I bet you were just wondering who was at the Viper Room last night.  Funny you should ask..

These guys came and rocked the stage, during the LA portion of the Strange Journey Tour.

1. Tunji

2. Loop Troop Rockers

3. Grieves

4. CUNNINLYNGUISTS

DJ Flip Flop.

When Kno talks, you listen.

Family time until 5:30 am.. I heart my big brothers.

...and then they packed up the Strange-mobile and headed to their next show.

If you’ve never seen CunninLynguists perform live, here’s some footage from the NYC megashow to give you an idea:

Dr. Leisinger Sensei (7th Dan Aikikai)

Aiki-jo & -ken
Dinsdag 24 Oktober
20:15 – 21:45

Shin Shin Buken Dojo

One might well ask,  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.

To cut the opponent while avoiding being cut is in one sense largely external, because it depends, in part, on technique and strategies which are taught and learned.  The second goal, to progress in the direction of perfection of character, is more internal, as it comes from within each of us; yet, it is equally as valid.  Both of these objectives are keys to the proper practice of the art of swordsmanship and every subsequent goal is derived from them.

To cut an opponent while at the same time not being cut is, as noted above, a largely external goal.  It relates to one’s physical actions as well as to those of their opponent.  If one thinks about it, however, “to cut an opponent while not being cut” is also a theoretical goal, in that in modern Japanese society, we do not typically use the katana as a weapon.  The modern trend is to place far less emphasis on the killing ability of the katana and instead focus on its character as a tool by which one adds or modifies character and self-discipline.  It is however, necessary to keep in mind the true, fighting purpose of the katana.  One must maintain a concept of the practical reasons for the art of swordsmanship; thus anchoring one to a sense of martial practicality.  Each decision one makes; how to hold a sword, how to stand, how to move, how to think; must be based on the actual principles of fighting with the katana; otherwise one’s actions are no longer fixed in the art and its traditions.

Within our dojo, “to cut an opponent while not being cut” is taken quite seriously, both in discussion of tactics and techniques, as well as in practice.  Wearing full bogu[i], it becomes a practical matter of not being “whacked” by bokken or shinai – both potentially a painful experience.  The intent of such a practice, among others, is not a competition, but rather to take matters one step further in providing a real, tangible means of fixing in one’s mind in the true, practical aspects, traditions, and history of swordsmanship.

The perfection of character, an internal end, relates directly to the state of one’s mind and spirit.  It is equally a real goal although difficult to achieve.  It is possible through practice to improve one’s awareness, thought patterns, self-discipline, even one’s integrity and ability to live harmoniously within the community, in keeping with the principles of Wa-Dō.  Granted, there is no actual need to develop the skills of sword fighting; yet, there does exist a true need for one to refine themselves and to work toward the betterment of themselves and their community.

The more one follows their quest to accomplish the first goal, the more one makes press along the path to the second.  Time spent well in practicing kata, in drills, and in other training with the sword, the more the internal goals are achieved.  Therefore, when one speaks of strategy, one addresses both the most successful ways to use a sword and the most effective ways to utilizing swordsmanship to fashion one’s spirit.

The men which protects the face, neck and shoulders, consists of a facemask with several horizontal metal bars, running across the entire width of the face, from the chin to the upper forehead. To this is attached a long, rectangular, thick cloth padding, which curves over the top of the head and extends to cover the shoulders.  A plate to protect the throat is also attached to the bottom of the facemask.  The men is held in place with a pair of cords, which wrap around the head and are tied at the back.  Note that the men is left open for ventilation and thus the back of the head is left unprotected.  This is primarily due to the fact that there is no prescribed nor permitted stroke to the back of the head.

The main component of the dō is the curved stomach and chest protector.  In its modern form, the dō has a distinct bulge, which helps convey the force of a strike away from the soft, middle areas of the torso.  Lacquered bamboo has traditionally used however, molded plastic or fiberglass is now frequently used instead.  The dō is held in place from the shoulders by two diagonal ties from the shoulders and a small set of ties at the back.

The kote are gloves that resemble long-sleeved mittens, designed specifically for Kendō.  While they look cumbersome, they indeed provide a high degree of mobility for hands and writs in gripping in gripping and wielding the shina (the traditional split bamboo “sword” of Kendō.

The tare is a thick, padded, cloth belt that wraps around the waist and ties under the front flap.  The padded flaps that hang from the belt protect both the upper legs as well as the groin area.

