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Suenaka Sensei taught aikido in Zemke Gymnasium, one of two gyms on Kadena. Zemke Gym had two levels, and he taught on the upper floor. Not long after he first met Kise Sensei, Suenaka was in the middle of teaching a class when he heard a disturbance on the lower floor:

“I heard some shouting downstairs, and I went to look,’ recalls Suenaka. There was a big group of karate students, about fifty people in the class. I had my students continue training and I walked downstairs; it was Kise Sensei. I said, ‘Hey, what are you doing?,’ and he said, ‘This is my karate class—what are you doing up there?’ And I said, “That’s my aikido class.’ He said, Aikido, eh? Hmmmm.’ He didn’t say very much then. So I went back upstairs and continued.”

Perhaps it was because Suenaka was a fellow employee in the electrical shop that Kise opted not to challenge him that very night. Perhaps it was because he liked Suenaka personally, brief though their acquaintance was at that point, more than he had the previous aikidoka. Later, it may have been because both found they shared common experiences in their study of the martial arts; beginning study in a variety of styles at an early age, a preference for deeds over words, and a sincere (and no doubt purely professional) love of a good street fight. Whatever the reasons, Kise Sensei never formally challenged Suenaka to physically defend his art. Indeed, after their meeting in the gym, they found themselves spending more and more time together, both on the job and socially, becoming fast friends. Still, there were implied challenges, as Suenaka recalls: