Throwback Thursday - The Student's Life Is Very Special

Throwback Thursday - The Student's Life Is Very Special

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on  September 10, 2004.

To sweat and work so hard on the mats, to try to live a simple life of self-reflection, to think of the higher things of Life and try and follow O'Sensei's teachings really goes against all that we find popular and attractive in the world today.

Most people will not admit it, but we like to fight, we like to compete with others. We like to win! Actually, we like violence - there is an attraction of power and ugly grotesqueness here that, as much as we hate to admit it, we love it and are fascinated by it. This is why there is so much violence in the world. And when and where there is no violence, we invent it in games, movies, and tv, and in our interrelations with others.

We love money and things and possessions and getting one better on others. We like to outshine others and show them up. We want fame and respect and recognition and constant proof and affirmation that we are better than others.

We don't get this in Aikido practice, or at least, in pure practice, although some today are even trying to change Aikido so that these pleasures are provided in full force. Some use Aikido as a vehicle for fame and power and we think that it is an easy way to make a fast buck. We use rank and position to show off to others and prove that we are better than everyone else. 

But for the most part, all of the worldly "ideals" do not come easily in Aikido. In fact, Aikido rather shuns the modern worldly values, or at least the current world view of "me, me, me," for something “higher" or "transcendent" or "good" like harmony, peace, and on and on. How unfulfilling! How boring!

An Aikido student's life, because they pursue these higher values by sweat and hard work - as boring as they may seem to others - is very, very special. It is not an easy Path and it is not a popular one and seems to contradict or, at least, go against the grain of popular motivations today. This Life is not easy and because it is not easy - it is very special and very good.

Read the Kick Magazine article about Furuya Sensei

Interconnectedness

縁の下の力持ち
Ennoshitanochikaramochi 
The unsung heroes who do thankless tasks

Warriors know that we are all interconnected. Years ago, when I was in Japan I saw a documentary about the brothers Takanohana and Wakanohana who both became Sumo Yokozuna grand champions. I was fascinated by all the things that their mother did to train them to eventually become Yokozuna. One thing which stood out was that their mother used to make them sit in seiza on their knees whenever their father, who was also a sumo wrestler, was wrestling on TV. Her rationale was, “Sitting up straight and paying attention is the least we can do as father is sacrificing himself for our family.” One way to look at this is that it is about giri (義理) or “indebtedness.” A simplistic way to think about giri is that it is transactional where someone does something for us and we owe them something in return but giri also has a feeling which accompanies the action. Giri means that we act in turn more out of appreciation and gratitude than we do out of obligation. An act of kindness is not something that someone must remind us of, but it is something that we hopefully never forget. Ideally, someone thinks of us and we in turn think of them - this is giri. In a dojo, as we focus on our training, it is easy to overlook all that is taking place around us. As students, it is easy to forget what others do for us so that we can have not only a place but an environment to receive Aikido instruction in. Conversely, for teachers, it is easy to overlook what it might take for a student to come to the dojo to train. Training is supposed to teach us to become more aware of ourselves and others so that we can realize everything that is happening around us. Realizing that we are all interconnected, we learn to appreciate the sacrifices and efforts of others on and off the mat and others in turn appreciate our sacrifices and efforts. A famous tea ceremony teacher once said, “With those who you find yourself with, give them every consideration.” The best warriors realize we are all interconnected and thus never take others for granted.

Today’s goal: Try to see and be grateful for all the interconnectedness that is happening around you. 

Watch this video to better understand Interconnectedness

Throwback Thursday - Practice Hint: Morning Dew

Throwback Thursday - Practice Hint: Morning Dew

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on September 15, 2003.

It might help you when you practice Aikido, to try to “think" like Aikido, and not look at Aikido too much from your own personal ideas. Sometimes, we just have to put ourselves into the "Aikido mindset” in order to understand what is going on. This is particularly important in the beginning stages of our training. As we develop more skill and experience in Aikido, our own ideas will begin to emerge naturally and we can further question these (or answer them) in our training.

The perfect training mind is a free and open mind. In Aikido this means an "empty" mind - an empty vessel to receive all things.

Please be careful here - some people interpret this as “garbage pail" to receive anything and all things - even trash. 

It is like our own drinking glass - maybe we put in purified water, or tea or some soft drink - but we would never put in anything dirty or unhealthy. Like our minds too, it is open and free - but still it is not the place for garbage, trash or unhealthy things. This seems like a pretty simple concept to understand, I think, but how many people aren't aware of this!

In Japanese, there is a saying, "Aka to majiwareba, akaku naru.” Or, "if your play with red, you will eventually turn red." 

Confucius described this as walking through a garden in the early morning - your sleeves will naturally touch the leaves and pick up the morning dew. You cannot help but make your sleeves moist. Just as we make acquaintances with good people, we cannot help but be influenced by them. Just as we practice good Aikido, we will eventually become good at Aikido.

The wonderful Aikido master, the late Kisaburo Ohsawa Sensei always said, "Let's practice good Aikido." Such an easy idea - but so hard to do!

Sometimes we may think that Aikido is very difficult and too hard to understand - it is not. It is open and makes perfect sense, there is no contradiction or weak points in Aikido. Everything we need is there on the mats for us to discover. What is the difficult aspect of mastering Aikido is within our own minds and spirits. As O'Sensei said, "It is a matter of purification. . . . ." 

Aikido is not a "technique" like learning how to peel a potato, making a martini or building a table. Aikido is an art and therefore it is a lifetime study. There may be a limit to the study of a technique, but there is no end to the study of one's self

Even Confucius was thinking about his studies and practice - while walking in the garden so early in the morning when he saw the morning dew upon the leaves. How much more do we need to practice ourselves?

And please remember, just as Confucius' long flowing sleeves will naturally pick up the dew on contact, there is no strain here or anything forced here as it should be with your own Aikido practice.

Prevention and Intervention

“The Way of the Warrior has been misunderstood. It is not a means to kill and destroy others. Those who seek to compete and better one another are making a terrible mistake. To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst thing a human being can do. The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent such slaughter — it is the Art of Peace, the power of love.” - Morihei Ueshiba

We often think that the martial arts are for our own protection. Up to a certain level this is true, but as we become more developed, we realize that the study of budo is as much about protecting others as it is about protecting ourselves and this protection isn’t just physical. Training is supposed to teach us how to read our opponents. In reading our opponents, we ascertain things like what style they might be employing, if they have any injuries, or what their strengths and weaknesses might be. In the beginning, we use this information as a means to destroy others, but later it becomes a way to care for others. As O’Sensei stated, “The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent such slaughter.” When a martial artist sees something is amiss, they feel compelled to aidanitatsu (間に立つ) or “intervene.” Aidanitatsu literally means “to stand in between.” Someone once said, "If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” Interestingly, we are starting to see O’Sensei’s philosophy starting to play out in athletic competitions. More and more people are starting to “speak up” when things are not right. When Colin Kaepernick takes a knee for social injustice, Naomi Osaka pulls out for her mental health or Simone Biles pulls out for her own safety, they may not realize it but they are helping others. O’Sensei wasn’t an advocate for competition because he believed it brought out the worst in people and judging from all the criticisms of Kaepernick, Osaka and Biles, he was right, but we can also see how certain aspects of competition are starting to benefit others. The question becomes, “What are we supposed to do when we see something is wrong?” The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent slaughter. Thus, the true warrior protects others. If a warrior sees something is amiss, they should have the fortitude to intervene.

Today’s goal: Be willing to stand up for others regardless if others think it is wrong or right.

Willingness

The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

運命は勇者に微笑む 
Unmei wa yusha ni hohoemu
Destiny smiles on the courageous

Miyamoto Musashi said, “Shinbutsu wo tattobite, shinbutsu wo tanomazu” (神仏を尊びて神仏を頼ず) which means, “Respect Buddha and Shinto gods, but do not ask them for anything.” He said that because warriors are self-made people. Everyone has potential, but only self-made warriors have willingness. Willingness is one of those things can’t be taught be but can learned. Someone once said, “Talent is nothing without hard work.” It’s true. Everyone has senshinryoku (潛心力) or “potential power,” but that potential is nothing without the willingness to do the work. Yaruki (遣る気 ) or “willingness” means having the determination, eagerness or motivation to reach our highest level. Yaru can mean “to do,” but it also can mean “to harm or kill” and ki means “energy.” Thus, yaruki can be about the potentiality to use our energy or destroy it. In Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, he wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” The path of the willing is fraught with obstacles but as Frost alludes, “It will make all the difference.” On our path, we can see each obstacle as a barrier or we can see it as a test of our mastery or a lesson toward it. Musashi didn’t ask the gods for help because he was his own person and, as a self-made warrior, he knew that there is something satisfying when we make it on our own. Maybe, gods decide the winner but gods don’t put in the work to win. What does it take to achieve our dreams? First and foremost, willingness. How willing are you to participate in your own life? Faith guides us, willingness puts on the path, and hard work keeps us there, but in the end, we can only rely upon ourselves. I know it was hard, but I am incredibly happy that you chose this path. Keep being willing to do the work - it will pay off in the end. Destiny does smile upon the courageous.  

Today’s goal: Be willing to put in the work and don’t stop for anything or anyone. 

Throwback Thursday - Student & Teacher

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on June 9, 2005.

I think if the student has the time, interest and commitment to their training, they should spend as much time as possible with their teacher. There is so much to learn, to share and to hear from your teacher - but it can’t all happen on the mat. Training takes place both on and off the mat or wherever and whenever you are with your teacher.

I am not talking about teachers who simply want to show off their skill and knowledge nor those who are business people, but the true teacher.

Of course, a good teacher is not easy to get close to - most of the time they are running away from their students - especially those students who are not really interested in learning but want to show off to their teacher or just curry their favor. How does the teacher determine those who are earnest in their studies? It is how each student behaves on the mat and how earnestly they are trying to learn.

Today, we want the teacher and student to be equal or "good pals” but most people only interpret this in a self-serving way. Of course, the teacher and student are equal as human beings and as training partners on the mat. But, it is the student who seeks knowledge from the teacher and in this respect, it is not equal at all. We can't understand this in the way we live and think today in this modern world - we must understand this from the perspective of the age old quest of the those seekers of knowledge of so long ago.

Today, it was such a beautiful day that I realized that it is all a gift that we receive in this world. This is why we must be grateful for everything.

Trust

“Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” - Maya Angelou

It takes trust to learn Aikido or anything else for that matter. However, a warrior isn’t supposed to be the trusting type. There is an old saying, “Bushi wo mitaradoroboutoomoe” (武士を見たら泥棒と思え) which means “Warriors always assume the worst in people.” On a certain level, this could be true because it is commonly thought that the most effective technique is the damashiuchi (騙し討ち) or “surprise attack.” Our opponents study us and wait for the right moment to attack when our guard is down. Not wanting to be caught off guard, the warriors of old were always supposed to be vigilant and ever suspicious. This type of mindset is called negative bias or one that assumes the worst in people. In the beginning of our training, it is easy to cultivate an adversarial mindset because people are throwing us down and we can mistakenly think it is malicious. Thinking that everyone is out to get us makes it hard to shinnin (信任) or “trust” others. However, with time and training, we come to realize that Aikido is less about fighting others and more about overcoming ourselves. O’Sensei once said, “Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat an enemy. It is the way to reconcile the world and make human beings one family.” This is where we start to shift from having a negative biased mind to one that is positive biased where it is more about abundance and trust and less about lack and deceit. With experience, we learn to take care of others on and off the mat. We realize that our partners are trusting us by giving us their bodies to use and that we shouldn’t abuse that trust and with this awareness comes shinraikankei (信頼関係) or a “relationship of mutual trust.” It is easy to lose our trust in others and assume the worst in people. With Aikido training, we learn to soften our negative minds, see the world in a more abundant light and trust that life is not a burden but a gift. While the warrior of old may not have trusted others for good reason, the warrior of today has the opportunity to live a different life. With trust, we can learn anything and become anyone we want to be.   

Today’s goal: Trust that the world is abundant instead of seeing it as lacking. 

Aiki Dojo Message - Throwing Rock

When playing Rock Paper Scissors, a warrior never throws rock. In the Japanese version called Janken pon (じゃん拳ぽん), the hand gestures refer to the Japanese onomatopoeia or sounds that the hand movements are making. Guu is the sound of squeezing the hand, choki is the sound scissors make, and paa is the sound of the hand opening. Throwing rock is referred to as guu but guu is also the Japanese onomatopoeia sound that one makes when they are being choked or suffering under adversity. So, the warriors of old never threw rock in Janken pon because of the superstition that it might make them fail. Today, we call this subconscious programming or as someone once said, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” Superstition and subconscious programming alike both dictate that even the smallest detail can convey who we are and what we desire. In the book Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa which is a fictional story of Miyamoto Musashi’s life there is an example of this. At one point, Musashi has become Japan’s most prolific swordsman and he is challenged by Sasaki Kojiro and his famous sword monohoshizao or “The drying pole.” Kojiro and Musashi meet on the beach of Ganryu Island to fight their fated duel. As Kojiro draws his sword, he throws his sword scabbard into the ocean. Musashi sees this and says, “You are already dead.” I’d imagine that Kojiro’s act was to symbolizes that he was ready to die but to Musashi it meant that he was resigning himself to die. Both have similar meanings but a completely different emphasis. Sure enough, Musashi cuts Kojiro down with one cut from his wooden sword. Thus, symbolically like Kojiro, by throwing rock or guu, perhaps we are subconsciously setting up our minds to suffer or “choke” under the pressure of the situation. Also statistically, 35% of people throw rock while 29.6% throw paper so maybe based on the percentages a warrior should just throw paper anyways. A warrior understands the symbolism of “How you do anything is how you do everything” and that’s why a warrior never throws rock.    

