Free Legends of the Martial Arts Masters by Susan Lynn Peterson Page B

in his sleeve inside out. “I don’t have any money.”
    “Figures,” said the loud one. “Then give us some tobacco.” “Sorry,” Funakoshi said. “I don’t smoke.”
    “No money, no tobacco. Looks like we’re going to have to beat you up after all.” The big thug took a step forward, slapping his stick into his hand.
    “Perhaps you’d consider taking these, instead.” Funakoshi held up the small sack he was carrying. The loud thug snatched it out of his hands and peered inside.
    “Cakes,” he grumbled. “Is that all?” “Yes, I’m afraid that’s all.”
    “Well, I’m feeling generous,” said the loud one. “Get lost, squirt. We’ll wait until next time to beat you up.”
    Funakoshi sat with Itosu, his teacher, the next night. They sipped tea together and Funakoshi told him about the thugs he had faced on his way to Mawashi.
    “You found a way not to hurt them,” Itosu nodded approvingly. “Good. Very good.”
    Funakoshi lowered his head modestly. But inside he was beaming at his teacher’s praise.
    “But you lost your cakes,” Itosu observed. “What did you offer at your in-laws’ altar?”
    “A heartfelt prayer,” Funakoshi answered smiling. His teacher laughed.
    “I think you offered your wife’s family something much more valuable than cakes,” he said, pouring Funakoshi another cup of tea. “You offered them the knowledge that their daughter is married to a good man, one who can protect her if he has to, but who can control himself and his temper even when challenged.”
    Funakoshi sipped the tea and smiled.

 
    M orihei Ueshiba was the founder of the Japanese art of aikido. As a young man, he studied jujitsu, as well as sword and spear techniques. While in the Japanese army he was certified to teach combat arts to soldiers. Later in his life, however, he decided that attacking another person, even for a good reason, upsets the harmony of the universe. He developed aikido, which is a completely defensive art. Aikido students refer to Ueshiba as Osensei, which means “hono red teacher.”
     
     
     
     The Strange Disappearance of Morihei Ueshiba
     
     
    Morihei Ueshiba was a man of rare abilities. One day during a demonstration he asked five American military police officers to hold him down, to restrain him as they would restrain a dangerous criminal. The police officers surrounded Ueshiba Osensei. Five young, strong soldiers latched onto the small, eighty-year-old man. One by one, the police officers were tossed off the pile like rag dolls until Ueshiba Osensei was able to stroll through the midst of them completely free. The people who observed the demonstration say he wasn’t even breathing hard.
    Another time during a demonstration he defended himself unarmed against a sword master with a bokken, a wooden sword. The man could easily have knocked out or even killed a lesser opponent. But Ueshiba Osensei seemed able to read the sword master’s mind. He ducked and dodged, smoothly, easily. The sword master used his most effective techniques against Ueshiba Osensei, but was unable to touch him. Later Ueshiba Osensei said that he could see the path the sword would take before it even moved. The path appeared to him like trails of light in the air. All he had to do was stay outside the trails.
    These demonstrations were remarkable, without a doubt. But perhaps more remarkable, and perhaps more unbelievable, was the time Ueshiba Osensei vanished into thin air.
    Ueshiba Osensei was talking with several of his students at home one evening. The students were talking about the mysterious powers of the ninja.

    “It is said,” a student remarked, “that a ninja can climb straight up the side of a building without ropes or ladders. Surely that takes mysterious powers.”
    “That’s not so mysterious,” said another. “They have claws they strap to their hands and feet. The claws dig into the wood or the mortar between the bricks. A ninja climbing a building is no more