From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumablog

It takes more than just a good body. You’ve got to have the heart and soul to go with it. Epictetus

Today Sensei was late for the class, so I was tasked to begin without him. It’s not the first time it is happening to me, but I must admit that I’m always proud of his trust. 
When he arrived, he continued with the Mutō Dori feeling and we played unarmed techniques, and sword and Bō variations. Some movements included Sannin Dori . The dôjô was packed, so long weapon moved were quite difficult to put into practice, but we managed. 
Sensei was moving his body in a way that always let his uke mentally unable to counter. As he explained since I arrived,  Ninpō Taijutsu is not only physical, it is also mental. One of his uke’s of today said it quite well: “when I attacked, my mind was focused on his right hand applying Omote Gyaku. When his left elbow hit me, I didn’t see it coming.” 
Sensei’s movements are so subtle that we put our intention on one point, and always get destroyed from another angle.

But the Kaname of the day was not the class but what happened during it. At some point he invited a student to attack him. Apparently, it was the first time for him to Sensei’s uke. At first, he didn’t move. Then after Sensei asked him again to join him in the center, he turned twice to see who was being invited. Finally, still hesitating, he stood up. You could see the surprise and disbelief in his eyes. 
Still wondering,  he attacked and was easily defeated. When he was required to share his feeling with us, he said that “I was so surprised, that I couldn’t attack properly.” 
I spoke with him after the class and he told me that never, in his many years of training, he thought that he would be Sensei’s uke one day. That was cute.

But the story doesn’t stop here. Maybe ten minutes later, Sensei seated at the other end of the dōjō, stopped the class, and asked him for his rank,  country, and number of years of training. “Uke” still moved by his experience, looked lost again, and with a small voice. said “19 years, Germany, Jūdan “.

The training resumed, then sensei sat next to him, and called Furuta San in. Furuta San came with pen and paper. Sensei turned to “Uke” and said: “13th dan! Furuta San, get his name and details”. You should have seen his eyes when finally he understood that he got promoted from tenth to thirteenth Dan in a few seconds. He was more lost than when he was invited to be Sensei’s uke. I’m always wondering what Sensei and the Japanese Shihan see that we don’t.

This is the beauty of Hatsumi Sensei’s grading system. Ranks have little value if you don’t live up to them. But to be promoted in such a way by Sōke is a big honor. I’m sure his teacher will be proud, as I would be. When in Japan, when my students are promoted by Sōke, I always see it as some kind of acknowledgement of my teaching work.

At the end of the class,  Sensei rewarded three Jūgodan with the title of Yūshū Shihan and one with the Shingitai . (2) Then he spoke about ranks and rewards. “In the Bujinkan”, he said, “the title and ranks you received, are not given after but before you deserved it.” Too many practitioners seem to forget it. Ranks and rewards are given “a priori” not “a posteriori”. This is up to you to level your proficiency to be worth it.

Last August,  Sensei told Daniel Hernández, that there will be only twelve Dai Shihan. (3) All the others, will receive the Yūshū Shihan,  “important Shihan”. (4) 
As you know,  like the majority of the “jurassic ninja”, I have received all of these titles, I use to say that I have the whole collection. (5)
But the Shingitai diploma is the one I prefer. The Shingitai rewards the three levels of development of the student: Soul, technique, and body. (6) If it is quite easy to get Gi and Tai,  Shin is the hardest.

This is why I fully agree with Epictetus: “It takes more than just a good body (and technical skills). You’ve got to have the heart and soul to go with it.”

_______________
1. In Latin “a priori” means before; and “a posteriori” means after. 
2. Yūshū Shihan: Marcelo Ferraro (ARG ), Juan-manuel Gutiérrez (ARG ), Paul Fisher (USA). Shingitai: David Palau (COL). 
3. Dai Shihan: Noguchi (JAP), Nagato (JAP), Senō (JAP), Pedro (SP), Paco (SP), Sven (SWE), Peter (UK), Arnaud (FR), Phil (USA), Par (USA), Jack (USA), Daniel (ARG).
4. Yūshū: 優秀/yuushuu/superiority; excellence. My understanding is that those two titles only differ in the level of potential responsibility.
5. Check www.arnaudcousergue.ismyreal.name.com
6. 心技体/shingitai/(sumo) three qualities of a wrestler: heart, technique, physique. 技, Gi, is also read as Waza.