Saya no uchi.  Saya no uchi no kachi. Victory with the sword still in the scabbard.  The words almost shout at the swordsman, exhorts him, to remember that physical combat is always the last resort.  No matter how confident one may think they are, how many techniques they may know, a master of strategy will always find a way to win without fighting.  This is a  message that is not unique to our dojo; rather, it has been passed down through the ages.

Sun Tsu once said:

To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence;

Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.

Did not Miyamoto Musashi make this a central point of his Go Rin No Sho, The book of the Five Rings? Did not Yagyū Munenori, founder of the Edo Branch of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū from which Amatai no Shugo-ryu draws so much, preach this very thing time and again?

The path to mastery of Amatai no Shugo-ryū, Yagyū Shinkage-ryū, or any form of Kenjutsu is long indeed.  Before anyone can achieve success by virtue of intellect or willpower, they must have a deep understanding of the principles of swordsmanship and of a nature which will allow them to act in keeping with those principles.  One can only acquire this through constant, long-term practice and the study of strategy; which includes the old texts by those Musashi and Yagyū Munenori, among others.

Simply put, strategy is a plan of action with the intention of accomplishing a specific objective.  A true swordsman practices his art with two very definite objectives in mind:

• To cut the opponent while avoiding being cut.
• To progress in the direction of perfection of character.

To cut the opponent while avoiding being cut is in one sense largely external, because it depends, in part, on technique and strategies which are taught and learned.  The second goal, to progress in the direction of perfection of character, is more internal, as it comes from within each of us; yet, it is equally as valid.  Both of these objectives are keys to the proper practice of the art of swordsmanship and every subsequent goal is derived from them.

I’m here.  Yet, maybe not.

Hi my name is Karen and I do Bikram Yoga.  I also teach Bikram Yoga.  Basically I live, eat, sleep, shower and dream Bikram Yoga.

I haven’t been bloggin’.  Sure you’ve noticed, right?  Haven’t you?  I haven’t been writing.  But I’ve been practicing, and I for sure have been teaching.  I’ve also been doing Aikibudo, but that’s for later on.  Let’s get back to the practicing.

Yes, practice.  Sri Pattabhi Jois says, practice and all is coming. I am no great interpreter of words, but I think he’s basically saying what Bikram always says, get your shit together and just do the posture.  Do the yoga, do the class, just do..  it.  Practice, practice, practice.

Is it really that easy?  Is it really as easy as showing up, unrolling the mat, and then doing..  it??  Yes, it is.  It’s just that easy.  Yo-ga is easy.  Asana, Pranayama..  it’s easy, right?  Maybe.  Some days it certainly feels easy.  Some days I’d rather stay in bed with a TV remote and a cup of hot chocolate.  Some yogini I am, right?

I find myself reflective this week.  Our studio just finished hosting a huge event, including the state yoga championships.  I was, well, involved with that.  I’ve had several amazing friends in town recently.  I’m also rapidly approaching my one year teaching anniversary.  The train is picking up speed on this whole yoga thing.  And when I look in the mirror, I still see someone I don’t quite recognize.  Who is that girl?  I teach with reasonable confidence, and I usually know every single person’s name in my class.  Who is that girl again??  So, I’m pensive all over again.

I’ve maintained a pretty darned disciplined practice in spite of the momentum of life.  My kids are growing up so fast, my husband is nearing the end of his Master’s degree, life is so good.  I love teaching.  The room is my refuge many days.  Whether I’m behind the mic or on the mat.  I just love it.  The yogini is still there.

Six months ago I started practicing Aikibudo. I have at my disposal an incredible sensei and we train twice a week.  It’s a long story, but the budo is such a part of who I am now that I can’t remember exactly what it was like before I was doing it.  The yoga practice and the budo practice compliment one another in amazing ways.

I’m grateful, that’s the bottom line.  I’m grateful and I have to laugh a little bit sometimes that I get away with having such a cool life.  I mean seriously??  Family, yoga, budo, friends..  That’s my life and my work?  Wow.

I can’t believe I’ve been teaching for almost a year.  I can’t believe I’ve been doing budo for six months.  I can’t believe that in general my biggest concern when I get up in the morning is how I’m going to juggle my practice(s) around my teaching job.

So when I get to my mat (either one) and I feel a little tired or a little grumpy, I’m drawn back to that gratitude.  I chose this life.  I chose to pursue yoga, teaching and most recently budo.  I chose to walk the path.  I’m stronger, healthier, wiser, and more courageous because of it.  All I have to do is practice.  Just do the practice – and all is coming.

