From blogurl:tazziedevil.wordpress.com - Google Blog Search by Duncan Stewart
On the flight to Auckland, I sat across from a flight attendant. I saw that her name badge said ” Shinobu”. I said to her that her name was very interesting. She replied by saying. ” Yes. Do you know about Ninja?” I smiled. ...… Read MoreMonth: May 2010
Summer Seminar Series
From Don Roleys Myspace-blogg by Don Roleys MySpace-blogg
Learn the Foundation of Bujinkan!Masaaki Hatsumi has often stated that the Bujinkan is not about techniques. There are skills that are required to be the natural habits, the ‘default settings’ when do...… Read MoreDaruma
From 術心悟 by goshinarts
Below is a picture of a daruma that I drew recently. The inscription is the single character “cut” kiru 斬. Many often assume this means to cut your opponent. But in fact, this daruma is telling us to cut through ourselves. To cut thru our fixed notions and illusions.
My teacher once during training pointed to his head and said, “No Nou!” ; a play on words meaning “no brain” or no thinking. Then he playfully pointed to his heart and said, “Yes yes!”. Yes is the Japanese pronunciation for christ. He was referring to our pure hearts. For the pure heart of man is that which has communication with the divine.
Many people get trapped intellectualizing and spend much time scurrying around like a mouse in a maze. Like the Ri or Shu Ha Ri, we must eventually separate from our knowledge. Forget our intellect and let knowledge be. When we can do this, wisdom will rain down.
This year we have the theme Rokkon Shojou. Wishing you the best on your martial journey!
Paul
Daruma with a "Sai Nou Kon Ki" vase. Photo by Yabunaka
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Kaeshi Waza: the Ura of the Omote?
From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr
Bô against biken
When we train the techniques of the different weapons or ryûha we often skip this important part of the training which is the kaeshi waza.
Kaeshi waza is for me the essence of our budô as it is vital to know how to overcome any technique. Countering is always implied in a technique. In a real fight you will have to apply those “aite to kumu kokoro gamae” in order to keep the advantage over the attacker.
In the buki waza dvds (jo, biken, bô, yari, and naginata) I have included those kaeshi waza into the basic forms to give the students a better understanding of them. We did the same for each technique of the shoden, chûden, okuden, and keiko sabaki gata of the kukishin bô.
Once the forms have been acquired, you have learn the omote, with the ura you enter the hidden side of reality. Those two aspects of waza are intimately intertwined and missing the kaeshi waza is like walking with one leg!
In each technique there is a kankaku (feeling) that you must find. Once this feeling understood, you can use it against the waza and understand the real depth of budô. The developing of the ura side of the waza is the gokui (essence) of the bujinkan as it triggers our creativity and foster our imagination in a new powerful way.
Kaeshi waza is the ura of the omote, the kaitatsu of the waza, the jissen of the jissen.
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Friendship & Rokkon Shôjô
From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr
3 buyu before a trek in the Nilgiri
During my last trip to India, Eugenio Penna (10th dan Italy) was with us to share the five days seminar we had on kukishin bôjutsu, gyokko ryû kosshi jutsu and nawa jutsu. After coming with Beth Faulds (6th dan) last February, Eugenio came back to India to experience with us these very special (and very painful moments).
Sensei often speaks about friendship but it seems that his words are not really understood by many practitioners. The concept of buyu goes further than simply sharing a few meals together, it is a strong feeling that builds up through hard training and sharing. Shiva (Shidôshi) who was hosting the seminar here in Bangalore and Eugenio are true buyu beyond the limits of their own personal culture, language and experience of life. The buyu friendship is about sharing together a common experience on the mats by learning and learning to understand the other.
Whoever we are, we view the world in our own personal way and are often surprised by the differences emerging in our discussions, but on the mats we are on the same unknown terrain and we have to share with the others in order to survive. It is because of our differences that we can grow faster. For many years I have been travelling the world and in Japan and I appreciate the connections between cultures that the bujinkan offers. I believe that the buyu connection doesn’t know borders and that it is really what sensei wants us to do and this picture illustrates my point perfectly, happiness is inevitable. This is rokkon shôjô. The picture was taken right before a two hour trekk in the nilgiri (blue mountains) to reach an ancient tribal ceremony, in a deeply hidden valley.
The buyu are rich of their differences like the Indian slogan “unity in diversity” which resonates in harmony with the bujinkan .
Thank you sensei!
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