The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - Kubishime

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - Kubishime

David Ito Sensei, Aikido 5th Dan explains the kubishime (首締め) attack or “a choke and grab from behind.” People often think that kubishime is a choke. However, if we look at its origins, it is an arresting technique designed to restrain a samurai or a person wearing a sword from drawing it. Traditionally, kubishime was a left hand grab and right hand choke. Nowadays, we don’t wear swords on our left hip and so we change sides for training purposes. Kubishime teaches us to have good posture with a grounded stance, calmness under pressure and the ability to do several different things simultaneously. 

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!

Always go Forward

A good martial artist always goes forward. In the martial arts, we are always susumeru (進める) or trying to “advance forward” toward our opponents. In Aikido, we always focus our energy forward even when we tenshin (転身) or “move backwards.” The other day in Aikido class, Watanabe Sensei said, “In tenshin movement, even though we are physically moving backwards, mentally we should always be going forward.” In the beginning of our training, our forwardness is primarily focused on the physical. However, the more experienced we become, the more our forwardness becomes mental or how we direct our energy. Years ago, Furuya Sensei and I were cleaning out a closet when we came upon a box of foam swords. Jokingly, when my back was turned, Sensei bonked me on the head. Later, in retaliation, I tried to hit him when his back was turned away while he was looking through a box of magazines. Without looking up from his box, he drew his foam sword and lightly poked me in the chin as I rose to hit him. Shocked, I said, “I guess that’s why you’re the teacher.” In response, he just lectured me for wasting time. The best warriors have no suki (隙) or “openings” for attack. They have no openings because regardless of the direction they are moving or facing, their energy is focused in the direction of their opponent. In the Hagakure, Yamamoto Tsunetomo wrote: “When meeting calamities or difficult situations, it is not enough to simply say that one is not at all flustered. When meeting difficult situations, one should dash forward bravely and with joy. It is the crossing of a single barrier and is like the saying, ‘The more the water, the higher the boat.’” Therefore, regardless of the adversity or obstacle, a martial artist should always be intentionally and agreeably moving forward. Marcus Aurelius said, “the obstacle is the way” and so we should be grateful for the lessons that adversity brings us and move forward to greet them. In life and in the martial arts, we should always be moving forward physically and mentally and that’s why a good martial artist always goes forward.

Today’s goal: What can you do to keep your body, energy and focus moving forward?  

Watch this Kendo video to better understand how kendoist move forward.

Never Tell Me The Odds!

善戦苦闘
Zensenkutou
Regardless of the odds, put up a good fight. 

A good martial artist never plays the odds. In the Empire Strikes Back, CP30 tries to tell Han Solo the odds of success of flying through an asteroid field. Han Solo shouts out, “Never tell me the odds!” Han Solo didn’t want to know the odds because he wanted to rely solely on his skill and he knew that knowing the odds could somehow negatively influence him. The odds are the “chances that something will happen.” Sunzenshakuma (寸善尺魔) is a Japanese idiom which means that “In evil, there are odds.” Evil would like us to take chances or play the odds, but being pragmatists, warriors rely on what they can do rather than focus on the chance of being lucky. When Furuya Sensei was young, he was able to take Kendo and Iaido lessons from Tiger Mori (Mori Terao) who was a famous Kendoist and arguably one of the best swordsmen of the 20th Century. Sensei said that after Kendo class, Tiger Mori would often do Iaido with some of the students. At one point, they brought out wara or “bundles of straw tatami mats” and started to do cutting practice. Sensei said that Tiger Mori put a sword on each side of his obi so that they sat crosswise in his belt and then took up a stance between two bundles of wara. In an instant, Tiger Mori drew both swords simultaneously, cut both of the wara in half and then re-sheathed them just as smoothly as he drew them. Drawing and cutting with two swords on opposite sides of one’s hip simultaneously is hard enough, but the odds of re-sheathing them is almost impossible. Sensei said that the room went dead silent, and everyone just stood there with their mouths open in awe. Sensei commented that Tiger Mori’s technique was very smooth, quick and was completely without fumble. To get to Tiger Mori’s deft level requires devoted training, and it cannot be achieved by playing the odds. In Aikido, we believe that every life is precious, especially ours, and so we daiji wo toru (大事を取る) or “to take no chances.” In life and in Aikido, we are successful because of the power of our will and what it is we are capable of doing but skill requires training. We train because we can’t rely on chance and that’s why a good martial artist never plays the odds. 