CunninLynguists @ Highline Ballroom December 11, 2009

Cunninlynguists @ Highline

CunninLynguists

Featuring –
Grieves with Budo
Looptrop Rockers
Tunji

Doors Open @ 11:00 p.m.
Show Starts @ 11:30 p.m.

Tickets – Advance – $15
General Admission / All Ages
Standing Room Only

Buy Tickets

Highline Ballroom
431 W. 16th St.
New York, NY 10011
1.212.414.5994

For More Information

Humans have a substantial capacity to rewire their minds to overcome the pettiness inherent in a mind gone awry, even when the pettiness is evolutionarily hardwired. I’ve seen a fascinating video of an experiment carried out by a primate research center that is telling of just how engrained some of our inclinations are.  In the experiment two Capuchin monkeys are kept in separate but adjacent cages. The experimenter walks up to one of the monkeys and hands it a grape. Now, grapes are apparently like crack to Capuchin monkeys. Needless to say, the monkey devours the grape and is ready for more. Next, taking exacting efforts to duplicate previous actions (control for all alternative explanations being essential to the scientific method) the experimenter picks up a cucumber wedge, walks up to the second monkey(who saw the first monkey get a grape), and hands it the cucumber wedge (Capuchins like cucumbers, but not to the same degree they like grapes). The second monkey eagerly jabs the food into its mouth without actually looking at it, and then does a spit-take as it realizes that it has gotten the shaft.  The action is repeated, and on subsequent occasions the second monkey won’t even take the cucumber wedge. In fact, when the experimenter drops the cucumber, the first monkey reaches through the bars and takes it. The first monkey is now able to enjoy both the grapes and the cucumber wedges because  the second money won’t eat the cucumber out of what we humans might call the “principle of the matter.”

The reason I’ve seen this video on more than one occasion is that this is the kind of behavior that fascinates (and, in some cases, mystifies or even mortifies) economists, and, in completing a Masters degree in Economics, it came up as a relevent topic of lectures and seminars on more than one occasion. One can probably intuitively recognize a similar proclivity in humans without the need for scientific evidence. I will nonetheless point out that there are behavioral economics experiments that result in similar findings consistently in human subjects. There is a construct in game theory called an “ultimatum game.” In the ultimatum game, a “team” of two players is granted an allotment of money – say $10 in $1 bills. The first player gets to determine how the allotment will be divided up, and the second gets to determine whether it is acceptable or not. That is, if the second player does not accept the division, neither player gets anything. Classic economic theory would predict that, unless the second player has good reason to believe he or she will play the same “partner” repetitively so as to be able to “teach” the first player to be fair and, thus, earn a higher expected value over the long run,  the second player should take any positive offer. Of course, in reality, like the Capuchins most people will summarily reject “unfair” offers.

Given the widespread proclivity to enforce fairness that is seen in both humans and lesser primates, it probably stands to reason that this tendency served human-kind well over the centuries. Or put another way, homo sapiens that were more willing to be finicky on principle survived at higher rates than those who were willing to accept the dregs. One can imagine a mechanism by which this works, the competitive impulse is heightened in those unwilling to settle for second best. The question is to what degree does this proclivity serve us today, and, in particular, when exercised as a rule of thumb that is essentially dictated by emotion. Humans have, after all, developed a capacity to rationalize, conceptualize, and strategize to levels unparalleled elsewhere within the animal kingdom. Are we best served by a sort of autonomic response in which treatment perceived as unfair causes a visceral emotional response that we act upon without taking advantage of our advanced capacity to consider the options and develop a well-thought strategic response? 

By now any reader who has gotten this far may be wondering what any of the preceding paragraphs have to do with martial arts. Fudoshin means maintaining a mental state in which one is unmoved by petty vagaries. One becomes imperturbable.  I’ve been reflecting a lot upon how the mind works recently, and how we are sometimes guided by gut level petty reactions rather than by sound reasoning or strategically sound impulses. Yesterday afternoon I caught the tail end of a re-run episode of the History Channel series called Warriors which described Miyamoto Musashi’s duel with Sasaki Kojiro. Musashi showed up late brandishing a makeshift suburito (i.e. a big wooden training sword) in lieu of an actual sword, and, in doing so, managed to infuriate Kojiro (some accounts indicate that Musashi added verbal insults to the contextual insult of being late.) Musashi ended up defeating Kojiro, and it is not unreasonable to suspect that Musashi’s calm demeanor pitted against Kojiro’s rage may have made the difference.

