tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26489872849692708412024-02-25T13:13:21.507-05:00The Budo BumThe Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.comBlogger252125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-18593066328508777302024-02-25T13:12:00.001-05:002024-02-25T13:12:31.811-05:00Teacher Responsibility in the Teacher-Student RelationshipI've written before about the responsibility a teacher has for their students in Japanese martial arts. Here is a great example. A sumo wrestler was severely punished for the misbehaviour of one of their students.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68381695
Teaching martial arts is not something to take lightly. It is a deep responsibility.
The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-78993919704258678392023-11-06T08:00:00.010-05:002023-11-06T08:00:00.151-05:00Budo: The Way of Change<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhAIkSawGqfkbQhMBBFww33I2pcRCzsID9glJ42tIMhgzh_IAGGc_Q9nMIcIpdBZGCG7-e50mp2IUlCCZyWnE1HCn7vbt4MKaRAV5An17fhQFSrugdMgG5uR2nrQ6Nrkw9Xhv3IZdl9Wezn8fMZ8cBWi8e4JO19Hm20HKjDzoWib9978JTSGv6pEiAIY/s4032/20230702_130224.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="4032" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhAIkSawGqfkbQhMBBFww33I2pcRCzsID9glJ42tIMhgzh_IAGGc_Q9nMIcIpdBZGCG7-e50mp2IUlCCZyWnE1HCn7vbt4MKaRAV5An17fhQFSrugdMgG5uR2nrQ6Nrkw9Xhv3IZdl9Wezn8fMZ8cBWi8e4JO19Hm20HKjDzoWib9978JTSGv6pEiAIY/s320/20230702_130224.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Great day of training. It must have been 95F (35C) in the dojo, though.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<p></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">I
talk a lot about the benefits of budo. We go to the dojo and we
sweat. We work at improving some aspect of our skills every
time we enter the dojo. It doesn’t matter how long we’ve been
training or how old we are. My iaido teacher, <a href="https://budobum.blogspot.com/2022/12/kiyama-hiroshi-shihan.html" target="_blank">Kiyama Hiroshi</a>,
was still training in his 90’s. A friend of mine pushed himself to
improve his jodo to challenge for 8th dan when he was 90.He didn’t
make it to 8th dan, but he was pushing himself to improve until the
day he died.</span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Budo,
much like other Japanese arts such as </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;"><a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/jtea/hd_jtea.htm">chano yu</a></span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">and
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">shodo</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
makes three assumptions about practice and us. First, that perfect
technique can be imagined. Second, that we can always work to come
closer to perfection. Third, that we’ll never achieve perfection,
but that’s no excuse for not continuing to grow and improve.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">All
of the streams of thought that come together to form budo assume that
human technique and character can, and should, continue to develop
throughout one’s life. Confucius, Lao Zi, Zhuang Zi, Siddhartha
Gautama (Buddha), all provided strands of thought and ideas to the
cultural stew of China and Japan. All of them assumed that people
could change, grow and improve at every stage of life.</span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
<a href="https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Zhuangzi">Zhuangzi</a> is filled with stories that emphasize taking your time and
learning things. The idea that learning and development never end is
intrinsic to the all of the lines of thought in ancient China that
used “way” </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">道
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">as
a metaphor for their school of thought. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Disputers-Tao-Philosophical-Argument-Ancient/dp/0812690885/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=580763888804&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9016906&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8795432666772198536&hvtargid=kwd-1449139532&hydadcr=9360_13533252&keywords=disputers+of+the+tao&qid=1695172854&s=books&sr=1-1"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">There
were a lot of them</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">On
the other hand, there is a common idea in Western thinking that we
each have some sort of unchanging, immutable core or essence. I’ve
heard many people say “I can’t change. That’s just the way I
am.” or “I don’t like it, but that’s who I am.” Once
they finish high school or college, many people seem to think that
they are done growing, changing and evolving as a person. Thankfully,
there is no evidence to support any of this.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;"></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan/dp/1483598683/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZ9pAZBrLJ8x_vIMYKnyvl5t_3FH88A4L-Brm0ve1RHh0-cA4XLapB-csb9Zfyj4ZtzKIA6Tj_-GHUbSqtFq1Of1PhR9hv9bjbmHxC7RMbDYr9gZlEVMM7s2OfP0ID78txWqjLL9ctubCGm-42vA-bqPt6ncQMIy_CK-kF9tFsCfxop__t9Z42MjbsIA/s320/Musings%20Of%20A%20Budo%20Bum%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A curated selection of the best of the the Budo Bum<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;"><br /> </span></span></span><p></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">Everyone
changes, every day. Whatever we experience changes us. Little things
change us in little ways, and big things can be, as the saying goes,
“life changing.” Life never stops working on us, changing us,
molding us. We are not stone. We are soft flesh that changes and
adapts to the stresses it experiences. An essential question is
whether we are going to be active participants choosing how we change
and what we become, or are we going to be passive recipients of
whatever life does to us..</span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">A
central concept of the idea of a Way, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">michi
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">or
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">道
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
that there is always another step to take, another bit of ourselves
we can polish, a bit of our personality that we can improve, and that
we can direct that change. This is true whether we are talking about
Daoist thought or Confucian thought or something in between. The idea
of a finished, unchanging human really doesn’t come up. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">Budo
constantly reminds us that we aren’t finished growing, developing,
improving. Rather than declaring that we can’t change, budo is a
claxon calling out that we change whether we want to or not, and that
we can direct that change if we choose. Budo is about choosing
to direct how we change instead of just letting the circumstances of
life change us.</span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">We
are making the choice to take part in how life shapes us from the
moment we enter the dojo, although I doubt many realize how much budo
can influence who we become when we make the decision to start
training. Good budo training should, and does, change us. Physically
we get stronger, more flexible, improve our stamina and develop the
ability to endure fierce training and even injuries. That’s the
obvious stuff. More importantly, budo changes who we are. It should
make us mentally tougher and intellectually more flexible. It should
help us to be more open to new experiences and ideas. It should teach
us that we can transform ourselves. It’s a cliche that budo
training makes people more confident, but it’s also true of good
budo training. You go to the dojo and you get used to people
literally attacking you, and as time goes on, you’re not only okay
with that, but you look forward to it. I don’t know anyone who
started budo training because they enjoyed being attacked, but it
doesn’t take very long before that sort of training, whether it is
done through </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">kata
geiko</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">or
some sort of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">randori</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">or
free sparring, becomes something you look forward to with a smile.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Keiko,</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">the
formal term for budo practice in Japanese, is the highlight of my
week. The time I spend in the dojo practicing and doing budo never
tires my spirit. It exhausts my body, but my spirit always comes away
refreshed, recharged, and ready to deal with all the stresses of life
outside the dojo. Budo practice isn’t something we “play”. In
Japanese you never use the verbs associated with play when talking
about budo, and even judoka avoid words that emphasize the
competitive and focus on terms like </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">tanren
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">鍛錬</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
forging. Budo is about change; conscious, self-directed change.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">The
wonderful thing is that once we learn how to change ourselves in the
dojo, we know how to do it outside the dojo as well. The discomfort
we get used to while pushing ourselves in the dojo teaches us how to
deal with discomfort outside the dojo. That’s one thing budo
doesn’t eliminate - the discomfort of changing. Self-directed
change is difficult and pushes us into places and situations that are
anything but comfortable. I can remember being a pugnacious jerk, and
dealing with disagreement and conflict as a win-lose scenario that I
had to win. It took a lot of time in and out of the dojo to learn
that just because there is conflict there doesn’t have to be a
winner and loser. There are lots of other ways to deal with
conflict, and I’m grateful to my budo teachers that I learned
something about conflict as something other than a zero-sum game.</span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">Budo
has a lot to teach us about life, how we can change and adapt to the
world instead of letting the world change us. All the effort that we
put into learning the techniques and skills of budo also teaches us
how to direct an equal amount of effort into changing any aspect of
ourselves that we wish to confront. The budo path has no end
destination. We just keep working at it.</span></span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman, PhD. for her editorial support and advice.</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Budo-Bum-Interview-Boylan-Dialogues/dp/B0BS93YG39/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=gs5qC&content-id=amzn1.sym.579192ca-1482-4409-abe7-9e14f17ac827&pf_rd_p=579192ca-1482-4409-abe7-9e14f17ac827&pf_rd_r=146-0288236-3978111&pd_rd_wg=NKS1m&pd_rd_r=428b6598-ce5c-4527-a8f3-3d0284efcce4&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCNPOWT45UKyyXE8W45Z6lEp0ba0yKPzRLaFQqTZ6fVLiUzPslzemHvhqQeABq9-lQf6hTAf-ytLmQuDr57IsW2d5mN9SO6HPSRqtoh02TLPUU8RvidNwnmNIpZub06XXLSfdLaE78PRjC8jimpOiphx2NAxb9-86-bwdU00ymOxbMIcbZPRlZ2xCVkuA/s320/The%20Budo%20Bum%20Interview%20Cover.jpg" width="207" /></a></i></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><br /> </i><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>
<p></p>
The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-66808201412006020122023-08-17T23:05:00.005-04:002023-08-18T05:58:36.698-04:00Budo's Principal Lesson<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilF7v-ali-5tvBhGlYQ_Md_pRgs5J8gaBIID9KrANC--D1Gb_J-OXaDXKzzVa_oZPBtoXpVYofuBqpil2OyAN2YqgFaGWrh-ICPiKc_jWUgx2Vgw3mKsxoV2lO7sNgl10CtCJr9rIGKvSoMlVIjuG32khYzLvSqG0Foyw2OoMX0Wqete4gYJDKeCvFx94/s4032/48584474862_38be9a31e1_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilF7v-ali-5tvBhGlYQ_Md_pRgs5J8gaBIID9KrANC--D1Gb_J-OXaDXKzzVa_oZPBtoXpVYofuBqpil2OyAN2YqgFaGWrh-ICPiKc_jWUgx2Vgw3mKsxoV2lO7sNgl10CtCJr9rIGKvSoMlVIjuG32khYzLvSqG0Foyw2OoMX0Wqete4gYJDKeCvFx94/s320/48584474862_38be9a31e1_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit Patricia Anderson Copyright 2023<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<p></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">Koryu
budo schools teach many things: strikes, throwing techniques, joint
locks, strangles, weapons, defenses, counterattacks, proper
breathing, proper walking, techniques for receiving attacks, ukemi.
However, the one thing every koryu budo school that I have
encountered spends the most time teaching and practicing isn’t any
of these techniques. It’s awareness; self-awareness, spatial
awareness, temporal awareness, and awareness of others.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">I’m
purposely limiting this to koryu budo because gendai budo spend most
of their practice time drilling competition techniques and sparring.
Koryu budo schools spend most of their practice time on mental focus
and awareness. If you give it a little consideration, it is clear
that the amount of time spent on technical skills is second to what
is spent on awareness and mental development.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">The
bulk of koryu budo training is kata. Pick any koryu budo ryuha and
watch some of their kata. A kata might take anywhere from 10 to 30
seconds from the start to finish of one repetition. The technique
practice in the kata will generally last from 1 second to around 10
seconds. The rest of the time is spent practicing awareness and
focus. This is true whether it is iai or kenjutsu or jojutsu or
naginata or jujutsu or anything else.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">If
we look at the first iaido kata in Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu and Muso
Shinden Ryu, the kata starts while the practitioner is standing. She
takes the time to sit in seiza carefully and attentively. Once she is
sitting, she does not rush into drawing her sword. She stays calm and
focused. She begins moving carefully, being fully aware of what she
is doing and what her </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">kaso
teki</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(imagined
opponent) is supposed to be doing. She begins drawing her sword
slowly, completely focused on the situation, and does not rush
anything. When everything is right, she finishes her draw and cuts
quickly across kaso teki. She pushes forward and raises the sword
over her head, then cuts quickly down through kaso teki. She pauses.
Focusing and extending awareness, she considers if kaso teki is still
a threat. She shifts her blade and pushes it slowly out to her right,
then brings it in close to her head and drops it across her front for
the chiburi and rises to her feet, all the while remaining focused on
kaso teki, just in case the threat has not been completely
eliminated. She pushes her right foot back into a relatively deep
stance. Maintaining her focus on kaso teki, she brings her left hand
to the koi guchi, and the tsuba close to her left hand. She pulls the
back of the sword along her left hand until the tip drops into the
opening in her hand and then slowly brings the saya over the sword
tip and begins sheathing the sword, still staying focused on kaso
teki. As she sheathes the sword, she slowly lowers herself to her
left knee. Once the sword is sheathed there is a pause while she
continues to focus on kaso teki. She rises, still focusing on kaso
teki. Only after all of this, does she lift her eyes from kaso teki.
Maintaining her mental focus, she expands her awareness to the whole
space around her, and then she returns to her starting place with
deliberate care and focus.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">That’s
a lot of time and effort to practice two cuts. The most important
lesson isn’t the draw or the cuts. It’s the focus and awareness.
Awareness combined with the ability to focus on what is critical are
the most important skills in koryu budo. That’s why we spend more
time practicing them then everything else combined. Awareness will
keep you out of more fights than any technique can win, and focus
will prevent distractions that cause losses. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="167" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha_4SsJf-gqceUUWXVHbkiRiYzpvDcL_1Z2pELWYdGvM4fcnlDCtsU8OrGz7RJM0OX3NE6QzSL2-g6Nw_64BoWLA2mOQ7HUoMhK_Vihbzt93DkHaBItrQxaHg3n3MgTZEBO09G9UJsfmT3Tml-R54lBq_KLtHnUBJWC_DyiKsjNfeOUI1CmXJ0FHget5U/s1600/Musings%20of%20a%20budo%20bum%20Cover.jpg" width="167" /> </a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></span></div><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Paired
koryu kata spend just as much time on awareness and focus as iai kata
do. Take the omote kata <a href="https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxueVKSOVPJhrjxJysXkZtd56Bb2Tx0AHa?feature=shared" target="_blank">Monomi from Shinto Muso Ryu</a>. The partners
start facing each other separated by around five to seven steps. The
kata starts when tachi raises their bokuto to chudan. Jo carefully
moves their weapon so that they are holding it by one end with the
right hand and the other end is touching the ground on their left
side, all while maintaining perfect focus on tachi. Tachi raises the
sword to </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">hasso</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">and
steps forward with their left foot, keeping their eyes and mind
focused on jo. Tachi advances carefully into cutting range without
breaking their focus on jo. When they are one step away from being
able to cut jo, tachi swiftly raises the bokuto, steps forward and
cuts jo’s head.</span></span></span></span></span></span><p></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">Jo
has spent all of this time focused on tachi, ready to act the moment
tachi begins any sort of attack. The instant tachi begins to raise
their bokuto, jo moves just enough to the left to be out from under
the bokuto’s cut and simultaneously brings their weapon up. As the
sword is cutting through the space where jo’s head was, jo steps
back with their right foot and brings their weapon down on tachi’s
wrist. Tachi and jo are each focused on the other, minutely aware of
each other. Tachi pulls their bokuto out from under the jo and steps
back into jodan. As tachi is stepping back, jo whips their weapon
around and points the end directly at tachi’s eyes, preventing
tachi from stepping forward to attack. Then jo steps forward and
thrusts the stick into tachi’s solar plexus. Jo carefully raises
their weapon to tachi’s eyes, and tachi carefully slides back and
lowers their bokuto. Jo and tachi are focused on each other, watching
for the least sign that the other will try another attack. Jo moves
their hands to the ends of their weapon and places their right hand
on their thigh without letting their focus on tachi waver. Jo shifts
their hands on the ends of the weapon and tachi deliberately pulls
their left foot back to their right foot. Jo brings their left hand
to their front and slides their weapon through their right hand to
its middle and brings their left foot forward next to their right
foot. Tachi begins to carefully retreat back to their starting point,
remaining focused on jo the entire time. After tachi has taken their
first step back, jo begins carefully backing towards their starting
point, never letting their eyes leave tachi or their focus waver. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">That’s
a lot of time spent focusing on each other to practice one cut, one
strike, and one thrust. The action takes about a second, maybe two.
The rest of the kata is spent developing focus and awareness. When
will tachi attack? Jo doesn’t move until tachi begins their attack.
Move too soon and the opening is lost. Move too late and you’re hit
in the head. Tachi has to be aware of everything that jo is doing and
not doing. Jo has to be just as focused on tachi. If jo’s focus
wavers for the smallest instant, tachi can cut them before they can
act. After the cut and counter strike there is a brief impasse, with
the partners focusing to sense the smallest intention to do
something. If tachi tries to do anything other than step back, jo has
to sense it and ram their weapon into tachi’s solar plexus. If
tachi detects jo’s focus slipping they will instantly launch an
attack. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">After
the final thrust, jo and tachi are still focused on each other, each
without an iota of trust for the other, until they are finally back
to their starting points and the kata is over. The ability to
maintain that sort of focus without letting it break for the
slightest instant takes time to develop. Jo often learns to not trust
tachi the hard way. I let my focus waver towards the end of a kata
once and tachi hit me, seemingly without warning. As my sense of
awareness improved, I began to sense when tachi was going to try to
“cut” me and I could move to stop it. When I got better, I could
sense tachi’s intention and shut it down by sharpening my focus,
without making any movement. As tachi, I’ve learned to watch for
breaks in my partner’s focus and attack into them. Jo learns to
never trust tachi for an instant.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">The
principle lesson in koryu budo is mental. It’s the one that we
devote most of our practice time to, and it’s the one that is most
applicable to every moment of every day. Stay aware and focused.
Don’t let your attention be diverted from what is important. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">Our
society doesn’t encourage focus or awareness. We are surrounded by
distractions. TV, radio, internet, cell phones. Advertising works
best when it can distract your mind, interrupt your focus and make
you think about what the advertiser wants you to think about.
Distracted driving is such a menace that it injures more people than
drunk driving does, and the number of deaths attributed to it is
climbing fast. We have trouble staying focused in classrooms and in
offices. Distractions on worksites are as much of a danger as
distracted driving. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Budo-Bum-Interview-Boylan-Dialogues/dp/B0BS93YG39/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=xjNJU&content-id=amzn1.sym.ed85217c-14c9-4aa0-b248-e47393e2ce12&pf_rd_p=ed85217c-14c9-4aa0-b248-e47393e2ce12&pf_rd_r=134-7011870-1704727&pd_rd_wg=5zllN&pd_rd_r=d8127f25-5db4-4f1a-a585-81fb47e6f3f9&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2bwQBLYJ1E5sJoxqmOcMfbYOLcwZ3i1UpPQ_bqmoAEocVKGJiGkV1zf09n4tV-V8r3KE51SODeEqPAPKntO6-hufzjFMlWpN0DOvkb0lpREZCt237qa1RSDSJQvQYpzCHpbgPmdXOVcZ5Yc-1eGfjc8UiAVl7ZtZmJI8-cPNc3i_7hQODPAjdyLGcgE/s320/The%20Budo%20Bum%20Interview%20Cover.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></span><p></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">Learning
to focus and be aware was never easy though, even without our modern
distraction machines. If it had been, the people who crafted the
koryu budo that we train in would not have devoted so much of their
pedagogy to practicing staying focused and being aware. All the other
things we do in the dojo feed back into this principle lesson. If
your breathing and posture are bad, you can’t focus nearly as well
as when you are upright and breathing properly. If you are tense, you
will focus on the wrong things, and you’re liable to react to the
wrong stimuli. Proper posture and breathing help you to stay relaxed
so you remain focused on what is critical. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
essential mental state in koryu budo is known as </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://budobum.blogspot.com/2015/11/states-of-mind-heijoshin.html"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">heijoshin
</span></span></u></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><u><span style="background: transparent;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">平常心</span></span></span></span></u></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">in
Japanese. One reading of heijoshin is “normal mind”. When I was
first learning this I thought it was strange, because the focused and
aware mind that koryu budo teaches is anything but normal in the
world I live in. I don’t meet many people outside koryu budo who
can combine focus and awareness like the experienced koryu budoka I
have known. This kind of mind is special, and requires a great deal
of specialized training to achieve. The goal of all this time spent
practicing focus and awareness in the dojo is to transform that
special state of mind into our “everyday mind”. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">Being
focused and aware is more complicated than just paying attention. You
have to learn how to mentally acknowledge things beyond you and your
training partner without losing your focus on your partner. I’ve
seen people who didn’t understand what was happening (or whose
awareness was atrocious) walk right up to people who are swinging
weapons about. I’ve also trained in a lot of places that weren’t
exactly perfect for what I was practicing. Places where the walls
were a little too close to be able to move as you want to in the
kata, or where there is a pole or other object in an inconvenient
spot in the dojo, or outdoors on uneven footing. If you are so
focused on your partner that you don’t know what else is going on
around you, or where the walls and obstructions are, or what is under
foot, you need more awareness practice.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">As
your understanding of budo grows deeper, you begin to be aware of
critical details that you couldn’t have noticed in the past, things
like what your partner can and cannot do from a particular stance or
position. In that Shinto Muso Ryu kata above, if tachi is so focused
on jo that they don’t notice where jo’s weapon is targeting, they
are likely to try an attack that will end with them (hopefully) on
the ground because down was the best direction to go to avoid the
counter-thrust to their eyes. If they are too slow or overcommitted,
they may end up taking the stick in their eye. Awareness includes
being aware of which options are open, and which are closed. When can
your opponent attack? Which potential attacks are viable, and which
can be ignored? Where is your opponent likely to attack you? Where is
your opponent open to your attack? This kind of awareness takes a lot
of time to develop, and you don’t develop it by doing reps. You
develop it by taking time to see your opponent and by taking the
opponent’s role. Slowly you become more aware of not just your
opponent, but of everything around you. </span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;">In
koryu budo, we spend more time practicing being focused and aware
than everything else we do combined. It’s that important. None of
the cool techniques will work if you aren’t aware of a threat or
aren’t able to stay focused on a threat. Awareness and focus are
critical at every step in training, and they are just as critical, if
not moreso, outside the dojo. Anyone who has driven on Detroit
freeways knows how important awareness and focus are to getting home
in one piece. There are accidents all over the freeways caused by
people who aren’t focused on driving and lack awareness of what is
going on around them. Detroit commuter traffic is the perfect
application for the focus and awareness that all of my koryu budo
training is developing.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman PhD. for editorial support.</i> <br /></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
</p>
The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-80803921475892169912023-02-06T18:53:00.000-05:002023-02-06T18:53:28.093-05:00When The Senior Is You<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcworPWbZrZVRyvXnD5c2e0L76tB15NZdtqrIRqEoN8eH6K_Mprq9DM0HNYsIVBFQ9oMEek9E3dGhKp7xbPl71CMiVvOyoOZzDlPH8WhSrIqJjgOmpRP76_Xmxd1Kj80IyzW_VElgch3DW70EaS4Ck1zS702Wd7mV-EitCXNZmWlbN_WOmhyA4H9ti/s4000/P1070815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcworPWbZrZVRyvXnD5c2e0L76tB15NZdtqrIRqEoN8eH6K_Mprq9DM0HNYsIVBFQ9oMEek9E3dGhKp7xbPl71CMiVvOyoOZzDlPH8WhSrIqJjgOmpRP76_Xmxd1Kj80IyzW_VElgch3DW70EaS4Ck1zS702Wd7mV-EitCXNZmWlbN_WOmhyA4H9ti/s320/P1070815.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Adam Grandt, Deborah Klens-Bigman, Kiyama Hiroshi, Peter Boylan. Photo copyright Peter Boylan 2023<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
still remember clearly, the first time at the judo dojo in
Omihachiman, Japan, that we lined up to bow in and there was no one
to my right. I was so shocked at being the senior on the mat that I
promptly forgot half the commands that the senior calls out at the
beginning of practice. Thank goodness the dohai on my left remembered
them and was kind enough to whisper them so I didn’t look like too
much of an idiot. Maybe I should have realized that this could happen
and made a point to really memorize the commands, but I never in my
wildest imagination thought that I would be the senior person on the
mat. Fortunately, on that occasion it didn’t last very long: about
10 minutes into practice a sempai showed up and I was quite happy to
have someone else be responsible. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Being
the senior in the room is one of those things that happens slowly,
and then suddenly. We start training and we have no idea what we are
doing. As the weeks go by and we get a sense of how things work in
the dojo we don’t have to know much and we don’t have any
responsibility. As the weeks turn into months we start learning some
of the basics and we’re able to contribute a little to the dojo
besides our dues and our ignorance. As the months turn into years we
find ourselves helping beginners figure out that they need to step
with their </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">other
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">left
foot, how to take a fall or a strike, how to do the warm-ups and what
the dojo etiquette is. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;"><br />Gradually
our place in the lineup shifts towards the deep end without us doing
anything more special than showing up for practice regularly and
putting some effort into learning what sensei is teaching. If you’re
lucky, sensei will help you learn the senior ropes and maybe even
have you teach occasionally while she watches so you can get some
experience at the front of the room and start feeling the weight of
being responsible for teaching well and making sure everyone finishes
practice in health as good as when they started.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan/dp/1483598683/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeNPIHOASmcC-D1tmcyajjCfmnIrSGfBIGfCakJtZ2B2ZXFNmJRoY9ektNJYczxK1l7_kJTR0dNQF18C7yftcjEWyLzOnM8l4Vw9THTPNAWasFNAUkUmKve1HYMOP5m6q4Et-zt3JtuypRiSaQNGqapsq_l27a9fVQAgq-9cJBNsn00OjKT9rjrh0/s320/Musings%20Of%20A%20Budo%20Bum%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan/dp/1483598683/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Enjoy the blog? Buy the book!<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;"><br /> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">It’s
not uncommon though, to be taking your time edging your way up the
seniority ranks, when you show up to practice and sensei is out sick,
or one sempai has to work late, or another has child raising
duties…no one knows where the others are, but you’re in charge! </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Dennis
Hooker, the late founder of Shindai Dojo was fond of saying when
asked how you become a senior martial artist: “Don’t die and
don’t quit!” - that, and a little genuine effort to learn your
art are all it really takes. Seniority certainly doesn’t take
talent. If that were required I would still be a white belt.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Becoming
a senior student is something that happens if you don’t quit and
you don’t die. Succession in the martial arts is fraught with ego,
but first you have to not quit and not die. One of the arts I train
in, Shinto Hatakage Ryu Iai Heiho, very nearly ceased to exist when
the soke passed away, and then a month later his son and successor
was killed in an automobile accident. Suddenly my teacher, Kiyama
Hiroshi, was the most knowledgeable person practicing Shinto Hatakage
Ryu. He didn’t set out to be the head of the system. He was
just learning it as best he could by copying what Noda Shihan was
doing. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">It
doesn’t take planning and desire to become a senior; it takes the
quiet dedication to show up for practice day in and day out. Then one
day you don’t do anything new and suddenly you’re the senior in
the room.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">I’ve
seen lots of people so desperate to be the senior at the top of the
heap that they will start their own organization or even invent their
own art. Somehow folks imagine being the senior is a glorious parade
where everyone treats you with deference and you can do what you
want. Being senior is the opposite of glorious. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">What
is often missed in training is that increases in rank aren’t
rewards. They are weighted with responsibility. Every time you move
up in rank, the responsibilities become a little heavier. As a white
belt my responsibilities were to show up, and if I got to the dojo
early, make sure I was on the floor sweeping it before anyone senior
to me could show up and grab the broom. As you get more senior you
get more responsibility. Maybe you start handling some of the record
keeping, or you’re taking care of the bookkeeping. Then you start
teaching occasionally. Then one day sensei asks you to take a regular
spot on the teaching roster. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Rank
doesn’t equal privilege. Rank equals responsibility. Kiyama Sensei
passed away in September. That means that three of us who have been
around long enough without quitting are suddenly responsible for
everything that he taught us. We are responsible for teaching all the
principles that he shared with us to the very fullest of our ability.
