Killing me softly with nikkyo

by Janet Rosen

sung to the tune "Killing me softly with music" by Roberta Flack

I heard he ran a dojo
I heard he had zanshen
And so I paid my mat fee and stretched and sat zazen
There he was, this Sensei
Showin' kotegaeshi....

He was spinnin' my head with atemi
Makin' a mess of my gi
Killing me softly with nikkyo
Killing me softly....with his ki
Killing me softly....with kokyu
Killing me softly....with his throws

I felt all flushed with fever
Embarrassed by my feet
As if I'd dropped my bokken and landed on my seat
I hoped that we were finished
But he just kept right on....

Spinnin' my head with atemi
Makin' a mess of my gi
Killing me softly with nikkyo
Killing me softly....with his ki
Killing me softly....with kokyu
Killing me softly....with his throws

He offered katatetori
He spun like Fred Astaire
Then he extended past me as if I wasn't there
And he just kept extending
Projecting clear and strong

He was spinnin' my head with atemi
Makin' a mess of my gi
Killing me softly with nikkyo
Killing me softly....with his ki
Killing me softly....with kokyu
Killing me softly....with his throws