The serenity of a splash

 

Furu ike ya!                               The old pond, ah! Kawazu tobikomu,                    A frog jumps in: Mizu no oto.                             The water's sound.

This poem is by Basho (1644-1694) and is probably the most well known haiku ever written.  I was blown away by this haiku when I first read this in D.T. Suzuki's Zen and Japanese Culture.  For some reason it always makes me think about fall and a cool morning sitting by a pond.  Upon reading this, I find myself transported to another place that is hard to explain.  In this place I can actually feel Basho's emotion as he is caught up in the moment.

I have never been one for poetry and in fact I have always thought of it as an unmanly pursuit but something about haiku really touches me.  For me, good haiku encapsulates the Way and what it means to follow it.  Good haiku is like Aikido - simple yet sophisticated.  The writer is able to be present in the moment but yet convey a sense of feeling within that present moment.  When you are attacked, being in the moment dictates that you only observe and don't react - true Budo is nothing more than this.

What does each rank mean?

People always ask me about the criteria that I use to determine rank.  This question comes with a large set of subjective answers that varies from teacher to teacher.  The knowledge or skills set is different between kyu ranks or mudansha and black belts or yudansha. For me, mudansha students are evaluated on what I like to call their Aikido conditioning.  Their Aikido conditioning refers to things the student needs to get into shape such as their ukemi skills, rolling ability, and basic technique differentiation as both uke and nage.  At the mudansha level, technical nuance isn't that important as long as they can perform the movement in a fairly competent manner and perform the right ukemi with each technique.

For yudansha at each level, the precision becomes greater and the student will be required to demonstrate everything they have learned up to that point.  At shodan, the student will need to show general knowledge of the technical form and display the Aikido conditioning they have built up.  Since shodan is the proverbial beginning, technical differentiation is more important than technical nuance while serving as both the nage and the uke.  Being able to do the techniques being called out and the proper ukemi is enough to pass the shodan exam, but not enough for subsequent black belts.  At each level of black belt, the student is evaluated on their technical precision, grasp of timing and spacing, breathe control, and mental awareness or basically where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to be doing.

The last and most important at all levels is the candidate's character.  A student with no athletic gifts and a great attitude will go farther than an athletically gifted student with a bad attitude and I would promote the former a 100 times over the latter.  I personally will not promote anyone with a bad attitude or corrupt character.

Be a mindful of yourself

Under promise and over produce.  Over the 24 years I have been practicing Aikido, this is the one shortcoming that students always seem to succumb to.  I am well acquainted with this lesson myself because I have I suffered through it numerous times.  For instance, I once asked Sensei if I could wash his car once a week in trade for dues.  He agreed and we made a deal that I would wash his car every Saturday after class.  Easy enough and for months it went great and I thought I was making out like a bandit until one day it rained.  I was about to leave and Sensei stopped me and said, "Hey, aren't you going to wash my car?"  I said, "But, it's raining."  Sensei went to lunch and I had to wash the car in the pouring rain and I did it because I thought he was going to check it when he came back.  When he returned, I just got yelled at for an hour about my follow through and personal character. This was a hard concept to for me to grasp.  I didn't understand that to be a warrior means to be someone of character and one of elements of character is ichigon or more specifically bushi no ichigon in marital arts.  Bushi no ichigon specifically translates as a warrior says one thing, but it really means that a warrior is person of character and hence that person says what they mean and only means what they say.

As a young man growing up I got a warriors education from Sensei.  He didn't just teach me the martial arts but more about what it meant to be a person of character.  A person of character is someone you can trust and respect and who lives his life with honor and integrity.  Therefore to start this journey be mindful of what you not only say and do, but also what you think - it really does matter.

So my suggestion to everyone is that they should under promise and over produce.  This is the best way to stay off the radar.

Learn by doing

"What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing." - Aristotle Aikido is unfortunately an experiential thing which means you have to do it to not only learn it but someday understand it.  There are many schools of Aikido and numerous ways to teach Aikido.  Our school takes the hands on approach.  In order to advance the first think you need is a good attitude, but after that you need to come to class.  Sorry no way around it.

A picture is worth a 1000 words, but actually doing it speaks volumes.  The concepts and theories of Aikido are so verbose and difficult that words and talking about it just get in the way.  Aikido is one of those things you can't truly learn until you experience it.  So you have to learn to do Aikido by coming to class.  Please have a regular training schedule.

Mind matters most

I saw this story the other day and I thought about you... Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, "Yes, I'll do it if it will save her.." As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, "Will I start to die right away?" Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her. You see, understanding and attitude, after all, is everything.

This is one of the Five Great Lessons that someone wrote about on their blog.  Understanding and attitude really are everything.  Having a good attitude and the right understanding are paramount no matter where we find ourselves or what we are doing.  Life will constantly throw us curve balls and there is nothing we can do about it.  What we do have control over is how we react to these curve balls.  It can be cliche or sophomoric to say, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" but that doesn't make it untrue.  What we think and what we say are very important but what you think matters most.  Understanding and attitude are not always in the things we say or do, but just like in Aikido it doesn't so much matter what we do when someone strikes, but it matters more how we react to it inside hence understanding and attitude are everything.

My kid reads the newsletter, why don't you?

My kid reads the newsletter, why don't you? Every issue of the newsletter the dojo has ever published is now available on the Internet for free!  That's right every issue since 1985 is available for you to read. Follow this link: http://aikidocenterla.com/newsletter.html

Martial arts IQ: Kanazawa Sensei - Violence is not the answer.

Every great martial art comes to the same conclusion at some time or another - violence is not the answer.  The difference between Aikido and other martial arts is that non-violence is something introduced in the beginning and not the end.  As Aikidoists, we understand that the person attacking us not in their right mind and as a result of is ignorant.  This lack of understanding or awareness is what brings them suffering because in the end they are only hurting themselves.  Knowing this, we try and use Aikido to resolve the conflict in a non-violent manner.  Kanazawa Sensei is a world renowned expert in Karate with 65 years of experience and has come to the same conclusion that violence is not the answer.  This video is the 2nd part  of four videos where Kanazawa Sensei talks about not only his history but his philosophies on life and Karate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgZcq9a1Z8o

Kuro obi - Black Belt DVD review

DVD Review: Kuro Obi - Black Belt

Most martial arts movies today are filled with incredible stunts that are performed by actors with little to no martial arts training.  This is wonderful and great for the genre of martial arts movies, but I always wish that the quality of the martial arts techniques in those movies was a little bit better.  Occasionally I come across a movie that really impresses me.  Kuro Obi is one such movie.  The scenery is stunning and it has a great story, but the real kicker was that half way through the story I realized that the two main characters were real martial artists.  I stopped the movie and Googled the actors and sure enough both were not only trained martial artist but teachers as well.

The movie takes place in the 1930s and is about three students named Choei, Giryu and Taikan who are the students of a Karate master who dies as the Japanese army attempts to take over their dojo.  The story follows the three students as they follow two diametrically opposing paths as they compete to be worthy enough to inherit their teacher's belt.  Choei and Taikan join the military where Taikan follows a more corrupt path as he brutally beats every opponent as he fights his way to the belt.  Giryu, who is injured, finds himself on a soul searching journey where he struggles to understand his teacher's last teaching where he forbade him from using Karate to attack.  The story's final chapter has Taikan and Giryu finally fighting each other for their teacher's belt.

The martial arts is excellent in this movie.  The scenery itself is reason to see this movie but the Karate is spectacular.  Taikan is played by Tatsuya Naka who is a 7th degree black belt and teacher at the JKA Shotokan in Tokyo.  Giryu is played by Akihito Yagi and he is a 7th degree black belt in Goju-ryu Karate and a 3rd generation teacher.

You can see the end credits of the movie here where Tatsuya Naka and Akihito Yagi are demonstrating their Karate katas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYUxr4Qaq3Q

Realize this!

Realize this!  There is no such thing as perfection. No thing is perfect.  No one is perfect.  No situation is perfect.  We can begin to see things as they are once we let go of our ideals.  Human beings are inherently flawed, things breakdown and s!@#$ happens.

