Ottawa, October 13, 2009 - Bruce Mulvihill Sensei died peacefully today on the heels of a long and taxing battle with cancer. While we mourn his passing, we also celebrate the extraordinary gifts he shared so willingly with everyone with whom he came into contact inside and well beyond the dojo. He was a loving spouse and father, a devoted teacher and mentor, a wise counsel, a trusted friend, and a gentleman, but perhaps above all, he was a man of principle and character, who always put others’ needs ahead of his own. While he will surely be remembered for his inimitable interpretation of aikido on the mats, perhaps his greatest contribution was what he exemplified away from the dojo. The unwavering resolve with which he faced life’s greatest hurdles head-on without self-pity or complaint reflected an inner strength that speaks of self-discovery and ultimately self-mastery of a profoundly remarkable study of the essence of aikido. He was a true warrior to the end and remains an example for the rest of us to follow. He is dearly missed.

Character of the Happy Warrior

by William Wordsworth (1770-1850)

"WHO is the happy Warrior? Who is he?
What every man in arms should wish to be?
—It is the generous Spirit, who, when brought
Among the tasks of real life, hath wrought
Upon the plan that pleased his childish thought:
Whose high endeavours are an inward light
That makes the path before him always bright:
Who, with a natural instinct to discern
What knowledge can perform, is diligent to learn,
Abides by this resolve, and stops not there,
But makes his moral being his prime care."