The Thoughtful Sensei-Aikido Musings

178. Kagami Biraki - 2021

Kagami Biraki.  Mirror Opening.  What is that?

Renewal?  Re-dedication?  Rising Spirit?  Fresh beginnings?  Change of course toward new horizons?

It's all and none of that in the view of many.  Sometimes people tend to take the simple and make it complicated and Kagami Biraki is one of those areas.  It is is all but none of those.  Instead of some spiritual quest (which in-and-of itself can hinder any positive outcomes because of the deep implications) look instead at it as the something simple that so many make fun of; a New Years' Resolution.

We think of resolutions as getting back to the gym (lasts about 2 weeks for most), losing weight (lasts until you smell that pizza), getting along with family (lasts until that crazy uncle shows up and starts a fight), or drinking less (lasts until you find out the bartender is a "Craft Drink" kinda' expert and can make anything from a Perfect Manhattan to a Vesper exactly like Bond drank").

So instead of making resolutions you won't keep, or writing down a spiritual quest that will never happen, think about what you want .......... what - you - reeeaaallllly - want.  Since this newsletter is all about Bushido and training martial arts then what in that category holds the most interest for you right now .... right now this very instant as you read this?  Think and then pick up paper and pen and write it down.

It is to go to class 2x a week on a regular basis?  Then take out your calendar and pick those days and commit in writing to make those classes.

Is it making your next promotion, maybe to 1st degree black belt or higher?  Then write down to make an appointment to talk to Sensei about what you need to do and who he thinks would make a good uke/training partner to ask for help.

If you don't have a promotion coming up for a while then what new kata or type of drills do you need?  Go ask a senior rank.

How can you improve your Bushido philosophy?  Ask a senior rank what books they might recommend.

All you have to do is decide what is most important to you in Bushido right now and what you believe you'll hone in on and actually achieve.  Write it down and just follow through.  If it's not the more usual resolution that you failed at last year and the year before (lose weight, learn Spanish, etc. etc.) then ignore it and plan on reaching for and working towards what is important to you.  Kagami Biraki and New Years commitments are just that simple so don't over think it.  Just decide and then reach for that taco and pour stir yourself a Vesper.  Focus on what you can do and not what you can't do.

L.F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudokan

Houston, TX

January 31, 2021

209. Snapping The Shutter

When I was a little tyke cameras were fairly primitive compared to the ones available today. It was simply a black box with a non-adjustable lens and a button on the side. It did have a view port for all the use that was so you could at least aim it. And it took "ok" pictures. If you wanted "good" pictures then that Box Brownie was not what you wanted as the final product could have a wide variety of results which is why in many family photos everyone is guessing whether that's Uncle John or Aunt Lucy. If you wanted the really good photos then you went for a pricey camera and a photographer who wasn't someone with just a box, but instead someone with high end equipment.

 

Years ago my Sensei wrote a book and in his book he wanted photographs that weren't just guys standing around looking good holding bokken and styling in their gi, or posing with their hands stuck in the side splits of their hakama. He wanted "Action" shots (stress on "action") with uke elevated at head level with their feet in the air as they slammed into the mat. Real action shots, the kind only a professional sports photographer could do.

 

Back in those days it was all mirror and mechanical shutter oriented. There was no such thing as digital SLR so the ability to run a camera through 200 frames as the throw occurred and then picking the single best frame out of the 200 simply did not exist. So he went out, did extensive research and found the best sports photographer in the area who was well known for his action shots of pro-football, pro-baseball, and pro-basketball moves.

 

Sensei' rationale was that since you only got a split-second to hit the shutter button he needed someone with the experience and the eye to pick "that" precise moment so that only one to two shots were needed, as opposed to lining up the ukes and pounding them until he had that one shot he was looking for and then having to call the chiropractor for the ukes since plowing into the mat is a bit different from catching a ball. Having that "eye" for the action and intuitively knowing that single precise moment in the midst of high speed action to hit the shutter button was due to years of experience and knowing the moment.