From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumablog

What I love about the classes with Senô sensei, is that I always learn new ways of doing what we do.

Like all the students who’ve been here for 25 years, I’m quite aware of the forms. What I still need to learn is hiding in the details. Life is about learning, and his classes are full of insights. The point of visiting Japan three times a year is to improve my abilities.

Today I learned two things:
1. There is more than the “1, 2, 3” sequence in a waza;
2. That we have to create a Fuyû (1), a point of suspension where uke is trapped by his own force.

Senō sensei explained today that in a given technique “1, 2, 3” there is more than those steps. Between “1 and 2” , and “2 and 3” , there are numerous hidden technical points.  Details that change everything,  and make your Taijutsu effortless and powerful at the same time.

The body reacts as a whole because distance, angles, and rhythm are trained slowly to become perfect. Like what has already been said this trip by Hatsumi sensei and Nagato sensei, it is necessary to move slowly in order to unfold the possibilities.

His Uke attacked with a Gyokko ryû like attack. Right fist attack followed by a right kick. Senō sensei went back in line with the opponent’s fist, simply making a light contact on the hand.  It was a simple double shuffling step in slow motion, that put him out of reach (Juppō Sesshō). The target being still reachable,  this triggered uke to continue with the kick in the same side. Effortlessly,  Senō sensei pivoted sideways, he spoke about Kosshi (2), and took the leg with his right leg. At the same time he was controlling the attacking hand by driving it, softly, to the left. This ended with uke falling on his back. From the outside it looked like uke stepped on a banana peel. It was simple and efficient. 
After a few tries,  uke began not to give away his body weight and therefore was able to keep his balance. This is when details are everything.

When this happened, Senō sensei would put the hand on his belt, turn close towards uke, barring the elbow with his right forearm. There was no grabbing, simply body pressure. We then spent a long time on this control. He explained that by rotating the bones of his forearm slightly, it was possible to get uke’s balance without force. It worked. 
I know that it might be difficult to visualize it, but I invite you to try it on the mats during your next training. Try many angles and hopefully you will understand it.

The other interesting point today was Fuyû, suspension. (1)
Senō sensei explained that our body reactions should create a state of suspended gravity. When uke begins to think he is sorted by your body (technically, he thinks he is getting you), this is when you let go. This is the true meaning of Kokû (3). 
Each time it is possible, break contact with your opponent in order to create this vacuum. Hatsumi sensei said that this is the real meaning of Nin, persevere. (4)
To persevere is not to resist but to be brave enough to go at the last possible second. This is the essence of Mutō Dori, the theme of this year. Positioning your body slowly at the exact distance, and at the last second, you create an in-between state. Uke is unaware that he is losing his balance and uses more strength to recover it when he sees it to late.

This is Fuyû.

Senō added that we have to play (Asobi) with this Fuyû feeling. But when you look at the kanji you discover that Fuyû is composed of “Fu + Asobi”, float + play (5).

In baseball, Asobi is “to intentionally throw a ball to lower the batter’s concentration”. This is exactly what Senō sensei wants us to do,  lower the attacker’s concentration by creating a state is suspension. 
___________
1.  浮遊/fuyuu/floating; wandering; suspension
2. Kosshi is the backbone and symbolizes the pivoting vertical axis of the body. (Gyokko ryû) 
3. 虚空/kokuu/empty space; empty sky
4. 忍/nin/endurance; perseverance; forbearance; patience
5. 遊ぶ/asobu/to play; to enjoy oneself; to have a good time|to mess about (with alcohol, gambling, philandery, etc.)|to be idle; to do nothing; to be unused|to go to (for pleasure or for study)|(baseb) to intentionally throw a ball to lower the batter’s concentration

From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumablog

Jack began sensei’s class with a mix of Katame Dori, ending in a sort of Omote Gyaku / Ganseki Oshi. Sensei used it to develop the concept of Kyomu, nothingness, which is at the core of Ninpô Taijutsu. (1)

This Ninpô Taijutsu Gen (2) is a holistic fighting. The physical is reinforced by the spiritual. Uke is not defeated by the body movements, but rather by his wrong perception of reality. His mind is played by Tori’s attitude. Again the class yesterday class was about illusion.
It is interesting to see that “Kyomu” bears the same kanji as Kyojitsu (3), the alternating stages of truth and falsehood.

