I was all set to tackle my weekly blog post yesterday, when I was notified that my father Pierre had passed away unexpectedly at age 87 in Cannes, France. He was in excellent health, and I had assumed he’d live to be 100 just like his father had. Instead, he caught a virulent form of pneumonia and died within two days of being admitted to the hospital. So today, I get to talk about my dad.
My dad is the reason I do Judo. He studied Judo in France during World War II, and then later at the world famous Budokwai in London under Gunji Koizumi, the founder of British Judo. The picture below was taken at the occasion of his promotion to ikkyu in 1947 when he was 22.
Pierre Ernest Lafon (1924-2012)
At 56, Dad was still practicing Judo, and other martial arts, when he stepped onto the mat of my club in 1980. He had fallen in love with sutemi waza by then, explaining that sutemi was much easier on an old, slower body than tachi waza. Sadly, I never asked him what his favorite techniques were as a young man. Back then, I guess it wasn’t important enough for me to know. Now, I feel a piece of the puzzle is missing. I’ll never know the answer because I failed to ask the pertinent question when I could.
My grandfather Rene founded La Coupole, a very famous restaurant in Paris, in 1928. Because the restaurant was a family business that involved aunts and uncles, then later on the kids, my dad’s entire work life revolved around the restaurant business. During his years in the U.S., he worked at many of the famous French restaurants in New York City. However, his true love was Judo.
About ten years ago, much to my surprise, I found out that what he really had wanted to do was teach Judo. My mom put a stop to that for some reason. I’m not sure whether that was a good thing or not, but I’m convinced that dad passed the Judo teaching gene to me. And, naturally, I have been running wild with it for 40 years now.
My last visit to my father occurred in August 2011 in Paris during the World Championships. By then, he’d suffered memory loss due to two small strokes, but he still had the body of a 60-year old. Three of my four kids were there to meet him. He was very proud of his grandchildren’s Judo accomplishments in particular.
Tomorrow’s Judo practice at my club will be dedicated to my father.
R.I.P., dad.
So sorry to hear the news Gerald. But I’m glad to hear you saw him recently, and that he was able to take pride in his grandchildren.
And if I may say it, I think that while the suddenness of his passing must be a shock, in some ways it may be a blessing, too. I wonder if — and very much hope — you might find some solace around the swiftness of his passing from this short essay:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/compression-of-morbidity/#axzz1nkBIGmrr
But that aside, my sincerest condolences. R.I.P to your father.
James
I regret the loss of your father. Thank you for sharing your story about your father’s life and his influence on your judo.
My condolences. May his memory be eternal.
Thanks for the article and your kind words. I saw my mother linger for months, so yes, if my father had to go, then I am glad he went fast.
Gerry,
May your father rest in peace. It’s a shock when you get the word that your father has passed away suddenly. It sounds as though he was a positive influence in your life. I lost my father suddenly to a heart attack in 1978 when I was 25. He was either 71 or 66 years old. (We never knew his real age. He never had a birth certificate and would never tell anyone his real age.)
Even though he did not turn out to be a judo sensei, his son is and I am sure he is proud of you.
Thanks for your comments Steve.
Coach,
Please recieve my condolences, and thanks for share your father’s history and influence on Judo’s, I’ll talk about my incredible expierence with you back in USA in my next Judo training class.
From Chile
Edgardo
I appreciate your thoughts.