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BudoSeek! Martial Arts Community Forums - Blogs - The Budo Odyssey: Living and Training in Japan by Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/blog.php?3430-The-Budo-Odyssey-Living-and-Training-in-Japan en Sat, 25 May 2013 07:36:19 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/images/misc/rss.jpg BudoSeek! Martial Arts Community Forums - Blogs - The Budo Odyssey: Living and Training in Japan by Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/blog.php?3430-The-Budo-Odyssey-Living-and-Training-in-Japan <![CDATA[Nagoya Castle's 43rd Annual Martial Arts Demonstration, May 5th 2012]]> http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?74-Nagoya-Castle-s-43rd-Annual-Martial-Arts-Demonstration-May-5th-2012 Sun, 13 May 2012 07:47:51 GMT

In the above photograph, Yakumaru Jigen Ryu from Shiga warms up for their part of the demonstration. They also gave an impromptu "hands on" demonstration, letting other participants (including myself) and onlookers practice their style.

May 5th, 2012 was a lovely Saturday in Nagoya. The overcast, windy and rainy weather that had persisted during the week seemed to call an armistice just for one day. Warm and sunny weather prevailed under a clear blue sky for May 5^th, 2012. The 5^th is a national holiday known as "Children's Day", part of a series of holidays known as "Golden Week". It's also the date for the Nagoya-jo Kobudo Taikai (Nagoya Castle Classic Martial Arts Demonstration).
The event is sponsored by the Nihon Dento Budo Kyokai, Aichi prefectural government, the City of Nagoya and the Chunichi newspaper. The event is staffed and assisted by Meijo Daigaku (Nagoya Castle University) "Ouendan" (cheerleaders), cleaning up, catering to the needs of the crowd and demonstration participants tirelessly. Japanese cheerleaders are a great deal different than the image that is conjured in the west. They consist of male and female members (more male than female), usually wearing a complete school uniform. Men wear long, knee length coats with a dress shirt, tie, trousers and a school arm band; women wear knee length skirts, white blouses and a dress jacket. They are somber, polite and extremely formal with nary a pom-pom in sight. Their budo club also a participant in this event, so after setting up the grounds, greeting guests, assisting at every stage in the event, they take a break to dress down and do their demonstration. A great deal of recognition and thanks goes out to them, without their service and sacrifice this event would be lost.
The demonstration takes place on the Ninomaru Hiroba (Ninomaru Palace grounds) that was built in the 17^th century but is now just an open field. The original palace was torn down in the Meiji restoration to build an army barracks, however reconstruction efforts are underway for a small portion of the palace near the castle. The Ninomaru is most famous as the site of the Aomatsuba incident, where in 1868 the Tokugawa clan’s chief retainers of the Owari-domain were executed.
Overview of the demonstration:
24 groups participate in the event which starts at 9:30 am and ends about 4:30 or 5pm. The proceeding begins with the Kai-kai-shiki, (opening ceremony) where the Kai-kai Sengen (opening statement) is given by the Nihon Budo Dento Kyokai chiefs. Following that is the group aisatsu (greeting), along with Raihin Shukuji (messages of congratulations from the guests). Following this the Embucho-Nochui (Embu rules) are stated, which conveys the purpose of the event. Next is the Kai-kai Embu (opening martial arts demonstration) this year performed by the Muso Jikiden Ryu Iai Heiho group. Lastly, the Kai-kai-gin (poem recital) about Nagoya castle is read, musically versified to shakuhachi (Japanese flute). With that, the opening ceremony is finished and a call to the first group is given, signaling the start of the embu.

The demonstration participants, in order of appearance, were:
(Type of art: Style name – Group/School):
1) Iaido: Toyama Ryu – Seishin Juku
2) Sojutsu & Kenjutsu: Owarikan Ryu Sojutsu and Yagyu Shinkage Ryu Heiho – Shunpukan Dojo
3) Naginata: Tendo ryu – Tendoryu Aichiken Branch
4) Jukendo: Jukendo - Dai 33 Futsuka Rentai
5) Iaido: Toyama Ryu Iaido – Nagoya Toyama Ryu Iaidokai
6) Iaido: Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iai heiho – Nihon Iai Heiho Renmei
-Satsuma Renseikan (Kagoshima)
-Owari Renshinkan: Kobujuku; Hyakuren Nagoya Dojo; Yokkaichi Dojo (Aichi and the surrounding Tokaido areas)
-Tenken Hyakuren Denshokai (Sendai)
7) Aikido: Aikikai – Mishima Kinenkan
8) Shigen Kenbu: Koeki Shadan Hojin ; Nihon Shigen Gakuin Ninka – Nagoya Gakufukai
9) Kenshibu: Nihon Shinto Ryu – Shintokan Sohonbu
10) Kempo: Shorinji Kempo - Nagoya Hokudo-in
11) Iaido: Isshin Muso Ryu – Kenshinkai
12) Koshiki Karate do: Saekiha Gojuryu – Renshinkan Karate Dojo
13) Iaido: Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu Iaijutsu - Komei Juku (Nihon Koden Bujutsu Iaido Renmei)
14) Jodo: Shinto Muso Ryu Jodo – Aijokai
15) Tameshigiri: Soshin Ryu Iai Battojutsu – Soshinkan
16) Kenjutsu: Yakumaru Jigenryu Kenjutsu – Yakumaru Jigen Ryu Oumi Dojo
17) Aikido: Yoshinkan Aikido - Seiunjuku
18) Iaido: Sekiguchi ryu Battojutsu – Sekiguchi Ryu Battojutsu Kenyukai
19) Koryu Kempo – Owari Tenshin Koryu Kempo – Sumera Budo Juku
20) Iaido: Yagyu Shingan Ryu Iaijutsu – Meijo University
21) Karate do: Fugen Ryu Karatedo – Meito Dojo and 11 other branch dojo
22) Batto-do: Nakamura Ryu Battodo – Godokan Dojo
23) Iaido: Nihon Toyama Ryu – Nihon Toyama Ryu Iaido Narumi Dojo
24) Aikido: Aikido - Enyukai

Following the embu was the Hei Kai Shiki (closing ceremony) which gave awards to participants, recommendations to long-standing members and recognition to everyone’s effort. Following this was the Heikai Embu (closing demonstration) to “seal” the event, this year given by Owari Tenshin Koryu Kempo. Finally, the Heikai Sengen (closing statement) was given thanking everyone for their participation and congratulating them.
Immediately afterwards the members dressed down, hauled their gear out of the dressing area and began to pack up the equipment for the embu. This usually entails a type of merriment and camaraderie by the members as they have a chance to work together side by side and cooperate. While the demonstration was intense and time consuming, the closing and working together is where the groups truly get to know each other, not by formality but through honestly pitching in to help each other. The final act of cleaning up and preparing everything for storage for next spring is perhaps more significant than the entire embu itself, at least for the participants.
As the embu closed, the sun set on the grounds of Nagoya castle and the air began to chill in the shade of the evening the day finally came to a rest. Everyone in attendance truly seemed to enjoy themselves. In the settling of the 43^rd annual Nagoya Castle Martial arts demonstration everyone is looking forward to the 44^th. ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?74-Nagoya-Castle-s-43rd-Annual-Martial-Arts-Demonstration-May-5th-2012 The Japanese New Year and the Martial Artist http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?73-The-Japanese-New-Year-and-the-Martial-Artist Sun, 25 Dec 2011 06:58:50 GMT The end of the year is a particularly special time of the year for Japan. There are several “cultural” group related events for colleagues, businesses and for groups, including martial arts. Respectively, there are three main types of parties surrounding the New Year: before the New Year, New... The end of the year is a particularly special time of the year for Japan. There are several “cultural” group related events for colleagues, businesses and for groups, including martial arts. Respectively, there are three main types of parties surrounding the New Year: before the New Year, New Years and after the New Year, so to speak. Many smaller dojo in Japan do not have official tests to assign rank. In turn, they use the end of the year as a time to assign rank. That is not saying that tests are not unheard of as there may be tests (this is especially true in modern martial arts) but many have special events to assign rank and the News Years is one of the most common.
Sound complicated? Yeah, it is. Remember, this is a country that made the simple act of making and drinking tea into an entire ceremony…so let me break it down:

First things first:
The story goes that during the 15th century, parties occurring around the New Year, *other than* the New Year’s party itself were collectively known as noukai (納会"achievement gathering"). In about the 17^th or 18^th century, new words started popping up describing these parties: bonenkai and shinnekai which then fell into fashionable use. With these new words came “new” traditions, and so the nature of the parties also changed and they took on new lives of their own (or at least became more complicated). So, this gave a certain kind of order to the parties that occur in Japan during new years. There are exceptions, but they usually follow some kind of rationale according to the thinking of the group or the organizer. In general, these are the (1) bonenkai and following that is (2) shogatsu, which is followed by a 12 day period called (3) matsunouchi: which include shinnenkai, kagami biraki and for martial arts groups in particular, the hatsugeiko.