As we go about our daily lives, it is astounding how skewed our worldview is by our own conceptions of self. Psychologists have shown that most people consistently credit themselves for the good things they achieve, but are more likely to credit environment and other factors for the success of others. People’s minds imagine offenses that don’t actually exist, and sometimes act upon them. When I hear someone talking about how another person doesn’t like them or is mad at them, I often wonder how the offended person would feel if they knew the probable truth that the other person was indifferent to them and didn’t even give them any thought? A person is the center of his or her own universe, and often people imagine that someone is mad at them because they can’t fathom the truth that they are not even on that person’s radar screen.

I once read that human beings are believed to be the only species that can achieve the same physiological response from thinking about a traumatic event as occurs during the event itself. That is, just thinking about a past argument can give a person the same physical response (e.g. adrenaline dump) as when they were actually arguing. That is how powerful the mind is. Fortunately, humans can also observe their minds, reflect upon where their minds go, and rewire the habitual responses of the mind.

Kl. 13:13

Så blev det tirsdag og det er efterhånden ved at være over 30 timer siden jeg sidst fik mere end en 20-30 minutters sammenhængende søvn. Men jeg sidder nu i toget på vej mod Hjørring. Langt om længe. Normalt plejer det, at være turen ud der er den længste, men det var langt fra tilfældet her. Aldrig i mit liv har 12 timer i et fly, 12 timer i noget som helst for den sags skyld, føltes længere. Flyveturen fra Ubon til Bangkok varede kun en lille times tid, det var ingenting sammenlignet med turen mellem Bangkok og Düsseldorf. Flyet var spækket til randen med folk og selvom jeg havde to sæder for mig selv, var den konstante snakken og råben sæderne imellem høj nok til, at det blev nærmest umuligt at sove sig fra turen. Turbulensen gjorde det heller ikke lettere, end sige mere behageligt. Da jeg i sin tid fløj til Koh Samui i 2005, oplevede vi ret meget turbulens, det grænsede til punktet, hvor man kom til at tænke på om piloten var fuld… Turen til Düsseldorf var værre. Kabinen rystede som en massagestol på steroider, og ikke på den feee måde, så det var en lettelse at sætter fødderne under fast jord ingen i Tyskland, dog med den bivirkning at de næste 12 timer i lufthavnen følte jeg jævnligt at jeg stadig sad i en Boeing 737.

Men set på den lyse side, så ville jeg da kunne sove når jeg kom til Düsseldorf og på den måde komme ind i en fornuftig døgnrytme, nu hvor jeg pludselig var blevet sendt 7 timer tilbage i tiden. Jeg blev klogere… Omkring kl. 22-22:30 lagde jeg mig til, at sove og mit vækkeur var sat til kl. 05:30, så havde jeg masser af tid til at finde min eksakte gate og lette mod København en time senere. Igen blev jeg klogere. Jeg befandt mig i gateområdet og havde lagt mig tilrette på det hårde stengulv, men jeg lå da ned, da to sikkerhedsvagter vækkede mig fra min 20 minutters morfar, og oplyste mig, at det ikke var tilladt at sove i gateområdet. Hvad?? Jeg blev derfor pænt vist ud i lufthavenes forhal, hvor jeg kunne lægge mig til, at sove hvor jeg lystede. Jo tak, tysker-spade, hvor bliver det let at falde i søvn mellem restauranter, turister eller would-be passagerer og butikker. Jeg fandt et relativt roligt sted på øverste etage overfor en Starbucks og jeg er ret sikker på at jeg fandt det punkt i hele lufthavnen der var allerlængst væk fra en forretning/restaurant og alligevel fik jeg ikke sovet en skid, så da jeg kiggede på mit ur og så at den var halv fem, tog jeg mine ting, gik igennem security (igen, igen) og fandt min gate, B55 (som i øvrigt ikke var B9 som jeg havde fået at vide da jeg afleverede mit boarding-pass, der af uforklarlige årsager kun sagde ”gate B”, rimeligt heftigt, når der var gate B1 til og med B80) og så kunne jeg ellers pænt vente de næste to timer på at komme væk fra Düsseldorf International Airport, der i øvrigt er et nederen sted at være (hårh, hårh, har lige købt min første Julebryg… Gooooode sager!), for der er vitterligt ikke noget, at lave, hvilket sikkert er en fællesnævner for samtlige lufthavne jeg nogensinde har spildt min tid i.

