Dojo Yaburi

Hayashi took what may seem to Westerner's as an insane approach to choosing the Dojo at which to study. He would walk into the Dojo and challenge the Sensei to a fight. This, of course, incensed any students present at the time and they would insist on a chance to teach the chap a lesson themselves before their beloved Sensei would reduce himself to accepting a challenge from an upstart.

This practice, some might say brave, others foolish, is actually a time honored tradition in Japanese and Okinawan cultures. It is known as Dojo Yaburi (challenge). While not practiced frequently these days, it was actually a common protocol when Hayashi was a young man. The way it worked was simple. The man that issued the challenge must first fight the lowest ranking man at the Dojo. If the challenger defeats the man then he is granted the right to fight the next lowest ranking man, and so on until the challenger is defeated or has himself defeated the Dojo's Senpai (number one student). Then and only then is he allowed to challenge the Sensei himself, but is usually given the right to choose time and place as a reward for his previous efforts.

¿Por qué llamamos O'Sensei a Morihei Ueshiba?

Lo siguiente no es de mi cosecha, sino que lo he resacado de Aikidojournal y de E-Budo. Todo el mérito es de Josh Reyer y de Peter Goldsbury y yo me dedico sólo a recopilar. Ahí va:

Morihei Ueshiba tenía tres títulos: O'Sensei, Kaiso y Doshu.

O Sensei (大先生):

Realmente es sin apóstrofe, aunque nosotros estamos tan acostumbrados a ponerlo que nos resulta dificil omitirlo. El primer kanji se lee /oo/ y significa "gran". Los dos últimos ya sabemos que significan "maestro". Así pues, O Sensei sería "Gran Maestro".

O Sensei (翁先生):

Vemos que el primer kanji cambia, pero se lee igualmente /oo/. Sin embargo, éste es un prefijo que se aplica a gente mayor y respetada. Este O Sensei sería algo así como "Venerable Maestro".

Kaiso (開祖):

Literalmente "fundador". En la biografía de O Sensei escrita por su hijo Kisshomaru, éste se refiere a su padre contínuamente como "Aikido Kaiso", aunque también como "O Sensei" (de las dos maneras). Parece ser que ésta es la forma que más utilizan los japoneses para referirse a Ueshiba: Ueshiba Morihei Aikido Kaiso (植芝盛平合気道開祖).

Doshu (道主):

Significa "guardián de la Vía". El equivalente al título inglés de "Headmaster", o "maestro principal". Este título es hereditario en el Aikido, de manera que Morihei Ueshiba fue Doshu en su día como luego lo fue Kisshomaru y más tarde Moriteru. El sucesor ha sido llamado tradicionalmente Waka Sensei (若先生), literalmente "joven maestro". Como curiosidad, en otras escuelas en lugar de Doshu se emplea el término (más utilizado) de Soke (宗家).

Evidentemente el Fundador no es llamado Doshu desde que murió, ya que el título pasó a su hijo. Por lo tanto, hoy día, sólo nos quedan dos formas (tres en japonés, dependiendo de cómo se escriba) de llamarle: O Sensei y Kaiso.

¿Servirá todo esto para embrollarnos aun más?

Aikido (nice & funny)

Don't miss the chance to watch this video clip featuring Roland Hofman Sensei with U2 music!

Nice & Funy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIJMhlrpfC8

Fool's World Map

World is gone crazy... You can check it in this map, created by a Japanese national and inspired by this real history, extracted from his website at http://www.chakuriki.net/en/world/:

One day, a Texan asked me a question when I lived in U.S.. The question was "How many hours does it take to go to Japan by car?". (true story) He didn't know where Japan is, and even bofore that, he didn't know that Japan is an island. And then, I thought. "What kind of world map is pictured in his mind?" This was a beginning to think that it might be fun to gather those mixed up recognitions of countries and visualize it as a world map imagined by the fools in the world.

¿Por qué discutes en los foros?

Porque no se puede desinformar a la gente de la manera en que los que no saben lo hacen.

No se pueden negar las numerosas oportunidades que nos brindan las nuevas tecnologías para expresarnos y para aprender. Para informar y divulgar. Pero, como todo en esta vida, la moneda tiene dos caras: el libertinaje, la desinformación y los peligros que de ello se derivan. Como dirían los electroduendes: "vamos a desenseñar, para desaprender cómo se deshacen las cosas".