 

Such is true martial arts training. The experience gained from the experience of when and how to "push the button" is what determines the guy with the Box Brownie from the guy with the digital Hasselblad. Repetition, repetition, repetition is the secret whether it's sports photography or high level martial arts.

 

I once read a writing by a koryu martial art Sensei wherein he stated that in order to earn the rank of teacher (in his chosen koryu) it would take 100 days of shugyo to visit all the temples (to pay the proper respect to the kami), and knowing the secrets of the kuji-kiri (to learn the internal work), and having done all the kata and all the work in the ryu at least 1,000 times (to physically intuit the principles).

 

Well history flows forward so visiting a long list of temples in only 100 days (I'd have difficulty in doing 2 or 3 on vacation), and knowing the secrets of esoteric Buddhism (I barely have the initiative to read even a little on a somewhat complex subject) becomes problematic. However, the 1,000 reps is possible and practical and preferable.

 

Only by repeating the work correctly over and over will anyone gain any level of true ability. Too many deshi work hard and then take days or weeks off before coming back and restarting again ... and again. Some train on a regular basis but never seem to make any real progress due to a lack of total focus.

 

It's your choice. Do it half-heartedly and be not-happy with your lack of real progress, or buckle down, focus, and do the work; and sometimes do the extra work too. So put down that Box Brownie, pick up that Hasselblad, and say "Cheese".

 

Originally Published November 11, 2024

207. Spannungsbogen

Spannungsbogen - a German word that generally indicates a form of tension created by a sequence of events (or so say some dictionaries) and considering that there are more than one interpretation of the term such as the tension created by drawing the bow, or tension from self-denial. I would prefer to use the term as it is applied in a sci-fi novel recently made into a movie series; that is, the tension created by the self-imposed delay between desire for a thing and the act of reaching out to grasp that thing, or the tension between desire and action.

 

So does this mean that you could have personal issues come up that could hinder progress in your training in Bushido and martial arts? Yes it does and those issues could be severe enough to cause you to even stop training unless a means by which to mitigate the tension is found. Remember ... "self-imposed"; e.g. desire and action.

 

Many prospective deshi come into the dojo eager to learn. They've spent who knows how much time researching what they think will best fit their goals, reading up on the ryu, watching countless videos, talking to friends to sound them out on the idea, and generally working themselves up into a lather over the idea of Yoda-hood and becoming the next Mifune or Musashi (or maybe even Tom Cruise). Once they actually don the keikogi and begin training they come to the realization that, in a phrase, "it just ain't that easy" and suddenly action can't keep up with desire.

 

Building a steady training schedule, dealing with demands on personal (training) time put upon you by girl/boy friend or spouse, family, friends in general, job, household chores, shopping for victuals', (the list sometimes just seems like it never ends) can all get in the way of steady training leading to stress over ideas such as "I need to get ready for that Shodan demo but .... etc. ... etc ... etc. .... keeps getting in the way. What to do, what to do".

 

So looking at how to deal with the stress gives us migraines and flutters in the stomach and maybe makes us a little irritable. The answer is simple, (hah .. simple and who am I kidding). That is, acknowledge the need to deal with other issues outside the dojo, handle the demands, look at it as being just a short training break to catch your breath, and then just get back on the mat, and with some focus and personal self-discipline stop letting it impact your overall attitude and performance (in everything).

 

Some things in life just need handling and indeed, should be handled as rapidly and as thoroughly as may be needed ... AND .... once handled and out of the way it clears that path back to the mat. They (the issues) are what they are or in other words ..... what is, is and what isn't, isn't. They can't be avoided but they can be handled as may be appropriate.

 

So don't drive yourself crazy over small issues but look to the larger flow of ideas. Work to follow a Stoic idea of dealing with what is necessary and recognizing what is not necessary. After all, if it is necessary then it can't be avoided and should be looked at as just one item in life that should be done and put behind us, and not fretted over.

 

The moral here is to not let your Spannungsbogen (self-induced tension) get in the way of your heiho (strategy) for your keiko (deeper training in Bushido and the martial arts).

