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Do you Know Uchi Gake?

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

In the official Tenchijin, in the Chi Ryaku no Maki, in the Nage Kata you find a throw that very few people understand. It is Uchi Gake. (1)

It is listed as follow: “Uchi Mata / uchi gake (kuden) (内股内掛 口伝).”

The explanation of the Tenchijin is cryptic. It says “Additionally, after hane age, you can knock uke down by obstructing them with uchi gake (内掛け) or “inner hook.””

Ten years ago, I asked Noguchi sensei. I understood that it was similar, in a way, to the same movements in Jūdō. Except that “Gakeru” (2) means to hook or catch. (2)

In Jūdō “Gari,” means to harvest. (3)

Also, in Jūdō, they have split the Nage Kata into three sets of techniques for the arms, the hips, and the legs. This is not the case in the Bujinkan because the nage waza includes the three sets of techniques. This is a Tenchijin and will need another article.

So, why do we have “Uchi Mata / Uchi Gake” in the program? As you might have understood, Uchi Gake is the continuation of a failed Uchi Mata. After failing to throw Uke with Uchi Mata, your right leg goes down and “hook” Uke’s right leg, he falls on his back.

But this is not all. If instead of hooking the right leg, you reposition your body and hook the left leg you get another Uchi Gake. As it is the case in Jūdō, we can name the first one, Ko Uchi Gake; and call the second one, Ō Uchi Gake.

The pictures will help you to understand better.

IMG_20181124_103227_01
Ko Uchi Gake
IMG_20181124_103245
O Uchi Gake

But if we have these two extra throws, we can apply the same logic to Ō Soto gake (outside), we get:

IMG_20181124_103253
O Soto Gake
IMG_20181124_103300_01
Ko soto gake
IMG_20181124_103310
Ko soto gake (other leg)

I hope that now you know Uchi Gake, and that you will experiment it during your next class.

Enjoy!
________________________________
1 内掛, uchi gake: inside leg trip
2 掛ける, gakeru: to catch (in a trap, etc.) / Note: there are 25 different definitions for Gake in my dictionary.
3 刈る, to cut (grass, hair, etc.); to mow; to clip; to trim; to prune; to shear; to reap; to harvest

Note to the reader: No Brasilian Spartan was injured during the session. Thank you Leandro Barros for your help.

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Mitei: Undecided

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

undecided
Since last January, Hatsumi Sensei repeats that our actions are “undecided.” In Japanese, the term is “Mitei.” It can be translated by “untruly” or “uncertainly. (1)

In a fight, you will either lose or win, but you will know the outcome only at the end. You cannot decide it. As westerners, we are programmed by our educative system not to be undecided. And Rene Descartes, the French philosopher is the one to blame for that!

He wrote “I did not imitate the skeptics who doubt only for doubting’s sake and pretend to be always undecided. On the contrary, my whole intention was to arrive at a certainty, and to dig away the drift and the sand until I reached the rock or the clay beneath.” From there comes our problem.

“To decide” comes from the Latin “decidere.” It is made of “de” (privative) + “caedere” (to cut). It implies the act of choosing by “cutting” the wrong choices.

Once again this is what we learn in school. We train ourselves not to doubt, and to always “know with certainty.” This type of reasoning applies perfectly to non-animated objects, but not for humans. (2)

In a fight, we do not choose the actions of the attacker. We only adapt our reactions to the situation, like a surfer on a wave.

When Sensei reacts to an attack, he doesn’t know what he is going to do next. He lets the body do it. This is why he often says “I don’t do the same movement twice,” nature cannot be tamed.

He doesn’t make any choice before the movement, as he is always reacting with a natural flow. The brain (thinking process) is not part of it.

Understanding that, is understanding how to control Uke. The control of Mutō Dori is not something we “decide,” it naturally manifests itself. The control is not mechanical, it is total, and includes everything. The control is coming from outside.

Sensei uses only the word “control” in English, instead of the Japanese word “Seishi.” This is because Seishi is more physical and does not imply the non-physical world. (3)

The control of Mutō Dori can exist only when our actions remain undecided. The moment we “decide” to do any movement, we lose the ability to control the attacker.

Mitei, indecision, is a necessity to achieve full control. By full control, I mean the attacker and the space between and around us. This concept of “control” is not coming from the west, is it Japanese.

To improve our Budō, we have to behave and think like a Japanese, it is Seishi, a matter of life and death!

So, decide to be undecided!
_____________________________

1 未定 / mitei not yet fixed; undecided; pending
2 We have the same problem in the “discourse on the method.” It works perfectly for objects but has to be adjusted when dealing with humans.
3 制止, seishi: control; check; restraint; inhibition
4 生死, seishi: life and death, Samsara

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Organized Chaos

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

IMG_20181123_204408

The first class with Sensei in Japan is always particular. Whatever my expectations are, this is still something different that I find.

