God bless the family and friends of Shiseki Shihan William Oliver. We have lost a unique and special spirit, a true warrior.

Karate builds energy from the spirit of all who practice it. Like nuclear fusion, it requires a critical mass of spirit to generate power. Without enough spirit to provide the mass, karate loses its power. Each time we lose a student, we lose mass and therefore power. Shiseki Shihan Oliver provided more spirit and thus more mass than any one of us ever can. Our power is low in his absence.

It is in these moments of fatigue and sorrow that the true Bushido Spirit stands apart from the rest. Anyone can be strong when things are going well. The warrior is strong regardless of circumstance. It is time now that we be warriors. It is time now that we stand up and carry the load that Shiseki Shihan carried. It is time now for the energy to come from us. It cannot be one of us, it must be all of us.

Shiseki Shihan Oliver left his mark on us. He left behind many great students, Kyoshi Mel Ramsey for example. These students pass the torch to us. We in turn pass it to the next generation. Through these students Shiseki Shihan William Oliver's presence stays alive in the dojo. The beauty of karate is that it is not about any one student. Instead it is about all of us, those who were and those who will be. It is past and present AND future. Shiseki Shihan William Oliver's work here is done now. We in the present have all that he has taught and all those who were his students to teach us. The present is sad, but the future is bright as ever!

At the time of a man's death it is easy to forget his life and what he left behind. Please take a moment from your grief to celebrate the life of Shiseki Shihan William Oliver. There is much to celebrate.