 

Originally Published July 5, 2024

203. Put Your Nose Into the Wind and Climb

For your consideration ....... training in Bushido and your chosen martial art form (for me that's Tomiki Ryu Aiki-Jujutsu and the koryu combat school of SMR Jojutsu) is a lifetime path. I started in high school in the late 1960's and find myself some 50 years later still training and still running a dojo.

 

Now at age 71 (72 if you count your gestation as an extra year as the Japanese do) I likely have at least another 10 years to go on the mat, maybe 15 or 20, who can know for certain.

 

That means that if my luck holds, I could have a total of 60 to 70 years on the mat. Or put another way, if I consider that a full training phase is about 20 years or so, then I will have passed through 3 full 20-year phases during my life.

 

The 20-year idea is about how long it should take to start training and then reach 6th Dan or 7th Dan or so; that rank being the rank at which you should know every technical aspect and kata for your system, being fully functional in all, and have the beginnings of a complete and deep understanding of the more spiritual, esoteric, and philosophical aspects of it all.

 

20 years is about one-third of the way through that time span of 60 or so years which means that the first third of the journey is to learn the basics (and internalize them) meaning that the journey to learn what Bushido and Aiki-jujutsu is truly about, in a deep philosophical fashion, starts in earnest at about the 20 year point with the important ideas still remaining to be discovered and explored.

 

Climbing a mountain would be an example. Walking towards the highest point (the summit) the climber is able to see further and further out, acquire a feel for how everything changes the closer to the top he gets, such as the forest gradually changing to tundra, and then rocky peaks. As he continues the upward journey he sees more and more and can see further and further and theoretically gain a fuller understanding of the mountain itself.

 

The rub here is that if the climber stops at any point, then he is missing what comes next and should he never reach the summit then he will not enjoy the complete vision nor will he be able to savor the joy of all the efforts expended in reaching it, the journey being the important part of it all, more so than the actual goal.

 

Tragically, all too many times during this climb he thinks that he has reached the summit and stops and becomes satisfied with what little he has found. And sometimes he deludes himself into thinking that he has arrived and simply does not know what he does not know.

 

The moral to this story is simply that of never stopping the climb and most especially never assuming the uneducated position of assuming that there is no more hill to climb and no more to learn; which in and of itself can create a form or arrogance (aka "I know it all").

 

Look at the journey as a long-term journey of learning and not a one-time course. After all, it's your life and not a semester at university. Life goes on while that semester will certainly come to an end.

 

L. F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudon

Houston, TX

October 24,2023

202. A Further and Larger Level of Being

How does anyone grow as a person. How do you become something that you are not. How do you escape from the shoe box that you grew up in and become aware of the larger world outside the bubble that you normally exist and live within. How do you become something you are not (yet).

The answer is reasonably simple but it must become a regular part of your life. You need people in your life that are further along than you, people that have a bigger vision, people that are more experienced in the ups and downs of life, people that are out of your league in terms of knowledge and sophistication, people that are more mature emotionally, intellectually, and experience-wise.

Long story short, you need to be exposed to new levels of knowledge, understanding of life, maturity, and experience so that you can go to your own new levels by being around new sources of knowledge, a broader view of life, and deeper information on new topics.

I came to martial arts from a small country town that when compared to a big city was incredibly backwards. We had lots of BBQ and Tex-Mex food but we didn't even know what a pizza parlor was and something such as Chinese food or sushi was equivalent to an invasion from outer space ...... and philosophy ......... what in the world was that. Buddhism, Taoism, meditation ..... scary stuff to be avoided and belittled.

So I begin training in Aikido & Judo and am immediately exposed to those, and many other new ideas that changed my way of life. New foods, new ideas, new information, new people all of which taken together opened my eyes. My old attitudes about such things as martial arts, even politics, changed and grew larger in scope allowing me to better understand the good and bad points, the strengths and weaknesses of everything around me including different opinions, and new training ideas. In effect, I became a more worldly and sophisticated person open to exploring new ideas.

