Hatsugeiko

Hatsugeiko, which is closely tied to Kagami Biraki (鏡開き), is the first training session of a chosen art in the New Year and sets the tone for the remainder of the year. Thus, one will perform to the best of one’s ability taking this first performance of the year very seriously. It will define who one is, if one has mastered his art, or where one is on the road to mastery. It is also a signal to others and yourself that you wish to carry on how you started for the new year - training sincerely.

A budo dojo can do special hatsugeiko (first practice of the year) as part of the kagami biraki, perhaps doing 100 front kicks or 100 punches, or 1,000 something or others. Or you could do an embu (demonstration) for each other, not tested, ranked or rated. It would be just a demo so that everyone can give each other and the gods an offering of their techniques in thanks for what they have learned in the past, and with hope that they will keep on being healthy and happy in the future. Again, what makes the training special isn’t particularly what you do, it is just that it is the first practice of the year, and it’s symbolically an offering to the dojo’s spirit and one’s own religious/spiritual deities as thanks for having helped you to survive the old year, and hopes that the new year will bring good luck, health and happiness.

In the two dojo I have been part of, there has been no big fanfare for the first training session. It is merely a continuation of the training from the year before. However, those that show up for the first training of the year are often the serious students, those who see their martial arts journey as more than a simple hobby. This is not to devalue those who don't make the training session. January in New Zealand is peak summer holiday season so many people are still away with family and family is important.

At the Yoshin Wadokan (my TSYR dojo) we started the year slowly. Sensei simply put out an email saying we are training on Monday and Wednesday of this week, for "those who can make it". I made it to the Wednesday session (which was last night). There were four of us. Wednesday is sword work night. We bow in with our swords and start our battojutsu practice. There is an atmosphere of quiet intensity as we work through our kata at our own pace, with the occasional correction from sensei. Is is a subdued, sincere practice, and this is normal for a Wednesday night. Then, we put down our swords, pick up our bokken and begin partner practice. Now the dojo is filled with the sound of kiai and wood cracking on wood as we forge ourselves with the kata. It is hot in New Zealand, and humid, so we are sweating in no time. Sensei often uses these small classes to impart some important concept he is working on and gets us to try it. Always refining, always working on the edge of our limits. Incrementally improving. After an hour and a half, we put down our bokken, pick up our swords and formally bow out. We get changed and then clean down the mat space.

I woke up this morning feeling very flat. My body is not sore, but tired. TSYR requires a certain type of internal mechanics that can be demanding on bone and sinew when not practiced often. It is hard to describe, but it is like my tendons and ligaments are tired. I am happy though, always happy to get another training session in. Happy to be consistent in my practice.

The first training of the year is always a chance to knock out the cobwebs and make a promise to myself, that this will continue into the year - this practice.

Reigi - is it just about bowing?

Recently, we have had a few new people try our old-school, Japanese martial art; Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Ryu.

For us, this is rare. We don't strongly advertise, my sensei prefers that people search us out. We are known in the local community as those guys who swing swords around on week nights, especially in the darker months where the dojo lights highlight our presence in the neighbourhood. We train out of a karate dojo so families and students of karate classes sometimes see us as they pass through as well. Other than a website, that's it for advertising.

So when people turn up to train, they have usually done a little bit of research on what we are all about. Even then, sensei is straight-up with them. He tells them that our training is relentless but issues no belts and new people start with basic movements they must repeat over and over again. We prefer people who have at least accomplished a black belt in another martial art but we make exceptions based on character and commitment.

Two of the new folk are father and son. They are continuing to train despite the grind, they have been with us for a few weeks and its nice to have new bodies on the mat. However, as a senior student of the dojo, I have a job to do - to set their reigi right.
Ellis Amdur (an author I am a big fan of) says this, "Martial arts are a laboratory for real life, not ‘real life’ in themselves. Through martial arts practice, we learn how we respond to force, how to deal with less than perfect training partners, and how to react to things that we are taught, that don’t seem to make sense. We are expected to bow to each other, to our teacher(s) and to such things as a photograph of a teacher, a scroll with some words or the name of a deity, even though we don’t do that in real life. (And regarding this last phrase, there is a Biblical commandment against bowing to idols)."

For people new to the Japanese martial arts, this can be weird. Bowing, especially to pictures of dead people and scrolls, is strange to a Westerner. In TSYR this is even stranger as more archaic practices must be adhered to that come from a time when Japan was a feudal society.

Years ago, while I was still training at my aikido dojo, we had a woman who really enjoyed training with us. She felt empowered and was learning quickly. Then one day she walked in and said to my sensei that she had to stop training because her husband discovered she was bowing to a picture of Morihei Ueshiba (the founder of the art) and as they were Christian, this had to stop. Christians don't bow to false idols.

Unfortunately, we lost a good student due to cultural differences.

This etiquette (or correctness) is called reigi in Japanese. A large part of reigi is the bow, but it is not everything. There is more to it. In TSYR, when you become a deshi (student) you take on the responsibility of representing the kai (martial school). You must behave in accordance to kai rules and not put the school in disrepute.

Reigi helps determine social hierarchy in a dojo. There is a strict vertical authority with the headmaster of the school at the top. Juniors should be respectful of seniors and seniors should treat juniors in a manner consistent with the best interests of the kai. This means being considerate and nurturing when needed, or telling them the rules when they don't know them or break them.

The social climate in a koryu dojo is a subtle one. No one is barking orders and counting out repetitions. Students watch their teacher and their seniors carefully, watching for cues on how to behave. This leads to a natural situational awareness. Students will go about doing small chores if they need to be done, before and after training. They look for what needs to be done, they don't get told what to do, it is expected they will watch and learn. I had a junior student take a mop bucket out of my hands the other day and said, "I'll get that." He removed one chore from me. He was showing his willingness to contribute, I didn't ask him to take the bucket from me, in fact, I was quite happy to do the chore. His action spoke volumes about his character though. This is important. The students who sit about while others look to the cleanliness of the dojo won't last long with us.

Takamura sensei had this to say on reigi, "Acceptance or rejection of proper dojo etiquette can expose a student's dedication or shortcomings to a sensei. The student who refuses to embrace reigi is not suitable for continued training because he ultimately views his own opinions and desires as superior to the aims of the ryu."

So, let me take you back to talking about the father and son who have joined us recently. The son, by the way is about 20, so they are both adults. I noticed that the son came to the dojo last time without wearing shoes. He walked in off the street in bare feet. For us, that is a problem. This means he is walking the outside filth onto our mats. Up until this point, both father and son have been respectful in everything they have done. The father, in particular, has had experience in another martial art and often bows in acknowledgement of a comment or when greeting us. The son knows to bow onto and off the mat. It wasn't till they were leaving that I also noticed the father walking barefoot to his car. As a senior student of the dojo, I had to put this right. So I called the father over and told him that I noticed he was not wearing footwear outside. He said, "Oh, they are in the car." I then explained to him the importance of keeping one's feet clean until entering the dojo space. He accepted it and went on his way. If I was to not bring this up, then I would have been at fault, not the father and son. They may not have known any better, but I did and had to address it.