There is actually only one true perfection and that is love.  Love allows you to see people for who they are.  Love allows you to see things as they are.  Love allows you to accept the situation as it is.

O Sensei said that Aikido is love.  I think what O Sensei was really talking about is that as we give ourselves to others when we take ukemi and that is love because we are sacrificing ourselves for another person's benefit.  However, what is the truest expression of love is that the nage knows that the uke is sacrificing himself and that the nage not only appreciates it but also sacrifices himself by letting go of his desire to hurt the uke thus love comes full circle.

The enso or circle calligraphy above symbolizes emptiness and it is supposed to represent the calligrapher's level of enlightenment.  The funny thing about an enso is that the more "enlightened" a person is supposed to be, the more imperfect the circle seems.  Perfection is not realized but moreover it is the realization that perfection does not exist is the truest expression of love and thus perfection.

Footwork, footwork, footwork

 

Do you have trouble making the techniques work?  Improve your footwork.

Do you want to make the techniques smoother?  Improve your footwork.

When someone does the technique on you, does it hurt?  Improve your footwork.

Do you want to make your technique stronger?  Improve your footwork.

Do you want to speed up the technique?  Improve your footwork.

Do you want to slow down the technique?  Improve your footwork.

Do you want to improve your timing and spacing?  Improve your footwork.

Do you want to build your confidence?  Improve your footwork.

Overall, do you want to become better at Aikido?  Improve your footwork.

I guess what I am saying is that it's all in the footwork.

Does Aikido work?

I am often asked about how the techniques in Aikido work and if they would be effective.  My answer is always the same, "Of course the techniques are effective and they do work."  I saw a video the other day and thought I might share it with you.  Irimi style throws where you are entering in can be very effective.  In this video you can see what happens when the police officer (nage) moves in on an in-coming person.  Note how the person is easily taken down with ease and how little force was used.  This is what irimi-nage would look like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxF1x33S0oE

The Way is the same all over

I am very interested in the Way.  The Way is the path that one follows in life as they perfect their craft.  However, I am not just interested in the Way of Aikido, but any Way that people follow and dedicate their lives to.  I love hearing or talking to people who are passionate about what they do.  I wish there was some type of show where famous or well known martial artists (or anyone who follows the Way for that matter) could be interviewed and they would talk frankly about their Way.  Unfortunately there isn't anything like that right now that I know of. The closest thing to that is a podcast/radio show called The Treatment on KCRW.  In The Treatment, host Elvis Mitchell interviews influential people in the entertainment industry, but this isn't your normal Q & A format where the person just comes on and plugs their current films or projects.  Somehow Elvis Mitchell gets them to talk in depth about themselves but also about the Way of their craft and it is eerily similar to what we go through following the Way of martial arts.  They have the same trials and tribulations as we do.

In the Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi says that to master the Way of swordsmanship is to master all Ways.  To better understand our own process or journey as martial artists, it is sometimes easier to look at it from another or different perspective.  There is a Buddhist saying, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."  What this means is that when we are open and willing, everything and every person can be our teacher.  I have learned something from every one of the programs I have listened to on The Treatment even when I didn't like the person being interviewed or wasn't interested in the topic.

The Treatment is broadcast live on Wednesday afternoons at 2:30 PM on KCRW and is also available for free download via podcast on itunes.  If you are interested, please follow this link. http://www.kcrw.com/news-culture/shows/the-treatment

Zangetsu’s rules to live by

Zangetsu’s rules to live by. Living in the world yet not forming attachments to the dust of the world is the way of the true zen student.

When witnessing a good action of another, encourage yourself to follow his example. Hearing of the mistaken action of another, advise yourself not to emulate it.

Even though alone in dark room, be as if you were facing a noble guest. Express your feelings, but become no more expressive than your true nature.

Poverty is your treasure. Never exchange it for an easy life.

A person may appear as a fool and yet not be one. He may only be guarding his wisdom carefully.

Virtues are the fruit of self-discipline and do not drop from heaven of themselves as does the rain or snow.