In that respect, this first class with him was no different.

Similar in appearance, they are not. Sensei’s classes are like fireworks, it is beautiful, powerful and always different.

Because Sensei’s Budō is unpredictable, yet always the same.
This is “order in a clear disorder,” it is like fireworks.
It is 新設の乱, Shinsetsu no ran, organized chaos. (1) (2)

Mastering the organized chaos is the type of control we are learning this year. Control applies to the whole situation. It encompasses the opponent, but also the space between the players; and the space around them. As Sensei keeps repeating, “the Bujinkan is no sports.” This is about survival at war.

And do not limit the meaning of “war” to the sole military. War is something we face every day. Surviving is not becoming “Rambo,” it is able to survive our everyday problems. Ran are war and chaos, and it is everywhere. But the most important is how we respond to it.

We confront daily situations that are difficult to control. This is Muchitsujo, disorder. (3) Our goal is to change that. In a real fight, at the office, at home, or at school; our interactions with the others are a permanent battle. We are humans, and this is how we deal with adversity. The control we seek in 2018 when achieved, frees us from all trouble. Controlling our life, and our actions is a way to be one with nature.

But Muchitsujo (3) is not a curse, it is a fantastic chance to find control. Because without the disorder, there would no order. Without adversity or risk for our integrity (physical or mental), we would die. This is Howard Bloom exposes in “Lucifer Principle” (1995). (4)

Bloom “argues that social groups, not individuals, are the primary “unit of selection” on genes and human psychological development. He states that both competitions between groups and competition between individuals shape the evolution of the genome. Bloom “explores the intricate relationships among genetics, human behavior, and culture” and argues that “evil is a by-product of nature’s strategies for creation and that it is woven into our most basic biological fabric.” It sees the selection (i.e., through strong competition) as central to the creation of the superorganism society. The Lucifer Principle shows how ideas are vital in creating cohesion and cooperation in these pecking order battles.

The Dōjō is this “magic space” where, as a group of individuals, we can learn and experiment the reality of chaos. There we learn how to control chaos and to be in communion with nature. Sensei’s teachings are way beyond the simple mechanical movements of martial arts. What he teaches is a Budō of life. And the way to get immersed in this Budō of life is by studying the cause of chaos, and to put order into it. Control is teaching that.

When you train in Japan, you learn control, and how to evolve from Michitsujo to Chitsu, from chaos to order. (5)

Then Shinsetsu no Ran becomes only Shinsetsu. (1)

________________

1 新設, shinsetsu: organized
2 乱, ran: revolt; rebellion; war
3 無秩序/muchitsujo/disorder; chaos; confusion
4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lucifer_Principle
5 chitsu 秩序/order; discipline; regularity; system; a method

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Happiness Leads To Success!

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

behappy - Edited
I landed in Japan, and while getting out of the airport, I felt happy.
It reminded me of sensei’s constant advice: “be happy!”

Over the years, I often wondered how to reach happiness. In fact, until a discussion I had with Sensei in 2008, I never considered being happy as part of my life. Digging into it, I discovered many things, about happiness. The main lesson is that happiness is not permanent, it is a state of mind. It is the ability to be happy with the small things in life. If you try to be happy 24/7, you will only cultivate unhappiness.
A few weeks ago, I read “the happiness advantage” by Shawn Achor, (1) in which the author details a 7-point method to be happy. As a Harvard teacher, he studied the relationship between happiness and success. And discovered that 80% of the students were not pleased. He also established that the happy ones were more likely to get more successful in life.

I share these principles here because they apply to Budō training:

Principle 1: The Happiness Advantage (Why Happier Workers Make Better Workplaces): Happy practitioners make better Dōjō.
Principle 2: The Fulcrum and the Lever (Change the Way You Think and Maximize Your Potential): There are no limits to what you can achieve.
Principle 3: The Tetris Effect (Rewiring a Stuck Brain): Change your perspective.
Principle 4: Falling Up (Learning Resilience): Survival is about resilience.
Principle 5: The Zorro Circle (Get Control of The Small Stuff): Improve your skills step by step, never give up.
Principle 6: The 20-Second Rule (Minimize Barriers to Change): Change is bliss.
Principle 7: Social Investment (It’s All About Friends): The Dōjō is like a second family, but you have chosen it.
He writes that “Success revolves around happiness, not the other way around.” This is what Hatsumi sensei is asking from us. When we try to be happy, we succeed. This is positive psychology applied to life and Budō.

