Thoughts on Budo - NinZine 3.0

Kantan Desu!

kumafrMarch 20, 2013

Today during his class at the honbu, Nagato sensei kept repeating that everything he was doing was 簡単 kantan (easy, simple). He repeated it many times during training.

But watching the many practitioners in the honbu I got the impression that these “easy and simple” techniques were quite difficult to reproduce for those of us who were not used to Nagato sensei’s taijutsu.

It reminded me of Kary Mullis (Nobel prize of Chemistry 1993)*, who said in his book “Dancing naked in the mind field” that to make things look simple, it is very difficult. This simplicity we are striving to get is the result of a long and difficult process.

During the break I was exchanging on that subject with my friend Joe Maurantonio and we finally agreed that this “simplicity” in sensei’s budô was indeed the real secret to be found in the Bujinkan. And we also agreed that only those who could develop the proper vision could see it. It reminded me of a discussion I had in the 90s with Mark Lithgow after a dinner we had with Sôke in Noda.

Mark said something that I will always remember: “Sensei is not teaching 体術 taijutsu (body techniques) but 目術, mejutsu, (the art of seeing reality).

The magic about Hatsumi sensei’s philosophy of budô and that it is so simple and obvious that very few students are able to understand it. Speaking about that we agreed, Joe and I that sensei’s vision had had a strong impact on the way we developed our lives as adults.

The real secret about Sôke’s ninjutsu is that there is no secret when you finally understand. Everything is hidden in plain sight!

But it takes many years to discover that and not everyone will find it. Joe told me that it reminded him of some sentences of ”Ninpô: Wisdom of life”** one of the first book written by Sôke translated into English.

With Joe’s permission (he is the publisher of the book) I reproduce here a few sentences taken from this great book on Life and budô that each Bujinkan practitioner should have in his library.

About the secret, Hatsumi sensei wrote: “I believe secret teachings should only be given to those students who can find and create new lessons for themselves. This is because the secret teachings are not about how many techniques one knows, but rather about a person’s insight and preparedness.”

When you develop the “eyes of the heart” nothing is complex anymore, as you are in symbiosis with nature.

Sensei adds that: “if you are a martial artist and master budô and practice ninjutsu, you wil gain the most essential secret of all methods. This secret is called 心心心眼, shinshin shingan, (the mind and eyes of god). This knowledge is to know Tendô, the “path of heaven”. The truth of heaven is the correct way, without evil intent.”

Today was another great day for learning. Thank you Nagato sensei’s, thank you Sensei.

* Kary Mullis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kary_Mullis

** Ninpô: Wisdom of Life: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ninpo-Wisdom-for-Life/132927646718631

Kûkan, Fibonacci, and Snail

kumafrMarch 18, 2013

From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr

When a beginner attends to a class with Nagato sensei it seems that he is always repeating the same movement.

When you have been training in Japan with him for over twenty years you see things differently. Nagato sensei’s movements are like a reverse Fibonacci suite*, the more he repeats the movement, and the more he is getting closer to the opponent.

The Fibonacci suite looks like the shell of a snail and this is also how we should train, in slow motion.

Nagato sensei taijutsu is very precise in his teaching and beginners often seem not to grasp it. He always begin the class with a movement given by one of the participants. Then he shows how to be always protected while getting closer and closer using his own precise footwork.

You have to know that each one of the Japanese Shi Tennô has a particular way of moving the legs. I remember once attending a class where he was asked to demonstrate one of the kihon happô. I was training with a Japanese high rank. We were both regular students of Noguchi sensei at that time and our taijutsu had the “Noguchi touch”. I was the first to do the kihon happô and I was unable to do it! A kihon happô! My ego felt bad and I felt bad for my Japanese partner, thinking tat he was judging my poor level of understanding of the basics. But then when he did it, he did the same exact wrong movement I just did. That day I understood that each one of them has his own way of moving. This is why when you have the chance to come to Japan, you must train with as many shihan as possible as each one is giving you a brick to build the walls of your own house of taijutsu.