We are responsible for Shinto Hatakage Ryu Iai Heiho. We are
responsible for whether this ryuha and these teachings live and
contribute to another generation or are forgotten and lost forever.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">That’s
what happens when you become senior. You get the responsibility.
Deborah Klens-Bigman, Kawakami Ryusuke and I received this
responsibility. If we fail, then Shinto Hatakage Ryu Iai Heiho
becomes just another footnote in some books. <br /><br />Everyone who
does budo, whether koryu or gendai, has this responsibility to a
certain extent. We are all responsible for the arts we train in. We
are responsible to those who gave their time to teach us, and we are
responsible to those who take the time to learn from us. Our rank
just tells us how much responsibility we bear.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Budo-Bum-Interview-Boylan-Dialogues/dp/B0BS93YG39?ref_=ast_author_dp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="233" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoY5yayfSP0lwpPCRsyXL7NbbCxqJBl-QI6FF36wfpxq6h1WSD2HQv-hUqP4jVNihZ6jvTsq8b-YnrPn_ktaiCbE1oLi-64MKNaYKKzA_QbutYGedim6f5EVJxNtotmnBzgs9db3e6JTQKmY51yTjHJ-_UsGNauOSXz2ZQ6B7OVd3_pc4X9YNPMUs/s320/The%20Budo%20Bum.jpg" width="207" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Budo-Bum-Interview-Boylan-Dialogues/dp/B0BS93YG39?ref_=ast_author_dp">Get the new book!<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
an art like judo or kendo or aikido, with plenty of dojos around, you
don’t have to worry much about being responsible for the survival
of the art. You still have the responsibility to your teachers and
the other members of the dojo. If you’re teaching, you have
responsibility to your students, and the responsibility to carry on
the traditions of the dojo and to pass on the understanding of your
teachers. That would be plenty of responsibility for anyone. Those
who climb to the highest echelons of an art take on the
responsibility of seeing that the art that is passed on to the next
generations is a strong, healthy one.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Small
styles like Shinto Hatakage Ryu are wonderful jewels. There are
perhaps 200 small ryuha surviving in Japan. Many of them have only
two or three or even just one dojo with a handful of students. In
such an environment it doesn’t take long to find you have a lot of
responsibility. When you're at the top, you’re responsible for
everything in the dojo, from teaching the classes to making sure the
toilet works. If you belong to a small koryu you might discover that
you have at least some of the responsibility for the art living into
the next generation. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">That’s
what happens when you’re the senior.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><br /></span>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-19459549259405346252023-01-02T21:34:00.002-05:002023-01-03T20:09:53.397-05:00Transmitting Koryu - A reaction to Ellis Amdur<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZ-7zjgoo9RPQCvUrcmJjJrDiorgg1_6plEiXTEGFk91zWr4g8d1JjD1nZOyBeKYMjUSHmiZ4hNvErvSiH9jvGGkQd1jrdCxKFgHcnj8R3O_IQmwAc-j_swOBObnPhlI-EJCf_46XQCYdArE_7jB5I3zhqcjCdzpXz13-mb3Sa90000a2pKIkObxk/s467/Kiyama%20Sensei%20Eishin%20Ryu%20corrected.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="392" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZ-7zjgoo9RPQCvUrcmJjJrDiorgg1_6plEiXTEGFk91zWr4g8d1JjD1nZOyBeKYMjUSHmiZ4hNvErvSiH9jvGGkQd1jrdCxKFgHcnj8R3O_IQmwAc-j_swOBObnPhlI-EJCf_46XQCYdArE_7jB5I3zhqcjCdzpXz13-mb3Sa90000a2pKIkObxk/s320/Kiyama%20Sensei%20Eishin%20Ryu%20corrected.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiyama Hiroshi Shihan. Photo copyright Yamada Kumiko.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">F</span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">or
some, no. For some yes. I think part of it has to be conveyed through
intensity - and honestly, many non-traditional, non-Japanese
instructors are reluctant to do this. If one trains in a dojo where
there is an emphasis on hinkaku (dignity), formality, etc., certain
essential qualities are certainly conveyed, but they could equally be
done so in tea ceremony or flower-arranging. I believe that there has
to be a sense, in bujutsu training, that your mistakes are
unforgivable and unredeemable. I was told that in a least one elite
combat unit, if an 'operator' makes one mistake concerning
weapons-management, he's out. Period.</span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>One
of the problems people have with this is that they imagine,
therefore, a dojo of screaming abuse, etc. I've written about this as
'wolf-pack etiquette' - the wolves are relaxed, even playing, but are
continuously aware of the alpha(s) and at the slightest muscle
twitch, they are 100% committed in attention and action.</i></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>That
said, this is an elite model - and some people will never bring the
intensity, some people may collapse mid-way.</i></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>And
in this model, there is a lot of self-study required - not only
introspection and solo-training, but in rounding out your knowledge
any way one can, through books, etc</i></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Ellis
Amdur, from a conversation on Facebook</i></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Transmitting
koryu budo ryuha is a challenge, even in Japan. Koryu don’t fit
neatly into the modern world of computer games and polite work
cultures. The ferocity and intensity of good koryu practice are not
generally welcomed in the workplace or anywhere else. The spirit of
practice is very different from modern budo forms that have been
created to fit into a sporting style of training and encourage ideas
of fairness and openness. Teaching the techniques of a koryu budo
tradition is the easy part. It’s transmitting the essential spirit
of a koryu budo ryuha that is difficult.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Koryu
aren’t nice, they aren’t sporting and they really aren’t fair.
Koryu are about self-mastery and survival. Not all koryu are as raw
as </span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.freelanceacademypress.com/asianmartialarts.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: navy; font-size: medium;"><span lang="zxx"><u><span style="color: teal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">EllisAmdur’s descriptions</span></span></span></span></span></u></span></span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">
</span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">of
Araki Ryu training, but they are all ferocious in their approach to
training and to living. Nice, at best, would get you ground under
foot in the worlds of hot and cold conflict where they evolved in the
Japan of the 14th through 19th centuries. Even during the enforced
peace of the Edo era, daimyo were in conflict with each other, and
everything was fought in ways that required absolute self-mastery.
The 47 ronin ended up committing seppuku because their daimyo, Lord
Asano, didn’t have the self-mastery to deal with the indignities
that Lord Kira is said to have inflicted on him. There were right
ways and wrong ways to go about handling a matter of honor between
two men of their rank. Losing your temper and drawing your sword in
the shogun’s castle was the worst way. Asano’s actions declared
him unfit to be a daimyo. </span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Hinkaku </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">品格、</span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
is an essential quality that all traditional Japanese arts seek to
instill in their practitioners. The Kodansha Online Dictionary
defines it as “grace; dignity; class; style; panache”. These
qualities are fundamental to hinkaku, and are developed in all
Japanese arts, from shodo to cha no yu to koryu budo (they are
supposed to be taught in gendai budo as well, but from the behavior I
have seen at judo, and karatedo tournaments, this idea is
honored more in the breach than in the keeping). Hinkaku in koryu
budo has additional characteristics. It is fierce with a cold
intensity that can freeze others with a look. </span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">My
iaido teacher, Kiyama Hiroshi, displayed hinkaku every second I was
with him. He even managed to project hinkaku when playing with my
then preschool daughters and with his own grandchildren and
great-grandchildren. One of the things that sets koryu budo apart
from other arts is this ferocious intensity. With Kiyama Sensei, that
intensity was something that was always there if you looked for it,
but the only time I saw it fully uncovered was during koryu budo
practice. His intensity during iai was so great I expected the floor
of the dojo to start smoking where his gaze was focused. During
kenjutsu training he could freeze me in place with his ferocity. </span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTbHgo8l65y9svedStCCAmK9wXSAyAYroUZwdVRAbr0An3QoI1w4hzUB5dxeM2Q_7cKYwiY-cnHm-qJ2nuet2cTjgs25HpP06oN05vKkjx9rw5mjdTKvBp5Fffzvrvn0EEZOm-G0oHvYG5YyRP4WPZcVxKX-jhK-sgA_8NVPdaGDKpEpneljdINEg/s1484/Kiyama%20Sensei%20causal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1484" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTbHgo8l65y9svedStCCAmK9wXSAyAYroUZwdVRAbr0An3QoI1w4hzUB5dxeM2Q_7cKYwiY-cnHm-qJ2nuet2cTjgs25HpP06oN05vKkjx9rw5mjdTKvBp5Fffzvrvn0EEZOm-G0oHvYG5YyRP4WPZcVxKX-jhK-sgA_8NVPdaGDKpEpneljdINEg/s320/Kiyama%20Sensei%20causal.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiyama Hiroshi Shihan, Photo copyright Yamada Kumiko.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><br /></span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">For
all that ferocity and intensity though, he was never tense. He was
the embodiment of relaxed power even when tearing me apart in
kenjutsu. Relaxed and focused and ferocious all at once. The ferocity
and intensity of the hinkaku displayed by koryu budo adepts is what
sets the hinkaku they display apart from that shown by masters of
shodo, cha no yu and other arts.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">That
ferocious, relaxed intensity is an essential element of living koryu
budo. Developing such intensity, whether in a local dojo or a distant
study group, is a challenge. Early on in my training my teachers were
often frightening in their intensity. Over time, as my skills
and my own intensity developed, I came to relish those moments when
they unleashed it. I had to discover within myself the ability to
stand before that level of focused ferocity and not disintegrate
under its power. It is this aspect of the spirit of koryu budo, of
relaxed, ferocious intensity that I am still trying to figure out how
to develop in my students.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Describing
that intensity and ferocity can cause people to imagine a world of
teachers barking orders, students rushing around with military
precision, corporal punishment and casual physical abuse. It’s not.
Koryu dojo are the most relaxed places I have ever trained. Gendai
budo are much more militaristic than koryu budo. The intensity and
ferocity of koryu budo are always available, always within easy
mental reach, but they are only pulled out when they are to be used. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">That
the koryu dojo is not run with military precision does not mean that
people are sloppy and lackadaisical. Just as with any good budo,
there is no unnecessary tension. Everyone is aware of what’s going
on and paying attention to sensei. Sensei never speaks louder than
necessary to be heard. He doesn’t have to. People are paying
attention and always ready to react to sensei’s direction, without
looking like they are standing at attention.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">One
of my seniors is the nicest, gentlest person I have ever met. He’s
Japanese and he is so gentle that he uses keigo (very polite,
honorific language) with everyone he talks with, whether they are the
most senior teacher or the most junior student. It is impossible to
imagine him saying anything harsh, and I can’t imagine how you
would have to misbehave for him to yell at you. However, bow in to
train with him, and he is intense, ferocious and wickedly fast. He
apologizes profusely if you get hit during training (he’s so
precise that if I get hit, I know it was my fault) but he doesn’t
pull his attacks. He comes in with intensity whenever he is actively
training. In between he’s sweet and gentle.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Teaching
the focus and intensity that characterize this kind of practice is
one of the great challenges for koryu budo teachers in the 21st
century. When my teachers were growing up and were first learning
their koryu Japan was a hard place to live. Kiyama Sensei was born in
1925 and grew up when Japan was at war. Much of the education system
was devoted to developing toughness and ferocity in the students. The
first couple of decades after World War 2 bred their own sort of
toughness, with food shortages and everyone’s energy directed
towards rebuilding the country. What would be an overwhelmingly
brutal practice session now was a walk in the park for people who had
lived through WW2 and the post war deprivations. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I
got the tiniest taste of it when I was first training in Japan. Most
dojo still weren’t heated yet, so winter training in unheated dojo
was the norm. I was training with plenty to eat every day and working
a cushy job teaching English with plenty of rest. Food wasn’t
rationed and I wasn’t laboring 12+ hours a day to rebuild my
community and then going to practice.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">We
all, Japanese included, now live relatively comfortable lives. How
you teach the ferocity and relaxed intensity necessary for good budo
is a real question inside Japan and out. In the past teachers could
start out expecting certain basic toughness from their students on
the first day. Being willing and able to survive those sorts of
practices was a given. Life was harsh at best. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In
the 21st century, anyone who expects that sort of toughness on the
first day won’t have many students. Toughness that was a given 75
years ago is hard to find. People in the industrialized world don’t
need it, so it isn’t automatically developed. But such
toughness is a necessary foundation for the intensity of koryu budo,
so how do we develop that in our students in such a way that we don’t
drive students away and we don’t weaken the ryuha?</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">To
successfully transmit the spirit of koryu budo, teachers and training
must be ferocious and intense. When I started koryu budo, I had
several years of Kodokan Judo training, including in those old,
unheated gymnasium dojo to develop a foundation upon which my koryu
teachers could build. Even that did not prepare me for the particular
quality of koryu budo training. Gendai budo, like any modern sport,
has intense training that requires strong focus and dedication.
I respect and honor that. However, koryu budo training brings in
something additional that isn’t necessary in modern budo and
sports.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">For
me, it comes down to the cliche of life and death. What we are doing
in koryu dojo is going as close to the edge as we can, and then
having our teachers and our seniors drag us several steps further
through training. If I lose focus for an instant in judo, I get
thrown or choked or arm locked. The moment passes and training
continues; it’s nothing special. If I lose focus in koryu budo
training, I’m liable to come in contact with my partner’s weapon.
Even if your partner is tremendously skilled, the training is done
with such intensity that there is no room for error. If you lose
focus, you will get hit. You will know that you died.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Even
when everything goes well, the margins in koryu dojo are only a
centimeter or two. That’s all the space you have between success
and death. Those weapons come in horribly close. You have to be so
intent on your partner that having a dangerous weapon swing just past
your nose doesn’t elicit the smallest response. For example, there
are several kata in Shinto Muso Ryu that involve aiuchi situations.
Uchitachi attacks and shijo doesn’t try to evade. She doesn’t try
to block. She stops the attack with her own strike to uchitachi’s
face. That end of the jo ends up about 5 cm deeper than where
uchitachi’s face was. If uchitachi isn’t paying attention, she
will get hit between the eyes. Hard. There is no room for error here.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In
koryu kata there are many places where the margin for error has been
removed. You either do your part perfectly, or you get hit. I’ve
been hit a number of times. One of the most memorable involved a dear
friend of mine. We were doing kenjutsu and I got careless. I started
my evasion too early and gave her the time to adjust her cut. She did
a wonderful job of tracking me and connecting her bokuto with the
side of my head. I had an impressive swelling and bruising at the
site for a couple of weeks. Other times I’ve moved too late or too
slowly or left my elbow behind when I moved and gotten whacked. None
of this is ever malicious. It’s just that the margins leave no room
for errors. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">When
I train with any senior student of Shinto Muso Ryu, I know they will
be focused on hitting their target, and I’m the target. The cuts
and strikes are precise. Move too soon or too far, and I create an
opening that my partner will exploit. Move too late or not far
enough, I get hit. Training at this level of intensity is always
quite thrilling, and if I make a mistake it can be painful. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">As
a teacher, I have to develop this intensity in my students. If you
come to my dojo, I will try to make some of every practice as intense
as I think you can handle. Often this will be more than you think you
can handle. If I’m wrong, you probably won’t come back. The
difficulty for teachers is gauging what a student can handle
correctly. Even with a dedicated student, pushing too far too fast
can be disastrous. People can get seriously hurt. Sometimes people
decide not to come back, even if the teacher hasn’t made any
mistakes. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">That’s
okay. Koryu aren’t concerned with having lots of students and
members. That’s not what they are about. Koryu budo are about
training people to fully embody the spirit of the ryuha. The spirit
of any living koryu is ferociously intense. Each ryuha has a unique
spirit. Araki Ryu is very different from Shinto Muso Ryu, and both
are far different from Yagyu Shinkage Ryu. Training in any of them is
a fiercely intense experience. The individual differences are clear
when you watch experienced practitioners. </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">That
intensity is always present at a low boil. There is laughter and
joking, but always respect for the lessons we are learning, the
weapons we are using and the people we are training with. Ellis’
metaphor of the wolf pack is apt one. If Sensei motions for
attention, everyone is immediately silent, regardless of what sort of
shenanigans were going on at the moment. There is a richness to this
intense focus and practice that I don’t experience in the normal
world outside the koryu budo dojo.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Koryu
are not for everyone. That’s not an elitist or exclusivist
statement. Lots of people bow into the dojo. Very few stick around.
