The best warrior rises above. One state of being that all people who study a martial art are supposed to be aspiring to is kyomutentan (虚無恬淡). Kyomutentan means “to rise above the trivia of life and remaining calm and selfless.” A dojo is supposed to be a respite from the outside world - a place where we can go and let the outside world and all of its distractions fall away. Furuya Sensei used to say, “Cut off your head and leave it at the door.” The dojo is the place and training is the mechanism that we use to fine tune ourselves. In training, we learn to distinguish the difference between what is important versus what is urgent. When someone strikes at us, the strike is urgent but what is more important is how we deal with that blow mentally, and emotionally. If we allow our minds to be overly distracted by the strike, then we will act inappropriately and most likely get hit. If we stay calm and focused, then we will most likely maneuver appropriately and not get hit. Nakayama Hakudo said, “If you think about striking you will become confused. If you think about not striking you will become confused. It is when you are calm and not thinking about striking or being struck that real victory lies.” This may seem like an overly simplistic idea, but it is super complicated in a practical sense, but that is why we train. In class, there are numerous things that we bring into the dojo which can distract us and when we add in attacks it is easy to lose sight of the moment, our presence, and our calmness. When our minds are calm like the smooth surface of water, then it can clearly reflect the perceptions from the outside world. When our minds are stirred, then the reflection becomes distorted, and we will have difficulty perceiving the reality of the situation. Kaibara Ekken said, “A noble man controls frivolity with gravity, awaits action in a state of calm. It is important for the spirit to be whole, the mood steady, and the mind unmoving.” On a moment to moment basis, we are bombarded by things, people, and situations. Typically, if we react, we are doing so mindlessly and not from the present moment which usually results in an inappropriate reaction. Understanding this, we train so that we may act mindfully and appropriately. We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond to it and that is why the best warriors rise above.
Today’s goal: In everything you do in life, be calm and rise above.