THOUGHTS ON TECHNIQUE IN BUDO I

     One should train themself meticulously and then forget about it. 

  Ultimately, the reason one practices Budō or a martial art is so that one can make the art an integral part of one’s self.  In order to achieve any degree of mastery, that is, competence as well as confidence, it is necessary for one to attain a state in which he or she is able to use the best possible techniques instinctively:  without thinking.  The only way that one can accomplish this is by learning to deal with every conceivable circumstance.

      Alone, our imaginations are not always able to conceive of every possible situation; consequently, in the classes I have taught, as an unwritten adjunct to the curriculum, students are encouraged, actually they are expected, to bring possible variations to a situation up to the class, so that the other students may consider and discuss the circumstance and actively experiment with the various ways to deal with it:  good and bad.  They work out solutions and in a sense the student becomes a teacher.  By doing this, it is possible, through slight variation or innovation, to transform one technique into ten.

      One must, however, be wary of allowing their “soul to attach itself to a technique.”  That is to say, one must not become obsessed, when for example engaged in combat or practice with a sword or shinai, to become solely focused on technique.  If one is simply centered on technique, and not freeing up his mind, if one’s actions and reactions are not instinctive, then the opponent will ultimately have the opportunity to not only strike back but to win. 

      When in combat or practice, one should not think about “killing” their opponent or what technique will do the job, but rather merging and flowing with an opponent and allowing the techniques to select themselves. 

      Remember that no matter how wonderful one’s technique may be, if one is focused solely on that aspect of their art, then one, simply put, cannot win.  Once techniques are learned, practice without thinking of simply striking, parrying, or thrusting.  Let the mind go free so that the movements and techniques come freely from within one’s self.

      It is a simple fact that once one has trained themself well, their body, arms, and legs will move automatically; that is, without any conscious effort.  So, one’s mind will not be overcome by their physical movements and be able to make use of the techniques they have learned and practiced without having to think.  Once this state of mind has been reached, no misgivings or wavering will occur.  There is no enemy or opponent, not even a tengu or a demon, who will be able to find an opportunity to effectively attack.

      One should train themself meticulously and then forget about it.  One should toss aside their mind and thus follow the Way without actually being conscious of it.  This is a obscurity of all ways and arts, be it Aikidō, Iaidō, Judō, Karate-Dō, Kendō, Aikijutsu, Iaijutsu, or Kenjutsu.

Copyright 2010 by Hayato Tokugawa, Sekishinkan Tokugawa Dojo, and Shisei-Do Publications.  All rights reservffed.

      

Amatai no Shugo-ryū: Goals, Ki, and State of Mind

  

      Achieving our two essential goals in the practice of Amatai no Shugo-ryu, that is the cutting of an opponent while avoiding being cut and the perfection of character, require an keen awareness of both the physical and mental aspects of each interaction between training partners or opponents.  Equally important is the ability to feel the exchange of energy, ki, between the participants.  One’s state of mind is critical to this; for, a negative state of mind will interfere with one’s ability to achieve the purpose of each exercise in practice.   Anger, impatience and selfishness can limit one’s awareness and prevent them from determining their opponent’s intent.

      On the other hand, proper practice does have a significant, positive effect on one’s state of mind.  By putting one’s body and mind into action through the practice of kata and drills, while being focused on the key elements and asking one’s self questions about one’s strategy, the tendency is to disrupt anger and promote patience and cooperation.  Happiness, patience and cooperation:  all make the smooth flow of ki between training partners possible; therefore, each person is better able to react properly.

      The more one is able to live in the moment and put aside all irrelevant thoughts and respond intuitively to perceived subtle changes of strength or weakness, the more one is able to sense the ki.  To achieve such a state of mind is not easy; however, once one is really aware of the ki component in Kenjutsu, one can then begin to learn to control their attacker’s intent.

      This is a valuable goal and it is not by chance that the same qualities one develops in the dojo will help them to become better people outside.  Those who truly seek enlightenment, the “Way”, as Miyamoto Musashi put it, try hard to develop specific qualities within themselves:  to live within the moment, to put aside irrelevant thought, and to allow intuition to guide them to correct action.  As one studies Amatai no Shugo-ryū, they can attain a similar state of mind both inside the dojo and when they leave at the end of the day.