Nagato sensei when teaching is not trying to show “the true technique”, he is showing how to survive an actual fight. And to do that he repeats the movements changing the distance and the angles and getting closer. This is what I call the “artichoke approach”. Each repetition is like eating the leaves of an artichoke** as gradually you are reaching the essence/heart of the technique as you would the heart of this vegetable.

By adjusting slowly his footwork Nagato sensei teaches the best way to get to the core of the technique. The precision of the angles, the subtle variations in the way he holds the opponent are close to heart surgery. And he is always fully protecting himself from any reaction of his opponent.

;

The beauty is that Nagato sensei can do that with anything demonstrated by the uke of the day, even with an apparently non interesting technique. This is the sign of a true shihan and I wish that one day I will get to this level.

But this progressive adjustment is only possible if you train slowly. Forget the running rabbit attitude and learn by being slow like a snail. Everyone knows the fable of the hare and the tortoise by La Fontaine***, this is the same. When you train fast you miss the norikae (see one of my previous post) and end up using strength. The worst is that the technique you are supposed to learn is not there anymore. The beginning looks similar. The end looks similar. But the technique is absent of your movements.

It is like the normal distribution in mathematics (aka Gauss curve or Bell curve****). The key element here is the center of the bell curve called “standard deviation”. When you practice like a rabbit i.e. too fast the standard deviation disappears and you are left only with the omote of the technique.

On the contrary, when you train like a snail you enter the ura, the heart of the waza and you can really learn.

Speed in the dôjô is often the mark of a bad practitioner. Doing the movement fast is a self centered approach. You learn nothing and you can even be dangerous to your partner.

Many times over the years I heard Nagato sensei stopping the class and saying “people that are moving fast are stupid!”. Space and time are connected as we know since Einstein’s theories. The slower you train, the more chance you have to “see” the kûkan. Low speed is the key to unfold the kûkan and this is what we learned again today during his class. When you train slowly your brain has enough time so that your body can understand the technique. You have to create the proper brain connections in order for your body to move without thinking.

The Bujinkan is not about looking good during training with flashy visible movements made to impress our fellow practitioner. The Bujinkan is about teaching our body and mind to move correctly and this is achieved by really studying what is taught in class.

You might do it differently in your own dôjô but if you came here to train, then train for real, like a snail. I leave with one sentence that hatsumi sensei said to me once: ”Arnaud, train what you have to train, and teach what you have to teach”. Meditate this.

If you behave like a 兔 usagi (rabbit) you will only get 有詐欺 usagi (a fraudulent existence). Thank you Nagato sensei for another enriching class, I’m drooling for our next class.

*On Fibonacci: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibonacci_number

** How to eat an artichoke: http://www.wikihow.com/Eat-an-Artichoke

*** La Fontaine: http://www.best-childrens-books.com/hare-and-the-tortoise.html

**** Gauss curve: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_distribution

Ken no Nigiri

kumafrMarch 18, 2013

From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr

At the end the class Hatsumi sensei came to me, took the wooden ken I got from Tanaka san* and showed me how to hold the Ken.

The Ken is versatile and the many possible 握り nigiri (grips) reflect this. Sensei demonstrating these grips to me precised that the many ways of holding the weapon implied the ability to change the grips freely according to the body movements. If you play tennis or golf you already know that. Different grips are used in different situations.

The Ken is really a refreshing weapon because it is the extension/expression of our taijutsu. Nothing is wrong and everything goes.

The freedom of action of the Ken should reflect the way we lead our lives. After many years when sensei taught us to be happy, we are now free to live for ourselves.

During the calligraphy break, sensei wrote in gold letters the bija mantra for Fudô Myô on my Ken.

As you all know, Fudô Myô is a major divinity in Japanese Budô, and he holds a Ken with a vajra/sanko handle in one hand. Fudô Myô is often represented symbolically by a Ken. You would often find a simple Ken or a dragon wrapped around the Ken engraved on the blade of the Samurai to bring the divinity’s protection to the warrior.

