Training is picking up!

I have to say that since beginning TSYR, this is the first year I have really dropped back on my training hours. I had a soft tissue injury that required some rest for 10 weeks around January and February, then my daughter's winter sports kept be away from the dojo through the middle of the year. However, I can safely say that things are looking up. 

The spring training session I had with the Hamilton deshi was the first Saturday I was freed up from winter sports. Then I got to my week night session as well.

I have just spent another busy Saturday training. I went to the scheduled Saturday training session at the Hamilton dojo then one of the deshi who lives in Auckland came out to my place in the afternoon for extra training. It was great to get my body "training warm". You know, that loose, warm feeling where all your muscles are well used from constant force and movement.  I am tired today but in a good way. 

We covered five of the idori te hodoki, then the set involving the two-hand grab from standing and later, knife disarms. 

We had good numbers too. With the Auckland guy down for the day, we had seven on the mat. 

Its good to be back in the training flow!

Spring Training

For the second year running, I invited members of the Hamilton TSYR dojo out to Te Miro for two hours of training on a Saturday morning. With the trees in full bloom and native bird chorus around us it is an opportunity to train in idyllic surroundings.

The Hamilton Dojo TSYR Deshi.

Chris lead us through idori te hodoki, the three kata of the uchite set and finished with nage waza. The sprung floor and judo tatami provide a good surface for this sort of training. It is only a twelve mat space, however, so we had to be aware of where everyone was moving and standing to avoid collisions.

There is not much to say about the session so I will let the pictures tell the story.

A Japanese Garden

I find some of my latest posts moving away from budo as I explore some other aspects of Japanese culture. My latest project is building a Japanese garden opposite the entrance to my dojo on my property. I have played around with designing a garden like this before but without much success. This time, I made sure to read more and really define the space I will be using. I have been inspired by the gardens I did see while overseas and the local nurseries and landscape places have also given me ideas. Finally, I am at a stage in my life where I have the time and money to put something together I can be proud of. 

I first had to decide on the type of Japanese garden I was going to make. This was largely decided by the space I was using. I had cleared an area that approached the door to our house but can be viewed from the entrance of my dojo. It is not a big space, a narrow shape of about 4-5 square meters with a tall fence backing it. I wanted a pleasant view from the dojo door but the garden had to appeal to someone walking alongside the garden entering my home. 

There appears to be four or five styles to consider (depending on what book you read). Pond gardens (also called hill and pond) have a body of water as their main feature. I had already decided that the area I was using would not have water, so this style was out. Dry gardens use rocks, moss, pebbles and sand to create miniature landscapes. I could certainly use elements from this style. Tea gardens create an atmosphere of seclusion and often have paths, lanterns and water basins through them. My space was not large enough for this style. Stroll gardens incorporate many aspects of other styles and encourage the visitor to move along paths gaining different scenes from alternative angles. They usually require a large space, no good for me but some of the ideas could be used. Finally, the courtyard garden style is simple and designed to fit into a small space. This was a good option for me.

Starting to put garden elements into the space. 

After some consideration I decided to base my style mainly on courtyard gardens as they do bring in elements from other styles and I like the simple design used. I decided upon using large rocks, an existing miniature Japanese Maple, a non-invasive, clumping bamboo called Bambusa, a type of hardy moss called Schleranthus biflorus and some other plants that would allow for ground cover and splashes of colour all year round. Finally, to really make the features 'pop', I used white and pale blue river stones in the empty spaces.

White and blue stones showcase this large rock that is skirted by moss.

To make this garden easier to maintain, I placed rich compost down and covered this with weed-mat. This was my blank canvas. I took my time placing stones and adjusting them until I was happy with the views from my key viewing spots (the dojo and the path alongside it). Then I cut holes in the weed mat and 'planted' the rocks by slightly burying them to hold them in place. Large rocks represent mountain elements of a miniature landscape so I had to keep this in mind as I chose my rock shape and position. In the picture above Schleranthus became the forest around the mountain and the white and blue stones symbolise the water around this mountain island. Larger grey river stones frame the whole garden, providing contrast and keeping the smaller white stones in place.

Other plants included a type of Azalea called Mardi Gras that produces red flowers edged with white and displays from autumn to spring. This means when the Maple drops its leaves and loses colour, the Azalea brings the garden alive again with its flowers. For ground cover, I introduced Ceanothus 'Diamond Heights'. This plant has green and gold leaves that displays pale blue flowers in spring. As the Azalea forms a small bush that grows to about 40 cm in height, I planted it towards the 'background' of the garden with the Ceanothus to the foreground. Finally, I planted an Acacia cognata 'Limelight' as a feature plant. It grows 0.8 m by 0.8 m and has delicate lime green weeping foliage.