Bonenkai (忘年会"Forget the Year Gathering")
Gatherings occurring before the New Year are known as bonenkai, which have no date other than sometime in December. Bonenkai are close to what we would call a New Years Eve party in the west, with copious amounts of drinking, food and merriment. It's a time to forget the problems you had in the past and to look forward to a new year. It's also a rare time that you can be your true self in front of one another in Japan and an opportunity to get everything troubling you off your chest and start afresh. The Japanese, while claiming to be a very tight knit group from a social standpoint, actually have some very serious problems in communicating to one another. This alleged "openness" is allowed at the party which makes this a very important social event. It's the one time you can speak your mind without fear of criticism and being ostracized. Although while open, straightforward and earnest talk is ideal, it is probably not a reality as most will keep silent and just act drunk. Generally, martial art groups will hold a bonenkai according to the dojo tradition, following the social norm. This is a bonding party for you at the dojo, a time of the year that you can remember the good times and forget that which was bad. It’s also important to re-assert your relationships with your fellow budoka and keep the spirit of goodwill and training alive in the dojo. Remember, drinking is going on at these parties and it is not unusual to see very drunk behavior that we as westerners would deem inappropriate. Keep in mind the openness that is supposed to surround these events and be prepared.

Shogatsu (正月“New Year” literally “Proper Year”)
This traditionally starts from ganjitsu (元日”1^st of January”), with events extending into the 15^th, called koshogatsu. This is the actual New Year celebration and usually a very private event over the first three days of January, called sanganichi (三が日”three days”). This time is usually spent with the family and close friends and the first visit to the shrine or temple or hatsumode (初詣) occurs. People often go visiting and likewise receive family and close friends into their homes. In budo, if you are invited to an event during these days, it would be wise to attend in that it does not conflict with your own family’s activities. Not doing so without good reason, especially for an expatriate, would be considered insulting. This usually doesn't happen, as the “house doors” are closed, but it is important to keep etiquette in mind and attend if you are invited. If you are invited, please make sure to wear nice clothes and be ready to act formal. Many times the western holiday takes on an aloof sense of relaxation, and while this is true among family members attending each other’s houses during these times, when receiving guests a proper attitude is taken on with high regards to manners. In any case, do not over dress and do not under dress and be prepared to “read” the feeling of the party and act accordingly.

Matsu no Uchi (松の内 “Pine Tree’s House”)
January 4^th until January 15^th is period of 12 days called matsu-no-uchi. This is when shinnenkai, kagami biraki, hatsugeiko and other events occur. There is no particular order to these, and they can even be a single, mixed event or spread out into smaller combined events. Remember, if one is invited to these events in a martial arts group, it is in good form to attend them if possible, if not be as polite as possible in declining, in which “no” is usually not spoken; instead regrets is shown as being unable to attend. Usually there will be an RSVP for the parties, but in some cases it invitations may be sudden or come up in conversations. If anything else, if one is unable to attend it might be wise to make arrangements to send a gift or telegram to express that you are thinking of them and wish you could attend. This may or not be the case, but in formal situations (such as the giving of rank) it is best to do this and congratulate those receiving rank. If the event is designed to assign rank, and you are getting one, you had better be there.

Shinnekai (新年会 “New Year’s Gathering”)
This is a party held anywhere from January 4^th until the 15^th, generally. There are exceptions of course, varying group to group, but traditionally the gathering is held between these two dates. This is a party similar to a bonenkai in that drinking and food is a centerpiece of the event, but usually includes foods and activities associated with the shogatsu festivities (such as making pounded rice cakes or mochi <餅>). It also may be a little more formal and maybe not the best time to unwind, but again this is based on the group and their perception of the gathering. There is definitely drinking and eating going on, ushering in the good spirit of the new year and again, solidifying relationships. This can also be a place where ranks are awarded and gifts are exchanged, and can be mixed with kagami biraki and hatsugeiko.

Kagami Biraki (鏡開き “Opening the Mirror”)
This is an event that is traditionally held on December 11^th, but can vary according to tradition (usually, for martial art groups it occurs on the closest weekend or training day).

Kagami Biraki are usually formal events with ceremony, however drinking and food are still a major part. Traditional foods are oshiruko (お汁粉, or 善哉 “sweet azuki bean and rice-cake soup”) and ceremonial sake is drunk. The amount of sake varies…so be wary not to drink the entire bottle when everyone else is having a sip.
Allegedly the tradition started with the Shogun Ietsuna Tokugawa called together all his Daimyo after the New Year. Ietsuna opened the doors to his shrine, exposing the ceremonial mirror and prayed for prosperity and luck in the days to come. Afterwards, according to lore, he smashed open the top on a barrel of sake and cut up mochi (餅- a soft, gluey rice cake) which he then served to his guests. The following year was fortunate for him, so the tradition caught on and it has been a popular event for a little over 300 years.

While all the festivities hold significance culturally, the kagami biraki holds particular importance for the martial arts practitioner. Not only does it serve to bless the training in the dojo for the New Year, but it has cultural “warrior" roots as well, so it makes it a fairly big event for most dojo. Many times this becomes a mixed event, with ceremony, blessing and purifying the dojo by a Shinto priest, the awarding of rank, the first year’s training (hatsugeiko) or even a dojo shinnenkai. Sometimes a student is promoted and rank is awarding during the event and gifts are exchanged.

Hatsugeiko ( 初稽古 “First Training”)
This is literally the first day of training at the dojo after the New Year. It can fall anywhere between the 4^th or the 15^th, or maybe a little afterwards; it varies from dojo to dojo. In any case this is an important event and it can be accompanied by ceremony and take on the same rights and ritual as a kagami biraki. Sometimes a dojo visits a local shrine or temple for prayers or a blessing, other times a Shinto priest is brought in to purify the dojo, sometimes a shinnenkai or kagami biraki can follow it. It can truly be a mixed event and take on many guises. Sometimes the party happens right there in the dojo. Sometimes rank is awarded and gifts are exchanged. This all varies on the tradition of the dojo, but regardless of the caliber of the event attending it is a good idea. It ushers in the new year to the dojo in the proper budo style, with sweat and work.

Koshogatsu (小正月“Little New Years”)
January 15^th, is called koshogatsu and it is generally viewed as the final day of the New Year celebration. On this day many people eat of azuki gaiyu (赤小豆粥 a rice gruel/congee with sweet azuki beans). It’s a wind down of the year’s festivities and a day of “rest” from visiting and events.
It’s also a day to clear out the house of New Years decorations and to dispose of the following year’s omamori (御守 good luck and protection amulets given out by Shinto shrines) in a ritual called Sagicho (左義長) or Donto-yaki (どんと焼き). One usually takes these items to a shrine and tosses them into a large fire or in a box for the shrine to burn and dispose of later. In the countryside there is the practice of Torioi (鳥追い ”driving off birds”) where children walk through the rice paddies and towns singing prayers/songs to drive away birds from the rice paddies. In some places a Tsunahiki (綱引き”tug of war”) takes places between two neighboring districts or villages to compete for bragging rights and to pray for good crops. While these aren’t of particular importance of to the martial artist, it’s good to know what is going on and understand these are the events that close the New Year celebration.

And so it ends, only to start up again next year. With the same fervor and exhaustion that drive it, the New Year has passed, (only to come again in twelve months). ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?73-The-Japanese-New-Year-and-the-Martial-Artist Practice Outside of Class http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?68-Practice-Outside-of-Class Sun, 06 Nov 2011 07:10:38 GMT For a lot of people, a few hours a week is good enough for martial arts practice and really that is all that they need. Yet, if one practices outside of normal classes and keep a regular routine of training away from the dojo, it may be surprising how much improvement can be made with a minimal... For a lot of people, a few hours a week is good enough for martial arts practice and really that is all that they need. Yet, if one practices outside of normal classes and keep a regular routine of training away from the dojo, it may be surprising how much improvement can be made with a minimal effort. That being said, if one can get a training partner to join up with them only good things can come of it as it motives both parties. For many this is not an option so they usually start out working at home, quickly grow tired of it, then abandon training outside normal times in pursuit of other things. Normally they expect too much of themselves and don't have the benefit of motivation from outside themselves, so it becomes too easy to just drop it. That being said there are some things one can do...

1) Make the time spent training alone reasonable, even short. Set aside 10 minutes of training time and keep it. If you want to go over that, fine, but keep it quick. Soon you'll find that you want to spend more time doing it and when you can't 10 minutes will suffice and you can keep the pattern.
2) Create an environment that allows you to train and make it enjoyable. This is a great way to seek a little solace and creating an atmosphere that you can enjoy and retreat into again and again.
3) Keep it simple. Really look at what you are doing in your main classes and glean and modify things into exercise or drills that you can perform alone. That being said, it's important to keep from straying too far from the core of what one is doing so make sure that it's a viable solution. One might even ask the instructor what a good way to practice and seek advice.
4) Make it interesting, keep it varied. Repetition is nice, but let's face it people get bored quickly. Don't focus too much on one thing unless you are motivated to do so. Keep it interesting and mix it up.
5) Keep it up, if you miss it make it up. Pattern are important here so it is equally important to keep it up. If something gets in the way, make it up later. NEVER make one session longer to make it up as it becomes tiresome and boring. The idea is not to burn out, but to make your personal training time something you want to do and leave you wanting more. That keeps you doing it.