Fudô Myô (Acala)** is dark skinned, surrounded by the flames of sapience in which are hidden 9 karasu (crows). In Japan, the legend goes that the crows are the eyes of the gods watching our human behaviour.

They caw to report to the gods.

Fudô is a myô***, i.e. a “angry-faced” divinity. He is benevolent, his left hand carries a mala (nenju, rosary) to catch those of us going away from the righteous path. He is holding a Ken in the other hand to cut our passions. Fudô has one eye looking up and the other looking down, one tooth going up, one tooth going down.

Fudô is a protector like all Myô divinities.

Hereafter you will find the grips that sensei was kind enough to teach me at the end of Sunday class. In his explanations sensei insisted again on the importance of having a lot of mobility with the fingers to make the blade alive and move freely. Train that at home.

Keypoints:

the tsuba is flat and the fingers are a natural extension of your body movements.
the blade is not sharp close to the tsuba allowing you to hold it with the fingers without getting injured
thrusts are done with flat blade
the body is behind all your movements, the legs are hitting uke through the sword
using the legs allows you not to use chikara (strength)

One finger (forefinger)

You hold the tsuka and your forefinger is extended on the tsuba and directs the blade.

One finger (thumb – new)

You hold the tsuka and your thumb is extended on the tsuba to thrust the tip flat in a kind of boshi ken.

Two fingers (forefinger and middle finger)

You hold the tsuka and your fingers are extended on the tsuba and direct and secure the blade.

Holding the Tsuba (thumb and forefinger – new)

I see it as a kind of “ihen” in-between grip. It can be used also for thrusting (palm up).

Reverse grip

Used when hiding the blade and to change side rapidly or to hit with the kashira.

During the break and before writing on my Ken, sensei drew a bird diving to attack that I believe to be a crow: “hichô” he said simply while handing it to me.

Later when he wrote the bija Fudô Myô on the Ken, he also wrote: カー ”kaa” on the opposite side of the Ken: the cawing of a crow.

Everything is connected.

Be aware of coincidence and be open to reinterpret always what you think you know until you stop thinking and only act freely.

This is what you learn when training in the Bujinkan under such a fantastic master.

Be happy, be free!

*Tanaka San is selling two types of wooden Ken to the Bujinkan members

** Fudô Myô: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acala

*** Myô: http://global.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/400424/Myo-o

Norikae: Change Your Mindset

kumafrMarch 17, 2013

From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr

Do you think Hatsumi sensei is reading my blog? we can think so because in today’s class he gave us the next level to understand the Henka article.

I was asked to begin the class with some taijutsu technique. Uke attacks with a fist at short distance and by moving up and down, left and right you pull him down softly at your feet once uke’s balance is broken. Quoting Noguchi sensei in class today I would say it was a juppô sesshô technique. Hatsumi sensei did many henka around that, not using force at all, grabbing the fingers, crushing the nails having uke dance like a fool with pain. At one point he turned to me and said: “Norikae!”. Totally taken by surprised I said the only logical thing: “nani?” (what?). Sensei explained that the new taijutsu he is developing these days the key was to understand the possible changes that could be done and not to be lost in the way.

Softly he did many “henka” taking uke’s balance only by holding a finger and controlling him seamlessly. As my friend Sven would say the technique “is not about power it is about control”. Sensei added ”this is moving like a butterfly”, it was soft and light at the same time but very powerful. To keep the control with these soft movements was the spirit of woman self defense which we will study during the taikai.

乗り換え norikae or 乗り換える, norikaeru is a verb used when transferring trains or changing buses. If you take the wrong track you never reach your final destination. Norikae is the keypoint to develop proper control of the opponent. Once again there is no strength at all (he repeated many times again 力じゃない, chikara janai, don’t use strength). Having no preconceived plan of action you move like a butterfly from one control to the other, never stopping until uke is defeated. But if you make one mistake, i.e. miss a connection, you end up dead. To reach this ability one must have developed a powerful taijutsu and, he added, this is the most difficult expression of taijutsu, .

