Mrs. Oyama's Funeral

今日は大山婦人のお葬式に行きました、昼の１３時から始まりました。本部道場の二階に行われた、僕は昨日のお通夜にも行きました。今日は早めに着いて二階に上がってゆっくりといすに座りながら、昔のことを振り返る時間はありました。二階道場はたくさんの思い出がある場所ですので、ゆっくりと座っているだけでも僕はいろんな気持ちになりました。お葬式の最後のほうには大山婦人はみんなの前に出てきました、そして体と顔の回りにきれいな花をみんな運んで起きました。本当に美しかったです、僕は見たとき足元に大山総裁の気に入り帽子はおいてありました。僕はそれを見て泣きました。その帽子を総裁のもとに持ってていくんだ、と思いました、とても感動的でした。大山婦人はすごくきれいに見えました。そして、僕も二階から霊柩車まで手を合わせて運ばせていただきました。最後まで感動的でした、本当にいいお別れが出来たと思います。押忍！

ニコラス

Just got back from the funeral now, sitting here in front of my computer reflecting over the past few days. It was such an emotional event, seeing the Family again under these circumstances was a lot harder than I had first thought. I almost burst into tears when I looked Kikuko in the eyes. It has been such a hard time for everyone since Sosai has passed away, and Mrs. Oyama has been so sick these last few months. But today when I layed eyes on her, she looked at total peace. There was a most sincere feeling about her and once again, I felt humbled. Being in the company of this family just gives you life. I whish that I could have done something, I whish that I could have been there more. I don't know what I whish, but I certainly had some time to think about my life from a different angle. When they opened the coffin and I first lay eyes on her, I noticed that someone had placed one of Sosai's favorite hat's at her feet. At that moment I wept, it was just truly the right thing to do. Thinking that she would now take this hat with her into heaven and bring it to him, I can just imagine them walking hand in hand with Sosai wearing that hat. Everything just seems like it has been on hold, I feel like I have slipped through time and somehow ended up here at the wrong place. I mean, how did I get to this point at this time in my life, it just doesn't feel right. Last night I got drunk with my wife and we stayed up real late talking about Sosai and all the things I/we have been through together. I have been with her right from the beginning, since I was 21, she came with me to Europe and helped me become the European Champion, and she had just given birth to my second baby girl when I won the K-1 Japan title. So I know how it is to be with someone that you truly care for, and I know how it is to have that kind of a back bone in your life. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to loose that, so today I feel like living. All the best to you, Mrs. Oyama.

Nicholas