People think they are coming to our dojo to learn how to fight with a sword. They are coming to do so much more than that in a Koryu bujutsu. They are coming to sharpen their minds, develop situational awareness and dedicate themselves to an alien way of being and thinking, from a time that held the group cohesion above an individual's needs. Some Westerners can accept this while others cannot. I guess, at the end of the day it comes down to how bad you really want to be a part of this old martial tradition.




Train safe!

Kata training is hard.

No matter how long I work at kata, I still come away from the dojo feeling like a beginner. It happened again just the other night. Lately, I have been working on Chuden (middle curriculum) kata. Some of these are new to me, others I may have done a few times before but I don't know them as well as the Shoden kata. So I found myself struggling away, trying to perform the correct movements while maintaining certain TSYR principles of body mechanics and posture. As you would expect, I was failing at both. 

Samurai Jack dueling with the Scotsman.

Just to be clear, kata training in koryu bujutsu is usually a two person affair. One-on one. This is different to the solo forms you might see in another martial art, such as karate. This means you are always working with another person who may be stronger, faster, shorter or taller than you. 

Look around the internet long enough and you find people talking trash about kata. In my opinion, this is often from a place of ignorance. There is a place for this kind of kata training. There is certainly room for other types of pressure testing and competition but there is also room for kata training. 

In its current form, the Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Ryu curriculum involves 346 forms. 346 different kata to learn. Kata hold the riai, or underlying principles at the heart of combat. These principles reveal themselves in layers. In TSYR, the kata are divided into omote, ura and henka. Omote function as the orthodox teaching form. These set the foundation of a student's skills and principles. Ura allow a student to delve deeper into the principles of the forms. Finally, henka represent application of kata principles. This stage should only be developed once the omote and ura have been thoroughly explored.

It is a frustrating experience. But it is suppose to be. My kaicho, Tobin Threadgill sensei, says that kata are not so much fighting techniques but rather a set of principles we are trying to internalise. Kata molds you from the outside in, both in body and mind. 

What does this mean for day-to-day training? Well, just when you think you get the hang of even some of the most simple kata, something changes. It may be that your sensei now wants you doing the movements with better internal dynamics. It may mean it is time I performed the movement under more pressure from uchitachi. This could be an increase in speed, or power or both. Perhaps uchitachi changes the tempo or timing of some of the movements. Can I still match them? Perhaps uchitachi comes in using his best coordinated attack, with good structure and near perfect alignment. Does my technique still stand up to that? Can I still take their balance? Can I still move efficiently around my own spine when the pressure is on. Can I still remain calm under the changing dynamics? 

Ultimately, kata training teaches resilience in the student. The fact that it may seem like you are not making progress or feeling a lack of achievement must be overcome if you are to continue training. 

The old masters had it sorted. They were looking to train the student's mind as much as the body. 

So whether this kata training is something you do or not, hopefully you get an idea about where one koryu bujutsu student is in his journey.

Train safe! 

I'm still here.

I haven't written for a while. There is a reason for this, I have started a podcast. It felt like a natural progression from writing blogs. I still have to put a script together but I can also have conversations with others! 

My podcast is called Musha Shugyo: A Warrior's Journey. On this podcast I investigate the mindset of warriors both past and present. This involves me talking about some of my own ideas, having conversations with interesting people and doing the odd book review here or there. I am enjoying the process immensely. The podcast community appears to be a cool group of people as well. I have made contact with other podcast hosts and have shared ideas and conversations about topics that interest us. The podcast has been going since the start of the year and has received over 500 downloads. 

So does this mean I stop blogging? No. This space is for my own thoughts on my martial journey with both Aikido and TSYR. Think of it as a martial arts diary. The podcast has a different focus.

Okay, where are things at for me right now? Well, so far, this year has been a strange one. Due to Covid restrictions, my work has been rather stressful. Unfortunately, this impacted my health for some time and I found I couldn't train without problems. It turned out I had some issues with my nervous system which seems to be under control with medication. The good news is that blood work has come back negative for anything nasty. The medication has allowed me to get back on the mat and I am both teaching Aikido and training in TSYR at my full capacity again. 

On the up-side, I made contact with my Aikido sensei and he has managed to get my dan certificates organised, these are now up on my wall at my dojo. Its nice to show the parents of my students that I actually have credentials. 

My shodan and nidan certificates.

My student numbers dropped over the last two years due to Covid-19 restrictions. It has always been a small group with the biggest class being 5 children. However, my youngest daughter and a boy from the local community keep on training and as of last week a third student is on board. I have found the biggest challenge to keeping students where I live is high school. The kids grow up and go off to high school, find some new opportunities and drop aikido. 

Still on aikido, my podcasting took me to the Coromandel where I had the opportunity to interview a pioneer of aikido in New Zealand. David Lynch started the first New Zealand aikido dojo in 1965!  It was great to talk to a man in his eighties who still values his aikido training. 

So I am keeping busy around work and family. Hopefully, I will still blog but probably not as often as I used to, as podcasting shares some of my time now.

Train safe!

 

Shu, Ha, Ri

 There is a concept in traditional Japanese training that consists of three stages - Shu, Ha, Ri. It can not only be applied to martial arts training, but flower arranging, the tea ceremony and many other disciplines that take a long time to acquire. It is a complex concept with many layers and I am still learning much about this idea. Recently Miles Kessler has organised a series of interviews with prominent U.S. budo teachers to discuss Shu, Ha, Ri. I highly recommend watching these discussions as the insights provided are fascinating. 

You can find those interviews here: Shu, Ha, Ri

Today, I will make my own meagre attempt at explaining the three stages but please take what I say with a grain of salt. I am still finding my way on the martial path and do not have the years of experience that the men Miles interviewed have. So, as I often do, I will use two books to help me clarify my ideas. The first book is the Student Handbook of the Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Kai by Tobin Threadgill Sensei. The second is Kodo: Ancient Ways by Kensho Furuya. 

Kensho Furuya describes the three stages of learning as such: Shu means the protecting stage, in other words, the form or shape of the technique must be preserved or protected. The second stage of training is called ha and this relates to breaking the form. At this stage the basic form is broken into its many applications. The third stage is called ri, the student forgets the forms and masters the formless technique, leaving the old ideas behind. In other words he has fully matured in his training. 

