From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumablog

For years sensei has been repeating that our movements are done with 躯, Karada, the body. To help the students understand this, we keep telling them to develop footwork. The pedagogical reason to it is that if we tell them “move your body” they will not know what to do. But by speaking of the legs we force them to move the body.

In the tenchijin there is this concept of “Ken Tai Ichi Jô” or “moving the body and the weapon (armed or unarmed) as one”. Yesterday sensei repeated this “Ken Tai Ichi Jô” concept during his class.

To me it was echoing a more complete concept he introduced last Sunday. This new concept was: 心技体剣一四, “Shin Gi Tai Ken Ichi Yotsu”. To understand this, you have to know that  sensei is teaching the ninja ken these days. Sunday the whole class was about 一閃剣, Issen Ken,  and yesterday about 一刀 投げ, Ittō Nage.

“Shingitai” and “Yotsu” are concepts borrowed from Sumo wrestling*, where full body movements are required. By adding the “Ken” Sensei somehow connected the 3 aspects of Shingitai to the Ken, turning the “3” into “4”.
Hence the “Ichi Yotsu”, is the unity of (the four): shin gi tai ken.

Once the four are connected you are one. And because you are one, you can become zero. I know that this binary approach to 実戦, Jissen (actual fighting,  true fight) may look strange to many practitioners but I can assure you that this is exactly the feeling you have when sensei is using you as uke.

Sensei asked me to be his uke a few times on Sunday and Tuesday and each time he was blocking my attacks (Jodan Kiri, tsuki) with his sword, there was no sword movement that I could perceive, each time head doing it with the body. To make myself clear sensei was physically deflecting or blocking my sword with his sword, but the only thing I could feel was his body movement. There was no clash, no strength just a simple Stephen would make, rendering my attacks useless.

Sensei being zero, his sword was a natural extension of his body. His movements were so natural that no intention, no show of power could be felt from my side. Each time it was like fighting a ghost. In fact, he spoke a few times about becoming a ghost to your opponent. “It is Kage no Shinobu” he explained layer saying that we had to move like a shadow.

On the technical side, the Issen Ken (the sword moves in a flash) and ittō Nage (throwing the sword) were done so softly that there was no time for me to counter his actions. There was nothing. One moment I was attacking, the next I was dead.

This “Ken Tai Ichi Jô” or should I say “Shin Gi Tai Ken Ichi Yotsu” is the essence of sword fighting and the purest expression of Shingin Budō and this is where we are now in the Bujinkan.

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* Sumo:
心技体,  shingitai : three qualities of a sumo wrestler: heart, technique, physique
四つ相撲, Yotsu zumo: sumo wrestling in which both wrestlers grasp the other’s belt with both hands

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無心, mushin (no intention, no thinking) is one of the many concepts we encounter when walking on the martial path.

I was reading recently a quote from Sensei where he explained that “During the times of the warring states in Japan, everyone was like a wild animal. Everyone would react to whatever you intended to do. So the only way to win was to have no intention”.*

Having no intention is quite a paradox when you imagine yourself being caught in a fight but becomes logical when you are actually fighting. The time to think is not available, chaos unfolds very rapidly and your reactions are only what remains from training your basics for many years.

You can know many techniques intellectually, the history of a given Ryûha, but nothing prepares you better than studying your basics thoroughly. Learn the taijutsu techniques, learn the weapons but trust yourself when it comes to survive. A book will never fight for you, you will.

This is why the bujinkan is so different from other martial art, it prepares you to survive not to collect waza. Sensei often says negatively that many teachers are “collectors”or “scholars”,  and this is not what he is teaching. In fact we learn them to forget them. Staying at the collecting level is for “kindergartners” he said once in class.

If knowing the techniques is an important step in your progression, it is your 器, Ursula (ability) that makes the difference. And this ability can only come from the deep integration of basics within your mind and body.

Your sole intention should be to have no intention and to rely on Shingin Budō. Let the natural flow guide your actions.

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* Hatsumi Masaaki in “Understand? Good. Play!” book by Benjamin Cole ISBN 0-9710849-5-5

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I cannot believe that the Taikai will begin in only  9 days.
This will be another chance to meet with friends from all over Europe and to exchange with the shi tenno.