Si antes era el "si sale en televisión tiene que ser verdad", ahora es el "si todo el mundo lo dice en internet, es que es cierto". Podría poner cienes y cienes de minolles de ejemplos, que diría el político, pero me quedaré con el que me atañe día a día: los foros de Aikido.

La política es un asco. Un asco necesario, si quereis, pero un asco al fin y al cabo. Y la política en el Aikido es un asco mayúsculo. El Aikido que se promueve en los foros de internet es siempre polarizado, pero molesta que se diga. Es cierto y ningún foro está libre de pecado, aunque los hay más abiertos, pero son los pocos. Entiéndase; hay ocasiones en que esto no tiene nada de malo. Si yo creo un foro para hablar de Aikido Shodokan (a.k.a Tomiki Ryu), es evidente que estoy estableciendo un contexto del que no entra en mis planes salir. Ahí ya entraría en juego la permisividad de los mienbros del foro o, incluso, las normas de uso.

El problema es cuando un foro pretende ser "la mayor y más plural comunidad de aikidokas en español" y la cosa se queda sólo en la intención. Una intención mentirosa, una intención que en realidad no se tiene. El problema es cuando se usa un eslogan como este con el sólo propósito de hacer propaganda, que no es lo mismo que publicidad.

El problema es cuando en un foro con semejante eslogan sólo se permiten las aportaciones (por llamarlas de alguna manera) en las que se alaba la forma de trabajo del creador del foro y su entorno y se rechazan de plano todas las demás. ¡Señores! Un foro es un lugar de discusión, y cuando un foro es "plural" es para dar cabida a todas las ramas de práctica, estilos, escuelas y líneas de trabajo. A veces es de rigor, e incluso absolutamente necesario, recordar que se aprende hasta del más tonto.

Hay quien dice que el atemi no tiene cabida en el Aikido. Hay quien dice que el Aikido es "la manifestación del movimiento circular". E incluso que O'Sensei nunca practicó, y mucho menos enseñó, otro arma que no fuera el Bo. Y no expongas tu opinión si es contraria a éstas, que son las predominantes en los foros "plurales".

Da igual que publiques fotos de O'Sensei metiendo el tessen hasta las tripas a su uke en una entrada líneal "a matar". Aunque en esa foto se vean, por poner un ejemplo, un atemi de tate y no te menees, un movimiento lineal como la copa de un pino, y un arma como es el tessen (unos 25cm), algo más corta que un Bo (182cm). Da igual. El Aikido sigue careciendo de atemi, sigue siendo exclusivamente circular y las armas no tienen cabida en él. ¡Ah! Sin olvidar que es "el arte de la paz", un arte sin kiai, un arte en el que proteger a uke... Sin olvidar eso mismo, mientras miras la misma foto que acabo de comentar, la del tessen, en la que ves a O'Sensei con la boca abierta en potente kiai, grito de combate, castigando a uke con un arma supuestamente dedicada a la paz. Una completa paradoja.

Pero si dices esto, o si simplemente lo piensas, es que no has entendido nada.

Si se publica una foto de un despistado aikidoka blandiendo el bokken (otro arma, vaya) con el filo hacia arriba... es mejor no decir ni esta boca es mía. Sobre todo si sabes que los que aparecen en la foto forman parte de la élite, de los elegidos e intocables. De los de la cuerda del moderador, vamos. Si lo haces, corres el riesgo de que se defiendan los unos a los otros, inventándose un increíble kamae con el filo hacia arriba, con un agarre, un tenouchi completamente incorrecto, para dar credibilidad a la foto, no bajándose del burro virtual e invisible donde se han subido con la ayuda de los que les apoyan... y de los que callan.

Son foros donde impera el amor y la armonía universal (TM). Donde si hablas de Budo, de Aikido, estás fuera de lugar.