Today’s goal: What ways are you setting yourself up subconsciously for success or failure?

Watch Furuya Sensei discuss the deeper meaning of the Japanese sword.

Creativity

In the martial arts, it is commonly thought that one should only be “creative” after a certain level of training. In Japanese traditional arts, it is believed that there are three levels of learning referred to as shuhari (守破離). Shu is the beginning stage where gross or rote learning occurs. In this stage things are memorized exactly as they are with no variation. Ha means “to break” and thus the things we learned in the Shu stage are broken down into their fine points. This stage is where we attempt to understand rather than memorize. Ri is the final stage where we transcend or leave the form. This is the final stage of mastery where most think creativity lies. I would posit that all levels of learning have creativity but just in different contexts. In the Shu and Ha stages, we are not supposed to be “creative” with the form, but we can be creative with our approach as to how we memorize and understand the form. However, with that being said, we still have to manage how much creativity or freedom we apply when approaching the black and whiteness of form. The words nyoijizai (如意自在 ) and jiyuujizai (自由自在) both can be used to mean “free” or “to do as one pleases” but they also can be read as “to be in complete control.” Thus, when we are doing as we please or are being free, we must still be in control or aware of the boundaries of propriety. When I was a student, there was a senior who was really innovative with his approach to learning. After Furuya Sensei would point out a mistake in his movement, he was really good at figuring out a way to fix it. For instance, Sensei pointed out that while cutting he would drop the tip at the top of the cut. So he rigged up a wire at the exact height where he dropped the tip. If he dropped the tip, then the sword would hit the wire and make twang. He then trained his muscle memory while doing suburi or “cutting practice” to not hit the wire. He didn’t change then form. He just creatively came up with a way to memorize a detail in the form. The form is black or white and must be memorized exactly, but that doesn’t mean that we should limit our creativity around learning that form. Be creative but just in the right way and in the right context.   

Today’s goal: How can you find a way around what is in your way today? 

Watch this week’s episode of the Aiki Dojo Podcast: The Role of Creativity in Aikido

Throwback Thursday - Warriors

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on May 26, 2003.

People today are taught to only think about themselves so we are creating such a cold, isolated and selfish world. It makes me sooo sad.

We practice Aikido and many of us like to think of ourselves as warriors. But what is a warrior, do you think? We only think that a warrior is good in martial arts, strong and tough. No, we are just thinking of the picture that movies and comic books paint for us. A true warrior is one who has gone beyond life and death. Can you give up yourself for the sake of another? This is the ultimate question that a warrior must solve for themselves. In the Hagakure, the opening famous line is: “The Way of The Warrior, is, after-all, to understand one’s end. . . . ."

This, please understand, is not a negative view of life. It is the ultimate good. To recognize others above our own selves and our own selfish interests. This is a very unpopular or unknown idea nowadays. But the honor and greatness has never changed and never will. It is just that there are fewer of us who can really and truly call ourselves warriors.

Composure

平静を保つ
Heisei wo tamotsu 
To maintain one's composure

The best warriors know how to remain calm. The other day someone sent me a DM asking me this question: “Can Aikido work on an animal?” I never answered because I thought the question was moot. Then a coyote followed me this morning for a quarter mile while I was on my walk at 5:00 am while it was still dark outside. Most times the coyote kept its distance but there was one moment when it came about 20 feet from me. When that happened, I stopped and turned to face it. We stood there for a minute and just stared at each other and then it just turned and walked away. The coyote trailed me for a little while then abruptly ran off. During the rest of my walk, I thought seriously about this person’s question. The question was accompanied by a link to an article about Mas Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate who was famous for fighting bulls and actually killing three with his bare hands. I imagine this was the impetus for this question. Most martial arts use pain compliance, intimidation techniques or psychological warfare to “win” fights and so, based on this, most martial arts would not be effective against animals who are bigger, stronger, more agile or hungrier. Apart from brute strength or a weapon, our minds are probably our best weapon in defeating an animal. If that is true then our biggest asset lies in our ability to maintain our composure. Being calm enables us to make the right decision at the right time which will hopefully lead to the right outcome. In randori (乱取り) or “freestyle” Aikido training, we usually take on several attackers at once. In the beginning of this type of training, all the opponents attack with the same attack. As one progresses in their training, the attackers are allowed to attack with any attack. This type of training tests our spontaneity and our ability to flow but most of all it tests our ability to remain calm. Whether or not a martial art can work against an animal or not is not the point. British author, Leonard Woolf said, “Anyone can be a barbarian; it requires a terrible effort to remain a civilized man.” The true test of a person is whether or not they can remain calm and retain their humanity in the face of adversity. An attack is an attack, regardless if it comes from a person or an animal. What matters is if we have the composure to face whatever comes and that is why the best warriors know how to remain calm.

Today’s goal: No matter what happens, be calm and don’t lose your head.

Quick Thinking

その蜘は素早い反撃をする
Sono kumo wa subayai hangeki wo suru
The spider responds with a swift attack

A martial artist is supposed to be decisive. When a suki (隙) or “opening” presents itself, a martial artist has to be able to act, but not just acting for the sake of acting. The act has to be decisive and precise. The faster that we can recognize an opening, process that information mentally and then act physically determines how successful we can be. Being able to see an opening and quickly understand it is called subayai (素早い) in Japanese. It is said that the conscious mind can only process 40 bits of information per second while the subconscious mind can process 20 million bits. We see the inherent strength in the subconscious mind in reaction times as a conscious reaction is around 0.20 seconds while a subconscious reaction is about 0.08 seconds. This is the reason why in martial arts training there is so much value placed upon repetition. Repetition is how we program our subconscious mind. After a certain number of repetitions, our subconscious mind takes over and that is when the movements become programmed into our subconscious. When does this happen? There is a certain point in class when we become bored. Boredom is a function of our conscious mind. Somewhere after boredom, our conscious minds relax and our subconscious minds begin to take over. Many of us have experienced this same phenomenon while driving. Some people call his subconscious programming “muscle memory.” Recently, I was watching the All Japan Kendo Tournament in 2007 that was filmed with a high speed camera. During the final match, at full speed, it appeared as if the Kendoists had hit each other simultaneously called aiuchi (相打ち) or “double death.” However, with the high speed camera, they were able to show how one kendoist reaction time was 0.0009 seconds faster. Something that quick could not be a product of that person’s conscious mind. Something that fast had to be programmed into his body with thousands of hours of subconscious repetition. In life and in the martial arts, when an opportunity presents itself, we have to be in the right mind to quickly choose the right course of action and that’s why a martial artist has to be decisive. 

Today’s goal: What can you do repetitiously to program yourself for success?

Watch this video to see the lightning fast Kendo reactions

Throwback Thursday - First Move

Throwback Thursday - First Move

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on September 23, 2004. 

As soon as one picks up their sword, we can tell their level. When an Aikido student first bows into class, we can tell their level. When someone first opens their mouth, we can tell where they are coming from. Everything, in every moment, must be like facing our opponent or partner. Training is life and death and thus our first move is important. This is the meaning of practice.

