Comments on: Making the Connection http://henka.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/making-the-connection/ Bujinkan Hombu Dojo Kuden Thu, 15 May 2008 23:48:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Don http://henka.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/making-the-connection/#comment-857 Don Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:45:51 +0000 http://henka.wordpress.com/?p=66#comment-857 'Hard' training is very personal. Persevering in aspects of training that are difficult and uncomfortable for YOU is hard training. For one that will entail the giving and taking of bruises; for another, biting his tongue instead of returning an insult will be the harder lesson. Think you have 'It'? Chances are you don't even know what It is, for you, and won't until It bites you from behind. Hard training is a mirror, and facing that mirror takes courage and humility. Anyways, great post, Doug! Your blog is always a breath of fresh air. ‘Hard’ training is very personal. Persevering in aspects of training that are difficult and uncomfortable for YOU is hard training. For one that will entail the giving and taking of bruises; for another, biting his tongue instead of returning an insult will be the harder lesson.

Think you have ‘It’?

Chances are you don’t even know what It is, for you, and won’t until It bites you from behind. Hard training is a mirror, and facing that mirror takes courage and humility.

Anyways, great post, Doug! Your blog is always a breath of fresh air.

]]> By: Arnaud Cousergue http://henka.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/making-the-connection/#comment-841 Arnaud Cousergue Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:00:39 +0000 http://henka.wordpress.com/?p=66#comment-841 Training is like a river, sometimes the water goes fast, sometimes the water goes slow, it is a question of weather and terrain. More rain means more water, more height means more power. More sunny days means less water. More space to flow means less power. This is Ten Chi jin! But whether the water is abundant or not, whether the height is important or not, the river is still the river. The Bujinkan Budo is a river in which you are swimming. If you stop swimming, you drawn. Movement is permanent and a lack of it is called chaos. This is the same with your Taijutsu. Keep swimming! Arnaud Cousergue Training is like a river, sometimes the water goes fast, sometimes the water goes slow, it is a question of weather and terrain. More rain means more water, more height means more power. More sunny days means less water. More space to flow means less power. This is Ten Chi jin!

But whether the water is abundant or not, whether the height is important or not, the river is still the river. The Bujinkan Budo is a river in which you are swimming. If you stop swimming, you drawn. Movement is permanent and a lack of it is called chaos. This is the same with your Taijutsu.

Keep swimming!

Arnaud Cousergue

]]> By: Michael http://henka.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/making-the-connection/#comment-839 Michael Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:59:08 +0000 http://henka.wordpress.com/?p=66#comment-839 I agree. I think we all see on so many different forums "hard vs. soft", "then vs. now", aliveness vs. compliant", etc etc... My teachers have always told me to be responsible for my own training. The point is to train, and to keep going! Train in every way that is possible and reasonable for you. Seek advice from many people who came before you. And no how much kata, randori, bag hitting, sparring, densho studying, kihon happo you do... keep seeking training from Soke and from people directly learning from him. Stay on the path and keep training Budo. I agree. I think we all see on so many different forums “hard vs. soft”, “then vs. now”, aliveness vs. compliant”, etc etc…

My teachers have always told me to be responsible for my own training. The point is to train, and to keep going! Train in every way that is possible and reasonable for you. Seek advice from many people who came before you.

And no how much kata, randori, bag hitting, sparring, densho studying, kihon happo you do… keep seeking training from Soke and from people directly learning from him. Stay on the path and keep training Budo.

]]> By: Chris Scarbrough http://henka.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/making-the-connection/#comment-837 Chris Scarbrough Sun, 27 Jan 2008 22:30:33 +0000 http://henka.wordpress.com/?p=66#comment-837 Doug, you have touched on something very important. As Budoka, we need to take alot of personal responsibility in internalizing and honeing the skills and concepts that we obtain from our training into useable results as pertains to the uniqueness of each of our lives. I am very encouraged and insired by the way you approach your training. I am very thankful for all you have shared. Gambatte Kudasai Doug, you have touched on something very important. As Budoka, we need to take alot of personal responsibility in internalizing and honeing the skills and concepts that we obtain from our training into useable results as pertains to the uniqueness of each of our lives. I am very encouraged and insired by the way you approach your training. I am very thankful for all you have shared.