Modesty is the foundation of all virtues. Let your neighbors discover you before you make yourself known to them.

A noble heart never forces itself forward. Its words are as rare gems, seldom displayed and of great value.

To a sincere student, everyday is a fortunate day. Time passes but he never lags behind. Neither glory nor shame can move him.

Censure yourself, never another. Do not discuss right and wrong.

Some things, though right, were considered wrong for generations. Since the value of righteousness may be recognized after centuries, there is no need to crave an immediate appreciation.

Live with cause and leave the results to the great laws of the universe. Pass each day in peaceful contemplation.

Zangetsu was a Chinese zen priest who lived during the Tang dynasty.  Zangetsu's name in kanji 残月means moon visible in the morning.

Source: Zen Flesh, Zen Bones by Paul Reps.

Is greatness a function of nature or nurture?

I used to be huge professional basketball fan and being from LA I especially loved the Lakers.  When I watched basketball I used to hate Lebron James.  I thought there was just so much hype behind him and I was sure he was going to flame out like the many others that were touted as highly as him.  It actually never happened and he as become one of the greatest players to ever play the game.  But, what makes him so good?  He has great stats of course and his physical prowess and incredible athleticism at 6' 8" 280 lbs is legendary.  However the secret to what might make him so good in addition to his physical ability and work ethic is his mind. I recently read a couple of articles about his ability to recall past events and his ability to learn new information.  Apparently Lebron James has a eidetic memory.  An eidetic memory means that he can recall memories without the use of any aids or mnemonic devices in just a few moments.  Supposedly he can remember plays and outcomes of not only his own games but almost any game he has watched over his lifetime.  The article I read stated that he learned the entire new offense in just two days and not only did he learn his position, but he learned every other player's position too.  Incredible!

I think Sensei was like that too.  He could do that with Aikido techniques and compare and contrast teacher styles.  Sensei could turn off and turn on different styles and teachers of Aikido with the greatest of ease.  He could also do that with swords that would see in person or in books or magazines.  A fairly well traveled story that I tell is of the two of us going to a lady's house to appraise her husband's sword collection and Sensei did the appraisal without the use of a book.  I remember him explaining each sword in great depth and even commenting on which one's might be fake.  The lady was appalled at the idea that a few of her dead husband's swords might be fake and brought out all of the paperwork.  Sure enough, Sensei was spot on.  I was in awe.  He told me to go to the car and fetch a couple of reference books he brought.  He then showed us the reasons why he thought they might be fake by pointing out the inconsistencies compared to the dictionary of signatures.  Later I asked him if he had seen the swords before, which he replied, "No."  I asked him how he knew they were fakes.  He said, "I have carefully looked over every signature in this book as well as spent thousands of hours studying the sword.  You have to study."  Then I got lost on the way home and Sensei berated me about not paying attention and being unprepared.

Is having an eidetic memory nature or nurture?  I actually asked Sensei if he had a photographic memory and he said, "No, I just study hard."  In my personal opinion I think that the answer is both.  Every person has a certain level of talent or nature but that nature needs to be nurtured with hard work.  Lebron James may have been born with these gifts, but what makes him great is what he does with them.  Regardless of what or how much you have, you still have to put in the work.  Study hard!

Life is like an elevator.

Life is like an elevator.  Once you get on it is all about choice.  We can choose to go up or down as well as we can choose where to get off or just as easily ride it to the top.  We had no choice in the matter of getting on the elevator just as we had no choice in being born.  But, we do get to choose where we want to go and how far we want to take it.  It just takes patience and perseverance to keep riding to the top.

Change

"It's not that some have willpower and some do not. It's that some are ready to change and others are not" - James Gordon, MD Sensei used to say, "There is no time left."  As comfortable or as safe as that couch may seem, it is turning you into a potato and you don't even know it.  Before we know it, time has passed us by and our best years have been spent idly sitting on the sidelines.  The hardest part about change is taking that first step.  That first step will set off a shock wave and, once you get going, just ride the momentum from that tsunami you created by just getting off your butt.  Change is inevitable, but what we change into is our choice.  Growth requires action!

