Of Chestnuts, Aikido, Death and Life

The first Farmer’s Almanac said that a fully grown Chestnut tree will feed a family of four for a year. The Chestnut, beyond being valuable wood for furniture making, was a poverty food. When all other food ran out, early American families knew they could survive if they had a single Chestnut tree.

I heard this on a radio program about the national effort to bring back the Chestnut after billions of them died about a century ago across North America from a fungal blight. A new hybrid has been developed that resists the blight, and efforts are being made to return this valuable tree across the US and Canada.

Tony leading Heaven and Earth dojo planting a tree donation in Herndon, Va.

I phoned Tony Breda and told him we should plant Chestnuts. He had heard the same radio program and immediately agreed. We had been talking about doing something involving planting and the outdoors with our dojo to teach the kids about growing things and connect them to the earth.

Life

Tony started aikido at 15. He had a number of breaks but always returned to it. For our dojo he was the life and heart of the school, my right hand and senior student. He supported every event we had, every class he could, sometimes driving long distances without sleep because of his work to make something we had going on. Most importantly for the dojo, he taught the kids, with a rare joy and connection. I think some combination of his joy for life, humility and curiosity for others, allowed him to see things from a child's perspective and communicate better with kids than most anyone I have met. He was a passionate gardener and grower, always there with his big Italian smile, hug, and laugh.

Tony teaching Paul and kids about growing seeds.

It had been Tony’s idea to do gardening with the kids. They would learn about where food came from, and we could donate the produce to a kitchen that fed those in need. O Sensei talked about Aikido’s connection to farming, and my teacher and mentor Sugano Sensei told me that to truly understand Aikido, one must farm. I wasn’t about to start farming as I barely had enough time to run a dojo, but I guessed I could commit to growing a few Chestnut trees. Tony agreed, and we decided to set about figuring out how to do it.

Death

Death is a part of life. It was recently the anniversary of a friend Keith and his wife's tragic death. Other friends and mentors gone too. I bow in front of the kamiza and remember them. One of those pictures at my kamiza is Tony.

The Chestnut conversation was four years ago. As Tony and I talked, he kept coughing and apologized, saying he was fighting a cold he couldn’t seem to shake. The cough was not a cold, and a short time later he was dead.

Tony meditating in his backyard a short time before passing.

It seems to me that aikido is a fight of life over death. Aikido emerged from the fire of WWII and the destruction of Japan in war, to become something for life instead of killing. Before WWII, aikido was considered the ultimate martial art to defend Japan. It is significant that many of the Founder's students were executed for war crimes. After WWII O Sensei transformed aikido became something life-giving, a vehicle to bring people together in practice and harmony.

I look on all other martial arts, and I just see death. This is in part because I have experienced war and death, so I see no difference from Karate, Jujitsu, sword and bow to the bullet, bomb, and Nagasaki. All killing. Sugano Sensei told me when I returned from war, “Killing is easy. All one needs is the mind of violence. Aikido is more.”

Aikido and Chestnuts

Aikido is more. In the aikido spirit of life over death, last Saturday we gathered to plant Chestnuts. For years I kept remembering talking to Tony about planting Chestnuts and finally decided I had to do something, or I never would. Hopefully, we will have a number in spring.

Brad, Charles-Olivier, and Paul dug the ground to plant the trees. Tony gave his love and energy to these students, and now they were completing that circle. Not just completing but continuing.

Paul and Charles-Olivier planting Chestnuts.

Sugano said, “Aikido is a circle, and a circle has no end.” We will plant a tree for Tony, for Keith, Sayoko, Sugano Sensei, and others, as we work on our connection with the earth and honor all those whose energy we continue with us. Each grown tree may feed a family for a year, make a beautiful cabinet or bed for someone.

May all our aikido be a Chestnut that grows to feed, to shade, to warm someone, past where we can see.

Brian Ericksen

Dojo-cho, 6th Dan

Heaven and Earth Aikido

Herndon, Va

*If other dojo's are interested in helping the return of the Chestnut in their area, please email BEricksen76@gmail.com to receive a seedling.