Today's Schedule:

5:15-6:15pm Aikido. Fundamentals: Rey Espino

6:30-7:30pm Aikido. Mark Ty

Tomorrow: Dojo Clean-up.

The Prespective of Reigi Saho:

Kyogen is a type of short humorous play which are performed as interludes to the more subtle Noh drama. There is one play called "To-Nusubito" or the "Sword Thief." It is a funny story of how a thief steals a man's sword and how the man tries to claim it back when the thief himself tries to appear to be the true owner of the sword. Finally, it is decided that each will write the name of the sword's maker in the air, so the other cannot hear or cheat, to the magistrate. Of course, the one who does not know the sword maker's name must indeed be the thief.

The thief now can no longer pretend to be the true owner and must somehow fool the magistrate. When he is asked to write the name, which he does not know, he tries to write it very small far away from the magistrate's eyes so he cannot read it. The Magistrate says, "Closer, closer," so the thief now waves his finger in the air and writes in big characters too close to the magistrate's eyes so he still cannot read it. It is a very funny play as the thief pretends to be the true owner of the sword and has to fool the naive magistrate and owner. . . .

It is true in life how everything can be distorted in our view - if a little too close or a little too far.

I feel like this is the problem with trying to understand Reigi Saho. Why do we have such a time to understand such manners when they seem to be common-sense enough and show great consideration to the other person. Yet, more often than not, we always get into trouble or we too easily violate its rules. I think generally our perspective of Reigi Saho is too narrow or too small, just as the silly thief is writing in small characters in the air to the magistrate.

We look at Reigi Saho in terms of our relationship to others and understand as something exclusive to the world of man or manners between myself and others. However, Reigi Saho must be viewed from everything in this world. Just as O'Sensei bowed his head to the morning sun, the mountains, the air, a cup of tea, the trees and rivers. . . . Reigi Saho must be seen in this same light as well. There is a proper nammers to treat the trees and mountains, the water of the rivers, and the air in the sky. They must enjoy the same respect and polite consideration as we do each other. Or, Reigi Saho, from just a small, perspective as our own point of view, means not much at all. When we look out into the vast sea, or stand at the base of a great mountain or view the morning sun as it rises into the sky, our own feelings and concerns become very small and insignificant. . . . Yet, if we only think of our "self" and others, just a funny look of the eye, an odd word or unusual gesture of the other person and we are already angry and resentful and begin to hate or retaliate.

In Reigi Saho, we must always keep the bigger, proper view of our selves in relation to the vast world and infinite Nature, not just our tiny selves. With a bigger view of Reigi Saho, I think that many of our problems assume their proper insignificant perspective and it is easier to deal with such manners. The petty acts of others should not disturb the great view of the ocean or sky. . . . From the standpoint of the sun in the sky, the hateful or envious words and act of others can easily be overcome by proper manners and viewpoint.