When we train, we are often confronted by failure. But the moment, we do something we couldn’t do before, the feeling we experience is happiness. It is something that is coming from us, not something that we add. And the more we experience these small moments of joy, and the more chances we meet success. Everything seems more natural, and we have no limit to create our taijutsu.

Sensei is speaking a lot about control this year. Happiness is control. Shawn Achor explains that when you “gain control and focus on little changes,” “you can make the greatest improvements.” This is my 50th year of training in the martial arts. And this is speaking to me. The man I am today is the result of these “little changes.”

Budō taught me that willpower alone cannot affect change. Developing a positive attitude towards happiness is the most important thing.
Think about it. Your success, Sōkō (2), depends on your happiness, Kō (3). If you don’t work towards that goal, you will find death, Kō (4).
Be Happy!
_________________
1 https://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Advantage-Principles-Psychology-Performance/dp/0307591549
2 奏功/sōkō/success; achievement; fruition
3 幸/kō/good luck; fortune; happiness
4 薨/kō/death (of a nobleman, etc.)

YUDANSHA BOOK by MATS HJELM

From YŪDANSHA NO AN'NAISHO by YŪDANSHA NO AN'NAISHO

武神館有段者の案内所
YUDANSHA – BUJINKAN BLACK BELT GUIDE

Prints in 3-5 business days
Click button below to order

English, Perfect-bound Paperback, 184 pages richly illustrated with pictures and illustrations. (32 483 Words, 145 533 Characters)

This book is a comprehensive guide to understand the Taijutsu of the Bujinkan system as taught by Masaaki Hatsumi Soke. We have this concept of Shu-Ha-Ri which is three major processes to learn Budo. First, we learn the fundamentals, then how to break them up. Then you transcend to a state where you are totally free without even thinking of what you are doing. Needless to say, you can’t get to the last stage without knowing the first stage well. It is said that you should study each level for at least 10 years. This book is all about the first stage we call Shu. It is further divided into three levels.

  • 天略の巻 TEN RYAKU NO MAKI (The scroll of Heaven)
  • 地略の巻 CHI RYAKU NO MAKI (The scroll of Earth)
  • 人略の巻 JIN RYAKU NO MAKI (The scroll of Man)

About the Author: Mats have been training Bujinkan Budo-taijutsu since the early 1980’s. He travelled all around the world to train and teach Bujinkan Budo-taijutsu. http://YudanshaBook.com

Print details: 8.26″ x 11.69″ (EU Standard A4), perfect binding, white interior paper (60# weight), black and white interior ink, white exterior paper (90# weight), full-color exterior ink.

BACKGROUNDThank you for your interest in Bujinkan Budō-taijutsu!

This is not a self-study course, it is really necessary for you to have a qualified instructor to help you. The purpose for this book is to be a tool to help your progress. You will learn names and principles here, and the correct movements from an instructor that can point out bad angles, distance, timing etcetera.

This is a collection of techniques I think black belts in the Bujinkan system should at least be familiar with, and teachers should know by heart.

The layout of the techniques here is from Ten-Chi-Jin Ryaku no Maki, Shidōshi scrolls. Togakure-ryū Ninpō-taijutsu, an out of print book, and numerous publications and videos by Hatsumi Sōke.

This is not an official Bujinkan guide line, book, study material or what you want to call it. It is something I worked on for 35 years and ongoing, it is my legacy to my students. If other teachers want to endorse it or follow it, thank you! If someone doesn’t agree, that’s fine to, by all means release your own better version. This was made to students and friends from many nationalities that bought my videos, attended my seminars and showed interest in my way of teaching over the years.

Mats Hjelm

This book has been an ongoing project by Mats Hjelm at Kaigozan Dojo for 35 years, now it is time to release it publicly in English as version 3.0.

Dojo wall Kake, second version

From paart budo buki by buki stolar

Dear Budo friends,

here is second version of wall kake primary for Dojo, but also for your private colection if you have large number of items for display. On this pictures you could see few wall stands made for Bujinkan Seishin Dojo Croatia, located in Zagreb (capital city of Croatia), Dojo Cho is Shihan Dean Rostohar.
Stand was made from lime tree wood, sens this wood have nice light color and it is strong but not too heavy.

The stands are made in three different widths, while the length is same and 16 items can be placed on each stand.
As you can see the broad rack is for a long items shuch are Yari, Naginata, long sticks, the middle rack is for items like swords middle size sticks, and the narrow rack is for a short items like is tanto, jitte, tessen etc.

The specificity of this version is a sample seen from the side, while the dimensions, such as the width and number of tools that can be display on the rack, could be made by your request.

For more information you could contact me on e-mail.




stand for long items,


stand for swords,


stand for short items 


Aikido buki set kake

From paart budo buki by buki stolar

Dear budo friends,

here is another desk or floor stand for swords or for your buki. This one is made of solid oak which is easy to assemble or disassemble into the basic parts.

