When we first put our girls into martial arts classes we got a few odd looks, though I’m sure not nearly as many as we would have thirty years ago. Odd looks aside, we wanted our daughters to know how to defend themselves, and we felt the structure of the classes might help them with their own self-discipline. What we weren’t expecting when we started this journey was that our girls - and we too - would be joining a wonderful extended family.

A perfect choice for home educators who don’t accept the definition of peer as “someone exactly the same age,” our dojo is a mixed group of about twenty students and four instructors. Students range in age from kids around 6-7 years old, to adults in their 30’s & 40’s. And no, the adults are not all the more advanced students. We proceed through the ranks at our own pace. There are younger people among the senior students and teachers and some of us older folk are still in the beginning of our studies, working hard at mastering the most basic skills.

This hard work may be part of the bond that grows between members of the dojo, despite our different ages and backgrounds. It’s a tough work-out, harder by far than any gym class I ever took in high school. And getting tossed around like a rag doll has its risks as well as the occasional indignity. So maybe we’ll all a tad masochistic for wanting to keep coming back to these classes week after week.

There’s something much deeper to it, though, and it’s because we really lucked out when we picked our dojo. We joined a family. First, because the dojo is run like a family. The older kids (read “more experienced students”) help the younger ones. Everyone learns together, and we applaud each other’s successes. Very much like the family that always has an extra place set at the table, who will feed and shelter anyone who comes knocking, at our dojo all are welcome. You don’t have to be a jock, or even fit when you join. You just have to try hard and to respect the others around you.

The family aspect of the dojo goes beyond it being a welcoming place, though, and that was never better demonstrated than a few weekends ago. A special workshop was set up in order to allow students some time with our founder, and also so some of our more advanced students could pass black belt exams. That alone would have made for a memorable event.

There were two students who went from 1st to 2nd dan, and two more who went from brown belt to black belt. We are very proud of the new Shodan from our dojo, who at 13 is the youngest black belt our style has ever seen. She’s also a young woman who can easily stop any rumblings about women not deserving the belts they are given. This sensei has incredible speed and grace, and her demonstrations make it clear that she is a skilled Jitsuka.

At the same workshop, another sensei from our dojo passed the exam for Nidan. When our Shihan introduced him, it was with special pride, for this young man is his own step-son. He was absolutely a-glow, as he told the assembled audience that there was nothing more fulfilling than to see his son follow in his footsteps.

Our founder, whom we call Kancho, had come to Montreal from out of town to give the workshop. Part of his teaching this time was to tell us his own story, and the story of Jukaido Kan. We learned why Kancho began to study martial arts, and it became obvious why the local dojo had always been a special love.

For this man had been born in a house only blocks from where the current dojo stands. As Kancho spoke of his own journey through the years, he told us that he had trouble with his heart. “Only half of my heart works,” he said. “The other half I gave to my students a piece at a time.” He told us about how he lost a leg when he was in his prime, and faced the choice of walking away from martial arts or learning to practice with one leg. Here is a video of Kancho fighting without his prosthesis:

Later, we listened to Kancho announce his retirement from teaching martial arts, after 50 years and thousands of students. He spoke then of his own son: our Shihan. People think about martial arts as a tough sport - and it is. Some days I joke about how much testosterone is flowing in the dojo. There is never a class where the students don’t break out a good sweat, and none would be afraid to do some serious damage to an attacker foolish enough to tangle with them. But that day I think there were a few misty eyes in the room. For all that these folk are tough, there is a great deal of love in our dojo. It showed that day, in the chain from grandfather to father to son.

The word Ju-Jutsu is often translated into English as “the gentle art”. This is meant to be a reference to the unarmed combat, and to the way we are taught to use minimal effort for maximal effect. This one day, to me Ju-Jutsu was the gentle art because of the tenderness of those moments when we connected as a family.

So when I am asked, “Why do you want to do that stuff, anyway?” or “Don’t you think the girls would be better off taking swimming lessons?” I can just smile. Those who want to think there is only violence in this sport are welcome to their opinions, but I know different. And I can’t think of a better or safer place for my kids to be than our dojo.

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
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At 6:08 UT today winter begins. It’s called the Winter Solstice, though you may also hear some call it Midwinter (in the same way that the Summer Solstice is Midsummer) or Yule. Winter Solstice is both the longest night of the year, and the beginning of the trend towards longer days. If you think about it, there’s nothing else it could be. Once you’ve hit rock bottom, there’s no where else to go but up again. Many people hold a vigil on the eve of the solstice, staying up all night so as to be able to greet the sun in the morning. Solstice day is seen as the rebirth of the sun, the rebirth of light in the midst of the cold and snow of winter.