Today’s goal: Rely on your skill and don’t rely on the odds.

Throwback Thursday - Everyday Mind

Throwback Thursday - Everyday Mind

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on March 4, 2004. 

Hei-Jo-Shin (平常心): Everyday Mind

This is a very popular phrase in Zen and the Japanese arts and is what is aspired to as the epitome or ideal mental state. "Everyday mind” implies to our modern minds as "nothing special," but in Zen, nothing special means "everything is special." As everything is special, everything becomes equal in value and position and therefore, once again, nothing is special.

In this respect, it is not to pick and choose or take this and that in our lives and make it something what we deem of lesser value or importance, but to take the total whole of our lives, leaving nothing behind, and taking it one more step to a higher level.

As in the tea ceremony - the ideal is like the hishaku (柄杓) or “water ladle” which can be used freely between hot and cold water without discriminating between the two. The hishaku’s "universal" state makes it universally important and useful. This is what is known in Zen as "freedom."

In Zen, discrimination is not particularly wrong or condemned, it is only within our discriminating mind that we are so restricted and limited as we swing back and forth from one side of the scale to the other. The goal is to have heijoshin or a mind which, like the hishaku, doesn’t discriminate so that everything is at the same time special but also nothing special and thus just everyday. 

True Wisdom

“Understanding why and when to apply knowledge is wisdom.” - Takeda Shingen 

Students and teachers should always do the techniques correctly but with wisdom. In class, I advocate that students execute the techniques with tadashii (正しい) or as “correctly” as possible. Tadashii doesn’t just mean correctness but also doing something with propriety. With that being said, it is still possible to do the technique completely “correct” but still do it wrong. Takeda Shingen said, “Understanding why and when to apply knowledge is wisdom.” Knowledge, in this sense, is the ability to do a technique or one’s technical aptitude. Wisdom is mindfully knowing when and how to use a technique. Therefore, in addition to doing the technique “correct,” I also want the students to mindfully modify the technique for the person they are working with. Just blasting through every person with the full depth and breadth of one’s ability is mindless and shows a lack of discipline and sophistication. For instance, on my very second day in Aikido training, I was being taught by a brand new shodan or “first degree black belt.” He was assigned to teach me how to roll and help me through the techniques. I wasn’t very coordinated, and I could tell that he was getting frustrated. At a certain point, he just did the techniques at full speed and just kept throwing me down on the mat despite the fact that I didn’t know how to fall. Several times, I got the wind knocked out of me or hit my head. When someone chided him after class, I heard him say with a sheepish grin, “What? Me? I’m always gentle. I was just doing the techniques the way they are supposed to be done.” In this sense, he was knowledgeable but lacked wisdom or patience which showed his true level. Whenever we train with someone, we should always mindfully do the techniques as correctly as possible - that is knowledge. We should also mindfully know how and when to modify a technique for the person we are working with but still maintain its “correctness”- that is wisdom. Our true wisdom and power are displayed by our mindful restraint and what we choose not to do rather than showing what we can do. 

Today’s goal: What can you do to be more mindful and show your wisdom?  

Watch this video of Dandapani discussing knowledge and wisdom.

Be Hungry

Aiki Dojo Message - Be Hungry

The best martial artists are hungry. In a martial arts sense, to be hungry means that one has a strong desire or craving to learn something. On a certain level, it is the teacher’s job to feed that hunger or starve it. Starve it? Yes, some students need to be fed while others need to be starved to create hunger. Sometimes, deprivation, and the hunger it creates, enables some people to flourish. Matcha green tea is that way. The secret power of green tea lies in how well you deprive it of sunlight when it is growing. Matcha is specially produced using only pure Gyokuro tea leaves. Somehow, shading the green tea bush from sunlight forces it to produce higher concentrations of chlorophyll which increases the tea’s antioxidant concentration and gives green tea all of its health benefits. Students can be like that too. Every student has potential but because some students are unaware of it. Because they are unaware of their vast potential, they don’t know how to be “hungry.” Thus, the teacher may have to deprive them just enough to create a desire to improve. From this point of view, starvation is beneficial and can bring about something much better than if it was not deprived. Some things we have to feed while other things need to be starved. The trick is in knowing when to feed or when to deprive. The interesting thing is that it is actually not up to the teacher at all. Whether one is being fed or starved is up to the student and how they perceive their training. As we get older, we realize that everything that has happened to us, good and bad, has made us who we are. We could not have become who we are if it was any other way. Sometimes, we need to “starve” so that we can realize our true potential. Being hungry or not getting what we want can create the desire to work harder and that’s why the best martial artists are always hungry.  