The young Azalea surrounded by the white and blue stone.

As the garden is on the Southern (and therefore shady) side of the house all the plants prefer part shade or full shade except the Acacia. This plant I placed furthermost from the shadow of the house in a hope it gets the full sun it needs. 

With six 20kg bags of stone down, the garden is taking shape. 

I tried to create symmetry in the space but at the same time follow the rule of odd numbers that are found in Japanese gardens. So I have standing stones at either end of the garden. A lone stone near the house and a set of three stones at the other end. I have an Azalea planted behind a Ceanothus but off-centre to each other. This paired arrangement is found in both sections of the garden. Finally, I have singular features around the garden. The mound and adjoining maple are one (I hope to get a suitable stone ornament to place on the mound). The single Acacia is another and finally the bamboo residing at the back will become a 3 metre tall presence.

The completed garden viewed from the dojo doorway.

The completed garden looks out of balance with all the white stone (about 240 kg worth) but as the plants grow and get larger, I am confident the desired look will appear. Now all I have to do is wait.

Set of three stones standing watch at one end of the garden.

Holiday training comes to an end.

This posts comes at the end of the school holidays. Another three days of training are behind me covering tanto, sword and idori. Good times.

We covered defences against sword disarms, tanto disarms and then the Shoden idori set. It was good to get back into the groove over the last two weeks knowing that when the next term starts family and work will reduce my training significantly, again. That is the balance of family and work life and my children will only be young once so I need to make the most of it. 

Saturday morning training.

We have a steady group at the Hamilton Dojo and usually have five to six on the mat most days. This is good for working with different body types and with people at different places in their training. Personally, it was good to knock the dust off some of the kata I hadn't trained in a while and sharpen up the others that I know well. I have been working on timing, structure and adding an edge to the movements. I like the expressions 'grind the stone' and 'polish the mirror'. To me, the first expression means to remove the rough edges of my movements, get the basic patterns memorised and performed adequately through constant practise. The second expression means to work on the small things, refine my movements in an attempt to improve the exactness of technique. To do this requires paying attention to the slightest nuances of structure, kuzushi and timing. I have had the opportunity over the last two weeks to do a bit of both. Polishing the mirror also refers to having the right attitude. When I bow in front of the kamidana my image is reflected back at me by the kagami (mirror). This is a time for reflection on my practice and spirit. 

There is not much more to add right now. So until next time, happy training!

Holidays = budo!

It is the school holidays in NZ. For two weeks classes stop before the next term begins. As a school teacher, my time is more flexible (I still have work to do even though students are not attending) and my focus falls upon my training. I have started the school holidays with training three days in a row. TSYR training on Monday, teaching Aikido on Tuesday and then more TSYR training on Wednesday. Today I spent time on washing keikogi and sword maintenance.

Sword maintenance.

My focus on my training recently has been on keeping my shoulders rolled back and down. Also to keep my middle strong. Last night was one of those training sessions where I felt I have so much more to learn. It feels like the kata are getting harder and harder.

In my down time I am reading Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. I know, I know, I am a practitioner of Japanese martial arts and have never read this book. I tried once before but just couldn't get into it. The second time around I am finding it a better tale. I think going to Japan has helped me understand the book more and I can relate to it better. I have read Shogun by James Clavell years ago and enjoyed that immensely. However, that book was written by a British author with a Westerner's mindset. Musashi is written by a Japanese author with an Eastern mindset. This sets up a very different style of story telling.

I have also been listening to the Samurai Archives pod casts while driving to and from work. I highly recommend them for anyone wanting to know more about medieval Japan. The hosts are graduate students at the University of Hawaii and specialise in different aspects of Japanese history such as the Sengoku period, Edo period and so on.

Just for entertainment I have been watching episodes of Samurai Champloo as well. So you can say I am immersing myself in Japanese medieval culture these holidays.

Happy training!

Hidden In Plain Sight: Book Review

I have finally got around to reading Ellis Amdur's revised and expanded edition of Hidden In Plain Sight: Esoteric Power Training Within Japanese Martial Traditions. After all the hype this book has received in certain martial arts circles, my overall impression was less enthusiastic than I expected. 

