Читать книгу Okinawa Sai-jutsu - Jamal Measara - Страница 9

I believe it must have been in the end of 1960 s when I saw a training and demonstration of master Jamal Measara in Seremban, Malaysia.

It was really amazing to watch him moving so full of energy, at the peak of his youth. I believe he must have been in his early 20 s, and I was around the age of 35.

His humour in training was great and his techniques were very sharp and strong, I could not help “falling in love” with this young gentleman and wanted to become his disciple and get to know him better.

Years passed by, and I lost sight of him, until 1978 when I was first introduced to him by a close friend. He stood face to face looking deep into my eyes. I can still remember that moment, it was a powerful look like that of a tiger ready to attack its prey. It made the strongest men weak, but at the same time his big brown eyes were also friendly, like that of an innocent child.

Even though I was teaching an old Indian Martial Art, Varma Kalai, passed on to me by my father, I wanted to give it up and start training under him. But my family was against this idea.

Anyway! By and by we became good friends. We met not very often, but at least twice a year.

In 1981 I came to know that master Jamal had left for Europe and I was deeply sorry for not taking the opportunity to have studied under him or at least to bid him farewell.

In August 20, 1996 I came to know that he was in Malaysia to visit the Silambam Association. I rushed to meet him and was heart-broken when I heard that he had left. I drove down to his home only to learn that he had already left for Germany. But with all the sad news I also had something that made me happy. That was his book on Karate. I was in tears with happiness to see this young man as a matured man.

I wrote to him the next day and to my surprise he remembered me well and promised to meet me in his next visit, and he did. He was the same gentlemen, but now with even more energy than before.

He presented me his books, I congratulated him on them. Jokingly he said: “Maybe you should write a foreword for my next book”. It would be a pleasure and great honour, I replied, not taking it seriously.

We talked for nearly five hours. It was the greatest joy of my life talking with this “living encyclopaedia”. During my conversation I could not help being in tears watching and hearing him speak on the topics of martial arts. One can feel the love he has for the tradition and the martial arts, and he hates seeing the tradition being modernized and destroyed. Before bidding him farewell, I awarded him the highest rank in Varma Kalai (“art of striking the vital points”). To my dismay he refused to accept it by saying humbly that he was not worthy of such a high rank. I understood what he meant. A man of his standing is seldom seen today in the world of martial arts. In May 2008 he wrote to me of his 4th book project, “Okinawan Saijutsu”. I was taken by surprise that he really had meant what he had said jokingly few years back. Thank you for accepting me as a close friend and giving me this honour to write my feelings in your book.

S. Rajagopal Naidu

Principal of Varma Kalai

Malaysia

June 2008