Today’s goal: What can you deprive yourself of to make yourself better? 

Watch this video of Berton Braley's poem The Will to Win

Throwback Thursday - Wishes

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on June 12, 2003. 

Have you ever thought about wishing? There is an interesting saying, “Be careful what you wish for." In Japanese, it is negaigoto wa yoku kangaete shinasai (願い事はよく考えてしなさい) which means “Think carefully about your wishes.” Most of us, if we had three wishes, may fall into the typical trap of asking for untold wealth, youth and the return of loved ones, etc. As the typical story goes, after our wish, everything goes bad. We always think that we know what we want and will always make the best decisions for ourselves. However, it can turn out that what we wished for was the wrong thing, delivered in the wrong way and it winds up with exactly what we didn’t want.

The same goes for "winning." We win a contest and think that we have the advantage over others or that we are better than others but wind up with just an empty victory. Winning for the wrong reasons is not winning at all. It is very much like making a wish and inadvertently wishing for the wrong thing. More often than not, we win for exactly the wrong reasons. In winning, we must do it correctly.

At the same time, we should be careful how we "lose" as well. If we lose incorrectly, we feel like we have lost everything! No, we lost a game or a contest. We didn’t die so it’s not a big deal. We might lose something in our lives but, in most cases, we can still recover. Therefore, even in losing, we must do it correctly!

Happy Lunar New Year!

時に遇えば 鼠も虎となる
Toki ni aeba nezumi mo tora to naru 
When the time comes, even a mouse can become a tiger

Happy Lunar New Year! 

To the best warriors, timing is everything. Today is the Lunar New Year and the beginning of the year of the Tiger. The tiger is supposed to be a very auspicious symbol in Asian culture and is a symbol of strength, military prowess, vitality and growth. The tiger motif was very popular with the samurai who wanted to have the strength and courage of a tiger on the battlefield. Before a battle, some samurai would write the kanji character for tora (虎) or “tiger” with one finger on the other palm of their hand and then swallow it. By swallowing the tiger, they hoped that it would give them the “power of a tiger” on the battlefield. Not only does the tiger symbolize courage and prowess, but when paired with a dragon, it is also supposed to bring about the blessings of prosperity and peace. One of the most important things in Aikido and in life is timing. It is said that those who can control spacing, and timing will dictate the outcome of the battle. Spacing and timing are interconnected. If we can control timing, we will have a command of the spacing. If we can dictate the timing, we usually control the spacing. Thus, if we can control spacing and timing, then we are most likely undefeatable. Therefore, when is the best time to do something? Now. Things are starting to change and as we can see from the symbology of the tiger, they are changing in our favor. The Japanese proverb toranoo wo fumu (虎の尾を踏む) translates as “stepping on a tiger’s tail” but it’s supposed to mean to “do something dangerous and to take a risk.” Therefore, now is the time to show your mettle. The best time is always now and that’s why timing is everything to the best warriors. 

I wish you all the best in 2022!

Today’s goal: What have you been putting off until now? Now is the time. 

Watch this video to better understand the tiger.

Be Ready

油断は禁物 
Yudanhakinmotsu!
Be ready!

The best warriors are ready for anything. General James Mattis once said, “Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.” His assertion might seem crazy, but it makes perfect sense to a martial artist. In the old days, it was hard to determine friend from foe and there were a lot of formalities within the samurai world. So, a samurai had to always be polite but also think of every person as a frenemy and have a backup plan to fight them if need be. General Mattis’ assertion is about having a readiness mindset just in case something happens. A warrior is supposed to be able to size up their opponent in an instant. They have to be able to quickly ascertain their opponent’s strengths, weaknesses, style of fighting or any other pertinent detail which might be useful. This mindset is hard to cultivate on our own. However, there is a way to do it in the dojo by archetypes. An archetype is a typical example of a certain type of person. In training, we learn to build archetypes by watching people during the taiso (体操) or “warmup.” As we watch the other people in the warm up, we get a sense of their abilities and flexibilities or lack thereof. Later in class, we make a correlation between how they moved their bodies in the warmup and how they did the techniques. This correlation is what helps us to create archetypes. There will only be a few dozen or so archetypes just as in mythology there are only 12 different types of archetypes. Later on, when we see someone on the street, we can recognize their archetype and we use that as the basis to craft a plan to defeat them. Just as in all relationships, there are good archetypes and bad ones. Until we can determine who is who, we have to be polite but also be crafting a plan to deal with each person if necessary. Nobody knows what will happen next and that’s why the best warriors are ready for anything.  