However, as an interesting side note, I also became more discriminatory in what I did and accepted; that is, greater knowledge can manifest itself by our having a deeper understanding of everything around and what is desirable, or undesirable and what to accept or not accept. In other words, growing up in a small country town had resulted in a lack of depth and accepting (or denying) many things at their face value, also known as naivety.

A dojo is different from other endeavors. People who go to the same church tend to have the same ideas on religion and philosophy. People who belong to the same book club tend to read the same books. People who live in the same area of town tend to go to the same bars and restaurants and eat the same repetitive selections of food.

Martial artists however generally start training with only one thing in common, learning martial arts and maybe getting in shape but they all come from different backgrounds. Everything else you may know (or think you know), believe in, or have experienced is very likely completely different from everybody else on the mat so every day working with others potentially results in new knowledge and information to be exposed to ....... and then there is "Apre's Dojo" or the social hour after practice as you discuss everything and anything over a cup of sake where you go into "being exposed to new ideas" overload.

So, learn from your training partner and the teachers and begin to grow your horizons. Use this idea as just one more reason to train in Bushido (a word, an idea, and a way of life that I didn't even know existed until I put on my gi for the first time and stepped on the mat).

And ..... pay attention to the Sensei at your dojo. The word Sensei after all translates as "One who was born before"; not necessarily by a calendar but instead, one more experienced in life, more broadly educated, and knowledgeable (in all that "new stuff").

L  F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudokan

Houston, TX

October 4, 2023

201. Hey! Whats That On Your Shelf?

Once upon a time there was a monk without any eyelids who was sitting in a cave and his arms and legs fell off, and when someone asked him what he was doing he replied, "Listening to the ants scream".

I don't know about you, but I'd be looking for the way out of the cave at that point.

It's a funny story but one repeated often in certain Zen and martial arts circles, the story of Bodhidharma and the basis for the Daruma Doll. On the front of the doll is kanji that literally reads to have “eyes open” -- a subtle nod to the Daruma Doll’s Buddhist roots referencing enlightenment and the person the Daruma Dolls are based on.

Daruma Dolls are based on a monk named Bodhidharma who lived in the 5th-6th century. He was known to be highly dedicated to meditation and austerity, which helped grow his reputation. Like many religious/spiritual figures in history, there is the historical person and the folklore that grows bigger with every repetition.

One story is that Bodhidharma spent 9 years facing a cave wall in deep meditation with his eyes wide open, never blinking. His striving for enlightenment was so intense that his arms, legs, and body atrophied and fell by the wayside but his spirit remained firm. Because of this parable, Bodhidharma grew in popularity through all of Asia and finally in Japan. He’s also credited for introducing Zen Buddhism, Zazen meditation, and green tea. 

The doll has two eyes, both without pupils. The idea is to decide upon a desire or goal, paint in the left eye, and then when the goal has been accomplished paint in the other eye. Once both eyes have been painted in signifying the accomplishment, then the doll is taken to a temple to be burned so that the spirit of the doll may be released. To be honest though, even after I have achieved the goal and paint in the second eye, I keep the doll on my office shelf as a reminder of what perseverance can accomplish; and I have more than more one.

In life, we all tend to set a goal and look up one day, possibly years later, having not only not reached the goal, but maybe not even remembering having set it. A function of the Daruma Doll is to serve as a reminder of the goal and its' eventual attainment.

We have recently adopted the idea of giving a doll to every new deshi with the suggestion of setting as their personal goal that of being promoted to black belt. Then, once they reach 1st degree (Shodan), we give them a second Daruma Doll with the suggestion of reaching the end of the 1st tier of dan ranks and being ready to start work into the 2nd tier. A little known rank organization in Aikido is that Shodan through Yondan is the 1st tier (basically lower ranking black belts) and Godan and up is the 2nd tier or senior instructor/Sensei ranks.

While life is known for getting in the way of our life-goals with some things simply being out of our control (what's that saying .... accept what you can't change) making a personal goal and commitment to yourself is important. It's one thing to break a promise made to someone else but it's entirely different when we break a promise made to ourselves.

