Chapter Two
Master Yamaguchi Teaches [Buck becomes a Friend]
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The weather was warm in accounting free home software the summer of accounting free home software l968, a breeze from the bay seeped through the city, and the Turtles, the Doors and the Beatles music were being played everywhere, along with “Elvis’ Comeback”. Everyone dressed like Sonny and Cher, or the Momma’s and the Papa’s it seemed everyone but me that is; inasmuch as I liked the way everyone dressed, I found myself still quite conservative.
The trees along many of accounting free home software the streets especially Dolores Avenue were glossy green. I bought some bread, and white spread-on cheese, brought it to the dojo and put it in accounting free home software the refrigerator, I liked it, something new that I picked up here in accounting free home software San Francisco. Along with a corner store that would make any kind of accounting free home software sandwich you wanted.
Because of accounting free home software the change in accounting free home software weather from Minnesota to San Francisco, my eating habits were also changing, --to lighter foods that is, and less meats; --more Chinese foods also; I really didn’t care for accounting free home software Japanese foods. Some one brought in accounting free home software raw snake, or so it seemed with white rice in accounting free home software the middle of accounting free home software it, and offered it as a treat for accounting free home software us at the dojo one evening, it must have been Goesi, --but that is a guess, I can’t remember. Although I always seemed to have a good appetite, after a bite or two of accounting free home software the treat, I lost it for accounting free home software the rest of accounting free home software the evening; but as I was saying, with all the walking, and now working at Lilli Ann, the dress designing outfit, and doing my Karate everyday, my appetite was vigorous.
It was great to walk the night away along the ocean front with my karate friends, looking at the many fires along the Pacific Coast. The warmth of accounting free home software the fires shifted all the way to sensory-senses, smelling the burnt-wood on accounting free home software the fires, all several of accounting free home software us, watching the flickering of accounting free home software the flames, its sparks trying to ascend to the asteroid belt; --as the shinning moon glided across the water right to the edge of accounting free home software the coast, as if it had its orders stop right there. I felt it was a good time to be alive. I loved the water; --the sounds of accounting free home software the huge waves hit the banks of accounting free home software the coast. The white foam splattering all about. My days seemed endless, filled with so much
back in accounting free home software St. Paul, Minnesota, the Mississippi runs right through the city, all the way down to St. Louis, and onto New Orleans; and you got it, right to the Gulf of accounting free home software Mexico. As a kid I’d play down along its banks with my friend Mike Rosette. We were quite the team. We’d run in accounting free home software and out the caves along the cliffs that paralleled the banks of accounting free home software the Mississippi; sometimes dodging the drunks asleep snoring away the morning or as sometimes it would be, the afternoon. But this was different, this was not the Mighty Mississippi, Mark Twain’s haven, as he so loved to write about, as I loved to walk beside as a kid, --but this was the Gigantic Pacific Ocean, what I heard about, read about and now was in accounting free home software front of. It was hard for accounting free home software me to adjust to seeing so much water. Much alone, not see an end to it. It took my breath away, like standing in accounting free home software front of accounting free home software the Empire State Building looking up, or looking down the Grand Canyon. I had to run up to it just to say I touched it, got wet; as if it was sacred waters. But then anyone from Minnesota would have done the same I’m sure, or lied that they didn’t, --at first glance anyhow.
Also, along the Mississippi, you’d see rats as large as fat cats, or small dogs, here you seen white jelly fish, colored sea shells, among a few things. To everyone else it was common, to me I was spell bound. In St. Paul, they stopped allowing fires back in accounting free home software ’63, too many false alarms, and the fire company, or stations got sick of accounting free home software running for accounting free home software every fire around. We used to burn our trash in accounting free home software 50-gallon drums back then. After about six to nine months, grandpa would have me and my brother tip it over and empty it out into a dug out hole, and bury it. But those days were gone to; along with burning the fall leaves, I liked that also, the fall-smell of accounting free home software the leaves, the sparks, just like these fires. And so seeing the fires brought back memories, even though the relationship was quite different, they had their similarities.
“Buck,” I said, asking “The police don’t do anything about these people having fires, and sleeping the night away… smoking pot, or whatever?”
Buck looked at me strange, “No Chick, it’s just the times…everyone leaves everyone else alone here; or tries to. These people are just here for accounting free home software a short period of accounting free home software time, anyway.”