Horizontal or Vertical

けっきょく実力が勝つ
Kekkyoku jitsuryoku ga katsu
Real ability wins in the end

The other day an anonymous martial arts expert on social media commented on one of my videos that “Speed dictates whether your technique works at all, and most of these do not.” I replied that “All techniques are a function of speed, timing, reaction and technical skill. So what works or doesn't work depends on the practitioner doing them.” On the internet, it is easy to be a keyboard warrior and fall into speculative game of judging something from the comfort of one's sofa. However, like Ip Man says in the movie Grandmaster, “Kung fu - two words. Horizontal. Vertical. Make a mistake - horizontal. Stay standing and you win.” In other words either you can do it or just talk or type about doing it. Regardless of style or rank, the martial arts are about life or death and that means it relies heavily on the ability of the individual. Each person is judged by what they can or can’t do and not on what their rank is, who their teacher was or what style they are doing. In Aikido, the person throwing is referred to as the nage (投げ) or “the one who throws” but they are also called the tori (取) or “taker.” It seems strange that the one doing is the “taker” but the word tori actually has an ominous origin that makes sense. When we look at the kanji, 耳 means mimi or “ears” and 又 means mada or “still.” This kanji came from Chinese history where warriors used to cut off the left ear of their opponents as a proof of their prowess on the battlefield. Thus, we can posit that 取 means that the tori is the one who survived and is able to take the ear of their opponents. It is easy to speculate on what will work or what won’t. Ranks and styles are subjective and so effectiveness comes down to the individual and whether or not they have the ability to remain vertical or end up horizontal. 

Today’s goal: My friend and fellow Aikidoist, James Takata once said, “Don’t just talk about, be about it.” Wise words indeed. 

Watch or listen to the latest episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast to better understand the role of rank.

A Warrior is a Cut Above

This article originally appeared in the July issue of the Spanish language magazine, El Budoka

花は人は武士
Hana wa sakura, hito wa bushi 
Cherry blossoms among flowers, the warrior among people 

I have always loved samurai or chanbara movies. I really enjoyed the beauty and grace of the samurai but also I really admire how they always acted with honor and morality. 

When I was young, probably too young, my father often took me to see samurai movies in the movie theatre like the Lone Wolf and Cub series or Seven Samurai. I have always loved the wonderful fight scenes, but I have always wondered why or how a lone samurai could kill so many bad guys in one fight. In those movies, there is always a series of showdowns as the hero gets surrounded and kills dozens of henchmen before facing off with the movie’s main villain. Besides the fact that it doesn’t make for good cinema, I have always wondered why all the bad guys don’t just attack all at once and score a victory. 

One reason as to why the samurai don’t attack all at once is because culturally as a samurai warrior, they were always supposed to act with honor and courage. To fight with honor and courage means to be brave enough to meet someone face to face. Therefore, attacking someone from behind could be seen as dishonorable or cowardice. However, during these altercations, there is always a few samurai who attack from behind but the hero always handedly dispatched them in dramatic bloody fashion to punish them for their dishonorable action. 

Another reason why a samurai didn’t attack from behind was because even if a they did score a victory, they risked being seen as a coward or as someone who acted without honor. A samurai clan is, up to a certain point, about striving to move upward in duty, status and compensation. Samurai were rewarded with promotions if they worked hard or were successful. Therefore, any dishonorable act could cause a samurai’s stock to fall within the clan or cause them lose face amongst their peers. Any disreputable act could bring shame upon them and cause them to get released from the clan.  

In the old days, samurai often dueled or got into skirmishes outside of fighting battles. When that happened, it was always a serious affair. In this order, samurai were always supposed to state their name, clan or school, style of fighting, teacher or lord’s name, and the reason for attacking before they could fight. This was supposed to be the most honorable way to confront someone and leave no doubt as to who they were or their intentions.  

Being a samurai was not considered a great job. The word samurai (侍) itself means “One that serves.” For a samurai, their life was not their own as it belonged to their lord and at a moments notice, they could be requested to throw it away at the whim of their lord. Their lives being an expendable asset meant that the only thing that they could control was their conduct and their humanity. 

Acting with humanity means that whatever is done is done with grace as quickly, and causes the least amount of suffering possible. That is why a samurai trained to kill with one cut.

When the Japanese think of humanity and the samurai they always say, “Tekini shio wo okuru” (敵に塩を送る) which comes from a famous story about the 16th century daimyos Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen. Both warlords were fierce warriors and brilliant military commanders. Kenshin was known as “The Dragon of Echigo” and Takeda Shingen was “The Tiger of Kai.” According to Chinese philosophy, the dragon and tiger will always be bitter rivals but neither will ever be able to best the other. The Dragon and Tiger fought many battles and were generally always at a stalemate. At one point during their battles, Shingen was under siege by another warlord who had cut off his supply of salt. In Japanese culture, salt is deemed sacred and it is an integral ingredient in preserving food. Without salt, Shingen’s army would eventually fall. Hearing about the siege upon Shingen, Kenshin sent him a load of salt with the note, “I do not fight with salt, but with the sword.” Kenshin could have capitalized on Shingen’s weakness, but instead he chose to act with humanity and honor and enabled his rival to weather the siege. Two years later, upon hearing of Shingen’s death, Uesugi wept and said, “I have lost my best rival. There won't be a hero like that again!”