Today’s goal: Be polite, but also be ready. 

Watch this brief video to better understand archetypes.

Validation

能ある鷹は爪を隠す
Nouarutakahatsume wo kakusu 
The skilled hawk hides its talons

A true martial artist does not seek validation. Seeking out praise or validation is the most dangerous path in the martial arts. The ego is fed by validation. In trying to quench our egos, we seek out validation which could cause us to do dishonorable things like lie, cheat or steal. In the Hagakure, Yamamoto Tsunetomo writes, “It is a wretched thing that the young men of today are so contriving and so proud of their material possessions. Men with contriving hearts are lacking in duty. Lacking in duty, they will have no self-respect.” Therefore, the best thing to do is seek a humble mindset. One way of doing that in class is to always think that the teacher is correcting you whenever they are making a correction. Developing this type of technique has many benefits. First, it helps us to develop a 360-degree awareness to “know” what is going on all around us which later becomes the basis of situational awareness. Also, we learn how to do more than one thing at a time which teaches us how to think ahead. Next, regardless of who they are correcting, we can get the benefit from that correction even if we don’t need the correction. Finally, we gain humility or a mindset that isn’t searching for validation because we are accepting the correction by employing this technique. Miyamoto Musashi said, “Do nothing which is of no use.” A martial artist knows that if we can’t eat it or use it as a weapon, it is useless. Validation and praise are ephemeral - it makes us feel good in the moment, but it can cause us to become too prideful and as they say, “Pride comes before the fall.” There is always something that can be learned in every situation regardless of how “good” we are. Knowing this, the skilled hawk hides its talons and that is why the true martial artist does not seek validation. 

Today’s goal: Remember, you are enough. Nothing more is needed. 

Watch this video of Jim Carrey to better understand validation.

Throwback Thursday - Humanity

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on August 30, 2005.

Humanity - Nin

The Japanese character for humanity is “nin” (仁). It is written with two radicals for "person" (人) and “two”(二).  Originally, I think it was written with the same radical for “person" twice or, in other words, written by writing two "people." We cannot have humanity all by ourselves, but humanity begins with the presence of the other person. How we interact and respond and relate to the other person or other people is what creates "humanity." In classical Chinese philosophy, nin is a very important concept and underlies all ethical thinking in China - and this thinking spread all over Asia including Japan over the many centuries from earliest times. 

Humanity is created by observing rules of respect, duty, compassion, bravery, loyalty, filial piety, etc. but this is also all under the overall idea of harmony. Through humanity we create “order” (or reason) and "harmony." Through this harmony, we enjoy peace in the country, in our families, and within ourselves in both mind and body. We can say that "humanity equals harmony" in Eastern traditional thinking. Because of this, we have Reigi Saho (礼儀作法) or “manners.” 

Sometimes, we may look at these manners or formalities as rules which we feel obliged to break or ignore. . . who likes rules? But we must understand that the meaning is slightly different here. It is not a matter of rules for the sake of rules. These rules or manners called reigi saho teach us the best way possible to express our humanity towards others. The purpose of this is to create harmony. In many ways, Aikido and reigi saho are two sides of the same coin teaching us to create a harmonious world through humanity. I hope you will think about this and put it into your practice.

A Trusted Sword

Warriors are supposed to be trustworthy. In martial arts training, we are trying to become tanomoshii (頼もしい) or “a person worthy of trust.” Trust might be one of the most crucial elements in any relationship in not only combat but in life as well. If we cannot trust the person standing next to us to protect our flank, then we will surely perish. That is why a warrior cultivates themselves and tries to become as reliable as a shinraidekiru ken (信頼できる剣) or “trusted sword.” A martial artist is supposed to be an upstanding person and every day in class, we work on becoming trustworthy. On the mat, our partners trust that we won’t intentionally hurt them and we, in turn, don’t breach that trust by purposefully hurting them. Off the mat, we clean up after ourselves and treat each other respectfully. The more we act appropriately, the more other people trust us. Our actions on and off the mat dictate to others our true character and indicate whether or not we can be trusted. In the old days of the martial arts, training wasn’t open to everyone. A teacher would only accept a student by recommendation or if they were from a “good” family because there had to be some accountability. A person or family’s good name was at stake if someone they recommended acted inappropriately. Interestingly, in Japanese, to gain someone’s trust is futokoro ni hairu (懐に入る) which translates as “to get in someone's pocket” but it’s also the term used in Sumo for getting close to one’s opponent. Someone once said, “Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair.” In the martial arts, it is the same way. In the martial arts or in life, the worst thing is to be thought of as untrustworthy. The Japanese say, “Cherry blossoms among flowers warriors among men.” A martial artist is supposed to be a person of character and that’s why they are trustworthy.