Ok. De acuerdo. Todas las formas de trabajo son respetables. Tan respetable es una línea guerrera, como una línea más filosófica. Se puede hacer un correctísimo Aikido muy líneal y se puede hacer un eficaz Aikido circular. Unas líneas muy legítimas trabajan con todo tipo de armas, mientras que otras igual de intachables abominan de ellas. Todo es respetable. Pero lo que no se puede hacer es mentir. No se puede decir que O'Sensei no trabajaba armas, que el arte de la paz es incompatible con las armas y, por lo tanto con el kiai, la actitud agresiva y las entradas directas. Y mucho menos se puede decir que todas estas falacias las dijo y enseñó el Fundador.

La gente olvida que el Aikido es un Budo, un arte de combate. La gente olvida los vídeos de O'Sensei cuando era joven y fuerte. Los olvida o nunca los ha visto. Y si los ha visto, se excusan diciendo que por aquel entonces Ueshiba llamaba a su arte Aikibudo, Aikijujutsu y otras cosas. Bueno, un nombre es un nombre. Los videos de antes de la guerra se parecen mucho a los videos de los últimos tiempos de O'Sensei. El trabajo de las escuelas antiguas es muy similar al trabajo de O'Sensei en Iwama. Y en ambos se emplean armas, y nunca un Bo.

No se puede mentir, pero no se puede mirar hacia otro lado cuando te enseñan, te demuestran, que estás mintiendo.

Qué poco cuesta reconocer que estás equivocado. A no ser que tengas intereses creados, o que sea por una mal entendida y absurda lealtad. Lealtad ¿a qué? ¿A una mentira?

Por eso discuto en los foros. No porque yo tenga la Verdad Absoluta (TM) o porque sea el Adalid del Auténtico y Verdadero Budo (C), sino porque cuando hay pruebas evidentes, tangibles y al alcance de todos (¿he comentado ya las virtudes de internet?) no se puede permitir que los desinformados, los farsantes, sigan manejando a la gente a su antojo.

Igual que se equivocan otros, aunque no lo reconozcan, que hay gente que sí, me quivoco yo. Pero intento y espero conseguir rectificar cuando alguien me enmienda la plana y tienen razón. Para eso es un foro; para opinar, equivocarse y aprender. No para mentir.

Iwama and Yoseikan Training Night

January 11th we had an interesting training. People from Iwama Ryu and from Yoseikan training together can only bring extra insight for all of us...

Yes, it sure was a very short training, as it was mostly improvised and we ran out of time very fast, but it's good for a start; we'll do that more often.

Anyway, Iwama Ryu Sensei, Arturo Navarro, showed us some ken and jo suburis and the Roku no Jo kata done in 6 movements, then in 5, in 4 and in 3 movements.

Then, Yoseikan Sensei, Miguel Ibañez, performed mukae kubi shime sutemi. It's a beautiful sutemi with a very straight entry, so a big "Woooooohhhhhhh!!" was heared at the end. Big surprising movement.

After that, we all gathered for the theoric class, as we call it, in the surrounding bars and pubs. That was great as well! And fun, of course!

Happy New Year 2007!

Hope this year is better than 2006 for all of you who read this blog. Ok, for those who don't, same same (^_^).

Happy new year for you, whom I lost because of pride.
Happy new year for you, whom I lost because of politics.
Happy new year for you, who are far away.
Happy new year for you, the true friend...

The hell of a year for you, who interfere in other people's issues because of your very selfishness.
The hell of a year for you, who break unknown people appart, who break known people appart.
The hell of a year for you, who let others out because they're not like you, or think like you, or behave like you.
The hell of a year for you, the impostor...

Because Hell and Heaven are only one and the same, they are too close and too far, but always inside our hearts, always out there, in the sensible world...

Differences in bokken shapes

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Originally published in IAIDO-L: http://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0104&L=iaido-l&D=0&T=0&P=2096

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Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 11:54:22 +0200
Reply-To: Japanese Sword Art Mailing List
Sender: Japanese Sword Art Mailing List
From: Hellsten Pasi
Subject: Bokken
Content-Type: text/plain

Hello,

I have a question about different models of bokken.

I have trained a little of Niten Ichi Ryu and also Ono-ha Itto ryu. These ryu use very different wooden sword. Niten bokken is very light and Itto Ryu's is quite heavy and shorter if compared to "regular" bokken.