Anyway....just some thoughts. ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?68-Practice-Outside-of-Class Learn, build, share, repeat. http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?64-Learn-build-share-repeat Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:42:18 GMT Normal 0 false false ...]]> Being a mat rat, a dojo doorstop, a martial arts monkey or a budo nerd takes a lot out of you. You spend most of your free time at the dojo, most of your holidays thinking about budo and doing it on your own, taking notes, re-writing those notes, then tearing the note page out as you realize your notes were wrong. Then re-writing it again, looking for that old note page because there was some good stuff in there and you tore it out and threw it away in a moment of frustration and haste. It's a process. The way you view something in the beginning seems to be blurry, which clears up over time, only to become blurry again, and so on. You build it up, you tear it down, you build it up again, then you...well, you do it again. Meanwhile you are dealing with life, the ups and down, the comes and goes...then you get into the dojo and all that fades away. It's transcendent, yet at the same time it plants you flat on the earth in your own skin. Sometimes you go and you are full of life and energy, other times you go and you feel like you are three steps from a shallow grave. It's a discipline, a way of doing things and a really tough way to spend your free time.

But you keep going. It's right about here that things get esoteric.

By keeping it up you see things from a different point of view. You cut away the tethers of supposition, put things in perspective, only to have it all fall out of place again.

This is warp and woof of the dojo: You learn, build, share and then repeat. It doesn't matter if the martial arts is set in stone or if it’s eclectic. Staying in a safe padded box only behooves the serious practitioner. You need others in order to train, to go out and practice in a mutually beneficial way that allows you to grow and not to stagnate. Within the act of physical experimentation, you can evaluate and exchange to expose faults, reveal the "lies" you have been telling yourself about your technique and where you are truly thriving. This is the reason you must be a good training partner, and also the reason to grow good partners. It's important to have the ability to actually study- to learn, practice and correct all in a mutual breath free of unnecessary whirls that get in the way and tend to lead astray. There must be an agreement through training, one where it becomes understood that beyond egoism and hubris, you are working for each other. Word usually don't express that, nor should they be able to. It's just a place you arrive at, or better yet, go every time.

Sometimes you can break out of physical constraints which hold you back or at other times you find that what you are doing is best for you, just right. This comes through practice and working with others; a chance to understand what they are doing from all directions, what seems to work for you and what does not. You realize that people have different builds and some techniques need adjustment to work around them. Occasionally you find a principle that works equally well with everyone, only to discover people that it won't work with, which garners a very important vantage for re-evaluation. This is where it starts over again, you're a little wiser for the wear and you have the process of craft to thank for it.

Just my late night ramblings...I am probably going to look at this in the morning and wonder what I was thinking. I usually do. ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?64-Learn-build-share-repeat Abuse in the Dojo.... http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?59-Abuse-in-the-Dojo Mon, 18 Jul 2011 07:59:27 GMT Three weeks ago I was getting ready to go home after training at a gym in central Nagoya. They have two dojo there, a Judojo and a Kendojo, that night my group was using the Judojo. I have been going there for the past 8 years and there are several groups using the same space. I know most of them... Three weeks ago I was getting ready to go home after training at a gym in central Nagoya. They have two dojo there, a Judojo and a Kendojo, that night my group was using the Judojo. I have been going there for the past 8 years and there are several groups using the same space. I know most of them by face as they do me, so there is a connection of mutual respect and acknowledgment in one another. We all get along.
There was a new guy at the gym who had taken up roost in middle of three competition grade tatami layouts. He had three kids with him: two boys and one girl. The eldest was a boy close to 13, while the other two seemed to be about 8 or 9. The eldest was twice as big as the younger boy, three times as big as the girl. They were practicing what appeared to be karate. The man was dressed in a dingy red shirt and dirty shorts and sat on the corner of the competition area cross legged. He was having the children spar full out without pads and with taped fists. They were going fast and not pulling any punches. Worst of all, it was the two smaller up against the larger boy, one at a time.
He would scream at the oldest boy to really attack the younger kids- a scene straight out of the "Karate Kid". Seriously, the older boy was WAILING on the little ones, with real punches and kicks thrown at their heads, legs and all points in between. Not only did the red-shirted man urge the eldest boy on to hurt the younger kids, but he would proceed to insult and verbally humiliate the smaller children for not taking it. Finally, the girl got the wind knocked out of her, she fell down and she began to cry, which infuriated the man who began to scream at her. After his screaming fit, the smaller boy was pitted up against the older boy. At this point I walked some 30 feet across the mats to stand behind the man in the red shirt, whom turned and gave me dirty looks. Finally, after slugging the younger boy into submission, the older boy kicked the younger in the chest and then finished by punching him in the throat. This knocked the boy flat on his back, who went silent for a second, stunned. After what seemed an eternity, he sat up, wheezed, began to cough and let out with a heart stopping sob. His eyes filled with tears and he rolled onto his hands and knees. I was furious and I stepped on the mat immediately.
I announced loudly "What you are doing is dangerous isn't it?" and walked over to the little boy. I asked him if he was okay, to which he replied "I'm fine" (daijobu) through his crying, gasping, drooling and coughing. I looked him in the eyes and it was clear he was afraid to say otherwise, and he glanced at the man in the red shirt who was snarling at us. I then stood between him and the older boy, who was clearly only doing what he was told, and I demanded that he be more careful. I asked him if he knew if he was hurting the two little ones and he acknowledged by nodding and looking down at the mat in shame. Meanwhile the scumbag in the red shirt started yelling at me, telling me it was not my business and that they were fine. After I finished with the older boy I turned and walked just outside of reach of the man and looked him dead in the eyes. I calmly told him in a loud, clear voice (for everyone to hear) that if "You didn't stop this, I will stop this". At that point the entire Judojo, with some 50 people in it, had come to a standstill and turned all to look at me. At that point he looked down, lowered his voice and said "They'll be fine".

Satisfied I turned, walked over and patted the little boy on the head and made my way back to my area. When I got far away, the man called out "They are fine and mind your own business". So, I grabbed my stick, walked back out on the mat. Dead silence ran over the room and you could hear the machines in the weight room turning, something you can never normally hear. I eased back over to him, holding the stick under my arm inoffensively and told him "This is my business, and the business of everyone. Children are not beaten here." He looked away and he snorted like an arrogant swine. I asked him if that was clear and he understood, and he said "yes".
At this point I walked back over to my group again. They were watching on, the younger students seemed pale white. What I had just done was VERY aggressive, something that is usually looked down upon. I was angered, but not in an out of control way. I was still calm and amicable, I was not looking for trouble and my only intent was to stop what was going on before one of those kids was injured seriously. I was pushing my adrenaline back- and at this stage I began to become anxious that I was going to be in trouble for what I had done, and I was sure I was about to get an earful. I apologized to everyone there immediately and made it a point to repeat that with respect. To my surprise, my sensei smiled, brushed off my apology and began to make small talk with me like nothing happened. Things went back to clamoring as normal in the Judojo as the evening wound down and the "goodbye" announcement was made and Auld Lang Synebegan to play on the intercom.The drama was over and nothing became of it.
But something did become of it. After 8 years of being there, of being seen every week, people are now saying hello to me on the mat, when I walk in the door and they even wave at me at the station. They are talking to one another now, I see then smiling and chatting as the class begins. I have never witnessed that before. It's like something clicked at that moment and it was like I was speaking for everyone...and it didn't matter that it was me who was confronting the man in the red shirt- it was as though I tapped into everyone's feelings and was speaking for them. I haven't seen the man in the red shirt there, but I am told that after my little problem that two of the groups complained about him and he was kicked out of the gym for life. I am not sure if that is true, but I would certainly like to believe it.
I can only hope those children have found a better teacher, and if that was their father I can only hope that he is ashamed of the way he treats his children and will cease his methods. In my mind what he was doing that night makes him a complete b*stard.
]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?59-Abuse-in-the-Dojo The Cleaning Cult (Part I) http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?58-The-Cleaning-Cult-(Part-I) Sun, 12 Jun 2011 14:46:40 GMT Japan is obsessed with cleaning. They make Mr. Clean look lazy. There is a serious "cleaning cult" in Japan, or should I say "Cultish Cleaning". This probably spans from religion and anyone...]]>

Japan is obsessed with cleaning. They make Mr. Clean look lazy. There is a serious "cleaning cult" in Japan, or should I say "Cultish Cleaning". This probably spans from religion and anyone versed in Nihon-ron would point there first. Shinto, the homogeneous religion of Japan that co-exists and shares turf with Buddhism, is more than likely the culprit as within Shinto there is a obsession with purity and cleanliness.

However, I am willing to say most of this as it exists outside of symbolism is just an illusion. A front to the truth. Allow me to explain...

The Shoe Thing
Let's start out with the shoe thing. No shoes in the house, they are viewed as dirty. Many times shoes are dirty and the practice serves to save nice wooden floors and gentle tatami. However, common sense will quickly lead one to break down the assumption that the floors of the house are clean. They aren't. Your feet aren't clean either as all manner of horrible fungus and bacteria can grow on them. Also, there is a newer tradition of wearing house slippers, or actual "indoor shoes" called "wagutsu" . One must have two pairs of shoes in order to wear them indoors to be deemed sanitary, or walk around without shoes on. This leads on to the conclusion that shoes are, in fact, cleaner than the foot. But only in certain situations. Hmm...

