Post by Nighthawk on Nov 9, 2012 22:15:56 GMT -6
“Aspire rather to be a hero than merely appear one.”
Baltasar Gracian Spanish Philosopher 1601-1658
As Nighthawk sits down in the parking lot of the Richmond Coliseum, slowly pulling the tape off his wrists as he folds up his gloves in the back of his gym bag, one cannot help but wonder how much of his mind is on his rematch with Caleb Lockwood. For while the Chicago native knows just how close he came to what might be his defining NCW performance, he did it while realizing that his mentor Mr. Tanahashi is very ill, and specifically requested his presence in Japan. However, whenever he thinks about abandoning his contract and heading off to be with his mentor, he remembers the lessons which not just Mr. Tanahashi, but all the men who played some role in his professional development, taught him. Thus, in the eyes of the “Wrestling Machine”, the conflict becomes as evident as anything.
Does he stand with the man who helped to make him what he is? On the other hand, does he live up to what that mentor would have wanted him to do, and give Caleb Lockwood the hard fought match that he knows he desires? Finally, almost as though he has come up with the answer to this question in his own mind, the “Man of 1000 Holds” folds his gloves into his gym bag and gets behind the wheel of his rental car.
The next morning……
As Nighthawk drives to Richmond International Airport to go and see his mentor Mr. Tanahashi he suddenly feels a pair of hands wrap themselves tightly around his waist, almost like a child eagerly grabbing onto their parent for succor and love. Turning around Nighthawk smiles when he sees his wife Sin standing there, she apparently was wanting nothing more than to support her husband at the time when she needs him the most.
(Author’s note: this conversation took place in Spanish.)
Nighthawk: “Thank you so much for coming to do this with me. If I had to do this without my wife, without the person who made this brutal and miserable passion of mine into a career worth having, it would be an empty trip. Mr. Tanahashi would hate me, and I would hate myself. He was always so proud of his family, and with good reason. He built a family even in a business like ours, a business that can sometimes be so barbaric and brutal. Of all the things he taught me, that was the lesson that took me the longest to learn. It was also the lesson that made him the happiest that I mastered. However, I cannot take credit for that. You helped me with that.”
Sin: “To be honest, I had a similar relationship with my parents. My father and mother had a hard life. They came over here on the Mariel Boatlift, and they fought hard just to stay out of poverty. However, they always told me: When you find someone that you love, you need to stick with them. You should endeavor to fight on their side, not against it. That is what Mr. Tanahashi would want. That is what he taught you, and it is a valuable lesson. So with that said, tell me about the calls you got. Do you think they are from who I think they are from?”
Nighthawk: “Honestly, honey, I'm not sure. I mean, last I heard he was still on his farm with his wife and child. What happened between us, all those years ago, I hoped was water under the bridge, something that I did not ever want to have to think about. If it isn’t, if that whole sordid imbroglio from my past is something that is going to be dredged up again and again, it’s not going to be easy, or particularly pleasant. However, the difference between the young man I was then and the man I am now is this: I have changed, I have grown. I know what it is to suffer, as he suffered. As I made him suffer. I know what his pain felt like, because I felt it myself. And if he wants to bring that up again, if he continues to have a desire to trade on it to make himself the martyr, I have no problem with it. I just hope that when we go to Japan, we can get closer to ending this. Shame of it, though, is that I don’t know if I can.”
Sin: “You can. Trust yourself.”
And with that, husband and wife walk off together towards their flight to Tokyo.
Several days later…..
As Nighthawk and his wife Sin walk into Mr. Tanahashi’s small out-of-the way dojo that only seems tangentially related to the hustle and bustle of Japan’s capital city, one can’t help but notice that the confidence of the Chicago native has faded away and has been replaced by a deference that would seem frankly off-putting to a new observer. But for those who have spent their life following Nighthawk and his exploits, this fact does not seem all that surprising.
Because, as he has made the point thousands of times before, he feels that the men who helped to sculpt him from a callow and raw rookie into something approaching a world-tested and skilled technician deserve as much respect and reverence as he can possibly produce. And in that short, and highly treasured, list dfew men have created as much of an impact on the life of the “Wrestling Machine” as the mysterious Mr. Tanahashi.
Walking into the back room Nighthawk smiles and kisses his wife on the lips, as he sees his sensei Mr. Tanahashi crouched Indian-style in the middle of his dojo. Still looking full of life and health as he appears to be in his mid-70’s, the only discernible sign that something is wrong with the man who played such a fundamental role in the life and career of the “Wrestling Machine” is the fact that he is doing so about 25 feet away from a small mountain of pills.
(Author’s note: this conversation took place in Japanese.)
Nighthawk: “Hello, Mr. Tanahashi. I know that it is in the fall here, and I was dazzled as I usually am by the cherry blossoms throughout Tokyo and especially on my way to your dojo. And, as always, I am honored by the mere opportunity to be in your presence and soak up whatever pearls of wisdom that you feel free to offer me. It is my honor to see you again, Mr. Tanahashi. But I have heard that you are not feeling well, so I wanted to come and pay my respects in person to a man who has done so much to help me with my career.”