Today’s goal: Become a person worthy of trust. 

Watch this video to better understand trust.

Give it Your All

The best martial artists give it their all. In Japanese, “to give something one's all” is kiai wo ireru (氣合を入れる). Kiai wo ireru translates as “to put your fighting spirit into it.” The more we train, the more we realize mononoaware (物の哀れ) or “the transience of life.” There is an awareness that comes about when we realize how lethal a martial art can be but also how fragile life can be too. In class to honor 2nd Doshu, Kisshomaru Ueshiba’s passing, we displayed Japanese fan with calligraphy 合氣道一路 that he had brushed in 1997. 合氣道一路 or “aikido ichiro” could mean Aikido one path or the straight path of Aikido. The meaning is supposed to be pondered by each person. One way to think about it is that there is a large element of luck involved in order for things to line up so that we can do the things that we want to do. Some people might be thinking, “No, I am a motivated person.” That might be true, but we must also realize that we are lucky enough to find ourselves in a position to follow our passion. We are lucky enough to be “able” to train, to have a teacher, to have our life circumstances line up or just simply have the time to train. Therefore, if we are able to study a martial art, we are one of the lucky ones. Understanding the role that luck plays in giving us the opportunity to do something, we shouldn’t squander it. Those that study Aikido understand this and should ichiro or put their all into following the path of Aikido. We should be grateful that we are fortunate, and we show our gratitude by applying ourselves. Life is like that too. Each day 150,000 people die and those people don’t get a tomorrow. Realizing this, we don’t squander the opportunity that having a today brings us. A martial artist doesn’t put off until tomorrow because they realize that tomorrow might not come and that’s why the best martial artist always gives it their all today.  

Today’s goal: You have the opportunity, what are you going to do with it? 

Watch this video of David Goggins talking about putting your all into something.

Throwback Thursday - Samurai Focus

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on April 29, 2003. 

A samurai is a warrior from feudal Japan which began in the early 11th century and ended in 1868 with the restoration of Emperor Meiji to the throne and Japan once again became a monarchy. During this feudal period, Japan was under feudal warlords occupying their territories and who employed warriors to serve them. These warriors were called "samurai," which comes from the Japanese word samurau (侍) meaning "to serve.” The noun form of this word is "samurai" meaning "one who serves (a feudal lord)" or "warrior." Martial artists today practice the modern versions of fighting systems the ancient warriors or samurai utilized on the battlefield. Today, martial arts not only includes the Japanese fighting systems used by these warriors of long ago but many other modern fighting systems and disciplines from many other countries. To be a samurai means that one must be devoted to their work, be dutiful to all of their friends, filial to their parents, humane to all living creatures, and be wise and strong. It means that they must value honor and respect above all else. A samurai never lies or cheats or is lazy. Finally, in everything a samurai does, they give 100% of their mind, body and spirit to it - this is what a samurai “is.” In daily life, we should practice this focus in every single moment of the day - even when we are asleep!