Part of training in Bushido and part of becoming a Bushi (warrior) is learning to set goals and develop life organization and personal discipline to reach (that goal). Failure to do so can negatively influence our opinion of ourselves (at a deeper level) and hinder our reaching our full potential in life.

L. F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudokan

Houston, TX

September 20, 2023

 

199. How Did He Do That

Over the last five decades of my training in martial arts I’ve observed that promotions are one of the big events in a dojo, in a students’ life, and their career in Bushido.

Aside from the sense of personal accomplishment that the deshi feels upon being promoted, the promotion itself brings a certain sense of pride and accomplishment to the entire dojo if considered from the aspect that everyone in the dojo has at one time or another been their training partner.

The first thought that goes through their mind is, "Well, if so-and-so can do it then so can I because I've been training with him". Then the second thought may be, "He did that kata really well and I helped him learn it because over the last few weeks that is what he and I have been working together on, so in a way I can take a little credit for his success".

Both of these are completely true, but they leave out the important part which is how the newly promoted deshi actually did it and while it sounds trite it is in all actuality true; that is, "They Did The Work". They went to class on a regular basis, trained, put in extra time with their training partner, and learned what needed to be learned.

So many times, we see someone who has only half-hardheartedly focused on the next promotion and while they are learning and progressing, their way forward is slower than it could (or should) be. They may get upset at not being "auto promoted" but once they understand the requirements for the rank they are working towards things tend to smooth out, esp. as the other deshi provide encouragement.

Promotions (and the attending demo) have so many positives that anyone who runs a dojo should require demos for certain ranks, esp early black belt ranks. If properly done then it shouldn't become a difficult or scary thing for the promotional candidate and it can serve to get the entire dojo behind them. In effect, it builds a form of "Team Dojo" spirit that everyone benefits from.

More (most) senior black belt ranks (such as 4th Dan and up) don't necessarily have formal "demo requirements" per se but are actually more stringent in their requirements. The candidate must not only know (and show) technical proficiency in larger portions of the overall curriculum but must show the ability to explain in-depth knowledge of the concepts and principles. This ability is illustrated by the "work product"; e.g., the junior students that he has been teaching.

Since the work product is the real factor under review then it becomes impossible to have a public demo of the promotional candidate conducting a teaching lesson or having the junior ranks demo instead (as a form of review of the work product). So, a study and observation of the candidate within the normal dojo class environment over the long term becomes the means by which the final promotional evaluation is eventually made.

Also a part of this overall decision to promote is a recognition that no candidate is fully prepared for that promotion. Instead, they are judged as being close enough with the anticipation of their growing into the rank. Another way in which to consider it is to acknowledge that no one is really at 100% of all the requirements but is deemed functional in all areas with the expectation of long-term improvement.

Are promotions sometimes granted without the candidate having a full awareness of all the technical and teaching and philosophical aspects? Certainly. Being able to conduct normal business management tasks and teaching support of the dojo (in cases such as Sensei being ill or out of town and that person taking over classes) means the dojo stays open that week and everyone stays excited and goes to train. Not every candidate for senior rank has the financial ability to pour money into the bank, but taking classes, teaching and supporting the deshi, illustrating the fundamentals, then showing emotional support to the deshi so that they continue to train and learn what many times can be frustrating material can be more important than simply writing a check; which for some becomes an all too easy substitute for doing the work.

Is everyone truly ever "ready" for that next big promotion? Not in the least. Remember that if you wait until the candidate is "completely, totally, absolutely" ready then they should actually be considered for the rank beyond that one (and very likely would never make it). To paraphrase Voltaire, "Perfection is the enemy of the good" (one of my Sensei' favorite quotes and I heard it often).

My Sensei had an interesting way to view it. When he promoted me to Nidan he said that I was finally a good Shodan; and of course, when promoted to Sandan he said I was a pretty good Nidan. This was his way of saying that yes, I still have weak areas, still have flaws, and still have improvements to make in how I speak to and relate to junior ranks and how I gauge my strength, power, and focus when working the material; and it clearly said that I had far to go and must expect to "grow into" the rank as my experiences at the new level deepened.