I find Furuya's definitions a good starting point but they feel incomplete or too simple for me. After listening to the gentlemen speaking with Miles Kessler I can see there is much more to it than what I have written so far. 

My understanding thus far is this: 

Shu is where all students start, learning the basic forms. In martial arts this will be, where do I put my foot, my hands, which way do I turn? Until a student can get some competence in the basics, he or she can not move on. In Threadgill Sensei's handbook, an article by Takamura Yukiyoshi explains this concept further. Takamura Sensei explains that without first devoting oneself entirely to the mastery of the omote (surface ideas, obvious movements) of the kata, the student is destined to remain forever a beginner. To embrace the kata the student must resign himself to a series of repetitious movements. This can feel boring, tiring and sometimes the movements seem random. However, the kata are designed to test the student on many levels. The correct repetition of the movements are training important ways of moving, they are developing muscle memory and building a foundation. The beginning kata are also testing a student's concentration, tenacity and devotion to the art. The kata are not just challenging a student physically, but mentally as well. Once a student can execute these kata at a satisfactory level, they can move on.

Ha is where application can be applied. In Aikido this might be the myriad versions of Ikkyo applied to different attacks. In classical training it is finding the applications or bunkai within existing kata.  Takamura sensei says, "...ha is the first hint of creative expression allowed the student." He goes on to say, "This is when the student is encouraged to consider any response to failure within the pure kata." Takamura warns instructors that this stage in a student's progress is fraught with dangers. On one hand, the true potential of a student can start to show through and this can be satisfying for the teacher but instruction must still remain structured and core principles adhered to. Failing to do this can cause a divergence from the founder's teachings and what the student is doing is now something else. 

Ri is a hard concept to define and I'm still not sure I understand it fully. In Aikido, I see it as spontaneous technique. The student has embodied the techniques and principles of the art and now simply responds to threats organically without thinking. This can be demonstrated most clearly with Aikido randori, where the aikidoka is set upon by multiple uke, each trying to ensnare or pull down the target. Even under this sort of pressure, if the student has arrived at ri, he or she will move appropriately and calmly to neutralise any attempts to down them. Takamura explains ri as the intuitive expression of technique that is as efficient as the prearranged form but spontaneous. For some people, this level if intuition is beyond them. 

Now we have some definitions for the three stages. It looks to be a linear progression from shu, to ha and finally ri. However, my own experiences indicate that it is not the case. This is endorsed by the speakers of Kessler's interviews. I was out in my private dojo today and I found myself practising the first sword draw I was taught, some nine years ago. Repeating the sequence over and over, trying to get it a little better. Despite knowing other cuts now, here I was back at this first cut. I was back at shu. Many stories, including those about Takamura sensei tell of exceptional sensei and practitioners going back to the basic movements. However, we return to kihon (basics) with an experienced eye. Perhaps even with a different perspective than when we were first introduced to the movements. I was taught how to apply ikkyo from a single wrist grab many years ago, but I don't do it the same way after all this time, it may look the same outwardly, but I know I move differently inside my body, I think differently too, my intent has changed. 

I can also be at different stages of shu, ha, ri in different kata. When I am taught a new kata from the TSYR curriculum, I can find myself back at shu - learning the movements. So depending on what I am working on I could be at shu, ha or ri (theoretically, of course). Imagine the progression as a self-perpetuating cycle, where each stage informs the next but you can move backwards and forwards depending on what you are working on. 

At the time of writing this, Threadgill sensei has yet to voice his opinion on this concept with Miles Kessler. I look forward to hearing what he has to say. 

Train safe!

Be the Warrior in the Room

 The heading of this post comes from a quote by Matt Larsen - the Director of Combatives at the US Military Academy at West Point. He spoke with Joe Saunders on the Managing Violence Podcast. I find this expression interesting. What does he mean by being a warrior in the room?

Is this the only concept of a warrior?

Its a fascinating concept "the warrior". The simple definition of a warrior is a person engaged or experienced in warfare. However, as Matt Larsen says in his interview with Joe, "the proportion of a country's population that makes up its military is significantly smaller than in ancient times." (I am para-phrasing here). So does this mean only those people in the Armed Forces are warriors? 

This requires us to define a warrior in our modern day setting. Matt Larsen believes a warrior is someone who can protect others or keep them safe. So what does that look like?  Does it look like the large, muscular guy standing in front of his girlfriend?  Is it the person who trains week after week in their chosen martial art? Is it the person who has trained in First Aid, in case it is needed when they are out and about with family and friends? Is it the person who has taken a Defensive Driving Course so he or she is a better driver and is more likely to perceive threats on the road while transporting his or her family?

It could be all of the above if the motivation is to protect someone and keep them safe. Now, motivation is important here. This is not about ego. If you go to the gym to get that fit, strong physique to impress a member of the opposite sex, you are not showing a warrior mentality. If you are doing hours of practice in your martial art only to obtain a black belt and prove you are better than everyone else, you are not showing a warrior mentality. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with having those motivations, but don't call yourself a warrior. 

In this day and age, a true warrior is a person that is going out of their way to keep innocent people safe. Members of the Military, Law Enforcement, Emergency Services - These people are warriors. A friend of mine is a paramedic, to me, that man is a warrior. He intentionally seeks to help others and keep them safe. You might think that is a bit lame to hear but think about it for a minute. You don't need a weapon to be a warrior. 

Of course, we are not all in those professions. Can we still be the warrior in the room? Well, that depends. Often the warrior in the room appears in a moment of crisis. He or she has always been there as a friend, or a workmate or even the stranger on the street. You wouldn't know they are a warrior until a situation calls for them to act. It could be anyone. It doesn't have to be the athletic twenty-something. Let's look at some examples.

A car accident has just occurred. Some people will drive on, pretending not have noticed. Others will stop, flick their hazard lights on and call the emergency services. Others might cautiously move up to the cars involved to see if they can help. Those who saw the accident but chose to ignore it are not warriors. They were not seeking to protect or keep others safe.

What about this scenario,  A training mate has a hideous accident one night on the mat. He severely dislocates his elbow. He is in a lot of pain as the nerves are stretched beyond their normal length by the odd shaped elbow. What does a warrior do in this situation? Someone might get on the phone to an ambulance. Another person might try and make the guy as comfortable as possible, maybe placing a punching pad under the injured elbow to ease up the pain. One of your buddies might be cracking jokes to keep the guy's attention off the elbow. The fourth guy is outside ready to signal the ambulance to the right entrance. All of these guys are being warriors. They are trying to protect their friend. 

