Year: 2016

From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumafr

Only 8 students in class at Noguchi sensei’s class but still, he was brilliant! The small number of participants didn’t stop his endless energy. We covered the first level of Gyokko Ryû (again). In my sixty trips here in Japan, I must have seen these techniques at least thirty times. And this is always a pleasure, as his interpretation of these known waza is always different. In fact, what Noguchi sensei does with the techniques is so far from the basic form, that it could be another fighting system. Because there were so few students, I trained with a young Shihan from Mexico. He was totally lost because he’s didn’t know the basic was a from the Gyokko Ryû. Even though I think that anyone should come here to train with Sōke and the Shihan, if you don’t know your basic forms, maybe it would be better to not come to Japan!

I wrote recently an article about the responsibility of being a black belt. As a teacher you have a bigger responsibility. 

Maybe because of the stress added to his lack of knowledge, my partner was only using upper body strength, and was unable to move his legs. I don’t blame him, I blame his teacher. How can you create black belts with an apparent lack of basics?

I was losing my time and began to be irritated (this is an understatement). I asked him why his level was so bad? He answered: “we do only basics”.

If it were true, he would have been good enough to train with, but that wasn’t the case. He didn’t know the Bujinkan basics at all. I don’t blame him, but his teacher. I don’t know what rank his teacher has, or who he trains with, but he has to reconsider his teaching abilities. 

He let him go to Japan without the fundamental keys to survive here. If this young black belt had trained with another young black belt, I guess things would have been OK. But with me, he had a hard time, and the more the class was going, the more he was lost. 

I don’t mind teaching beginners, this is my main activity in my dōjō, but when I come here, I come exclusively to train, not to teach. As I had to teach him, I missed a fantastic class by Noguchi sensei because his teacher didn’t do his job correctly. 

I hope that one day I can meet this teacher in Mexico, and tell him that what he does has to change. I’m aware that he might not even be responsible himself, maybe he too, had a bad teacher. 

Here are a few rules for teachers:

1.  Teaching is transmitting:

To teach, you must be focused on the quality of the transmission.

2. Having a high rank doesn’t make you a good teacher:

Having a black belt rank doesn’t mean you are qualified to teach. Teaching is an ability you learn  or develop. There’s no improvisation in teaching. 

3. Know your limits:

It is important to be aware of your teaching skills, if you don’t have any, the best is to stop teaching. 

4. Not every black belt is able to teach. 

As a teacher you are responsible for what you give. The world is not nice. Teach the right thing.  Because the lives of your students might depend one day  on the quality of your teaching and of your transmission. 

 

Hatsumi Sensei repeated in his last class, that he is only teaching the Jûgodan. He added that teachers have to teach the basics to their students. Without good basics, there cannot be any good transmission. 

I have sometimes the feeling that Bujinkan teachers are across. They are keen in showing the “cosmic flow” (that they often don’t have) than to teach the foundation of taijutsu. 

Entender that what you see here in Japan, is not what you have to teach. What you see here, is your next personal goal, your potential future. 

So, please, teach your students correctly!  

As a teacher your responsibility is to teach the bio mechanics of Budō, not the “cosmic flow”, it is useless, and only a show of ego. Your only job is to teach the roots of correct taijutsu. 

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From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumafr

I entered the dōjō and only 16 participants were there it was a luxury. I’m so used to see the honbu packed that such a small number is like having a private lesson. For some reason (maybe the summer heat) only a small group decided to attend Noguchi sensei’s class. 

As always with him the 90-minute was intense. We covered the first level of the Shinden Fudô Ryû,  and I was lost after ten minutes. Noguchi sensei is so creative in his interpretation of the techniques,  that it’s often impossible to reproduce without thinking. It is like going back to beginner’s level. And once again I learned a lot. 

What I like with Noguchi sensei is that each one of his classes is a Sanshin: you deepen things that you know, you review concepts that he taught in the past you discover new things. 

I can resume the sanshin of the class with three words: Ô Gyaku, Yorimodori,  Hagaijime. 

