My earliest recollection of Uncle David Nu'uhiwa, or Dave as I called him, is from my childhood. I remember an occasion when my dad dragged me along to the garage because he could not find a babysitter; I must have been five, perhaps younger. I remember sitting in the corner, under all the pictures, and Dave was leading the class in punches. He had a very serious face, and he was saying in a solid voice that moved the room, “punch, punch, punch, punch….” I remember being slightly scared and apprehensive as I sat there. Dave’s voice was so compelling that I thought I had better do my punches too, or who knew what would happen, so I started punching. About that time, Dave looked down at me, and I froze, but a smile crossed his face that was as deep and warm as life itself and as compelling as the “punch, punch, punch, punch...” he continued to lead. Any feelings of apprehension or fear melted away when he bestowed that smile on me. From that point forward, I felt Dave's warmth, and I was his student.

That is my first solid memory of Dave. My dad says that he had been taking me to Dave for healing since I was an infant. I was a sickly child, with asthma, allergies, and other ailments. My dad says that Dave would massage my tummy and place his big, experienced hands on my chest. Who knows, but I would like to think that healing paid off—I no longer suffer from asthma, and I don’t suffer the allergies I did as a child. As a matter of fact, I have felt healthier than not for most of my life.

Many of us have regrets as we grow older. One regret I suffer is the regret that I didn’t pay a lot of attention in my martial arts studies as a teenager. In high school, I strayed from Dave’s teaching and focused on partying. Eventually I lost interest in martial arts, and I stopped going altogether. Dave and Auntie Lil were still a part of my life (Auntie with her hugs and kisses), but unfortunately, with less frequency and less impact. Luckily, in my mid twenties, my father started to bring me around to the Nu'uhiwa’s more often. My interest in martial arts began to mature, and I began to work out again. As a school, we started to become involved with more organizations, and we started to attend clinics and other events.

Once again, Dave was making an impact on my life. He started to heal aspects of my life that were unhealthy. He gave me his smile again, and it still had the same power I felt as a child. I miss Dave terribly, but the memory of his smile brings me much comfort. I love you Dave—I hope you know how much better the world is because you were in it, and how much better our lives are because you live in us.