Mr. Tanahashi, the vitality and stoicism evident in the way that he carries himself: “I am happy to see you as well. You are a student of which I am so very proud. But, and I don’t mean this with any disrespect, we do have to discuss a matter that would be uncomfortable under normal circumstances but needs to be handled right here and right now. We have to talk about your greatest mistake, the one sin you have committed that you and I both know you wish you could take back. He came to see me, you know. he was my student too, before you were, and he was your equal in a lot of ways as you know. He begged me for permission to challenge you, to finally settle this once and for all. I told him exactly, word-for-word, what I am telling you now: I am not going to sanction this fight between the two of you, but I understand explicitly why it will have to happen if it does happen. Both of you made mistakes, and both of you know what they are. If you want to end this, if you really want to make your trainer happy, settle this in whatever way you find appropriate.”
Nighthawk, bowing his head as he understands what he has to do: “Thank you, Mr. Tanahashi.”
And with that Nighthawk and Sin leave the dojo and head back to the airport, his mentor’s words still ringing in the ears of the “Man of 1000 Holds” as he tries to figure out the absolute best way to handle the problem that is now front and center in his mind.
Several days later…..
As Nighthawk sits on the front stoop of his home in downtown Chicago, his face looking drawn and exhausted as the result of multiple trans-continental flights, he slowly closes his eyes. Clad in a sky-blue Kaientai Deluxe t-shirt, blue-and-white leather pants with a red sunburst pattern up and down each leg, and black work boots, the “Wrestling Machine” slowly opens his eyes and smiles as his exhaustion appears to fade away.
Nighthawk: “Everywhere I go, after the events of last week, people keep asking me the same question, with only slight variations in tone and volume: How did you do that? It’s funny. I've traveled all over the world, won tournaments and titles to the point that I had to buy a new trophy case, and yet the one thing that people seem to be the most shocked by is that I was able to outwrestle someone when I said I was going to do it. this should not have been nearly as shocking as it should have been. But nonetheless, it was. And this week, Caleb, none of what I did is going to happen again, however not for the reason that you think.
I've been in the ring with you twice now, Caleb. And if I have learned anything about those 2 encounters, it’s this. You’re not a stupid wrestler, and you’re not a stupid man. If I want to beat you, I'm going to have to come at you differently. Now, Caleb, I am sure that you believe this is all going to be different, that you’re going to return things to their natural order. Make no mistake, Caleb. I will still tie you up in knots. I will still give you as much proof of my technical wrestling acumen as you can stand. But how I get there, how much of what I did last time remains, we’ll just have to see.
Goodnight Caleb. May sleep give you the courage to go on.”
Baltasar Gracian Spanish Philosopher 1601-1658
As Nighthawk sits down in the parking lot of the Richmond Coliseum, slowly pulling the tape off his wrists as he folds up his gloves in the back of his gym bag, one cannot help but wonder how much of his mind is on his rematch with Caleb Lockwood. For while the Chicago native knows just how close he came to what might be his defining NCW performance, he did it while realizing that his mentor Mr. Tanahashi is very ill, and specifically requested his presence in Japan. However, whenever he thinks about abandoning his contract and heading off to be with his mentor, he remembers the lessons which not just Mr. Tanahashi, but all the men who played some role in his professional development, taught him. Thus, in the eyes of the “Wrestling Machine”, the conflict becomes as evident as anything.
Does he stand with the man who helped to make him what he is? On the other hand, does he live up to what that mentor would have wanted him to do, and give Caleb Lockwood the hard fought match that he knows he desires? Finally, almost as though he has come up with the answer to this question in his own mind, the “Man of 1000 Holds” folds his gloves into his gym bag and gets behind the wheel of his rental car.
The next morning……
As Nighthawk drives to Richmond International Airport to go and see his mentor Mr. Tanahashi he suddenly feels a pair of hands wrap themselves tightly around his waist, almost like a child eagerly grabbing onto their parent for succor and love. Turning around Nighthawk smiles when he sees his wife Sin standing there, she apparently was wanting nothing more than to support her husband at the time when she needs him the most.
(Author’s note: this conversation took place in Spanish.)
Nighthawk: “Thank you so much for coming to do this with me. If I had to do this without my wife, without the person who made this brutal and miserable passion of mine into a career worth having, it would be an empty trip. Mr. Tanahashi would hate me, and I would hate myself. He was always so proud of his family, and with good reason. He built a family even in a business like ours, a business that can sometimes be so barbaric and brutal. Of all the things he taught me, that was the lesson that took me the longest to learn. It was also the lesson that made him the happiest that I mastered. However, I cannot take credit for that. You helped me with that.”
Sin: “To be honest, I had a similar relationship with my parents. My father and mother had a hard life. They came over here on the Mariel Boatlift, and they fought hard just to stay out of poverty. However, they always told me: When you find someone that you love, you need to stick with them. You should endeavor to fight on their side, not against it. That is what Mr. Tanahashi would want. That is what he taught you, and it is a valuable lesson. So with that said, tell me about the calls you got. Do you think they are from who I think they are from?”