Deepen:

When you’ve been training for a few decades  you naively think that you know your basics. No you don’t! Until yesterday I thought that in Gekkan the Ô Gyaku was a shoulder technique where you lift the extended arm by locking the shoulder nearly vertically to push uke face down. If this is the basic form, I didn’t know that you could also do Ô Gyaku when the extended arm was positioned horizontally behind uke’s back. I should have known that as the shoulder lock is the same. Only the angle differs. When you use it then uke’s balance is taken sideways, and prevent him from landing softly. Try it in your next training. 

Review:

With Setsu Yaku, we reviewed the concept of Yorimodori. I already wrote  a few trips ago  about it (check the blog). If you didn’t read it, it’s a “down – up – push –  pull” movement a shape of a horizontal “8” (¤¤) that you apply to the attacking arm. Uke is put off balance and his body wraps around yours and fall. It is highly technical and beautiful to watch. It is even better when you finally succeed. The timing has to be perfect to make it work. It was nice for me to review it. 

Discovery:

Noguchi sensei introduced a new concept (at least I didn’t know it). He called it Hagaijime (1).

On one of the technique of the Shinden, Noguchi sensei was holding the uke by locking the shoulder and elbow joints. Uke was bent forward with his arms extended and locked (body in a “T” shape). The upper arm locked by the neck, and the lower arm sorted by Tori’s leg with an armbar done with the body  We did it in front and then in the back this time keeping the arms extended behind in a short of Ryō Ude Jime. In the front (T), or in the back (use jime) Uke was unable to take Ukemi, and each time would land on the floor, face first. Obviously we didn’t do it to the end. 

Everything came up without effort the body movement wrapping  uke through the body flow. 

It was indeed an interesting class and reviewing the first level of Shinden one again, was refreshing. I have done all of these techniques many times since my first trip here in 1990. And I’m grateful to the Japanese Shihan to have so much creativity,  as it gives us new insights on his to understand the waza

Yesterday Nagato sensei spoke of Kimatenai (2),  “nothing is decided”, this also works with specific waza. Once you know the steps (omote), the next level is to get the ura, break the form and make the Kaname alive in a different way in order to survive. Because in a real fight “nothing is decided”.  

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1.  羽交い絞め/hagaijime/pinioning; binding arms behind the back

2. 決まる/kimaru/to be decided; to be settled|to look good in (clothes) + ない / nai/not|emphatic suffix

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From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumafr

The word Kihon (1) is a major companion of your daily practice. It is a word that is used in every class. Each  time you do the Kihon Happō, you use it. 

It is often translated as “basics”, but there is more to get it out it.

 

Japanese sounds can be an interesting way to dig deeper in your understanding of the martial arts. 

If you replace  the Kanji “Ki” 基 (foundation) by “Ki”  気 (essence) your 基本 becomes 気本, or the “true essence” of movement. What is often seen as basics,  turns out to be something much bigger. The Omote is replaced by the Ura. Because through your basics are hidden the means to reach the true essence of natural body movement. 

But there is even more to get it out it.

I’ve just recorded the Sainō Tamashii Utsuwa (3), theme of 2009 with the Indian team (4). Sainō Tamashii Utsuwa was the seventh year of Juppō Sesshō. It is also called Sainō Konki. 

“Tamashii Utsuwa” is also “Konki”. And this “Ki” means “vessel”,  “container”. This is within this container that you can  express natural movements. (5) 

This three-step progression can be seen as a Juppō Sesshō no Sanshin,  where: 

Kihon / 基本: defines simple body mechanics. 

Kihon / 気本: gets you into the true essence of the movement. 

Kihon / 器本: allows you to unify your body and your soul, within the basics. 

At this level, you don’t think anymore. Movements unfold in a natural manner. You are one with the universe. You are one and zero at the same time.

The circle is finally closed, you are the Alpha and the Omega. 

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1. 基本/kihon/foundation; basis; standard

2. 気/ki/spirit; mind; heart|nature; disposition|motivation; intention|mood; feelings|atmosphere; essence

3. 才能/sainou/talent; ability;魂/tamashii/soul; spirit; 器/utsuwa/bowl; vessel; container|ability; capacity; calibre; caliber

4. Soon available in dvds and downloads at http://www.budomart.com; and in streaming at http://www.koimartialart.com 

5. 器/ki/device; instrument|vessel; container

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