The dropout rate in gendai budo is high, but it’s even higher in
koryu budo. Most people aren’t interested in the level of intensity
required to fully transmit koryu budo; however, change the intensity
level , and you won’t be doing koryu budo. The intensity is an
essential part of the training.</span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 137%; margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"> </span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="margin-bottom: 0.1in; margin-top: 0.1in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZ-7zjgoo9RPQCvUrcmJjJrDiorgg1_6plEiXTEGFk91zWr4g8d1JjD1nZOyBeKYMjUSHmiZ4hNvErvSiH9jvGGkQd1jrdCxKFgHcnj8R3O_IQmwAc-j_swOBObnPhlI-EJCf_46XQCYdArE_7jB5I3zhqcjCdzpXz13-mb3Sa90000a2pKIkObxk/s467/Kiyama%20Sensei%20Eishin%20Ryu%20corrected.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="392" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEZ-7zjgoo9RPQCvUrcmJjJrDiorgg1_6plEiXTEGFk91zWr4g8d1JjD1nZOyBeKYMjUSHmiZ4hNvErvSiH9jvGGkQd1jrdCxKFgHcnj8R3O_IQmwAc-j_swOBObnPhlI-EJCf_46XQCYdArE_7jB5I3zhqcjCdzpXz13-mb3Sa90000a2pKIkObxk/s320/Kiyama%20Sensei%20Eishin%20Ryu%20corrected.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br />The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-84472468565029590872022-12-30T14:47:00.001-05:002022-12-31T15:32:54.879-05:00Kiyama Hiroshi Shihan<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsKMo8gPuin-xTGqpFmT4LH4pLTpMwWGfTt8btoJqXutNRc0-37azNynlU_AWOnqy1-JTU8eZssfAVPTaAmInawWBgxmN64AiLXKlbNofNBZvnDRaZrOhavGk08kTttLpTxhE0wdiJ2tNvl4_MC9_hrgYASG1kPjny3i6KbJmXMs20614pNUV8adO/s1475/Kiyama%20Sensei.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1475" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDsKMo8gPuin-xTGqpFmT4LH4pLTpMwWGfTt8btoJqXutNRc0-37azNynlU_AWOnqy1-JTU8eZssfAVPTaAmInawWBgxmN64AiLXKlbNofNBZvnDRaZrOhavGk08kTttLpTxhE0wdiJ2tNvl4_MC9_hrgYASG1kPjny3i6KbJmXMs20614pNUV8adO/s320/Kiyama%20Sensei.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kiyama Hiroshi Shihan. Photo Copyright Yamada Kumiko 2022<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">It
is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our teacher,
Kiyama Hiroshi Sensei, on September 26th at the age of 97.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Kiyama
Sensei was born in 1925 in Shiga, Japan. A lifelong student of budo,
Sensei’s grandfather introduced him to a branch of Yoshin Ryu
jujutsu at the age of five. In elementary school he also
studied Shito Ryu karate. In Japan in the 1930’s opportunities to
study budo were everywhere, and by the time Sensei was in junior high
school he was studying kendo, iaido and jukendo.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
addition to his budo activities, Sensei played outfield in his
school’s baseball club. He maintained a lifetime affection
for the game, and was an avid Seibu Lions fan.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIT2hp4nc689pq6YJxRy2KAilng0E11YJHNQRfnTszwX2mLaxxDc2fLre3G0IXo1NUDvXARpjpVnuZNrmCc6tZ86as8mNLxnnBLHeevO4PrAZe8OliPiatx74qw9OxlRi46wiStRKlxzR8UmuqdAW2OzbFHwjFS56X-HB6npDPnOtJsaPkSHxk7hPN/s2544/Kiyama%20Sensei%20Junior%20High%20Baseball.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2544" data-original-width="1727" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIT2hp4nc689pq6YJxRy2KAilng0E11YJHNQRfnTszwX2mLaxxDc2fLre3G0IXo1NUDvXARpjpVnuZNrmCc6tZ86as8mNLxnnBLHeevO4PrAZe8OliPiatx74qw9OxlRi46wiStRKlxzR8UmuqdAW2OzbFHwjFS56X-HB6npDPnOtJsaPkSHxk7hPN/s320/Kiyama%20Sensei%20Junior%20High%20Baseball.jpg" width="217" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photo Copyright Yamada Kumiko<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
1942 Sensei entered the air division of the Japanese Imperial Army
and served as a pilot on the Korean peninsula until the end of the
war in 1945.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
1952, after the GHQ ban on kendo was lifted, Sensei resumed practice.
He trained in both gendai and koryu budo from then on. He trained and
taught kendo under Noda Shigeyuki Sensei, from whom he also learned
Shinto Hatakage Ryu Iai Heiho, a small but vibrant form of iaido. He
also studied Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu intensively with Ito Hakuen
Sensei. In addition, he studied Shinto Muso Ryu Jodo with Nakajima
Asakichi Sensei.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">After
returning from the war, Kiyama Sensei settled in Kusatsu, married
Emiko, and started a family. He found work in the Kyoto City planning
office, where he worked until his retirement.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Kiyama
Sensei earned the rank of 7th dan kyoshi from the All Japan Kendo
Federation in Kendo, Iaido and Jodo. He taught kendo and iaido at the
Kusatsu City Kendo Federation for over 50 years, and had innumerable
students. He continued teaching and training well into his 90s.
He credited his long, healthy life to growing his own vegetables in a
small plot outside his home in Kusatsu. He was especially happy with
a large persimmon tree - the coffee table in his living room never
failed to have cut persimmons in a small dish when they were in
season.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-AyjpXPm7gr8grLM1AQflr_KLW7PZKi7X1sDrW0oyJ_e_EDfXsgflycnJ-XD8Rzd05aHSWYHd8LtpqzLUOohPIvkrLpA2dZ1UOxAS9zi9GPi1bexQpBfIL_t-vQ4iJ-yVlJcCn-2_Bsdj6f1CLE38Zw8dBIbY9V-aL-wULfwI5tSXzABknlZD5cv/s2581/Kiyama%20Sensei%20Kusatsu%20Dojo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2581" data-original-width="1972" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-AyjpXPm7gr8grLM1AQflr_KLW7PZKi7X1sDrW0oyJ_e_EDfXsgflycnJ-XD8Rzd05aHSWYHd8LtpqzLUOohPIvkrLpA2dZ1UOxAS9zi9GPi1bexQpBfIL_t-vQ4iJ-yVlJcCn-2_Bsdj6f1CLE38Zw8dBIbY9V-aL-wULfwI5tSXzABknlZD5cv/s320/Kiyama%20Sensei%20Kusatsu%20Dojo.jpg" width="244" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Photo copyright Yamada Kumiko 2022<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">A
few personal recollections give a faint idea of the strength of
Sensei’s personality:</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">From
Peter Boylan:</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
met Kiyama Sensei in 1994. I was studying Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu
with Takada Shigeo Sensei at the time, and he sent me to attend a
Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Chuden seminar that Kiyama Sensei was
teaching. Kiyama Sensei was so focused and had so much presence that
it wasn’t until quite a while later that I realized that he was
less than 5 ft. (152 cm) tall. He filled the space with his presence.
When Takada Sensei passed away, Kiyama Sensei accepted me as his
student. He and Takada Sensei had been kyodai deshi under Ito Sensei.
It was during an iaido seminar that I first saw Kiyama Sensei doing a
strange, flippy thing with his sword. When I asked him about it,
Kiyama Sensei said “That’s just Shinto Ryu. You don’t want to
do that.” After that I pressed him to teach it to me, and one night
he finally agreed to teach Shinto Hatakage Ryu to me. I will forever
be in Sensei’s debt for this.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">From
Deborah Klens-Bigman:</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Peter
first introduced me to Kiyama Sensei around 2008. I had been
doing Muso Shinden Ryu iaido for many years at the time, but I was
immediately struck by the beauty and fluidity of Shinto Hatakage Ryu
Iai Heiho. I was even more impressed by Kiyama Sensei’s
energy and timing. By the second or third training session with
him, my whole concept of iaido had changed. I remember
thinking, “I want to be like him when I grow up,” and, in
addition to practicing the kata I learned from him, I began to modify
the ma of my Muso Shinden forms to echo the energetic jo-ha-kyu feel
of Sensei’s approach to iai kata.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">My
original Muso Shinden ryu teacher, OtaniYoshiteru, died in 2004, and
I had practiced by myself since that time. One of the most
moving sessions I ever had with Kiyama Sensei was when he asked me to
perform all of the Muso Shinden ryu kata for him. I did my
best, sweating through my gi the whole time, and felt a connection to
Otani Sensei that I had not felt in a very long time. I was in
the presence of someone of the same generation, and I could feel the
deep affection Kiyama sensei had for my MSR practice, even though it
was not a style that he personally taught.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">As
Jun Shihan of Shinto Hatakage ryu iai heiho, we will endeavor to
continue to teach, as well as expand our understanding of what Sensei
taught us. While we miss him dearly and mourn his passing, we are
grateful for the time and care he took to give us the best of himself
and his long lifetime of knowledge and keen insight. We will strive
to live up to his expectations for us and honor his legacy.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Deborah
Klens-Bigman, Shinto Hatakage Ryu Shihan</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Peter
Boylan, Shinto Hatakage Ryu Shihan</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-79475589861532902902022-06-02T08:00:00.016-04:002022-06-02T08:00:00.221-04:00The Role Of Competition In Budo<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E7%9F%B3%E4%BA%95%E3%81%A8%E9%88%B4%E6%9C%A8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="890" data-original-width="763" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_1TkIgvslW0QrxyukIiHkJ1CkiS9_NoshKlnhsDpD94qEzECeZFK3F83F52bzgSwV8CtekjTVRY_6MzJF-4FQ_gK8PX6M-6WRVIv4-FHUM7s2oHMwh7YVuvDMa4eIlBrK145pG02dL1zg5Skjj2twrT86D_-fefR6ez1hiyJSVIrWwL1VivsBBUO/w343-h400/%E7%9F%B3%E4%BA%95%E3%81%A8%E9%88%B4%E6%9C%A8.jpg" title="final of All-Japan Judo Championships in 2007" width="343" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final of All-Japan Judo Championships in 2007 Photo Copyright Gotcha2. Used under <i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:GNU_Free_Documentation_License,_version_1.2" title="Commons:GNU Free Documentation License, version 1.2">GNU Free Documentation License</a></i>.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">There
is a continual discussion in budo about the importance of
competition. The argument for competition has two prongs. The first
is that you have to learn to perform techniques under stress, and
competition is the best way to pressure-test technique. The
second is that you have to learn to deal with the unexpected
and the only way to do that is in a competitive situation. I agree
that you have to be able to perform under stress and that you have to
be able to deal with the unexpected. If you’re not learning
to do things when you are stressed, and you’re not learning to deal
with the unexpected, you’re not learning budo.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">I’ve
heard a lot of people expound on the stress benefits of competition.
The desire to win ramps up the stress, and in judo or full contact
karate, the fact that effective technique can hurt, and may even
leave you unconscious, ramps it up further. Add the frustration that
builds when your adversary prevents your technique from being
effective and the stress level can get pretty high. You can certainly
learn something about stress in competition.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
know that for most of the time I was competing I found competition
stressful. I would get anxious and it would become harder and harder
to stay still and not fidget as the match approached. I had to
learn to apply breathing and relaxation techniques in order to
control the stress so I didn’t become tense and lose my ability to
move flexibly and quickly. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Once
the match starts the tension can get worse. The more skilful the
adversary, the more frustration and stress. It’s a quick check on
students getting cocky about the strength of their technique. It is
one thing to practice a technique on a partner who isn’t resisting,
and another thing to try to throw someone who is trying to throw you.
The experience of learning to flow from technique to technique is
great. The dynamism and volatility of competition are excellent
experiences for many people.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">As
Rory Miller so eloquently points out in </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/meditations-on-violence-rory-miller/1102944986?ean=9781594391187"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Meditations
On Violence</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
every training methodology includes a fail. That is, there is always
a way in which what you are doing fails, and specifically doesn’t
mimic the real world. In competition, it’s that fact that there are
rules limiting what you can do, and what your partner can do to you.
The possibilities are artificially limited so people can compete with
a reasonable expectation that they will be safe and healthy at the
end of the competition. Just think of all the techniques that are
excluded. Or the protective gear that is worn. Then there is the
referee who is there to award points, but also to make sure no one
does anything harmful.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">This
is a safe environment to train in. And the stress level never gets
too high because we know it is safe going in. As much as it is a
pressure-testing experience, the fact that we don’t have to worry
about someone taking a shot at our throat or eyes, or attempting to
destroy our knees or elbows means that we’re not experiencing
anywhere near the pressure of dealing with someone who genuinely
wants to harm us.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">There
are different kinds and levels of stress. I’ve never seen evidence
that competition can rise to anywhere near the level of stress and
fear and adrenaline dump that a confrontation outside the tournament
area and outside the tournament rules produces. When someone swings a
knife at you, the feeling in your gut is quite different from the one
when someone is trying to pound you with the ground or choke you
unconscious in a tournament. The fear and the adrenaline hit you
much harder. That doesn’t make competition useless; we just
shouldn’t think it can do something it’s not specifically
designed for.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan/dp/1483598683/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzFkElrAzgv87Hb9Y-xNowBBY4KtzwSb7-eRNybL0t2wugD1qszn7kSdK2mANfZub3MjSm0owJoV7-MnDrmfLwHZxvaRfOW9ODIkAXg3GrcnvP27U_KdepvmDHw--CskwJgU0sQbJVrSv02WgR2qIbYIuG14PRVnX-W4-aGKYkRjNQD68EDniDOXw/s320/Musings%20Of%20A%20Budo%20Bum%20Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan/dp/1483598683/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1" target="_blank">If you enjoy the blog, get the book!<br /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span><br /></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">One
of the best things about competition is that it is fun. We enjoy it,
whether it’s a friendly match in the dojo where no one is keeping
score, or it is a national level tournament, we enjoy competition.
Competition is so much fun that people will come back to train again
and again just so they can have the fun of competing, both in
tournaments with medals and trophies, and in friendly bouts in the
dojo. Competition is a great motivator for many people, but it’s
not combat preparation and we shouldn’t pretend it is. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">There
are lots of ways stress can be induced in training. I know the most
stressed I’ve ever been in the dojo wasn’t some sort of
competition. Some of the most intense stress I’ve experienced was
the day my teacher swapped out his wooden sword for a metal one
during jodo practice. I’ve made plenty of mistakes during practice
that resulted in me getting whacked with a wooden weapon. Some of the
bruises have been spectacular. When Sensei swapped out the bokuto for
a metal blade though, I broke out in a sweat. If I screwed up, the
consequences could have been a lot more severe than a nasty bruise. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Other
ways stress can be induced: Train into exhaustion. Ramp up the speed.
Increase the intensity. Yes, even compete. Don’t imagine that any
of these comes close to combative stress. The closest I’ve come to
feeling stress equal to what I’ve felt in real confrontations was
in kata practice. Paired kata training as is done in koryu bugei has
consistently generated the most stress-filled training I’ve done.
It can range from very gentle walk-throughs to adrenalin rush
inducing intensity. It all depends on what your partner is giving
you.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">My
koryu teachers have never given me more than I can handle, but they
have been more than happy to give me more than I </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">thought</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
could handle. They ask me to put as much as I can into practice, and
sometimes that includes dragging me past the edge of what I perceive
as my ability into frightening new territory. That’s part of their
role. In koryu the senior is responsible for taking the losing role.
It is the senior's job to control the speed and intensity of training
so the junior gets as much from the training as is possible.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">One
of the complaints that people make about kata training is that you
know exactly what is going to happen. In good training that is, and
isn’t, true.I was strongly reminded of that recently. I was working
with a senior teacher who would attack into any opening I left while
doing the kata. I got whacked on the head with his fukuro shinai in
places where it’s not called for in the kata. It was good kata
training. He showed me openings I was leaving as I did the kata. In
most instances I was too focused on one aspect of the kata and he
attacked where my awareness wasn’t. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Talk
about inducing stress! My stress level went well above what I have
felt in competition. It was a lot like randori because I never knew
when he would spot an opening and fill it with his sword. Thank
goodness it was a fukuro shinai; a bokuto would have left colorful
bruises in a number of places.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">This
way of practicing kata is a great one, and it provides the same sense
of uncertainty that competition does. In koryu kata practice, your
partner is supposed to be trying to kill you. It makes sense that
they would attack any opening you leave, not just move with the
choreography of the kata. Uchi’s intention to attack you anywhere
they can is important for making the kata practice as effective as
possible. In koryu kata the role the junior person takes is the
winning side, and the choreography of the kata on their side is the
optimal set of techniques for the situation. That doesn’t mean the
senior, in the role of uchi, should just go along and forget
about any attacks that are specified. In good kata practice, uchi is
always looking for additional opportunities to attack. If the junior
does a good job, there won’t be any. Since the junior is in the
process of learning, they will make mistakes, leave openings, and get
attacked. If you practice kata correctly, the planned actions are the
logical ones. If you don’t, other options present themselves.
Or not.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
element of unpredictability and spontaneous action is what gives
competition its real value, but the stress level of competition
isn’t any greater than many other exercises. Competition involves
learning to see openings and to close them. Learning to deal with
unexpected attacks and how to prevent them. Learning to flow from one
action to the next without pausing and without leaving openings.
That’s where the real value of competition is. I just don’t think
that it’s the only way, or even the best way, to learn these
things. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
rules that make safe competition possible also limit its value for
learning to deal with spontaneous action. Too many options are
artificially eliminated. Judoka get used to nothing coming at their
faces and not having to worry about strikes. Karateka don’t have to
worry about opponents closing with them. No one learns to deal with
weapons attacks. No one learns to deal with asymmetrical situations
where people are armed differently.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
competition everything has to be fair. No one would show up for
a competition where you don’t know if you or your opponent will be
armed or unarmed, or even armed similarly. That wouldn’t be fun,
and it wouldn’t be a fair comparison of skills. It would be much
more realistic though. And more dangerous!</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
think that too much concentration on competition will render one
blind to everything that is not allowed in competition. A little
competition for the purpose of learning to be spontaneous and flow
isn’t bad. Too much focus on competition and you risk training the
things that aren’t allowed in competition right out of your system.
If you ignore all the stuff that isn’t allowed in competition, very
soon you aren’t doing budo. You’re only doing sport. Kata
training can fill in some of the gaps. Budo training doesn’t need
competition to be effective.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman, Ph.D., for editorial support.</i></span> <br /></span></span></span></span></p>
The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-21141124536220792612022-04-04T08:00:00.000-04:002022-04-04T08:00:18.174-04:00So You Want To Be Samurai<p> <br />
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXnxrGye2j3waUcwoyIGuQLLu0ZE2cKNDM1XbBh4N3jGW5RFaY6BBljdm4gTt6JsJpEy3lSePHDTX5NxgQ0zr2u2s3YsjGrkVclnxB2ytPCwYtoV5_0YhIgNDsWXS85AXCVdUDyawADt-JXX9xxJAmiLoiGblg8W8G8O2iKpfOOpPxLyqbEa8_InRc=s3061" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="3061" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXnxrGye2j3waUcwoyIGuQLLu0ZE2cKNDM1XbBh4N3jGW5RFaY6BBljdm4gTt6JsJpEy3lSePHDTX5NxgQ0zr2u2s3YsjGrkVclnxB2ytPCwYtoV5_0YhIgNDsWXS85AXCVdUDyawADt-JXX9xxJAmiLoiGblg8W8G8O2iKpfOOpPxLyqbEa8_InRc=w414-h111" width="414" /></a></div><p></p><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">So
you want to be a samurai, eh? When I ask people who revere the
samurai “What is it about the samurai that you find so great?”
The most common answer is that they are impressed by the bushido
code. There is a lot of good stuff found in what is termed the
bushido code. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inventing-Way-Samurai-Nationalism-Internationalism/dp/0198754256/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3AOZF23WT2ZGN&keywords=inventing+the+way+of+the+samurai&qid=1641686747&s=books&sprefix=inventing+the+way+of+the+sa%2Cstripbooks%2C1267&sr=1-1"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Most
of it predates the bushi by 1500 years or more, and the rest was
added in the early 20th century when the term “bushido” was first
widely used. </span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Most
of the stuff about sacrificing oneself for one’s lord other such
more extreme was only added in the early 20th century.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">The
parts of “bushido” that weren’t added by fascist military
promoters in the 20th century are quite good. It's just that they are
basically </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://medium.com/illumination/5-virtues-from-confucius-that-will-make-you-more-successful-d23d264302a4"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">the
5 virtues of Confucius</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">.
I have a piece of calligraphy in my living room done by my budo
teacher, Kiyama Hiroshi Shihan, that lists them in this order:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p align="CENTER" style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">智
仁 義 礼 信</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">In
Japanese they are read:</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Chi
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">智
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">or
“wisdom”.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Jin
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">仁
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">or
”benevolence”</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Gi
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">義
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">or
“righteousness” </span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Rei
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">禮
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">or
“ritual propriety”</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Shin
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">信
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">or
“Trust”</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p> </p><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">These
all seem like really good virtues, especially if you understand a
little about Confucian thought. I can’t think of anyone who would
argue that </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">chi</span></span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">,
or wisdom, is a bad thing. Developing wisdom requires having some
understanding of the world, so study and learning is encouraged as a
means of acquiring wisdom. This includes active, lifelong studying
for self-improvement. Once you have some wisdom and understanding,
you have to act on it. Wisdom without action isn’t really wisdom.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Jin</span></span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">,
or “benevolence” can be a tougher sell for some people until they
begin to understand the context. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Jin</span></span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">includes
acting in a way that makes the world better for everyone, not just
for yourself. It’s not giving charity blindly. It’s actively
making the world around you a better place. In some situations that
may mean giving charitably. In others it may be buying a quieter lawn
mower so you don’t disturb your neighbors when you cut the grass.
It could be volunteering to help kids with their homework or to just
give them a safe space to be kids. Take a CPR class. Begin
composting. Donate blood. Take an art class and improve yourself.
There are infinite possibilities for benevolent action.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Gi,</span></span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">or
“righteousness” sometimes makes people uncomfortable because they
associate righteousness with self-righteous people who already have
all the answers and know exactly how everyone should behave. In
this sense though, gi is about doing what is right in any situation
rather than what you want or what benefits you as a person, and it
has almost nothing to do with telling others how to behave. It means,
and this was critical for the samurai, doing whatever you have to to
fulfill your responsibilities and duties in society. This is
something that is usually overlooked when talking about the samurai.
The samurai were all about meeting their responsibilities.
Ideas of personal rights would have been considered the ultimate in
selfishness. Choosing to do the right thing has always been
difficult. Confucius and the philosophers of ancient China were
debating what is right and how to do right 2600 years ago. For
Confucians, being righteous has always been about right action first
and foremost. The samurai was expected to be quiet and demonstrate
his righteousness through action. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Rei</span></span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">,
or “ritual propriety”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">,</span></span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">in
Confucius’ time could be read as literally meaning “rites” as
in ritual actions. Confucius used it in that sense, but in a much
broader sense as well. He was not only talking about religious rites,
or formal ceremonies of state. He was also talking about the proper
etiquette you have learned and should use in each situation. These
are </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">rei
</span></span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">as
well. Saying “Good morning” when you walk into the office.
Shaking someone’s hand in a way that is neither trying to crush
them nor just making a show of touching their hand without any sense
of connection. It’s remembering to announce that you’re home so
no one is surprised because they didn’t know you were home. It’s
helping clean up the table after a meal instead of rushing back to
your game. It’s etiquette, but more than just the formal bits. It
is also seen as a means of self-cultivation. By behaving according to
propriety, you learn to guide your heart/mind to propriety so that
the ritual ceases to be ritual. It becomes sincere action.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Shin</span></span></i></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">,
or trust, is about others being able to trust you. In the dojo that
means your partners can trust you to do the exercises that are being
practiced that evening, and not suddenly go off and do your own
thing. In kata they are confident that you will do the kata correctly
so they can get the maximum benefit from the practice. You don’t
overwhelm those who are less skilled, and you do your best when
working with the seniors. You can be trusted to keep your word and to
honor implied agreements like the agreement in the dojo that no one
tries to hurt or injure anyone, that everyone helps each other to
learn to the best of their abilities.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">These
are the real samurai values. They are at the core of nearly
everything that was written and believed about how samurai should
conduct themselves. The best of samurai embodied these values in how
they lived. The samurai were as human as anyone else, and they had
all the faults and shortcomings of humans. The more you see leaders
and thinkers of the samurai writing about the value of a particular
virtue, the less likely you were to find that virtue being displayed
at that time. Throughout the civil wars leading up to the Tokugawa
shogunate, loyalty was praised loudly. It shouldn’t be a surprise
that betrayal was common. None of the Confucian virtues are easy.
Virtues never are. I know I fall short of anything like being a wise,
righteous, benevolent man of proper action and trust. These values
are worthy goals, but they don’t belong just to the samurai.
