2016 - NinZine 3.0

人心看破術　Jin Shin Kan Pa Jutsu

Kasumi An Study CenterSeptember 2, 2016

From Kasumi An Study Center 　霞庵スタディセンター by Kasumi An Study Center

Visitor at the Kasumian. Even though the dragonfly has two big eyes, They won`t help him with Jin Shin Kan Pa Jutsu. Which eyes do you see with?

The other day I was in the dojo training when a friend who has not been in Japan came in and greeted me. His boyish good looks still evident but under a layer of new chubbiness. (Hopefully due to a good life overseas) My initial thought was “Wow, he`s gained some weight!”. Of course, as learned etiquette demands, I did not mention it and we began training. About five minutes later Hatsumi Sensei comes walking over and greets him with a hearty “Hello! Good to see you” and “Oh I see you have gotten fat!”. Well I almost fell over and the three of us burst out laughing. As I was catching my breath I hear my friend say to Sensei, “Yes it`s true, I have gained weight and my hair is changing to gray. I wasn`t sure that you would recognize me.”. Sensei replied, “of course I know you!”. What he said next was very interesting. He pulled us together and speaks, ” I may forget a face, and I may forget a name but I never forget the mood or feeling of person. This is important, to understand someone`s mood or the feel of that person.”.

Instantly, I am thrown back in time to last October (2015), Halloween, I had dressed as Harry Potter and came to the dojo early to joke around with my friends. After having a nice laugh with everyone in the dojo and before Sensei arrived, I changed into my dogi but kept the wig and wire rim glasses on; thinking I might fool Sensei. Some Japanese say all foreigners look alike anyways! A few minutes pass and Sensei enters the dojo and barely glances at me as he walks by. Immediately I know he knows. For he would have certainly greeted a new comer more warmly. I ask “Sensei, how did you you know it was me?”. He looks back over his shoulder at me and says “Of course, I know it`s you. I don’t look at the outside, I look at the inside of everyone.”.

A few days later, I am thinking about these two events when again I am thrown back in time to about ten years ago when Sensei used to tell us the importance of the art of Jin Shin Kan Pa Jutsu. The art of reading, seeing, sensing the heart, intent, feel of a person. To know a person instantly, know his intent, his heart, clear or dark. The importance of not being fooled by outwardly appearances. If you are always taken with the outwardly shapes, forms, colors of the people and things around you will often miss their truth, their intent, their nature – good or bad. This can lead a multitude of troubles, from being swindled in love and money, to more perilous, dangerous or even life threatening situations. The ninja often used the opposite of this, henso jutsu (disquise) to hide in plain sight. Often in our training, we enjoy the practice of the more outwardly and sometimes fun henso jutsu practice but forget about the this equally important inner ability. With consistent practice to nurture a calm clear heart, the art will naturally and surely take root. The ninja must endeavor to master both the inner and outer arts to ensure a safe and a happy return.

Kaname 要

IwatoAugust 29, 2016

From Sida 11 – Iwato 1810 by Iwato

Principen att ”döda” balansen är en grundläggande del i budo och ingår i konceptet ”kaname 要”, något som Hatsumi sensei har tagit upp som årets tema 2012. Kaname kan man översätta till

det nödvändiga
det viktigaste
essensen, det essentiella
pivot
att vänta i bakhåll

Eftersom vi människor står på två ben, är vi särskilt känsliga när det gäller kroppens balans, men även den mentala balansen kan ”dödas”(kuzushi).
Detta går hand i hand med vår inneboende rädsla för att falla. När ens balans bryts om bara så lite grann, så reagerar vi med en automatisk respons för att försöka snabbt återvinna balansen, för att undvika att ta fall. Denna balansreaktion kan utnyttjas på många sätt och det är därför en viktig del i vår träning att lära sig upptäcka dessa reaktioner.

Kuzushi är relaterad till begreppen pivotpunkt och hävstång. En pivotpunkt är den stödjepunkt som en hävstång arbetar kring för att lyfta eller flytta något. Det är den punkt som hävarmen svänger kring. Till exempel är det möjligt att kasta ett suddgummi över bordet med din linjal som hävstång och fingret som en stödjepunkt.

Detta är relaterat till balansen genom att pivotpunkten kan manipuleras vid kontaktpunkten, man kan på ett effektivt sätt beröva motståndaren förmågan att uppfatta den kraft som tillämpas på denne, och därmed också kunna leda dem ur balans. Du spelar med det faktum att motståndaren har vissa ”förväntningar” om vad som händer när han till exempel, slår mot dig och du blockerar;
Undermedvetet, förväntar han sig att möta en kraft vid en viss punkt och från en viss riktning. När den ”förväntade” kraften ändras vid eller strax innan kontaktpunkt blir motståndaren vid denna tidpunkt ytterst sårbar i sin balansreaktion.

