The other day, someone asked me to explain about how one would take their opponent’s center and how they could use their opponent’s ki (氣) or “energy” against them. I politely explained that before all of those “advanced” things, they should first master the basic movements or “kihon-waza.” I don’t know if he understood me or not. The reason why students should master the basic physical movements first is because those movements form the basis of being able to “use” their opponent’s ki or “take” their opponent’s center. If we don’t master the physical movements then we will only be using physical strength or speed which will eventually fade as we get older and thus we will always succumb to someone younger, stronger or faster. Discussing Kendo as one ages, Moriji Mochida, Kendo 10th Dan said, “It took my body 50 years to learn the basics of Kendo. After I reached the age of 50, that’s where the real training began. This is because I finally began to practice Kendo with my mind and heart. When you reach 60, your legs and hips begin to weaken. You learn to conquer these weaknesses with your mind and heart. At age 70, your entire body begins to refuse to moving. This is when you learn how to not use your mind or heart. If you do not use your heart, your opponent’s heart becomes a mirror of your own.” Reading this, it seems that different physical difficulties arise in each decade and so before we reach a certain age, we need to have mastered certain things. If we don’t, those things will echo into our future and cause us trouble. That’s why we should strive to master the physical movements first before we get into the more advanced techniques. Just like painting or cooking, everything in life is a process and like all processes we need to follow the steps in order to achieve mastery. That is why the best warriors first master the basics.
Today’s goal: If you find that you are having a hard time, just go back to the basics.
This video begins at the 8:00 minute mark where Tada Sensei discusses mastering the basics. This is a 3 part interview that everyone should watch.