Kusari Fundo

We had an hour for lunch, but both of us silently agreed we were both exhausted and had decided to just hang out on the dojo floor as everybody else cleared out.

It had been an intense morning of training under the master, and this was a chance to write down some notes and get some stamina back for the afternoon session.

Can I see? Asked a voice as a hand pointed to the kusari fundo in my training bag, which was open from taking my notebook and pencil out.

Turning around I was surprised to see the master, and it took me a few moments to respond as I stared at him blankly.

How had he entered the room and come over without both of us noticing, as my friend was equally as surprised.

Should I have been surprised?

This was the same master who last time when we were all training in a field had pointed to a crow flying overhead, called it down and had it land on his shoulder.

I can remember if I even said anything, reaching down and passing the kusari fundo to him.

Smiling, he passed and flourished it around with such flow that it turned invisible, a brief few second with me trying to figure it out just what he was doing.

Very nice! He responded with a smile returning it to me before walking off.

I often knew I was over my head and out of my league in these training events. I was only there by invite only from my own teacher and the sponsor of the master as a kindness to the dedication I had to training.

Even so, in this brief exchange I realized just how far there was to go.

The kusari fundo was something that I had taken a liking to a few year ago, and it was a training tool that I was constantly practicing with- it was always with me and in my training bad. If a teacher or a shihan had called me up on stage to demonstrate it, I felt, before this that I could represent it well.

The key to when you see a new level of training, it to embrace the possibility and let go of any sorrow or regret.