A final scenario. Your teenage daughter comes home and explains how a boy at school is making lewd comments and trying to hit on her. This makes her uncomfortable. What would you do? You could find out the boy's name and contact the school to alert them to the problem. You could give your daughter advice on how to deal with the unwanted attention and see if she can sort it out on her own terms. You could confront the boy and threaten him if he doesn't leave your daughter alone. What is the best option? Again, this depends. It depends on the type of person your daughter is. It depends on the severity of the boy's comments and actions. A warrior wants to protect and keep people safe. If the boy's unwanted comments can easily be put down by your daughter's strong rejection or firm boundaries, then confronting him and thumping him is not keeping people safe. In fact, it could land you in more trouble and take away your options for protecting your family in the future. 

So what's the take home message in all of this. If you want to be the warrior of the room, be prepared to act to protect or keep safe those you value or love. To ensure you can do this proficiently, train accordingly, in whatever pursuit you see fit. Learn to improve your situational awareness, take a First Aid course, stay mobile and fit, keep practicing your martial art.  Speak up for yourself but more importantly speak up on another's behalf if they can't. Drive considerately and appropriately for the road conditions. We are not professional soldiers but we can still protect!

Good luck and train safe!

Connor Burke and Yamashita Sensei: Book review

 I am currently re-reading a five book series put out by the author, John Donohue. The series follows Connor Burke, an accomplished martial artist and Asian historian living in New York. The reading experience is light and the books are relatively short, anywhere from 270 to 300 pages long. I would categorise the genre of the books as crime thrillers. 

The first book - Sensei - introduces Connor and his sensei, Yamashita. They are pulled into a police investigation involving a serial killer who is methodically killing off high ranking martial artists. The story combines the exotic world of Japanese martial arts with the pragmatic drudgery of detective work. 

Deshi, is book two. Connor's brother, an officer in the NYPD, enlists him to decipher a strange message left by a murder victim. The message leads Connor to the samurai heritage of a mysterious martial arts sensei, the foreboding world of a Tibetan clairvoyant, and finally the wilderness of an elite mountain temple. 

Book three is called Tengu. The book gets its namesake from a renegade martial artist who has named himself after the mythical mountain spirits of Japan. The Tengu mourns the vanished prestige and cultural heritage of Imperial Japan. He, like the terrorists he trains, believes the West is responsible for destroying the spiritual essence of a once-great culture. 

The fourth book is called Kage. In the unforgiving landscape of the Southwest of the USA, Connor Burke works to piece together the mystery surrounding Westmann - a deceased writer - his work, and a cryptic manuscript that has captured the interest of rival smuggling gangs. Burke's only hope of solving this mystery is to call upon the aid and guidance of his teacher, Yamashita. That won't be easy. 

Enzan: The Far Mountain, is the fifth book of the series. Connor is asked by a wealthy and prominent Japanese family to retrieve their daughter from a Korean drug dealer. Connor reluctantly accepts not knowing the dangers of doing so. He accepts the mission to protect his old sensei from harm but gets in way over his head. 

The reason I am reading this series again is due to the author announcing he has finished writing his sixth book in the series, Keppan: The Blood Oath. In fact, he posted on his Facebook page on the 21st January a picture of his computer screen with the finished document. So I imagine we still have some time to wait as it goes into editing and publication. 

John's books captivated me because he manages to interweave pop-culture crime stories in with traditional budo values and uses the protagonist to show the tension and complexities that arise from the mingling of these concepts. The author has been training in the Japanese martial arts for more than 30 years. He has trained in aikido, iaido, judo, karatedo, kendo and taiji. He has dan ranks in both karatedo and kendo. John has a Ph. D. in Anthropology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. For more on the author and his works, check out http://johndonohue.net/

Licenses, gardens and the dojo.

 This post is going to be a bit of a rambling one. Lots of things have occurred on my martial arts/Japanese front lately that I would like to reflect on. 

First of all, Tobin Threadgill - the kaicho of Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Ryu - has released a list of names of kai members who have gained various levels of teaching license. This is the first time he has done this and the current pandemic has brought this about. Normally, he would offer licenses in person as he travelled the world. Obviously, this is not possible right now so he has followed a traditional approach that other budo follow whereby after the Japanese New Year (nowadays celebrated on January 1st), names of people are released who have gained promotions. This usually occurs around Kagami biraki (Opening the Mirror ceremony) on January 11th. 

It was quite a large list, the kai has over 200 members as far as I know and by far the largest group of license recipients were people who have obtained a chuden (second tier) teaching license, my instructor, Chris, included. Two other members of the Oceania group were granted a Shoden (first tier) teaching license, bringing the total number of licensed instructors in our area to five!  It also means we have two study groups becoming branch dojos. This is great for the growth of our area and the kai in general. 

What is even more exciting is that our two most senior instructors, Brent from the U.S. and Marco from Portugal, have been granted one scroll each from the Jodan (third tier) license. This represents their combined ability to teach the entire technical curriculum and is very important in ensuring the koryu can be fully transmitted. 

This weekend, to top it all off, Chris and a few of us from the Hamilton dojo are travelling to Auckland to train with those members there. It will be a good way to start the year and consolidate the NZ group. 

Closer to home, I have begun extending the Japanese garden. I felled three small trees which dropped leaves all year around. I was constantly removing the leaves from the existing Japanese garden, not to mention my gutters blocking up on the house. It was a relief to drop the trees and this gave me an area to extend the garden. 

The new area cleared for planting.

Once I had conditioned the soil by weeding it and adding fertilizer, I covered it with weed matting. The next decision was what to put in it. My elderly neighbour use to be a rock hound when she was younger so has many rocks in her garden. She had mentioned that I could use some if I needed so I went to talk with her and chose a rock she was willing to part with. 

The rock is actually petrified wood and the texture on this piece is amazing! I am very lucky to have such a generous neighbour. The rock is placed in the prestigious position of being the first part of the garden a visitor sees when they arrive in our driveway. Once the rock was placed, I went to a local nursery to buy plants. Two azaleas went in as well as some native ground cover plants called Pratia "Blue Stars". My wife had bought me a Griselinia plant which is a native New Zealand shrub. At the Hamilton Dojo we use this plant in place of Sakaki on either side of the Kamidana. Up until now I have been using artifical Sakaki leaves in my own dojo, but I can now use Griselinia. I have planted this shrub near the back of the garden.

Plants going in. 

One space remains in the garden for my feature plant. In each section of the Japanese garden, I have a taller specimen. In the first section I have a miniature Japanese Maple, in the second, clumping bamboo. The third section is exposed to strong winds so I am thinking of either a dwarf pine, Japanese Plum/Apricot or weeping cherry. Unfortunately, the last two plants are not available until our winter (June/July) so I may have to wait to completely finish the garden. As with the other sections, the empty spaces will be filled with white river pebbles. 