Let me illustrate this 乗り換え ”transfer, change” concept with an example. Mistakes are always possible and the results can be dramatic. If during your meal you use tabasco instead of ketchup you might get quite surprised after the first bite. On a side note and speaking of tabasco, sensei said that you could put some chili on your nose to peek into the eye of the opponent. This way of thinking is also ninjutsu.

Full awareness leads to instantaneous changes and adaptation to uke’s reactions. Then strength is not necessary. Whatever move you are doing it can be wrong but if you don’t dwell on your mistakes, learn from them, and regain advantage over uke, it is good. In any situation you have to decide fast and often there is no time to think. You have to become so good that you surf on the best possible wave of action.

Ninpô taijutsu is a tool and your choice of action will determine your fate. But as it is the case with any tool there are always several options. A tool does not have 識 shiki, consciousness; you do. A lighter for example is a simple tool: it can be used for the fireplace, cook your food, or burn your house. Because you have shiki you don’t destroy everything. This is norikaeru.

If we dig deeper, 乗り換える norikaeru has also the meaning of “changing one’s mind”. You must be capable of changing your course of action at any moment. The quality of your listening to uke’s reactions makes the correct norikae.

This is why Hatsumi sensei’s techniques are so difficult to get. But the difficulty does not lie in the movements per se. It is based upon the awareness to adjust, in a blink, to uke’s reactions without thinking or using any strength. What sensei has been teaching today is indeed for me a new paradigm. I understand now why he was saying last year that this “goshin jutsu” was the hardest way to learn how to fight.

This is linked with 縁の切身ない, en no kirinai (don’t sever the connection) that we studied a few years ago*. By keeping the control and the contact with uke we are able to move freely and to defeat him. By understanding what sensei was teaching today we become able to 乗り代える, nori kaeru, “ride on the change”; and to 忍びの理科得る, shinobi no rika eru: “obtain the science of ninjutsu”.

*search for it on this blog, several entries

Kachikan Leads to Jiyû

kumafrMarch 5, 2013

From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr

The majority of Bujinkan practitioners will never fight for their lives. And this is good!

So even if our martial art system has proved its valor in numerous encounters, its power resides in the values that sensei is teaching.

Only a master can do that and in our case this our Sensei Masaaki Hatsumi. But his teachings can bear fruits and benefits to the receivers (us) only if we recognize him as a Master. This is only through this special relation linking the master and the disciple that this transmission can be done properly.

Today the Bujinkan has spread all over the world and each country is filled with qualified teachers. But these technicians when they are able to do the techniques correctly are not always getting the intention hidden in the movements. We said in an earlier blog entry that waza is only the omote. The ura is formless and it develops itself into our heart through the values expressed by Sensei during class. This is why it is important to travel regularly to Japan as this is the only way to understand his way and to consider him as your true master. This is the Shin Gi Tai. The Gi (waza) and the Tai (body) are nothing if one doesn’t get the Shin (spirit).

Without accepting the master and his values, one stays trapped in his ego.

I am who I am because back in 1987, I decided to obey to one man, Hatsumi Sensei. I accepted to see the world through His filters and to abandon my freedom of decision in order to get more freedom. It might sound paradoxical but if you are looking for freedom the best way is then to let it go voluntarily. Less freedom momentarily leads to more freedom permanently.

The waza becomes the means to free yourself from your own certitudes. I compare that with Zen. In order not to think you monopolize your thinking on the mechanical posture. This is the same in Budô, we focus on the movements to learn not to think. By doing so, the rest of your brain is at peace. Even in meditation the kamae is the key to our understanding.

価値観 Kachikan (values) is developed by our ability to get rid of your 自由 Jiyû (freedom). Train with no intention (no reward), obey without thinking, learn the forms to forget them, and you will become free.

Sensei often speaks of 住 jû (living) in his classes. Please be alive through jû in order to become 自由人 Jiyûjin, a free spirit.

If you miss this fantastic opportunity Sensei is giving us, you will end up 自由刑 jiyûkei and be “depraved of your freedom”.