Confucian scholars began promoting them in China 2600 years ago, and
the Japanese recognized their value.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Rather than just parroting the
virtues, I suggest studying them a little. For an enjoyable
introduction to Confucius, try </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Confucius-Speaks-Tsai-Chih-Chung/dp/0385480342/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1DV4090GHUORB&keywords=confucius+speaks&qid=1643848808&s=books&sprefix=confucius+speaks%2Cstripbooks%2C119&sr=1-2"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Confucius
Speaks</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">.
It an excellent introduction to Confucius by Taiwanese cartoonist
Tsai Chih Chung. Two good places to go a little deeper are </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/World-Thought-Ancient-China/dp/0674961919"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">The
World Of Thought In Ancient China</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">by
Benjamin Schwartz and </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Path-Chinese-Philosophers-Teach-About/dp/1476777845/ref=asc_df_1476777845/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312025908234&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=8990909539046901095&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9016906&hvtargid=pla-469236201733&psc=1"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">The
Path: What Chinese Philosophers Can Teach Us About The Good Life</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">by
Michael Puett. There is also a </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.edx.org/course/the-path-to-happiness?index=product&queryID=65dd07d70982f5a0e66ec5c8d18d8dd3&position=1"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">free
class you can take with Puett</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">about
this at EdX. These two cover more than just Confucius, but they
both start with him. Everything else they go into was also important
in any discussion of values and ethics by the samurai. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Samurai
values weren’t platitudes. They weren’t (usually) jingoistic.
They were values and ideas that real people struggled to understand.
How should these values be manifested in the world? People struggled
with living up to what they found was good and right. If you really
respect the samurai and their values, find out what things they
studied and study them yourself. You can do worse than by starting
with </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Confucius-Speaks-Tsai-Chih-Chung/dp/0385480342/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1DV4090GHUORB&keywords=confucius+speaks&qid=1643848808&s=books&sprefix=confucius+speaks%2Cstripbooks%2C119&sr=1-2"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">what
Confucius had to say</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Old Standard TT, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">What
does all this have to do with budo? If you’re really learning any
form of Japanese budo, but particularly koryu budo, these values
shape everything within the budo world. Koryu budo ryuha are built on
Confucian values. That’s part of why you can’t learn koryu budo
without a teacher. Part of being a member of ryuha is learning the
behavior that is expected and the responsibilities that go with being
part of the ryuha. The techniques and kata are the physical part, but
there is much more to be learned about relationships,
responsibilities and right action. That is all part of koryu budo.
It’s not just about how to win a fight. It’s about learning to
fulfill your duties in the ryuha and society so that perhaps fighting won’t be
necessary.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p><br /></p><p></p><p>My thanks to Kevin Tsai, PhD. for his assistance in expressing the Confucian values accurately in understandable way. Any errors are mine.<br /><br />
</p>
The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-29699794426504752952022-02-09T09:00:00.001-05:002022-02-09T09:54:06.360-05:00The Emperor Has No Clothes<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDrBQ13cIhsdj9zVfEsVcLWsyadB86bGLQYg4mXyGxgWBVi0dkHXYnCLF7vuKaabqEu_4Y8oYmvIKRXMDnFgtxyGcCsw8i62KcGv-78HZLhI3sFlAxy1sA3P6OuUBi2Ck1dkSOyZlifoZN7clDhNcO2a90kJD_mp7_xclY5nGdAUtHEnKESpks464t=s511" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="511" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDrBQ13cIhsdj9zVfEsVcLWsyadB86bGLQYg4mXyGxgWBVi0dkHXYnCLF7vuKaabqEu_4Y8oYmvIKRXMDnFgtxyGcCsw8i62KcGv-78HZLhI3sFlAxy1sA3P6OuUBi2Ck1dkSOyZlifoZN7clDhNcO2a90kJD_mp7_xclY5nGdAUtHEnKESpks464t=s320" width="320" /></a></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“His technique surpassed human ability.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“This is exactly how ****** Sensei did it. We want to do it
exactly as he did.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Nobody can ever equal ******* Sensei.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“My karate teacher’s teacher was the best ever, that’s why our
system is the best!”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“******* was unbeatable.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“He was a living kami.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“If he says it works, it must work.”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Teachers who can’t be questioned, for whatever reason, are
dangerous to their students and themselves. They seem to inexorably fall into
the trap of believing their own propaganda. It happens all the time, in all
sorts of arts. As soon as students start going along with whatever sensei does
because sensei’s technique is the ultimate, the perfect, the divinely inspired
(take your pick), teachers are trapped in an ugly downward spiral.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The problem for the teacher is that since their students always go
along with sensei’s technique, the sensei stops getting honest feedback with
regard to their training and teaching. As a result, the teacher’s technique
inevitably begins to deteriorate. They can’t avoid it. Any time their technique
wasn't right they would feel more resistance, which would tell them they need
to sharpen fundamental practice and technique. When their students always go
with the flow, the sensei never gets that feedback, and therefore never
experiences a technique working less than perfectly. As a result, the sensei
has no way to know if their skills are sharp or dull.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The result is the teacher’s technique gradually becomes duller and
duller. However, this can’t be blamed entirely on the teacher. The students are
lying to themselves and their teacher about the quality of the techniques. Without
opportunities to train with people who recognize a teacher’s imperfections, the
only possible result is a slow deterioration of the teacher’s skills. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> This is sad for the teachers and the students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> There is a phenomenon in martial arts of students deifying
teachers. It can happen in any art with superlative practitioners and teachers.
In the world of Japanese budo I’ve seen it in both gendai and koryu arts, and
it’s a sad phenomenon no matter where it happens. Budo teachers are human,
maybe especially human.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> To be a martial arts teacher is to have a high degree of
skill. Being skilled at martial arts means possessing a certain type of
power. Those with skill are seen as being able to subdue, control, or just
plain beat into the ground anyone who threatens them. A few people with bad
attitudes and/or impulse control problems are even seen as being dangerous to
just about anyone because they won’t wait to be threatened. They’ll pick the
fight just because they are confident they can do it without getting hurt
themselves.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> As a kid growing up, the power to physically subdue someone, or
pound them into the ground, was a very attractive power. I was a skinny kid
with allergies and not a clue how to relate to other people, so I was picked
on. A lot. I didn’t realize it then, but later I figured out that I caused a
lot of the issues just by being so socially inept. That doesn’t make the
schoolyard abuse any better, and while I was going through it I fantasized
about having the superpower of being unbeatable. It was a wonderful daydream.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> The temptation to revel in power is strong. I understand that
temptation. When I started training Kodokan Judo in college, the realization
that I was becoming good at grappling was shocking, and the temptation to abuse
this ability was powerful. In my case, my friends and sempai were more than
happy to remind me that I was thoroughly human and quite beatable. As I moved
through the kyu ranks, it was easy to idolize my teacher and attribute more
than normal wisdom to him. He was very human though, and he never implied that
anything he did was perfect or that we should blindly copy his technique or his
life.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> When I see students of any teacher proclaim that their teacher’s
way is absolutely correct and that one should not deviate from the teacher’s
example even a little, I worry about those students and that teacher’s legacy.
When students start idolizing a teacher and idealizing the teachings, I can
only see bad things happening. A teacher who is never questioned and never
challenged in any way is trapped. That teacher can’t sharpen their skills by
practicing with their students.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Teachers need challenges as much as any student. Any teacher
worthy of respect looks for things and people who will challenge their
technique. That’s how we all progress and improve. We try something we can’t do,
and we work at it until we can. The best budoka don’t discourage students from
giving them puzzles to solve and difficulties to refine their technique against
- people like Kano Jigoro and Kunii Zen’ya come to mind. Most of us are not
undefeated legends like Kunii Zen’ya, but I’ve seen lots of teachers challenge
themselves and ask their students to help them stay challenged. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I remember being at a seminar with some of the top people in the
art we were training, folks who could make a strong case for being the best in
the world at what they did. The most senior teacher there chose me to be his
uke when he wanted to demonstrate a strangle using a weapon. He reached in,
placed the weapon and applied the strangle. I didn’t tap. His technique wasn’t
working. It’s not that the technique was bad, just his application of it at
that moment. It was a technique he demonstrated fairly regularly at seminars,
and I think people had been tapping out for him just because of his status. I’m
too stupid to do that, so I just sat there. Sensei stepped back, looked at me a
moment, adjusted his technique and the strangle got better. He played around with
it for a few seconds more, the strangle sank in and I tapped. He never said
anything about my failure to immediately tap. Some of his students seemed a
little horrified that I had embarrassed Sensei with my behavior. He never said
a word, but after that, whenever I was present, he called on me to be his uke
for that technique demonstration.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I think he appreciated that he had to do the technique absolutely
correctly on me. I didn’t give him a pass just because he was so much senior to
me and in general one of the finest technicians I’ve ever seen. With me, he
knew he would get an honest reaction to his technique, so he could tell how
well he was doing it. People who just go with whatever technique you are trying
to do will ruin your technique. Anyone who wants to stay technically sharp has
to be challenged regularly. I don’t mean they have to do challenge matches.
Rather, they need situations where they have to fully engage to be sure their
technique will work. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> A martial artist who isn’t open to partners who challenge their
technique isn’t going to be able to maintain that technique for long and will
end up relying on students to take the fall or tap out from the technique. This
isn’t good for the teacher or the students. The teachers find their technique
slowly degrading from the lack of a stone to sharpen it on. The students have
to lose respect for their teacher as they realize that the only reason his
technique works is because they let it.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> It took a child to call out the emperor when he was naked. No
teacher worthy of the title deserves to be put in a situation where someone can
call them out because their students haven’t been giving them honest practice.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman, PhD. for making this smooth and readable with her excellent editing skills. </span></span></i><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
<br />
</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></p>
The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-48801895282460448442021-12-21T23:02:00.008-05:002021-12-22T12:05:07.368-05:00Ki Ken Tai Ichi<p> </p>
<p></p><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Zen Antique;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"> </span></span></b></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Zen Antique;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5wmhw8fsf_EKy4HYYSEuHC2SCIqomSZ_RxnBh-Xq74oI0oRh1XhxeXzjm9kitUTwOA1XGdXdhJeO5L62QoW6eotsjP8iXJrCUDU1OUtv2t-K-3qUNQ1wmoArWncobPWUlOp7usCbWlXGw9RwuLKgev3p21JUfwu9hGQwFN705Y_zLIJdVnJGZT4-F=s862" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="193" data-original-width="862" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5wmhw8fsf_EKy4HYYSEuHC2SCIqomSZ_RxnBh-Xq74oI0oRh1XhxeXzjm9kitUTwOA1XGdXdhJeO5L62QoW6eotsjP8iXJrCUDU1OUtv2t-K-3qUNQ1wmoArWncobPWUlOp7usCbWlXGw9RwuLKgev3p21JUfwu9hGQwFN705Y_zLIJdVnJGZT4-F=w400-h90" width="400" /></a></span></span></b></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Zen Antique;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><br /></span></span></b></span></span><p></p><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Zen Antique;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"> </span></span></b></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Zen Antique;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">気剣体一致</span></span></b></span></span></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Ki
ken tai ichi. A student recently asked me about the relationship of
ki ken tai ichi to seitei iai and jo. It’s a fundamental concept in
Japanese budo but it’s not difficult to be confused by it. It
breaks down as:</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><ul><li><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Ki
</span></span><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">気</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">:
Yes, that ki. The one that folks argue about endlessly. In this case
it is will, intent and energy.</span></span></span></p>
</li><li><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Ken
</span></span><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">剣</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">:
This ken is read tsurugi when it stands alone. It’s the same ken
found in “kendo”, and it traditionally refers to a straight,
double-edged sword common in Japan from about 450 to 950 c.e. that
was superseded by the curved tachi. In this usage it represents any
weapon you might use. </span></span></span></p>
</li><li><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Tai
</span></span><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">体</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">:
This character is read karada when it stands alone, and it means
body.</span></span></span></p>
</li><li><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Ichi
</span></span><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">一致</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;">:
Ichi is the difficult bit in this little 5 character phrase. It
means “to agree, to conform, to be congruent, to be in concert, to
be united, to cooperate, to be in accord”.</span></span></span></p>
</li></ul><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Intent,
sword and body as one. Ki ken tai ichi.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Will,
sword and body in accord. Ki ken tai ichi.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Intent,
sword and body in agreement. Ki ken tai ichi.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Because
the English and Japanese words only overlap as very poor Venn
diagrams, there are numerous translations. None of them are
100% right, but each captures some of the spirit of the Japanese.
There is no fragmentation;here can be no divisions. Your kokoro
(heart/mind), your body and your weapon must be combined into a
single unit. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">When
you move, do you do it with hesitation or doubt? Is the sword a tool
in your hand, or is it an extension of your body? Can you feel what
is going on in your partner’s body when you cross swords? Does your
body move as a coordinated whole? Does your will and intent express
itself instantly in your body and the sword?</span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan/dp/1483598683/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUWph1sXbbHrsJISYBqnjMSsR_cchx2N7AfXqdnHO0Z90MyXUf2RiJBAXeKfXx91erJHnQPwresSrYlpOXmB-3Cmtm0IT5yFiHWQVOod2-uezJAdB7N_YixvIVQSxP_lWd-UmXCMiYw3Rwq_5GDOd2dHEbfENrcSFGPhPlxlx1lg03il5GTP4dgEv0=s320" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you like the blog, consider the book!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><br /> </span></span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">My
student is quite familiar with ki ken tai ichi from his deep
experience with koryu. However the Kendo Federation has ki ken tai
ichi broken down almost to a science. There are particular markers to
look for when someone does seitei iai or jo that indicate whether or
not the will, the body and the sword are in accord. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Does
the whole unit reach the conclusion of the movement together without
any separation? This is the central clue. Teaching this concept to
students starts with the mechanics of how to swing the sword. From
there teachers have to backward engineer the timing from the point
where mind, body and sword all arrive at the completion of the
movement together and become as one.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Moving
backwards, the student has to consider that the hands are faster than
the body, but for a sword cut the hands and sword have further to
travel than the body. If the body and the hands begin their movement
together, the body will finish its movement and come to rest followed
by the sword. If the body and the sword are united, the full power of
the body will be transmitted through the sword. If they are not
united then the sword has only the power of the hands when it makes
contact. For the full power of the body to be transmitted through the
sword, the sword tip has to begin moving first and the body begins
moving next so they will complete their action together, united in
power and timing. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Breaking
down the timing of a sword cut into fine segments makes it a little
easier to explain and teach the outer aspects of ki ken tai ichi. A
little. Students can start work on training their hands and body to
move in accordance with the timing of the sword to transmit the
maximum power through the blade. However, just because a student has
mastered the timing of their movements doesn’t mean they’ve
achieved ki ken tai ichi. This is much harder than simply copying the
timing. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">One
thing you may have noticed that is missing in the above description
is the intent, the will, the ki. Even after you train yourself to
move hands first, then body when cutting,, you still haven’t
achieved ki ken tai ichi. You’ve got the sword and the body, but
the intent, the heart/mind is much more difficult. This is a lot more
like achieving <a href="http://budobum.blogspot.com/2015/02/states-of-mind-mushin.html">mushin</a>.
You can’t be thinking about anything else if you want to achieve ki
ken tai ichi. Your mind has to be quiet and still so that your intent
comes naturally in the situation and your body moves as the intention
occurs in the heart/mind, so there is no separation such as thinking
and acting. Intention and action become one as body and sword are
one.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Combining
intention and action into one is much more difficult than bringing
body and sword into accord. After you’ve got your body and weapon
acting as one, it takes a great deal of additional, focused practice
to unite the mind with the body. This is an ongoing effort. Any
little thing can disrupt the unity of will, sword and body. A bad day
at work. A fight with a friend. Worry over someone’s health. All of
these and an endless list of other things can knock your mind out of
sync with your body. Mental stillness is difficult to achieve, and
that much more difficult to maintain.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">気検体一致
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Ki
ken tai ichi. </span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Intent,
sword and body in accord. First practice until the sword is an
extension of your body. Then teach your body to move so the power of
body and sword are united at the instant of contact and they finish
moving together at the bottom of the cut. At that point you
have the outer form. Now learn to still your mind so that nothing
separates intention and action. When intent, body and sword are
united, that’s </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">ki
ken tai ichi.</span></span></i></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"> </span></span></i></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 112%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman for editing. <br /></span></span></i></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-56476619930153131872021-10-10T12:21:00.001-04:002021-10-11T07:47:13.904-04:00Is Budo For Everyone?<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span>
</h4>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Is budo for everyone? I don’t know. Some of the great
proselytizers of budo certainly seemed to think so. Kano Jigoro
worked hard to get his Kodokan Judo into the national educational
curriculum in Japan, and sent teachers all over the world to
popularize it. Funakoshi Gichin brought Ryukyu
</span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Te</span></span></i></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
to the main islands of Japan and created modern karatedo. Ueshiba
Morihei wanted to spread his art of peace all over the world, and
sent out teachers wherever there was interest. Kendo has a regular
world championship. </span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Is budo for everyone? Should it be for everyone? I and an army of
others have written endlessly about the benefits of martial arts
training and often suggest that some sort of martial arts training would
be good for pretty much everyone. Besides the arts above, there are
countless commercial martial arts schools that are premised on the
assumption that everyone can, and should, do martial arts. I started out
in a Kodokan Judo club at a university. We never considered that judo
wasn’t for everyone.</span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">After a few decades of practice, as well as having encountered
many other budo forms, I have begun to wonder about this
assumption. Classical budo were clearly not for everyone. Many
</span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">ryuha</span></span></i></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">had requirements that students bring recommendations, and then if
the teacher accepted them, they still had to prove themselves.
Students who couldn’t follow the rules or didn’t fit the
particular budo culture were out. Students often had to sign
lengthy pledges,
</span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">keppan</span></span></i></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">, promising to follow the rules of the school (see the chapter on
keppan in
</span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/old-school-ellis-amdur/1120478567?ean=9781937439163&fbclid=IwAR11QB_kM-eALsq-SjzaVnbLI79-31h4M7c6mp3UpyCAZQxEQ9YefogBNdk"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Ellis Amdur’s Old School</span></span></u></span></span></a><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">). These arts had, and still have, an innate assumption that they
are not for anyone who walks up with tuition money.</span></span></span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Classical ryuha exist for themselves. A few were
</span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">otome ryu,
</span></span></i></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">schools that were officially attached to local daimyo and were
tied to the political scene, but most were not officially linked
with any political organization and flourished or perished on
their own merits and the ability of the teacher(s) to bring in
enough students. The Bugei Ryuha Daijiten lists thousands of
individual ryuha that existed over the centuries in Japan. Most
didn’t survive any great length of time. The ones that have
survived the longest are famous;
</span></span></span></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Kashima Shinto Ryu, Katori Shinto Ryu, Kashima Shinryu, Maniwa
Nen Ryu.</span></span></i></span><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"> </span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">They are also famous for their pickiness when accepting new
students.Their founders and members have never dreamed that these arts
are meant for everyone. Just the opposite. These arts are treasures to
be guarded jealously and not just shared with anyone. Until the end of
the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868, a person’s martial skills could be drawn
upon in duels and fights. For the samurai classes, this was a matter of
honor and legitimacy. With the very real possibility that they might
have to use what their ryuha taught them, it became vital that not
everyone knew its secrets. A samurai might have had to rely on those
secrets to survive. </span></span></span>
</p>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
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<span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></span></span>
</h4>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<p>
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Keppan</span></i><span style="font-weight: normal;">
are serious business. A potential student is swearing allegiance to
a social organization based around a deadly serious practice. Even
though keppan are no longer required for most koryu, a potential
member still has to respect the traditions and social norms of a
specialized group. The organization does not exist for your
benefit or the benefit of any student or teacher. The ryuha is a
body of knowledge, behaviours and skills. These are rare and
terrible treasures, and their existence doesn’t require you. The
teachers have the responsibility of deciding who is taught and who
isn’t. You aren’t likely to be accepted as a student because of what
the art will do for you. If you are accepted, it will be to find out
if it's worthwhile sharing the ryu’s treasures with you. This can
take a long time. I knew one of my teachers for 20 years
before he decided I was worth teaching and entrusting with the
knowledge of the ryuha. </span></span></span></span>
</p>
</div>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">As much as arts such as judo, kendo, karate, and aikido assume that
they are meant for everyone, the classical arts begin with the certainty
that they are not. In an age of firearms, and with CQC classes available
in every city, it can seem strange that the secrets of an art that is
hundreds of years old need to be kept secret. After all, what kind of
secret can any of these ryuha have that are so precious that they must
be jealously guarded? I will be the first to admit that what they
contain are not uniquely secret methods of fighting. Each ryuha has its
particular way of doing things, but the techniques aren’t the
secret. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">The ryuha as a whole is the secret. The number of ways you can throw a
person, apply a joint lock, or swing a sword are pretty limited, and the
possible techniques are all known. There are a myriad of places to learn
strikes, joint locks, throws and weapons. Training in the ryuha teaches
you how to organize your body and mind to be effective in any
conditions.</span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">That mind-body organization is what a classical ryuha is teaching. Each
ryuha is a way of training and molding bodies and minds. The secret
treasure of any ryuha is the person it creates. How do you organize your
body? How do you think and act under stress? How does your body react?