The final piece of news I have is that my friend Jules has finally pushed me into renovating the genkan of my dojo. Its been five years since the dojo was built and I have not done anything significant to the genkan. So recently the two of us took the walls back to the framing, removing the old sections of wall that still remained. Then we started to plan what we needed for new walls including insulation and lighting. 

Jules hard at work pulling the old wall lining down.

We also removed the old oil-stained carpet that was on the floor (the last owner was a car enthusiast) and Jules took it all away. I recently purchased some new lighting that I hope to put up when we line the walls. 

Above is a photo of the lighting I purchased. The black set of three LED lights at the top and the single at the bottom are what are going into the genkan to replace the standard fittings. 

So as you can see, it has been a productive month and there is still plenty of work to do. 

Stay safe, everyone. 

Hello 2021

Well! Where to begin? Little did any of us know what 2020 would bring and even now many people in the Northern Hemisphere are still locked down at home as their countries deal with the pandemic. I count myself very lucky. New Zealand (thus far) has escaped the worst of it. We have suffered a total of 25 deaths and of the 2,162 people that had cases, 2,082 have recovered. Currently we have no restrictions in place other than our borders being closed. Life goes on as normal for the most part. 

I thought I would look back at my first post of 2020 and see if any of my predictions came true. I started last year's blog discussing the number of aikido students I had (two) and growing this. During 2020 I taught four students regularly so I doubled my numbers! As I have said before I don't advertise, it is just by word of mouth that children end up training with me and four is a good number for now. As it was, Covid restrictions created a fairly strange year and training was on and off as the country moved through different alert levels. 

As for teaching TSYR? Well, the Auckland study group were hit hard by Covid-19. Not only did they go into lockdown when the rest of the country did, later in the year, their region was hit again and although the restrictions the second time around were not as bad, it halted training for that group and people weren't allowed to travel to Auckland unless they were essential workers. So I think I managed two trips to Auckland last year and that was it. My own training continued unabated. We have a core group of about six of us that routinely train at the Hamilton Dojo and the group trains three days a week. I try to make two of those training sessions but sometimes it is only one if family commitments call me away. I also can train by myself at my dojo to make up for this. This evening one of the Auckland guys is driving down to stay the night and then he and I will have the first training session of 2021 at my dojo in the morning. 

As for my hopes for 2021? Well, I am very conservative this time around. I don't see New Zealand opening its borders until the pandemic is under control, this means no visits from Threadgill Sensei. As a group, the Hamilton branch must simply keep training to the best of our ability. Aikido will start up when the school term starts in February and I hope to get enough training in to grade some of the students at the end of the year but again, who knows? All it takes is one person to be irresponsible and Covid could be among us again. So, I will take each week as it comes. 

My post is sounding a bit bleak but to be honest, personally, I have had a very good year. My family has stayed in good health. Professionally, both my wife and I have had a successful year, and our daughters are also achieving very well in their pursuits. So there is plenty to be happy about.

I hope this year brings health and happiness to everyone. Train safe! 

Dean.

Size and Psychology

 I want to touch on a topic that came up in a podcast I was listening to. The podcast was called Managing Violence by Joe Saunders and it was an interview with Savannah Archambault. Savannah shares openly in the discussion about her experience of rape and sexual assault and the impact that has had on her and the way that she teaches martial arts. It was refreshing to hear a woman's perspective on the martial arts. I highly recommend it!

During the discussion, Savannah is asked what the key factors are to teaching female students. She answers by saying that to her, gender doesn't matter. What matters more is the psychological state of that person and their size. In martial arts, size DOES matter. She admits that having a woman only class does help a female student recover from trauma initially but ultimately, once the student can move past some of those triggers, having a mixed class is more beneficial. This allows women to work with men and to see that the techniques being taught can work on a male. 

So I would like to explore the ideas of the mental state and size of  a person in martial arts.

Size does matter.

Firstly, size. To me, this is simple physics. The greater the mass of an object, the harder it is to move. I weigh 76 kg and stand 186 cm (6 foot, 1 inches). Think of a thin pole - that's me. Now if I am training with someone who is 110 kg and 168 cm (5 foot, 5 inches) I am going to have a hard time. I am giving away a lower centre of gravity and have less mass than my training partner. Of course, if I get my technique right I can move the other person around but I will have to have very good technique or I will most likely fail. I mean, this is the reason they have weight classes in sporting martial arts like judo. We discuss this very thing with body throws in TSYR. If we are trying to throw a person that is absolutely huge, then rather than take them over our hip it might make more sense to chock their ankle or leg and have them fall at that point. It still requires good martial principles such as taking their balance but there is less chance of injury for both parties if it goes wrong during training. 

Consider a tall, strong woman who is into training and conditioning, perhaps she goes to the gym, perhaps she is a competitive rower. Now, put her up against a smaller man who is fairly inactive. Perhaps he spends most of his days behind a computer screen at work or playing video games at home. The size and strength difference will be obvious, we can ignore the genders of either training partner because in this situation, the woman will most likely have an easier time of performing the technique than the guy. This is what Savannah was getting at. Size matters more than gender. Yes, this is an unusual situation but is possible. My wife is of Dutch descent, she is 183 cm (6 foot) tall and weighs more than me (I will not be stating her weight here, I have some sense.) So this makes her on par with me for height and reach but I give away a little mass. However, I have trained and conditioned my body for many years in martial arts while she prefers daily walks and yoga. If we have a fun, play-fight and wrestle about on the floor, I can prevail. However, I believe should she want to (and she doesn't), with a bit of training she would be formidable because she has the size already there. 

So with all things being equal, size IS more important that gender when training in martial arts.

What about the mental state of a person? I have already talked about mind set in one of my other blog posts so you will know how important I think this is. No matter your size, if you think you can't beat the other person or you think you can - you are right. Attitude is so important. Confidence is so important. Often we think of women being the victims of abuse, and while this is statistically, most likely, we mustn't forget that men can also be victims of abuse. Men can come to the dojo with trauma. Again, this is Savannah's point. Gender is second to the psychology of the martial artist. 

Where is your head at?

I started my budo journey in Aikido. Historically, it is a martial art that has a higher percentage of female practitioners than some other martial arts. So from the very start I have trained with women. I now teach Aikido to children and only one of my students is a boy, all the others are girls, my daughters included. If I look at my two daughters, their psychology is different, they bring a different energy to the mat. My youngest is a rough and tumble kind of kid and throws herself (sometimes literally) into her training. My older daughter is more considered. Here we can see, within the same gender, a difference in attitude. Both do Aikido, both are strong, confident girls, but approach their training differently. 

