Under the moon shadow

SUSPICION

2012-02-01T07:01:00.000-08:00

In these periods of electoral fever, one only hears people trying to put blame on others : Republicans, Democrats, Moslems, Jews, Christians, Drug addicts, Bankers, Congressmen, Socialists.... The blame is always on someone else. Here Zen Master BANKEI points to the fact that even when someone has done something despicable, we should be careful of the way this is brought to light, for the consequences may at times be much worse than the wrong it was supposed to cure.

During the Great Training Period at the Ryomonji temple, there was an incident in which some money was lost in the Fudo Hall. One day, when the Master ascended the lecture seat, a monk came forward and said: "I am such-and-such a person of such-and-such province and a student at the such-and-such temple. This winter I have been practicing in the Fudo Hall. A monk in the place next to mine lost his traveling money, and because I was in the seat beside his, he suspected me of taking it. The rumor has spread through the entire hall, and I beg your Reverence to conduct an inquiry."

The Master asked: "Did you steal anything?"

The monk replied: "At a unique religious gathering like this, such a shameless act would never even cross my mind!"

The Master told him: "Then everything is all right."

The monk said: "Yes, but at this meeting, monks are gathered from all over Japan, and I'm worried that if there is no inquiry, I'll be given a bad name throughout the country. I beseech your Reverence's kind understanding."

The Master said: "If there's an inquiry, the guilty one will have to come out—is that all right too?"

The monk then declared: "It's I who have shown the very worst kind of shamefulness, being self-centered and arrogant in a case like this after I'd listened to your wonderful teaching every day!"

And, shedding tears of gratitude, he withdrew.

(Adapted from Bankei Zen, translations from Records of Bankei)

Lineage & Legacy of the Silent Thunder Order

2012-01-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

The Sangha of the Silent Thunder Order traces its origin to Master Eihei Dogen, founder of Soto Zen in 13th-Century Japan. A few generations later Master Keizan popularized Dogen Zen throughout Japan. Dogen is often called the "father" of Soto Zen in Japan, while Keizan is called its "mother." We have chosen cloud, or "un" in Japanese, as the family name for members of our Order, after the dharma name his teacher gave to Elliston Roshi : Taiun, meaning "Great Cloud."

Our lineage founder, Zengaku Soyu Matsuoka Roshi, was born in 1912 and died in 1997. He came to the United States in 1939, when he was just 27 years old. He said his mother told him, "go die in America." He was tireless in propagating Soto Zen to Americans, first on the West Coast and later in the Midwest, and one of the first to promote the practice of Zen meditation for westerners. Sensei, as he asked his student to call him, was a student and friend of Daisetz Suzuki, the famous scholar who popularized Rinzai Zen in the West.

A black-belt in Judo, he was very active in the martial arts, adviser to the Chicago Police Department Kyokushinkai Karate Association and National Karate Association, promoting the practice of zazen.

By the 1960s when Elliston Roshi - founder of the Order - first met him, Matsuoka Roshi had established the Chicago Zen Buddhist Temple, where he conducted his lay ordination...

Read the Full Article - with a slide show - about our Silent Thunder Order Lineage and Legacy.

Bankei on Yari fighting

2011-12-31T19:05:00.000-08:00

Zen Master Bankei Yotaku composed the following instructions on the art of combat for his disciple and patron Kato Yasuoki, daimyo of Ozu and an expert in the use of the yari, or Japanese lance.

Here Bankei expresses the importance of Mushin (No-mind) in combat. In the middle of the confrontation, one should not let any thought arise, actions should not be driven by a reflection or personal emotions. You should not act, but let the action simply happen through you. As soon as your mind comes in the way of action, your opponent - if he is worthy - will be able to foresee you.

In performing a movement, if you act with no-mind, the action will spring forth of itself. When your ki changes, your physical form changes along with it. When you're carried away by force, that is relying on "self." To have ulterior thoughts is not in accordance with the natural. When you act upon deliberation, you are tied to thought. The opponent can then tell [the direction of] your ki. If you [try to] steady yourself by deliberate effort, your ki becomes diffuse, and you may grow careless. When you act deliberately, your intuitive response is blocked; and if your intuitive response is blocked, how can the mirror mind appear?