All of these ideas taken together make for a large and complex picture that any Sensei must work to manage. This picture is not simply and only technical but has serious spiritual aspects involved that go well beyond a simple punch list.

Over the years I've seen and heard criticism (some even directed at me) about why someone was promoted (or not) and whether they deserved it or were ready. Lower and less knowledgeable ranks tend to only see things as a two-dimensional photograph, like an old prom photo from high school. You could refer to the process as being 5-dimensional, but it is actually much more than height, breadth, length, width, and time. When you add in the extra dimensions (how well they communicate, average good or bad mood, time each week on the mat, visible commitment, support of the deshi, can they grow into a more mature senior position in spite of where they are "today", etc.) it becomes a complex flow of multi-dimensional energies that are impossible to measure in the Western sense and that only very senior ranks such as the Kancho or Soke are able to see the full dimensions of.

Put another way, the whole is always much greater than the sum of the parts and the whole itself is infinite in its capacity to grow.

Go to class. Train hard. Do the work. Get the promotion. Grow into your full potential.

L. F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudokan

Houston, TX

August 17, 2023

198. Bother or Opportunity

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 1^st 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

196. Time On, Time Off

As we age our perspectives change in the sense that we more carefully consider what did and what did not have importance in how we have lived these many years. We may find ourselves counting the days, months, years doing something with that something being marriage, how long we've spent time in the gym or at the dojo, how long we've had a particular job. What we count can vary of course based on our life choices.

So the question becomes, why do we not count time off? Why do we not count the days and the weeks off during which we did nothing but relax? And should we (count time off) or not? I for one would suspect that counting time off isn't much done for the simple reason that deep down in the inner recesses of who we are that some part of us understands that time off, the days, weeks, or months of "nothingness", of not putting in the time really isn't helping us learn, grow, progress, or reach that goal we claim to be striving for. In short, they don't count, they aren't helping us, and they aren't the ones (the days, weeks, etc.) that matter. Only activity and positively working forward count for us in the longer term.

When we steady pursue that goal (training in martial arts is the closest example since that is after all what we are talking about here) we slowly build momentum which will give us the opportunity to stay mentally focused, physically healthy, and additionally maintain the relationships we develop through our study. Maintaining momentum also helps in gradually digging into the deeper thoughts behind technique and heiho (strategy) and the relationship between the two.

Some people train every day and allow themselves no time off while others train two to three times a week. Whatever training schedule you pick and how you maintain your personal momentum really doesn't matter as long as you do (maintain it). But remember, the days off don't really count for much of anything other than falling backwards and retarding your path forward.

L.F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudokan

Houston, TX

July 18, 2023

 

189. Samurai Chicken

Having been an athlete since grade school where I ran track as a sprinter before getting into playing competitive football through my high school years, I’ve been in weight rooms and gyms my entire life training before eventually moving into dojo and martial arts.  For me and others like me, staying in shape became an obsession literally decades ago which is why, at age 70 (well, if you count gestation like the Japanese it actually makes me 71) I can easily operate like someone 20 years my junior.

Part of that fitness obsession included a lot of research on what could be called “balanced training” such as nutrition, structuring training routines, and discipline (in their application).  That research covered Japanese concepts that eventually led to a tattoo; speaking to balance.  Ever since being inked, I’ve strived to remember the two mottos (here roughly paraphrased) which are; Ningen Keisei (become a complete human being) and Bun Bu Ryo Dou (living a life in balance).

This includes life in the gym, resistance training, working to stay flexible and limber and also includes the same ideas of “balance” in the dojo as I work through the material.

So today I’m in the gym trying to get back to (and stick with) a regular resistance training routine when I look up and in front of me is a guy preparing to run through sets of chest press using dumbbells.  When I do sets of chest press, my working weight is 40 to 45 pounds per dumb bell (or per hand).  He was working with dumb bells that were 70 pounds each and then he pyramided up to 100 pounds in ten-pound increments.  Impressive for someone who was not a pro football player (based on his size) or an obvious power lifter.