In Shindo Yoshin Ryu: History and Technique by Tobin Threadgill and Shingo Ohgami a past female student of Takamura sensei talks about how she was treated differently to the male students as she could not match their power. He had high expectations of her all the same and demanded that she surpass their speed and precision. He asked that she become deliberate, determined and dangerous. Just think about those adjectives for a moment. If that isn't all about psychology then I don't know what is!

I would like to add my own thoughts to Savannah's. Although gender is second to size and mindset, I do believe males and females communicate a little differently. My years as a secondary school teacher have taught me this as well as raising my daughters. Women and girls like to talk things through while men and boys like to just do it. While this is a generalisation, on the whole I find this to be true. As an instructor it is important to find a space for both approaches. Letting females talk out what they understand, at the right time, helps them. Letting a male just get on with trying the technique, helps them. The trick is making this work in a mixed class and of course, there are exceptions to every rule. 

Hopefully, I have given you some things to think about in this post. 

Train safe.

Ironing out the kinks and removing the slack.

I thought I would just write a short post this time. 

Winter is a tough time for me as I don't get in as much training time as I would like. My Saturday morning training sessions are hijacked by my obligation to take my daughter to her football (soccer) games instead.  Now, don't get me wrong, I really enjoy watching her play but I miss a key training session each week. As weeks go by I find my body tightens up and old injuries start hurting. 

Jack having a bad day.

Saturdays at the Hamilton dojo usually focus around taijutsu and bodywork stuff. It is the foundation a lot of the other things hinge around. By the end of the football season I am really noticing the reduced training. During the week during our kenjutsu class, I really felt by body fighting me. Quality sword work really suffers if your body is not aligned correctly and it physically hurt to adjust habits I was forming from working on a computer and driving the 40 minutes to and from work everyday. Certain muscles had tightened up and it took fifteen minutes or so to get everything working correctly again. By the end of that session my body had limbered up and I was feeling better but I was discouraged how one less training session a week was hampering my progress. My lovely wife opted to take our daughter to training yesterday so I could get a Saturday session in. During the training we covered chokes, vital points for striking and body throws. I could feel tendons and muscles clicking and crackling back into place as I trained and walked out the the dojo feeling much, much better. 

As I get older I appreciate more and more the need to stay mobile for good health. Stuck in a chair for long periods or stooped over a computer increase my chances of getting injured as muscles stiffen and tighten. I have known this for a while now, mobility is the key to physical health in my humble opinion but sometimes as work and family keep me busy it is easy to get lost along the way.

As I write this I am reminded of a quote from Morihei Ueshiaba, the founder of Aikido:

The purpose of training is to tighten up the slack, toughen the body, and polish the spirit.

I certainly feel like I am in need of some serious slack-tightening! It feels to me like O'sensei must have had days like mine for him to say such things. 

Train safe, everyone!

Is the End Nigh?

 As I write this blog, New Zealand had recently succeeded in being free of Covid-19 for 100 consecutive days. Unfortunately, our luck has run out and we have had a small outbreak which has placed restrictions on Auckland and less so for the rest of the country. I have had the luxury of training at my usual dojo, I go to work and life is still pretty much normal. Not so for my friends in Auckland. Training has stopped for them until further notice as the Auckland region awaits the release of the restrictions.

As I have watched the Covid pandemic unfold around the world, as I have heard of long standing dojo having to close their doors due to low numbers and lack of funds in the U.S.,(a good aikido friend of mine in Tennessee recently let me know his dojo is closing its doors).  I can't help thinking about the hardship and obstacles the ancestors of our martial arts went through to keep our traditions going. 

In my own tradition of TSYR, the members of the ryu had to survive many 'choke points' in history where the school could have ended. The founder of Shindo Yoshin Ryu, Matsuoka Katsunosuke, created his school in 1864. Note this is a few years before the Meiji Restoration, a turbulent time in Japanese history where loyalists to the Shogun were thrown down in support for the Emperor and the Westernisation of the country. Anyone supporting the old regime was considered a fugitive and Matsuoka had to keep a low profile for a while as he was on the shogunate's side during the strife. Luckily, he was officially pardoned in 1887 and continued to teach his martial art and grow his membership once more. Had Matsuoka been killed in the fighting or tracked down afterwards by authorities, the martial art I now practice would have ended then. 

Moving forward in history we come to the Obata line of Shindo Yoshin Ryu. At this time Obata Shigeta was training his own son, Hideyoshi in the art, training him hard. Hideyoshi would eventually join the military and with the start of World War II, many students departed the dojo for military service. Hideyoshi was now an officer in the army and had to leave as well. Obata's grandson, Yukiyoshi was being trained at this time. In 1944, news of Hideyoshi's death was reported to Obata and seeing the future of Shindo Yoshin Ryu residing with his grandson, he put plans in place. Yukiyoshi was granted a Menkyo Kaiden at 16 years of age (his training would carry on) and he and his mother were moved to the countryside. This ensured the line would continue. The Tokyo fire bombings destroyed the Obata Dojo and Yukiyoshi's grandfather disappeared at about the same time. Through careful foresight and some luck, the school continued through Yukiyoshi. There are many moments through this part of TSYR's history that the koryu could have ceased. Had Obata been killed earlier without handing over the Menkyo Kaiden to his grandson, Shindo Yoshin Ryu would no longer be considered a koryu. One of the defining characteristics of a koryu is the unbroken line, documented with scrolls of transmission. As it was, Takamura Yukiyoshi had several years of training ahead of him at this stage. 

It is a daunting task maintaining and ensuring the growth of a koryu bujutsu. It is important to have good quality deshi but perhaps more importantly, to have enough deshi to ensure someone from the group can rise up and fulfil the role of leading the koryu into the future. This is harder than it sounds. A simple mishap and a student who has been training for years can be gone. 

Ellis Amdur has said many times in interviews and in his books that he was the last remaining student of one of the schools he trained in. All the other students had dropped away for one reason or another until it was just him and his teacher. I wonder if his teacher ever thought that would be the case?

So I look at the situation the world finds itself in now. We are living in unusual times, there is no denying that. But I believe our ancestors have endured far worse and I see the best thing I can do for my ryu right now, is train. Keep grinding the stone and polishing the mirror. We don't know what tomorrow will bring so make the most of it.

Stay Safe!

What is koryu bujutsu?

Once work colleagues or people outside my close circle of friends hear that I practice martial arts the next logical question from them is, "What martial arts do you practise?"

I have found this hard to answer. I used to say 'jujutsu' but this would lead to people thinking I did Brazilian Jujutsu and was rolling around on mats and choking or tapping people out. Irritatingly, this is what most people think jujutsu is. So I changed my answer to 'an old Japanese martial art with swords'. This tends to get people thinking in the right direction but they started to think I was a ninja or samurai (eye-rolling at this point).