Many people in the world celebrate a festival of lights around the time of Winter Solstice. Jews have Hanukkah, Hindus Diwali. In ancient times there were festivals marking the births of several saviour gods, including Horus, Attis, Adonis, Mithras & Dionysus. Saturnalia, the festival dedicated to the Roman god of agriculture, fell at this time as well. In Pagan Scandinavia, the festival of Yule (Jul) was held around this time. One of the traditions was to light a yule log in honour of the god Thor, and to celebrate until it burned out. This could take as many as twelve days! One does not have to look very hard to see the influences of the older pagan celebrations on subsequent traditions associated with Christmas.

Some scholars believe that Christmas, now celebrated on December 25th each year, was moved to this time of year specifically to coincide with these pre-Christian festivals (see also here.) Others explain that the selection of this date has to do with early church calculations: “Church fathers also believed that the Old Testament prophets lived a ‘whole’ number of years, dying on their birthdays, since God’s perfection did not permit the imperfection of fractions.” Because it was desired that the record of Jesus’ life similarly reflect this perfection, other proposed dates for the birth of Christ were rejected in favour of December 25th.

March 25, the spring equinox, was thought to be the date of the creation of the world and the day Christ was crucified. … Soon, in order to give Jesus a similarly whole number of years in human form, March 25 became the Feast of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel told Mary she was to bear the son of God. And if Jesus was conceived then, nine months in the womb gives a birthdate of Dec. 25.
Macleans, “The Truth About Christmas“

Interestingly, while it has been said that the Church Fathers chose December 25 in order to coincide with Pagan solstice celebrations (in the Julian calendar, solstice would have fallen on the 25th rather than around the 21st or 22nd as it does today,) at least one writer believes that it was the emperor Aurelian saw the growing popularity of the Christians’ celebration of their god’s birth, and created the festival of the Natalis Solis Invicti to coincide with it. If this is true, then perhaps the co-opting of dates and the combining of customs goes in both directions. To my mind, this confirms that the need for a celebration at this time of the year is a deep-rooted one, indeed.

Christmas today is often said to be a secularized holiday, and has come to be far too much about shopping and excesses of consumption than anything either the Church Fathers or the ancient pagans wanted us to be celebrating. Coca-cola has given St. Nicholas a new wardrobe. Stores begin to put up their Christmas displays before Halloween these days. The messages - some subtle, some very forthright - that we should all “give like Santa” (Canadian Tire - yes, they do promise we’ll also “save like Scrooge) or that “giving is better than receiving” (The Bay) are aimed at getting us to shop, not to engage in acts of kindness and charity. The Boxing Day sales of my childhood have become Boxing Week Blowouts, and these are being advertised a week or more before Christmas has even happened….

Along comes CFCF’s news editor, Barry Wilson, who in his last two Friday editorials (most recent here) has whined about the political correctness of the “holiday season” and how people are afraid to wish each other a “Merry Christmas” anymore. Is he irked by the fact that Christmas is too commercial? My daughter was all excited when she heard our plans for Christmas Day, that Nanny & Old Fart were coming to spend it with us. Not because she’s always pestering us to go for a visit & we’ve not had much opportunity to do that recently. But because she wondered “what are they bringing us?” I know as kids, we were excited about our gifts too. But it seems kids today aren’t even the least bit afraid they might end up on the “naughty list.” They’ve got it figured out: even if Santa doesn’t bring them anything the family will. Because you have to. But no, this isn’t Mr. Wilson’s concern.

Has he given any thought to the plight of food banks and other charities that try to help the needy? The average Canadian food bank has in recent years seen a large increase in clients, perhaps in part due to the greying of our country, but also because we’ve had many more of what is euphemistically called “the working poor.”

In some cases, the food bank is a client’s only source of food & without the service, they would be forced to choose between eating and paying for another significant expense: rent, electricity, maybe medication. Food banks and charities worry each year about what they will do to feed the needy once the spirit of Christmas wears off, and people figure they’ve done their bit for this year. And now we have the problem of possible lead in the toys! I imagine there are some Christmas baskets this year that will be going to families without benefit of presents for the kids….

So is Mr. Wilson trying to encourage people to keep helping out? Is he concerned about all the imported toys that are labelled as Canadian? Does he take the time to ask why the federal government hasn’t done more to protect our children from cheaply made toys that could conceivably poison them? No. Perhaps matters such as these are too esoteric.