Please let go of whatever it is that you are holding on to and just come to class and train.

Master the form first

If I could give any advice to any Aikidoist from beginner to expert, I would say master the technical form of Aikido first.  Forget about flashy sexy techniques and just focus on the nuts and bolts of kihon-waza or basic techniques like ikkyo, nikyo, sankyo and yonkyo.  From these four techniques springs all others and if you master them then you can master any of the other techniques in Aikido.  This is not my revelation but Sensei's frequent admonishment to us.  Below is a video that I watch on a regular basis to help remind me of the right form of the movement.  Everyone needs a refresher now and then regardless of how long you have been doing Aikido. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP_jt8WRRsA

Great book by a great Aikido teacher

Suganuma Shihan's book titled Be Lively, Right Here, Right Now just came out in English.  It is a collection of his calligraphy, famous quotes and explanations on how to not only live but conduct yourself as a human being.  It is really a great book.  Suganuma Shihan is one of the foremost experts on Aikido and his Aikido is beautiful yet powerful (see below).   Suganuma Shihan and Sensei have been friends since Sensei's time at Hombu in 1969. The link below from Amazon shows it out of print but I just got mine from there. You can cut and paste the link below to purchase Suganuma Shihan's book.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1X4yawKWbJXCGRYGuXT-Xf--b-hFt6HjYZ86He9t1IJA/viewform

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtwY3uAMixI

Do you suburi hyakkai?

Suburi hyakkai refers 100 practice cuts with a sword.  Usually suburi hyakkai is done as a routine  either at end the day or start of the day.  Famous swordsmen like Nakayama Hakudo and Tiger Mori Torao supposedly did 1000 suburi every morning.  Sensei told us that Tiger Mori was so engrossed with doing his 1000 suburi every morning that his family knew never to bother him until he finished.  Despite all their accolades and fame, swordsman like Tiger Mori or Nakayama Hakudo did their suburi religiously because they were all chasing this idea of perfection.  They were never satisfied no matter how good they got or how many awards they received.  They knew that in order to perfect themselves they need a vehicle to not only gauge their state but to perfect it as well.  That method was the sword cut.

Supposedly one's sword cut is the representation of one's inner state.  If the cut is a reflection of one's inner state then what we are really talking about is one's inner mind or, more generically, the subconscious.  I am sure most do it either at the start or end of the day as a matter of convenience, but what they probably didn't know is that doing it at that time is the best time or way to access one's subconscious.  Sleeping is done at the subconscious level and doing suburi before bed allows your cut to sink into your subconscious.  Doing it right when we wake up allows us to access our subconsciousness.  Either way it gives us the feedback as to our inner state of mind.

A serious swordsman knows that the one true opponent lies not outside of himself, but lies within.  The outer work we do on ourselves pales in comparison to the work we do on our inner selves.  The sword cut is then a symbolic gesture where the opponent we are really cutting down is ourselves.  Therefore a serious swordsman has to do at least 100 suburi everyday.

Aikido is like a fine bottle of wine

To truly appreciate the depth and scope of any martial art takes about 10-15 years of regular training.  Think about Malcolm Gladwell's assertion in his book Outliers that to become an expert in any field of endeavor takes about 10,000 hours of participation.  If you did the math it would average out to about 2.7 hours a day for 10 years.  So I guess that is about right.  Sadly, most never can commit or persevere to make it 10 years or even 15 or 20. Aikido like most martial arts can be compared to a bottle of fine wine that costs $1,000,000.00.  Unless you are a connoisseur or a sommelier you probably cannot appreciate that bottle of wine's depth, characters or nuances.  You'd have to spend a lot of time taking classes, reading books and drinking at lot wine to get to a place where you could appreciate even a moderately expensive bottle of wine.  The martial arts are no different.

In order to get to place where you can truly appreciate the depth, character and nuances of any martial art takes hours upon hours of practice and that is why Miyamoto Musashi said, "It takes 1,000 days to forge the spirit and 10,000 days to polish it."  Please study hard and don't give up.