Men velankommet til Kastrup lufthavn efter planen kl. 07:55 i morges, og det er noget nærmest poetisk smukt ved, at være tilbage et sted, hvor pigerne taler dansk og alle andre svensk. Hvor er det dejligt at være i Danmark igen (bare roligt, det går over om en uges tid, når jeg har fattet at vejret ikke bliver varmere og dagene ikke bliver længere).

Men jeg kigger tilbage på mit ophold hos Legacy Gym med en god smag i munden. Jeg har været ude og se en lille bid af verden i en måned, men kunne sagtens bruge en måned til. Eller to måneder til for den sags skyld, hvis blot det ikke havde betydet, at der ville begynde at gå alt, alt, alt for meget hverdag i den, at stå op, træne, spise, sove, træne og sove noget mere, og så ellers starte forfra igen, de følgende 5 dage. Men jeg har oplevet og prøvet en masse (hvor mange kan lige sige, at de har siddet i fængsel i Thailand for pengehvidvask??), fået en masse nye indtryk og fortryder ikke et sekund, at jeg tog af sted og kunne sagtens finde på at gøre det igen. Jeg har også fundet ud af, at jeg sikkert aldrig bliver elite-fighter, der er bare for mange kompromiser; hvad man spiser, hvad man drikker, ens træning bliver en hverdagsting, et arbejde i stedet for en interesse, selvfølgelig er det fantastisk, hvis man brænder SÅ meget for sin sport, at man ikke har noget imod at den bliver hverdag, nine to five, men for mig, skal min træning være der, hvor jeg glemmer mit nine to five-job. Det har funket for mig i en måned, men som jeg også har skrevet tidligere så kom det også bag på mig, at jeg ikke ville kunne holde gejsten oppe i to hele måneder. Ikke lige nu i hvert fald. Måske og et år eller to, til den tid har jeg planer om at træne MMA på en fast basis som jeg træner jiujitsu nu, og til den tid har jeg opbygget en bedre viden om systemet og bedre præmisser for, at gentage et træningsophold i fx Thailand over en længere periode end en måned. Jeg må vel bare se tiden an.

Nu ser jeg blot frem til, at komme hjem til Hjørring, få et bad og hilse på min familie og venner igen.

Japanese Budo Delegation

Meer

]]> http://budova.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/kendo-el-camino-de-la-espada/ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:37:49 +0000 budova http://budova.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/kendo-el-camino-de-la-espada/ http://comodino.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/tanden-%e4%b8%b9%e7%94%b0/ Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:08:06 +0000 Kuka http://comodino.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/tanden-%e4%b8%b9%e7%94%b0/

Spesso mentre pratichiamo Kendo ci viene citato il Tanden, come origine del movimento e del nostro Ki, proviamo a vedere che cos’è.

Il Dantian 丹田 (Tanden 丹田 in giapponese), secondo la medicina tradizionale cinese, letteralmente significa “campo (tian) di cinabro (dan)” ed è il luogo nel corpo dove il Ki viene conservato, accumulato e dal quale poi si irradia ai diversi meridiani del corpo.

Generalmente, nonostante i Tanden/Dantien siano tre (superiore, medio e inferiore), viene considero quello inferiore (Xia Dantian 下丹田 in cinese, Seika Tanden 臍下丹田 in giapponese) che individua il centro di gravità del corpo posto nell’addome, approssimativamente tre o quattro dita sotto l’ombellico, all’origine dell’essenza vitale.

Il Ki viene fatto scendere nel Tanden/Dantien inferiore, tramite la respirazione. Ciò significa che consapevolmente bisogna cercare di utilizzare pienamente la capacità polmonare per abbassare il diaframma, dando l’impressione di aver riempito l’area del Tanden/Dantien e di avere effettivamente fatto scendere lì il Ki. Naturalmente ciò determina un miglioramento delle facoltà respiratorie e un massaggio degli organi interni.

Il Tanden inferiore è intimamente correlato a ciò che i giapponesi identificano più in generale con il termine Hara 腹. Dal punto di vista della capacità di movimento dinamico del corpo nelle arti marziali giapponesi, hara ed in particolare Seika No Itten, costituiscono la sede psicofisica della presenza mentale del praticante, il quale porta in questa sede il centro della propria stabilità psicofisica e la generazione dei propri movimenti corporei.

Fonte Tanden, Dantian e Ki su Wiki

Per approfondire il tema:
Iniziazione al Tan-tien di Market Christopher J.
1999, Edizioni Mediterranee

[Alser Kendo Club]

I know I’ve been all about the videos lately. (Pssst: it’s a tactic this blogger uses when he doesn’t have the time or inspiration to write something of substance, shhh…don’t tell anyone.)