What is the reason for this? Is it only an evolution of different ryu or is there some relationship for the real sword used in these particular ryu? Or is it just depending the way of using bokken in partner practice?

I am pleased to hear your opinion or if you can give me some referencies where to find more information of this matter.

Best wishes

--- Pasi Hellsten

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Originally published in IAIDO-L: http://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0104&L=iaido-l&T=0&F=&S=&P=2365

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Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 09:27:31 -0400
Reply-To: Japanese Sword Art Mailing List
Sender: Japanese Sword Art Mailing List
From: Kim A Taylor
Subject: Re: Bokken
In-Reply-To: <9c8d850e853cd41193e30000e2204a7d2cf16c@muikku2.huch.fi>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

There is quite a difference in bokuto between some schools, and I suspectmost of it is due to the way the schools use them in practice since I haven't seen much difference in katana to speak of, although some are beefy, some light, some long and some short so perhaps there is more variation than I give them credit for.

From my observations on making bokuto over the years I've noticed that for those that are curved, the curve is roughly the same, if you take all my patterns for bokuto such as niten ichi-ryu, kendo no kata, shindo muso-ryu, iwama aiki-ken, and what have you, and put them together the curves actually lay over one another pretty closely.

The lengths vary by an inch or two but not all that much.

The Niten Ichi-ryu blades are 3/4 of an inch thick (1.8cm) rather than the usual 1 inch (2.5cm) and I think that's mostly due to the way they're used in practice, trying to hold a regular sized daisho out at arms length and shoulder height for a 2 hour practice would cripple most people.

Haven't seen an Itto-ryu bokuto but the Kashima Shinryu bokuto is pretty beefy and straight, the blade is about 1 1/8 inch thick. I suspect it's that way because the school has some exercises that, as done by a beginner, would snap a regular bokuto in half. The potential for full-on edge to edge "baseball" swings at full power is there for sure.

The Shindo Muso-ryu bokuto tends to be a bit thinner at the tip than someother designs which would make it a little easier on the jo as it comes over to strike down the bokuto in hiki otoshi uchi, not as much chance of meeting the tip dead on and gouging out a chunk of the jo or splitting the tip of the bokuto. The SMR bokuto also tends to be a little bit (not alot) more straight than say, the kendo no kata bokuto, which encourages the bokuto holder to tilt the wrists up a bit more to take the kamae. This puts the tsuba into a better position to protect the wrist should the jo come sliding down too far. The thinner tip also makes it easier to move aside with the jo.

The kendo no kata bokuto often has a more rounded "tsuka kashira" than other styles which may feel a bit more natural in a kendoka's hands than the oval shape of most other bokuto.

The Bugei catalog shows bokuto that have massive long hilts, and this is obviously to match the long hilts that the Yanagi-ryu use on their blades.

So I think that if you look at how a school practices their techniques, and you then look at the bokuto you'll find a reason for the variations, and why not? Bokuto are "disposable" training tools and so should be made to fit the practice, whereas swords are a bit more standardized (maybe it's easier to convince the local carpenter to do a different shape than it is to convince the famous smith?? ;-)).

--- Kim A Taylor

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Originally published in IAIDO-L: http://listserv.uoguelph.ca/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0104&L=iaido-l&amp;amp;D=0&T=0&P=2641

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Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2001 11:12:34 -0400
Reply-To: kfriday@arches.uga.edu
Sender: Japanese Sword Art Mailing List
From: Karl Friday
Subject: Re: Bokken
In-Reply-To: <9c8d850e853cd41193e30000e2204a7d2cf16c@muikku2.huch.fi>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

It's purely a matter of ryuha preference. Different schools use different sorts of training tools, because each is after tools consistent with its own techniques, training practices and philosophies. Nitten Ichi-ryu does a lot of stuff with one hand or with two swords, so they use light bokuto to facilitate this. Itto-ryu is into power, so the heavier bokuto facilitates building muscle and strength. Kendo bokuto (which is probably what you're thinking of when you say "regular" bokken) are curved and relatively light, because their main purpose in kendo training is to duplicate the feel of a real sword cutting (vs. the cylindrical shinai used for other kendo training). Kashima-Shinryu bokuto are medium weight, straight, and feature heavy wooden tsuba, because we bang them together at full power (and a curved bokuto would break), and because the system emphasizes quick change-up movements that would be compromised by a heavier stick.