He completed the set and stood up from the bench and since he was wearing shorts, I saw them as he rose.  The legs.  The skinny, scrawny, undeveloped legs. The legs that looked like they had never done any lower body work such as free bar squats, or deadlifts.  His legs were smaller than most peoples’ arms.  It was an amazing moment of cognitive dissonance, this exhibit of upper body over-development and lower body neglect.

Times change as does street slang but when I first began hanging out at gyms and focusing on resistance training the nickname for this was “Bar Body”; someone who hyper-developed the chest, arms, and shoulders so-as to impress someone while buying them a drink.  That was the “kinder” term.  The other term, not quite as nice was “Chicken Man” or sometimes “Turkey Legs”; someone who had a large body (like a good size fryer) but who had the skinny leg bones of a bird.  I still remember once knowing a female co-worker who took one of these specimens’ home from a bar one night and couple of days later at the office, she got talkative and said “WTH …. That’s false advertising.  I was cheated”.  All I could do was laugh.

Martial arts and dojo have much the same issue with many deshi as they come up in rank.  They gain rank, improve ability, move forward in understanding, and one day look up and decide that so-and-so kata set is a little too difficult and uninteresting when compared to other kata (that are easier); much like Chicken Man decided somewhere along the way that chest and shoulders were easier than leg day so they’d do the easy and pass by the hard. 

I must admit that I don’t like legs either, much like many gym regulars who have broad and well-thought routines.  Legs are tough to enjoy but if you want a balanced physique then you simply must include a well-rounded leg routine and you must stick with it long term regardless of how difficult it may be to stay with or however slow progress may be.

Likewise, if you want to achieve well-rounded ability in your martial art then you must use a well-rounded routine for training; a little basics, some intermediate work, some advanced work, and maybe some research on the arcana such as the relationship between Buddhism and combative behavior so that you see the subtlety of some of the teachings.  You have to make a regular pass through all the material, even kata sets that may be confusing, difficult, tiring, or whatever because they broaden certain aspects of your study and at some point teach you how it all inter-connects.

We train in Aikido in the Tomiki Ryu which at it’s core is simply pre-WWII Ueshiba-ha Daito Ryu Aikibudo.  It’s an old koryu based system that is organized much like Kodokan Judo was; kihon (basics), bunkai (analysis and applications), and formal kata, with each kata designed for teaching principles and variations.

For example, in the Tomiki Ryu we have Koryu Dai Ichi (the 1^st kata) and Koryu Dai Ni (the 2^nd kata) both of which are directly related to and clearly illustrate Daito Ryu such that Ichi kata directly shows old school Daito Ryu as originally illustrated in the book Budo Renshu which documented Daito Ryu techniques.  These two kata have short and direct techniques that have a flow to them, running one into the other, but are very much self-defense oriented.

Koryu Dai San and Koryu Dai Roku (3^rd and 6^th kata) are very formally structured and presented to best illustrate the fundamental principles of the ryu including knife, sword, and stick ideas.  They are presented slowly and very precisely in order to best illustrate your understanding.

Koryu Dai Yon (4^th kata) has very large, circular, and flowing movements to show the circularity of certain patterns and also introduces, in a deliberate fashion, the idea of failure in which you apply a technique and it works but then you apply it again and it fails requiring you to respond with a kaeshi waza (counter).

Koryu Dai Go (5^th kata) has many of the same techniques as do Ichi and Ni to the point to where the last 5 of Ni and of Go are identical.  The primary difference is that in Go everything from the first suwari waza to the last striking technique is done at absolute full speed and very dynamically to pressure the defenders’ subconscious which must respond instantaneously; a true test of the intuitive processes in which should tori (defender) move too slowly or go into brain lock, uke is allowed to complete the attack and knock tori over.  It builds an understanding of pressure.