We stood and looked over the camps, the flames, until we finally got tired and headed back to the dojo; it seemed it was the meeting place. At least for accounting free home software me, because it was where I would sleep.
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The following evening Gosei was instructing a class, there was about thirty of accounting free home software us sitting around the dojo, legs crossed this evening. I was there three weeks ago when Big John, now a first degree black, had just gotten his belt promotion to black belt, then a week later, he was training with Buck, and was suppose to pull his punches because they were working on accounting free home software form and technique but Big John did not agree with the limitations it seemed, and smashed Buck in accounting free home software the face. Now a week after that event, here we are training and warming up for accounting free home software this evening, Gosei had us all sit back down after about twenty minutes, towards the walls, and called Big John out to help him with a demonstration. I felt something was going to happen; it was in accounting free home software the air.
About this time I was getting to know Gosei’s ways pretty well. He was a small man, quiet, but as fast as lightening, and you just never knew what was on accounting free home software his mind, as if he was always thinking. I’ve seen he throws combination after combination of accounting free home software punches and kicks, while demonstrating with Buck; I just never could get the camera to take quick enough pictures, there seemed always to have a blur in accounting free home software them showing the velocity. When the pictures got developed they by way of accounting free home software the blur, it was amazing to examine the picture and figure out how to work around his combination. And every time he did something, he had perfect balance. As I had learned in accounting free home software life, is the secret to life, in accounting free home software everything, physical, mental, spiritual, and psychological. If one of accounting free home software those elements were missing, I had a problem, or would have. On the other hand he was the most sensitive person on accounting free home software earth, and loved mankind in accounting free home software his own careful way. And knew somehow, the nature of accounting free home software a man, as he mixed it with his culture; that is to say, whatever was expected of accounting free home software the Japanese student, in accounting free home software Japan, was not necessary what he expected of accounting free home software Americans in accounting free home software America. Something I would pick up, not quite knowing where I had inherited it from, but as I would in accounting free home software the future do some traveling, I learned how to adjust in accounting free home software several different countries without any difficulties for accounting free home software extended periods of accounting free home software times. It is a mater of accounting free home software reasoning. In any case, and Goesi was the first to present this combination for accounting free home software my life travels I would need after I left San Francisco
as Big John got into his stance, and at this time I was a Green Belt, ready to get my Brown Belt any day, so I knew many of accounting free home software the moves that would take place, and had about a year and a half of accounting free home software karate practice under my belt prior to coming to San Francisco, of accounting free home software which a few months were with the Master Yamaguchi. As I was saying Big John was in accounting free home software his stance --and GoJo Ryu being a defensive style of accounting free home software karate, someone had to start and so Gosei made a false move, meaning just to motivate his opponent; possible this is what happened to Buck and John taking advantage of accounting free home software it because it was practice. In any case, then it happened: --Big John started throwing his long arms out, and Goesi got under them, around them, and must of accounting free home software hit him a half dozen times in accounting free home software the process; for accounting free home software John fell into a corner trying to push the punches away without much affect, which was another mistake of accounting free home software his, Gosei cut him done like a big oak tree because he left himself open then, until he was almost on accounting free home software his knees combinations were going faster than the eye could calculate, then he pulled back and stopped and bowed, walked away, and instructed the rest of accounting free home software us on accounting free home software what to do next. Nobody was talking about what happened, but I knew the subconscious of accounting free home software many were working overtime, mine was. I loved it. I knew Goesi was particular on accounting free home software how his students used their knowledge of accounting free home software karate, and one lesson was --I suppose, no one cares how much you know, until you show how much you care. And Goesi showed always how much he cared; and to be quite frank, so did Buck.
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Buck came over to me the next day and asked if I wanted to go to the Japanese movies with him; he really liked the sword fighters, the samurais. I liked doing that, --that is going to the movies and witnessing the samurai in accounting free home software motion, --I was in accounting free home software a different world, an interesting compared to my St. Paul world. Matter of accounting free home software fact, I would always hold a little interest in accounting free home software that area, after San Francisco, also; as well as Sumo wrestling of accounting free home software which I would attend one some thirty years down the road in accounting free home software Japan; as well as bullfights, I would attend in accounting free home software Mexico, and cockfights in accounting free home software Peru, and all matters of accounting free home software combat, I could absorb: --I even ended up in accounting free home software Argentina for accounting free home software a South American Championship boxing match some thirty-four years later.