There is sometimes some connection between the style of bokuto used by a ryuha and the style of sword preferred by its members, but it's most likely the reverse of what you're probably asking about. That is, ryuha didn't develop bokuto to match the lighter or heavier swords preferred by their early proponents; people who train in a particular school naturally tend to prefer swords that feel more like the bokuto they're used to.

--- Karl Friday

Searching for The Essence

In 1927, one man would change all that. Morihei Ueshiba, a deeply spiritual human being and highly skilled martial artist, began to refine these methods, combining jujutsu, fencing, and spear fighting. It was Morihei Ueshiba who would name these methods Aikido and transform this martial art into spiritual lifestyle that would be embraced by men, women and children around the world. At its core, Aikido is about harmony. It is primarily a defensive art that utilizes your opponent's own anger and energy against him. The idea, when possible, is never to truly harm your attacker, but subdue him - in essence, creating harmony between you and him.

Click here to read the complete history.

How to make a paper shuriken

You can find in the image below how to make an origami shuriken (actually a shaken). Please, have some fun, but don't throw it to other people.

If you begin with two A4 paper sheets, you will end up with a 120mm diameter - 4 blades shaken.

Aikido Exercises for Teaching and Training

I've recently bought this book from Carol Shifflett during my last stance in Singapore. The book is packed with information for the beginner Aikido student as well as for the seasoned practicioner, containing serious tips for any Aikido teacher, no matter on the style. Even when the author is clearly biased towards Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, she never puts any other style down; even exercises are compared to those in Yoshinkan, Iwama Ryu and others...

It focuses in hitori waza, the solo exercises of Aikido more commonly known as aiki taiso. Then a list of techniques is presented with clear explanations on how to perform them. One of the most interesting chapters explains the way in which ikkyo, nikyo, sankyo and yonkyo can be cycled from one to the next and then back to ikkyo, deppending on the energy uke is presenting to you in his futile attempt to scape or counter.

There is even a chapter on "The Gentle Art of Verbal Self Defense," that teaches how violence can always be avoided by means of correct verbal defense. This is a subject not oftenly teached in the martial arts, but a very interesting one.

A must-have in your library.

The Skills of a Cat

Shoken was a martial artist. His family told him that a large rat was found recently. The rat was so fearless that it roamed the house even in daylight. Shoken shut all the doors and called his cat to find the rat. To his surprise, the rat jumped on to the cat's face and gnawed fiercely. The cat shrieked and ran to nowhere.

Shoken had to find an alternative and asked his servants to find big and strong cats in the neighbourhood. Once they were put in the same room with the rat, they all shivered at the corners of the room waiting for the rat to pound on them. Shoken was furious. He grasped a wooden sword and chased after the rat. The rat managed to escape narrowly every time the sword was swung at it. Instead of hitting its target, the sword broken everything in the room, paper windows and doors. The rat simply flew in the air at lightning speed. Many times, it flew towards Shoken's face and the master had to duck to avoid the bite.

Panting and sweating, Shoken called his servant, "I heard a famous cat six or seven blocks away. Go and borrow it." Soon the servant brought the cat. When Shoken saw the cat, it was an old cat. It didn't look too smart or move too swiftly. Having no other alternatives, the master doubtfully led the cat to the room. Wonder happened. When the old cat entered the room, the rat immediately quieted down. The cat didn't make any unusual move either. It just calmly walked to the hiding place of the rat, waiting the rat to emerge.

At night, all cats in the house assembled and honoured the old cat. They knelt before it and said, "We are being called 'famous' and trained to catch more than just rats, but rodents and otters etc. We know how to sharpen our teeth and claws, but we never heard any simple trick like what you did today can deal with a strong rat like that. Please tell us what to do."

The old cat laughed and said, "You young cats have never known the right way, although you did some research before. That's why you lost. I rather like to hear how you practise your skills. "

A frightening cat walked to the front and talked," I was born in a mice-catching family. Since I was small, I was trained to jump over a seven-feet fence and head into tiny cracks on the wall. I have mastered all nimble and delicate movements. I can pretend to be asleep and the technique of 'hyuri' (Remark 1) and when I jump up, none of the rats walking over the roof-top can survive my blow. Only this time made me surely uncomfortable."