Lately (in the last two years or so), I have revised my answer once again. This time to, "I practice a classical Japanese sword art."  I like this answer for a few reasons. First of all, the term 'classical' indicates something old. It's very definition is that of being traditional or long-established. This is very true of koryu bujutsu. Secondly, it is of Japanese origin. Martial arts have many cultural backgrounds, I want the people asking to know that my tradition is strictly Japanese. Finally, I mention the word 'sword' so that they don't automatically think about the many empty hand fighting arts that come to mind when thinking martial arts. Even though my school does train without weapons, that is not our focus, so this is my answer. It tends to satisfy the curious while keeping true to what I do. If they have further questions or want an actual name then I will tell them that I practice Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Ryu. This is usually more than enough!  Just uttering that phrase tends to blow their minds. 

This line of thought triggered this blog post. I would like to go a little deeper into what is koryu bujutsu? Now, I do not read or speak fluent Japanese and my understanding is simply my own based on conversations with and reading by those that know better than I do. So, I do not claim to be an expert on this subject. I am simply, as always, writing down my thoughts on the matter. 

Let's start with looking at the word 'koryu'. The characters that make up ko-ryu can be read as "old" and "flow". Essentially, this refers to styles or traditions of Japan of a particular past time such as flower arranging, tea making, dance and of course the fighting arts. Therefore, I can't simply say I practice a koryu. It is too broad. Therefore, I can add the word "bujutsu", meaning "martial arts". So you could translate koryu bujutsu as old school martial arts. Now, the words bujutsu and budo can be used interchangeably and have a fascinating history in English interpretation. There are some lines of thought that classify bujutsu as martial arts that focus on combat effectiveness while budo are martial "ways" that focus on self perfection and morals. I believe Donn Draeger was the first person to place a difference on these two words. However, others have said that most Japanese do not see a difference between the words at all. Some old school Japanese practitioners will say they study budo.

Ellis Amdur mentions in his writing that one of his own Japanese sensei didn't like the word kobudo (old martial way) as to him it meant something fixed and dead, like an antique. This sensei preferred, instead, to say koryu budo (old flow martial way) - an art that flows from the past to the present, still developing and relevant to the world. 

I tend to use the term budo for my general practise of TSYR and aikido but if I am specifically talking about TSYR I will refer to it as a koryu bujutsu. I never say koryu budo. It just doesn't sound right in my head. Each to their own.

Amdur writes that the koryu bujutsu were established as entities that used combative practice as a binding force. Their purpose to teach the practitioners how to function perfectly as a member of the samurai (warrior class) under the leadership of the daimyo (feudal lord) whom the bushi served. To the modern observer it may appear that training in these old schools simply comprises of mimicking a preset series of movements called kata. It is far more than this. If we look between the lines at what Amdur has written we can see that at its heart, studying koryu bujustu demands loyalty from its practitioners. The ryu flows through its members (remember the translation "old flow") and when you sign up to be participant in one of these archaic arts, your individual wants or needs in your practice become second to the maintenance of the ryu itself. You are loyal to the headmaster and loyal to keeping the practice going into the next generation. Threadgill sensei discusses loyalty in "Shindo Yoshin Ryu: History and Technique." He mentions that loyalty should not be trivialised in a society where individuality takes priority. In other words, western culture. One must not let ego get in the way of real loyalty. The type of loyalty he writes about is not that of a mindless drone. More that of a thinking person who has made a conscious choice to be loyal to the ryu. Amdur describes this type of group loyalty as similar to a wolf pack. At first glance, wolves might play and frolic about but as soon as the leader prepares to hunt or perceives a threat, the whole pack is on the alert. They are finely attuned to the alpha's moods. Such is the case with koryu members who may appear to joke around with each other or tell stories before training begins. However, as soon as the sensei kneels to bow in, without a word, the casual joviality stops and everyone lines up ready for class. Immediate focus and calm ensues. 

I have battled with the balance of loyalty between my training, family and work for years. I have written about it from time to time on this blog. However, I have settled on this working paradigm for now - my family is first, my work is second and then koryu bujustu fills in the remainder of my time. I study a martial art so I can learn to use physical power to protect my family and others (family first). I work to obtain money to support my family (family first) and my koryu practice, therefore work needs to be second. However, once I have satisfied my needs for family and work, koryu training must be my priority. Let me clarify this. Having a drink down at the local bar is not as important as training. Binge watching a television series is not as important as training. Thinking "I can't be bothered going out to the dojo today" is not good enough. If I have time, I should be training. Now, training not only includes going through the physical movements of kata. It could writing my blog, reading one of many books on the subject I have yet to get to or cleaning and maintaining my sword. I can be practical about this. 

Right now, my country is in lock-down as it comes to grips with COVID-19. I am fortunate in that I can work from home. My children are home with me and my wife can also work from home. My daily routine supports my priorities. First of all I keep my family safe, we follow the health suggestions by our government and stay in our 'bubble'. We wash our hands well and only my wife is going out for essentials - family first. Secondly, I am a high school teacher so I am working from a digital platform for now. I make sure I am up-to-date with my work commitments online. Once they are satisfied I go out to my dojo and train for 30 mins to an hour depending on what I am working on, every day except Mondays. I give myself Mondays off from physical training - today is Monday.

I also read books about martial arts and write these posts. My mind is never far from TSYR or budo in general. 

My relationship with other deshi in the kai is quite unique as well. I cover these in more detail in this post. It is a very unique situation where I am part of an international community. 

So, that is my thoughts on this crazy obsession of mine.

Train safe and wash your hands.

Developing a Budo Body Part V

I have wanted to go into a deeper discussion on developing a type of body that can generate relaxed power for a while now. However, I am very aware that I am still learning and have a lot more to learn in this field. Due to this, I will be relying heavily on two books to help me clarify my thoughts along with my own experiences. Ellis Amdur's "Hidden in Plain Sight" and T. Threadgill and S. Ohgami's "Shindo Yoshin Ryu: History and Technique" are written by men that know much more than I and are where any quotes I use come from.

Takamura Yukiyoshi sensei called the type of body that had these esoteric skills, a budo body. I intentionally used this term back in April 2011 with my first Budo Body post. I had only been training in TSYR for a number of months but even then it was made clear to me that my body was getting conditioned for a certain skill set.

So what is this type of power I am training for? The term most often used is internal power or internal strength. Amdur summarises internal strength as managing the intersection of the ground and gravity forces within you and then directing these forces in the most powerful way possible. I think this is a good place to start. There is a fundamental exercise that I was taught very early on in my training called Ten chi jin. This is where a person stands with feet side by side, shoulder-width apart, arms slightly bent and extended forwards in front of the shoulders. The legs are slightly bent, the feet facing forward and the head up-right. Now imagine another person applying a lateral force through the first person's arms in an attempt to topple them backwards. As the force enters the first person, he or she splits the incoming force, half directed towards the ground and the other half upwards into the heavens. This exercise is teaching you to redirect forces acting on your body.