Now, that is not to say there are sections of this book I enjoyed immensely and I will write about those. It just felt at times that Amdur was reaching in places to thicken this book about a topic that has a lot of hearsay and 'what ifs' surrounding it.

As with my other reviews I will work through chapter by chapter and please remember these are just my opinions - those of an amateur martial artist with a very limited exposure to Japanese culture. The act of writing this review lets me look at the book a second time with a different lens. Sometimes I discover or rediscover gems in the writing this way. 

The book contains 16 chapters split into four sections.

Section 1 - The Cultivation of Power.

Chapter 1: Physical Culture.

A dancer's skill, the lifestyle of a hunter-gatherer, herder's strength, wrestler's skill, farmer's strength. What links these ideas together are that they are all within the human capacity to produce. People create bodies designed to help them survive in whatever conditions society (or nature) place them. People get very good at these specialised endeavours, what then of warrior's strength and skill? If your survival depends on fighting or killing other humans then this requires another kind of body. Amdur digs into these ideas finishing with flow states and ascetic power.

Chapter 2: The Development of Specialized Martial Skill and Power.

Amdur lays down the idea in chapter one that older cultures have bodies already primed for fighting. What then is the type of power generated in the martial arts? The author looks into ambiguous terms such as qi and internal strength. I myself have to admit that I have been intrigued and excited about what these terms could mean for my martial practice. I think it very brave of Amdur to try and define these terms. Other skills in a warrior's toolbox are bracing strength, whipping strength, axle strength, and coiling strength. Read the book to find out how Amdur breaks down some important physical skills found in internal power traditions. What interested me the most in this chapter were his definitions of grasping smoke and listening skill. I have experienced first hand training with someone with these two skills and I thought the author explained them well. Finally he talks about gravity and the ground as two forces the martial artist has at his disposal to help amplify the power of techniques. I enjoyed the systematic approach to these skills and found this chapter very enjoyable to read and ponder. 

Chapter 3: Six Connections - Comprehensive Power Development.

Known also as the six harmonies in English speaking martial arts, What a topic to try and tackle! Amdur admits that were he to really do it justice he would write a whole book, rather than one chapter on the six connections. We now come to an idea where the body is used as a coordinated, connected unit. The six connections are broken down into three external connections (feet and hands, knees and elbows, hips and shoulders) and three internal connections (intent, breath and waist/dantien/tanden). Amdur equates the internal connections to essential power components of a car. Intent is the skilled driver, breath is the engine and waist is the gearing system that allows power and intent to get to the wheels, even help amplify it. 

Section 2 - Heaven And Earth Within Man.

Chapter 4: The Chinese Connection.

It is commonly known amongst historians that Chinese culture influenced early Japanese history. Amdur explores this from a martial artist's point of view by speculating that some sophisticated practices found in Japanese martial traditions may have been brought over from China at some point in history. Amdur reminds the reader that ryuha or bugei were codified combative practices studied primarily by the warrior-elite from the 14th century onwards. Therefore, they concentrate predominantly on individual combat and leadership. Over centuries of warfare most of the esoteric training methods such as Mikkyo (esoteric Buddhism), Taoism and Shinto were incorporated into the martial traditions. These esoteric practices have links to Chinese religious rituals that were then, in turn applied to combative purposes. Amdur states southern China as the main source of these practices. 

Chapter 5: Kito-ryu: Rising and Falling.

Amdur gives us more history lessons. The influence of Chinese martial arts became significant during the Edo period and the martial tradition of Kito-ryu features heavily. According to one record, three wandering samurai were taught grappling techniques from a Chinese scholar living in Japan. One of these men was the founder of Kito-ryu. Considering the founders of Kito-ryu were already capable grapplers and sumo existed, Amdur suspects that what these men learnt from the Chinese scholar were in fact internal power skills. 

Chapter 6: Yoshin-ryu: A Garden of Willows.

Amdur looks into another martial tradition with strong Chinese roots. Throughout this chapter Amdur looks at the stories and evidence that links Chinese internal martial arts to Yoshin-ryu and its off-shoots. Amdur references Tobin Threadgill Sensei in this chapter as he writes about Shindo Yoshin Ryu. As a student of TSYR I was interested to see what Amdur found useful or important to relation to this chapter. It was a good read.

Chapter 7: Tenjin Shinyo-ryu: Heaven and Man.

This chapter takes a look at a martial tradition that is an off shoot of the earlier Yoshin-ryu. Along with Kito-ryu, Tenjin Shinyo-ryu was studied by the founder of Judo. Ki development is discussed and Amdur states that the three principles of will, ki and power were common in many Japanese ryuha and links back to Chinese ideas. 