Flash of Lightning

While hunkered down in quarantine, I watched the movie Sanjuro with Toshiro Mifune. There is a great line of dialogue that the Chamberlin’s wife says to Sanjuro: “I hesitate to say this after you so kindly saved us, but killing people is a bad habit. You glisten too brightly, like a drawn sword. You’re like a sword without a sheath. You cut well, but the best sword is kept in its sheath.” Thinking about her assertion, I remembered that the flash of light that is reflected off the blade of a sword is called shiden (紫電) which can also mean “a flash of lightning.” While researching the Japanese word for a flash of lightning I came across the Buddhist term nyoronyoden (如露如電) which translates to mean that “Existence is as mutable and incorporeal as the morning dew or a flash of lightning.” I remembered that Furuya Sensei had a sword that was named Morning Dew and I always wondered about origin of the name. Reading about nyoronyoden, I understood why the swordsmith could have named the sword Morning Dew. The name Morning Dew might have been used to remind the wielder about the tenuousness of life which is as fleeting as a flash of lightning or disappears as quickly as the morning dew. In swordsmanship, supposedly, the shiden from the opponent’s blade is the last thing a person sees before they are cut down. Understanding the gravity of the consequences of drawing one’s sword, it is said that a warrior should never draw their sword recklessly. Sensei liked a swordsmith from the 1840s named Arikoto who would inscribe all of his swords with this poem: Yaki tachi wo saya ni osamete, masumasu masurao no kokoro wo togari keri or "Before you draw your tempered blade, keep it in its saya and polish your soul first of all.” A sword is nothing more than a tool. The flash from our blade can be used to kill others but that is too juvenile. The best warriors use their swords to destroy their own egos and that is why “the best sword is kept in its sheath.” The true shininess of our blades doesn’t come from our ability to kill but from our ability to show restraint.  

Today’s goal: What can you do to let your blade shine without pulling it out? 

Click the picture to see the scene of the Chamberlin’s wife admonishing Sanjuro.

Warriors Admire Butterflies

死から目覚め生き返る 
Shi kara mezame ikikaeru 
Wake from death and return to life.

Warriors admire butterflies. Warriors admire butterflies because warriorship is the process of transforming oneself and, in Japanese culture, the chou (蝶) or butterfly is the symbol of transformation. The process of becoming a butterfly is not unlike the process of transformation that one undergoes in training. Students and butterflies are both put into difficult circumstances that they have to overcome in order to be successful. In training, we should always give our training partners the strongest attack that they can handle. I am not advocating that we be jerks to each other, but rather that the attack should be firm yet mindful. We should try to develop our sensitivity when attacking our opponents so that our attack has just enough pressure to firmly nudge our partners to grow. Furuya Sensei used to say, “Train with them up to their level and just one step further.” A firm attack takes us out of complacency and forces us to overcome and grow. One step further supposedly takes us to a place where optimal growth occurs. This optimal place is a modern construct. In the days of old, it was trial by fire and a person was regularly pushed way outside their comfort zone or crushed by their training partners. It was the sink or swim mentality. Teachers and students of old believed in Nietzsche’s quote, “That which does not kill us, makes us stronger.” When I was a student, Sensei used to say, “Aikido is only for the elite.” I used to hate that because I thought that he was talking about it from a societal class perspective. However, today, I understand that “elite” means that special person who can not only endure the trial by fire but also make it through. The Japanese say, “to wake from death and return to life” which alludes to Nietzsche’s quote that in surviving hardship we are reborn stronger. Training teaches us how to overcome adversity and we use that adversity to make ourselves better. Like the butterfly, we overcome and are remade into something beautiful - a better human being. That’s why warriors admire butterflies.   

Today’s goal: What can you do to transform yourself today? 

Watch this video to better understand living.

Throwback Thursday - More Practice

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on August 29, 2002. 

In one of Saito Sensei's last seminars, someone asked him to make some comments and one of the comments he made was, "Practice tai-no-henka (Tenkan Kokyo-ho) everyday." For such a high-level teacher, I think this is a great comment to make and I respect him for it. Yes, we should practice Tenkan everyday, day and night if possible. I see many black belts who have many years of experience but still, their tenkan movement is not yet right. Many things in Aikido, and many other arts, are like this. They require constant practice - within this constant repetition, one can begin to see the finer points of the movement and begin to refine their own technique, little by little. This is the only way - there are no short cuts and no matter how clever or good we think we are, we still need to practice. In Japanese, they say, "Nama hyosha wa oo-kega." Or, "it is the inexperienced warrior who sustains the greatest injury!" We may think we are experienced and we may think we practice hard but most of us are not nearly close to our goals! I am considered an authority on Japanese swords and sword guards in this country and there are not many around who has studied this subject in detail as I have or for as many years. Occasionally, I call my friend in Japan to ask a few questions. He is one of the number one authorities on this subject. I am sitting there listening to him on the phone, hearing him easily and so clearly explain certain points of the sword to me, and all I can think to myself is, "What a stupid beginner I am!” In everything, we always need more practice.

Throwback Thursday - This Moment

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on December 3, 2002. 

A relationship with another person is not easy. The true connection between two people is always spiritual and therefore very tenuous. It is always based on trust, respect, love, a common point of interest or destiny. Most of us base our friendships on money or advantage, this is not good.

