Favorite Mementos
Over the past many decades of Martial Arts involvement, there really haven’t been too many physical items I could point to as something I treasure from my many days of budo training.
Memories are one thing, but mementos are something completely separate. For this reason, I would categorize a picture as a memory more so than a memento. I could point to a couple of finely crafted Trophies from my competitive days or maybe a patch from a friend and/or instructor, but other than that, I really could not point to any one martial art item that I would consider something I “treasured”, at least until a few years back.
For example, one of my old students wanted to start training in Karate again, after an almost 30-year hiatus, primarily because he was going to travel to Japan for the first time. I convinced my friend to expand his martial arts training and he decided upon the wonderfully serene (at times) art of drawing the sword known as Iaido. During his trip to Kyoto, Japan, my old student was able to purchase his Iaido uniform and Iaito (sword) from a store that provided him with such incredible service that his new Iaito (sword) became an instant “favorite memento”!
While certificates of rank and accomplishments are nice to have, they can be subjective and for me, their value depends on who actually is represented by these certificates. For the most part, as long as I have the respect of my various martial arts instructors and mentors, I really do not need a piece of paper acknowledging this respect. A “nice to have”, but ultimately not necessary. I do acknowledge that some grading or accomplishment certificates can be small pieces of art and can look good on a wall, but I feel this is more for aesthetic reasons than for the purpose of the certificate itself.
Nevertheless, as mentioned while I wasn’t looking for memorabilia, a visit to my Honbu Dojo (in Japan) a few years back changed my perspective. I met with Murakami Shihan before class and presented him with my usual assortments of Canadian gifts I bring each time we meet in Japan. Shihan then took my gifts went into the office and returned with a wrapped belt. At first, I simply thought it was a nice gesture and was putting it away, when Shihan insisted, I wear it. When I opened it, I realized that it was a fully personalized belt “presented” to me by Murakami Manabu, which is what it actually says on the belt. Additional embroidery included my name and the name of the SKIF organization.
You see, my personal belief was that the true representation of my discipline of Karate was the Black Belt. It basically symbolizes the effort that we put in to get to this certain “ability criteria” and of course all the political baggage that came with it. Rank over and above that is less important to me and so when Murakami Shihan presented me with such a personalized belt (at the Honbu Dojo, no less), it immediately became my “favorite karate memento”. I have worn it a few times, mainly when I attend Murakami Shihan’s classes, but now it will be permanently on display only. In addition, my wife found this really cool Belt Frame which allows me to hang the belt properly and looks great on my office wall.
Of course, I had to replace this “memento belt” with another modest but meaningful one. At first, I was going to use one of my older belts, when it was suggested to me by one of my Honbu Dojo instructors to purchase a new “memento belt” but this time it would be to commemorate my last visit to the Honbu Dojo in Tokyo, Japan. It is my opinion that for the Budo Black belt itself, the material must be of high quality as the beauty of a Kuro-obi is in its simplicity and minimalism, rather than ostentatious gaudiness.
In my example, my new Honbu Dojo training belt maintains only my name and that of the martial organization (in this case SKIF). The uniqueness of these new Honbu Dojo belts is that when Kanazawa Soke passed away, all new belts have his Mount Fuji signature, thus another reason I wear my new belt with pride.
I wonder if I am the only one or do you have a favorite martial arts memento that you cherish above all other keepsakes? I’d love to hear (and see) what yours is …
Pruim Shihan has regularly travelled to Japan in order to train with one of the world's foremost Karate masters, the late Kanazawa Hirokazu Soke (10th Dan Shotokan Karate) and his present instructor Shuseki Shihan Manabu Murakami (8th Dan).
Pruim Shihan also attended the International Budo University, located in Katsuura, Japan on several occasions for advanced Budo training where he was introduced to Atarashii Naginata.
Andries Pruim has written several articles over the past 30 years, with his most recent work focusing on the business side of the Martial Arts Industry.
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