Nighthawk: “Honestly, honey, I'm not sure. I mean, last I heard he was still on his farm with his wife and child. What happened between us, all those years ago, I hoped was water under the bridge, something that I did not ever want to have to think about. If it isn’t, if that whole sordid imbroglio from my past is something that is going to be dredged up again and again, it’s not going to be easy, or particularly pleasant. However, the difference between the young man I was then and the man I am now is this: I have changed, I have grown. I know what it is to suffer, as he suffered. As I made him suffer. I know what his pain felt like, because I felt it myself. And if he wants to bring that up again, if he continues to have a desire to trade on it to make himself the martyr, I have no problem with it. I just hope that when we go to Japan, we can get closer to ending this. Shame of it, though, is that I don’t know if I can.”
Sin: “You can. Trust yourself.”
And with that, husband and wife walk off together towards their flight to Tokyo.
Several days later…..
As Nighthawk and his wife Sin walk into Mr. Tanahashi’s small out-of-the way dojo that only seems tangentially related to the hustle and bustle of Japan’s capital city, one can’t help but notice that the confidence of the Chicago native has faded away and has been replaced by a deference that would seem frankly off-putting to a new observer. But for those who have spent their life following Nighthawk and his exploits, this fact does not seem all that surprising.
Because, as he has made the point thousands of times before, he feels that the men who helped to sculpt him from a callow and raw rookie into something approaching a world-tested and skilled technician deserve as much respect and reverence as he can possibly produce. And in that short, and highly treasured, list dfew men have created as much of an impact on the life of the “Wrestling Machine” as the mysterious Mr. Tanahashi.
Walking into the back room Nighthawk smiles and kisses his wife on the lips, as he sees his sensei Mr. Tanahashi crouched Indian-style in the middle of his dojo. Still looking full of life and health as he appears to be in his mid-70’s, the only discernible sign that something is wrong with the man who played such a fundamental role in the life and career of the “Wrestling Machine” is the fact that he is doing so about 25 feet away from a small mountain of pills.
(Author’s note: this conversation took place in Japanese.)
Nighthawk: “Hello, Mr. Tanahashi. I know that it is in the fall here, and I was dazzled as I usually am by the cherry blossoms throughout Tokyo and especially on my way to your dojo. And, as always, I am honored by the mere opportunity to be in your presence and soak up whatever pearls of wisdom that you feel free to offer me. It is my honor to see you again, Mr. Tanahashi. But I have heard that you are not feeling well, so I wanted to come and pay my respects in person to a man who has done so much to help me with my career.”
Mr. Tanahashi, the vitality and stoicism evident in the way that he carries himself: “I am happy to see you as well. You are a student of which I am so very proud. But, and I don’t mean this with any disrespect, we do have to discuss a matter that would be uncomfortable under normal circumstances but needs to be handled right here and right now. We have to talk about your greatest mistake, the one sin you have committed that you and I both know you wish you could take back. He came to see me, you know. he was my student too, before you were, and he was your equal in a lot of ways as you know. He begged me for permission to challenge you, to finally settle this once and for all. I told him exactly, word-for-word, what I am telling you now: I am not going to sanction this fight between the two of you, but I understand explicitly why it will have to happen if it does happen. Both of you made mistakes, and both of you know what they are. If you want to end this, if you really want to make your trainer happy, settle this in whatever way you find appropriate.”
Nighthawk, bowing his head as he understands what he has to do: “Thank you, Mr. Tanahashi.”
And with that Nighthawk and Sin leave the dojo and head back to the airport, his mentor’s words still ringing in the ears of the “Man of 1000 Holds” as he tries to figure out the absolute best way to handle the problem that is now front and center in his mind.
Several days later…..
As Nighthawk sits on the front stoop of his home in downtown Chicago, his face looking drawn and exhausted as the result of multiple trans-continental flights, he slowly closes his eyes. Clad in a sky-blue Kaientai Deluxe t-shirt, blue-and-white leather pants with a red sunburst pattern up and down each leg, and black work boots, the “Wrestling Machine” slowly opens his eyes and smiles as his exhaustion appears to fade away.
Nighthawk: “Everywhere I go, after the events of last week, people keep asking me the same question, with only slight variations in tone and volume: How did you do that? It’s funny. I've traveled all over the world, won tournaments and titles to the point that I had to buy a new trophy case, and yet the one thing that people seem to be the most shocked by is that I was able to outwrestle someone when I said I was going to do it. this should not have been nearly as shocking as it should have been. But nonetheless, it was. And this week, Caleb, none of what I did is going to happen again, however not for the reason that you think.
I've been in the ring with you twice now, Caleb. And if I have learned anything about those 2 encounters, it’s this. You’re not a stupid wrestler, and you’re not a stupid man. If I want to beat you, I'm going to have to come at you differently. Now, Caleb, I am sure that you believe this is all going to be different, that you’re going to return things to their natural order. Make no mistake, Caleb. I will still tie you up in knots. I will still give you as much proof of my technical wrestling acumen as you can stand. But how I get there, how much of what I did last time remains, we’ll just have to see.
Goodnight Caleb. May sleep give you the courage to go on.”