Here’s yet another one: A.R.M.’s video for “Heaven Only Knows.” A.R.M. is based in Minneapolis (M.anifest by way of Ghana, Krukid by Uganda), with the Seattle connect being the production which is by Town-native, Budo. If I were looking to have only one producer handle my debut album (dropping 2015, son!), Budo would be on my shortlist.

(P.S. Just kidding about my debut album. Please, I couldn’t rap my way out of a wet tortilla.)

A total re-vamp of the original film, this limited-edition 2-disc Director’s Cut offers exclusive looks at rare practice footage, new chapters, and a multitude of historical images and scrolls rarely seen. Plus, over 200 minutes of bonus footage. Only 1000 copies of this Special DVD set will be made available, so order NOW!   From October 9th, 2009 until November 9th, 2009, all pre-sale buyers will save $15 off of the regular retail price of $59.95 (for a total of $44.95 +sh). The first 300 orders will receive a FREE limited-edition full-color ‘SHINOBIWINDS’ poster.   * ALL PRESALE ORDERS WILL BEGIN BEING SHIPPED NOVEMBER 23RD. http://www.shinobiwinds.com

Kl. 17:45

I dag har været ganske behagelig. Var ude at løbe i en halv times tid og sjippede en tyve minutters tid efter morgenmaden, det var vildt rart at sove længe for én gangs skyld. Efter morgenmaden begav jeg mig ind mod byen. Min sportstaske som jeg havde mine ting i på vej herned er ved at have udtjent sin pligt, så derefter købte jeg mig en ordentlig 90 liters rygsæk, til at have alle mine ting i på vejen hjem, og så har jeg brugt uforskammet mange penge på tøj… Fik erhvervet mig en cardigan og 6 eller 7 t-shirts for lidt under 300 kr. Man fatter jo slet ikke at det kan køre rundt.

Fik også langt om længe købt mig et slide til min guitar og et par nye kabler og en capo. Priserne hernede er vanvittige… For lidt over en tyver fik jeg 5 meter kabel og slidet kostede svimlende 30 kr! Efter min tur til byen tog jeg ud til Siam Fish-spa, hvor jeg fik thaimassage tidligere på ugen, for at få gjort noget ved mine fødder. Efter ikke at have brugt strømper i en måned og efter at have gået/løbet en del kilometer om dagen, var det ikke småting hvad der var sket med huden under mine fødder, så jeg fik en gang fisketerapi i 30 minutter. Allerede dér var mine fødder bløde som en babys røv, og derefter 1 times fodmassage… Bemærkede knap nok jorden under mine fødder da jeg svævede resten af vejen hjem til campen. Nu venter aftensmaden og med lidt held et par øl eller fire. Selvom man er på den anden side af kloden skal man jo stadig mærke at det er blevet jul (Glædelig J-dag igår!) og imorgen skal jeg have pakket alle mine ting ned.

During Japan’s Feudal Era, warriors had to develop a wide-ranging expertise. There are classification systems such as Bugei Juhappan, or “18 warrior arts”, that suggest what proficiencies were considered essential for a warrior of the day. Of course, there is not just a single Bugei Juhappan, but variations from lineage to lineage, and other schools used other numbers to classify the number of weapons and methods to be mastered. The common use of 18 may be due to the fact that it is 2 X 9, and 9 was an auspicious number among the Japanese.

In addition to a well-rounded education that included knowledge of the Chinese classics and, often, Buddhist scripture, warriors had to be competent in unarmed combat (grappling and striking) [alternatively called taijutsu, jujutsu, yawarajutsu, koppojutsu etc. depending upon the school and emphasis], swordsmanship [kenjutsu], spearmanship [sojutsu], use of a staff  [bojutsu or jojutsu], halberd fighting [naginatajutsu], horsemanship [bajutsu], archery [kyujutsu], and various specialty weapons that might be associated with the school in question such as throwing blades [shuriken] or chain and sickle [kusari gama]. Furthermore, there were subjects of study that were essential for warriors who had strategic responsibilities that included strategy and fortification, but also involved knowledge of weather patterns and topography. Of course, it behooved all combatants to have some understanding of medicine and the care and treatment of wounds. Warriors employed as ninja had to master most or all of the above methods, but also had to practice skills necessary for infiltration / exfiltration and disguise /impersonation. As if these physical skills were not enough, there was the practice of meditation that was used to help foster the mental discipline and clarity required to be successful in combat.

