| Suenaka Ha Tetsugaku Ho | |
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| Aikido of Atlanta | ||
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Student Article
Once a Student, Always a Student
I was no more than eight years old when my best friend then and now, Ronnie Banik, came over to my house along with his parents. As usual, we would spend our times playing video games, riding bikes, and of course, watch a full hour of NWA Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling?. Ronnie started talking to me about how much he enjoys the karate class he’s taking. Before I could ask a question, another best friend of mine known as Vinay Rajagopalan, pops his head up and says to me "If you come to class, you should not horseplay!" "Horseplay? What’s that?" I asked. "It’s something you should never do in Sensei's class!",replies another best friend of mine, Giri Rajagopalan. To this day, the four of us remain close and keep in touch, and I remain, and will always remain, a student of Suenaka Sensei. Throughout time, I have been fortunate to stay on the right path. The purpose of my thesis is to share with the reader the experiences I’ve had studying Wadokai , the people I’ve crossed paths with, and how it's helped me practice love and peace to others. I remember my first day of class like it was yesterday. A man was sitting on the mat, stretching. I looked at my sister and said, "Oh man, am I going to have to practice with him? He’ll kill me!" Shortly after, the man known as Sensei Tanis looked at me, smiled, and said "Hey, you must be Giri’s friend!" The next thing you know, my sister, Veena, and I had made our first friend in the karate class. Sensei Tanis, in no time at all, became a big role model. He strongly encouraged us to learn the Japanese translations for the techniques we do in class and assisted us during class anytime we had problems with our techniques. Ronnie then took me to the back room where everyone was changing, including Suenaka Sensei. It felt as if I had already met him, especially after hearing so much about him from Giri, Vinay, and Ronnie. I was welcomed with open arms, and it’s no coincidence that I always look forward to hugging Suenaka Sensei whenever I see him, just like when I was eight years old. As effective as the techniques are, we learned from day one never to perform these techniques on someone else unless in self defense. That lesson remains in me today. As time passed, so did my time away from the dojo. I drifted away and basically watched TV while finishing school. In a nutshell, I become a lazy bum. During high school, it improved. I got more and more interested in tennis and lifting weights. Those were fun days, but there was something missing. Before I knew it, I was ready to go to college at Clemson University. At that point in time, my interest in weightlifting grew tremendously. It was probably due to spending lots of time with Ronnie. We bonded, and spent lots of our time in the gym. In 1993, however, I experienced a bulging disc problem in the right side of my neck. My right side felt as if it shut down. It took about 4-6 weeks to recover, but I knew something needed to change. The fall semester of 1993 begins with several clubs sitting at booths presenting what they do. There was a lady talking about Aikido, so I stopped. I said, "Suenaka Sensei taught me karate in Charleston." She replied, "My name is Sensei Francis [Melfi]." Shaking hands, she said "I study under Suenaka Sensei, and he’ll be here in December if you want to see him." I really got enthused. After all, I was 21 years old, not 7. I then looked at Sensei Francis and asked "Do you think he’ll remember me?". She replied, "Suenaka Sensei, of course he will!" Time in college also meant long hours in the computer labs, whether it be studying for exams, or building computer programs. My time was thin, and I didn’t have much time for anything outside of school. However, in time I started managing my time a lot better because I knew that I’d be a student in college only once, and I’ll regret it if I don’t make the most of it. Over the Christmas holidays in 1994, Ronnie and I had a beer at Applebee’s in Charleston. We were having our normal "guy talk", when suddenly he looks at me and says "Arun! I think that’s Sensei sitting behind us! Let’s say hello to him when he’s done eating." Within minutes, the two of us were hugging Suenaka Sensei. Another person sitting next to him, introduced himself as Sensei Chad Taylor. That night, I promised them and myself that I will start training again. I walked in the Clemson dojo and instantly, memories of my experiences from the karate class came back. I was now 22. At first, I would attend only once a week, but before I knew it, I started attending regularly. Sensei Francis, Sensei Chad, Sensei Jerry, Sensei John, and Sensei Dan were great people to learn from. I couldn’t believe that I was back in, and was overwhelmed by how great it felt once again! Spring Break approached, and I counted the minutes until I would step foot once again into the Hombu Dojo. I walked in, and I introduced myself to the students warming up. To my surprise, many of them remembered me when I was taking the kid’s karate class! Suenaka Sensei then walked in. I was an adult now, and seeing Suenaka Sensei once again for the first time in 15 years was an experience I’ll never forget. It was an honor to hug Suenaka Sensei once again and attend his class. Through Sensei Chad, I understood a lot more of Suenaka Sensei’s relationship with O’Sensei. It was an honor just to be in the same room as him. I graduated from Clemson in 1995, and moved to Atlanta where I started practicing under Shihan Fen Ackerman. I was still pursuing a Master’s degree, but Shihan’s classes were those where you can’t help but want to return for more. I was determined to do both, and I did. After getting married in 1998, my wife Sonya and I moved to Mableton, GA, where I started practicing at Sensei Scott Kelley’s new dojo in Marietta. Now, it was my turn to help a new dojo begin, an opportunity I love and still do. I remembered my experiences all the way back to when I was seven, and I draw on each one of them to help new students grow. To say the least, being a student of Suenaka Sensei has helped me become a better person, and I draw upon his teachings everyday when faced with encounters, whether it be a bully, a high pressure task at work, providing for my family, etc.. I will always be a student eager to improve on myself and help others in need. I hope one day to walk in the dojo with my son, Ajay Mathur, now 17 months old. Until then, once a student, always a student. Please note. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site.Please contact Marietta Martial Arts or Shihan Kelley for verification of any of the information contained on this site.
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