I was at George Dillman’s Martial Arts Training Camp for a weekend training session. I knew before arriving – all of us knew – that Professor Wally Jay had been hospitalized for a stroke. I asked Sensei Dillman, “Is there any news on Wally?” (“Wally” – it says something about the man that one of the most respected teachers in the world was spoken of in such a familiar fashion.) “It doesn’t look good,” George replied. So, I was not surprised when I walked into his office Sunday morning to ask a question, only to find him sitting behind his desk with tears in his eyes. “Wally died,” he told me.
Since I am a clergyman, I led an impromptu funeral service at the camp, interrupting the training to announce the news. So many of the senior instructors present knew Wally, some very well. Those who didn’t know Wally himself, know Leon Jay, Wally’s son, and heir of Small Circle Jujitsu, so there was much emotion in the room. For those of you who were not present, I would like to share something of our service (as accurately as my memory permits).
Will Higginbotham, who was very close to Wally, was teaching. I walked up with a paper napkin in my hand, as he was saying to the group, “Ok, let’s get up and try that.” “No,” I said, handing Will the napkin (we knew he would be crying), “We have learned that Professor Wally Jay died during the early hours of this morning.” Stunned (but not surprised) silence fell on everyone. Then I read a few words from the apostle Paul: “The things that I have taught to you, teach to reliable individuals who will be able to teach it to others also.”
“We are the people Professor taught, it is our responsibility to teach others also. But, it is not just about his jujitsu. Wally Jay was a remarkable human being and we must teach those values as well. I would like to tell you the story of when I first met Wally. It was during a combined Wally Jay/George Dillman seminar. At one point, we were practicing one of sensei Dillman’s joint manipulation techniques. Unfamiliar with the particular movement being practiced, Professor Jay walked over to the nearest of Dillman’s students (who happened to be me) and said, ‘Show me how to do that.’ I was deeply impressed by the fact that there was no ego in the way of the Professor’s desire to learn something he didn’t already know, and how willing he was to learn from anyone.”
I then asked the senior teachers to share one story about Professor. Will Higginbotham spoke about a call he received from Professor. “He called me and said he wanted to come to my house for a couple of days before teaching a seminar. He arrived with his notebook in hand, and began asking me questions.” For two days, Wally pumped Higginbotham for information on pressure points – occasionally stopping to show Higginbotham same nuance or subtlety of Small Circle Jujitsu. “I was honored to be receiving such instruction from Professor. But, it was Professor Jay who took my hand and said, ‘Thank you for teaching me.’”
Ken Smith, one of Professor Remy Presas’ most senior students echoed the sentiment. “The first time I met Wally Jay was at a Wally Jay/Remy Presas seminar. We were training sinawali, and Wally picked up a pair of sticks. Remy said to me, ‘Ken, you go teach Wally.’ So, I went over to teach Wally Jay, shaking with fear. While we were practicing, Wally accidentally hit me in the hand, but that was ok. Then, a little later, I accidentally hit Wally Jay in the hand. I felt so bad, and was apologizing, but Wally just smiled, and said, ‘Don’t worry, soon we will be putting down the sticks, and then it will be my turn.’” Ken’s final words were, “Now Remy has a training partner with him in heaven.”
Kim Dillman Foreman remembered when Wally, Remy and George began to first do their big three seminars. “I would get up, and Remy and Wally would already be up, trading techniques and information. And because I was up first, I got to be the designated uke. Wally was such a kind and gracious man, he was like a father to so many of us.”
Matt Brown, another of Dillman’s senior students, spoke of a time (the last time) when Wally had been at the Dillman training camp. The topic of training had included work on “toate” (methods of affecting a person without physical contact). Students were working on moving each other by projecting energy. Matt said, “Wally comes up to me and says, ‘Matt, see if that works on me.’ So, I was trying to move Wally using my chi. ‘Is it working, Professor?’ I asked. ‘I can’t tell,’ Wally responded. ‘I’m 85 years old, I always sway back and forth.’”
Then it came George Dillman's turn to speak. At first sensei couldn’t say anything, but only covered his face with his hands. Then, with tear streaked cheeks and a smile of happy memories he told us, “If you knew Wally and Bernice, you knew they always over-packed for a trip. So a couple of younger guys had been helping carry these large bags of luggage to the hotel room. Wally had unzipped a bag part way and was starting to unpack, when they asked him his secret to living so long and with such vitality. ‘First, you must live a healthy life,’ he told them. ‘Don’t smoke and don’t drink.’ But Wally’s bag was so heavy it was unzipping itself, and as he was telling them about healthy living, out fell a big bag of Snickers bars. I laughed at him, and he looked at me and said, ‘You gotta have at least one vice.’ After that, I called some of my students, and told them that they should bring Wally bags of Snickers Bars when they picked him up at the airport. So then Wally called me and said, ‘You told them!’
“And another time, we were were teaching a seminar together in Minnesota. Wally had this one guy in a leg lock. His other leg was on the floor, and I said, ‘I think you can knock him out!’ ‘How?’ said Wally. I told him to stomp the leg on the floor, hitting along the spleen meridian. ‘But what if he get’s hurt?’ Wally asked. ‘That’s ok.’ I said, ‘I’ll tell ‘em that you did it.’”
That story made me smile, because I was the guy Wally had in a leg lock.
I finished our impromptu service by reminding everyone of the scripture that tells us, “There is a time to be born and a time to die.” I followed with a prayer, entrusting Wally’s soul to the mercy of our Creator, expressing our faith that our lives continue in God’s love, and asking for God’s comfort upon Wally’s family and all who mourn his passing. Then I reminded everyone again that it was our responsibility to preserve and pass on Professor’s teachings and example. And, with the final Amen, I said, “We need to honor Wally Jay, now, by practicing finger locks.” And so, we returned to our training, focusing on the small circle concepts that had become so central to our practice of pressure point methods and joint manipulation. And we all, like sensei Dillman, smiled with tear-filled eyes as we celebrated Wally Jay in his teachings.
