training - NinZine 3.0

Nakaima 中今: a Privileged Moment in Eternity

Bujinkan Santa MonicaNovember 11, 2010January 28, 2011

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Bujinkan Santa Monica

People in the Bujinkan often mention distancing, angling, and timing as part of fundamental taijutsu. While we train to get these right, there are many subtle nuances to what is "right." For example, there is early, middle and late timing, but also an entire spectrum in between these measurements. And there is a way to step outside of this measured time entirely.

The ability to do this can be related to awareness in the moment. Soldiers in combat are encouraged to keep their head on a swivel so as to maintain situational awareness. Another simple look at states of awareness in combat can be found from Jeff Cooper, founder of the American Pistol Institute ("A.P.I.") in 1976 in order to teach the Modern Technique of the Pistol as a method of the handgun for self-defense. He describes this color code:

"In White you are unprepared and unready to take lethal action. If you are attacked in White you will probably die unless your adversary is totally inept.

In Yellow you bring yourself to the understanding that your life may be in danger and that you may have to do something about it.

In Orange you have determined upon a specific adversary and are prepared to take action which may result in his death, but you are not in a lethal mode.

In Red you are in a lethal mode and will shoot if circumstances warrant."

In the Bujinkan, we focus on awareness from the learning of kamae leading to the experience of the Godan test and beyond. Hatsumi Sensei talks to this point as the secret of winning. He says,

One never knows when a fight might start. That is why in Budo one keeps prepared, so that should a fight arise, one can settle it as quickly as possible. In a dangerous situation, you act swiftly without any hesitation. That is the secret of winning.

He describes how to do this,

You must KNOW that you can win, and use this energy in your encounter.
In Shinto there is a word, "Nakaima," which literally means "the middle of now." It teaches us that the current moment embodies the whole of time, and consequently, that how you live the current moment is of supreme importance.

Nakaima 中今 as described by Shintoists repeatedly appears in the Imperial edicts of the 8th century. According to this point of view, the present moment is the very center in the middle of all conceivable times. In order to participate directly in the eternal development of the world, it is required of Shintoists to live fully each moment of life, making it as worthy as possible.

Hatsumi Sensei may also be referring to this concept with the idea Kanjin Kaname. This can be translated as "what is truly important," but another reading is "the heart and eyes of the gods." When you are in accordance with this, you are in accord with the laws of nature or heaven. You cannot fail. You may achieve kamiwaza (divine techniques). Isn't that what you are studying in your dojo?

Neko no Myojutsu – The Cat’s Eerie Skill

Bujinkan Santa MonicaOctober 21, 2010January 28, 2011

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Bujinkan Santa Monica

People fear their own instincts. They seek answers outside of themselves when there is a powerful spirit inside that has many abilities that can be tapped. Animals in nature don't look outside themselves. And yet many are terrifying fighters. How do they accomplish this?

They seem to do this through instinct and play.

We all have instinct. It is there, waiting for us to make use of it. You only need to listen. And to develop the ability and skill to use it, play is a powerful ally. Hatsumi Sensei uses that word to describe our training. So is it part of your regimen?

From Neko no Myojutsu by Issai Chozan (1727):

... the cat replied, “Because of the self there is the foe; when there is no self there is no foe."

When I was a boy, me and my buddies had many mock battles. Sometimes the whole neighborhood seemed mired in war. We took it seriously. But we knew it wasn't. There was a reality to our play that put us and our personalities on the line.

I see this in the dojo. Personalities are on the line. The training we do is serious, yet also play. How best to take advantage of that dichotomy?
More from Issai,

"Teaching is not difficult, listening is not difficult either, but what is truly difficult is to become conscious of what you have in yourself and be able to use it as your own. This self-realization is known as 'seeing into one's own being,' which is satori. Satori is an awakening from a dream. Awakening and self-realization and seeing into one's own being – these are synonymous.”

You must become transparent to Bushido, so that your training becomes a transparency through which light shines. This is the Budo in you, coming out through your training. Your instincts and natural ability will rise above the ego. Your eyes may open to see real Budo.

Soke says,

If you persevere in Ninjutsu as I have done, you will come to discern the ocean of difference that lies between things seen with true eyes, observed using the intuitive "feeling" you develop in this art, and those seen through the glass eyes of people who have not trained at all.

When he says "people who have not trained at all," I think that can apply to many people who visit the dojo and put on a gi. They go through the motions of training, but they are really not training at all.

Weapon Malfunctions Can Turn Into Tactical Failure

Bujinkan Santa MonicaOctober 7, 2010January 28, 2011

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Bujinkan Santa Monica

Don't malfunction yourself.

What if your gun jams, or you sword breaks, or even worse, you have a complete tactical failure? The first two are are easy problems, the third is more difficult, but can be dealt with naturally. Let's consider all three in turn.

If you have any firearms training at all, you already know that you should train for malfunctions. A malfunction in this case is confined to the weapon or the ammunition itself. It is a malfunction of the tool you are using. A stove-pipe, a misfeed, or the worst, a broken firing pin - are all situations that must be trained for. One common malfunction that we don't even consider as a malfunction is running out of ammo. Why is this not a malfunction? The weapon is essentially useless. We don't see it as a malfunction because this is something that we very naturally expect to happen. We train to reload. You should train for those other malfunctions just as you train to reload smoothly and with as little interruption to your defense as possible.

