Me sa Higa

Me sa Higa

There are many things that exist beyond the ken of man.

Preconceived ideas, fear, and unwillingness to view unconventional practices with an unprejudiced eye stymies personal growth and isolates one from truly finding their place in this wondrous world.

This story is a testament of how an open mind will allow one to enter a realm reserved for those daring enough to have their conventional beliefs tested.

I was stationed in Okinawa, the largest island in the Ryukyu chain. The Okinawan people were not Japanese. They had a unique culture that had survived many assaults by the Japanese prior to WWII. These hearty people struggling to maintain their identity through all the conflicts.

Also known as the birthplace of Karate. “Open Hand” fighting.

Special Services arranged a demonstration of Karate on the base.

I watched with amazement this deadly ballet, the movements so fluid, the combatants so aware of their body in the space around them. I had to check this out.

After the demonstration I waited to ask questions and praise what I had seen.

One of the white clad warriors asked me, “You like karate?” “Yes” I said. I started to jabber and learn as much as I could. He held up his hand and said, “You want learn karate?” “Yes, Yes” I stammered. “Karate no just fight, Karate in head.” I figured out he meant the mental training is as important as the physical. “You go see me sa Higa, Motobu” and gave me a card with the address printed in Kanji.

Later that week our mission load dropped drastically and I had plenty of free time on my hands. I planned to “Go see me sa Higa.”

The next day I rode my motorcycle up to Motobu. I had been there a few times and taken the ferry to IE Shima the Island where Ernie Pile was killed.

There was a restaurant at Motobu that served spaghetti, fried in a wok, then served with a great red sauce. I could eat there and have the address deciphered.

When my food arrived, I handed the card to the cook and asked where the address was located.

“You see me sa Higa?” he asked “Hai” I replied. Mistake. He rattled off a string of Japanese I didn’t understand. “Wa keri mus sen” I said and I held up my hands. I don’t understand. My Japanese was limited. He drew a crude map and pointed out the door.

“Arregato” I called out as I passed out the door. “Wa keri mus ka” he replied. I understand.

The directions were good and I found myself at a gate to fenced compound. Not large, about the size of a residential lot. I walked into the compound trough an immaculate rock garden to the porch. I sat down to take off my boots when the door opened behind me. I looked around to see a small man in the doorway. “You me sa Higa?” I asked. “Hai” was his reply. Yes. “I come learn karate.” I told him. “You always talk like that, boy?”

“No Sir” I stammered. “I thought.” “Lesson One” he interrupted “Don’t think you already know the situation.” “When you get your boots off, come inside.”

I found me sa Higa sitting at a low table. He motioned me to sit across from him.

I sat cross-legged on the tatami mat in front of him. He looked me in the eyes and asked, “Ever kill anyone?” What the hell have I gotten into I thought. He saw the confusion in my face and asked again. “Did you?” “Yes” I confessed. “In the war?” he asked next. “Yes” “How did you feel about it?” “I did what I did to survive.” “I try not to think about it.” It was an honest answer.

He asked to see my hands. He studied my palms, turned them over and inspected the back of my hands noting the scars and healing injuries along my arms as well.

“You want learn karate?” he joked. We both laughed and it lightened the mood.

“You have the hands of a healer not a fighter.” He said. “The power of the body comes from control of the mind.” “Karate trains the mind to control the body for defense.”

“The power to heal comes from the heart.” “When the heart is trained with the mind you have more power than the body.” I was totally confused at this point. He continued, “Watch.”He lit a candle in a glass vase small enough to fit in your palm. He placed his hands on both sides of the vase and closed his eyes. The candle flame flickered and went out.

I was stunned. I had seen the whole thing in front of my eyes. He didn’t blow out the candle and there wasn’t a breeze. The frigging flame went out by the power in his hands.

Those karate guys could hop and jump all they wanted; I just saw a guy put out a candle with some magical power.

He opened his eyes and a peaceful aura seemed to surround him.

“That is the power of Atsui te.” “It means Hot Hands.”

“You want learn hot Atsui te?”

He saw the impact his demonstration had on me and suggested I return in two days.

“Think about what you saw today.” He said. “If I don’t see you again, I understand.”

Me sa Higa’s display really rattled me. I know a little slight of hand and can make a quarter disappear. But this was totally different.