So what's wrong with this? Nothing really, but there is a veil of assumption here. It's the view that muddy shoes are just as dirty as shoes that are spotless, but worn outdoors. It assumes that your feet aren't clean, but special clean shoes are. So simple reasoning leads me to this: the idea that shoes are dirty is just an illusion, not based on facts, but on a certain cultural blindness. Now this is fine if it's a cultural issue- however the logic behind it does not stand up to scrutiny. So most people will just assume it (the shoes thing) is true without thinking. They defend it rigorously. It's part of a larger collective of thought that is outdated, misunderstood but still carried on without any fundamental realization of what it is. It's non-thinking behavior.

And like the old adage, "It's the thought that counts".

Before I go any farther, I want to make it clear that I live in Japan and yes I take off my shoes in my house and the houses of others. I have wood and tatami floors in most of my house so this practice saves them. I also clean them like a madman on a very regular basis because they get filthy. I don't particularly like making people mad when I visit them either, so I most certainly de-shoe before entering anyone's domicile. That being said, I am under no illusions as to what purpose is served, nor blind to the fact that it's a custom. I am not going to defend it, however. It simply doesn't make sense unless we are talking about preserving flooring or keeping truly dirty shoes out of the house.

Incessant Cleaning
When I first started working for a Japanese company ten years ago come September of 2011, I was made to clean for two days straight along with my regular work. This is actually traditional and most every new employee in a company goes through some rite of passage like this. The new person is in effect, the janitor. I'm used to manual labor, I had worked through college and was no stranger to it . I was actually pretty good at it...a little too good in fact. Actually I got into trouble because I would clean thoroughly and be done with it fast, making the lazy office people find something else for me to do. At this point, allow me to recapitulate, with a situation from my experience:
(Open scene: Me putting away cleaning supplies)
Boss: "Russ are you finished cleaning?"
Me: "Yes, everything is clean. I swept, scrubbed then mopped with bleach"
Boss: "You finished too fast. Let me inspect"
<<(moments later)>>
Boss: "It's clean, but you cheated. Don't use the mop. Use the zokin (rags) and do it all again by hand. It's not clean until you have done that."
(end scene)

From this it becomes very obvious that the "cleaning" was not about "cleaning" at all. It seems to be some kind of psychological tool. Being clean isn't actually important. It's looking like you are cleaning, being very inefficient in doing it, and making sure to do it in the hardest way possible.

Now while this might be all fine and dandy to the "non-thinking robot", it does not sit well with me. There is a motive other than getting the job done. So what is the real lesson being learned here?

Let me summarize:

1) Just look busy. That's more important than actually working.
2) Your effort is more important than your efficiency.
3) Submit your will! One of us, one of us....

While this might seem trivial, I have actually witnessed where this type of thinking is harmful. People simply lose the grasp of what is clean and what is unclean. The psychological play, perhaps a type of cultural furiai (meaning to touch) goes too far and leaves people confused and stressed out. I have seen people washing a bright, white and spotless corner for 35 minutes because they weren't sure if it was 'clean enough". The whole affair was maddening and they had work to be done. Furthermore, I have watched a foolish mechanic take a rag and brush to a filthy two stroke engine for an hour and a half without any kind of solvent- a job that would have taken a mere 15 minutes in a standard shop cleaning tank (which they did have, it's just no one knew how to use it until I showed up and started using it). Being more efficient, saving money and time wasn't important to the mechanic. It was more important that the employee appeared to be cleaning. Wasting the customers money and the time of other customers by doing menial chores inefficiently was not considered exigent- but of course it was billed.

So, my conclusion to all of this is: There is some kind of freaky, strange cleaning cult underlying Japan. One that does not understand what is clean and what is unclean, how to clean properly or sometimes even how to use your intellect to figure out a way to get things cleaner. Thus, from this I suspect that the idea of "clean" in Japan is just that...an ideal, without a firm grip on what is actually clean.

Strange huh! (Continued in part II). ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?58-The-Cleaning-Cult-(Part-I) The Cleaning Cult (Part II) http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?57-The-Cleaning-Cult-(Part-II) Sat, 11 Jun 2011 04:57:50 GMT "The Cleaning Cult" (continued from Part I)

So what does this have to do with anything??

Right....so here's the warp and woof of it. There is a Japanese cultural tendency to put one through the paces of a business, club or martial art. There's much more of a "fraternity" feel to the whole process than what I experienced in the West. Although it is true that there is a "Frat" feel to the martial arts as experienced in the Western world, in Japan this more an integral part of it. In general one can come to expect this when entering a dojo, and if you aren't put through a kind of rigamarole then you belong to a very progressive group or in the worst case: they see you as a visitor. If you go through it, do your part, act the junior and learn what is expected of you then you get to stay on to become a senior. Many times this rite of passage is welcomed as it lays one into the folds of things. The scrutiny of the instructor, the constant pointers and tweaks that take place and the frustration of not being able to do something properly and going over and over it again are in fact, wanted attention. More into it, everyone takes part in the cleaning; on wood floors they bend over, put the rag on the floor in front and run behind it hoping not to slip and fall on their heads. In a tatami room, one usually sits on the tatami and draws the rags towards oneself in a left to right motion, scooting backwards along the mats to reach the end. But almost always the juniors who get the rags and prepare for the ritual cleaning and they are the ones who are summoned to do the most menial of chores. So while in fact everyone does the cleaning, a pecking order is established by who delivers and who waits.

That being said, there is an extension of this within Japanese martial arts and while it serves to be helpful, it can also be detrimental. I personally like the idea of cleaning the dojo, and keeping it fit and tidy. I think there is a lot to be said for that. I've also experienced good things with initiation and for lack of a better term, what I call "weeding" during training: the tendency to go over and over something until it simply bleeds frustration, tears and sweat does have rewards. Yet, I have seen it backfire when it's propelled by hubris and inanity and it can drive people to leave the martial arts. There is a very slippery slope one can go down, that without particular care, can lead to a form of harassment by senior students- in the workplace it's called "ijime". By using their position, their right, the seniors can force the juniors to do things to humiliate them and many times get away with it. It's part of the group-think, and it has become a HUGE problem in the workplace. My guess is that it is bleeding in from society to other things.

This is comparable to Origami. You practice making perfect folds time and time again and then you are able to create something new. While scrutinizing the paper folds, working on the connection that they make with one another, you can create something other than a wrinkled up ball of waste-basket fodder. What is important is that each segment serves as a means to an end. Those means must be made clear, they must be detailed and the seniors must play their part in helping, not hindering. The complete lack of hubris is what this hinges on, IMHO, as the cogs in the system start to jam if egoism and sadism enter into the mix. The big picture must be maintained by the individual, the folds must serve the greater good to end up with a neat-o looking animal shape. If not one just folds paper endlessly without any point it is wasteful and eventually frustrates the folder.

In my mind's eye it's the inability to see the big picture, to look past the scrutiny and the treatment as an inferior that also becomes a problem. Just like in the cleaning scenario at my first job in Japan, people can tend to lose their way in the forest if they just focus on the bark of the tree (in this case, the bark around the trunks of the tree). By my reckoning there is a a generation of modern sports enthusiast budoka who train hard and long, without really understanding what they are training for. It becomes self serving and about "me". The same might be said of their teachers, who really don't get it either (worse, they do and they don't explain it), which places the odds against the student, only "getting it" with a fleeting moment of clarity in a the fog. It's discipline for discipline's sake because it's culturally expected and not because it serves any real or meaningful purpose. This is not unlike checking for dirt under the fingernails of a severed hand and then proclaiming "here's your problem" then handing the severed appendage back to it's owner. The whole thing can end up missing the mark.

I personally do not believe this is anything particular to Japan. It's a situation that bleeds into scenarios back home in the United States as well (and I suspect other places). There may be different reasons for it, however the problem seems to be fundamentally the same on a deep seated level. Many enter a school, get some training, leave and then start to assemble a group of students. Without that scrutiny from a trained eye, this leads to other problems, but that is best left for another time. The focus here is on the weeding. If one has not been properly "weeded", without a clear intention as to why, without any indication of being put under the microscope (in kata, this is called "Oyo" -application or "Bunkai" -dissection) there is a tendency to fit things together with the imagination. To those ends one binds things together which do not necessarily go together. The result is a hop-shod Frankenstein's monster, a porridge of bits and pieces. A few folds in Origami that really don't make anything. When that happens you lose track of the big picture. Sometimes it works out...sometimes it comes full circle, but many times it doesn't.

So what am I getting at?

Clean what needs to be cleaned with efficiency, do things with a purpose and above all think, think, think.