Sensei did many henka on Omote Gyaku, showing tens of variations. The Omote Gyaku Waza imposed itself at some point in a natural manner.

I find interesting to study it again, after the class we had with Nagato sensei on the same subject. It looked like “the next step” that sensei keep speaking about.

When you move with this natural reaction,  everything is soft and looks quite slow. But the key point is to awaseru, to meet the opponent’s attack, fearless. It felt like going back to the year of Kuki taishô (4) I guess it is hard for the new generation to comprehend what sensei is doing these days,  because everything is based upon the teachings on Juppô sesshō that we began in 2003. In fact,  he said that because of Juppô sesshō,   there was no left,  right,  fast,  slow,  win,  lose. Everything that he did is logical with the understanding of the situation he is facing. And it looked logical, soft and natural.

He illustrated this Juppō Sesshō with some sword techniques. As the theme this year is Mutô Dori,  he began unarmed and then moved to two swords, which is also mutō dori (5). In Koteki Ryûda Juppō Sesshō Hibun no Kami (6), theme of 2003, the eight directions of the happō are completed with the vertical axis of heaven and earth. Heaven is ryûda, the flying dragon; and koteki is the crouching tiger. In the encounter you are dragon and Tiger alternatively, soft and hard, slow and fast. In the sword techniques  sensei explained that you do not try to cut but apply multiple hits like if uke was attacked by a swarm of bees. This reminded me of the Amo Isshun no Tamamushi. (8) Uke is defeated by the many micro attacks he receives. In unarmed defense the sword his are replaced by Yubi Kudaki.
This holistic movement is what sensei calls zenten (7). The body adjusts naturally to the suki (openings) of the attack / of the attacker.
In both situations (with and without sword), you are soft and react naturally to the attack. Because of zenten,  you move either in one direction or another like a skipping stone. Uke is the wave and naturally surf on his intentions.

Last class was really magic and helped me to grasp the essence of Ninpô Taijutsu Gen.
_________
1.  虚無/kyomu/nihility; nothingness
2.  忍法/ninpou/ninja arts
体術/taijutsu/classical form of martial art
幻術/genjutsu/magic; witchcraft
3. Kyojitsu vs kyojutsu: there is often a misconception about this two terms. Kyojitsu 虚実/kyojitsu/truth or falsehood, and kyojutsu is 虚/kyo/unpreparedness|falsehood + 術/jutsu/art; means; technique. Therefore,  kyojitsu is the concept used in kyojitsu techniques.
4. Kuki taishō (theme of 2007): 九/kyuu/nine,  気/ki/spirit; mind; heart|nature; disposition|motivation; intention|mood; feelings|atmosphere; essence,  大勝/taishou/great victory; crushing victory
5. Reminder Mutō Dori is not only defending oneself unarmed facing a weapon. It is above all, having the courage to face a potential death. I wrote a few posts on that last year in this blog. Check them.
6. My book on ” Koteki Ryûda Juppō Sesshō Hibun no Kami” can be found at http://www.budomart.eu and will soon be available in ebook at Amazon.com (January 2016).
7. Zenten is 全天/zenten/all heaven,  but can also be understood as 全店/zenten/the whole (store).
8. Amo isshun no tamamushi 中一瞬 の 吉丁虫
中 amo:center, inside, during
一瞬 isshun: one moment
吉丁虫  tamamushi: jewel beetle, bee

From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumablog

Noguchi sensei is good with many ryû, but his understanding of the Gyokko ryû is the best. If I’m not mistaking, I think that his whole taijutsu is largely influenced by the depth of the Gyokko ryû.

During his last class, we covered (again) the first level of the Gyokko ryû: Kokû, Renyō, Gyaku Nagare, Dan Shu, Dan Shi,  etc. Once again, it required a lot of attention from my part to read his movements. His taijutsu is so far from the forms of the densho that, often, I am incapable of recognizing the original waza.

