Years ago I am proud to say I served in the USN. As such I now go, on occasion to various Veterans events and to the VFW to help anyway I can. At our post we have a Veterans POW / MIA Remembrance table and setting. Im sure many of you are familiar with it and its symbology. I go to thinking about not only Veterans whom I have known and passed but also the numerious Martial Artist. I was reading the Remembrance script and decided to write a Remembrance script for Martial Artist.
SImply entitled Remember
SImply entitled Remember
Remember
As you entered into this place surely you noticed the setting here in this place of honor
It is set for four, representing the martial arts found around the four corners of the world
North, South, East and West
Let me Explain
The Martial arts are full of symbology
This setting is our way of symbolizing that members of our Martial Arts family are missing from our midst
They are commonly called Warriors, Martial artist and Ancients
We are proud to have called them our Friends
Our brother Martial Artist are unable to be with us and so we remember them
The setting is small, yet elegant thorugh its simplicity
The single flower symbolizes the frality of life
The cloth is white to symbolize the purity of thier intentions
The white belt symbolizes the circle of life,
No begining, No end
The knife symbolizes their strength, Wisdom and Patience
The bowl of rice and soup remind us of thier hunger for knowledge
The salt reminds us of thier bitter fate
The rolled uniform reminds us of the times we trained and the knowledge they shared.
The Sake Glass is inverted, they can not toast with us, but we will say a toast for them.
The mats are empty, they are not here with us
The small candle symbolizes a ray of hope in darkened times
ALL of you, who trained with them, knew them, laughed and broke bread with them, Who looked to them for their Strength, Courage, Guidance, Wisdom and Love
REMEMBER THEM
For surely they have not forgotten YOU.
They await us, To show us the secrets. To one day again, train with them and the Angels in Heaven
To prepare us for the ultimate battle of Good vs Evil
To have almighty God as our Sensei
They live ON through us, Remember and Honor Them
