Keeping it Real

 Some recent conversations with Soke and  fellow budoka has inspired me to write the following post:

There seems to be some talk about our tradition and the various elements regarding what is effective, and what is not, blah-blah-blah.

Since I have never had any real combat experience, I may not be the right one to say, but I have had the honor and luck of training with several members of the Bujinkan that have actually experienced shinken.  So, what is the difference between shinken and conceptualizing?  I’m not sure, but I will go with my gut and say it is the mindset. 

What our Soke is teaching us is the mindset of shinken, and this is what is so valuable about this art.  Without this, one will not survive in shinken.  How does our Soke know?  Well his life was on the line when training with Takamatsu Sensei and he had the rare experience to taste what Takamatsu Sensei experienced. And that is exactly why so many with “real” experience flock to the Bujinkan, because what Hatsumi Soke learned from Takamatsu Sensei is real, and what he is passing on is real.

Now, of course I have never met Takamatsu Sensei, nor has any non Japanese member of the Bujinkan..  So, there is no connection whatsoever to Takamatsu sensei, except through our Soke, Hatsumi Soke.  So to side step the connection is to sever the connection and without the connection there is no tradition. Without the tradition, there is no reality.

In Japan there are various terms for the transmission of lineage and experience, and in this case, I think “Jikiden” is the best term that comes to mind.  Jikiden is best translated simply as direct transmission.  To use the western cliché, Blood, Sweat and Tears.  Meaning that, Hatsumi Soke experienced what Takamatsu sensei “really experienced through actually training with him consistently for more than a decade.

I have the utmost respect for Takamatsu Sensei and I have visions of what it might have been like to have had the lucky chance to have met the man, but I only have this vision thanks to Hatsumi Soke for passing on his experience.  Any vision anyone of us has had of Takamatsu sensei, has been facilitated via the jikden of our Soke.  

So I ask, what is all the fuss about Takamatsu den?  Well the reality for us is that there is no Takamatsu den, there is only Hatsumi den. But we are lucky that it is that, and not something else.

Let’s face it; what we are learning here is Hatsumi Ryu.  -There I finally said it- But it is true, and its great-don’t you think?

That is the uniqueness of the martial tradition, it is passed down from person to person and we are lucky to have that Jikiden of Takamatus Sensei from our Soke.

Hatsumi Soke is the one who trained for all those years; he is the one who experienced Takamatsu sensei’s reality, so I’m confused why some are confused.

To take this a step further, I will repeat what Hatsumi Soke often says “in martial tradition, Maki Mono really means nothing”.  Soke often tells us that the scrolls are lying.  Especially this year, he made that point in reference to the Kukishin scrolls and that they are written by demons, so how can we trust them?  Words are there, but they have no substance without the experience to relate. The Blood, Sweat and Tears is needed to decipher it all.

-This is martial tradition and it is jikiden-

Budo Taijutsu-The Book

     The other day, I received the manuscript from Kodansha for Soke’s new book on Budo Taijutsu.  I have to be somewhat careful of what and how much I say, but I will say that the book is focusing on the major Ryhuha and themes of the Bujinkan over the past years.  There is also a step by step description of each of the waza in each Ryuha, which should eliminate the need for people to ever collect waza again. It is all there, in one concise source.  I will also say that non Bujinkan will have difficulty to decipher the code.   There is nothing that can replace the needed experience and exposure to bufu ikkan.  You need to have been socialized in the environment to understand the language.

This is our Budo Taijutsu at a new level and will make sense for those that have open the minds eye.

In comparison to the older and highly sought after out of print Taijutsu Book, this book is the new testament.  It brings together Soke’s philosophy on Budo and other arts.  Soke is truly an artist and this is clear in the quality of all his works.

As for when the book will be released, there is no set date.  I will keep this blog updated as the project rolls on.  Wish us luck, the job is not an easy one.

Bufu Ikkan

Distance Dynamics

   The aspect of distance was given great emphasis at last nights training session in Ayase. Soke often makes reference to distance and the proper use of space and how this is fundamental to our study of Budo. 

In my most recent seminars in CA, Seattle and Ireland, I also spoke about distance and how you must never loose touch of the aspect of this in your training.  If the distance and the dynamics associated with it are not correct or real life, then you are cheating yourself in your training and developing bad habits in taijutsu than can cost you dearly.  Maybe even your life.

The aspect of proper distance is not something that we need to learn.  It is innate and we can judge distance and the element of control naturally, if we allow our senses and body to be in tune.  This is a big part of what our Soke means when he talks about “the feeling”.

Soke also spoke last night of the continuation of energy and relation to a spark.  If you create a spark, you have overdone it by putting too much power or control into your technique (or energy) creating an overload in the situation and therefore a possible retaliation.  We must control the opponent without the opponent being able to perceive this control.

The aspect of distance can be lost in training if you believe that all waza start from a static situation.  This is the first breakdown in proper distance control.  To make this point, if you watch Soke’s movement you see that he is always moving, and he never starts from a static position.  A static position makes it difficult to move with the right timing and maintain the magnetic energy of Inyo.  The best way to experience the difference is to try the kihon while walking toward the opponent. When the opponent feels that you are in the proper range initiates the attack.  Try this and you will quickly see the dynamics of distance and how you can use this to force to opponent to attack when he perceives the correct striking distance. In reality this is a perception that you created, throwing the opponent of balance by his own attack.  Recognize this difference since the static nature of a waza is a play on the truth and will cheat you of realism and the proper dynamics of shinken gata.

Furthermore, the correct feeling of distance is felt in twofold in a sword clash.  You can clearly see how the use of long sharp implements affect your williness to close the distance.  As you may know and may have guessed, the key to effective kenjutsu is also distance control and this is the best way to put your taijutsu under a microscope.  Try this also with the Bo against the sword and you will see yet another dynamic and learn the strengths and weaknesses of both weapons.

So take another step back and think about it for a moment.  Effectiveness in taijutsu is the responsibility of each budoka and unfortunately there seems to be too much false distance.  Don’t cheat yourself or your training partner.  This is training that will save your life.  How can you do that if the most important element in fighting is off?