"A Nuclear Powerhouse"- That Was Hiro

Hiro was a man of abundant energy. I don't know about you, but I don't know of many people who can sleep 5 hours a day and have energy all throughout the day even past their mid 30s. Hiro certainly had these super powers. He used to say that sleeping too long is such a waste of time since we all have very short lives. With this regime, he had about 3 hours extra every day, equivalent to 1,095 hours (18 1/4 days) a year extra than an average person. That's a lot of time, longer than an average paid annual leave in the US! He hated to wake up late, although very rarely. He always regretted wasting time, and especially when it was his own doing. As you may imagine, such a short sleep must have been deep. It was. Hiro would be asleep in 5 seconds and nothing would wake him up, not even sirens, light or earthquakes.

After a full day at work, he would hit the Muay Thai gym for 2 hours of intense training where mortals like myself wouldn't last more than 20 minutes. But, Hiro that's a different story! He would punch and kick at a lightening speed that even his younger counterparts couldn't keep up with him. Sometimes he told me that it was difficult in the gym to find a sparring partner willing to hold pads for him as his gym friends were afraid of his impact. In those times, he resorted to practicing kicks by himself. He was so proud of this skill that he had been perfecting for about 15 years. He even earned some gym trophies.

In the gym, he was known for his fighting spirit and never quitting despite all the discomfort that comes with intensive training. He wouldn't mind to get dizzy spells, nausea or vomit after harsh practice. In fact, he would enjoy them thinking that once again he beat himself with hope of getting better. Additionally, he would influence others with his deep passion for Muay Thai. He would not mind to stay in the gym an extra hour if there weren't enough sparring partners for everyone so that all gym friends had a chance to engage fully in their practice. He would also volunteer practicing with those who wanted extra time. He wouldn't mind the age or skill level of the person. He would adjust to the person's level and be grateful for extra practice time.

Having super high bone density also has its price when it comes to swimming. Hiro hated swimming because he wouldn't float even in ocean! I am not making this up. It is true. I remember our trip to Hawaii when we sailed to a small lagoon with a group for swimming or diving without equipment. I was floating on my back enjoying the ocean waves and the feeling of imperceptible gravity. Suddenly, I heard Hiro calling my name to help. Hiro was complaining of sinking. He had difficulty to stay afloat despite super salty ocean. He was struggling to keep his head above the water level, and exhausted asked me to go to get a foam noodle to end his suffering. As a result, he did not enter the ocean later other than wash his feet and snorkeling in shallow waters along the coast.

Hiro would be energetic even after his tiring practice. He would still accept one's invitation to have a nice meal and a drink afterwards and have social time with friends. He loved to eat a lot and well, so he appreciated everyone who could prepare a tasty meal to please all his senses. He would aim for maximal experience like challenging himself to the spiciest hot pot, ceviche, Thai food or wasabi. He would not hesitate to have one and often two or more drinks either. Sometimes too many because once he loved something or someone he knew no limits and wanted to enjoy the bliss of the moment with the people he loved. He always tried to live to the fullest. This gave him a great satisfaction and fueled him forward.

He was definitely a person who knew no compromise and could balance his personal interests with work very well. For many people this is very difficult to do. People feel that in order to be more fit, they may need to cut their work schedule or make trade offs spending less time with their family, etc. But for Hiro there was no such concept as compromise. Once he decided that he wanted to improve his golf swing, he would incorporate it to his daily routine. As he used to say, "It is more important to practice daily regardless of the amount of time than once a week for a long time." He managed by improving his daily efficiency, so he could do more with the same amount of time. And, he really lived by that and was able to manage his interests without slacking off at work. I am confident that those who have worked with Hiro don't remember one time that Hiro wouldn't deliver things on time consistently well. That was one of his great strengths.

I hope, Hiro can inspire you all by living your life fully by using and appreciating every minute you have got on this planet.

To sign up for Muay Thai practice with the world champion Woodenman, check out https://www.woodenmanmuaythai.com.

To be continued...