A person who follows the way of budo is not a normal person. A normal person seeks comfort and routine and isn’t very rigid about their morals or behaviors. A warrior follows the way of budo and purposely puts themselves in uncomfortable situations and is strict about their conduct. Hardship is necessary to create growth and one’s  conduct sheds light on their true character. There is a Japanese saying, “Cherry blossoms among flowers, the warrior among people.” The cherry blossom is considered the most beautiful flower of all flowers just as the warrior is considered the best among all people. 

Death is serious and so a warrior chooses to treat it with the utmost respect. Death has a way of teaching us the value of life and so the highest teachings of the warrior is that of honor and humanity. Anyone can hurt or kill another human being but only a warrior can choose to act with dignity and grace. 

Life is like that too; because we care, we must always face our problems head on with courage and dignity. Anyone can act despite being afraid, but what separates the warrior from all others is that they do it with honor and dignity. We all want to win, but at what cost? The cost is usually our humanity. Warriors take pride in themselves which means that their honor is important and that is why warriors fancy themselves a cut above all others.

Throwback Thursday - The Mathematics of Practice

Throwback Thursday - The Mathematics of Practice

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on May 21, 2002. 

A young student came up to me a while back and said: "I don't think ikkyo works very well as a fighting technique!" I only replied: "You need more practice," and didn't say anything else because I really don't want to answer such a silly question. 

Many aggressive, young students practice very little and after a few months or years, begin to think, "I have mastered everything." Maybe if a student practices ikkyo everyday during class, maybe they would only do ikkyo about 10 or 20 times at the most, considering they are practicing other techniques as well during each class. If they practice ikkyo 7 days week in every class, maybe they would practice ikkyo about 70 to 140 times or, at the most, about 550 times a month. Not much according to my mathematics. 

It is just like suburi or “cutting practice.” I see students practice bokken suburi but they only do a couple of hundred at a time during class. Most students do not practice suburi everyday in class, even less at home. If they did 200 everyday, I would say it is very good for the normal student. This comes to about 600 swings with the bokken a month. However, in general, I see most students only do a couple of hundred suburi about once or twice a month, if any at all. My old kendo teacher used to do suburi 3,000 times a day, without fail, everyday. This comes to about 90,000 times a month. My teacher was a strong 8th Dan at the time. In proper ratio, how many times should we be doing suburi each day? Please do the math.

When I see students practicing jo. Everyone's most jo thrusts are so weak. Maybe students on the average do thrusting practice with a jo class about ten or twenty times, how many jo classes are there in one week, or one month, or every year? Please do the math. No wonder their jo thrusts are so weak! One of my good friends is a well known Kung Fu teacher and he mentioned the same question to me about his long spear class. His student did about 500 thrusts and said that it didn't work. My friend commented, "Only 500? Maybe he should look after one million!" Yes, in Aiki Jo, as well, we should see our jo thrust after a million thrusts - maybe it will even begin to slightly resemble something like what O'Sensei had in mind. To do a million jo thrusts, about how many thrusts with the jo do we have to make each day, if we were going to accomplish this in maybe one year, or two years? Please do the math.

Nowadays, students want to do "instant" martial arts and teachers are out there to take their money promising such things. Please do not insult me! Is instant martial arts something like instant ramen? How much does it cost? And how much will it cost you in the end ultimately? Please do the math!