Chapter 8: What Happened To Jujutsu?

So the logical question to ask now is if the skills and methods of internal training were so common in the Edo period, why do they appear lost in today's modern budo?  Amdur places the blame squarely on Judo, or more correctly on its founder, Kano Jigoro. I won't go into the details here, Amdur puts a good argument forward as to why the popularity of Judo in Japan saw a decline in the internal skills that were documented in earlier times. 

Section 3 -  Daito-ryu: The Past is Future.

Chapter 9: Aizu Bujutsu: Takeda Sokaku's Birthright.

After speaking of the loss of training methods that develop internal power, Amdur now turns to Takeda Sokaku's skill and how this man in the 20th Century reintroduced a level of power in martial arts circles that people thought was lost. Where did Takeda get his Daito-ryu from? What made so many martial artists of the time go and train with him? This is an interesting chapter about martial arts in the Aizu domain and how they could have influenced what we now call Daito-ryu.

Chapter 10: Takeda Sokaku: Opening Our Eyes To True Budo.

Amdur dives into this chapter exploring Takeda's character, his relationship with his father and his early training in martial arts.

Chapter 11: The Heart of Aiki Is The Sword: Takeda Sokaku's Legacy.

Amdur discusses a period of Takeda's life that is largely unknown, about seventeen years where he must have travelled about. This was a time of the gekiken kogyo (free-style competitions) and Amdur assumes Takeda had the opportunity to learn a variety of styles or techniques as he wandered about. Dojo breaking was common so it is safe to assume Takeda may have done this. While 'collecting' techniques and principles, Amdur states that Takeda would still have had a base martial art from which he had a reference with the sword. This he names as Ono-ha Itto-ryu. 

Chapter 12: Aiki Nito Hiden.

Amdur discusses and speculates reasons behind Takeda adopting a one-handed sword style. I found this chapter tiresome and sometimes fruitless, I can see what Amdur was trying to do by linking some ideas back to internal power but this is one area where I think it is stretched a bit thin. Read it and decide for yourself. 

Section 4 -Aikido and Ueshiba Morihei: More Than A Martial Art & More Than A Martial Artist.

Chapter 13: Is The Heart Of Aikido The Sword?

OK, I have a background in Aikido training, I have also read many books on Aikido and the founder. I have also read Amdur's book, Duelling with O'Sensei so I was interested to see where this section would go. There is no doubt that Ueshiba was one of Takeda's best students and most of the world will now agree (despite what the Aikikai was saying back in the day) that Ueshiba's Aikido had roots in Daito-ryu. Takeda had the goods as far as internal power goes and its very likely Ueshiba did as well, however, Ueshiba was not formally taught weapons by Takeda as far as we know. Where did Ueshiba learn to use the spear, sword and staff? Amdur attempts to answer this question here.

Chapter 14: Aikido is Three Peaches. 

Amdur looks more into Ueshiba Morihei's thinking by breaking down a book of Morihei's private lectures between 1958 and 1961. Things get quite esoteric and vague in this chapter. Amdur attempts to interpret Ueshiba's quasi-religious jargon and mysticism as it relates to Aikido. This is a big challenge and even the author admits that he is not very fluent in modern written Japanese, let alone the classical forms. He does mention those who helped get through this information but notes that the opinions are all his own. It becomes apparent that Amdur believes part of Ueshiba's power was in his strict, almost spartan approach to his beliefs. Prayer and the gods played a vital role in Ueshiba's psyche and Amdur insists this was one part of the puzzle that gave Ueshiba his internal strength. 

Chapter 15: Hidden in Plain Sight.

Ah, here we are! At the very crux of it! Or are we? Amdur tries to get to the heart of Takeda's and Ueshiba's power by looking at eye-witness accounts of their abilities and what similarities their performance of their martial arts share. He talks about aiki and that it seems to have two aspects - a shocking electric force to one's opponent and the ability to cause the opponent to fall down without knowing how. Is Ueshiba's aiki the same as Takeda's?  Where did Takeda's teaching stop and Ueshiba's creative genius continue? This is a long chapter with many twists and turns. Good luck!

Chapter 16: Triangle, Circle, Square: How To Be O'Sensei In Sixteen Easy Steps.

This chapter starts by discussing the impact Ueshiba Kisshomaru had on modern aikido. Then the author talks about lost moments that students should have paid attention to to get the 'gold' on internal training. The rest of the chapter is a tongue-in-cheek approach on how to actually be O'Sensei. 