]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?57-The-Cleaning-Cult-(Part-II) Sometimes Pictures (and the Paperwork) Tell a Thousand Lies http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?56-Sometimes-Pictures-(and-the-Paperwork)-Tell-a-Thousand-Lies Sat, 28 May 2011 05:50:22 GMT In the past few years I have seen a lot of people present their credentials in Japanese martial arts accompanied by a picture of them with the head teacher, as proof of their authenticity. While this is fine and good most of the time, and they are most likely akin to "family pictures" I have found that there is sometimes a darker underbelly in doing this. That reason is fraud, one that is sometimes propagated by the Japanese school not being careful about pictures being taken and under what circumstances. In the spirit of being amicable and polite to visitors and students, there is a naivety that allows people to take advantage of the situation that extends past the borders of Japan. There is a prevailing attitude worldwide that goes "pic or it didn't happen" demanding photographic evidence, and sometimes that very "show me" attitude can be very deceptive as what you see is not always what you get. Pictures can be faked, intent is lost without context and not all can be shown through a mere photograph. Many times a school will unwittingly allow this to happen, not thinking it through properly, and what was supposed to be a memento of a visit in Japan becomes one important piece of a deluded story. Not so long ago I was following the tale of a very, very delusional man and his stories of grandeur in the martial arts. He was of an advanced age and it seems he was not satisfied with his lot in life. So he set out to change that. It was either that or he was suffering from a mental illness. His stories, no matter how they were refitted and revamped to match arguments against him always came out with "evidence" in the form of a photograph. And so out the photographs were produced- of him with very well known martial arts figures and personalities. His stories never did jibe, but the pictures heaped up enough speculation to let the fraud carry on.

So, the denial of purely photographic evidence leads to the next logical step, which is to ask for paperwork. The rank, the attributes and award that one receives from labor in the martial arts. In general I would say if one has all the paperwork, more than likely one is the "real thing" with authenticity to one's claims. Yet again, as I have found, this can be misleading. There are plenty of people that have received "legitimate" rank for a myriad of reasons other than their proficiency in the martial art. Usually, frauds are easy to spot, especially with bloated ranks and titles, outrageous stories and lineages that further weave claims. With very little experience one can pick up on these types of individuals without a great amount of effort. However, the type of fraud that is the most dangerous is the one that has slipped through the gates- who has the rank, has the pics and has the paperwork- but is missing a key element: any type of skill in the school whatsoever. These folks are the bane of the martial arts community as they appear in all sense can become a "living embodiment" of the school. Yet, sometimes nothing could be further from the truth and in the long run more damage is done than good.

If you haven't guessed it by now what I am saying is that yes: there are authentic schools that have given out credentials (high ones at that) to people indigenous and foreign, without the recipient fully earning them. I know of at least three classical schools that have done this in the past 10 years, and know of others that have passed on the paperwork by default; in lesser cases the "family name" was at stake so a less competent facsimile of a teacher stepped in to take over, but that is a whole other issue. What I am talking about here is high rank given out not because of necessity, but for something entirely different. In any case the idea or notion that a pedigree *always* represents authenticity or competence is, how does one put this lightly: BOGUS. In my opinion, you should have the time in the school actually training under a competent teacher, putting in the work. Bottom line. Speed is not of great importance and neither is a slower pace. In a perfect world it should be competence and ability that are the measure of the paper. For many, this part was somehow skipped and they ended up with a rank anyway. Go figure, it's disheartening and painfully narrow-minded. Personally I would rather be the student of someone with time sweating it out on the mat without any rank, pictures or paperwork than to be the student of an incompetent clown that is passing themselves off as authentic.

Furthermore, in Japan this is not actually a new practice. It's something that has been carried on for generations and it's prevalent everywhere, especially in the "days of yore" that so many romanticize about. Honorary ranks and certificates were handed out to those that could prove to be valuable contacts to the school, a kind of dowry for a connection. More importantly, it was and is a type of social intercourse that allowed many people to gain rank without spending much time actually training or sometimes even stepping foot in a dojo. Unfortunately, it sometimes backfires and discredits the school which then follows to bothersome claims in lineage and propriety to the school and it's rightful successor. It was also a way to control people to ensure they would keep secrets and funding, working in a way to suppress the ill will of others and keep the money rolling in. While there are many schools that did not tolerate it, there are almost equally as many that did. At times, especially during downturns in the economy the schools outwardly sought to recruit others this way. A type of sponsorship and way to keep the gears oiled politically in a climate that was unfriendly. It's a shadowy gallery of back alley dealings and strange transactions that leave many people scratching their heads when hearing of them, muddying up history and creating dead ends to tracks that should have been cleanly laid. To be honest, this is the way of Japan in many of their dealings. I've had my critics say that I don't understand this simply because "I am not Japanese" and "this is not my country" so there is no way for me to fully know anything that they do or the reasons why they do it. Yet, I speculate that I know all full well what is going on here, and understand it without any delusion to who I am or what is being done. I don't simply glaze over and ignore it because it's typical behavior that I have become numb to and thus my "understanding" isn't deep enough.

So this is my call on to those old schools (and modern) which still carry on in this way. Making sure to leave very little to be speculated with my words:

I call bullsh!t.

I don't care how respected they are, how many connections they have, or how many golf balls they can suck through a garden hose. Shame on them. Shame on those going along with it and shame and shame on those around them for tolerating it. I can only hope that karma will catch up to them and history will put them in their place.

Whew.... ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?56-Sometimes-Pictures-(and-the-Paperwork)-Tell-a-Thousand-Lies And So Begins Spring..... http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?55-And-So-Begins-Spring Mon, 11 Apr 2011 04:50:51 GMT

Right now the buzz around Japan is the tremendous earthquake that devastated Tohoku (thusly named the Tohoku Daijishin). We're living geographic history. I have witnessed Mt Saint Helens erupt and now I have been in one of the biggest earthquakes on record. Needless to say, there was (and still is) a great amount of fear in Japan, the Fukushima power plant disaster, the tainted water, the fear of an aftershock that would knock out the country. As of right now things have calmed down a bit and we are hopefully headed into recovery, but it's far from over for a lot of people. I live in the Tokai region of Japan, on the North part of Mie prefecture in a city called Kuwana. We've felt the sting of the earthquake at a distance, and I am thankful for that, but at the same time my mind turns towards those up North who really need help and have been hit the hardest. It's hard not to think of that and the suffering those people are going through- something I would not wish on anyone.

Spring came, just as it always does and it offers us a light at the end of the tunnel, a rainbow in the dark. It's welcome for sure, a break from the doom and gloom that is plaguing so many. Now more than ever a little beauty is needed as we go into the dark of night with the fear of what tomorrow will bring. That, dear reader, is the significance of the cherry blossom. It's ephemeral, fleeting and destined to perish almost as soon at it blooms. As the tiny petals flutter to the ground, it is even a more powerful glimpse into the state of mortality and humanity. Something so gorgeous and perfect perishes only after the briefest of time in the sun.

With new hope in Japan, I welcome the turn of seasons and pray for the prosperity of the people in whose land I call home. Many of my foreign brethren have left Japan and I cannot blame them for it. Fear is a very powerful elixir and can drive people to think of their well being first. I can respect this and I am not blaming or accusing anyone for the decisions they make.

However, in the same sense my outlook is a great deal different. Japan will have to shake me into the ocean before I leave. I will send my family to safer ground and stay here if I am needed. I will not abandon the ship until I am knee deep in brine, and even then I will be the last to leave. This goes the same for the United States, if I am needed there in time of crises I will be the first one in, the last to leave. Japan is my home, as is the United States and I will not see them forsaken without a fight.

Pray for Japan.

Regards,

Russ Ebert and Family,
Kuwana, Mie, Japan.
April 11th, 2011 ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?55-And-So-Begins-Spring Learning to Know Nothing http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?54-Learning-to-Know-Nothing Sun, 20 Feb 2011 08:25:42 GMT Some people claim to know what koryu bujutsu is. They have read a great deal on the subject, seen a few (perhaps many) videos on it from BAB, perhaps they even ventured to Japan to train and attended an embukai or two. The despite the volumes of information one can read on the subject, the videos,... Some people claim to know what koryu bujutsu is. They have read a great deal on the subject, seen a few (perhaps many) videos on it from BAB, perhaps they even ventured to Japan to train and attended an embukai or two. The despite the volumes of information one can read on the subject, the videos, the seminars or the trips to Japan, there are very few people who actually have an actual understanding of what koryu bujutsu or kobudo is. Those that do however could not describe what they know in it in ten words or less as putting it to paper could easily fill gargantuan tomes. The famous philosophizer Socrates is believed to have said, "True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing." This is especially true on the topic of koryu bujutsu. A person may have toiled for years, putting their back and brain into every inch of training only to realize that there is more to discover no matter how far down the road they have come.
It’s common knowledge that koryu bujutsu consists of a myriad of ryu and ryuha that are too vast to describe in a nice tidy statement, one that is not conveniently heated up in the microwave and served up in 10 minutes. This does not mean that said koryu bujutsu are totally unknown or untraceable but just too vast to summarize easily, which in the modern age is inconceivable. No instant gratification is assigned to the study of a Koryu; nothing written in the West or the East that could begin to cover the breadth of details and information or every nuance that one encounters. The whole story is not really "a whole" unless all the bases are covered, every venue explored, each corner turned as the importance of individual study and experience is the quintessence of a koryu’s virtue.

