I met John Saucier at the ESI Bodyguard School in Aspen Colorado. It was 88 or 89 I cant remember accurately. There were thirty men in our group. Some were average guys and some were above average. This division became more evident to everyone as the weeks wore on. You can hide from many things. But you can't hide from reality when pitted against 29 other guys on a firing line. It is what it is!
So it was in this cauldron of truth that we met. Similar interests of the martial arts, similar goals in life and an appreciation for the herb made for a easy friendship to develop. From that point things just began to happen.
After leaving Aspen we kept in touch. I was on the Riddle of Steel thing at that time and we had spoke of a Riddle in the southern states. Well, John was the agent who made that happen. He set things up and when I flew in we were set to go. He was very good at that job. He had people managing skills and a friendly way about him.
We did several successful seminars together. John then formed his outfit called the AMERICAN EDGEWISE SOCIETY. I still have t-shirts with that logo and saying on them. "I have a high art, I wound cruelly those who would harm me" Heh heh, from the film EXPOSURE. But how appropriate it was at that moment in time.
I was proud of him for stepping up and forming a group of his own.
Back in the magazine days I was a lucky fellow. So John and I were in several magazines back in the 90's. If you look you'll see what I mean. We also did a couple of crazy adventures too. Nothing monumental - just the flow of the time.
Here's a neat SAUCIER story - Ok, we are in Aspen. It's about 11am - we have the day off. John spots a tram going up the mountain before us. This is not the ski season. But the tram still runs to the look out lodge above. Mind you, the way up is via these teeny little teacup cupolas. Just big enough for two people. They have a plastic dome covering and they swing freely. A sheer fright delight! What we could see was no big deal. Oh hell no, that was a mistake! It just went out of sight then and shit got way crazier worse. This SOB went straight up to 14 thousand feet. OMG! We were stuck then, no way out. We looked at one another and laughed.
And yes we got there ok / got out and looked around. John walks away, goes over to guy standing back a ways and starts talking with him. Pretty soon he comes back and I ask'em who was that? He said "John Oates". I said, who's that? Saucier said "you know HALL & OATES. I saw him over there and went over. Told him I liked his music and to have a nice day". That was John!
Another time in Monroe, La. my plane landed, I disembarked and was looking for John in the airport. There he was talking with some guy - so I just walked upon them. Laughed and said HELLO! John says Jim I want you meet my friend Mr. Charles Durning. We talked a minute and Durnings car arrived. Yeah, the movie star Charles Durning - I asked John how you know him? He said "I didn't, I just saw him sitting there and went over. Introduced myself, said I was a fan of his work and started talking. That was John - he had the knack!
I recall to the time he bought that red sports car. Then Robert Lewis and John drove to Idaho from Arkansas! That was an adventure! Of course then they drove back. Wow. Good times. And thanx to John I met people I otherwise would have never had the chance to meet. John was a human crossroads, where all meet at some point in time. Some people are nodes, connections are formed from their presence and then go out into the world. John was like that. John had a deep consciousness. It haunted him at times, it could be too deep. He had a sense of fair play, but could be as tricky as an adder in the grass.
Around me, he never talked family or kin. It came up, but it was rare. So I never knew any of his kin, not by choice, but by circumstance.
Because John had an easy going way he made for a good teacher. He could share some insight and not offend anyone. But he would also fight if it came down to it. The ability to learn and grow eventually lead John to getting his nursing degree. It was a damn hard journey. It tried him hard. He grew in his scope and turned into a professional in the health care field. He achieved his goals in life.
He did what he set out to do and then some! Hat's off and a big salute to him and the good life he lead! May his kin not suffer his loss too severely.
Good bye my friend - You are missed and now you fly free !