Every basic waza is “exploded” into something different. Only the Kaname (1) remains. The form is gone.

Nothing is “finished” and uke cannot rely on his sensations. Uke is defeated by his illusions. In a way, it was the follow-up of the last class we had with Hatsumi sensei for his birthday. The way Noguchi sensei is moving is a double-bind. When he announces the name of the technique, we expect a given form. When he does it, something different pops out, that is so far from the basic form, that we are captured by what we are expecting. This is a pure manipulation,  similar to what magicians do when they are doing their tricks.

Funnily, things would be easier for us, if we didn’t know what he was doing next. I guess that beginners,  thanks to their lack of knowledge, have less problems than us.

And this is why I really love his classes, because they question my understanding of the art. I’m lost and happy at the same time. What Noguchi sensei is showing is the famous “next step” that Hatsumi sensei was telling us again during the last class. Being able to see novelty in techniques we have been repeating for years is the reason why I’m training three times a year in Japan.

During the second part of the class,  we moved to Bō jutsu. We covered the chûden level of the Kukishin ryû. At least this is what he wanted us to believe. But his interpretation was definitely Gyokko ryû oriented. The young Bujinkan members might not be aware of it, but in 2005, we studied the Bō jutsu of the Gyokko ryû, using the Kukishin techniques to illustrate it. (2) (3)

As I said in the introduction, Noguchi sensei is the man of Gyokko ryû and this lightens his whole taijutsu in a very particular way.

It makes sense. As sensei wrote in “unarmed fighting techniques of the samurai”,  the Gyokko ryû is the origin of all Japanese Budō. Therefore, mastering this specific ryûha, gives access to the understanding of all Budō.

I really enjoy the Noguchi ryû. (4)

_______________
1.  要/kaname/pivot|vital point; cornerstone; keystone
2. In 2005, we studied Kasumi no hō and Gyokko no bō. This was the third year of the Juppō Sesshō series. The main difference in the use of the long staff is that the hands are often positive at the mid section instead of the last inch of the weapon. There is no densho of bō jutsu in the Gyokko ryû. 
3. Please note that, my friend Marcelo Ferraro on his way back to Argentina, will be giving a seminar on stick fighting in Dubai, next weekend. Marcelo has been used by Noguchi sensei a lot during this class and I’m sure that everyone attending this seminar will learn of lot from him. The seminar is organized by Juan Pablo Napoli, from the Bujinkan UAE. More information at [email protected]
4. One day,  I asked Hatsumi sensei the following question: “when I come to Japan,  I have feeling that I learn the bujinkan with you,  but also the Noguchi ryû,  the Nagato ryû, the Senō ryû, and the Oguri ryû. Am I correct?” His answer was: “yes!”

From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumablog

The human observer constitute the final link in the chain of observational processes, and the properties of any atomic object can be understood only in terms of the object’s interaction with the observer.” ― Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics

Even though I’m not a scientist, I see more and more connections between our Budō and the world of Quantum physics. During Nagato sensei’s class this was obvious, once again, as every movement is a natural reaction to uke’s intention. The way you “observe” the situation, influences the outcome of the fight.

We can rewrite the previous sentence as follow: “Tori is the observer, that constitutes the final link in the chain of observational processes, and the properties of any  movement, can be understood only in terms of the movement’s interaction with the observer.

Rachel, a new Shidōshi from the USA, opened the class with Sōke kind of Omote Gyaku and Nagato sensei broke it down in numerous henka. When he used her as uke, each attack she gave was slightly different from the previous one. But each time,  Nagato sensei, sensing the subtle changes, was able to turn it into some kind of Omote Gyaku.

Clearly, he was observing without any intent, and therefore was able to react according to the new situation. Hatsumi sensei often says that he “never repeat twice the same technique.” we witnessed it yesterday.

In the fight, Tori is “kansokusha”, the observer, meaning that he is passive and has no intention. (1) Tori moves slowly and unfolds the possibilities offered by uke. Nagato sensei spoke again about the importance of not using strength (2), and to move slowly. 
This is why, if Tori’s movements are Kansoku (観測) a simple observation; they are also Kansoku (緩速), slow speed (3)

The technique we use doesn’t matter. It is determined by uke’s attacks. There cannot be any preconceived choice. Slow motions paired with proper distancing will unfold our possibilities.

