Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on April 24, 2004I think one of the big misinterpretations in the martial arts is this term "form." We often hear - "formless" or "break the form" as a way to transcend one's self in the art. However, where we misstep is that to be "formless" or to "break the form” never once means to abandon the form. We never ignore form nor disregard it - "formless" means master even the farthest and highest boundaries of the form.
When we view a great masterpiece of art - it may seem like it is totally new and innovative - but upon closer inspection we will see that it also conforms to all aspects of artistic form only at a new and heightened level of the art.
This certainly has nothing to do with mundane and trivial ideas of “best" and "better." These are concepts of the “political" world, not the artistic or spiritual world. It refers to something, not really "beyond" form, but form in a new, fresh, heightened and enlightened light.
From this, I think we can begin to grasp the saying: “Matsukaze Kokin Nashi” or “The gentle breeze through the pine trees has no sense of past or present (it is eternal).”
Please do not forget this in your training. . .