Sensei. To my brothers and I, when in practice, Ralph Glanstein was "Sensei." Now, 38 years since my first introduction to Aikido, the reality of how Sensei was Sensei off the mat and outside of the dojo, and in every moment of our lives is striking home deep in the core of my being. "Koa," Kimura Sensei, and I recall Yamamoto Sensei saying similarly, "Soft outside, strong inside." Sensei would constantly refer to this maxim. Only Glanstein Sensei was different.

I merited to grow up with this sensei. Sensei, albeit in his youth strove, and achieved, great perfection in his outer strengths and abilities, literally undefeated in fencing and other contact pursuits this outer strength was accompanied by an internal void. Sensei's pursuit of lofty senseis led him and our family far from the proximity of an extended family to a land 6000 miles away. Recently admitted to as the Fiftieth State of the United States, Hawaii was rich in Aikido and other martial arts. Sensei was in his element; he dedicated his free time to Aikido and, indeed, he lived and breathed Aikido.

When at Johns Hopkins Medical Center with Sensei and keeping "watch" one night I realized that I had forgotten the feeling to sleep so closely to him; Consciously and subconsciously monitoring his breathing, waking at the slightest "abnormality." Nary a rest of a ten minute span did I get when Sensei would take a deep breath, stop, hold it, savor it as a deep sea diver, and about a minute or so later slowly exhale a finely engineered, passing of spent air, a full two to three minutes later he would resume the pattern of familiarity. In his sleep he breathed the deep breathing and concentration of his practice.

Although for some time he was a milkman, other times he drove a taxi, and lastly, as a practicing attorney in Kailua, Oahu, Hawaii, his time was always open for others and he opened his home to allow others to bask in a familial setting, to become part of our inner family. He befriended and helped many people through his wisdom, experience, and Aikido, to direct people along a nonviolent path, a smooth path and one comfortable to travel. So, I knew armed robbers, rapists, thieves, runaways, and other "dregs" of society. To Sensei, he saw inside of them and saw a merit. He extended to them a chance to grow and better their own lives. In many, many souls did he affect a change.

His main product was never dairy, nor legal advice. Rather the commodity that he had he gave away freely was one that he was so well endowed as an unending spring constantly spews forth water, Sensei gave of his unending love and allowed others to drink from the deep well that he harbored. "Soft outside, strong inside" overcoming many obstacles along the way. As his inner strengths increased his outside became more and more soft and gentle. Yes, his outside was once tough, but you could only appreciate that toughness if you merited to experience the inner self.

My father was most fond of the tractate of Talmud that dealt with ethics. Throughout the Talmud there is much devoted to the proper behavior of a man and neighbor. While delivering the eulogy at his funeral the passage of Rabbi Gamliel came to my mind. Rabbi Gamliel said, "Any student who's interior is not as his exterior should not be allowed entry to the Study Hall." At first we would think the emphasis is on the exterior, however, after further scrutiny, I believe the real focus was on the interior of a person. When you place your major concern on purifying your inner self then your outer image of consequence will become less of a concern. Such a person was always welcome to the study hall. Rabbi Gamliel in de-emphasizing the outside allowed people to look inside. In so doing your exterior becomes a true reflection of what the inside is. It is only when we make a show and display an exterior that misrepresents our inner personality that Rabbi Gamliel wished the de-emphasize the exterior and require that there be an equal representation on the inner level. Sensei's concern with his outward appearance was nil. The idea of property value based upon appearance and locale was foreign to him. Any visitor to our home can attest to the fact that on the exterior there was no falsity. The true beauty was upon entering Sensei's inner circle, into his confidence, and ultimately into his home and amongst family. In this humble home was always found love and a rare found harmony in today's hectic world.

On 31 January, after taking much care with the prestigious job of preparing Sensei's body for its final internment, dressing him in his gi and hakama (the hakama was previously "Koa" Kimura Sensei's, who bestowed it upon Sensei upon achieving SanDan, many years ago), proper shrouds as he had requested as befitting the traditions of his ancestors, I placed lastly his boken and tanto alongside him. We then prepared for the solemn ride to his chosen plot in Mililani. Amazing that it would be Mr. Ken Ordenstein of Ordenstein's Mortuary, who would merit to chauffeur Sensei and I across the island. In conversation with Ken, he discovered that his own daughter had been a student of Sensei's for six or seven years. Mind you, Sensei never let himself ride in the back, so this was a very difficult ride. We received no complaints along the way, however. After the traditional funeral and a heartrending eulogy, my nephew Kalani, Ken, and I, returned to the Windward side of the Island.  Ken drove. I said, "Ken, you want to see something? I'll show you something real quick if we have the time." He said he was willing, "Anywhere you want to go." We entered my parents' neighborhood. "Ah, I know this place, all the kids learn to drive here." We stopped in front of a wild, overgrown lot, a house parked in the middle but only twenty-five feet away, barely visible, a circumstance due to the wild vegetation. "Hey, I know this house!" Ken exclaimed, "This is the Jungle house!" I turned to Ken and replied, "Now you know the story; It's no longer 'The Jungle House,' it is 'The House in The Jungle,'" Ken understood.