I think Goesi had asked Buck, --in fear I’d go astray—or go drink myself to death, to befriend me a little. He was a real father figure for accounting free home software me, plus a hero of accounting free home software sorts, and was turning out to be a friend as well. And so we went. I like this particular one, or personage in accounting free home software the Samurai movie world, he was blind and could use his sword like Yamaguchi could his hands. If I’m not mistaken, once this Samurai cut a fly into. I think they had real good special effects in accounting free home software Japan for accounting free home software that movie; but I liked it. Buck liked Edgar Rice Burroughs also, he had read I think all seventy or eighty of accounting free home software his books, to include Tarzan, the Mars books, Venus ones and god knows what else. I couldn’t believe he read all them.
I was learning something from Buck, not only how to be a friend, and fight, but how it might be possible someday for accounting free home software me to go to college, it was in accounting free home software the back of accounting free home software my head----way back there; I was learning many things were possible. I guess I had never thought about it, or even put it to a vote for accounting free home software myself, but he was inspiring me, as I was learning. And in accounting free home software the years to follow I would end up going to four Universities, getting two degrees, and a Counseling License. At the time I’d have never dreamed of accounting free home software that. At best, possible a truck driver and that is not a cut, but reality.
The following weekend, Buck, Lorenzo and his wife, Tom [the banker], Coleman, the 2nd Degree Black Belt [a small black man], Joe, 2nd Degree Black Belt [Spanish], and I all went out to Golden Gate Park. It was monstrous. Every one playing freeze-bee, a fun game of accounting free home software sorts [you simply threw a disc made of accounting free home software rubber and the person on accounting free home software the other end would have to catch it like a ball]. I learned it quick, good for accounting free home software the reflexes Buck said. We all just walked around the park, played about, stopped and Lorenzo’s wife made some sandwiches, and we lay upon the grass waiting the day away; something I again was not used of accounting free home software doing, I was quite the restless person. As we left the park, there were hundreds of accounting free home software hippie kids all about, smoking joints; a few bands playing, car radios being played loud. On one side of accounting free home software me I could hear the song “The Battle of accounting free home software the Green Berets,” and on accounting free home software the other side was the theme of accounting free home software “The Good, Bad and the Ugly.” And the live band was playing: “We’ll sing in accounting free home software the Sunshine.” As we got into the car, I was hoping when Lorenzo turned on accounting free home software his radio, I’d hear some Elvis, or Rick Nelson music, or even Johnny Cash, but I knew most of accounting free home software my generation had shifted to the newer music, but everyone was talking so the radio never got turned on.
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Goesi and Buck were seemingly very close. Buck was about 5’10” about l80 pounds, short hair, very flexible with his body. A warm voice, slow to speak, yet quick if need be; --broad shoulders. He had a tan color to his skin, and was quite handsome. One might liken him to a loner, but I’d prefer to be the loner, and let him be the private person. I was never his companion to speak of, yet I might be considered his unrefined friend of accounting free home software sorts.
Often when I’d go into the dojo at night, Goesi would be working on accounting free home software some file, or doing some accounting, writing letters, signing certificates, I’d let him know it was me, and he’d ask me to play the guitar. He liked listening to it. I sat on accounting free home software the sofa and played, and sometimes I’d play for accounting free home software an hour or so. He liked several songs I played, one he kept asking me to play over and over and I did. Then he’d leave, lock the door behind him, the lights would go off and I’d go to sleep.
There was an old haunting story about this old dojo that scared the best of accounting free home software the tough black belts that would come around each year for accounting free home software the International Go Jo Ryu tournament, along with the ones that came were here on accounting free home software an everyday bases; also, no one, I mean no one wanted to sleep in accounting free home software the dojo. I guess they had in accounting free home software the past but after they slept once they never did again; it was the tapping of accounting free home software the ghost. I slept there all the time, going on accounting free home software three months. What everyone was scared of, I didn’t believe, ----I asked, and every time I did, it would come up “The Ghost.” Again, maybe a dump Midwestern didn’t get the drift, but I had time, I’d only have to wait for accounting free home software the tournament to come about, which was going to take place at the Cow Place soon, it was set for accounting free home software December, 1968. And then I’d sort out truth from fiction. It was all about ghosts for accounting free home software the most part, and the racket [noise] he or she made. I heard ghost’s stories before, you know them one everyone talks about, but no one experiences’. And I would guess until you do it sounded like foolishness to the best of accounting free home software men. But these people were telling me they had experience them, and in accounting free home software time, so would the black belts from around the world tell me the same story, and again, no one would sleep in accounting free home software the dojo. Ghost or not I was staying, plus where else would I go, so if he existed, he’d have to get used to me, and I to him. Plus, each night when I went to bed, I was half drunk anyway. So if he was around, he never woke me up.