I rode back to the base like a zombie. Had dinner at the chow hall but didn’t taste the food. I was walking back to the barracks when a friend stopped me. “What’s the matter?” “You walked past me like I wasn’t there.” He asked. “I’m sorry Jeff,” “I saw something weird today.” I said. “We’re back on The Rock.” He replied,” There’s nothing here that could be weirder than the shit we see in the bush.” “Snap out of it bro, the spooks will put you on the black list.” Jeff was right. They kept an eye on us. If you were put on the black list your clearance was gone and you would spend at least 2 months with the shrinks.

“Thanks man, it don’t mean nothing.” I said. He turned to leave and I stopped him and asked. “What do you know about Karate?” “I know those little guys can kick my ass.” He joked. “Really, what do you know?” I pressed. “You remember that big guy in 3rd RECON?” he said. “Yes, they called him Mr. Kung Fu.” “Butch or Brian something.” I offered. “That’s the Guy, if there is anything to know he will.” “Really dude, pull it together.” He said and walked toward chow.

Yea, Mr. Kung Fu. I knew him. Big guy but he moved like a cat. He had extended his tour to finish his training here. I would track him down tomorrow.

I couldn’t sleep and tossed most of the night. I wanted to find out what Brian knew.

I found him the next afternoon. He remembered me from a previous adventure. I offered to by him a beer and I wanted to talk. We got our beers and found a quite spot to sit.

He started the conversation by saying “If you’re going weird, I don’t want you covering my rear.” “It’s cool, I’m still mean.” I assured him. “I want to know about Karate, not the tourist stuff, the real deal.”

He launched into a description of the different styles how he progressed and his amazement at how easily he could still be defeated by much smaller men with more skill.

I cautiously asked if he had heard of putting out candles with your mind. That got his attention. He swung around, put his hands on the table and stared at me.

“Where did you hear about that?” he asked.

“Around; what do you know about it.” I answered.

“Dim Mak, they call it the Death Touch. There are several techniques from China and Korea but those are pressure points. The candle deal is rumor but a lot of people are afraid of it.”

“Thanks man.” I got up and left my unfinished beer.

Tomorrow was the deadline. I still had not decided whether to go.

I tossed in my rack again that night. About midnight I saw me sa Higa’s face in my mind.

The aura I felt after his candle trick seemed to envelop me. I felt at peace for the first-time sense I met him. I decided to go and fell into a restful sleep.

Me sa Higa met me at the compound gate.

“Good morning me sa Higa” I said.

“You still got that speech problem boy.” “It’s Mister Higa but you may call me Harold.”

Yes, this was weird. But for some reason I felt calm and followed him into the house.

On the table between us was a bamboo stalk. He told me to put my hands together with the fingers straight in front of me. He placed his hands on either side of mine and closed his eyes. Almost immediately I felt a tingle that started in my hands and moved up my arms. He opened his eyes and told me to feel the bamboo stalk. I picked up the stalk and held it in both hands. It was cool to the touch and smooth. “Close your eyes and feel the bamboo.” He repeated.

I closed my eyes and concentrated, the texture of the bamboo seemed to change. I felt minor scratches, the steps of the growth rings. My fingers started to feel the individual fibers of the stalk. It was like reaching into the very heart of the plant itself.

I opened my eyes. It took a moment to reorient myself and found me sa (Harold) smiling at me. “Very Good” he said. “What did you feel?” I explained that I felt connected and a part of the plant. That I could feel the individual parts and the whole stalk at the same time. He handed me a rock next. It was the same effect but not as profound. He explained that the bamboo was living, the rock didn’t have a life force to connect with.

Most of that day I spent “Feeling Up” stuff. A few times me sa Higa would have me stop, put my hands together and place his over mine. Recharging the magic, I thought.

A simple pineapple viewed in this manner added to my amazement of how diverse and complex this world is.

It was late afternoon and we were both hungry.

“Let’s have spaghetti in town.” I offered “I’ll treat.”

“No” he said “Yakisoba, Hiro makes the best on the Island.” “Ichi Ban” (number one)

“Sounds good to me.” I agreed.

We walked to the porch, he slipped on his shoes and I laced up my boots. I grabbed my helmet and me sa Higa said “We will walk.”

He closed the compound gate and we started down the dirt road to the restaurant.