Researching your Practice

Research is a problem in its own right. For one, a person needs to have a firm grasp on the Japanese language. This does not mean merely speaking, but also reading and fully understanding the nature of the beast. Koryu is extremely ancient in terms of language as Japanese in Edo and the preceding eras written and spoken in a different tongue than what is spoken in modern Japan. It goes beyond modern fluency and may require a great deal of etymology. Making matters worse, the existing documents may be encrypted for safekeeping- so one has to really be in tune with the third item in this paragraph. Secondly, a student needs to have a proper and thorough understanding of Japanese history and its context. This is more than looking at a time line and knowing the different eras. It includes a perceptive view of the politics, the type of thinking, the sociology and the culture of the era. Third and perhaps most important, one has to have instruction by someone who “knows a little something” about the koryu’s roots and history and how it manifests itself physically. This type of guidance that can only be given by a person willing to take their time and teach you what they do know, sharing the ingredients of their thoughts in order to enrich the student’s mind. In the end the student may never stop exploring, renewing or discovering their own personal opinions or ideas on the subject and by no means will they ever stop learning.

Practicing your Research

Practice is something that should go along with research, especially in koryu bujutsu. For those who are starting out, research should come first; that is to say good research. In order to come to terms with that research, one must actively seek out the training to put it into practice. The two may or may not correspond at times; however further research coupled with further practice and will ultimately lend the keys to discovery. The term “discovery” in this case is not the be-all-end-all to the equation and it may lead to further questions and more research in a well rounded manner. The more you sweat and push your physical ability, the more you may have to ask or find out for yourself. In this case polishing or refining one’s physical ability and mental ability is the harmonizing of research and practice so the two can benefit from one another. In the same sense understanding the written word is like understanding the most simple of movements. If one focuses too much on either, the point is lost and it leads to unbalance.

Guidance

One has to have a person helping them along the way that actually has the ability to guide them properly. This is not the case in several instances, and a person’s research may outweigh their training, or vice versa, in which case there is a terrible unbalance in the equation. Their actual experience, language ability, technical effluence or personal perspective may be drastically lacking. Most everyone has experimented with osmosis in school at one time or another. In a sense a teacher is like a membrane that separates two parts of a glass jar, on one side you have salt water and the other side fresh water. The object is to equalize and balance out the two sides, if the membrane is impermeable it will never balance out and the two will remain separate, completely missing the objective. In the case of a successful experiment, the jar will have an equal balance and the objective is reached. This is a rather simple allegory, being flawed in many respects, but the point is that both research and practice need to be combined and unified properly. On the subject of koryu bujutsu the instructor needs to allow the process to happen naturally and not randomly sprinkling salt on both sides of the jar, hoping for balance. The instructor is acting as a vehicle in which the two sides will be equalized for the student. ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?54-Learning-to-Know-Nothing Visiting a Dojo in Japan http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?53-Visiting-a-Dojo-in-Japan Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:46:04 GMT Every year hundreds (if not thousands) of people travel to Japan in search of martial arts training. They put up a great deal of money to do so and go through great efforts to "do it for real" and take a taste of the budo culture home with them. Everyone has different reasons for doing it: some are coming over to expand on the martial art they practice; others are trying to make contacts and start anew in an art; some are just wanting to try something new and see what becomes of it.

Whatever their reasons, it is important to keep some things in mind when coming over to Japan to do some training. With the fear that a lot of people will take this information the wrong way, instead of giving a simple list I am going to attempt to explain my reasons and make them palatable. The "you're a foreigner, you just don't understand" thing does not sit well with me and is usually used as a tool for manipulation over here, so I am going to avoid that altogether. I do believe that simple reasoning and common sense play a role in what you see and do over here, so keeping a heavy dose of that with you at all times will be essential.

1) Let them know you are coming

If you want to visit a school, it's important to let them know you are coming to visit. While to most this seems common sense, I don't know how many times we've had walk-ins even though we make it clear that we want to have notice in order to prepare. Not only is this polite, it's practical as a training venue may have changed, it may be a "closed night" at the dojo where something special is going on or there may be something else going on that a visit could interfere with (or would interfere with a visit). Either way, do as one would in visiting someone's house...call ahead and let your impending presence be known. That's usually how it's done, so it's a good idea to follow this as a rule of thumb.

2) Stay relaxed and be yourself

I don't know how many times I have met a person here that is so uptight, so concerned about acting "Japanese" that it interferes with everything they do. You are not expected to be Japanese (which is a good thing) so there is no reason to act like it. Following simple cultural "rules" such as taking your shoes off before going into a house, bowing, et al does not require any type of ceremony. Keep your head, be cool and try to be as natural as possible about things. As a matter of fact the bigger deal you make of it, the more you isolate yourself from others, so be relaxed and keep your wits. If something goes wrong, again...stay relaxed and don't beat yourself up. That really comes off as silly and to be honest, one needn't worry about it. Not everything in Japan is a military drill, one needn't scream at the top of their lungs, blurt out "ossu" at everything or act like they've just had an electrical shock delivered to their body. Japanese ceremony is rather good about announcing itself, and one will be told what to do when it is appropriate; that being said not everything is a ceremony. Just be yourself, be natural and "go with the flow." Meeting and greeting is know as "aisatsu" and this is an important part of getting to know one another. Being natural, polite and on your best behavior is important here.

3) Be prepared to watch first

There is an unwritten rule in Japan that as guest is asked to "kengaku" (watch training). That means that you will sit and watch the class first. The number of times and length of the kengaku depends entirely on the school. This is a way to let you see what they do and observe you. As a rule of thumb, this will probably be your first class. This is where being relaxed and natural is important as you need to be on your best behavior while not seeming like a statue (or falling asleep). This is especially true about going to a dojo as an "outsider" as they will ask you to watch first and they may chat you up a bit and get to know you. This is a very traditional quirk in Japanese culture, it's important in that there is a "cool down" period for you at the beginning. You may just be "ignored," but don't be fooled by this, all eyes are on you (or at least the ones that matter). If you have another engagement, and you need to leave early, please make this known beforehand as it is kind of rude to get up and walk out.

4) No one cares what you know about the martial arts (unless they ask)

Okay so, we've handled kengaku, aisatsu and being natural. You've probably had a lot of questions asked of you, where you are from, what you have learned, how old you are, whether you eat Koala's or not (seriously, I know one person where that actually entered into the conversation). Now you're dressed down and ready for the mat. You bow in and training starts. So, you're out on the mat doing something similar to what you learned at home. That is good, a little familiarity can go a long way. Then all of a sudden the urge to show your partner what you know comes up...it's going to be there, just under the surface waiting for the opportunity to come out. Resist it. You've there to learn what they are teaching, and just as it would be back home, just try to do that. If they ask you what you have seen or how you were taught, fine....show them. Otherwise, the Q&A thing earlier was not a license to go about showing more of yourself to others. It was a simple "getting to know you" session and that has passed. You're on the mat to learn at this point, not to teach. So, show some restraint on that end and show them how much you are learning. That is to say, at times the lesson might wander askew, but try to stay on track and don't inundate the class with what you know or do. That may come out later, but for now resist it and just train the way everyone else is. This is a type of aisatsu in itself and again, you are probably being watched.

5) Don't beat people up (unless everyone is doing it)

I believe that this is true for any dojo visit anywhere you go. It's just as important in Japan as it is overseas, even more so at times. Whether or not you can kick someone's corn three ways to Sunday is not important. What is important is that you are able to train with everyone and keep from injuring others so they can train again the next day. While this is true of you, one must keep in mind that there are going to be some sadistic jerks attempting to crank you down as hard as they can. While you can't let that happen, it's important to let them know you aren't interested in a good old fashioned game of "king of the schoolyard". Make every attempt to let them know that if they play rough with you, you will reciprocate and play rough with them and that it is a "bad thing". That being said, it is important to not jump to conclusions, maybe in fact what your partner is doing is asking for an increase in intensity of training, so being able to read the situation is important. Just flat out leveling someone is going to be a smear or your good name, so approach with caution....but never fall prey to a bully. Gauge the intensity of the dojo, try to match it and try not to break the boundaries until they (and you) are comfortable with what you are doing and why.

Anyway, that's all I could come up with at the moment. I am sure there is more, but for now this is what I have! ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?53-Visiting-a-Dojo-in-Japan The sports centers, kendojo, judojo and Budokan! http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?51-The-sports-centers-kendojo-judojo-and-Budokan! Sun, 30 Jan 2011 02:24:41 GMT One thing that is interesting about Japan is that they have public "sports centers". These are public facilities, run by the "government" and entry is usually only a charge of a few hundred yen for entrance, depending on the facility (the amount of time is also varied, but usually not too expensive). They usually have pools, tracks, weight rooms, running machines, basketball courts, tennis courts and the like. Many of them have also feature a wooden floor "kendo dojo" and "judo dojo" that anyone can use for the price of the nominal fee of admission; which are also rentable for the day.

This one of my favorite things about Japan. They have a dojo at your fingertips without you having to own a space. They are all over the place and you don't have to worry about maintaining the place or owning it. The Sports Centers are open to all and in bigger cities they will have a myraid of martial arts being done there.

