Sharing not Struggling

Written by
Sung Ju-hwan

December 2007

(Sung on the left of Homma sensei, Wada on the right holding O-sensei’s portrait)

Hi, my name is Ju-hwan Sung, a 3rd dan uchideshi of Ik-am Yoon sensei, Korea Aikido Federation. I’ve worked in UNPOL(UN Police) in Timor-Leste under UNMIT(United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste) for last 1 year as a close protection officer and a firearms instructor, now I’m back in Korea on end-of-mission. Here I write an article to share great experience with Aikido and Gaku Homma sensei I had there.

First I explain a brief history of TL. Timor-Leste is located between Indonesia and Australia, 2-hour away from Bali, Indonesia and 3-hour from Darwin, Australia by air. It is also the newest country in the world established in 2002. For over 400 years it was a Portugese colony, and as soon as it got independent in 1975, it became a colony again by Indonesia. In 1999, this country again suffered by struggles between pro-Independence group and pro-Indonesia group at the independence poll. Since then UN has set missions to help to establish national system. People in TL has been abandoned, more than 50% of them can’t read and make less than $1 a day.

In May, 2006, the strategic crisis occurred. TL is regionally divided by east and west. They don’t like each other. FDTL(armed forces in TL) was not an exception. Western personnel of FDTL have been frustrated by Easterners who dominate all the high ranks, so they held an demonstration which developed as gun battles between PNTL(local police) and them. More than 20 police were killed at the time, and also more than 50,000 civilians became IDP, Internally Dispersed Population. Since then, IDPs have been living in over 10 camps located over Dili(the capital of TL) given by UNHCR. Because of the incident, this new country went again under agony with collapsed law & order. That’s why UN dispatch more than 1,600 UNPOLs for the new mission UNMIT, which is the biggest number among civil-based UN missions.

I came to TL on Dec 1st, 2006. Frankly speaking, I’d never heard of TL at the time. It was just that I’ve always wanted to be in new area as police and going there could be a good test on myself as ‘Musha Shugyo’ (training as an samurai) in “AIKIDO WAY”, not the ways shown in Hollywood action movies.

TL also has troubles with Martial Arts Groups. They fight almost everyday and many killed by slingshots or machetes. They were just gangs manipulating names of martial arts. The image on MA from locals was very bad, which made me so sad, I decided to teach Aikido to locals using my free time so let them know the real meaning of MA, “discipline”.

Aikido was firstly introduced by an Italian from ADB(Asian Development Bank) in 2003. But he left the country after 4 months. Again, Yoshikazu WADA(1st dan) from JICA came to TL in 2005 and had conducted it until the crisis in May 2006. I contacted Mr. WADA again to resume the class.

The new class started last March with 3 persons including Ziad Abuamer(1st dan), my colleague from Egypt. In the same breath, I contacted local MA groups leaders who aren’t gangs, made good relationships. News of UNPOL teaching a new MA spread, locals have been joining after watching our training. Many of them are IDP(refugees), domestic violence victims. Now more than 30 students are enjoying Aikido class.

I began to send reports of my Aikido activity in TL to the senseis that I know including Homma sensei. I served Homma sensei as an interpreter when he visited Korea just before my departure to TL.

To maximize the momentum, I gave an idea of ‘Friendship MA Demonstration’, which was agreed by other MA group leaders including Taekwondo, Karatedo, Shorinji Kempo. It was held in last Sep 29th, a big success in presence of local and international politicians. Locals and even UN staffs never have seen MA groups working in harmony, reconsidered true meaning of ‘discipline’. TV, newspapers broadcasted the news. Now MA groups stepped one step forward to re-establish their image against gangs.

Then finally Homma sensei made his visit to Timor-Leste, definitely beyond my expectation. Firstly when I got a mail from Ms. Emily Busch, I yelled in office with intolerable joy, but soon felt like having big pressure over my shoulder. He’d never answered or given comment on my report and TL is far-far away from Denver, USA! ‘The distance and air-fare doesn’t matter to him? And how can I alone serve the world famous shihan?’

‘Serving and watching Homma sensei, you will learn what is the ‘real strength of Aikido’, and whom an Aikidoka should be like.’ Yoon sensei told me on the phone.

* *

“Techniques of AIkido is not typically strong. But the real strength of Aikido is something else.”

Homma sensei arrived at Dili airport, TL at 1500h on 17th, November with 2-hour delay of the flight. Actually the seminar was to begin already at the time, but the only flight connecting TL to the other country delayed several hours. I worried about his condition from a long-trip and delay, so considered to cancel the day’s schedule, but he was so energetic and generous to hurry directly to the GMT gym, where students were waiting. We could begin the class at 1530h.

Every student enjoyed his seminar beyond 100%. They were so happy to see that one of the great figures in Aikido world, who began the class with shaking hands with each student, has greater personality, and they got even happier to have his signature on their uniforms. And I, too, appreciated his continuous tips on teaching methods of Aikido;

“How to do Aikido and how to teach Aikido are different.”
“If they were glad with a sensei from a faraway country asking them to shake hands first, and taking pictures with me, it’s worth to come to this country.”

While serving Homma sensei by myself in TL, I learned a lot from conversations with him. History of Aikido, reasons of techniques’ change, behind-stories of O-sensei and famous senseis, management of sensei’s dojo Nippon Kan and AHAN(Aikido Humanitarian Active Network). The whole thing was so valuable advice not about techniques, but about how to be a good person. But still, sensei pointed out the ‘right or wrong’ and gave me rational and straight answers on Aikido’s behind story and technical aspect, what I dared to ask. On the contrary, my love on Aikido got bigger and deeper.

“‘Bu’, the martial, in Chinese character is often misunderstood as ‘to stop a spear’, so many think it in a technical level to catch a thrusting spear. But it really means ‘to abandon a spear’ to avoid a fight. Physical strength is to decrease after the peak.”
“You should avoid becoming ‘a Naked King'”

Sensei showed himself that the real strength of Aikido is to make friends in horizontal relationship, not in pyramidal one. Seeing 57-year-old sensei’s informality doing laundry and room-cleaning and kindness which demolishes barriers to have conversations friendly with anybody, I could see those were the origin of his world-wide fame and ‘strength’.

One of my friends told to me after a dinner with him;
“He is not a nice person. He is SUPER-NICE!”

Closing this article, here I give my sincere thanks to Homma sensei & Ms. Emily Busch. You showed Timorese that discipline is for sharing, not struggling.

Thank you very much, Arigato Gozaimashita!

p.s. Homma sensei left TL by plane on 22nd, Thursday. Merpati Air delayed 30 minutes again as usual. He was to go to Bangladeshi soon after arrival at Tokyo, Japan. He said that he enjoyed and learnt a lot during 6 days in TL. I felt Homma sensei is ‘a General in the Front Line’. I took a picture of his broad back.

p.s. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary General of UN visited the country after I left TL.. Ziad and 4 others demonstrated Aikido in front of him, got a big applause. Aikido in TL is now a symbol of good relationship between UNPOL and locals, and reconstruction of the country. The Aikido class for civilians is being asked to increase its number.