Watch Furuya Sensei being interviewed on The Collector’s Gallery

Persistence

Talent wins battles, persistence wins wars 

Today in Japanese history, the joint forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga defeated Takeda Katsuyori in the Battle of Nagashino when Takeda’s army was laying siege to Yoshida Castle in 1575. This battle is thought to have ushered in the modern era of Japanese combat which would rely more heavily upon firearms. The battle and the victory are a study in military tactics and strategies. Ieyasu was known for being a great military tactician, Nobunaga was an innovative general and Takeda was a known for his cavalry prowess. Each one in their own right was considered talented and could have won the battle on their own. However, their talent was no match for the persistence of a lowly ashigaru (足軽) or “infantryman” named Torii Suneemon. Yoshida Castle had been under siege by Takeda’s formidable cavalry and 15,000 men for over a week and it was starting to waiver. Suneemon volunteered to escape the castle and run 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) to Okazaki and deliver a letter to Ieyasu asking for reinforcements. Ieyasu agreed and Suneemon traveled back to the castle. On his way back he was captured, tied to a cross and tortured. Takeda told Suneemon to say that Ieyasu wasn’t coming and to advise them to surrender. When the cross was raised Suneemon shouted, “Men of Nagashino Castle, don’t give up! Ieyasu’s men are on the way! Hold on a little longer!” Before he could say more, he was stabbed with a spear and killed. Suneemon’s brave persistence led him volunteer, swim the castle’s moat, traverse Takeda’s garrison, then run 35 kilometers to get help and then turn around and ride, walk, or run another 35 kilometers only to be strung up on a cross and tortured. At that point most of us would have given up, but Suneemon clearly is someone who had a persistent type of character even until the end. Posthumously, he was promoted to the rank of full hereditary samurai that gave his family a 25 times raise in pay and his family went on to serve the Okudaira clan for almost 300 more years. Ieyasu and Nobunaga may have won the battle with their talents, but Suneemon won the war with his persistence.

Today’s goal: Whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish, be persistent

Throwback Thursday - A Little Patience

Throwback Thursday - A Little Patience

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on February 11, 2005. 

点滴が石を穿つ
Tenteki ga ishi wo ugatsu
Even a drop of water can pierce a stone.

If we go to the seashore, we can see rocks that have been smoothed by the ocean waves. In the mountains, we can see rocks that have been spilt in two by moisture. Although one tiny drop of water can do nothing to a hard stone but one drop after another - drop after drop - we can easily see the results.

In practice, it is impossible to see any real results in one or two classes. But by taking class after class, after a while, our progress will be quite noticeable. Just like tiny rain drops hitting against a huge rock, our practice will only be clear after a while. The only thing you need to get good is to be committed to a regular training schedule and to have a little patience.

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - One Exercise to Improve Your Rolling

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - One Exercise to Improve Your Rolling 

David Ito Sensei, Aikido 5th Dan, demonstrates the one leg reach. Obviously, if you want to improve your rolling, one should just do more rolling practice. However, sometimes we can’t get to the dojo or don’t have a place to roll at home. Doing the one leg reach slowly can help to improve your body control which can improve not only one’s rolling but also their Aikido technique as well. Ito Sensei recommends doing this exercise twice per leg to start out progressing to 10 times a side. Give it a try and let us know if it helps. But, don’t forget to do it slow. 

Let us know if you want us to do a full length video on this or any other topic.

Sometimes there's no time to read a lengthy message or watch a long documentary. So we've created these quick and easy 2 minute techniques to help you improve your Aikido technique and knowledge. Keep an eye out for them every Wednesday. 

Enjoy!

Inconvenient

道場で泣き戦場で笑う
Dojo de naki, senjou de warau
Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield 

Martial arts training is supposed to be fukatte (不勝手) or an “inconvenience” or “something that makes life hard.” The arduousness of training was oftentimes purposeful and done to prepare the student for the trials and tribulations of battle. When discussing martial arts training, Furuya Sensei would often say, “Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield.” Making training purposefully inconvenient was supposed to force the student to become diligent, disciplined and to have foresight. For instance, when our dojo was at its previous location, it didn’t have a public bathroom. Sensei lived in the dojo and the only bathroom was in his private residence. So in order to use the restroom, a student would have to have the courage to knock on Sensei’s door, interrupt him, walk past him and use his bathroom and then interrupt him again, walk past him and leave. From the moment you knocked on his door to the time that you left, you were open to being criticized for something or given a task that you didn’t want. You didn’t want to be the nail that sticks up drawing his ire, so most students elected to use the bathroom before arriving at the dojo or find some other place to relieve themselves. Inconveniences or hardships force the students to have to get good at circumventing obstacles by preparing themselves ahead of time and/or coming up with workarounds. The thinking was that when things are easy and user friendly, they lull us into a certain complacency which opens us up for attack. Thus, making things hard, user unfriendly or inconvenient forces the students to be on their toes and ready for any eventuality. Today, things are lauded for their ease and user friendliness and so we have to find ways to make ourselves more diligent, more disciplined or to think ahead. Thus, the ownness of making our training inconvenient is now on us. Inconvenient just means purposefully making yourself work harder for your own benefit to achieve whatever it is that you want. That’s why harshness or inconveniences enable you to cry in the dojo so that you can laugh on the battlefield. 

Today’s goal: Are there things you can purposefully make inconvenient that will make you better?