I was born in ’74 after the fall of Saigon. TL: My understanding from birth was one of war. What was that like compared to how it is now? When you started out in the world of Special Operations it was pre-9/11. That's a matter of truth, and that truth is only known in specifics by the greatest forms of intelligence this country sends into the most deadly of operational spaces.
His day-to-day movements in those dark and deadly spaces are the reason we enjoy the freedoms we do. Tu knows what it means to be without freedom, so he formed himself into the anti-matter that would conduct high-intensity operations where only the most fearless men would go. How much more so for a soldier like Tu Lam? Tu's path brought him out of a terroristic Communist state and into a land he believed so strongly in that he spent 22 years as its protector. That overlook was more magnificent than ever after my time of recollection. I thought about the freedom that I now enjoyed being a byproduct of the other men and women who'd made that same decision. I thought about the path of commitment to something greater than self. As I watched the hawks' flight over the edge of the cliff, I thought about all of the possibilities and dangers in signing on that dotted line when I was 17 years old. To be calm and serene when under attack is much more difficult, so, therefore, I teach you that it is far better to be a warrior tending his garden rather than a gardener at war.”Ībout a week ago I was standing atop one of my favorite overlooks in south Texas and my mind drifted to the places I'd been my path, if you will. It is easy to be calm in a serene setting. “Tending the garden,” the master replied, “is a relaxing pastime, but it does not prepare one for the inevitable battles of life. “Would it not be more tranquil and serene to be a gardener and tend the plants?” the student asked. I think often of the quote from Chinese martial arts lore where a student is talking to his master. You become a master of violence in order to control the chaos around you. Tu shares this belief as well, because he knows that there is no other way at times. I believe in a reason and necessity for violence. When we think of violence we typically think of a negative space where life and limb is injured or destroyed.
This art form is a path of violence for Lam but the word "violence" belies the true sense of this form in Lam's life. My time with him was more indicative of truth in lineage and one's path to a sense of mastering one's art form. He truly believes he was born to be a warrior, and nothing I saw in my time with him would negate that belief.
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Tu believes strongly in the Bushido Code and passionately practices from the deepest place in his heart. The couple of days I spent with Tu were powerful in nature, because I could truly see the indicators of his belief system in every segment of his life. He gave his life to the Army for 22 years, pursuing the life of a warrior, always sacrificing for his country and never thinking of self. "Ronin" is just that name for retired Sergeant Major Tu Lam.
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When you believe in something greater than yourself, something that exists in such a complex place of passion that few others understand, you attack it with full purpose and conviction. It needed to be indicative of not just a job description, but a movement in life. She was trying to choose a title for her creative agency and we both agreed that name had a lot of power.
I was speaking with a friend today about the power of a name.
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