Memories of Kanai Sensei

By Mike Campagnolo (New England Aikikai)

As I sit here at 11:40pm exactly one month from the passing of Sensei I have decided to write and share my thoughts and feelings about this wonderful, thoughtful, caring, special person who I am so immensely fortunate to have known. There are so many things I could write that span over the past 8 yrs that would justify how I feel about him yet find it hard to highlight just one since there truly are many. To me, he personified dignity, honor and respect, without seeking it. It wasn't that he forced himself, his ideas or beliefs about how things should or should not be but rather allowed you to explore and seek out the truth. This was a true gift he had and one that I aspired to gain. Yes, it was his technical ability that I first was in awe of but at the same time I knew there was more...much more. So I packed up and moved from NJ to Boston to find out what it was that I was so drawn to. Needless to say I was not let down one bit and was simply amazed at what I had discovered. Not only did I become a better aikidoist but more importantly I became a better person. People, (Family included) would ask..."Why do you travel everywhere with him if he teaches at your school???" Very difficult question to answer and justify especially to a non-aikidoist.....Let alone other students at the school who didn't travel. And, now it is all clear and I would never have traded one trip, one meal, one conversation, one anything for what I had.

Kanai Sensei's compassion for people was also something special that is at the forefront when I think of him.....He never wanted people to feel bad or down and always tried to make people feel good in some way.......whether it was his amazingly warm smile after he hadn't seen someone on the mat for a week or so and would come over like it was a lifetime and GENUINELY show concern for where they were or if they were ok, pat them on the back....., or someone had a problem at the dojo of some sort and he would not teach in order to stay with them in his office and figure it out(although we were all MAD on the mat!!!!:-) or have a visitor teach a class of HIS!! while he watched..!!...There is so much that I could go on for days....

I will leave you all with a short story that really touched me personally about 5 yrs ago:

I was at the dojo when I received a phone call from a school in Boston that wanted to add a new extracurricular activity to their school break to help round out activities for the kids, about 15 or so. I thought what a great opportunity to have some additional income for the dojo, so I asked Sensei what he thought and he said "sure you teach it"....So I set it up for two separate days and charged $10 (I think) for a couple of hours per student. (about a mat fee) When I was done the school gave me cash in an envelope and I happily brought it back to give to sensei...To my great surprise he wouldn't take it and despite repeated attempts to leave his office he made me - literally got out of his chair and ran at me!!! - take the money.....He even acted Mad at me....He said "you taught it you get paid."

His lesson was instilled.......Giving is better than receiving...Caring is much better than not caring....

In a world full of greed, jealousy, and Ego I found a man who loathed it all and taught how to avoid the bad and strive for the good.