Strategy in Amatai no Shugo-ryū (Part 3)

     One might well ask, “What is the difference between strategy and tactics, or between tactics and technique?”  Well, they are each distinctively different; yet, they also go hand in hand.  Remember, we have defined strategy as a plan of action that is intended to accomplish a specific goal.  Tactics can be defined as a procedure, or a set of maneuvers which one engages in to achieve a particular end or goal.  So then, strategy refers to one’s general plan of action and one’s tactics are the methods used in order to accomplish the plan.

      Methods can be categorized even further into techniques.  Techniques, with practice, will instill in one the intuitive response that will enable one to act within a tactical frame of mind and efficiently accomplish their strategic goals through the interaction of the sword.

      As mentioned above, strategy, tactics and techniques go hand in hand and thus, often overlap.  It is important to keep in mind however, the distinctions between them.  Too illustrate, let us consider a reaction to a straight, downward strike with a katana.  The basic goal, the strategy, is to cut the opponent without being cut.  There are numerous ways to accomplish this particular goal.   One tactic that could be employed to achieve this end would be to move to one’s side, then counter strike.  A technique which could be utilized to do this would be for one to step forward and to the right with the right foot, whle rasing one’s sword overhead; then pivot back and out of the way with the left foot while executing a downward cut or lateral, decapitating strike.

      Strategy then, is something that is accomplished by means of tactics, which in turn, consist of techniques.  By being aware of the different facets of each encounter, one allows themselves the opportunity to focus their attention in such a manner that the effectiveness of one’s training is taken full advantage of.  By examining an encounter in broad terms, one can determine their goal.  By narrowing one’s perspective, one can then determine what tactic(s) best suit the accomplishment of that goal.  Having done so, one should then select the techinque0s) which will make up the tactics and then practice them until they are literally done without conscious thought:  automatic or intuitive.  Practice, however, does not stop there.  One needs to practice and practice more until one’s reflexive abilities and knowledge are such that we perform them at the very instant they are needed.  One might consider it in this way:  one’s goal is reflexive abilities and knowledge that “kick in” automatically the second they are required.  The tactic to accomplish this goal is study and practice of the techniques we are taught.

      As will be discussed later, the value of all of this extends well beyond the walls of the dojo.  If one pursues their goals in this exact manner, one can accomplish great things and have a significant and pleasing upon their character.

     

Copyright 2009 by Hayato Tokugawa and Shisei-Do Publications.  All rights reserved.

THE CORE OF BUSHIDO

THE CORE OF BUSHIDŌ

If we wish to find the core of Bushido, we must I think, look at it in its historical context.  To do that, I would like to use a metaphor, first put forward by Nitobé Inazo in his book on Bushidō, worn as it may be; I think it is still viable.  Certainly, we do not need all the flowery rhetoric or the cryptic European references of Nitobé to grasp what is truly simple.

If we think of Bushidō as the sakura, the cherry blossom, and think of how plants live, our search may become clearer.  Japan, of course, is the soil and without the proper soil, no plant can flourish.  Some will whither and die quickly, others will struggle over a long time, trying to survive, but never growing beyond some stunted weed.  Japan, more than anywhere in the world, was the right “soil” for Bushidō.’  The seeds came to Japan long ago from China, who in many ways is the “Mother of Japan”.  The seeds came in the form of Confucius and then his disciple Mencius.  If one wishes to understand Bushidō, then look to the seeds themselves:  Analects by Confucius and simply The Mencius.  Along with these two great fathers came Wang Yang-ming and Lao Tse; thus, the great seeds of Asian thought came riding across the sea to eventually take root in Japan.

The sakura, like any plant, not only needs soil, it needs nourishment and Shintō was just such nutrition for Bushidō.  Native to Japan, growing out of the sea with the land, it was there waiting to embrace Bushidō and to give it all that it could.  Perhaps the greatest gifts of Shintō were its sense of patriotism, loyalty, reverence for ancestors, and the love of family and parents, which from its birth, lay at the very heart of Bushidō, as it does today.  Look in any dojo and you will see the character of Shintō present:  from the walls to the etiquette of those who practice there.

Seeds, soil, nourishment, are fine but our analogy still lacks something.  The sakura needs sun and rain which was supplied in abundance by first Buddhism and later its refinement of Zen, which went directly to the growth and development of the samurai character – the Samurai Spirit, and provided for the growth and development of Bushidō on the most personal of levels.

Bushidō was exclusive only to Japan.  Despite Nitobé’s analogies to European chivalry, they are as different as night and day.  Bushidō could only have existed in Japan.  It was so destined.