These are the secrets of classical ryuha. Classical ryuha are organized
around the practice of kata, not individual techniques. It is the whole
of the kata that teaches both movement and stillness. The trained
body/mind of the practitioner is the goal and treasure. How do you move,
respond, and preempt? This is what all those kata are about. Not simple
techniques but melding a single body/mind unit. No Western mind-body
dualism here. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Are these for everyone? I have arrived at the position that budo
training is not for everyone. The teachings of classical budo ryuha are
effective, and students should have the maturity and discretion to know
when to use them, and when not to. I have known many people who are
middle-aged or older, but have the maturity of an adolescent. As a
teacher of a classical ryuha, it is my responsibility not to put the
ryu’s treasures in the hands of anyone who will misuse or abuse them. We
often hear about what people deserve. There is no mandate that anyone
deserves to learn a koryu bugei ryuha. Even in the 21st century these
arts are precious and should be treated as such. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</h4>
<span style="font-size: medium;"> </span>
The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-44001902417588824272021-08-19T20:13:00.000-04:002021-08-19T20:13:01.408-04:00Why I Still Train<p>A guest post by <span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41"> </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41">Richard Riehle, PhD </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span class="tojvnm2t a6sixzi8 abs2jz4q a8s20v7p t1p8iaqh k5wvi7nf q3lfd5jv pk4s997a bipmatt0 cebpdrjk qowsmv63 owwhemhu dp1hu0rb dhp61c6y iyyx5f41">Judo Godan</span></b></span> </div><p></p><p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v knj5qynh oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"></span></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Judo — Why I still Train</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">People are sometimes surprised that, at 85 years old, I am still in my judogi in the dojo, still enjoying Judo. Of course, my competition days are in the past. My last tournament was a little over ten years ago at 74 competing with guys my own age.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">I was never a star competitor. Starting my life in Judo at age 16, I lost far more matches than I ever won, mostly to <i>newaza</i>. I was never an athlete, but I loved learning and participating in Judo.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">When I was still a nidan, during one of my many annual visits to the Kodokan, I said to one of the high-dan instructors, “I have been in Judo for many years, but I have never been a champion.” He replied, “I have never been a champion either. That is not the purpose of Judo.”</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">And there we have it! </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">I have learned that Judo, at its fundamental level, is not about defeating another person. It is not about scoring an ippon against another person. I also enjoy chess, but have been put in checkmate hundreds of times during my lifetime, just a few weeks ago by one of my three sons.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">True, that there is some ego gratification in scoring a win in a Judo, but as we grow older, we score fewer and fewer ippons in competition. With Judo we eventually learn that our training is not about ego gratification. It is more about learning about ourselves in a unique way, even as we learn more about Judo.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Chess is much the same. There is never an end to our learning in either activity</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Too many of those I knew when I was younger have “retired” from Judo because they believed they were too old to be good competitors, too old to even have a chance to become champions. </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">“Why bother to continue now that I can longer have a shot at winning a medal or trophy?” or “My best days are behind me!” or “I’m too out-of-shape.” In reality, it's usually about ego: “I will look ridiculous because I can’t do what I used to be able to do!”</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">And with that, they acknowledge that they never learned the real lessons of Judo. They have learned only about victory and defeat. There is so much more to learn.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Jigoro Kano once remarked that it was not important that you are better than someone else. It is more important that you are better today than you were yesterday.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">This raises the question, “Better in what way?” We each will have our own answer to that question.</div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">For me, “better” means many things. One of them is good physical feeling. Sometimes, better is because I have learned something new. Better might even be because I have been able to help someone else overcome a difficulty of their own. Better will different for each of us.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">As an older Judo practitioner, I can work at imposing <i>waza</i> that were not my best during my long ago, and brief, competition days. I am working on sumi-otoshi and some other difficult techniques I could never execute successfully in a shiai. I have experimented with Mifune’s tama-guruma. I know of no one who has ever attempted tama-guruma in a contest.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">We can all learn the deeper lessons from the kata. There are a lot of techniques we would not have attempted in a shiai that we can improve when we no longer need to focus on winning.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">There is also the fellowship with other “old timers” and the opportunity to share experiences with the youngsters. In the dojo, there is no politics, no religion, no ethnic biases — nothing but improving ourselves through good Judo training. Training, even light <i>randori</i>, after 40, after 50, or even into the 80’s, can be satisfying — even rewarding — when we are no longer worried about earning trinkets for the trophy shelf at home or in the dojo.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Finally, I still train because I can. There are things I cannot do: no kata-guruma, no sitting in <i>seiza</i>, no hard falls. Our lifetime of occasional health issues such as weaker bones, injured knees, slower reflexes are all part of that training, but while we can still don a judogi and still train, there will still be benefits in that training.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;"> </div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q"><div dir="auto" style="text-align: start;">Why do I still train? A life in Judo has enriched my life in so many ways, and my continued training continues to enrich my life. I cannot, at my age, defeat anyone, but there is still the chance to be better tomorrow than I am today using my own ideas of what it means to be “better.”</div></div><p></p>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-88827497852858517792021-04-14T12:30:00.012-04:002021-04-15T09:45:50.564-04:00Growth And Change In Budo<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span>
</p><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I
was talking with a student and teacher of classical Japanese martial
arts, and the all too-common myth - that the teachers and students of
these centuries-old ryuha practice exactly as their creators taught
them in the first generation - came up. We both laughed. It’s
a compelling story, but it’s a myth - one that is dangerous for the
students, and for the arts themselves. Whether you do something
called a way ( “do” </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">道</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">).
An art (“jutsu” </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">術</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">),
or a style or school (“ryu” </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">流</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">)</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">、</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">the
story is the same.</span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">These
are all arts that have survived centuries of use and application. The
thought that hundreds of years ago someone discovered a principle and
created techniques for applying it that were perfectly formed and are
still perfectly suited to the world they are in credits the founders
with a level of genius that I cannot imagine. I can imagine them
realizing principles that can be applied to an ever-changing
environment, but I can’t stretch that to the founders also creating
techniques that perfectly apply that principle no matter how the
world has changed.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Principles
don’t change. That’s the nature of principles. They are
fundamental ways of understanding the world and how it operates. In
budo, sometimes principles are expressed and learned through physical
practice, such as that discovered by following the Shinto Muso Ryu
directive “maruki wo motte suigetsu wo shire “</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">丸木を持って水月を知れ””</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">holding
a round stick, know the solar plexus”. Others are clearly expressed
philosophical concepts, such as Kano Jigoro Shihan’s “seiryoku
zen’yo” </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">精力善用
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">(often
translated as “maximum efficiency, minimum effort”), which is the
short form for “seiryoku saizen katsuyo” </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">精力最善活用
“</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">best
use of energy”.Jigoro Kano, Mind Over Muscle, Kodansha, 2005).
Usually shortened to “maximum efficiency minimum effort,” Kano’s
maxim refers to a broader principle than just the
physical technique. It’s about the best use and application of
energy, mental and physical. These core principles of different arts
haven’t changed since they were first expressed.</span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Principles,
by their nature, are universal. If they can’t be applied
universally, they aren’t principles. I can apply the principle
implied by the jodo maxim </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">maruki
wo motte suigetsu wo shire</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">in
a variety of ways and situations. I can even apply this principle
without a stick in judo randori, to pick an example outside of Shinto
Muso Ryu. Kano Jigoro was an evangelist for the idea of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">seiryoku
saizen katsuyo</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">and
its usefulness outside the constrained world of the dojo. He wrote
extensively about the principle and why everyone should apply it,
whether they practice judo or not. These principles haven’t changed
since they were first understood.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00XDUm8bMziKSfVT0RoSdWo2kgTbC3nMve3bbuqfZHjoTOI3RP9D6Wsug_fXU57IbYLNAH-eJPPevz7dJFbp0M8VracBIfi6VBashsn6tsDGFGJ4DL3zuKTSBXLL6FJggu_CVmZV2K1w/s320/Musings+Of+A+Budo+Bum+Cover.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Enjoy the blog? You'll love the book!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><br /> </span></span></span></span></span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">How
they are applied and expressed changes all the time however.
Not because the principles change at all, but because the environment
in which they are being applied changes. Judo is nearly 140 years
old. Shinto Muso Ryu has been around for more than 400 years. For all
of these arts, the world has changed dramatically since they were
founded. The world of combat in Japan slowly changed as weapons and
tactics evolved, and then was transformed by the introduction of
firearms in the 1500’s, followed by the enforcement of peace by the
Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603. Shinto Muso Ryu, essentially military
police tactics, was born into the first years of unsteady peace
during the Tokugawa Era. The samurai class was still on a war
footing, with the Tokugawa victory only a few years earlier. Weapons
of war and people skilled with them were everywhere.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">A
little over 250 years later the wearing of swords in public was
banned. Clothing styles in Japan changed from traditional kimono and
hakama to European dress. The tools of combat increased in number and
power. People still study Kodokan Judo and Shinto Muso Ryu and other
koryu arts. The arts are still seen as relevant to this age that
would have been unimaginable when they were created. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">The
people who study Kodokan Judo still practice many things that Kano
Jigoro laid down as part of his art. They do a lot of things that he
didn’t include in his pedagogy for the art. I find Kodokan Judo
principles being applied not just in competitive matches with people
wearing traditional dogi, but in no-gi matches and even professional
MMA fights. More interesting to me is the way Kodokan Judo’s
principles continue to be applied in and out of the dojo. It’s
still seen as an effective form of physical education, and the
principle of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">seiryoku
zen’yo</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">,
along with the principle of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">yawara
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">柔
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">(softness,
pliancy, flexibility, suppleness), is taught as having far more than
just martial applications. The whole of Kodokan Judo manages to offer
a very complete set of principles for interacting with the world
physically and intellectually nearly 140 years after its founding. It
hasn’t stopped growing and adapting. In addition to the official
kata of Kodokan Judo, many practitioners develop their own,
unofficial, kata to practice and explore the principles in situations
that are not focused on in the official curriculum.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">The
proportion of waza practice versus randori practice versu kata
practice is something judoka never stop arguing about, and every judo
dojo has a different answer to what the proportions should be. I see
people working out new techniques based on the classical principles,
and practicing in new ways. It’s not uncommon now to see judoka
train without dogi so they can prepare for no-gi tournaments. Do they
stop doing judo because they take off their dogi and fight in
competitions that aren’t using IJF rules? If you're applying judo
principles it’s still judo, regardless of what you're wearing or
what you’re doing. Judo is, after all, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">yawara.</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">It’s
soft and pliant. It can change its shape to fit the situation.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Shinto
Muso Ryu reaches further back for its origin, another 270 odd years
past Judo. The relevance of a stick that was intended to be used to
subdue people with swords in a world of guns and IEDs is difficult to
imagine, especially when you see the people studying it wearing
clothes that have been out of date for centuries and practicing
against people armed with swords. Relevant in the 21st century? It
looks more like Live Action Role-Playing to most people. However, the
principles haven’t changed, even if the practical applications have
had to evolve. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Throughout
its history Shinto Muso Ryu’s students haven’t been afraid to add
new lessons to the art. Kata were added steadily over the centuries,
and tools were added to the practitioner’s kit. An art that started
out with just a stick and a sword now teaches students to apply the
principles to sticks of nearly any length, as well as chains (and in
some lines even bayonet length blades!). The real principles about
movement, timing, spacing and rhythm are still useful not just in
combat situations, but everywhere in life. I’ve only been doing
Shinto Muso Ryu for 28 years, but in that time I’ve watched
teachers tweak kata and change what they emphasize. Looking back
before my time, to the films that survive from the last 90 years or
so, it’s clear that people have been tweaking and playing with the
kata since long before I showed up. Considering all the recorded
changes that have been made to Shinto Muso Ryu over the centuries, no
one can seriously claim that they do Shinto Muso Ryu just like Muso
Gonosuke Katsuyoshi did it. It’s been changing and adapting
from the day he started figuring it out for himself.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Budo practices are paths to follow, not fossils. You
have to adapt to the terrain. If you never change anything, and never
learn anything beyond where the founder began, you would be
preserving an artifact that has no relationship to the age you live
in. I fully expect the arts I practice and teach to grow and change.
The principles will still be there, but I sincerely hope my students
learn new ways to train, new ways to teach the principles, and new
ways to express the principles. Anything less than that is a
discredit to everyone who has gone before us.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-83954763151123252752021-03-16T12:30:00.000-04:002021-03-16T12:30:30.534-04:00It All Comes Back To How You Stand And How You Breathe<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">“<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Your
shoulders aren’t over your hips.”</span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">“<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Don’t
forget to breathe.”</span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">As
martial artists we chase strong, powerful techniques, and we strive
to use our muscles effectively. Many of us spend time in the gym
lifting weights and doing physical conditioning. I do squats and
curls and sit-ups and push-ups. For all that, I can’t think of any
time I’ve heard someone say “Use more muscle.” Instead we
hear people talk about things like relaxation and </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">kokyuroku
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">呼吸力
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(breath
power). </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Muscle
is great, but no muscle works in isolation. Weight training often is
about isolating specific muscles to develop them. Budo is about
integrating muscles and bone and sinew, and that all comes back to
how you stand and how you breathe. What we’re doing in the dojo,
whether it’s kata training or randori, is movement. All that
movement, though, starts in stillness. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Standing
there, doing nothing, what are you doing? You’re standing and
breathing. So obvious it feels foolish to say, but most of us don’t
do a very good job of doing nothing. Standing still is difficult to
do right. I was surprised as a beginning judo student to learn that
one of the skills on the first rank test I ever took was standing
still. Oh, it got a neat Japanese name, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">shizen
hontai</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
but that just breaks down to “natural, basic body.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span>I<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">t
didn’t take too much practice to be balanced and relaxed enough to
pass the shinzen hontai item on that 6th kyu test. What experience
keeps teaching me is how important everything on the 6th kyu test is.
If it’s on the first test you take, it’s because that will be
essential to everything you do after that test. I’m still working
to get shizen hontai right. What passed on the 6th kyu test, however,
failed to be good enough for me not long after the test.</span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">That
natural, basic body is the body with no unnecessary tension; no
muscles tensing when they aren’t needed. Everything as natural and
loose as a small child. Small children fall down and bounce back up
in part because they are so loose and natural. They don’t tense up
or freeze when they start to fall. They just go with it. Getting back
to something like that natural state without unnecessary tension is
part of shizen hontai.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Unnecessary
tension impacts how you breathe. If you carry stress and
tension in your shoulders or chest it constricts how well you can
expand your chest and take in air. Babies have incredible lung power,
as anyone who was holding an infant when they started screaming can
attest. A large part of that is the fact that there is no tension
inhibiting their breathing, so they use all of their lung capacity. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00XDUm8bMziKSfVT0RoSdWo2kgTbC3nMve3bbuqfZHjoTOI3RP9D6Wsug_fXU57IbYLNAH-eJPPevz7dJFbp0M8VracBIfi6VBashsn6tsDGFGJ4DL3zuKTSBXLL6FJggu_CVmZV2K1w/s320/Musings+Of+A+Budo+Bum+Cover.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">To
breathe well you have to use all of your natural capacity. At this
moment, I’m doing two things in particular that inhibit that
natural capacity. The first is my lousy posture while sitting at the
computer. My shoulders are slumped forward, my chin is sticking out,
my back is slouching. To use all of my natural capacity I have to
free my body to work at its best. That means I have to sit up
straight and let my shoulders fall back instead of rounding them
forward. This opens my chest and stomach so my lungs can expand to
their full capacity.</span></span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
second thing I’m doing wrong is carrying all the tension from a
lousy day at work in my shoulders and chest. I drain the tension out
of my shoulders and they settle down where they belong, instead of
being up near my ears. My chest and back are tight and constricted
from sitting in front of a computer all day. Not getting enough
activity to loosen the muscles won’t allow my breathing to
flow naturally. Those tense muscles fight to keep my chest tight and
restricted, preventing me from taking a full breath. When I get rid
of the unnecessary tension and breathe using my diaphragm to expand
my lungs and pull air into my lungs to their fullest, I get the best
breath I can take, allowing my lungs to function at their optimum
exchanging carbon dioxide and oxygen.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Good
breathing circles around and impacts how you stand. You can’t stand
properly if you’re breathing wrong. If you’re breathing with your
shoulders instead of your diaphragm you are throwing your balance
back and forth with every breath. It’s a small thing, but I’ve
seen people take advantage of poor breathing in judo regularly.
Breathe from your diaphragm and your balance remains stable. You can
drop your weight through your hips to the floor and let your body’s
natural structure carry your weight for you. Instead of having to
work at staying balanced, you just are.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Pick
a technique that you are working to polish. Try doing it with your
shoulders up by your ears, your back slouched and your chin stuck
out, then correct your posture and try it again. Much easier to do
right, isn’t it? After that, try doing the technique while
exhaling. Quite possibly the most common mistake I see is people
forgetting to breathe. Now that you’re breathing, take a moment and
make sure you're doing it right, and then do the technique again
while exhaling properly. It sounds easy. Stand and breathe, then do a
technique. It becomes difficult when you add “properly” in front
of “stand” and “breathe.” Standing and breathing are very
complex activities to do correctly. Moreover, when we are learning
anything new, the first thing we tend to do is hold our breath while
we concentrate on the new stuff. I’ve done it, and every student
I’ve ever had has done it. The more you practice good breathing and
good standing, the less likely you will be to forget about those
things when you have to focus on other things - like good technique.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">It
really doesn’t matter which budo you are doing. Koryu. Gendai.
Western. Eastern. Good budo always comes back to how you breathe and
how you stand. If these two elements aren’t right, nothing is. Take
a moment and let yourself be aware of your body, of how you’re
breathing and how you are sitting and standing. You don’t need a
teacher to tell you when you are slouching or breathing with your
shoulders. These are things you should figure out and start fixing on
your own. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman for editorial support. <br /></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-40356685703231778632021-01-06T08:24:00.002-05:002021-01-06T08:24:19.055-05:00Corallary To The Budo Law Of Conservation Of Movement
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">A while back I wrote a post about <u><span style="color: #1155cc;"><a href="http://budobum.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-budo-law-of-conservation-of-movement.html"><span style="color: #1155cc;">The Budo Law Of Conservation Of Movement</span></a></span></u>.
Effective budo systems don’t waste time and mental space teaching a hundred
ways to do the same thing. Instead they teach one way to do a hundred things.
There is a corollary to law which is </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in;"><span lang="EN"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN">The smallest movement that is effective is the best
movement</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"> Budo is about conflict, fighting, combat. Do
you want to waste any resource in a fight, including your energy?. Strength and
stamina are finite resources; no matter who you are, they will run out. How
long will the fight last? Is there likely to be another one soon? These are
unknowables, so any wasted effort reduces what you’ve got to work with down the
line. Don’t waste energy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"> Look at any classical budo. Koryu budo are
almost dull in the way they do things; there’s nothing flashy or decorative in
their movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the fancy movement
and dancing that you see in movies is notable for its absence in classical
budo. Or even watch competitive judo - there’s no unnecessary movement. Really
good judoka often make for rather boring matches to watch. The competitors are
there to win and move on to the next match. 99% of the action is in movements
so small you can’t really see them. High level judo matches have so little
excitement in their 5 minute spans that the rules are juiced to make them more
interesting. These matches require a serious attack to happen every few seconds
or a penalty can be awarded by the referee for stalling. In a tournament, a
judoka might end up fighting 6, 7, or more matches in one day. Skilled judoka
know they can’t afford to waste any effort because they will need it later. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"> Conserve your motion. Conserve your energy.
Don’t make a big movement when a small one will do the job.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00XDUm8bMziKSfVT0RoSdWo2kgTbC3nMve3bbuqfZHjoTOI3RP9D6Wsug_fXU57IbYLNAH-eJPPevz7dJFbp0M8VracBIfi6VBashsn6tsDGFGJ4DL3zuKTSBXLL6FJggu_CVmZV2K1w/s320/Musings+Of+A+Budo+Bum+Cover.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Like the blog? Get the book!<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN"><br /> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"> The other thing about using the smallest
movement to do the job is that it protects you. It’s not good to throw your
energy around unnecessarily. Any movement you make affects you as well as your
opponent. Bigger movements mean committing more energy. Any energy you put out
there can be used by your opponent against you. I love countering techniques in
judo because they turn an opponent’s attack into their defeat. The more energy
an opponent sends out the more I have to work with. The bigger the movement you
commit to, the harder it is to change trajectory once it’s started.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"> Overcommitment to a technique backfiring can
happen whether it’s in an unarmed situation like a judo match, or weapon versus
weapon. Learning to control your movement and take advantage of moments when
your adversary is over-extended is fundamental. Watch a kendo match. The
kendoka jockey for control of the center with just the tips of their shinai.
Movements are just big enough to evade being controlled by the opponent and use
just enough energy to do the job and no more. Openings are created when someone
moves further than is needed or puts too much power into their shinai and can’t
recover their position in time to prevent the attack. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"> All good budo is efficient. Wasting energy is
foolish. So is giving your adversary anything to work with. Any excess
movement, any unnecessary movement, creates an opening for your opponent.
Overextend an arm on an attack and it can be locked or used as a lever to throw
you. Too big a movement leaves a window for a strike or an entry. Therefore</span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN"> The
smallest movement that is effective is the best movement.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><i>Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman for her wonderful editing work.</i> <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"> </span></p>
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<![endif]-->The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-41458356574042552702020-11-30T10:26:00.001-05:002020-11-30T10:27:30.014-05:00"There is no East or West" Really?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyeBXM9-pPzJuSpmMrjVkJPKSGOVz-gzxOaih8bvzLXNcgcMYtdYb-IfBHah5CNpd1av_DbTIuS7JGTxpESfg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Before you pick a fight, make sure you know what you're getting into. (Video copyright Peter Boylan 2020)<br /><p></p><p> </p><p>
</p><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">"How
many westerners studied in Japan for a significant amount of time?
Few. In fighting, culture means very little. Step into the ring and
put your fists up. There is no east or west."</span></i></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Someone
posted this comment in a discussion I am involved in. It seems like a
pretty straightforward idea. In combat arts all that matters is what
happens when you step into the ring. Everything in a combat art can
be decided by getting out there and facing off with someone.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">However,
stepping into a ring is not the same as a street fight or close
quarters combat. The rules are completely different. The rules in the
ring are about both people coming out with all of their teeth and no
permanent damage. Outside a sporting ring there are still rules. The
other people in the fight might not bother to tell you what the rules
are, but they have them. What rules do you expect? </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Fighting
in a ring is dueling. It’s only 2 people, everyone gets the same
equipment, and even when there is no referee, everyone including the
spectators know if someone breaks the rules. Dueling is great for the
ego. I love doing randori in Judo. One on one with someone
trying to throw me, choke me, pin me or make me submit to an arm lock
is just about as much fun as I can imagine. When the world is not
threatened by a plague, I try to do it a couple of times a week for
as long as my stamina holds out.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Japanese
classical budo of the Tokugawa Period (1604-1868) could be brutal
stuff. Ambush and surprise attacks were considered quite acceptable.
It wasn’t about arranging a nice formal duel if someone besmirched
your honor. It was a vendetta and very little was off limits. Many of
the classical systems that have survived include teachings about
setting up an ambush or a sneak attack. These aren’t friendly
dueling arts. These are arts of killing without getting killed.
Forcing someone from a very different cultural tradition to fight so
you can “see who’s better” is a risky affair. You may think
you’re having a friendly duel, and the other guy may break your
fingers right off the mark because that’s accepted in the culture
he comes from. He may not know about the rules you follow in a
friendly duel. This is not something you want to find out the hard
way.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"> </span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00XDUm8bMziKSfVT0RoSdWo2kgTbC3nMve3bbuqfZHjoTOI3RP9D6Wsug_fXU57IbYLNAH-eJPPevz7dJFbp0M8VracBIfi6VBashsn6tsDGFGJ4DL3zuKTSBXLL6FJggu_CVmZV2K1w/s320/Musings+Of+A+Budo+Bum+Cover.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Get a collection of my favorite essays in digital or paperback!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><br /> <br /></span></span></span><p></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">What
I do in a judo dojo fighting with my friends is vastly different from
what I’ve done the few times I’ve had to do anything in “the
real world.” Sport dueling is fun, but it really only proves who’s
better at dueling under those particular rules. Classical Japanese
budo arts have long traditions of fighting that aren’t about
dueling in a *fair* environment. They assume that nothing is going to
be fair and that everyone will use whatever is available to ensure
that they are the one(s) who walk away. People who train for this
sort of encounter really aren’t prepared to fight by your rules.