The book has a huge glossary so you can check up on Japanese terms used throughout the book. If you include this then the book sits at around 470 pages.

If you have read down this far then, good on you. Maybe you are ready for Amdur's book!

Happy training and/or reading.

Tengu

In my previous post I briefly mentioned a classical Japanese text about tengu, mythical creatures often depicted in mountain forests, mischievous masters of the martial arts. It is said that Takamura sensei had a fondness for tengu masks. This has lead to them being quite popular amongst TSYR practitioners so I thought I would write a discussion of them here. 

The large tengu head in Kurama village.

The area around Mount Kurama, north-west of Kyoto, is considered one of the primordial centers of Japanese combatives (Ellis Amdur, Old School). According to Threadgill sensei, a young Takamura Yukiyoshi was taken on a pilgrimage by his grandfather. They began at the base of Mount Kurama, walked up to the Yuki Jinja and then on to Kurama-dera near the summit. This area of Japan has a deep history concerning the famous mountain goblins. It is said that Minamoto no Yoshitsune was sent to Kurama-dera to be a priest. However, while staying on the mountain he encountered Sojobo, a tengu king. Sojobo was willing to teach Yoshitsune martial skills and strategy so he could defeat his enemies.

Whatever Takamura saw or heard while on his pilgrimage, it had a profound effect on him. Throughout the rest of his life he would return to Mount Kurama regularly until his death in 2000. Having been to this mountain myself I can vouch for the spiritual significance of the place. The walkway up to the Yuki shrine is bordered on either side by numerous smaller shrines. I would guess that the Yuki Jinja is about half way up the mountain. As you climb higher the steep forested mountainside is quiet and tranquil. More shrines are exposed as you climb the twisting path towards Kurama-dera. Eventually you step out upon the temple grounds. The buildings here are grand and the view over the countryside is magnificent. It is easy to see how a young Takamura would have been awed by the place. A smaller trail climbs higher past the temple until you reach the true summit of the mountain. Here resides a small shrine and a fenced off standing stone called the Yoshistune Sekurabe Ishi (Yoshistune Height-Comparing Rock). According to the legend, the young Yoshistune would measure his height while he was at Kurama being instructed by the tengu. 

Standing stone on the left of the shrine. 

Allow me to speculate somewhat at this point. Takamura's interest in tengu must surely have been encouraged by his grandfather's stories and his trek up Kuramayama. Considering the young man was living in an area that is responsible for many old martial traditions, the stories he heard over the years must have soaked into his psyche. I must talk with Threadgill sensei next time I see him and find out what other tales are told about this time of Takamura's life. 

Tengu come in more than one form. Sojobo is usually described as being dressed like a yamabushi, a Japanese mountain priest, with an unnaturally long nose and a white beard. However, this description is relatively recent in Japanese folklore. They are first mentioned in a classical Japanese text called the Nihon Shoki, written in 720, but its not until a collection of tales written in the late Heian period that the tengu are introduced as troublesome bird-like spirits. Known as kurasu tengu (crow tengu), these creatures are considered inferior to the daitengu (great tengu) who are said to be more knowledgeable, such as Sojobo. 

It appears that it is not until Yoshistune's tale that tengu are related with martial prowess and knowledge. Up until this time they were opponents of buddhism and mischeivous spirits that stole children and caused havoc (this is especially true of the lesser, bird-like tengu). 

It is my understanding that founders of some ryuha attributed their new found skills and principles to training with tengu in forested mountain regions. The region around Kuramayama is but one example of this. One founder, Nakata Hikozaemon named his school Kurama Yoshin-ryu to link it to the mountain where esoteric training took place. It is no coincidence that the art Takamura studied was Shindo Yoshin ryu, a composite of two jujutsu lineages, the Akiyama Yoshin-ryu line and the Nakamura Yoshin Ko-ryu line (T. Threadgill and S. Ohgami). He lived in an area of Japan well known for esoteric practices and these practices can be found in Yoshin Koryu lines. 

So now Threadgill sensei has carried on Takamura's tradition of collecting tengu masks. At hombu dojo, the visage of Sojobo peers over the entrance of the dojo. The rest of us do the same. In the Hamilton dojo where I train, two tengu keep an eye on practitioners. I even have a small red tengu face, brought all the way from Kurama village, to ward of evil spirits and judge the intent of those who walk onto my mats.