One of my favorite Jalal stories perfectly captures who he was.

We were at the 11th Street dojo during a seminar with Kato Sensei. Jalal was training with a very senior Aikidoist from another dojo who was giving him a hard time and seemed intent on proving something.

Rather than engage, Jalal simply looked at him and said, "I think I should go sit down."

A little later, Jimmy Sensei walked by. The other Aikidoist said, "I guess I train too hard for your boy."

Jimmy didn't hesitate.

He looked at him and said, "You're nuts. He sat down so he wouldn't hurt you."

That was Jalal.

He possessed tremendous skill, but he never seemed interested in measuring himself against someone else. He understood that sometimes the strongest response is simply to refuse the comparison.