I was somewhat ambiguous to everything, yet it didn’t matter, I was just living a dream, one unheard of accounting free home software for accounting free home software a person like me, coming out of accounting free home software a neighborhood of accounting free home software thugs, although in accounting free home software their own way, they were good folk, but none the less, drunks and thugs. And to be able to see the great man Gogen Yamaguchi in accounting free home software the near future, was a grand prize I didn’t expect. In the mean time, Goesi was teaching me how to use his expensive camera for accounting free home software the tournament. I would be the major photographer, he always seemed to give me more trust than I deserved, not sure why; and that to would stick with me,--as a good omen [it gave me confidence in accounting free home software other things along my road of accounting free home software life]. It would only be black belt participation, and they would come from all over the USA, to include Hawaii, Alaska, and New York City. Goesi wanted me to get trained and possible represent the Midwest with his blessings I guess. I would also get to meet his father, the “Cat”, Gogen Yamaguchi, one of accounting free home software the few 10th degree black belts in accounting free home software the world. The longer I stayed, the more San Francisco seemed to be pleasing to me, in accounting free home software a festive way, and a number of accounting free home software other ways.
As the day drew closer to the tournament, Gosei asked --leaning against the archway to the dojo, as I sat on accounting free home software the sofa about to take my karate coat off, and go on accounting free home software down to the bars. Not sure if Gosei knew I was spending time there, but if so, so be it, plus I don’t believe he knew how very much time I was there, “You will be the main photo man for accounting free home software the tournament, ok,” he said to me and smiled, “Yes sir,” I said, as he added, “You doing well with pictures. Are you eating?” Then he hesitated. I nodded my head yes.
He added:
“I get some complaints from neighbors that someone living here, and it is not good for accounting free home software apartment; something about city code. You must move in accounting free home software few weeks, Joe will help find place for accounting free home software you, I’m so sorry.”
He looked hurt to have to tell me, but he knew it couldn’t be anyone else. It was silly to think I could live here forever, well –it was rather a matter of accounting free home software when I had to move, not if I had to.
“…its fine sir,” I told Gosei, “I’ll start looking myself. He smiled a bit and walked back into his office. Looked at the piggy bank I gave him for accounting free home software his child. Funny I thought he left it there on accounting free home software his desk, not sure why. I never asked way, or for accounting free home software that matter talked back to him, it was much more interesting to listen to him, and learn, he was wise in accounting free home software many ways, and I would become the person I would become no matter what.
I didn’t buy many cloths in accounting free home software those days, I couldn’t afford them, plus at work, Mr. Green was giving me his son’s old cloths. He was much like my grandpa, always ornery, and nobody got along with him but me. My boss didn’t even get along with him, and was afraid to confront him because he would dominate him, and get him fired. But I seem to walk by him and never pay any attention to his moods, like grandpa back home whom my brother and I were raised by for accounting free home software the most part, that is, he and my mother. Grandpa would walk by me all the time mumble this and that. I seemed to absorb it like fish does water, and it rolled right off my back, or over my fins. My boss was shocked he was bringing me cloths. But then I was also.
Mr. Green would say, “The boy doesn’t wear this anymore, it looks better on accounting free home software you, --for the most part, take it…” I’d say, “You sure sir, it looks new…” and he’d look with a grin at me, then I’d say, “Well, I sure appreciate it,” and take it quickly so not to offend him, plus I did wear them; and needed them. Sometimes when I did wear them at work, I’d go out of accounting free home software my way so he would see me with the shirt on, and he’d show just a little pride around his lips. I learned some of accounting free home software the old grouches of accounting free home software the world were the most willing to give; --it was just that life had been hard on accounting free home software them. I suppose he got more appreciation from me than his boy; or so it sounded.
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