A half mile down the road he stopped. I walked back and stood in front on him.

“You move well.” “Grab my wrist, hard” he said.

I grabbed his wrist and held it. “Harder” he growled.

I increased the pressure until I thought I must be hurting him.

Me sa Higa smoothly rolled his arm, palm up, out to the side. I was immediately left grasping air. At this point I thought nothing he could do would surprise me.

“When you felt the bamboo with your hands the strength of the bamboo was hidden.” “When you felt the bamboo with your heart the strength was revealed.” He continued.

“The strong of heart are mighty.” He started down the road again.

We didn’t speak. I was left to ponder the bamboo riddle and how he broke my hold so effortlessly.

We reached the restaurant and me sa Higa went in first.

Hiro saw me sa Higa and rushed out from the kitchen.

“Ohio me sa Higa Sama” he said and bowed low.

“Ohio Hiro san. “he bowed slightly and lightly laid his palm on Hiro’s head. Then said, “Nee yakisoba dozo.”

Ohio means Hello. I was surprised that Hiro used the suffix Sama when he greeted me sa Higa. The san suffix is a polite form of address, like using Mr. or Mrs. The Sama suffix is reserved for persons of high respect and importance.

Nee yakisoba dozo means two yakisoba please.

Hiro guided us to a table, wiped the top and motioned us to sit. Then he rushed back to the kitchen to prepare our food. “Want a beer?” me sa Higa asked me. “Yes please, I could use one.” “Me too.” He said and then called to Hiro. “Nee Nago Meisu dozo.”

Nee is two. Dozo is an informal please. Nago Meisu is an island slang for Orion Beer.

Nago is the Island capital to the south and meisu is water. Nago Water. The brewery is in Nago.

The beer and glasses were set on the table. We poured our glasses full and toasted “COM PI” and took a long drink. “SAKE” me sa Higa called and the little flask and two cups appeared.

You don’t sip sake, at least I don’t. You slam it back and swallow as fast as you can before it dissolves your dental work. This was not the weak stuff you buy in the states. This was home brew that will catch fire.

Our food arrived along with two more bottles of Nago Meisu. We refilled our glasses and toasted again. “COM PI” we took chopsticks from the glass in the center of the table and started to eat. None too early. One beer and two shots of sake on an empty stomach, I was feeling a little buzz.

Yakisoba is thinly sliced meat, whole chopped onions with the green stems, a few other vegetables in a brown sauce with soba noodles. Very good and I told me sa Higa so.

“Yes” he said “Real beef, not dog like other places.”

“I’ll drink to that.” “COM PI” and two more beers were brought out.

We finished our meal another beer later and Hiro brought out one more round of sake.

We toasted Hiro for the wonderful meal, a standing “COM PI” the sake burning all the way down to my toes. “Aregato” I said “Ikura.” Thank you, how much.

Hiro looked insulted. “me sa Higa come no money, you come me sa Higa no money too.”

“Aregato ga zi mast ta.” “gomen a sigh” thank you very much, forgive me if I offended you.

Hiro and me sa Higa spoke briefly, I only understood gui zhing, foreigner, me.

“Hiro san” “me sa Higa sama” they bowed to each other and me sa Higa touched Hiro’s head again.

“I wanted to buy you dinner.” I said “You have taught me a life changing skill and we never discussed payment for your training.”

“I don’t need money and Hiro was honored to serve us a humble meal and drinks.”

“What did you say to Hiro?” I asked “I heard guy shing.” He chuckled and said “I told him you were my son.”

“Your Son?” “You don’t even know my name.” I exclaimed. “I know your heart.” he said “That is more important.”

We walked the rest of the way in silence.

At the compound he said to take off my boots and come inside.

He was sitting at the small table and I saw the sake and cups. I sat down.

“Today you have learned much, tonight you have drunk much.” “Stay the night and rest.”

One last sake accompanied by “COM PI”.

My legs were cramping so I stood up and immediately started to fall over, my balance was shot. I reached to a post in the room for support. I fell against the post and held on for balance. I closed my eyes for a moment. I saw a petite Okinawan woman smiling at me. A smile like I remember my grandmother would give me. “son, son, SON.” It was me sa Higa calling. “I saw Uki.” I said. “Your wife,” “she smiled at me.”