Mastering the skills mentioned above is an impressive life’s work. There are certainly commonly concepts in the methods of using different weapons, and these may create synergies in learning. However, the fact remains that this was a lot of techniques to learn and a massive number of hours committed to practice. Having learned the forms, one has to develop the skills that will allow one to apply their principles under diverse and rapidly changing conditions. This comes with free-form training (randori keiko) and the practice of henka (variations on the form.) To only memorize and practice forms, over the long-term, has a disutility. This is not to say that there is not a time for that type of training (or multiple times for it over the course of one’s life), but certainly one doesn’t want to be so attached to the forms that one is incapable of recognizing or responding to novel forms of attack. My point is that memorizing the techniques, and even drilling them to the point they are second nature, is only scratching the surface of the lessons they have to offer, and, therefore, a large time committment is required. 

Low technology warfare involving unarmed combat, swords, sticks, spears, or halberds is not mastered on the same time scales as modern weaponry. As an Air Force Law Enforcement Specialist, over about 14 weeks split between Lackland Air Force Base and Fort Dix [Air Base Ground Defense training], I learned to use the Beretta M-9 9mm pistol, the M-16 rifle, the M-60 machine gun, the LAW Rocket, the M-203 grenade launcher, hand grenades, and Claymore mines. Of course, weaponry was only a portion of the course of study that also included many unrelated skills like traffic ticket writing and tent-pitching. While there was still a lot to be learned about these weapons and benefits to be gained from practice, I knew enough after those schools to have a better than average shot at lethally with all those weapons, and I doubt that doubling my time spent on each would have yielded much of an increase in skill (particularly where Claymore mines and LAW rockets are concerned). In 14 weeks of kenjutsu, a student may not have entirely mastered holding the sword, let alone significantly increased their odds of being able to survive in a fight with a similarly armed wild-eyed person off the street. Not to be too mathematical, but the learning curve for low technology weapons is much more shallow and takes a long time to reach a point of diminishing returns relative to modern weaponry.

A more relevant analogy may be seen in the difference between self-defense training and kobudo. In teaching self-defense one wants to present techniques that can be rapidly learned and memorized, are not complex in the slightest, and that may be remembered under duress by someone who is not diligently drilling their technique all the time. The idea with self-defense is to just increase the student’s odds of being able to get away from someone who is intent on committing a crime, but is not a particularly skilled adversary.  This is in contrast to kobudo, which takes much longer for the student to grasp the techniques, but the forms are designed to develop the skills necessary to survive combat against a highly skilled adversary who does not leave big openings, who has a sound state of mind, and who is capable of rapid adaptation and unconventional attacks.

Having taken the meandering path to the central question of this post, I’d now like to consider the question of the relative merits of breadth versus depth of study of kobudo in the modern era. As I ramble on about above, there were a lot of weapons and skills that a warrior had to master during the Feudal Era, but mastering them was the job of the samurai. While I realize that many samurai, during some periods, had significant bureaucratic taskings, developing these skills was the central job for many. There was, of course, also a sort of Darwinian elimination of all but the most capable of learning lessons quickly and effectively through combat (and, later, even through matches).

The question of interest here is whether those of us living in peaceful times and not employed as bushi are well served by trying to master the same broad set of skills, or whether it would be better to spend more time developing depth of understanding of fewer weapons or approaches to unarmed combat. While, to some degree, specialization and automation have increased humanity’s potential for leisure time, in reality most of us work demanding jobs and having a couple hours everyday on average for training and conditioning is probably the most that can reasonably be expected. There is not much of a career for kobudo practitioners today. Those who can make a living solely off teaching have usually been training a long time, so that career path is not of much help for students in their formative years who would like to devote a major portion of their lives to training. (Not to mention it seems to be quite difficult to make a good living off teaching kobudo under any circumstance. Success seems to require a large customer base, a status conducive to being highly-coveted as a teacher, and/or a willingness to compromise on the values of one’s martial art.)