Gambatte Kudasai

]]> By: Roland Huszti http://henka.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/making-the-connection/#comment-836 Roland Huszti Sun, 27 Jan 2008 12:43:27 +0000 http://henka.wordpress.com/?p=66#comment-836 Hmmm. As I see: Unfortunatelly one only can train a tiny piece of Budo alone. We cannot practice the waza without a partner. No taijutsu, no kenjutsu, no tantojutsu, no nothing. I tried to make a proper omote gyaku and a tomoe nage on myself, but I failed... :) Training without a living and acting partner can be very misleading, because our imaginary uke will always act as we imagine. We can practice the basic movement, but without a partner it will be only a taichi-like ... thing. Hitting, kicking, punching and smashing is different, we can do it alone. Hmmm.

As I see:

Unfortunatelly one only can train a tiny piece of Budo alone. We cannot practice the waza without a partner. No taijutsu, no kenjutsu, no tantojutsu, no nothing.

I tried to make a proper omote gyaku and a tomoe nage on myself, but I failed… :)

Training without a living and acting partner can be very misleading, because our imaginary uke will always act as we imagine. We can practice the basic movement, but without a partner it will be only a taichi-like … thing.

Hitting, kicking, punching and smashing is different, we can do it alone.

]]> By: Anthony Lucas http://henka.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/making-the-connection/#comment-834 Anthony Lucas Sat, 26 Jan 2008 21:08:34 +0000 http://henka.wordpress.com/?p=66#comment-834 Self training in my opinion is a great way to find discipline. funny Doug posted this topic. Last night in the dojo I suggested to everyone to spend time practicing away from the dojo. I spend most of my time at work, which most of us do. I spend a significant amount of time practicing which self-training gives. On friday nights I'm so excited to meet at the dojo to work on some material I've been practicing while away for the week. It has enhance my level of training profoundly. Self - training & self - discipline will reveal many concepts and principles to the self that reads this. Self training in my opinion is a great way to find discipline. funny Doug posted this topic. Last night in the dojo I suggested to everyone to spend time practicing away from the dojo. I spend most of my time at work, which most of us do. I spend a significant amount of time practicing which self-training gives. On friday nights I’m so excited to meet at the dojo to work on some material I’ve been practicing while away for the week. It has enhance my level of training profoundly.

Self - training & self - discipline will reveal many concepts and principles to the self that reads this.

]]> By: David http://henka.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/making-the-connection/#comment-833 David Sat, 26 Jan 2008 16:35:42 +0000 http://henka.wordpress.com/?p=66#comment-833 From my own experience, I feel like sokes hard/softness in any given moment is a powerful result from years of training long waza and forms both powerfully and softly. I feel like a good example is training with Shiraishi Sensei and than going to Nagato Sensei. Both our necessary. But in my own journey I still see a distinction there. I think your point about self training is very important and valid. To many of us rely on our Shidoshi to always motivate us and thus we limit our own personal advancement. On a side note, how has training been hope all is well and abundant! USA, VT Koguma From my own experience, I feel like sokes hard/softness in any given moment is a powerful result from years of training long waza and forms both powerfully and softly. I feel like a good example is training with Shiraishi Sensei and than going to Nagato Sensei. Both our necessary. But in my own journey I still see a distinction there. I think your point about self training is very important and valid. To many of us rely on our Shidoshi to always motivate us and thus we limit our own personal advancement.

On a side note, how has training been hope all is well and abundant!

USA, VT Koguma

]]> By: Vervoort Christophe http://henka.wordpress.com/2008/01/26/making-the-connection/#comment-832 Vervoort Christophe Sat, 26 Jan 2008 12:51:37 +0000 http://henka.wordpress.com/?p=66#comment-832 You couldn't be more right. By the way it's fun to see everyone doing the same things in their training, like spinning the Bo and hitting it against trees. I did the same a whole while back. Keep Going Doug! I'm off for some training! You couldn’t be more right. By the way it’s fun to see everyone doing the same things in their training, like spinning the Bo and hitting it against trees. I did the same a whole while back.

Keep Going Doug! I’m off for some training!

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