From BUJINKAN TASMANIA by Duncan Stewart
http://www.youtube.com/breakingpoints
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Tag: shugyo
生 � Toku Bu Ryu Sui Dojo
From blogurl:tazziedevil.wordpress.com - Google Blog Search by Duncan Stewart
Don`t seek to improve. Seek to learn how to endure and maintain the spirit of Heijoushin and Fudoushin. There is no limit to Budo. There are limits to sports. People must retire or become a coach after a certain period in the sporting world.… Read More生 | Toku Bu Ryu Sui Dojo
From blogurl:tazziedevil.wordpress.com - Google Blog Search by Duncan Stewart
Don`t seek to improve. Seek to learn how to endure and maintain the spirit of Heijoushin and Fudoushin. There is no limit to Budo. There are limits to sports. People must retire or become a coach after a certain period in the sporting world.… Read More生
From BUJINKAN TASMANIA by Duncan Stewart
Don`t seek to improve. Seek to learn how to endure and maintain the spirit of Heijoushin and Fudoushin.
There is no limit to Budo. There are limits to sports. People must retire or become a coach after a certain period in the sporting world.
Budo is not a sport. We train and study for life, not to win. To win is the concept of a fighter. The feeling of the Budoka is that of surviving. Winning and losing, strength and weakness have no meaning in the real world. Survival requires the living entity to understand that “change” and “adaptability” is the key point ( kaname ).
Therefore, the kaname is forever changing and evolving. This has been the essence of the nine schools that comprise the Bujinkan for thousands of years. Soke trusts this and thus, does nothing to change it. This is wisdom. People attempt to change things because it does not fit with their concept of what martial arts is. They therefore are not really listening to thousands of years of blood,sweat and tears. Do people really think they know better than 2000 years of knowledge after only 25 years of training in the modern world? Soke doesn`t. He has been training for over 50 years and still listens and follows his teachers words and teachings.
This is why I look at the evolution of the Bujinkan through the concept of Shu Ha Ri. We are seeing the evolution of a man ( soke ) and his training path from beginning to end. The most important thing is to search for the Kaname of this process. Takamatsu Sensei apparently said that the most important thing is “sincerity” or magakoro.
Keep training and polish your heart under the sword that cuts away ones vices so you may clearly see the way of living as a martial artist in tune with nature.
忍
This is the path I try to walk.
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Thoughts on Rank
From BUJINKAN TASMANIA by Duncan Stewart
The ranks in the Bujinkan are for heart.
Those with the right heart will accept rank from their teacher without question.
The student, with their feeling of discomfort or inadequcey for their new rank, should then go away and train hard until they become worthy of the grade.
This is understanding Sakizuke.
This is the correct feeling to have when dealing with the Bujinkan grades.
Everyone in the Bujinkan receives rank based on Sakizuke ( attaining a rank before the actual skill/understanding is achieved ).
It is important to understand this and therefore not become concerned with ranking requirements to achieve a higher rank.
The Bujinkan is like an Organism, rather than an Organisation. It is alive and very natural.
Those that wish to control their dojo by creating set requirements, rules and obligations etc, often are going against natures way.
All we have to do is trust in Sokes manner of transmitting his budo and train hard to obtain Shin Gi Tai Ichi.
There are over 300 jugodan ranks in the Bujinkan world today. Soke has said that none of them are masters. His ranks are in “hope” that one day, some masters will sprout from this group. this is an important teaching. It is important for everyone to keep training and never become complacent or satisfied with their supposed rank. Rank is transparent in the real world. The teachings are to remove oneself from the constraints of material gain and reward and to understand that the “shugyo” is the most important thing. The training never ends and the master never thinks of being a master. The master thinks of himself as forever a student. This is what truly inspires. Very few people in any martial art can truly become masters. Thus, the ranks of the Bujinkan are alive and people succeed or fail just as in life. The ranks of the Bujinkan are teaching that life and budo are one in the same. Therefore, we are encouraged to walk everyday with an everyday mind and just think of “keeping on Going”. That is all that matters – Bufu ikkan!!
Words based on recent thoughts sprouting from classes in Japan.
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