And of course this training must include making a hasty tactical withdrawal (retreat)!

On several occasions I have been training with Hatsumi Sensei and he has used two swords that have red saya. These swords never draw properly. He at first blamed it on them being new. But I saw this occur again years later. Maybe the saya have a poor fit or something. The cool thing was, that he didn't let the malfunction slow him down at all. He made use of the half drawn sword. In one case he said,

"It's OK if the sword doesn't draw. What's important is this aspect of the sword not drawing. You can't have the idea that the sword is always going to draw. You must have the expectation that the sword won't always draw."

So lets consider tactical failure. Whether with a gun, a sword, or with your tactics, use yourself in a way that you don't become an obstacle. Don't malfunction yourself.

Don't get caught up in the malfunction so that you yourself malfunction. The failure will spread like a virus. Soke went on to say something simple yet profound about using weapons,

"All these things are connected and you have to have this connection within the weapon."

So if you want to overcome tactical failure, there is a natural solution to the problem. If you understand Sensei's kuden up to this point, you will know that having a natural posture and natural heart is the secret. Soke refers to his teacher Takamatsu Sensei who said that nature lies in a sincere spirit. And that nature will bring about the destruction of your opponent.

If this doesn't help you, remember this is kuden. It is something I've learned and experienced directly from Soke and my teachers. You need to find a teacher to experience it from. You can't learn it by reading about it.

Happo Tenchi: Ten Directions of Truth

Bujinkan Santa MonicaOctober 1, 2010January 28, 2011

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Bujinkan Santa Monica

Photo by ePi.Longo

In all ten directions of the universe,
there is only one truth.
When we see clearly, the great teachings are the same.
What can ever be lost? What can be attained?
If we attain something, it was there from the beginning of time.
If we lose something, it is hiding somewhere near us.
Look: this ball in my pocket:
can you see how priceless it is?

Ryōkan Taigu (良寛大愚)

There is nothing wise I can add to the beautiful poetry above. Just that, I find my inspiration from many sources. I am constantly amazed at how these inspirations in martial arts and life mirror each other.
Who has heard Hatsumi Sensei utter similar ideas?

Ryōkan Taigu (良寛大愚) 1758-1831, Japanese Zen Master, hermit, calligrapher, and poet; his name means "Goodly Tolerance." Another Buddhist name that he took for himself means "Great Fool." Ryokan is one of the most beloved figures in Japanese Literature, and is especially known for his kindness and his love of children and animals; he even used to take the lice out of his robe, sun them on a piece of paper on the veranda, then carefully put them back into his robe. He used to smile continually, and people he visited felt "as if spring had come on a dark winter's day."

His most famous haiku was written after a thief had broken into his hut and stolen his few simple possessions:

The thief left it behind:
the moon
at my window.

How Can You Learn Shinobi Secrets?

Bujinkan Santa MonicaSeptember 21, 2010January 28, 2011

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Bujinkan Santa Monica

Photo by Son of Groucho

Do you think you have a grasp on this art? Have you done all the kata in the Tenchijin Ryaku no Maki? Maybe you have memorized all the (known) kata from our 9 Bujinkan ryuha. Maybe you have even mastered the Togakure-ryu Juhakkei - the 18 forms of the shinobi (is that even possible in the modern era?). How long have you been training? 3 years? 10? how about 20? Do I hear 30? I know someone with over 40 years in this art and he is still learning new material.

Don't miss the train by not showing up.

Recently, I was at a seminar with my teacher, Peter Crocoll. I was considering leaving early because I had a 9 hour drive back home. I brought this up to him, and he said, "you can leave if you want, but what I'm about to show has never been shown in North America." I stayed. And it was worth it.

I almost missed training with Peter again this month. It literally was a coin flip whether I made the trip. Somehow I pulled it together. And guess what? He showed material I had never seen before.

Soke says that he intends to live by the words he heard from his teacher Takamatsu Sensei, "However much I study, it is never enough."

I started training in this art in 1988 (officially). In all these years, there have been many occasions where I was shown something very interesting and important, and then I never saw it again. Never in Japan, never at a seminar, never in regular classes, and never in a book or on video.

Our art runs deep. Many of the skills in our training could be a lifetime of study all by themselves. It took many lifetimes and the lives of many warriors to develop this art. So it is unwise for me to think that my 22 years mean very much.

I was training at one of Hatsumi Sensei's Tai Kai, and Oguri Sensei was there. Soke showed something and Oguri got a funny look on his face. Hatsumi Sensei noticed this and asked Oguri to share his thoughts. Oguri said that he had been training over 40 years and this was the first time he had ever experienced this.

This makes me wonder what I miss when I don't make it to class. Anytime I start to think about missing a trip to Japan, or going to a seminar, I think to myself, "what if I miss that hidden secret in our art that will make a big difference in my own training?" And then I am very motivated to go to class. The simple truth is, I am always happy when I go to class, and missing class just feels empty.