For example, my Saturday night is spent at Tsuyuhashi sports center in Nagoya. The Kendojo is alive with the obligatory Kendo, a Chinese Wushu team and Shinto muso Ryu Jo.
On the other side, The four-"ring" mat is occupied by Brazilian Jujutsu, three flavors of Aikido, Daito Ryu from the Roppokai, Judo, Karate, Capoeira, and every now and again pro-wrestling and Kickboxers. All together, living in harmony in the same space and getting along.

Then there are the Budokan facilities...entire buildings devoted to the study and practice of budo (sometimes to dancing too, keeps the rent paid!) These operate in much the same way as the sports center, but the budokan "only" have judojo and kendojo. Again, they operate by way of a nominal fee. Perhaps the most famous of the Budokan is the Nippon Budokan, which is rented out as a concert facility.

The Budokan and the budo culture that thrives in them is one of the coolest, most pleasanty things about Japan for me. I truly feel that the West could learn a lot from this aspect of the culture...sports centers for one and all!

-R

(PS...don't think these places don't come without a price, they are run off of taxpayer money....just a note with the tinge of reality). ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?51-The-sports-centers-kendojo-judojo-and-Budokan! The Arrogance of Sado (tea ceremony) http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?48-The-Arrogance-of-Sado-(tea-ceremony) Sun, 10 Oct 2010 06:37:53 GMT First things first: I have nothing against people practicing tea ceremony (Sado or Chado) or against making tea. I am fond of green tea now that I have acquired a taste for it, so allow me to put any murmuring to rest immediately. I have attended sado and watched otomae several times, whether... First things first:
I have nothing against people practicing tea ceremony (Sado or Chado) or against making tea. I am fond of green tea now that I have acquired a taste for it, so allow me to put any murmuring to rest immediately. I have attended sado and watched otomae several times, whether I liked it or not, and personally I believe it takes a lot of skill and discipline to be accomplished at it. Perhaps, Sado is one of the toughest arts around and truly, hats off to those that undertake it. However, the idea of person in the tea ceremony is something I want to focus on here, and the crux of my reason for writing this.

As a primer, for anyone not familiar with Sado, please take a look at this Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_tea_ceremony

to see it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yYch_ddxPM

Anyone familiar with a sado setting knows that it usually takes place with a visual aid of some kind. Art, nature, architectural, whatever. Not all schools do this- in that case the focus is on the making of the tea. Along with this there is an extreme, highly ritualized ceremony that is borderline robotic in order to make the tea. As a whole, these practitioners view this as the "proper" way to make tea and aspire to be one of the great soshoha (tea philosophers) of yesteryear. It's from this I take great issue, and propose that the art of tea ceremony unto itself is simply a rote practice in materialism and hubris. It's "me-ism" in it's finest form. Look at me, look how great I am at otomae...look at the great and expensive chawan (tea cups) and art I have (conversation generally gravitates to this), my fine hiki-cha (ground tea), I only buy the finest for my guests. The whole thing is a spectacle, aimed at everything else but the simple enjoyment of tea in a nice setting. There's no focus on anything but the making of the tea in a propped up atmosphere. The whole thing, in my opinion, is phony. Simplicity is not a complex task, regardless of what anyone thinks. Once something becomes complex, basic and rational thinking leads to the conclusion that all simplicity is lost.The setting is nothing, the tea is valued at nothing more than its expense and fame (some of the most expensive tea is downright awful tasting and bitter IMHO) and the wares are valued in terms of their expense and the fame of their manufacture. (The design may be horrible, but hey, it's from a famous Kyoto school). This all leads up into "look at how great I am at making tea" where the simple act is turned into a ritual, natural movement is transformed into a robot dance with the function almost completely lost- even turning the washing of the tea cups into a ritual that subtracts from the true flavor and beauty and the setting which you are in. That is to say, the ceremony itself is a distraction. I would rather be handed tea and sweets without being pulled away from the setting.

There's nothing special about making tea, there's no set way to make it. There's no letter from the tea diety telling everyone the secret formula. It's water and dried, ground leaves for the love of Pete. There's no proper way to do this and that. These are egotistical lies one tells themselves to make themselves feel relevant, or to cast worship and praise on someone else who considers themselves above the rest. At the root of this is simple, unabated hubris- the kind one finds in a child. There is a great amount of claptrap on how cultured and civilized "we are" or "I am" because of doing it. It goes deep in to the psyche, reflecting some unknown passion to be watched, to feel worthy and to show off your expensive wares. Furthermore, sado has been viewed as the height of refined behavior in Japan, one that is almost unearthly and deserving reverence. To accompany this notion, there is a well known saying made by Sanyo Rai at the turn of the 19th century which goes:

"Those who do not know the art of tea ceremony are uncivilized."

This could be father from the truth, IMHO and this could be easily countered with "those who do know the art of tea ceremony are spoiled children". You are not going to find a farmer's wife taking 15 minutes to make her husband a cup of tea. That is WASTED TIME in the real world, and most people (especially the lower caste of old Japan) have jobs and a family to tend to. Most people but the social elite and useless aristocracy who already view themselves as better than other people and have oodles of time to waste. Those who historically would not mix outside their caste because it was "unclean" and beneath them. That assumes that the true simple life is beneath you and that those not following your ways (or in this art-form) are beneath you. That, unfortunately, is elitism and the root of unchained hubris.

To the first time foreign viewer, this is simply something curious, a novelty. The practitioners have a chance to play directly to a virgin audience and to show how refined they are. They giggle at the foreign mannerisms and lack of knowledge about a subject that has no more cultural significance than a few brief swallows. That is to say, making a simple act into some drawn out ritual is not the mark of high culture, but of latent elitism and hubris at it's highest level.

Enter in the Zen argument. It's a form of meditation. It's a form of self control and balance. Meanwhile, outside your doors people are suffering and in need of your help...but don't bother to look, one's too busy "getting into oneself" to bother. The real world is of no concern and a distraction. Block that out. What one is doing is more important than the rest of the world. Sound familiar? In the West, we have a word for this. Selfish. Don't pay attention to the pain and suffering of others, be at ease with it and think about nothing. Ugg. Shut the door, a storm is coming and if we pretend it's not there, it will go away. Usually that never works and it gets worse and more damage is done, but any other problems that spurn from the original can be ignored too. But of course, make sure your guests are well cared for, after all that will make you look better as a tea master.

Materialism is a MAJOR problem in Japan. It's true of other cultures as well, but there is at least a social recognition and a movement against it. In Japan it's almost expected. Not everyone thinks that way and there are those who are against the whole thing, but there is a obvious general cultural tendency. Putting this in perspective, let's say we turn sado into say, "Bag-do". There is a propensity to own name brand bags like Gucci in Japan and there is a "mania" that follows with it socially, so this is an easy jump to make.

Let's say you are invited to a bag-do ceremony, where a woman puts her makeup and wallet into the bag. You sit and watch as the bag is presented, to which you ask the maker of the bag. You are allowed to hold it, albeit in a certain way. It's rotated in a robotic manner so you can look at the fine design and wonder at it's sheer materialism. Each item to go into the bag is laid out in front of you, then carefully placed in the bag with little or no wasted motion. Finally, after 25 minutes, the bag is ready to be worn. Only in the prescribed manner of course, whether or not it is practical. It's uncivilized to do otherwise.

Sound ridiculous? Well, it is. Completely and utterly so. Not only has the worship of a material item like an expensive bag been put on display, but the very way you pack it is under circumspection to make you more "proper" and "right" in owning the bag. It's taken materialism and hubris and placed it above the truth that the bag is only as useful as what it's supposed to do. That is the simplicity and beauty of the bag, drowned out. Function is no longer important.

Anyway, I have been invited to a tea ceremony this afternoon, this fine Autumn day perhaps ruined. Let's see if I can show them that the only thing important is the tea and the setting and that I could not care less about their hubris and fine cups, without making them too mad! ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?48-The-Arrogance-of-Sado-(tea-ceremony) The Kurama Yoshin Ryu Blog Entry (Expanding and Changing) http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?45-The-Kurama-Yoshin-Ryu-Blog-Entry-(Expanding-and-Changing) Sat, 25 Sep 2010 11:04:21 GMT So, I am putting up some of the information I have on Kurama Yoshin Ryu, a school that is still practiced down near Kyushu. This entry will hopefully change as I sort things out and get a clearer interpretation of things down the line. Here goes: *Introduction:* _*Kurama Yoshin Ryu*_ is a... So, I am putting up some of the information I have on Kurama Yoshin Ryu, a school that is still practiced down near Kyushu. This entry will hopefully change as I sort things out and get a clearer interpretation of things down the line.

Here goes:

Introduction:

Kurama Yoshin Ryu is a composite martial art school which consists of Jujutsu, Kenjutsu, Hojojutsu and Ninjutsu among other arts. It also seems to have (or had) auxiliary schools.

Information:

First, from the Kurama Yoshin Ryu Densho. As far as I can tell it reads like this:

"Yoshin Ryu Chuden Menjo"

Our ancestor Kiichi Hogen went to Mount Kurama and became a "monk' (religious disciple). Later on Minamoto no Ushiwakamaru (note: this is the childhood name of Minamoto no Yoshitsune) trained with him. Eventually, it ceased to be passed on to later generations (note: this means the lineage died out).