With respect to kobudo, there are confounding factors that can exacerbate the issue of having too much material to do justice to in a modern life. For example, with respect to the schools I have studied, a number of schools funneled into one lineage due to a combination of lack of interest in old schools of martial arts after the Warring States period and the fact that such arts were forbidden for a time. The latter meant that only those willing and able to train in secret and in contravention of the law could pursue the martial arts. This has led to a vast and fairly diverse body of martial arts being taught to people, or at least myself, who could keep themselves busy indefinitely with a fraction of the material. It seems to me that Kukishinden-ryu alone offers a more than a respectable body of skills to spend one’s life studying. Kukishinden-ryu includes five scrolls of taijutsu techniques, bojutsu (6 foot staff), jojutsu (4.5 foot staff), hanbojutsu (3 foot staff), kenjutsu (sword), kodachijutsu (short sword), sojutsu (spear), naginatajutsu (halberd), a few juttejutsu (pronged truncheon) techniques. During the Warring States period, the precursor to this school could easily stand-alone as the course of study for serious bushi, but today it may itself be more than the typical student can master.  

Of course, the question of whether one should study many schools or fewer (or one) need not have one answer applicable to all. Some people may be able to devote enough time to training to make mastery of multiple schools feasible due to their personal circumstance, or they may have a gift for learning quickly. I tend to believe that, if one classifies disciplines as “prodigy” and “non-prodigy” arts, martial arts are theoretically “prodigy arts” (though in practice this may not be true for a reason I will discuss below).

Having most probably lost the reader, I will explain what I mean by “prodigy arts”. There are endeavors such as mathematics, music, and chess that are unified by the fact that there are a reasonably finite set of principles that govern activities in those domains, and from those few principles a natural order develops. Where these characteristics occur, there are people who will be talented at making the connections between the underlying principles naturally, and who can easily and naturally pursue advanced and complex work in the subject even without being greatly experienced. Thus we have musical geniuses and mathematical geniuses, but not political science geniuses, legal geniuses, or history geniuses. The former have a finite and interconnected set of unvarying unifying principles, and the later do not and, therefore, those arts require experience for mastery.

I think there are a set of fundamental principles that guide effective practice of the martial arts (e.g. keep your spine straight, don’t reach for something that is coming toward one, control the distancing, keep energy in one’s tanden (dantian in Chinese), etc.) I think a few rare people may pick up these lessons and how they are interconnected across different schools with great rapidity. However, there is an essential mental piece, and I am less certain that this is prone to prodigies. To become skilled in the martial arts there are mental skills that must be mastered that I tend to think require experience. High expertise requires shedding illusions, eliminating mental attachments, and fundamentally rewiring the way our mind responds to events that challenge the way we think of ourselves or that tend to cause stress or anguish. I cannot speak beyond my own experience, but this is a much more difficult nut to crack and takes far longer than mastering a set of kata and developing one’s own capacity for henka.

Young martial artists often pursue a short-cut to achieve a high level of awareness that involves developing an almost paranoid (not using the term in the clinical but rather the colloquial sense) mind-set whereby they practice scanning their environment for who might be trouble-makers, trying to anticipate the most strategic way to carry out every action, and running little scenarios in their heads about how threats might unfold. Ultimately, while this may allow one to be more aware and less prone to “zoning out” in one’s day-to-day existence, it is a rather low-level understanding of awareness. In essence, such people are practicing looking at the world through tinted lenses, when it benefits the warrior to see the world clearly. To imagine threats where there are none is not the goal, but rather to develop the capacity to be unperturbed by changing or unexpected circumstance.

I’ve gotten a bit off topic, suffice it to say that it takes a considerable investment to understand the mental piece of the martial arts in addition to the physical element. This is not to say that the physical and mental should be divorced. One should always be practicing the mental piece when one is engaged in physical training, but one should also practice the mental piece when one is taking a walk, shopping, a customer is venting, or one is about to drift off to sleep. Furthermore, I, personally, have found benefit to be had from zazen (seated meditation), outside of just practicing awareness and clarity in physical training.

I have gradually come to think there may be a great value in being more focused in my training. When I started to study this art, I was elated by the fact that there was so much to learn and practice. One never had to worry about getting bored because, with several schools constituting many forms and weapons, one could study for years and still be learning techniques unlike anything one had ever seen before. But in recent years my perception has begun to shift. Of course, I am no prodigy by any means, and so I may have different experience than many, but for me there is now a drive for a deep level understanding of just a fraction of these schools.

Kl. 18:07

Mine øjne er næsten helt i orden igen (åndssvag timing) så jeg trodsede fornuften og hoppede i mine shorts, bandt mine hænder ind og tog handskerne på. Det var vildt lækkert at få løbet og sjippet igen, og følelsen af at tæske løs på en sandsæk i en time til halvanden var befriende. Selv de infernalske armstrækkere var til, at lave med! Jeg har en del jeg skal nå imorgen, men hvis tiden tillader det, så skal jeg selvfølelig også ud og svede imorgen.