The old cat replied, "What you have practised are movements only. You can use the techniques when there is a target. That is why the old schools teach movements. The movements look simple but they embrace important principles. If their followers can only practise the movements but forget the principles, even if they can create with their wits and cleverness whatever wonderful movements to compensate the principles, they can only reach a certain level. It is the same that craftsman know all the tricks and focus in their intelligence. No doubt that the application is a skill, but it is not the principle. If you practise only these applications, you may end up in a different way (not the right way). Intelligence will become a damage. To avoid so, please study with your heart."

A tiger-looking big cat raised its head and said, "I believe it is important that martial artists need ki. I have practise ki for a long time and my ki is so filled up it reaches heaven and earth. I crashed my enemies under my paws. I win before I advance. I also react to the lightest sound. Whatever the rats move, I will response automatically. Without thinking, I move spontaneously. A rat walked over the roof will fall down by my gaze. But that rat is much stronger. It comes and goes without a trace. What can I do?"

The old cat sighed, "What you learned are methods that ride on ki. They rely on something and are not the good ways. If I try to subdue others by using ki, other can subdue me with their ki. Or, what will happen if I use all my ki against the enemy but fail to subdue him? We can't suppose everytime that we are stronger than our enemies. To fill up the atmosphere from heaven to earth is only a feeling of ki. It is different from Mencius's ki. Mencius said ki is strength itself but the strength that you may have acquired is built on ki. Ki can be used in different ways. Like the difference between a continuous river and a flood (Remark 2). Even it comes as a flood, ki is useless if it can't subdue the enemy. A rat when cornered will turns its head and fight back. When it knows it will die and nothing can save it, it forgets life and desire, winning or losing, and escaping without injuries. When it has a mind of gold-iron, how can you subdue it by ki". A slightly older grey cat quietly entered the conversation, "Ki has a shape when it is strong. When it has a shape, it can be seen. I have practised harmony for a long time. I won't show up my mind. I won't compete with anything; I show nothing on the outside and I won't resist. When the enemy is strong, I move with it. My method is like using curtain to deal with stone. No matter how strong a rat is, it doesn't see me as a target. But today's rat can't be subdued by ki and there is no way to respond to its movement. It comes and goes as a god. I've never seen anything like that."

The old cat said, "The harmony that you mentioned is not the harmony in nature. This is a harmony acquired by your mind. When the enemy comes with its ki, the slightest flickering of your mind will be spotted by the enemy. If your mind strives for a harmony, your ki moves sluggishly and blocks natural feeling. Then how your techniques can be used? When you give off thinking and wanting to do something, you can move with your feeling. Then your movement will have no shape. This is the harmony that no one will be against.

"Afterall, I don't say that your training and practice are useless. If you can understand the unity of the principle and the techniques, you'll find your movements contain the principle. Ki is the use of the body. If you can let your ki freely move all over your body, your movement will respond to whatever you want it to respond to. Your movement will harmonize with your enemy and you will not confront your enemy with sheer strength. When a weapon is laid upon you, you won't be hurt. But if you use your mind in even the lightest way, this is the same as using all your mind. There won't be natural application of the principle and body. The enemy will not be subdued by such movement and will surely act against it.

"Then what techniques should we use? There is only one way -- using no mind and let nature deal with it. It's simple as it is, but it has countless applications. Once there was a cat in the nearby village. It slept all day and posed no frightening posture. Like a wooden cat, it had never been seen catching any rat. However, wherever it went, people saw no rats at all. Even it went to a strange place. I went to him and ask him why. It was not that he won't answer. He just didn't know why but he surely knew how. Just like the old saying, 'those who know won't talk; those who talk don't know.' He had already forgot himself and the opponents. Those who want nothing are tough even in gods' standard. I am not match of him."

Listening to those words, Shoken is like dreaming. He blew to the old cat and asked, "I have practised kenjutsu for a long time but I still don't get the way. Tonight after hearing your discussion, I feel like getting the utmost principle of kenjutsu. I would like to beg you to enlight me further, if possible."