To illustrate further this,  Nagato sensei applied the same body flow with a Hanbō. The original Omote turned at time into Oni Kudaki,  and at other times into Musha Dori. But he kept calling it Omote Gyaku.

“There are no waza” did Hatsumi sensei recently, “only a natural movement adapted to the situation. ”

These days, I see “Waza” as the worst weakness of the Bujinkan practitioners. Because we want to do, we stop observing and cannot interpret the subtle changes happening before our eyes. Willing to do a waza, we cannot observe anymore. Not observing, there is no awareness. And without awareness, we cannot adapt freely to the situation.

Hatsumi sensei’s Budō is not about techniques, it is about life. Only when we become 観測者 (kansokusha), an observer; we can turn into 感覚者 (kankakusha), a man of feeling. 
______________
1.  観測者/kansokusha/observer
2. 力/chikara/force; strength; might; vigour (vigor); energy
3. 緩速/kansoku/slow speed
4. 感覚/kankaku/sense; sensation; feeling; intuition

From Shiro Kuma's Blog by kumablog

Albert Einstein said that “The distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”
Yesterday was my first class with Sensei since last August. I just arrived the night before, so I was happy that he added an extra class Wednesday afternoon for his birthday. The class was special.
After he asked me to open the class, Sensei did many variations with taijutsu,  sword, Bō, and kunai. He also spoke about illusion. 
Illusion is created when “kago, genzai, mirai”, (past, present and future) are not three, but when they become one. (1)
To uke’s perception there is nothing, as we don’t move away and do not seem to fight back or to counter his attacks. There is no intention, only Genzō, illusion. (2)
At some point, after launching a sword attack,  Nakadai sensei commented that “sensei was there, but then he was not”. Later, my friend Juan-manuel Serrano, attacking sensei with a tsuki with a kunai, thought he was going to stab him: “I really thought I was going to stab him, and it put me off balance”,  he said afterwards.
Every time,  sensei’s movements were slow and soft. He compared this to the feeling of the Sakki test. You move naturally without even trying to avoid the attack. When you do not try to avoid the attack, and move slowly, uke’s perception is wrong. It forces the attacker to stop, slow down, or move away. That was quite impressive to watch.
When “kago, genzai, mirai” are not separated anymore,  uke is unable to prioritize his actions, therefore, he is trapped in his illusion of reality. Sensei said that it takes a full cycle of 42 years to manifest this confidence. Being 84 year-old since yesterday, he already lived two cycles.
At the end of the class,  we had a half hour discussion with him. He said that since he met Takamatsu Sensei and trained with him for 15 years,  he never stopped training in the following 42 years, that is until now. (3) The new cycle of development of the Bujinkan beginning now, will be different. The study of body mechanics ended last year (2014), and we are now moving at the mutō dori level. (4)
Uke is “blinded” by our lack of intent, as if he is walking in pitch black. His original intent is modified by his illusion of reality, because he is attached to his fake perceptions. To him,  Tori appears like a phantom. (2) Genzō (幻像), illusion,  becomes Genzō (幻増) as our natural attitude increases his illusion. 
What we do is not what he perceives, and what he perceives, is not what we do.
過現未,  kagenmi, the three temporal states of existence, are unified,  they are one, so that to uke we are zero. For uke, “the distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”
________
1. 過去/kako/the past; bygone days; the previous|a past (i.e. a personal history one would prefer remained secret); one’s past|past (tense); preterit; preterite|previous life
現在/genzai/now; current; present; present time; as of
未来/mirai/the future (usually distant)|future tense|the world to come
2. 幻像/genzou/phantom; vision; illusion
3. Takamatsu Sensei left us in 1972. This was 42 years ago in 2014.
4. Mutō dori: 無灯/mutō /without lights (ie blind) / mutō dori was also the theme for 2015.
5. 像/zou/statue; image; figure; picture; portrait
増/zou/increase
6. 過現未/kagenmi/past, present and future; three temporal states of existence