Now, if we go back to Amdur's definition of internal strength you can see that is exactly what this exercise is training. I have been practising that exercise for nine years, week in and week out. It is now becoming easy to absorb and redirect that lateral force no matter who is pushing on me. What is more interesting is that it takes little effort to do. This is important. This exercise to accomplished through coordinating bone and muscle so it is aligned in such a way that the force naturally flows where you want it to go. It does not take excessive muscular tension to do. I am 186 cm (6 ft 1 inch) and only 75 kg (165 lbs) so imagine a tall stick. I am actually very easy to knock over in most situations. The fact I can have people heavier than me lean on me and not topple me is a testament to this type of training.

As I said above, this is a fundamental exercise we have been learning for a while. It is not the only exercise and there are other skills we need to learn that require a different approach. Any application of internal power/strength also requires a heightened sense of body sensitivity. Threadgill sensei writes about four dimensions that provide this sensitivity: Skeletal-Postural, External/Tactile Sense, Internal/Proprioceptive Sense and Dynamic-Kinesthetic. I will touch on these very briefly, if you want to know more, buy the book.

The Skeletal-Postural dimension has already been discussed above. The skeleton should be aligned in such a way that it takes minimal amount of muscle to stand upright. Without a decent instructor it is very difficult to know exactly what this looks or feels like. Tactile sensitivity identifies subtle pressure changes during body contact that allows practitioners to evaluate and respond to threats. Paired exercises are required to develop this. Proprioception is the awareness of knowing where your body is in space without using visual cues. Dancers and gymnasts have enhanced this ability as well as martial artists. With proper dynamic training, the final dimension can be honed. This is done by replacing inefficient movement patterns with more efficient and budo-appropriate ones. This results in the relaxed power I wrote about at the beginning of this post. Together these four overlapping dimensions allow a TSYR practitioner to consistently monitor the physiological state of their own bodies.

Samurai Jack training his proprioception.

Once an awareness of one's own body has begun to develop, five key skills can be practised. Again, I will not go into detail here (read Threadgill and Ohgami's book). The first is to have a connected body, a body that is flexible but strong and works in a unified fashion. The practitioner is able to act in a fully coordinated manner recruiting muscle, bone and fascia to deliver power. The next skill is that of having a subtle touch/feel so that your hands can detect tactile feedback. The touch must be light, only as much is required. The third skill is the cultivation of a precise grip. Flexible, yet firm and devoid of tension. Extremely important in this weapon-based art. The fourth skill is called Dragon Capturing and involves projecting force into an adversary when you grab them. Not in a linear fashion but with a subtle spiral. Finally, breathing methods are utilised to enhance internal strength.

I would like to talk about fascia for a moment. This connective tissue plays an important part in internal power. Recent research hints that fascia is more than just a passive tissue enveloping muscles and organs. It can be conditioned, toughened and used to direct and assign force. Many of the metaphors in internal martial arts appear to be linked to using the fascia network within one's body. I remember talking to the late Robbie Smith sensei before our usual Saturday morning practice. I said that my body felt more robust and springy than prior to training with him but I couldn't put my finger on why. Thinking about it now, I believe the exercises we were doing were developing my fascia along with the coordination of the muscles to created a more unified body. Even now, when I train I can turn on a 'tone' in my body. I'm not sure what this is but I can speculate and say it is a combination of key muscle groups and fascia. If that makes sense? I know that without that tone, I am more susceptible to having my centre taken.

In his book, Amdur has this to say, "With internal expressions of force, the mind directs muscles, ligaments, tendons, fascia AND one's body mass as a whole, organized primarily to exert actions upon oneself, which affect the other in the process." This is a fascinating statement and a great explanation, in my opinion, on how a budo body is created. What Amdur is saying, is that until you have control over your own body, you can't control your opponent using internal power. In my own experience, I find this to be true. Most of my training in internal power has been around me being aware of tension in my body, how I power movements efficiently and monitoring my body alignment. As Threadgill sensei says, once this budo body is developed, the very act of an adversary touching the practitioner results in the attacker being stripped of any structural support. The opponent loses their advantage on contact.

Now that we have established that the practitioner requires an element of sensitivity and an awareness of their own body mechanics the final, crucial element is intent. Threadgill sensei talks about intent often when giving instruction. For a person of his calibre to be talking about the same concept over and over again indicates to me that I should listen carefully. If he thinks it is important then so should I. Internal power ultimately requires a well-integrated mind/body connection. In a moment of conflict, I can't think sequentially through my checkpoints to make sure I am moving appropriately while someone tries to strangle me. My movements must become instinctual. Therefore I must get to the point where my intent drives my actions and I trust that the training I have in place allows for my body to produce the appropriate response. 

A great analogy for this is driving a car. When we first learn to drive a car it can be overwhelming (especially if you learned in a car with manual transmission). However, over the years it becomes second nature to drive to and from work everyday, pass other vehicles and assess threats as you drive. This is what must occur for internal power to be practical. Think about how many hours you have spent behind the wheel of a car. Then think how often you train. Scary thought, huh?

It is well documented that athletes use visualisation to help them succeed in their physical endeavours. When you visualise yourself doing something, but not actually doing it, the same neural pathways fire that would normally activate those muscles that help you perform the activity. The mind is a powerful tool. I think of intent in the same way. If you have grabbed me I might put my intent behind you to make you topple in that direction. I think, "over there" and my conditioned, coordinated body does what is required to put you there. We can practice intent when attempting Ten Chi Jin exercises. Once we can redirect the incoming force we can start to try other things within this set up. I can move the other person around as they try and push me over. By thinking "move that way" my opponent gets moved. I can also place my intent into parts of my opponent's body. This is complex to explain in this post. Having face-to-face instruction is key to learning such concepts. 

So a budo body is not complete without the intent of the practitioner. Amdur says, "intent is the ability to use the forces of gravity and ground to your advantage, and to organize your body in such a way that, moment-by-moment, you shift to make another's power your own." It is the final puzzle piece in internal power training. 

Internal power training comes with a warning from Threadgill and Ohgami in their book, "Not all budo practitioners can internalize or master nairiki (internal power) skills. Nairiki training requires a significant investment in time and physical dedication." Further more, "Considerable mental patience and resolve are needed. Repeated failure and thousands of hours of repetitive training must be endured to acquire these skills, with no guarantee of success." 

Even after training for years, you may not get it.

Sobering words.

I have found a certain level of competence in this area but have a long way to go before mastery. I see it being many years until I can claim that, if at all. 

Train safe out there everyone!