The old cat replied, "I am just an animal and rat is my food. How on earth do I know things about human. Kenjutsu as I know is not an expertise to win over other people. It is a guidance to know the issue of life and death when the time comes. To understand the right kind of mind, all samurai's need to learn kenjutsu. The first thing they should do is to fear no death. Don't deviate from this mindset, act with no doubt and no confusion. Keep the mind peaceful and harmonious without holding anything. Prepare the mind as a deep lake, it can deal with any sudden change. If this mind is occupied by an object or an image, it can distinguish self and enemy. In combat, it loses the freedom of changing. When the mind falls to a death spot, the spirit will go blind. How can you distinguish winning and losing. If you win, it is only a blind win and has nothing to do with kenjutsu.

"When I said holding nothing in the mind, I don't mean emptiness. The mind doesn't have a physical being and it contains nothing. If it has even the smallest object, ki will cling to it. The slightest imbalance of ki will prevent ki from filling the atmosphere. You'll feel that there are too much ki where it goes and there are too few ki where it doesn't go. You can't easily control the ki when it is too much. When ki is no enough, you feel weak and useless. Taking up both of these states, you can't react to any change. My saying of 'holding nothing' refers to no assembling (ki), no leaning, no enemy, and no self. React whenever changes emerge and leaving no trace.

Shoken asked, "What do you mean by no enemy and no self?" The old cat explained, "If there is self, there is the enemy. The enemy will go if there is no self. The word 'enemy' is relative to 'self', like yin-yan, water-fire. Anything with a shape has a relative complement. If I don't keep anything in my mind, whatever confronting me is an object but not a (hostile) enemy. There is no one to compete with. You have no self and no enemy. When you even forget there is a mind and all the images with it, your mind is like a deep lake showing no ripples. The kind of harmony is peaceful and united. You could break any enemy's attack without even feeling. It doesn't happen without your knowledge. It happens without you thinking about it. You are just moving with your feeling.

"When the mind is like a deep lake, this world is my world. There is no right or wrong, good or evil. You won't hold on to happiness or bitterness. They are made up by your mind. Even though the universe is wide, you won't beg for anything outside your mind. There is an old saying, "When there is a dust in your eyes, the whole world is narrow. When your mind is empty, you'll lead a broad life." Your eye can't open when a dust falls in it. The eye (mind) is supposed to be an empty place.

"When there are thousands of enemies, prepare yourself as a tiny dust. You can master your mind, with or without the strong enemies. Confucius said, 'You can't force anyone's mind.' But if the mind is confused, it may help the other side. You should always search inside your own mind. Whatever the teacher says to you is his reasons. Only after you discover your own reasons, you can be sure that you have learnt them. This is a heart-to-heart method and is known as 'conveying teaching without teaching'. No only zen-buddhism, everything from old saint's principles to any kind of art, is passed down by this heart-to-heart method. Teachers can only indicate to students their abilities that they possess but unknowingly. These are the abilities that no teachers can teach. In this way, teaching is easy; being taught is easy. However, correctly discover what is possessed and do the right thing is extremely difficult. This is called 'learning one's character'. To know is the waking up from a confused dream. It is an enlightenment and nothing different."

Remarks

1. "Hyuri" literally means "Outside and inside". Shinkage Ryu says, "Gentai hyuri", meaning choosing being active or responsive (to an enemy) depends on the situations of in and out.


2. A flood comes with only a sudden force. Its strength can't sustain when it's over.

Copyright © by Shono Seiki.
Translation by HM Wan.

Takeda Sokaku on Daito Ryu

The purpose of this art is not to be killed, not to be struck, not to be kicked, and we will not strike, will not kick, and will not kill. It is completely for self-defense. We can handle opponents expediently, utilizing their own power, through their own aggressión. So even women and children can use it. However, it is taught only to respectable people. It's misuse would be frightening...

Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi. He is the famous swordman of the XVII century that created the Hyoho Niten Ichi Ryu school of swordmanship.

His most important writting is the Gorin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings, or more accurately translated as The Book of the Tombstone).

Anyone interested in using the two swords (daisho) should take a look at Musashi's school. Of course there is also the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu, certain branches of Daito Ryu and Saotome's Two Swords of Aikido for example.

