Today, Kendo Nagasaki celebrates his 50th Anniversary since first appearing on the British Professional Wrestling scene.

As a spirit guide, Kendo is, of course, timeless, but for the man behind his mask, such an anniversary marks a remarkable achievement in terms of health, strength, and endurance.

By following the principles he learned in his teens from legendary Japanese judoka Ken’shiro Abbe, Yogensha, the man behind the mask, in his 50 years service to Kendo has never missed a wrestling match due to ill-health, he has coped with every single one of countless physical attacks, and even today, half a century later, he remains dynamic, determined, and motivated, putting the efforts of much younger people to shame!

Whilst Yogensha is a private man outside of his service to Kendo Nagasaki, his perpetual dynamism is an inspiration to those who know him, so much so that he is an excellent example of whatever it is that motivates him… and what is that?

At the foundation of Yogensha’s life since his teens is the first technique that Abbe introduced him to – meditation. The central principle of Zen “zazen” seated meditation is to let everything fall away – mind falls away, and body falls away – and it would seem that as part of this practice, many of the root causes of illness and disease also fall away. Science has revealed that stress and worry have links to the onset of illness, and whilst one needs to deal responsibly with the issues in life, and worrying about them is a normal reaction, if we can set that worry aside, it seems to lose its corrosive effect.

Zazen achieves this effect, and much more, and is disarmingly simple yet surprisingly powerful; “Nah – it can’t be that simple!”, you might say, but despite the busy-busy conscious mind tempting you to endlessly rattle things around inside it, you may have already realised that the mind has limitations, and won’t give up even when it’s out of its depth.

This is where you take charge, and effectively “re-boot” yourself through zazen. Just as with your computer, clearing out the rubbish and starting again, clean and clear, is magnificently empowering, and the results of such practice can be seen in the quality of Yogensha’s service to Kendo Nagasaki.

It was Abbe who ordered Yogensha’s thoughts and introduced him to meditation, and Kendo who reinforced its value, having been a Zen Buddhist in his past lives in ancient Japan, and as part of his wish to empower as many people as possible, he would recommend it to you, too.

So, Kendo’s healing message for November is to be ready to become empowered in mind and body through the benefits of meditating; he has seen its benefits in countless people over many centuries, and what has worked so well for Yogensha can work equally well for you. Just don’t let your mind convince you that it knows best! You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain by following this recommendation of Kendo’s.