Ett annat exempel på kuzushi är när du går upp eller ner för trappor och snubblar till på toppen eller längst ner, eftersom du inte var uppmärksam och förväntade ytterligare ett steg som inte var där. Marken har träffar foten en aning tidigare eller något senare än du väntade, och slår dig ur balans.
Om den riktning som foten och marken möter också förändras, till exempel golvet ger vika eller det finns ett objekt som ändrar fotens landningsvinkel, kommer du sannolikt snubbla, falla och eventuellt stuka foten.
Eller när du trycker upp en dörr öppen, förväntar du dig att den öppnas åt vänster eller höger på sina gångjärn. Men om dörren helt enkelt gav vika, skulle de flesta människor ramla framåt och / eller falla, beroende på hur hårt de knuffade dörren. Om en dörr du var säker på var en svängdörr men egentligen var en skjutdörr, skulle du stoppas tvärt eller falla med ansiktet mot det om armen inte var redo för motståndet.

All kraft som appliceras på motståndaren är alltid i omvänd proportion mot det han använder mot oss – ett begrepp som Hatsumi sensei använder för det är ”datsu ryoku”.
Detta koncept kommer från en urgammal bok om stridskonst, benämnt Sanryaku, och där det står att ”mjuka färdigheter styr de hårda” (juyoku seigou 柔能制剛).
Det är en fras som är välkänt inom en bred budo krets och man brukar hänvisa till den som referens till att mjuka tekniker (jujutsu, judo etc) alltid kommer att segra över hårda metoder. Men det är bara halva sanningen, för i stycket direkt efter i Sanryaku skrivs det att;
– ”den som är mjuk och hård är i ett tillstånd av tilltagande ära! Den som kan vara stark och svag är i ett tillstånd av ökande berömmelse! Om man är enbart mjuk och svag är man på tillbakagång. Om man är enbart stark och hård, blir man oundvikligen förintad”.…

Bujinkan Kyūsho: 呼吸 Kokyuu, 指 Yubi, and 目 Me

Michael GlennAugust 23, 2016August 23, 2016

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael Glenn

柴又八幡神社 Shibamata Hachiman Jinja, photo Michael Glenn

In the past few years, Hatsumi Sensei has been exploring more than one theme every year. And some of the Bujinkan yearly themes have actually stretched across more than one year. For example, one Bujinkan theme this year of “skipping stones” I first heard from Hatsumi Sensei during one class back in September of 2014: The 間 Aida of Skipping a Stone Across Water

Another Bujinkan theme that Hatsumi Sensei has been expressing the last few years is the use of 呼吸 kokyuu (the breath), 指 yubi (the fingers), and 目 me (the eyes). These three are not to be taken individually. They must be connected in the same way that the ripples on a pond are connected by the stone that skipped across it.

In one cold December class Hatsumi Sensei described this for us,

"(the eyes and the breath are) connected like skipping a stone. It’s connected together but really you disappear. Take the eyes and the fingers for jissen. In a real situation you don’t want to just go for them, you just kind of let them happen along the way. Take the eyes, the fingers, and stop the breathing."

These three things can be thought of as kyūsho. They are weak points on even the strongest opponent. If you attack the eyes, you destroy his ability to fight. The fingers are very sensitive to pain and break easily. And if you stop or interrupt the breath, the entire body and mind stops with it.

As always, Hatsumi Sensei embeds layers of meaning and wordplay into the things he shares with us. The word 呼吸 kokyuu means breath, but it also can be translated as a knack, a trick, or a secret for doing something. Hatsumi Sensei described one of these secrets in another class I went to,

"Don’t grab and hold, just move like this with the body. The finger hooks on here. With this timing, with this rhythm."

Even though it wasn’t translated directly, Soke actually said 呼吸から愛人 kokyuu kara ai jin, this is the harmony of the breath between lovers. This means you match your movements or your breath to the same rhythm as the breath of your opponent. You harmonize and become one with him. Then when you break that rhythm, it shatters him like a wine glass.

In case you haven’t seen that happen, a wine glass can be shattered by sound (the breath or voice of a singer). This happens because the glass has a natural frequency at which it vibrates. The singer first resonates with this frequency, then breaks that by going beyond it.

Hatsumi Sensei said we can use the finger to attack the rib cage in a way that interrupts the breath. I witnessed this, but since it is a kuden, I would have to show you in person. Don’t be afraid to ask me to hurt you next time you see me!

Hatsumi Sensei added that this is why we don’t have to avoid a strike. Instead we interrupt the opponent's breathing. This becomes like sutemi. Here we find the feeling of being able to control with just one finger.

The word for eyes or eyesight in Japanese can use different kanji as well. One of them is 目 me which can be translated as insight. Another is 明 mei which is a brightness or clarity of vision.