No, Mr. Wilson has simply had his fill of people who are trying to accommodate those who don’t follow the same customs as he does. OK, plugging the words “Soon it will be Festive Day” into Silver Bells does seem to ruin the carol. But is there anything wrong with honouring the whole holiday season? Certainly the stores would like us to! Imagine - Hanukkah presents, Yule presents, Christmas presents, Kwanzaa presents….. I’m sure somebody in marketing will eventually seize the idea - or maybe they already have, and that’s why the displays go up in the stores so early.

In his editorial of last week, Mr. Wilson asserts (please excuse the all-caps, this is how the transcript was written:)

WE HAVE CELEBRATED CHRISTMAS IN THIS SOCIETY SINCE THE FIRST EUROPEANS ARRIVED IN THE 1600′S. IT IS THE SINGULAR MOST POPULAR DAY IN THE YEAR. IT IS PART OF OUR HISTORY AND OUR CULTURE. IT’S BOTH RELIGIOUS AND SECULAR. IT’S WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE. BUT TRYING TO ERASE THE WORD CHRISTMAS, TO CALL IT SOMETHING ELSE IS JUST PLAIN WRONG. AND I REALLY DON’T THINK THE NON CHRISTIAN MINORITIES REALLY CARE.

Well Mr. Wilson, first of all I think you could do with some quiet time over the holiday season to think about where to put your priorities. And I do think that your reference in this week’s piece to the “politically correct humbuggers” works on a flawed assumption - not to mention being a cheap way to slip a little vulgarity into the 6pm news hour.

The fact is, sir, that the festive season has been celebrated since long before my 17th century ancestors arrived with others, bringing Christmas to this continent. If you look at the nature of festivals like Hanukkah, Diwali and Yule it becomes clear that the celebrations were not a one-day “quickie”.

Marking a change in season was an extremely important thing to our agrarian ancestors. Those who came to Quebec in the 1600’s, as well as those more recently arrived. Agriculture having been one of the three pillars of life in Quebec right up until the Quiet Revolution, there are those alive in this province today whose memories of “le temps des fêtes” will certainly include the sights and smells of life on a farm in winter. Winter was the logical time to feast - the culling of the herds and the fall hunting meant fresh meat - and it was the one season in the year when the workload was light enough to permit much visiting and partying. So yes, it was the season of winter that was celebrated as much as the day of Christmas.

Is the use of such greeting as “Happy Holidays” just a bunch of politically correct silliness? I, for one, don’t think it a simple matter of trying not to offend (or of trying to blend in & avoid controversy, which is what is often implied when this phrase is used as a pejorative.) Indeed the idea that because Mr. Wilson feels his non-Christian friends “don’t mind” or even like to be wished a Merry Christmas, we should all use that greeting & none other, is rather like saying we should all dress alike & wear the same hair style simply because we find a particular fashion attractive on one given person. Somehow, I don’t think he’d be foolish enough to advocate that.

Mr. Wilson, I’d like to wish you a Happy Winter. And a Merry Yule. I hope that you use this holiday season to reflect on the possibility that non-Christian folks until a few years ago were essentially the ones doing the “politically correct” thing by going along with the mainstream seasonal customs. According to Stats Can data, non-Christian people numbered 6,787,210 out of 29,639,035 people who answered the census. That’s roughly 23% of the Canadian population, and does not account for those folks who were raised Christian but are not practicing - the census asks those folks to report the religion in which they were raised. At almost 1/4 of the population of our country, those who follow a different path surely deserve to be respected if their greetings are different - or a little generic.

The next time someone wishes you a Happy Festive Season, get over yourself and be happy they wanted to share a happy time with you. Maybe they’re just trying to include you & your beliefs. They could have just said “Happy Eid” or “Happy Kwanzaa.”

Oh and by the way, about your station’s decorating contest:
The only thing that comes to my mind when I hear a report of how many thousands of Christmas lights a family has strung up in their yard, or how the lights pulse in time with the music on their own personal radio station is that these folks are the last ones who deserve any kind of prize. Obviously, they’ve got money to burn - and no consideration for the environment. How about showing us people who are really doing something to live the credo of “peace on earth and good will to all men”? In these times I daresay those people are much more of a rarity, and much more worth the special report.

This work was created by Ruby of Freehold 2, and is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.

Excerpts copyright quoted authors. Please visit their sites to read more, and respect the terms of their copyrights. Thanks!