While it is not New Year’s yet, being August we are more than half way there so we can and probably should look ahead. Japanese New Year is known as Shogatsu. Taking place on January 1st to the 3rd (after Japan switched to the Gregorian calendar during the Meiji period) it is an important day in which both remembrances and celebrations occur. However, in Japanese dojo Kagami Biraki holds a more critical role in the New Year's celebration.
Sometimes known as "Opening the Mirror" it represents (to many) as being an opportunity to look at expanding opportunities in life, and of course in Budo.
For martial arts students today the New Year's celebration of Kagami Biraki has no religious significance but does honor the old samurai tradition of beginning the new year and is a time when deshi and Sensei alike engage in a common endeavor and rededicate their spirit, effort and discipline toward goals such as training and progressing in their chosen ryu.
It is additionally a time of re-dedication and commitment including that of preserving the art form for the benefit of future generations. Many times, life gets us down (or so the saying goes). At our dojo for example we have experienced the same events as have many others. An economic crash in 2016 that caused many students to lose jobs and cease training, then a hurricane that took out over 100,000 homes and businesses (putting literally 10's of 1,000's out of their homes) and more students had to cease training. Then another economic issue to work on surviving, and finally the Covid lockdowns and mandates over the last two years that in some cases has both former and new prospective deshi overly fearful of getting back on the mat and being around people.
All of these are events that are "normal" in the overall flow of life, the universe, and everything but each also contains the potential to close a dojo or to give deshi a reason to give up and cease training.
It is difficult to move forward, to progress, to advance, to learn, and to do so on a constant basis with so many hindrances to overcome. To continue to positively move forward, to work through life's obstacles and maintain a positive attitude is, or should be, one of the meanings behind "mirror opening" and the attending examination of our focus, direction, and attitudes.
If we can maintain our life-flow forward and not just fall by the wayside in failure, then we have truly learned one of the important lessons of Bushido and truly understand the deeper meaning behind Kagami Biraki. Every day can be a “mirror opening” if you let it.
L.F. Wilkinson Kancho
The Aikibudokan
Houston, TX
August 9, 2023
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