And the finger indicates the connection or link between these things. We must open up to these connections when we train on the Bujinkan themes. Remember the real training happens in your own breath and your own insight. … Read More

Meditation

IwatoAugust 23, 2016

From Sida 12 – Iwato 1810 by Iwato

Meditation inom vår budo beskrivs i termer av taijutsu som ”när kroppen rör sig ska sinnet vara stilla”.

Toda Shinzaburo Masahide har beskrivit det i en dikt:

”Varken stark eller svag, varken mjuk eller hård,
Skilj detta från ditt sinne
Kom till insikt om formen av ”Ku”
Förkroppsliga ”Mu” och förbli i den”

強弱柔剛あるべからず
故にこの心から離れ
空という一字に悟り
体また無しとして之に配す

”Kyôjaku jyûgô aru bekarazu,
Yue ni kono kokoro kara hanare,
Kû to iu ichiji ni satori,
Tai mata nashi ni shite kore ni haisu”

Varken stark eller svar, varken mjuk eller hård [kyôjaku jyûgô] definieras av Hatsumi sensei som;

”Detta betyder att det är naivt inom Budo att fängslas av tankar om starkt/svagt eller mjukt/hårt, i slutändan tonar även koncept som skicklig/okunnig bort. Jutaijutsu består av femton kraftfulla metoder och femton svaga metoder, totalt trettio metoder som även kan ses som tre set av tio (som sanshin no kata, tenchijin och idén om juji). Därav, man ska medvetet och envist eliminera allt som klamrar sig på oss för att uppnå ”Mu”.

”Mu” är en värld av intighet. Det är en värld utan fysisk existens, där allting tonar bort och försvinner. I den världen tillåter man inte motståndaren att se eller känna min form, man måste ständigt sträva efter att minimalisera sitt avtryck.

Meditation för oss handlar inte bara om att sitta still och inte tänka på något, det är mycket mer än så.…

中今(Naka Ima) Here and now are the only realities.

カスミアンAugust 17, 2016

From Kasumi An Study Center 　霞庵スタディセンター by カスミアン

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This is a work of art for my friend Matthew by Hatsumi Soke. It reads in large characters, Divine Dragon (神龍) and in ancient “Age of the Gods” characters (kamiyomoji), Shiken haramitsu Dai Koumyo. Sensei often writes this for people who are having difficulties with health or as a general Omamori or talisman for protection.

When my good friend Willy Iglesia went to Japan at the tender age of 18 to train with Ninja Master Hatsumi Masaaki, his first lesson was an unexpected one. Hatsumi Sensei took him to a restaurant and ordered two plates heaping with vegetables for the two of them. Willy, being a young man from Argentina, (people form Argentina eat a lot of meat! How much? Well, think of a whole hell of a lot of meat and then think even more!) So Willy, looking at the plate of greens, says “Sensei, I don`t eat vegetables.”. The reply from Ninja Master Hatsumi, “First lesson, now eat vegetables!”.

We often forget the foundation upon which our Ninpo is based. A healthy body/mind organism. In his very first books on Ninpo, Hatsumi Sensei stresses the importance of proper nutrition and exercise. Yet often we are controlled by our senses, eating and partaking in activities solely to please the greedy senses. My yogi teachers would say, “you are eating donuts to please the tongue while the liver dies in silence.”. These words I can never forget. If you look deeply at this one sentence, you may grab the essence of the Rokon Shojou 六根清浄 (禄魂笑浮）teachings of several years ago as well.

I train a small Bujinkan group in Yokohama and have had the good fortune to meet Matthew Dons who became an ardent supporter, student and good friend. Matthew was recently diagnosed with stage four cancer having spread to many systems in his body. He is 36 years old with two small children. The prognosis is that he most likely has only a few months to live. We live our life as if we have an unlimited amount of time. Once I was speaking with Hatsumi Sensei about the later years of life. He said, “Don`t think about the later years, right now, these are the later years of your life. live now. this is naka ima! (中今).”. Be in the middle of right now. The Buddha once said, “life is but a single breath.” How deeply can we live and love in this moment. Often we think, when I get there, I will be happy then. Remember, there and then are fictions. Here and now are the only realities.

If you are able and would like to help, please click the link below to help Matthew fund his treatment and other expenses in this difficult time. We are hoping to extend his life for a few more precious moments to be with his family. Wishing you all health and happiness, Now!

https://www.gofundme.com/2hk6vqk

A side note. We once announced an opening party for Kasumian Study Center a year and a half ago, Matthew is the only one who showed. He came all the way from Yokohama to support us. I am very grateful for the time we spent together. Thank you for being there Matthew. Buyu 武友、武祐、武勇。All are pronounced Buyu. Martial friend, martial divine help, martial courage. They are all of them you and may they continue to be with you!

matthew-hospital