Their trained reactions and instincts are not to go for the
submission by arm bar, or to win by throwing you cleanly on your
back. Their reaction is to snap the elbow or wrist the instant they
have it, or to throw you on your head so that you get a concussion
and maybe a broken neck.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Every
culture has different expectations. In war in Europe and North
America there is the Geneva Convention, whereby if your unit is
getting slaughtered, you can surrender and your enemy will take you
prisoner, treat you decently and eventually trade you back to your
side in exchange for prisoners your side has captured. Disregarding
the Convention leaves a warring nation open to charges of
international war crimes, when the conflict inevitably ends. European
and North American rules of engagement are assumed to be followed
everywhere.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Except
that, historically, they have not been. Japan has a long tradition
across a thousand years, not of taking prisoners, but of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.aidandoyle.net/2009/06/03/who-would-have-thought-collecting-severed-heads-would-be-so-difficult/"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">taking
heads</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">.
Soldiers were rewarded based on how many heads they took and rank of
the people who lost those heads. Surrendering and being taken
prisoner was not an honorable thing to do. If you tried, you’d be
so looked down upon for lacking the courage to fight to the last or
take your own life that you would be tortured before they took your
head from your shoulders.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">These
different ideas of what was honorable in battle didn’t clash
significantly until 1941 when Japan began invading south east Asia
and wresting control of European colonies from the British, Dutch,
French and Americans. The Japanese had no tradition of capturing
prisoners. They didn’t know what to do with all European and
American P.O.W.s they suddenly had to deal with. They treated them
with all the respect their centuries of tradition taught them a
prisoner of war was entitled to: none at all.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">On
the other side, the Japanese were exhorted to uphold tradition and
die an honorable death rather than be taken prisoner and abused by
the enemy. Japanese soldiers who were captured were often shocked to
be treated according to the western customs of the Allies.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">In
sports, there are still a lot of classical judoka in Japan who feel
that having weight classes in judo competition is a sign of weakness,
not a matter of fairness. For them, the best judoka is the one
who wins against everyone. I’m really not prepared to fight
in an open division with the heavyweights and super-heavyweights. For
decades in Japan this was the only way competition was done. In
sumo, for example, though there are many rules and traditions of
competition, there are no weight classes, only rankings according to
where competitors stand in regard to their opponents.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">If
you’re going to fight, make sure you know the local rules. When I
first moved to Japan I had a hard time understanding the local
judo rules. I’d done judo for 4 years by that time and had fought
in many competitions under International Judo Federation rules. I’m
thick and slow. It took me a while to get it through my head that
people in Japan don’t automatically use the IJF rules to run local
shiai. “Local rules” is a real thing. If you’re getting ready
to fight, make sure you know the local rules. Fighting, like most
things we humans do, is a cultural activity, and if you don’t know
the culture, watch out. What you don’t know can hurt you.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"> </span></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><i>Special thanks to Deborah Klens-BIgman for editorial support.</i> <br /></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p><br /></p>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-66181631242035042842020-09-29T14:21:00.001-04:002020-09-29T14:21:32.945-04:00Nin 忍<div><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecGvzuP8iuqFBZAJWLxSZi7GKwSN5ah11E97xF_6Zp3fyPxVfr4m4-NLc_0RZ7rc-aqj0tnzS-OWHYbnYPe5tiwQOy7JPVl4Y4qBE39LfqwcucGlboMn88Xkh4yyT2KeXS6LlGPj2Np0/s2048/Nin+by+Kiyama+Sensei+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1706" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiecGvzuP8iuqFBZAJWLxSZi7GKwSN5ah11E97xF_6Zp3fyPxVfr4m4-NLc_0RZ7rc-aqj0tnzS-OWHYbnYPe5tiwQOy7JPVl4Y4qBE39LfqwcucGlboMn88Xkh4yyT2KeXS6LlGPj2Np0/w334-h400/Nin+by+Kiyama+Sensei+cropped.jpg" title="Nin by Kiyama HIroshi" width="334" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nin 忍 Calligraphy by Kiyama Hiroshi, Copyright 2019</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p>
</p><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Nin</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">忍</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">)
is a Japanese term that is not often heard standing alone. Outside
Japan it is most commonly encountered in the term </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">ninja
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">忍者</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">).
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Nin</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">has
nothing that directly ties it to spies and assassins though. Nin is a
character trait that may be the most important generic lesson in
classical budo. Every ryuha has its own essential character that
makes it truly unique: they all teach nin. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
dictionaries </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">nin</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
usually translated as “patience”. Patience nails a piece of the
character nin (</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">忍</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">).
As with so many things though, to simply say “nin (</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">忍</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">)
equals patience” is to miss a great deal. Nin is not regular
patience, but the patience that quietly endures suffering and trials.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">There
are the obvious trials in budo, like how much your knees and feet
ache from doing the first iai kata for an hour, continuing even after
you’ve worn the skin off your knees. Or the never-ending
torture that is the posture known as </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">tatehiza</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">.
Learning to endure physical discomfort with quiet stoicism is the
beginning of nin (</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">忍</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">).
Anyone who sticks with budo for any length of time learns to do this.
It’s just part of the physical territory. Everyone in the dojo
hurts and no one is interested in hearing you whine about it.
Everyone went through the pain of learning to take good ukemi, even
if taking ukemi for Sensei can knock the wind out of you.
That’s the physical side.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
other side begins when Sensei says “Shut up and train.” In
that moment it becomes time to patiently endure not just the
discomfort and stress of training, but also your own curiosity and
desire for answers. This is the time when your questions will only be
answered by your endurance of training with doubt and
misunderstanding and ignorance that gnaws at your heart. I come from
a background where I was taught to always ask a question if I didn’t
understand something. Ask a question and get an answer. In budo
though, most often the best answer to a question is not an
explanation, but more training.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">It
took me years to understand that my teachers were trying to tell me
that the answers to most of my budo questions were to be found in
training, study and contemplation. I asked Hikoso Sensei about foot
sweeps in judo one evening, and I can’t imagine a more rudimentary
answer. I was looking for a deep explanation of the timing and how to
understand it. He showed me the proper way to move my foot when
sweeping. That’s it. The answer was that I needed to train
more to understand the timing. No amount of explanation would
ever give me that. I had to put up with not understanding the timing
until I did understand it, and I had to to do it knowing there was no
guarantee that I would ever get it. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Nin
is about patience where you hold your tongue even though the most
satisfying thing in the world would be to respond to someone’s
unkind, callous or outright mean comment with a righteous comeback.
Wisdom, discretion or simple maturity demand that you let it go.
Without escalation, there will be no conflict. Without nin no
one would have been able to abide by the rules laid out in so many
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">keppan</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(training
oaths) not to engage in fights and duels until you mastered the art.
If you wanted to keep training with Sensei, you had to master your
emotions and learn to forebear not just the little slights, but the
big insults as well. Once you joined a ryuha, everything you did
reflected on the ryuha. If you got into trouble because you couldn’t
hold your tongue or control your anger, it could bring the wrath of
the government down on everyone in the dojo.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Nin
continues to be an important component of what makes a good person in
Japan. From the salarimen trudging through their endless days or the
school kids spending their days in regular school and their evenings
in cram schools dedicated to getting them into even more rigorous
high schools and colleges. Nin can be seen in today’s dojo in Japan
in the near complete absence of talking during </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">keiko</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">.
Everyone is focused on the training. Talking is something for
elsewhere. In kendo dojo it may seem like there is too much yelling
going on for conversation, and in an iai dojo the quiet can be
complete except for the swish of<br /> a sword through the air.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Nin
is sitting in seiza with a smile while sensei forgets that everyone
is in seiza and launches into a long story. Nin is sitting in
tatehiza with the appearance of relaxed comfort. Nin is mastering
present desires for long term ends without letting anyone know about
the desires or the ends. Nin is the quiet patience and endurance of
the mature martial artist.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman, Ph.D. for editorial support.<br /><br /></span>
</p><span style="font-size: large;">
</span><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> If you enjoy the blog, get the book!</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8-890eZbZ6bO-7qEplnKWZsplj74-utyx_KmRBnrtLfn2jqX3oHzTcw54TytfymEn74FlpmTYntCsacdYev1W_cOzzkQePZfaVdwjDug8HRahyphenhyphenGwHWzdVAPSg1WDSbpQxsO0rjz-Zqk/s0/Musings+of+a+budo+bum+Cover.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> </span><p></p>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-8889309775913983662020-08-31T17:48:00.000-04:002020-08-31T17:48:05.793-04:00Practice Makes Permanent<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nRj91pFQQF3YixpGdg-z6Go5DTIHeuq5MxaF5g2CuqERVq4V1rebgOSlnnYuLRZsC5Nv0MNPPhWEqU3pNBi9LXbo41f9vUgR2wMlKZtUZziEuXPrOTqukZMA8Em8jniDZivuM1soCpE/s2048/Wayne+Boylan+headshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1366" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nRj91pFQQF3YixpGdg-z6Go5DTIHeuq5MxaF5g2CuqERVq4V1rebgOSlnnYuLRZsC5Nv0MNPPhWEqU3pNBi9LXbo41f9vUgR2wMlKZtUZziEuXPrOTqukZMA8Em8jniDZivuM1soCpE/w267-h400/Wayne+Boylan+headshot.jpg" title="Wayn Boylan 1938-2019" width="267" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wayne Boylan, 1938-2019<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Dedicated to my Father, Wayne Boylan 1938-2019 <br /></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
was talking about doing some </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">suburi</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(repetitive
sword cut practice) with a friend and he mentioned that one of his
teachers says you shouldn’t do 100 suburi. You should do one
good cut.I have to agree. Mindless repetition doesn’t make for good
practice. If you’re just cranking out repetitions to hit a number,
you’re not paying attention to the quality of what you are doing.
You’ll be sloppy and rushed.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">“<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Practice
doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent.” My Dad was
a teacher - music - not budo, but he knew more about how to teach and
learn skills than I ever will. And it’s true. You’re only
as good as your practice. Doing thousands of suburi will only
ingrain your mistakes if you’re not consciously trying to make each
one better than the last. Real practice is as mentally hard as it is
physically tough. When you’re practicing effectively you engage
your mind as much as your muscles. You’re aware of what you're
doing and always looking for flaws.</span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I’ve
had the same satisfaction with my budo for the last 30+ years. I’m
consistently satisfied with less than 10% of everything I do. Whether
I do 100 </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">kirioroshi</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(sword
cuts) or 100</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">hikiotoshi
uchi</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(jo
strikes) or 100 </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">harai
goshi</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(a
judo throw), if I’m happy with 10 of them it’s an unusually good
day. I use too much right hand or not enough left. I tense my
shoulders (that one really ticks me off about myself). I don’t
engage my koshi enough. My stance is too narrow. Weak </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">te
no uchi</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">.
I muscle the cut, My angle is off, my tip bounces. I’m off target.
I do a chicken neck. My movement is small. There are days I could
write an entire essay just chronicling the different mistakes I make.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">One
of my goals is to never make the same mistake twice in a row. If I do
that I’m not being aware and correcting myself. In practice I have
to be aware of what I’m doing so I can consistently correct
mistakes. Practice is about fixing, correcting and improving.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Lucida Sans Unicode;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It’s
not about repeating what you’ve already learned. Suck, yes, but as
my friend Janet says, “Suck at a higher level.” Be aware of
what you’re doing and make it a little better every time. I know
flaws won’t go away with one correction, but at least make sure
that you’re not repeating them. </span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
hardest thing to fix is a flaw that you’ve practiced. My iai has a
flaw where my stance is too shallow. At some point I decided that
what I was doing was good enough, and then I did thousands of
repetitions with that shallow stance. Now that is my body’s default
stance. Any time I’m not consciously extending my stance, it
shortens up. Practice makes permanent. Whatever you practice is
what you’ll do. I practiced with a shallow stance and now it will
take even longer to correct because the mistake has been drilled into
my body.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00XDUm8bMziKSfVT0RoSdWo2kgTbC3nMve3bbuqfZHjoTOI3RP9D6Wsug_fXU57IbYLNAH-eJPPevz7dJFbp0M8VracBIfi6VBashsn6tsDGFGJ4DL3zuKTSBXLL6FJggu_CVmZV2K1w/w427-h640/Musings+Of+A+Budo+Bum+Cover.jpg" title="Musings Of A Budo Bum" width="427" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Enjoy the blog? Get the book!<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
have to build a whole new set of neural pathways and polish this
deeper stance until I’ve overwritten the old training. That’s
going to take time. I’m going to have to be sharp and watch my
stance whenever I’m training. I will have to do more repetitions
with a correct, deep stance than I’ve done with the flawed, shallow
stance. That’s no fun, but it’s what I get for practicing a
flaw. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
good news is that good practice isn’t difficult to do, and it’s
more interesting than bad practice. With good practice you’re
constantly aware and tuned in to what you're doing so you can fix any
flaws you spot. This is much more interesting than doing a hundred or
two hundred mindless reps just to get in some reps. As in so much
else, it’s the quality, not the quantity. </span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Just
as in music, it doesn’t do any good to rush through things just to
say you’ve done it. Maybe do the whole kata once. Pay attention to
what’s weak, then go back and just work on the parts that are weak.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p>
</p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Good
practice makes for good budo. Poor quality practice makes for poor
quality budo. Pay attention to what you're doing, and to what you’re
not doing. Practice the stuff you’re good at, and practice the
things you're bad at even more. If you don’t practice, things won’t
improve; but if you practice badly then things will stay bad.</span></span></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Thanks Dad.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman, Ph.D for her editorial support.<br /></span></span></p>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-52554290117788429672020-07-07T08:57:00.000-04:002020-07-07T08:57:28.523-04:00The Budo Law Of Conservation Of Movement<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uPRTqOYs6uX-ObZsZ5Sa2INDO-aZ_DbIHPfH7AulVyPw0qzW0isvS4L-i2iHp1uEmbBO5VRFxledBXdfirPQBfDRyhiwcSpp5d3vv8ojY_CfNPjapAt_MZALA4mQdynEqqR_hyriU4E/s1898/20191103+Tendo+Ryu.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1133" data-original-width="1898" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4uPRTqOYs6uX-ObZsZ5Sa2INDO-aZ_DbIHPfH7AulVyPw0qzW0isvS4L-i2iHp1uEmbBO5VRFxledBXdfirPQBfDRyhiwcSpp5d3vv8ojY_CfNPjapAt_MZALA4mQdynEqqR_hyriU4E/s320/20191103+Tendo+Ryu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tendo Ryu. Photo copyright Peter Boylan 2019<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><pre><br /></pre></div><div style="text-align: left;">
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Most
people don’t know it, but there is a Budo Law of Conservation
of Movement. Budo is conservative at its heart. We want to conserve
movement, conserve energy, conserve time. The Budo Law of
Conservation of Movement is:</span></font></font></font></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in; text-decoration: none;">
<font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">One
movement to do a hundred things, not a hundred movements that
accomplish the same thing.</span></b></font></font></font></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Why
learn a hundred ways to do something when one will do the job? There
are a number of different ways to cut with a sword, but I don’t
know any classical art that teaches more than one of them. The same
with sticks. There are lots of ways to swing a stick, but I don’t
know of any martial art that teaches more than one (to the Shinto
Muso Ryu people who are raising your hands to object, all those
different strikes utilize the same body mechanics. There’s really
only one strike and one thrust in Shinto Muso Ryu). </span></font></font></font></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Each
koryu has its own way of doing things, and a real student of the
ryuha imprints that way into their mind, their muscles and their
bones. This is true whether you’re doing Shinto Muso Ryu, Katori
Shinto Ryu, Kashima Shinryu, Sekiguchi Ryu, or any other koryu. You
won’t find classical systems with an overabundance of techniques or
principles to master. Each </span></span></span></font></font></span></font><font color="#000000"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">ryuha</span></span></i></font></font></span></font><font color="#000000"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">
</span></span></font><font color="#000000"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">takes
a few basic concepts and teaches you to apply them to a variety of
situations. Again, look at Shinto Muso Ryu. It’s commonly taught
that there are four strikes in SMR, but all of them are
variations on the same strike. That’s it. One strike. Add one way
to thrust and one trap and you have it.</span></span></span></font></font></span></font></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000000"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Each
ryuha has one way of doing things. Shinto Muso Ryu and its </span></span></span></font></font></span></font><font color="#000000"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">fuzoku
ryu </span></span></i></font></font></span></font><font color="#000000"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">incorporate
jo, tachi, kodachi, jutte, tanjo, and kusarigama. That’s a
wide variety of weapons, yet the principles and movement are the
same. The student isn’t learning six discrete weapons. She is
learning to apply one set of principles to a variety of weapons. Once
the principles of movement, spacing and timing are internalized, it
doesn’t matter what she picks up. She’ll apply the principles she
learned on the jo the first time she picks up a tachi. Working with
the tachi deepens the understanding developed while training with the
jo. By the time she picks up a tanjo or a jutte, the teacher doesn’t
have to teach her how to hold the weapons or how to swing them. She
already knows the principles. She just needs a little practice to get
used to the specific spacing and timing required by the new weapon,
along with the specific patterns of movement that make up the kata.
By the time she’s practiced with all of the weapons, she can pick
up just about anything and intuitively understand how to use it
applying the principles of Shinto Muso Ryu.</span></span></span></font></font></span></font></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">At
that point the techniques just happen. The student has soaked herself
in the principles of the arts. There isn’t any thought. To
move in a manner other than that of Shinto Muso Ryu would require
concentration because by that point the Shinto Muso Ryu principles
have been absorbed so deeply that they have become part of her
natural movements and responses.</span></font></font></font></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">The
same thing can be found in any effective koryu. There will only be a
few active principles that have to be mastered to apply to every
scenario imagined by the founders and their successors. A friend of
mine does a sogo budo with a strong jujutsu element. They use a
different technique for cutting with a sword; a tighter motion done
closer to the body than I’m accustomed to. My first thought when I
saw it was that they were giving up some of the potential range of
the blade-- a reasonable comment on their sword work. They
don’t take advantage of every centimeter of reach that the blade
has to offer, but this isn’t necessarily a weakness.</span></font></font></font></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Cutting
while using a tighter motion may not be considered a weakness
because the sogo budo group doesn’t just do sword work, or even
just weapons work. They also do a lot of jujutsu. In their
jujutsu they use the same principle for throwing and joint locking
that they use for cutting with a sword. They are conserving the
number of motions and principles they have to learn. They have just
one movement that is applied in their weapons work and their empty
hand techniques. No time wasted learning different principles for
weapons and another for jujutsu. One and done.</span></font></font></font></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Training
time is precious, even for people who are training full time. Their
training time is valuable, and they need to get the most out of it.
The highest return in training is to have a few principles you apply
to everything, instead of many different discrete techniques that can
be applied to the same thing. It takes thousands of hours of training
to master any budo. Where is the good sense and efficiency in
increasing the time it takes to master your training by having
different principles for different activities and multiplying
required training time as you add discrete principles and skills?</span></font></font></font></p>
<p>
</p><p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">It
makes no sense for a ryuha to have different principles for different
activities or weapons. It would be a tremendous waste of time, and
few people have the time to develop more than one body. If you have
not absorbed the set of principles so deeply that they’ve stained
your bones you’ll never express those principles under pressure.