As I’m not a football fan,  I didn’t know that this world event could damage the Taikai. This year, I don’t think we will reach the 
100 practitioners.

This is not a good news for me, the organizer, but this is good news for you as it means that the groups will be smaller in size giving you a chance to get the best advice from each one of the shi tenno.

Also,  this year with four training halls (the dojo has been renewed) the classes will be easier to attend to.

Each day we will have private classes with each of the shi tenno and a joint class together.

Training will begin at  1000 and end up at 1730 and will consist of 4 private classes by level and one joint training. The four groups will be decided on day one as usual. 

Group 1 will regroup the high ranks, 
group 2 the black belts / Shidôshi, 
group 3 the advanced Kyû and shodan,  and
group 4, the beginners.

The Paris Taikai is the only seminar that I know where this splitting by technical level is done,  and this allows the teacher to adjust his level of teaching to every level. I’m sure that you will appreciate.

Sunday afternoon after training we will have a “party” in the dojo.

I’m eager to welcome you all in Paris for this  11th edition.
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HERE

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Today I want to speak about training 訓練 (kunren).

I was reading my notes from the past years and I stumbled upon a discussion I had with Sensei back in 2010. We were having a coffee at his place and he said: “Arnaud you have to teach what you have to teach, and to train what you have to train.”

There is often a vast misunderstanding between 教えます Oshiemasu,  teaching, and 訓練します Kunreshimasu, training.

The kanji 教, means teach, but also faith, and faith is something you have or not. There is no training to get it,  you can develop it if you have it.

Conversely 訓練 is composed of two kanji 1) explanation, instruction; 2) connect, take along. This is therefore something that requires time and effort if you want to get it.

訓練,  forces you to test everything for yourself. A book, a video, even a Densho (if you can read it) are not enough. You have to internalize the form in order to make it yours and this requires a real training. Often I’m surprised to see that very few high ranks put themselves out of their comfort zone. If you want to excel you have to take risks and the first one is to destroy the techniques and test alternative interpretations. This is a permanent “trial and error” process. Obviously you will often fail, but at the end you will build your own taijutsu, the one that is made for your body.

I remember one day asking Senō sensei how he gained his precise movements. His answer was amazingly simple. “I trained all the basics in slow motion changing the angles degree after degree until I knew the best way to do it” he said. I commented that it must have been a very long study. “about 5 years” he said.

Today many teachers don’t really train, they teach. And this is sad because Shingin Budō don’t need techniques but demands that you keep a “student ‘s mind” in order to have a chance to be “guided” by the divine martial winds. Train the movements for yourself and find your own answers,  then, when in Japan, ask for correction. As you know there is no good or bad way of doing those techniques, but there is a truth hidden within and this truth unfolds when you stop teaching and seriously train.

I found out that by saving the last twenty minutes of the class for me, I could train much more while officially teaching, maybe you should try it.

Bûfû Ikkan (keep going)

From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumablog

気配を読めない

As an add-on to this year’s theme,  Sensei show recently about acting in such a way that the opponent is not able to perceive you,  or 気配を読めない, “kehai wo yomenai”.
When you look at the kanji you get:
Kehai けはい indication, sign, hint, presence,
Yomenai 読め ない to read.

Don’t let yourself be felt

Budō Taijutsu is not sport and even if facing a fighting situation, it is important that Uke dismay feel your intentions. This is why or reactions are created as a reaction to Uke’s moves. There should be no preconceived movement. Only a natural adaptation to a given situation.

Be zero

For thirty years I’ve head sensei say that we have “to be zero”.  This “zero state” can be achieved only if you do not plan your movements. If you don’t know what you are going to do next, how do you want Uke to read it? To be zero is the most difficult thing to do and comes naturally after many years of training. Being zero can only come from mastering your basics as they get ingrained in your movements to become natural. Don’t think, train your basics deeply, and maybe one day you will be zero.

Art of killing without uke feeling your presence

Kehai wo yomenai is the extension of Shingin Budō where our moves are guided by the divine. We can get rid of the threats by letting or actions be guided by something (someone?) way above our limited perception of reality. Becoming only a tool we have their no presence and Uke is controlled by kûkan.