Then Akiyama Shirohyoei Yoshimasu climbed Mount Kurama where he found a treasure warehouse (note: treasure chest? something hidden or forgotten) and in it were eight scrolls (note: or documents) "Tora no Maki." Unable to understand them (note: it says improvise) on his own he pledged vows to many gates (note: that means he entered many schools, I think) to learn them. He had a inspired, divine dream where the school was revealed to him and trained harder. He then went traveling on "musha shugyo" where he founded Kurama ryu. (note: it says in the document that he founded Kurama Yoshin Ryu for one family treasure plate or bowl (??) but I think that is the gist of it and that's as far as I can go logically in the document right now.)

I cross reference this with the entry found in the Bugei Ryuha Daijiten:

Shioda Jindaiyu mixed Yoshin ryu and Suzuki ryu to found Kurama Yoshin Ryu. The school's lineage, however, shows the founder as Akiyama Shirohyoei.

Some other, general notes:
Additionally, there is an oral tradition that says that Shioda Jindaiyu learned from Nakata Hikozaemon in Bizen, who had already named the school "Kurama Yoshin Ryu Kenjutsu". Hikozaemon originally learned Hikata Shinkage Ryu Kenjutsu, Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu and the "nawa" of Namba Ippo ryu (Hojojutsu- this is a jujutsu school that is still active in Hiroshima*?*). He believed the legend that Yoshin Ryu originated in Kurama and so he named his school "Kurama Yoshin Ryu". Shioda Judaiyu learned from both Nakata Hikozaemon and his son Nakata Genzui.
(note: It has been "discovered" that Suzuki ryu has no connection to Kurama Yoshin Ryu based on research and interviews conducted with senior practitioners of Suzuki Ryu in Kurama Yoshin Ryu. This might mean Suzuki ryu is/was an auxiliary school).
Kurama Sojobo is supposedly the ancestor of Kurama Yoshin Ryu, who taught the school to Imadegawa Kiichi Hogen (Note: the Tengu that taught Minanoto no Yoshitsune) in Mount Kurama. In the Jisho year 4 (1181 CE), the ogi (secrets, oral traditions) of the ryu were taught to Minamoto no Ushiwakamaru (note: again, this is Minamoto no Yoshitsune's name as a youth). This school went extinct however the Kenjutsu is supposedly passed on as "Kurama" teachings through Kamiizumi Musashi no Kami Nobutsuna of Shinkage ryu, Hikita Bungaro and Sakai Hannosuke. In March of Anei year 9 (1781) in the Sashu Koshikijima area Shioda Jindaiyu received his menkyo kaiden from Nakata Genzui, who lived in Bizen Imazu. The period of Sakai Hannosuke and Shioda Jindaiyu is the 11th generation of Kurama Ryu Kuden and the 12th generation of Nanba Ippo ryu Hojo. (Note: they are counting the generations of the students here, not heads. That means a person can be from the 10th generation, have 20 students all of which are the 11th generation. This is not uncommon in budo).

In the Shioda family, the founder is Akiyama Shirohyoei, handed down to Shioda Kunitaka as the 11th. In Meiji year 12 (1879) the Police Kendo Association was formed and they allegedly used some of the techniques from Kurama Yoshin Ryu Kenjutsu. Supposedly Jigoro Kano also took some of the techniques from Kurama Yoshin ryu for Judo. During Showa year 23 (1948) Kitabatake Kiyotaka, a Judo Shihan from the Kagoshima prefecture police headquarters became the student of the "5th generation" of the Jindaiyu line. Kitabatake is credited for creating Keisatsu Taihojutsu (police arresting techniques) from Kurama Yoshin Ryu. ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?45-The-Kurama-Yoshin-Ryu-Blog-Entry-(Expanding-and-Changing) <![CDATA[That is not a wooden sword, that's just a stick!]]> http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?44-That-is-not-a-wooden-sword-that-s-just-a-stick! Thu, 23 Sep 2010 04:32:32 GMT There is an art to crafting a finely made wooden sword (hereafter called a bokuto) in the Japanese style. The process is very involved, from wood cure and selection, to milling, shaping and then fine tuning it to the proper dimensions specific to the school (ryuha) for which it is made for. Not... There is an art to crafting a finely made wooden sword (hereafter called a bokuto) in the Japanese style. The process is very involved, from wood cure and selection, to milling, shaping and then fine tuning it to the proper dimensions specific to the school (ryuha) for which it is made for. Not surprisingly this process has has been sped up significantly with modern tools and technology making them much easier to craft. Myself, being one familiar with woodworking in Japan, being a member of a Japanese family which consists of traditional carpenters (Miya-Daiku), I can attest that despite the speed and grace in which they can be produced, there is still a great amount of craft to making them properly. Like many things Japanese and relating to the sword, there is a high regard for these items, one that extends into antiques and "historicity" of the shape. Miyamoto Musashi's bukuto is especially significant and takes a great place in history as he is said to have killed many a man wielding one. So significant that in fact a few people and ryuha claim to have the one and only bukuto that he used (at my last count, at least three in Japan) with blood stains and the marks of rigorous training to prove it. The mere existence of bokuto lends an air of legitimacy to those who own it, to such an extent that it almost embodies the essence of Musashi in a tangible form.

I am going to step outside that paradigm, however. I'm not much into the worship of material objects myself, so this is a natural step for me. I am going to go out on a limb and say that a tree limb will do the same job when one is looking to use bukuto for any serious attacks and defense and many times, it's much better. I used to be hung up on the appearance of the thing, whether or not it looked like a "real" Japanese sword or not, but I have come to realize that this is mostly aesthetic nonsense.

What I am saying here is that anyone who has used a bukuto with any forceful regularity in training realizes that they splinter, break and fall apart. In contrast to this, I have had my bokuto for Shinto Muso Ryu jo for about 9 years now, it is none the worse for wear. Why? It's in the way that it is used, it actually preserves it. I am not repeatedly bashing it full force against another bokuto, so it manages to stay in nice condition (also, I use a mix of linseed oil and turpentine to preserve the wood and keep it from drying out, the ductility and weight that it has gained over the years is surprising.) But when I have used it to really "go at it" in training, it's gotten beaten up and I have had to sand the surface splinters out to keep it from getting worse.

I used to watch other ryuha like Yakumaru Jigen Ryu as they beat themselves into condition and snicker to myself "That is not a wooden sword, that's just a stick!" but over time I have truly started to understand what they were getting at and why. During the summer, the dojo (training place) is entirely too hot so we move our evening activities to a dimly lit, mosquito infested public park in the middle of Nagoya. Wishing we had katori-senko and drinking copious amounts of water, our attitudes quickly changed from the well mannered etiquette found in the dojo to the freedom of "hostile" expression that training in an outdoor setting provides. We no longer have to be wary of the things around us like walls or windows, nor did we have to care for the well being of the people that were training nearby. We spread out to a safe distance and had nothing to confine us. Our focus turned to technique and not damaging each other to the point that we couldn't train. With that we started up kenjutsu with a unusual vigor and by the end of the evening, we had splintered our bokuto to the point of no return.
On the way home, lamenting the demise of my expensive bokuto I had a "revelation", no, make that more a divination of the obvious. Despite the appearance of Yakumaru Jigen Ryu to the eye, they are actually very practical in their approach to training. They are using theirs swords at full force almost all of the time without regard to its well being and if this is kept up with a regular milled bokuto it becomes a big investment because you end up replacing almost as often as you go to train. The next time we went to the park, which we christened the "second dojo," one of my training partners brought along the limbs that he trimmed from the tree in his yard. "Here, let's use these instead" he said as we went to make sure it was okay with our sensei, who agreed it was a good idea. It was an unusual unity of thought brought on by practicality as I winced at sacrificing another one of my expensive bokuto to the freedom of "aggression" we experienced at the park, so the appearance of the limbs was welcomed. Needless to say, we went about our training in full force, releasing us from any concern for the well being of our tools and freeing us up to focus on technique and each others' safety. Surprisingly the tree limb suffered very little, as it seems they were naturally more resilient to a thrashing than our delicate, expensive wooden swords cut from a fine heartwood of a tree.
As the rainy season approached, our second dojo became too muddy and we had to move back indoors. Along with that, we resumed to our regular polite pace of training, lending mind to the walls of the dojo and the others around us. We also resumed the use of our milled bokuto while the tree limbs stand on the wall just on the edge of the tatami (mats) waiting for use to animate them once again, in fact at times it seems they are almost pleading with me to do so. Every now and again I give a longing look in their direction, like one might look at a picture of a magical vacation taken with friends. I fight with the temptation to march over to one, throwing caution to the wind to go full force once again, bringing back the drips of sweat and the snarl of sheer joy that we experienced over the summer. Actually, if we arrive early at the dojo and there is no one else but me and my summer training partner, we always head straight for them- only to cease and desist when someone else shows up. Now I have done a complete 180 degree turn from my previous hang up over the look of the sword and now when I see pretty, milled bokuto I think: "That is not a wooden sword, that's just a stick!" ]]> Mekugi http://www.budoseek.net/vbulletin/entry.php?44-That-is-not-a-wooden-sword-that-s-just-a-stick!