You’ll always do what has stained your bones.</span></font></font></font></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">Koryu
training, real koryu, is about absorbing the principles of the art
into your body and mind so that they color the core of your being. A
key to how koryu do this is by reducing the essence of the art to a
few powerful principles that can be applied to any situation. No
unnecessary movements or ideas. </span></font></font></font></p>
<p>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;">One
movement to do a hundred things.</span></font></font></font></p><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><i><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><br /></span></font></font></font></i></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial"><font size="2" style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%;"><i>Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman Ph.D. for her editorial support and contributions.</i><br /></span></font></font></font></p>
<p><br /><br /><br /><br />
</p>
</div>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-4298108802587222412020-05-27T09:51:00.001-04:002020-07-03T12:47:54.370-04:00The Power Mistake<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcEgWTTaKU_fYoIhdaVHoRIbH8gyrGE9vxDv5xz_VxzleJO2r4T9PZBxIy2f4aP6ZO1GHCtQC1ke9s9EBQeE5KxP4zDSAcDJ2bHufTQe4FxPFaQtDWAkYS3_98VdEfi0u7IniFxqHAo0/s1600/140116++Peter+and+Chuck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1378" data-original-width="1600" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivcEgWTTaKU_fYoIhdaVHoRIbH8gyrGE9vxDv5xz_VxzleJO2r4T9PZBxIy2f4aP6ZO1GHCtQC1ke9s9EBQeE5KxP4zDSAcDJ2bHufTQe4FxPFaQtDWAkYS3_98VdEfi0u7IniFxqHAo0/s320/140116++Peter+and+Chuck.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Structure versus power Photo Copyright Deborah Klens-Bigman 2020</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /> <br /> We want powerful budo. Powerful budo is effective budo. Powerful budo is good budo. So how do we make our budo powerful? We make it stronger. The stronger someone’s budo is the more powerful it is. How do we make our budo stronger? <br /> <br /> Usually we add muscle. We do push-ups and sit-ups. We train with weights to increase our bench press and our squat. Then we throw this additional muscle into our budo so we can hit harder, throw bigger, cut deeper. It makes our budo more effective and more powerful so we can beat the big guys. This is the way to powerful budo. Or is it? <br /> <br /> None of the people whose budo I strive to emulate do muscular budo, yet all of their budo is powerful and dynamic. When they cut or strike or throw, the movement is solid and crisp. Nothing is done that isn’t essential to the movement. The cuts look like they could slice through stone. The strikes look, and feel, like getting hit with a truck. Throws hit you with the force of the planet. All of this without being muscular. <br /> <br /> My teachers don’t need to be muscular to generate power. They have a combination of <a href="http://budobum.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-most-essential-principles-in-budo.html" target="_blank">structure</a> and technique that creates power and lets them direct it to where it will be most effective. Correct structure allows you to harness all the power of your body, not just a few big muscles. Precise technique puts all that power exactly where you want it for maximum effect. <br /> <br /> If your structure isn’t right, even loads of muscle won’t make your budo strong. <br /> <br /> There is always someone more muscular. I used to train with a guy who was a good 15 cm (6 inches) taller, 80 pounds heavier, and able to lift me off my feet without using any sort of judo technique. He was powerful and he could throw people around, but he wasn’t doing judo. His raw muscular strength got in the way of him learning good technique. He could jerk people so hard they were off balance from the force of the pull and then he would throw them by manually lifting them into position, but that wasn’t budo. <br /> <br /> What frustrated this guy was that even though I was 80 pounds lighter and significantly weaker, he couldn’t throw me but I could throw him, hard. He was strong enough to pick me up off my feet, something I could only do to him with the help of winch, and yet I was the one doing the throwing. I used good structure to hold my partner off without getting tired. If I tried to go muscle to muscle with any of the big guys, I’d be exhausted and beaten in moments. Power doesn’t come from strength, it comes from structure and technique. If I let my structure absorb their power and redirect it into the ground, I can still go many rounds with the big 20-somethings in the dojo. <br /> <br /> Just as a building with a flawed structure will quickly collapse under pressure, a person with bad structure is quickly demolished by an adversary. Good structure is not only the key to withstanding pressure, it is fundamental to projecting your power outward. You can only project as much force as your structure can support. Exceed that limit and you will crumble rather than your target. Boxers wrap their hands and wear gloves to improve the structure of their hands so they can deal with the forces they generate when punching. Take off those gloves and all the wrapping and boxers would be breaking the bones in their hands with the power generated by their technique. <br /> <br /><div> If your structure can’t handle the forces you are generating, then your technique will never be able to generate power. Building a good structure is the first step to generating great power. Build a good structure and you build and project power effectively. Good structure also neutralizes other people’s power. That’s how you deal with bigger, stronger and faster. You have a structure that is stable under attack. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="line-height: 100%;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="667" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElteQ6yaK1T6_cvkNLp4mYsj5NBu4tfBfr2YnyNflLKVBeYR5zJAuMPNRpy_XwC_6e-jbOSGoSLMqy0kfIbMj9xGyWOP29wKtUotabABQwx6j5fCH6Q6Wj8m_Czc65rvPKoFzuz6oG-4/s320/Musings+Of+A+Budo+Bum+Cover.jpg" /></a></div><font size="4"><br /></font>
<font size="4"></font></div><font size="4"></font>Good structure is necessary, but it’s not enough by itself. Technique multiplies your strength using the platform created by your structure. Arm locks, throws, punches, attacks with sticks and other weapons all start with a good foundation. The techniques multiply whatever muscle you have. That’s why a small judoka or aikidoka can manipulate and throw much larger, stronger people. <br /> <br /> A 157 cm (5’2” in) person, even if unusually strong, is not going to have the strength to go toe-to-toe with someone twice their size. Yet anyone who spends time around a judo, jujutsu or aikido dojo will see goons like me being tossed to the ground by people half our size. It’s not their raw strength they are using to launch us airborne. It’s technique supported by good structure. <br /> <br /> When we are first learning techniques the temptation is to try and force the technique. The more raw strength you have, the more powerful that temptation is. Every time we give in to that temptation we make it harder to learn good technique. Every time we force a technique we reinforce the habit to use strength instead of technique, and we make it harder to learn good technique. <br /> <br /> All that technique we practice works to make strength unnecessary. Good technique is as clean and precise as a scalpel. Whether it is uchi mata or ikkyo, good technique will apply your power where your partner is weak. It’s budo, not arm wrestling. We’re going to use every advantage we can find. That means weaving around our opponent’s strength to apply a technique where it can’t be countered, not crashing into their strength. Technique done well feels effortless. When I’m thrown well I don’t feel the thrower’s strength. I don’t feel much of anything as the floor disappears from under my feet and reappears to smack me in the back. <br /> <br /> Strength doesn’t do that. Technique does. The technique undermines my ability to stand up and then redirects me at the ground. I know I’ve done a throw well because I’m looking at the person on the ground and wondering why they jumped for me; it feels that easy when the structure and the technique are there. It’s that way for everyone. My jodo students know that they’ve done hikotoshi uchi correctly because their partner’s sword just vanishes without any feeling of having been there.<div style="line-height: 100%;">
<br /> Strength erodes over time, but time seems to empower technique. As my teachers age they feel more powerful, not less. When he was 80 I watched Sugi Sensei completely dominate a powerful and experienced kendoka 60 years his junior. He didn’t do it with strength and fire, he did it with a structure that was solid, impenetrable, and smooth technique that was everywhere the junior’s strength wasn’t. Sensei’s technique was clean and simple with no wasted energy or motion. <br /> <br /> That’s the combination of structure and technique that make budo work. It’s never about raw muscle. Structure gives you access to all the strength you have, and technique multiplies the power of that strength by using it in the most effective way possible. <br /> <br /> Don’t make the mistake of thinking that muscle equals power. Strength is nice, but powerful budo is supported by structure and propelled by technique. <br /> <br /> <br /> Special thanks to Deborah Klens-Bigman Ph.D for editing this. <font size="4"></font></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><font size="4">
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The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-34418964104392521532020-04-14T16:04:00.000-04:002020-04-15T09:35:51.044-04:00How Stable Are Koryu?<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfk67e46fMFmXjyq_nE3K9206-jB9Eio5bsvQLF1DAIoxASn26rESnCt68DEoTyDOMDRZPvnwbPnNLnHsTtRQsxD0_NHvn1P9Y3V6Zs2ELFybsBarwSnjMstr6riumHLBulorbLREQq2o/s1600/Chiba+Shusaku+dojo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="480" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfk67e46fMFmXjyq_nE3K9206-jB9Eio5bsvQLF1DAIoxASn26rESnCt68DEoTyDOMDRZPvnwbPnNLnHsTtRQsxD0_NHvn1P9Y3V6Zs2ELFybsBarwSnjMstr6riumHLBulorbLREQq2o/s320/Chiba+Shusaku+dojo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gekikenkai No Zu by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1873</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="docs-internal-guid-c785effe-7fff-5570-d995-1030074011161"></a> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="docs-internal-guid-c785effe-7fff-5570-d995-1030074011162"></a>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
was asked recently how much I think koryu budo has changed over the
generations. After staring at my drink for a while, I answered “I
think it has changed a lot, and not much at all.” This goes
for most koryu that were founded during the Tokugawa Era (1604-1868).
They had a relatively stable world in which to grow and develop, so
radical change wasn’t required.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Why
would I think that a 400 year old martial art has changed a lot and
not much at all? I think they would change a lot in that successive
generations would add to the arts. In Shinto Muso Ryu, for example,
various </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">fuzoku
ryu</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(affiliated
arts) were attached to the system, and new kata were created. From an
art that started with just staff and sword, it grew to encompass
jutte and </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">torinawa
jutsu</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(apprehending
and binding), kusarigama, and most recently walking stick. That’s a
lot of additions.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">So
the original arts didn’t change much, they just had more and more
stuff grafted onto the original trunk. And if people are really
learning a particular art, it won’t change much. Why is that? Koryu
bugei students are taught using the pedagogy of kata. In sports there
is always room for change. A new way to do the high jump didn’t
make it stop being high jump. A new ski jumping form didn’t
mean it wasn’t ski jumping anymore. These can easily be changed
because they are defined by the activity and not how the activity is
done.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">However,
classical martial arts systems, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">koryu
bugei</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
are defined by their principles as much as their techniques. If you
change the principles, you’re doing something different. Not that
this didn’t happen - there were so many </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">ryuha</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(schools)
during the Tokugawa Era because senior practitioners had new ideas
and wanted to develop them. Generally they didn’t change the
school they were in; they created a new school instead. The </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">ryuha</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">that
lasted centuries were the ones whose principles survived the pressure
testing of time and application. Not competition, but application in
combative situations. Shinto Muso Ryu was practiced by samurai whose
function was public security and safety. Other arts were susceptible
to being used in fights and duels as well as to put down peasant
revolts and otherwise maintain order. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Ryuha
</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">survived
the centuries because their teaching methodology was remarkably well
suited to teaching physical principles and skills, consistently,
generation after generation. The fundamental teaching pedagogy was,
and is, the two person kata. (Solo iai kata are the exception that
demonstrates the rule. Working with live blades is too dangerous for
partner practice, but systems with iai nearly always also include
paired kenjutsu kata as well). In the classical arts, one partner
wins the encounter, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">shitachi</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
and the other loses the encounter laid out in the kata, the
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">uchitachi.</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Unlike
a sporting encounter where the more experienced player is expected to
win, in classical kata training, the more experienced person is
expected to take the losing side. The </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">uchitachi’s</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">job
is to guide the junior, the </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">shitachi</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
so they learn how to do the techniques embedded in the kata without
leaving any openings. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/musings-of-a-budo-bum/9781483598680" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Musings Of A Budo Bum" border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8-890eZbZ6bO-7qEplnKWZsplj74-utyx_KmRBnrtLfn2jqX3oHzTcw54TytfymEn74FlpmTYntCsacdYev1W_cOzzkQePZfaVdwjDug8HRahyphenhyphenGwHWzdVAPSg1WDSbpQxsO0rjz-Zqk/s1600/Musings+of+a+budo+bum+Cover.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy the blog? Get the book!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Those
who think that kata training is just repeating rote movements have
never done proper kata training. For example, in weapons kata, If
</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">shitachi</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">does
the kata incorrectly and leaves an opening, </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">uchitachi</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
quite likely to seize the opening and put their weapon in it. This
can be a harsh way of correction, but it’s an effective one.
These lessons are rarely forgotten. Kata are only meant to be done to
their completion when they are done correctly. I know if I leave an
opening for my teacher, he will show me that opening in the simplest,
most direct way available. He will counter my attack. You might think
my teacher is breaking the kata. He isn’t. I’m the one who broke
the kata by leaving the opening. He simply went with the new
situation that I created by leaving the opening.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
kata that last are robust. They have to be done certain ways or
openings are left and the student gets whacked. Quickly the student
learns to spot their own openings and close them. The kata don’t
change much because they can’t be changed much. They are structured
in very particular ways for good reasons. If you deviate from the
form you create openings that allow counter attacks to succeed. Just
doing the kata is its own test. If you do it correctly it will work.
If you deviate from the principles that are embedded in the kata you
will find your situation changes from victor to vanquished in an
instant.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">As
an incorrigibly American student, I can’t seem to stop myself from
experimenting with the kata I’m taught. I always seem to think that
I’ll somehow learn something new from experimenting. I do learn
things. I learn how not to do the kata. I play around with the timing
or the spacing or something on my own, and then my experimenting
surfaces in the dojo and Sensei nails me, then yells “Who taught
you that!!!” Happens every time.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">Since
the kata serve as their own form of checking and correction, they are
exceedingly durable. I don’t doubt that the kata of Shinto
Muso Ryu or Shinkage Ryu or Ono-ha Itto-ryu swordsmanship are close
enough to the way they were done 400 years ago that a modern student
who found themselves 400 years in the past could walk into one those
dojo and participate without difficulty. Kata are that stable. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">This
stability can also be seen at the various </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">enbu</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">held
around Japan. Lineages that split as far back as the 17th century and
had no contact with each other for hundreds of years until recent
times can now be seen and compared in modern enbukai. Besides the
main line of Shinkage Ryu taught by the Yagyu Family, there are
numerous other lines that were founded by their students over the
centuries. When you watch and compare them, it becomes clear that
they haven’t drifted far from each other. The same goes for the
various lines of Yagyu Shingan Ryu, and other arts that have lasted
through centuries. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
kata that comprise the core of any </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">koryu
bugei</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">are
stable and solid. Upstart students like me are always trying “what
if” experiments and getting clobbered because our “what if”
just isn’t effective. Even when we no longer have a culture of
duels and </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">taryu
shiai</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(inter
ryuha matches) we still have students who want to prove they are
smarter than 400 years of experience. These students cheerfully
challenge how kata are done and the sensei is always ready to show
them that their new idea doesn’t work as well as the one that’s
been passed down to them. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background: transparent;">This
helps keep the kata alive even when we don’t have duels and
challenge matches. However, just because the kata are stable doesn’t
mean that they are fossilized and frozen in time. Different teachers
will place more or less emphasis on particular aspects of the kata.
Even the same teacher, over decades of practice, will place different
emphasis on different aspects of the kata. This leads to students
saying things like “But last time you said do it this way.” The
teacher isn’t changing the kata. They are exploring different
aspects of the kata. The teachers know where the limits of each kata
are, and they don’t exceed those limits.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">This
stability means that </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">bugei
ryuha</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">can
travel through time and across cultures with their principles and
their form essentially unchanged. Kata practice allows students to
make mistakes and see why their ideas are mistaken. The students
learn the techniques and principles through a small set of kata. The
kata don’t need to be changed. In fact, they can’t be changed
without losing the ability to teach the principles of the art. The
stability of the teaching method means that the </span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">ryuha</span></span></i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">change
very little over time. Ryuha may acquire new kata and new weapons,
but their essence remains the same.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Grateful appreciation to Deborah Klens-Bigman, Ph.D. for editing what was a scary mess.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="docs-internal-guid-c785effe-7fff-5570-d995-1030074011161"></a>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="docs-internal-guid-c785effe-7fff-5570-d995-1030074011162"></a>
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The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-15925624674154298682019-10-23T07:30:00.000-04:002019-10-23T21:10:59.830-04:00Do versus Jutsu; Round 3<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGJysIJjiCqY9a3MIBfxrD2yc1AElet_S3fGXCCz8ZZDJHk2ceHNjlbaKuzpE8lattN-4SYDUZebwWUmVlKuTpkCxV6VnXkV3H5czoITVE_xTEoJWz4aC_WmC2Qai9rg8kxewSjnndsQ/s1600/Do+vs+Jutsu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="492" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkGJysIJjiCqY9a3MIBfxrD2yc1AElet_S3fGXCCz8ZZDJHk2ceHNjlbaKuzpE8lattN-4SYDUZebwWUmVlKuTpkCxV6VnXkV3H5czoITVE_xTEoJWz4aC_WmC2Qai9rg8kxewSjnndsQ/s320/Do+vs+Jutsu.png" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I’ve</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://budobum.blogspot.com/2012/11/do-vs-jutsu-again.html"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">written
before about the idea of DO versus the idea of JUTSU.</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Since
the subject keeps coming up as a topic of discussion and debate, I’ll
revisit the argument and hopefully have something new to say about
it. To begin with, what is a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">道</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">and
what is a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">術</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">?
What makes them different or similar?</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Non-Japanese
keep trying to make </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">and
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">into
important concepts, such as saying that </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
a “way” or “path” for spiritual development and the </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
for combat, or that </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
for battlefield arts and the </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
for peace time arts and sports. When you try to explain these
categories to native Japanese, they just shake their heads in
wonderment that anyone could come up with such a thing. The concept
of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
quite a bit older than the martial arts in Japan. In fact, it’s
quite a bit older than recorded history in Japan. Scholarship shows
all the ways </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">DAO</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">道
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(the
Chinese pronunciation for </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">道</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">)
was conceived of and argued about in ancient China a thousand years
before there was a written language in Japan.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Interestingly,
the Kodansha Online Dictionary lists this meaning for </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">術
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">as
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">"a
means; a way." So if</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">means
"a way" and "</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">"
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">道</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
a way, then what really is the difference? The truth is there isn't
one in this area. I've seen great classical swordsmen use the terms
"kendo" and "kenjutsu" interchangeably in the
same paragraph. I know some lines of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu that
call themselves iaijutsu, and others that call themselves iaido. What
is the difference between the two? They are the same art, the
same syllabus, the same kata; just different suffixes added to "iai"
(which by the way, is perfectly capable of standing alone without any
suffix; just as one of the popular names for jujutsu </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">柔術</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">and
judo </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">柔道</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">was
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">yawara</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">柔</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,without
any suffix at all. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Let
me add a quick aside here. As Michael Hacker, the author of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Language-Aikido-Practitioners-Characters-Terminology/dp/0692907459/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=michael+hacker+aikido&qid=1570499786&sr=8-1"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
Language Of Aikido</span></span></u></i></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
has pointed out, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jitsu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">じつ
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">実</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">)</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">isn't
a term that is related to this conversation. It's the result of a
mis-transliteration of the correct suffix "jutsu" </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode";"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">術</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">One
of the greatest, most refined, and storied martial arts in Japan,
with a history going back more than 450 years and still going strong,
doesn’t use either suffix, yet it’s famous for the depth of its
philosophy and the writings of various headmasters. Yagyu Shinkage
Ryu Heiho</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> 柳生新陰流兵法</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">”</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Heiho</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">”
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">means
strategy or tactics. I don’t think anyone would argue that Yagyu
Shinkage Ryu Heiho is not a sophisticated system that aims to develop
not just skill with the sword, but a better human being as well.
Shouldn’t its name include </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">道</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">then?
Only if you’re a pedantic </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">gaijin</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(foreigner).
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Do
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">道</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">and
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">術</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">are
not meaningful categories in Japanese language.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">A
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
a way of doing something; and a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
also a way of doing something. There are many ways of expressing this
in Japanese. Across the 500 years or so that various forms of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">bugei</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(warrior
arts) have been practiced in Japan and around the world, a lot of
different terms have been used to describe martial arts. There have
been lots of words used to describe other practices that are seen as
“ways” as well. Tea Ceremony was known as </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Cha
No Yu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">for
centuries, long before the description “</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">sado</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">”
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(Way
of Tea) was applied to it.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span id="goog_1483949978"></span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan/dp/1483598683/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><span id="goog_1483949979"></span></a></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
think the real villain in the </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">versus
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">argument
is our own ego. Many of us would like to think that the art we
practice is somehow superior to other arts. Some people feel that
emphasizing the philosophical aspects of their practice makes it
better than those that emphasize more prosaic skills. Some feel that
emphasizing the physical skills the art teaches makes it superior to
those that talk about the philosophical aspects. Both sides are
letting their ego talk them into something that isn’t true.
Developing the mind and the philosophical aspects of understanding
doesn’t make one superior to those who focus on physical skills.
Emphasizing the development of physical skills doesn’t make one
better than those who put more effort into developing their mental
and philosophical abilities. Both have their place.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Practicing
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">bugei</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
a journey, not a destination. This is a cliché, but one that
is true. When you begin training, all of your focus is on the
physical skills. It takes all your concentration just to follow what
sensei is doing and produce a rough approximation of the technique or
kata that is being shown. Later, after you have internalized the
movements, you begin working on the mental aspects of training. I
used to think that Kodokan Judo was obviously better than classical
jujutsu systems such Yoshin Ryu or Tenjin Shin’yo Ryu because Judo,
being a “</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do”
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">art,
was obviously more philosophically sophisticated than simple jujutsu
systems that predated it. Being a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
I assumed that it must have a more principle-based curriculum than
any mere technique based </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu.</span></span></i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
was also an arrogant idiot. The idea that Judo is more sophisticated
or superior to Tenjin Shin’yo Ryu or any of the various styles of
Yoshin Ryu just because it has the suffix </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">“</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">”
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">in
its name is ridiculous. It’s as silly as saying that Aikido is
clearly superior to Daito Ryu because Ueshiba made his art a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">and
Takeda didn’t. None of these arts is superior to any other because
of the name or what the art emphasizes. I have real trouble with the
idea that any </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">bugei</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">art
is superior to any other. All of them have strengths and weaknesses.
What makes an art superior or inferior is how well suited it is for a
particular situation or person. For a philosophically minded kid such
as myself, Judo and Aikido were great arts. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">For
someone whose primary interest is physical skills, then arts with too
much talking about the philosophy won’t be suitable. Arts are
superior for what they can do for their practitioners, not because
they are better for learning fighting techniques. Who is going to
make the call as to whether Ono-Ha Itto Ryu or Yagyu Shinkage Ryu is
the better art? Better for what? The only question where
“better” should show up is in “Which art is better for me at
this time and place?” That’s the only “better” I can think of
being at all meaningful.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I’ve
got more bad news for folks on all sides of the </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">versus
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">discussion.
You can’t make real progress in any art without both the physical
skills and the mental/philosophical development. The nice thing about
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">bugei</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
that they are lifelong studies. You never cease learning new things
from them. I do Shinto Hatakage Ryu Iai Heiho, a style of
swordsmanship which has only 22 kata in the curriculum. I’ve been
studying it for more than 22 years. You might think that with more
than a year of study for each kata I have learned all there is to
learn about them and I am bored with them. You would be wrong. The
individual kata still teach me things about movement and balance and
how to optimize my physical self. I also learn more about quieting,
controlling and directing my mind and my self. Some days
practice is all about the physical techniques. I’m not sure I will
ever fully master the chudan kata </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Tobi
Chigai</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">.
Other days are all about the mental state. I’m sure I will never
fully master my self.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
don’t know of any bugei that has come from Japan that has not been
heavily influenced by the concept of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">or
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">michi
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">道。</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
concept permeates the culture so thoroughly that it is inescapable.
There are even a number of styles of </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">soujido</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">掃除道
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "ms gothic";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">-
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">that’s
housework, folks!). Arguing over whether something is a </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">do</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">or
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">jutsu
</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">makes
no sense. If we have time to argue about this, we aren’t practicing
enough. We’re much better off spending more time practicing the
particular </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">bugei</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">that
is best for us where we are.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="background: transparent;">References
for further reading</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0.17in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/disputers-of-the-tao-ac-graham/1110894426?ean=9780812690880"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Disputers
of the Tao</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">by
A. C. Graham, 1999, Open Court Publishing - this looks at not just
the Daoist idea of the way, but also how Confucius, Mozi, and many
others conceived of the Way in ancient China.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></u></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0.17in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0.17in; margin-top: 0.17in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Language-Aikido-Practitioners-Characters-Terminology/dp/0692907459/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=michael+hacker+aikido&qid=1570499786&sr=8-1"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
Language of Aikido: A Practitioner's Guide to Japanese Characters and
Terminology</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">by
Michael Hacker, 2017, Talking Budo. Hacker does an excellent job of
introducing the multifaceted world of Japanese characters and
language, and how it all serves to enhance, and sometimes confuse,
our practice of Japanese martial arts.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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</span>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-59667092110833570092019-03-11T08:00:00.000-04:002019-03-11T08:00:02.793-04:00Budo Isn't Natural<span style="font-size: large;">
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jizo Sama on Mount Koya Photo copyright Peter
Boylan 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="docs-internal-guid-206bf365-7fff-7d46-5c4a-f1e60e81d4c91"></a>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></div>
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</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="docs-internal-guid-206bf365-7fff-7d46-5c4a-f1e60e81d4c92"></a>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">I’ve
heard proponents of various martial arts talk about how “natural”
their art is. They proclaim that whatever they are doing is based on
natural movements. Some are said to be based on the movements of
animals. Others claim to be based on the natural movement of the
human body.</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
was working with one of my students this morning on some kata from
Shinto Hatakage Ryu. His movement is getting good and solid. It
struck me that his strong, smooth movement was efficient, effective
and elegant, but not at all natural. When I began to think about it,
I realized I could not think of any martial art where the movements
are natural to human beings. By “natural” I mean that the
movements are ones that people make without having to be trained for
endless hours.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Along
with Shinto Hatakage Ryu Iai Heiho I teach Shinto Muso Ryu Jo and
Kodokan Judo. Among the movements and principles taught in those
three arts, I cannot think of a movement or technique that I would
call natural. In truth, the hallmark of good, effective budo
seems to be how unnatural it is. Developing proficiency in any budo
movement requires years of practice with a good teacher. It never
just happens. Even with students who have a natural affinity for an
art, it takes years, perhaps half as many as a natural klutz like me,
but years.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I’ve
written before that </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://budobum.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-only-things-i-really-teach-are-how.html"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">all
I teach is how to walk and how to breath</span></span></u></span></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">.
