cannot honestly call him a “friend”) thought our dojo holiday classes were “unnecessarily frivolous”. The ninja martial art is a serious thing, he scolded. I chided back that we were indeed so very serious and our techniques so scaldingly deadly that we did not have to go around acting serious and deadly; only those who doubted their authenticity needed to maintain a grim and righteous look.
A friend once asked me in light of all my work with Tibetan Buddhist monks and Japanese yamabushi priests if I was offended by receiving Christmas cards.
Astonished, I replied, “No! Not at all!”
My family loves the Christmas celebration. We have two Christmas trees in two different living rooms in our house, both with haloed angles at the top. Rumiko loves to have pine boughs and red satin ribbons everywhere. When the girls were tiny, we used to go to a living Bethlehem manger display, complete with live donkeys, wisepersons, and baby Jesus. We get into the season.
In elementary school, my daughters brought home year-end dreidels that their Jewish friends had given them.
And early December is a Japanese celebration of Buddha enlightenment day. We’ve got that in there too.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa Joy, Akemashite Omedetou Gozaimasu, Tashi Delek, Solstice Brightness.
I never turn down an opportunity to join a celebration of anyone’s approach to brightness, warmth, family, and spiritual advancement.
Greetings of the appropriate season to you!
13 comments to “Enjoy End-of-2009 Festivities”
Wow!!! Santa is here ! Great Holiday picture showing what this season is all about ~ family and friends together in happy celebration!!!
By the way, looks like An-Shu santa is enjoying it most of all ! 😉
Merry Christmas to you An-Shu, your family, along with all the wonderful instructors and people of the Dayton Dojo ~ 😀
Bill
Stationed Overseas
LDS
Shirley & I just saw “My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding (based on a true story)” which kind of touched on this a bit, but did not express it as completely or as succinctly as your blog post.
Thanks for this Birthday Treat!
And a VERY Happy _ _ _ _ _ _ _ to you and Yours!!!
Well said An-shu, it’s nice to see everyone enjoying the holiday spirit(s) 🙂
To you all and everyone else-
Happy Holidays!
I always joke with our friends that in Bulgaria for 365 days we celebrate more than 700 holidays… Starting with the New Years Day, Name-days, Birthdays, our School’s holidays, National holidays… and many more to fill the gap between and to cheer and brighten the one’s spirit.
Life is too short to live it too serious.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Dear Mr. Hayes,
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year!
Whatever the reason,
for your party.
Just make sure,
you party hearty!
Mark
Have a wonderful and Happy Holiday An Shu!
One of the things that I love about being here is An Shu’s constant reminder that Celebration of Life is what a true martial art is all about!
I always wondered how you got around so much during the ’80s, An-Shu. Now we know! This also puts a new light on ‘Ryu-dolph’ and the rest of the nine reindeer.
Have a wonderful holiday!
Sam P.
That’s one of the reason’s that is so good to practice To-Shin Do.
We have true enlightended master.
Thanks for your fantastic words Mr. Hayes.
Merry Christmas to you and all your family.
Hugo Guedes
Well said and wonderful to hear. A Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours, Anshu!
Happy Holidays to you and your family Mr. Hayes.
May the New Year be filled with many wonderful,bright and precious blessings!!!
Thank you for all you do and all that you have done to share the wonderful “Life Giving” arts to rest of us!
Gambatte!!!
Isn’t life about enjoying everything that is enjoyable?
No matter what it’s called!
Greetings,
Hope things went well. So who are your elves then? I do what I can to get into the christmas spirit.
Just finished watching disc two of the earth home study course. Hoping to have something to show soon. But first got to finish getting my apartment ready for an inspection.