Each kata looks at and teaches different areas of the ryu.  Each kata is important for showing (and learning) all the variations in attack, with or without a weapon.  Each kata teaches variables in application of principles.  Each kata is, therefore, critical in learning and understanding the full scope of the ryu.  Leaving out a serious study of any of the kata (along with the kihon & bunkai sets) will result in an “unbalanced” Aikido player, much like the guy in the gym.

Without the full balance study, the Aikido player will have large “gaps” in their ability to intuitively recognize and respond correctly and appropriately to an attack; something permissible in the dojo where everyone are friends, but inadequate in the street where friendship is non-existent.  The lesson here to remember is that of balancing your training and not leaving out your legs.

L. F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudokan

Houston, TX

September 12, 2022

174. Attending, Training, Keiko, Shugyo, and Cooties

Being six months into the latest Panic Porn incarnation of “We’re all gonna’ die” gives one the opportunity to consider how and when to learn.  We are finally out of lock down from Corona virus (some call it COVID-19 but I personally prefer the term Cootie-19) and are back on the mat with a few minor adjustments to the facilities and some safety measures.  Classes are small but gradually rebuilding as many deshi are fearful of the virus and its possible ramifications on their, and their relative’s health.  This is understandable if anyone is within the vulnerable population segments.

Since so many are not currently on the mat at a dojo (ours or anyone's) or for that matter not even in the gym and weight room working to cut that weight that was put on while working in their bedroom while wearing pajamas from the waist down (due to all the video conferencing) how we train once we get back to it (after the apocalypse ends) becomes all that more important.

When you suit up at the dojo do you “attend” class?  Do you go and do a little work on a couple of kata, follow the class lesson for a bit, then do some restroom and water with conversation and a couple of jokes thrown in?  Is it five minutes of work followed by 15 minutes of socialization?

When you suit up at the dojo do you “train”?  Do you work hard during class with few interruptions, no restroom break and minimal watering?  Do you work up a sweat trying to “get” the lesson, “understand” the waza, learn the material?  Are you seriously working on that new material and are you asking questions of Sensei on some of the more difficult areas that might be confusing you?

When you suit up at the dojo do you “keiko”?  Do you work hard like when you train but to that, do you add some deep contemplation on what you are doing, and why?  Do you strive to link the common elements of one waza to another to another?  Are you working towards the thought many advance of Aikido (or any true koryu or martial art) being “meditation in motion”; meaning that every action has purpose, teaches fundamentals, and is intended to change how you view the art form as you mature into a true player?

When you suit up at the dojo do you “shugyo”?  Do you make every class available?  Do you arrive early looking for someone to work with?  Do you stay late looking for someone to work with?  Do you plan for the next rank promotion, not by being anxious to get it but by methodically working through the required material, and then adding to it just for good measure?  Do you train in more than one narrow band-width (do you add a little Judo, Jodo, knife fighting, or some other area of study to your primary)?  Do you leave tired but satisfied at your efforts, and then come back next time and work twice as hard and leave twice as sweaty because you are pushing yourself physically and mentally as hard as you can?

These are important distinctions to consider.  We just came out of close to four full months of “Involuntary House Arrest” during which there was no training at all.  The key or the goal here is to begin to recognize that putting in the intensive mat time when you are able will be the key to getting back to the mat and quickly ramping up once life is finally back to normal (“normal?” …. What’s that?).

It does not have to be the fear of a global pandemic to teach yourself to stay in “shugyo” mode or even “keiko” mode.  As martial artists we should be there all the time.  Whether it’s a pandemic, or a weather event, or an intense work schedule that suddenly hits us from behind, or complex family issues that eat up our calendar we should always maximize our possible mat-time and our training intensity so that if we must handle long periods of no training then it will have minimal impact on our overall forward progress, making a re-start and regaining momentum on the mat all the easier .

Get to the mat and do some keiko with a little shugyo thrown in for good measure before the Murder Bees, Godzilla, flying sharks, zombie dwarves and elves, hungry orcs, another attack of The Cooties, or an alien invasion start.

You just never know.

L.F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudokan

Houston, TX

July 23, 2020