As you can see in this case, the stand is personalized to the customer's wishes, it have Kanji symbols made by burniing iron.

The stand is lacquered with a transparent mat laqer,  this highlights the natural color of wood.
This version of the stand seems to be perfect for Aikido practitioners and their basic set (bokken, Jo and tanto), butaslso could be good for daito, shoto and tanto.





few pic. of disassemble stand, that show way of conection before stand was finished and during making, to show perfection of wood joint. Hope you like it:                                                              




Aging Is Not Bad!

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

FB_IMG_1510929083242
Humans are strange. They behave as if they are immortal. Bad news, we are not and muscle mass tends to disappear gradually from age 40 onward.
 
“Fighting Muscle Mass Loss. Starting at age 40, adults lose on average 8% of muscle mass each decade. And the rate of loss increases to 15% per decade after age 70.”
aging
Source: International Council on Active Aging
 
Last week, I gained another digit (birthday), and I celebrated my 21550th sunrise on this planet.
 
Ageing is normal and one should accept it. This is Keinen in Japanese (1).
 
As a martial artist, we have to adjust our way of training to the new reality.
 
When you are in your twenties it is acceptable to train to your limits.
 
As a young adult between 30 and 40, you have to understand that your body is changing.
 
When you get passed the 50s, it is time to train and be more clever. Too much stress on your aging body will get you nowhere except to the hospital.
 
The chart below shows the three stages of life:
 
My point here, is that you learn what you can do; and also what you should avoid. Crossfit training might not be the best at 50!
Looking at your age is the best way to continue to train until the end of your life.
 
In Japan, my teachers were in their 40s when I joined their training in the 80s. Today they are all over 70 years of age. Hatsumi Sensei is turning 88 years of age next month.
 
They are still in very good shape and can kick your butts every now and then. But their way of training has evolved so that they can continue.
 
With experience, your training and your teaching get deeper, and more philosophical. Ageing is not a curse, it is a natural process.
 
Do not see yourself as a punishment: 刑人, Keinin (punished man). (2) (3)
 
Be happy to experience 経年, Keinen, as it means you are still alive. This is good, because after all, Ninjutsu is about surviving!
_________________________-
 
1 Keinen: 経年, passing of years; lapse of time; aging; ageing
2 Kei: 刑, penalty; sentence; punishment
3 Nin: 人, person
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Bujinkan Jūgodans: Grow Up to 成人しん Seijin Shin

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

Michael Glenn reflected at 豊川稲荷神社
This is some advice for Jūgodans. I say that because Hatsumi Sensei said it. But also because people with less than 20 years of training are not ready for this. We all must learn that, 秘伝 hiden, or the secret teachings of budo are hidden in your blind spot.

Takamatsu Sensei told us one reason that this blind spot exists is because teachers tend to make 得意 tokui - their own strong points, into 極意 gokui - the main points, of their art or teaching. You’ve probably met a teacher that only teaches their strengths. And you’ve also been that teacher without realizing it.

During one Friday night class at the old Bujinkan Honbu Dojo, Hatsumi Sensei was teaching some 秘剣 hiken, or secret sword methods from 八相 hassō. This particular secret is not written down anywhere. It is a way of powering the sword cut and steering it that I have never seen in any other sword school.

Among the thirty or so students who were there that night, maybe a few understood what he taught. But there was a bigger secret he demonstrated on the spot. Maybe no one noticed.

Hatsumi Sensei demonstrated how to overcome our 盲点 mōten, or blind spot. He did this with henka forged in discovery. But these henka were not of his own creation. They arise from 自然 shizen. Many secrets are hidden there. He told us that we cannot learn these 秘伝 hiden until we let go of the past and what we already know.

When you forget the techniques you’ve worked to master, nature will allow you to grow. Soke said 自然的に許可者 shizen-teki ni kyoka-sha. When you understand it’s not about form, your henka will get better and better. But these henka are not created by you!

A year before Takamatsu Sensei passed away, he told Hatsumi Sensei that he’d taught him everything. But Soke didn’t think that was correct. So he told us that, “From when I started training, until now, I keep learning and showing new things.” How can this be?

Hatsumi Sensei continued, “It’s important to keep training even though the art keeps changing. If you don’t keep walking with it, then you’ll get left behind. This is 武風一貫 bufū ikkan.” The warrior winds of bufū will carry you when you persevere this way.

No matter how good you are right now, if you follow the warrior winds you can become a master. It will not happen overnight. It happens with a natural timing just like growing up. Soke told us that being a Jūgodan is about 成人しん seijin shin, becoming adults.