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四世界 The four worlds

From Kabutoshimen by Toryu


I learned these stages of development a few years ago from my TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) teacher. He taught it as four levels of development in becoming a TCM master, but it goes with any trade or area of study.

The first stage is when you are in an incompetent awareness stage. When you start learning someting new you know that you are a beginner. You are humble and like a sponge, you absorb and learn everything new.

After some years of studying you are entering the incompetent unawareness state. The stage where you think you know it all. Be careful, many people get stuck in this level forever because of their ignorance. People say you are good, it is getting difficult to teach you because teaching can only go to a certain level, next you need experience and guidance. Maybe you heard about the “invisible training”? The more experienced you get the more transparent the teaching will be. Be careful that you don’t stop growing here or feed the ego to much. I’m sure you seen a few people that have some experience in other martial arts and after a few weeks or months they think they know Bujinkan.

When you get competent awared you have passed all the illusions and start seeing clearer. You know what you can do and can’t do. This is the stage when you are skilled in what you do, but hang on you’re not a master of the style yet. You need to always be aware of what you do to do it right.

The fourth level is when you are competent and unaware. In Bujinkan we often say it is the zero state. The art is so deep within us that we don’t need to think or remember any techniques at all. This is the level most people in Bujinkan is talking about. But I strongly believe you need to pass all levels. If you think you are at this level you could still very well be unaware of your incompitence.

You don’t need to think about this and try to figure out what level you are in. It’s no point doing that. Besides I remember Soke answering a question of what the highest level (in mikkyou, I think); he simply said there is no highest level. No matter how far you go you will never reach the end. This is also the 道 DOU, the path you have chosen to walk. …

The Rope-Joint

From Blog by Blog

Last week Sensei spoke again of the importance of connection, using the examples of the joints in the body. The body has many joints which both connect all the parts together and allow it to move smoothly. The fewer joints, or connections, we have, the less smooth our movement will be. Demonstrating a technique, he said that he could do it this way because he was using all of the joints in his spine together, as if it were a rope.

The rope is an important tool in this years’ training theme as it demonstrates the connectedness of things. Sensei also mentioned that the rope is like one big joint working as a whole - it has no links or joints in it, such as a chain does for example, so it can be used in a supple and fluid manner. Perhaps another way of looking at it is viewing the rope as being composed of a billion tiny joints which have been amalgamated into one thing which works as a single unit. All of the separate parts have been united to create a new thing - and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, as they say.

The word for joint in Japanese is ‘kansetsu’ (関節), and it is also interesting that the word for ‘indirectness’ is also pronounced ‘kansetsu’ (官設). I certainly felt both aspects of this when he allowed me to feel the technique. He was controlling me so lightly that it felt like I was being held in place by a single sheet of paper. It was the indirect manner in which he responded to my punch that allowed him to do it.…

The Rope Joint

From The Magick & The Mundane » Bujinkan by Shawn Gray

The reason I can do the technique this way is that I’m using my spine as if it were a rope.
– Hatsumi Sensei

Last week Sensei spoke again of the importance of connection, using the examples of the joints in the body. The body has many joints which both connect all the parts together and allow it to move smoothly. The fewer joints, or connections, we have, the less smooth our movement will be. Demonstrating a technique, he said that he could do it this way because he was using all of the joints in his spine together, as if it were a rope.

The rope is an important tool in this years’ training theme as it demonstrates the connectedness of things. Sensei also mentioned that the rope is like one big joint working as a whole – it has no links or joints in it, such as a chain does for example, so it can be used in a supple and fluid manner. Perhaps another way of looking at it is viewing the rope as being composed of a billion tiny joints which have been amalgamated into one thing which works as a single unit. All of the separate parts have been united to create a new thing – and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, as they say.

The word for joint in Japanese is ‘kansetsu’ (関節), and it is also interesting that the word for ‘indirectness’ is also pronounced ‘kansetsu’ (官設). I certainly felt both aspects of this when he allowed me to feel the technique. He was controlling me so lightly that it felt like I was being held in place by a single sheet of paper. It was the indirect manner in which he responded to my punch that allowed him to do it.


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The Schlog returns…

From Blog by Blog

Back after a long hiatus!

I got a Mac (again) in January, and since iLife comes with iWeb its pretty hard *not* to come up with a website of some sort. Unless you constantly flit from project to project like the guy in the photo.

It’s late so this won’t be a long one, but just thought I’d let you know I’m back! More to come - hopefully! (I always say that and then get busy and before I know it 6 months have passed before I’ve made an entry. Hopefully that won’t happen this time - hopefully. )

Just thought I’d get this one out while the Sun is still in 11 degrees Gemini. ‘Cause the Gemini symbol looks like an eleven. Yes, that could be relevant - if you wanted it to be.…

New swords from our supplier

From Budoshop.se by budoshop

Our sword supplier have the Kukishin-ryu Shinken sword back in stock. We have not so much money at the moment so we can buy swords straight off right now. But if you can order and pre-pay it will speed things up. This also goes for the Iaito sword.

We have three Togakure-ryu shinken swords in stock, and one Shindenfudo-ryu shinken sword.

Please contact us if you have questions!…

Keiko26 – Kukan no Nawa – Lauri, Mariette and Mats

From New Products from Budo Shop Store by New Products from Budo Shop Store

Title: Keiko26 - Kukan no Nawa (Taijutsu / Nawa / Kenjutsu /Bojutsu) Instructors: Lauri Jokinen, Mariette v.d. Vliet, Mats Hjelm Theme: Kukan no Nawa (Taijutsu / Nawa / Kenjutsu /Bojutsu) Recorded: Recorded in Stockholm May 1-3th 2009 The instruction is in English Format: NTSC, AAC Stereo, DVD/R- (it might not work on older DVD players! check your manual first!) approximately 120 Minutes playing time. Lauri, Mariette and Mats are all known and respected Bujinkan teachers in their own country and also internationally. Here they taught individually and together at the end of they day. Lauri from Finland taught Taijutsu with the feeling of rope, both with and without the actual rope. Mariette from the Netherlands taught Bojutsu against sword, Taijutsu and Self defence against knife attacks. Mats from Sweden taught Iainuki (drawing the sword), Kenjutsu, Bofuri (spinning with the long staff) and Taijutsu. Watch the Trailer at the Budo Shop Community

About the instructos

Lauri - http:/www.shinden.fi Mariette - http://www.bujinkanbudokai.nl Mats - http://www.kesshi.com Note! The instructions is in English and there is no sub titles on this DVD
Skr239.00
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