Some techniques can be found in Anji-san web site (Kampai Budokai).

Doshu...

Now I find in Aikiforum a topic about the new Aikido Doshu. For those of you who don't know, Doshu is the person that "leads the path" of the Aikido. This is an hereditary title and, in my humble opinion, silly. How can knowledge or hability be hereditary? For me, Doshu should be the most talented akidoka of the moment.

Now three examples come to my mind:

1. Ueshiba Kishomaru (Second Doshu - Aikikai Aikido): He changed all the techniques O'Sensei developed. Of course he had his motives; he wanted all people to be able to train in aikido. So he made strong simplifications and the art lost a lot of its martial effectiveness. He doesn't seem to me a good "guardian of the path." In fact, Aikikai was created by him and for him, not by or for Ueshiba Morihei!


2. Saito Hitohiro (Son of Saito Morihiro - Iwama Aikido): He faithfully follows the path of his father, who followed tha path of O'Sensei. Neither Saito Morihiro or Saito Hitohiro changed any of the techniques of The Founder. His family has always been the guardians of the aiki-shrine, in Iwama until the death of Saito Sensei. Humble in nature this is a good example of pure lineage. The Saitos would have been a better choice for Doshu. The best, indeed.


3. Mochizuki Hiroo (Son of Mochizuki Minoru - Yoseikan Aikido): This is another example of a son making radical modifications on his father's work. He changed the Yoseikan Aikido of his father into something completely different. Created a sport version and a fitness one. Incorporated a lot of karate movements as well as french boxing in Yoseikan. This is no longer pure or true Yoseikan Aikido, and a lot of students of his father separated from his organization to continue the true Yoseikan path.

For me, Saito Morihiro or Michio Hikitsuchi would have been a much better Doshu choice. And now Saito Hitohiro would be third Doshu, instead of Ueshiba Moriteru. They have devoted all their lives to Aikido and the care of the Aiki-Shrine and the Ueshiba family. Their generosity has never been repayed by actual or second Doshu.

This is sad!

This weekend I attended a stage on katsu, the ancient japanese art of resucitation. Of course people won't stand from their deathbed with these techniques! While "katsu" means "resucitation", it is intended for preventing people for dying after a shock, fainting, blackout, syncope, tachycardia, traumatism, hemorrhage...

This is a traditional art that was transmitted with strong secrecy in the feudal Japan inside the old martial arts schools (koryu) from sensei to those selected pupils that deserved it. It was Kano Jigoro, the founder of the well know jujutsu school, kodokan judo, who made this knowledge available for the general public. His motto was: "Because we are teaching arts that can kill or maim an oponent, we have the moral responsability of teaching arts capable of bringing our oponent back to life." Not a bad moral principle, is it?

The stage was eight hour long, so we went through all this knowledge in a fast pace, but we had time for practicing with partners, hands on. This is a very valuable knowledge that all martial artists should adquire and transmit to their pupils, because it can prevent some fatal consequences from happening after a dojo accident.

Back to training!

Yesterday I went back to Aikijujutsu training after three weeks of "dojo holidays". People was training hard, so I ended up exhausted. Sensei divided the class in two groups, so we trained the nage waza (throws), the shime waza (chokes) and the katame waza (pins) of the kihon or fundamental technique.

How hard is it to stand up every time someone crash you into the mat!!

Great to be back again in dojo!

Saigo Ha Daito Ryu Videos

Recently I received the videos I ordered from budovideos.com, "Saigo Ha Daito Ryu Aikibujutsu - A to Z". Immediately I opened the package and began eating them. These videos feature Sogawa Kazuoki Soke performing the fundamental technique (kihon waza), variations (henka waza) and counters (kaeshi waza) in a easy to understand format, making it clear how to perform correct technique with slow motion and close-ups that leads to normal pace motion - this is fast.-

Projections (nage waza), drops (otoshi waza), pins (katame waza) and strangulations (shime waza) are shown. At the end, techniques against several oponents (taninzudori) and striking techniques (aikikempo) are also shown in the series.

Valoration: This is a great instructional video series to complement Sogawa's books on the art.