The samurai used to say, "Ichigo Ichie” (一期一会) or “one time, one meeting.” To them, everything was a one-shot deal. Based ichigo ichi, we should meet and treat each person as if it is the last time we will ever see them. This was very true in the days of the samurai on the battlefield. Every morning, we wake up not knowing if we will see the evening or if we will ever share the next meal with our friend.

There is nothing more precious than our relationships whether it be family or friends. Everything must be done to maintain them and preserve and nurture them - we are not on the battlefield! If we want a peaceful society of harmony and friendship, we must do everything in our power to make it such.

I see people come and go in the dojo all the time. Becoming a member of a dojo is not like shopping at a grocery store running from one to the another for the best bargain or prices. Becoming a member of the dojo is like becoming a member of a family. This is a very important concept of the dojo and we have forgotten it today. A dojo is an “old" family where everyone sticks together though thick and thin.

Why do I feel it is so important to stick together through thick and thin? Because of "Ichigo Ichie." Because we never know when we or the other will be gone.

Watch Furuya Sensei demonstrating in 1990.

Master the Moment

In the martial arts, the successful student is the one who can master the moment. In order to master the moment, we have to be good at sente (先手) or “seizing the initiative.” Sente translates as “first hand” but it’s supposed to mean taking the initiative. When we match up with our opponents, we should be constantly scanning them for suki (隙) or “weak points.” Once we discover an opening, we need to act quickly to seize the opportunity and, hopefully, the victory. Seizing the initiative is thought to be the best way to dictate the outcome and defeat our opponents. Life is like that as well. Furuya Sensei would often admonish us by saying, “there is no time left.” If we lived to be 101 years old, then we would have only lived 36,500 days. Doing the math is shockingly sobering. Sensei was right to admonish us because the opportunity to live our lives is right now - not tomorrow. Tonight is hatsukeiko or “the first practice of the year.” For a martial artist, January 1st shouldn’t be that big of a deal because although the date might change, the path still remains the same. However, coming to hatsukeiko is a symbolic gesture. Sometimes we stumble or sometimes we need to reaffirm ourselves and so by coming, we are symbolically saying that this is the path that we are choosing to take. We are seizing the initiative with the opportunity that being alive has afforded us. Martial artists train themselves to live following the Japanese proverb “issun no kouin karonzubekarazu” (一寸の光陰軽んずべからず) or that “not a moment should be wasted.” Today we are alive and able and thus we train because that is what we choose to do with our lives - we seize the initiative. Writer Alice Morse Earle said it best, "The clock is running. Make the most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present.” That is why the best martial artists master the moment. 

Today’s goal: Seize the day because tomorrow might not come. 

Watch this video to better understand seizing the day.

Be a Worthy Opponent

Make yourself into a hikigotae (弾き応え) or “worthy opponent.” We often think of our opponents negatively. After all, they are the people who are trying to defeat us and we in turn are trying to defeat them. However, defeating them doesn’t mean that we have to do it with contempt. Actually, those who oppose us should be looked at with a sense of honor and esteem. We should honor our opponents because we understand that what it takes for someone to get to the level to oppose us on the battlefield is not unlike our own journey of self-development and so we are, in a sense, siblings. In Japanese, taishu (対手) means “opponent in combat” but it directly translates as “opposite hand.” We also hold them in high esteem because a good opponent forces us to be better. In the 16th century during Japan’s Warring States period, generals Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin fought many bloody battles against one another and were bitter rivals. Upon hearing of Takeda Shingen's death, Uesugi Kenshin reportedly openly wept and said, “"I have lost my good rival. We won't have a hero like that again!” and reportedly vowed to never attack Takeda lands. The real reason we should hold our opponent in high esteem is because they are not really our opponent at all. In a sense, they are just the vehicle that drives us to become better. O’Sensei believed that the only real opponent was ourselves and that is why he advocated masakatsu agatsu (正勝吾勝) or that “the true victory is self victory.” In a dojo, the fastest way to make ourselves good is to make those around us good. It is the iron sharpens iron mentality. When we focus on making others good, it can’t help but force us to bring our A game as well. The best warriors are themselves the best opponents. Therefore, we should become a person worthy of being defeated.

I wish you all happiness, health, and wealth in 2022!

Today’s goal: This year, if nothing else, make yourself into a worthy opponent.

Watch this video to better understand being a worthy opponent.