I was exaggerating a little there, and Ellis Amdur was generous
enough to call me out on that point and several others. However,
walking and breathing are examples of unnatural budo movement. There
isn’t much that is more natural than walking, and breathing might
be the most natural thing we do. Nonetheless, as budoka, we spend
years learning to breathe properly from our guts and to stay balanced
and stable when we walk.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=nav_custrec_signin?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan&" target="_blank"><img align="BOTTOM" alt="Musings Of A Budo Bum - essays on the nature of budo" border="0" height="320" name="graphics2" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00XDUm8bMziKSfVT0RoSdWo2kgTbC3nMve3bbuqfZHjoTOI3RP9D6Wsug_fXU57IbYLNAH-eJPPevz7dJFbp0M8VracBIfi6VBashsn6tsDGFGJ4DL3zuKTSBXLL6FJggu_CVmZV2K1w/s320/Musings+Of+A+Budo+Bum+Cover.jpg" width="213" /></a></span></div>
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</span><div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Why
does it take so much effort to learn to do something that we were
born doing? Breathing is the first thing we do for ourselves when we
are born. We take a breath and let the world know how unhappy we are
to have been kicked out of the wonderful home where we’ve spent the
last nine months. Once we do that, we never stop breathing. What else
about breathing could there possibly be to learn. A great deal when
you dig into it. Our natural instincts aren’t very good when it
comes to breathing. Even before we get to all the inefficient
ways people have of breathing, for all that it is a natural,
automatic act, put people under just a little bit of stress and they
will actually forget to breathe! I spend too much of my teaching time
reminding students to breathe for the first couple of years they are
training.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">When
they do remember to breathe, they usually are doing it poorly;
breathing with their shoulders or taking shallow breaths or finding
some other way to do the most natural act in the world wrongly.
Proper breathing must be taught and practiced until it is an
unconscious act. When sparring, you don’t have sufficient mental
capacity to think about breathing correctly. If your breathing skills
aren’t honed so that proper breathing happens even when you’re
not thinking about it, you won’t breathe well under stress.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Walking
feels nearly as natural as breathing. No one had to teach you how to
walk. You figured it out for yourself, and you’ve been doing it for
longer than you can remember. What could there be to learn about
walking? From the condition of the students who come to the dojo, or
just doing some casual people watching, we can see that most people
haven’t learned very much about how to walk properly. They
roll their hips. They slouch their shoulders. They slap their feet on
the ground. They lean forward past the point of balance. They stand
on their heels. New students spend hours hearing me correct their way
of walking. Because of all the bad habits people pick up over the
course of their lives, learning to walk in a solid, stable, balanced
manner takes a long time to learn to do consciously. Learning to do
it unconsciously when under stress takes even longer. Good walking
isn’t natural at all.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">When
you consider the discrete movements and actions that make up any budo
art, things become even more unnatural. Just about the first thing we
teach in judo, and the technique that prevents more people from
getting hurt outside the dojo than any other, is how to fall safely.
Two year-olds fall pretty well. They are relaxed and comfortable with
falling down, perhaps because they do so much of it. By the time we
start school though, falling is met with stiffness and fear. There is
no technique in judo that we practice as much as falling. Falling
well requires coordination of the entire body and I’ve never met
anyone besides trained gymnasts who took to it without hours of
accumulated practice. It’s an entirely unnatural act: we don’t
like to fall.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">This
doesn’t even begin to approach the mental aspects of what we are
teaching in the dojo. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Mushin.
Fudoshin. Heijoshin. </span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Everything
about the mental aspects of budo is unnatural. We strive to
override all of our natural reactions under stress: to not stiffen
up, to keep our breathing and heart rate calm and steady, to ignore
the monkey brain’s insistence on fighting or fleeing, to retain
mental control instead of panicking, to adapt to the situation
fluidly instead of trying to impose a solution. None of these
things happen naturally. All of them take training and practice. </span></span></span></span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Everything
we do in the dojo leads to being able to respond to stressful
situations with these unnatural skills. All that physical practice
has effects on our mental states. Breathing properly comes in handy
when things get stressful and the monkey brain wants to start
hyperventilating. Having practiced good breathing statically and in
all sorts of kata and free practice that gradually increase the
mental and physical pressure, over time it becomes ever easier to
maintain the calm breathing and heart rate which anchor calm mental
patterns. </span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Once
you can maintain </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://budobum.blogspot.com/2015/02/states-of-mind-mushin.html"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">mushin</span></span></u></i></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">while
people are trying to hit you with a big stick, or choke you
unconscious, it becomes less of a stretch to maintain that mental
state under the stress you encounter outside the dojo. </span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://budobum.blogspot.com/2015/03/states-of-mind-fudoshin.html"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Fudoshin
</span></span></u></i></span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
even better. This is the unmovable mind that isn’t disturbed by
anything, no matter how stressful. People with </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">fudoshin</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">don’t
seem quite human. They are no more natural than a Rolex is. Both take
tremendous work to create. Both demonstrate the pinnacle of human
development in their own areas. For all its combined beauty,
engineering and functionality, no one would call a Rolex “natural.”
</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Like
a Rolex, the mind developed through budo is elegant, refined and
resilient. This is a mind that can make the choice to step inside an
attack to evade and counter in the same movement or to slip out of
the attack and then disarm the attacker. </span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 138%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="background: transparent;">Relaxed
when the natural reaction is to be tense, calm when nature urges
panic, unflinching when nature urges you to dive behind cover, and
unmoved when distractions abound, the mind and body of someone well
versed in budo is not natural at all. It surpasses what nature gives
us by refining the natural core of our beings into something new,
with all the naturalness of high grade steel. Budo isn’t natural.
It’s better.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-35358486101264512422018-12-10T16:06:00.001-05:002018-12-10T22:04:16.985-05:00Who Is Your Teacher?<span style="font-size: large;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xVMRlJLkhSbPZFD19bLPKfJ1GuGMQ5R_NOOn-k4baK5edql9kIx4XwS1T7pDfcskB0IvJj6C96CvAyHn90gmcrb1TzqdEKFIPnajn-UmlkT9b9OwiuK4FBLbC44tRCTlvxpDwZIs2MA/s1600/Takada+Sensei+in+montsuki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="965" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7xVMRlJLkhSbPZFD19bLPKfJ1GuGMQ5R_NOOn-k4baK5edql9kIx4XwS1T7pDfcskB0IvJj6C96CvAyHn90gmcrb1TzqdEKFIPnajn-UmlkT9b9OwiuK4FBLbC44tRCTlvxpDwZIs2MA/s320/Takada+Sensei+in+montsuki.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first iaido teacher, the remarkable Takada Shigeo Sensei Photo Copyright Peter Boylan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="background: transparent;">My
teachers are in Japan. These are the people I look to not only for
how my budo should be, but also for how I aspire to be as a human. A
true teacher is not just someone you learn technical excellence from,
but human excellence as well. In the dojo we train in the rawest,
most basic expressions of conflict, power, and life. I don’t think
it is possible to learn raw, fundamental lessons such as how to
throw, strike, choke and break a fellow human without picking up
other lessons about living from the people doing the teaching.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the dojo we study and practice under the close direction of our
teachers. There is no other way to do this safely. My teachers have
all earned my respect and love not just for their technical skill
(which is enormous) but for the humanity with which they lead and
teach. My teachers, the people I readily claim, and who, I am proud
and humbled to say, freely claim me as their student, are human
beings. They have flaws and weaknesses. They are also remarkable
budoka who continue to work at improving their budo, their
understanding and themselves.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="background: transparent;">I’ve
known my teachers, trained with them, been scolded by them and gotten
an occasional “OK” from them (that being the highest praise I’ve
ever heard them give). In the dojo we have earned each others’
trust. I've trained with my teachers for more than 25 years. At each
step along the way, I have learned that they are exemplary human
beings. I know that can't be said for everyone who teaches martial
arts, and I am extremely lucky to have found teachers of such high
quality.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Kiyama
Sensei's budo life stretches back to the 1930s with training in judo</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
kendo, iaido and jukendo in school during wartime Japan. He has seen
just about every excess that can be committed in the name of
developing a student’s spirit and technique. He can recall training
in kendo </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">bogu</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(armor)
in the summer heat until people had to go to the side to throw up,
and then come back and continue training. This was supposed to
develop spirit. Instead he points out that people died all too
frequently from that effects of that sort of training, so he doesn't
teach that way.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijER1bJ61YlWx_ht-CCjvOSYRl6Ht34rX-Gp_IOrcXfNtL4mavK06w317c5iVmwOBOxFPncNJeCGHMdwsMen-txpg_feNNQ0mv6byCFWWFlt7636jsNDAY3DScVwDbZ2eCAnqo12iNI78/s1600/20140216_145638+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1542" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijER1bJ61YlWx_ht-CCjvOSYRl6Ht34rX-Gp_IOrcXfNtL4mavK06w317c5iVmwOBOxFPncNJeCGHMdwsMen-txpg_feNNQ0mv6byCFWWFlt7636jsNDAY3DScVwDbZ2eCAnqo12iNI78/s320/20140216_145638+%25282%2529.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: small;">Kiyama Hiroshi Sensei at home Copyright Peter Boylan</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_1503945954"></span><span id="goog_1503945955"></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="goog_1503945954"></span><span id="goog_1503945955"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Kiyama
Sensei is my second iaido teacher. My first teacher, Takada Shigeo
Sensei, introduced me to Kiyama Sensei early on in my iaido journey
as an excellent teacher. When Takada Sensei died, I was left without
a teacher, and Kiyama Sensei accepted me into his dojo. It took a
while before I was really his student though. I had to go through a
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">keiko</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">with
him to discover what sort of person he was, if he was the sort of
person I wanted to be learning from and emulating. It was clear from
the way he treated everyone, from the 70, 80 and 90 year old members
of the dojo down to the 7,8, and 9 year old members, that he
respected his students, cared for them, and treated them well. It was
also clear from the way his students treated him that they really
cared for him. The bows at the end of class were not perfunctory. The
school age students would approach him after class to say “Thank
you” and he would offer some advice or help with their practice,
and the “Arigato gozaimasu” that came from both the students and
Sensei was clearly sincere. What kept the classes in order and
running smoothly was the obvious respect the students had for their
teacher, and the teacher had for the students. It didn't take me too
many practices to realize that this was a place I wanted to be, with
a teacher well worth learning from.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
respected Kiyama Sensei right away, and soon I learned to trust him
as well. It’s not enough for a student to trust the teacher though.
The teacher must also trust the student. This is especially true in
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">koryu
budo</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">where
transmission and the continuance of the system are always in
question. </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Gendai
budo </span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">are
generally large organizations where testing and advancement are
outside the control of any one teacher. In </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">koryu
budo,</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">transmission
is all about the teacher-student relationship. If the teacher doesn’t
completely trust the student, the student isn’t going to learn
anything much. The teacher isn’t concerned just with helping the
student develop and learn the art. The teacher must think about the
quality of the people who will be the next generation of teachers in
the art, and who will be responsible for the art after she dies.
There aren’t any dan ranks to collect, just teaching licenses. With
each of these, the teacher is saying to the world around him and the
teachers who have gone before him that this person is worthy to care
for and extend this hundreds of years old tradition into the future.
It’s not like giving out dan ranks for technical skill.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8-890eZbZ6bO-7qEplnKWZsplj74-utyx_KmRBnrtLfn2jqX3oHzTcw54TytfymEn74FlpmTYntCsacdYev1W_cOzzkQePZfaVdwjDug8HRahyphenhyphenGwHWzdVAPSg1WDSbpQxsO0rjz-Zqk/s1600/Musings+of+a+budo+bum+Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan" target="_blank">A GREAT GIFT FOR SENSEI!!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span id="goog_1487811375"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1487811376"></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">A
lot more rests on the relationship between the student and teacher in
</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">koryu
budo</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">because
the arts are usually small and closely held. They aren’t meant to
to be spread as far and wide as possible the way modern judo, kendo,
iaido or aikido are. Just as the student entering a dojo wants to be
sure the teacher and the dojo are right for her, the teacher looking
at students has to be sure each is right for the continuation of the
art. This isn’t a concern when the art has a global structure and
rank system with hundreds or thousands of dojo around the world. It’s
a critical concern when the art may consist of as little as one
teacher and 4 or 5 students. Even within larger koryu budo systems,
which student receives a teaching license is a critical issue.
Concern for how new teachers represent the art and pass on the
precious teachings never leaves the mind of current teachers.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="background: transparent;">How
do you earn your teacher’s trust? Start by showing up for every
practice. Be sincere in your training. Be honest, helpful and
genuine. Show your interest in the art through your actions. Help out
with the operation of the dojo. Take care to learn the art as your
teacher is presenting it. Don’t let the words “But so-and-so does
it differently.” ever leave your mouth. Learning isn’t a
competitive art with people are looking for the newest
variation of a technique to surprise someone with.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="background: transparent;">Once
you’ve found a teacher worthy of polishing you, and you’ve done
the hard work to be accepted as their student, what do you do to
maintain and fortify your relationship? Now you have to work harder.
Don’t fall into the trap of letting practice with Sensei become an
automatic activity that you do without fail but forget to look for
the treasures in every practice you attend.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">I’ve
known many people who are interested in techniques and physical skill
but are so satisfied with who they are that they leave the bigger
lessons their teacher has to offer on the dojo floor, never taking
them to heart. They show up for every practice, but they somehow
manage to learn nothing but technique. The lessons on how to
respect others and yourself, how to be an exceptional human being,
float past them like an evening breeze that doesn’t even ruffle
their hair. Go into each keiko looking to discover treasures. You’ve
been lucky enough to find a good art and a good teacher. Treasures
such as these do not sit on every street corner, and much like
precious silver, require care and time and effort to polish and
maintain. Be mindful that what you are learning is rare and don’t
let treat is as an everyday affair. Show Sensei at every </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">keiko</span></span></i></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">that
you are all there and you know that you are receiving a wondrous
treasure.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Your
teacher makes significant effort to share her art with you. For any
good teacher, teaching is not transactional. Teaching is a gift and
an investment in the student. Your teacher is also a person. Do you
take the time to know more of your teacher than just the teaching
persona they wear at the front of the dojo? Some of my most precious
lessons in budo have come from my teachers outside the dojo while
eating, laughing and sharing. Great teachers are exceptional people,
in the dojo and out, but if you don’t make the effort to get to
know them as people in addition to them being your teacher, you’ll
miss out on many extraordinary aspects of their personalities. Buy
them a cup of coffee. Accept graciously when they want to buy </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">you</span></span></u></span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">a
cup of coffee. Help out when they need it. Ask a question and
pay attention to the answer. Listen when they want to talk about
something that doesn’t seem related to the dojo. You never know
what Sensei might be trying to share with you.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 165%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="background: transparent;">Who
is your teacher? Why did you choose them?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Special thanks to my editor, Deborah Klens-Bigman, Ph.D.</span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span>The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2648987284969270841.post-25904792468140973612018-11-28T18:09:00.001-05:002018-11-28T18:14:53.911-05:00Visiting My Teachers<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLbmVrJp3oH9r8WNf-I-8mavv5V7n62o7YfQrtlzN1xgOXLKzL7Vxh0hpgUG3FKBk2jrMDsJjYCyXL8Ec96BEKKznoBJDB_fSmkR13BKHYlVUmufE2tp10mv_7_93WaB9f63B3J9IuOA/s1600/KiyamaSenseiFixed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnLbmVrJp3oH9r8WNf-I-8mavv5V7n62o7YfQrtlzN1xgOXLKzL7Vxh0hpgUG3FKBk2jrMDsJjYCyXL8Ec96BEKKznoBJDB_fSmkR13BKHYlVUmufE2tp10mv_7_93WaB9f63B3J9IuOA/s1600/KiyamaSenseiFixed.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kiyama Hiroshi Sensei</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I don’t get to see my teachers nearly as
much as I would like these days, but I got to visit Japan for a while in
September, so of course I spent as much time as I could with my teachers and fellow
students. The trip is always one of the highlights of the year for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kiyama Sensei is 93 years old now, but
you wouldn’t guess it. Even when I met him 25 years ago I would not have
guessed at that time that he was 68. He had such a fierce and powerful demeanor
that I knew him for quite some time before I realized he’s only about 5 feet
(152 cm) tall. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">My first iaido teacher, Takada Shigeo
Sensei, introduced me to Kiyama Sensei. I vividly remember later running into
Kiyama Sensei at the annual Kyoto Budosai. Dressed in formal <i>montsuki </i>for
the <i>enbu, </i>he was a powerful figure. Walking around the grounds of the
Butokuden with him, I was awed and very nervous because his demeanor was so
very correct and commanding. I’ve encountered many powerful <i>budoka, </i>but
very few convey the sense of power and command that he does. Many people put on
their budo demeanor when they step into the dojo, and take it off when they
leave, but Kiyama Sensei never completely sheds his. He moves,not with regal
grace, but with solid grounded bearing that projects a stern and unflinching
power. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kiyama Sensei always has a something of
that correct and commanding spirit about him. . In the dojo Sensei is one of
the most powerful presences I have ever encountered. , but when he teaches
kendo to elementary and junior high students he</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">is also a kindly, if gruff, grandfather
figure who teaches his students how to behave in the dojo and how to approach
difficulty with spirit and dedication. For me, visiting Kiyama Sensei is one of
the highlights of any trip to Japan. Whether we get to do any training or not,
I always come away from the visit having learned something and inspired to
train more diligently.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This year my visit coincided with a <i>kosshukai
</i>for training in the latest points of the Kendo Federation’s iaido kata. I
had been hoping that the miserable heat and humidity that is typical of summer
in the Kansai region would break before the <i>kosshukai, </i>but the luck wasn’t
with me. The day Kiyama Sensei and one of his senior students picked me up at
the train station for the drive to the gymnasium started hot and got hotter.
The gymnasium is typical of gyms built during the Showa period, which means it
doesn’t have any heating or cooling. The best you can do in the summer is open
the few doors and windows and sweat it out.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Sweat is exactly what we did, even when
standing still. I was worried about Kiyama Sensei in the heat, but he kept
going, looking better at the end of the day than I did. He wasn’t teaching that
day; instead he was there as the guest of honor and the senior practitioner in
the area. Even though Sensei wasn’t officially teaching, don't think he didn’t
do quite a lot of teaching anyway. Whenever the official instructors were busy
working with other students, Kiyama Sensei would come over and make corrections
to my cutting form and my movement, and I wasn’t the only one to get his
attention. Sensei is always clear about what he wants all of us to improve on.
In my case, he wants to see more <i>koshi </i>in my movement and more “<i>sspaa!</i>”
in my cuts (don’t ask. Sensei knows what he means, and I’m pretty sure I
understand him, but I haven't figured out how to describe it).</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">After we had spent the day training and
sweating in the stifling gym, Kiyama Sensei suggested a group of us go out to
dinner. There was Sensei and four of his students, two 7th dans and two 5th
dans. We retired to a wonderfully air-conditioned restaurant with ice water and
other delightful cold drinks. We talked about the importance of <i>seme </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">(sense of aggressiveness, the feel of the
attack)</span> in iaido, and how much more <i>sppaa! </i>I need to get into my
cuts. The conversation found its way around to the fact that two of us are
looking at taking rank tests in the near future, and what we need to improve to
have a chance of passing. Sensei and the 7<sup>th</sup> dans chatted back and
forth while I listened and resisted the urge to start taking notes on my phone.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan" border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="167" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8-890eZbZ6bO-7qEplnKWZsplj74-utyx_KmRBnrtLfn2jqX3oHzTcw54TytfymEn74FlpmTYntCsacdYev1W_cOzzkQePZfaVdwjDug8HRahyphenhyphenGwHWzdVAPSg1WDSbpQxsO0rjz-Zqk/s320/Musings+of+a+budo+bum+Cover.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="213" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: large;">Christmas is coming! Share the Budo Bum around the dojo!</span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Musings-Budo-Bum-Peter-Boylan-ebook/dp/B071Z6T2QP/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1496863573&sr=1-1&keywords=peter+boylan" target="_blank"><span id="goog_338188163"></span></a><span id="goog_338188164"></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This is the part of the visit that I was
most looking forward to. I’ve been training with Kiyama Sensei for more than 20
years, and I still look forward to every <i>keiko </i>session. The informal conversations
are special treasures though. Sensei will talk about his teachers and sometimes
share stories about them or training when he was young. These gems fill out my
understanding of budo in Sensei’s life, and help me understand how I want it to
be a part of my own. With his 88 years of training, I can see in him the
beauty, grace and strength that have come in part from that training. My goal
is to achieve some fraction of what Sensei has become. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I can always sense Kiyama Sensei’s
strength. When we get together in a relaxed setting, in a restaurant, at a
coffee shop or in Sensei’s home, the feeling of strength and the grandfatherly
care combine in a gentleman whose advice and insights I</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">treasure. He is a pleasure to talk with,
especially about budo, and with the group we had, the conversation flowed along
like a lively, little river. I won’t go into all the advice I got about my cuts
or my posture or the dozen other areas of my iai that everyone took the time to
critique. Sensei succeeded not only in giving me plenty of advice, but also in
trimming my ego back to a healthy size.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">While I was in Japan I also got to train
with my jodo teacher, Matsuda Sensei. We trained together several times on this
visit, and he worked me hard every time. Visiting Matsuda Sensei is always a
compelling experience. He doesn’t keep his own dojo, but moves among dojo run
by several of his senior students. Each dojo is unique. One is a karate dojo
that is rented one evening a week for jodo. Another is an elementary school
kendo dojo that can be borrowed on the weekend. The most beautiful one is a
gorgeous dojo on the first floor of the teacher’s home. Training at any of them
is thrilling. I get to work with a wide variety of Matsuda Sensei’s senior
students, every one of whom pushes me in a different way. Matsuda Sensei’s senior
students are 6th and 7th dan teachers in their own right, and they all can take
me out to the edge of my ability.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">The biggest treat for me though is being
able to go out after practice with everyone. We practice specific techniques in
the dojo. It’s a place of quiet respect for the seriousness of what we are studying.
We’re busy practicing, which doesn’t leave room for conversation. After
practice we sit down and ask those questions that we didn’t have time for in
the dojo, and we deepen our understanding of things we thought we understood.
Sensei is still Sensei, but he’s a lot more approachable over food and drink in
the restaurant afterwards than he is during practice. This is the time to ask
that question about <i>seme </i>or <i>zanshin </i>that’s been bothering me. In
the dojo, with Sensei casually showing all the openings in what I was sure was
a pretty good technique, I forget that he’s a truly wonderful person as well as
a great martial artist. Talking with Sensei, and getting to laugh with him, is a
fascinating experience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">I’ve known my teachers, trained with
them, been scolded by them and gotten an occasional “OK”from them (that being
the highest praise I’ve ever heard them give). And I have also gotten to know
them as people over the last 25 years. They have shared their skills, their
lives and their memories with me. They have shared themselves. The people you
choose as teachers should represent a lot of what you want to become. You'll
absorb a great deal more than just good technique from your teacher, so take
your time when selecting one to make sure she is a person worthy of learning from.
My teachers have shown themselves to me time and time and time again that they
are gentlemen of the highest quality. Training with them is always exciting and
enlightening.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Special thanks to my editor, Deborah Klens-Bigman, Ph.D.</i> </span></div>
The Budo Bumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17829768452637120001noreply@blogger.com1