When, without thinking and without acting deliberately, you manifest the Unborn, you won't have any fixed form. When you are without fixed form, no opponent will exist for you in the whole land. Not holding on to anything, not relying one-sidedly on anything, there is no "you" and no "enemy." Whatever comes, you just respond, with no traces left behind. Heaven and earth are vast, but outside mind there is nothing to seek. Become deluded, however, and instead this mind becomes your opponent. Apart from mind, there is no art of combat.

From the Book : Bankei Zen: Translations from the Record of Bankei

Bankei Yōtaku (盤珪永琢, 1622-1693), the son of a Ronin Samurai turned Doctor, was a very popular and influential teacher who spoke directly, avoiding sutras, koans and rituals.

He talked to huge crowds of ordinary people and advanced Zen students all the same, about what he had personally discovered through his own experience—"the Unborn" or "the Birthless Buddha-mind".

Expressed in a plain, simple and direct language that anyone can understand, Bankei's Zen is refreshingly clear and relatively simple. You don't have to be learned, live in a monastery or even necessarily consider yourself a Buddhist to effectively practice it.

Older people with visual impairment can benefit from Tai Chi

2011-12-17T18:42:00.000-08:00

Researchers from the Centre for East-meets-West in Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University designed and conducted a 16 week trial involving forty people aged over 70.

After this trial, the Tai Chi participants showed significant improvements in knee proprioception (awareness of the position of one's limbs) and in their visual and vestibular ratios (ability to balance) compared to a control group.

Care home residents in the Tai Chi group were taught a modified 8-form Yang style Tai Chi routine and practiced this in 90 minute sessions, three times a week for 16 weeks.

Participants in the control group learned to play the Djembe, a percussion instrument.

Dr. Tsang said: "... Our study shows that Tai Chi can be a suitable form of exercise for those with visual impairment and indeed assists with improving their balance control. ..."

Read the Full article

ROHATSU

2011-12-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

You are invited by the Wiregrass Soto Zen and Long Leaf Zen Centers...

Rōhatsu (臘八)  literally means 8th Day of the 12th Month. It is the Buddhist holiday  that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha  Gautauma (Shakyamuni) experienced enlightenment.

Traditions  agree that during that night, as the morning star rose in the sky in  the early morning, Siddhartha finally found the answers he sought and  became Enlightened, and experienced Nirvana. 

In Zen monasteries, Rohatsu is the last day of a week-long sesshin - an intensive meditation retreat dedicated to meditation. Typically, Monks and Laymen stay awake all night sitting in Zazen during the last night before Rohatsu.

I would like to invite you all to meet  next Saturday December 10 at 9:30 a.m. in  Headland to celebrate Rohatsu  by practicing meditation together. 

Our Program will be : 

9:30 to 10:00 : Arrival
 
10:00 to 10:30 : Breathing exercises for Meditation
 
10:30 to 12:30 : 4 Sitting (Zazen) and Walking (Kinhin) meditation periods (25 minutes Zazen, 5 minutes Kinhin)
 
12:30 to 12:45 : Break and Tea
 
12:45 to 1:30 : Dharma talk - Discussion
 
1:30 to 2:00 : Zazen
 
2:00 : Heart Sutra Chanting
 
2:15 : Lunch
 
Attendance : Everyone is welcome to attend. You don't have to have already practiced Meditation to join.
 
Lunch : bring a vegetarian dish to share with other participants.
 
Late arrival : if you cannot make it on time, no problem. If meditation is going on (people inside are sitting on their funny black cushions) and you don't really know what to do, wait on the bench outside the dojo until they start walking and join inside right then. If you know how to sit in Zazen, enter the dojo and sit.

Fee : there is no fee – donations are welcome to help us support our instructor Michael Elliston Roshi, Abbot of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center, and founder of the Silent Thunder Order.

The Dojo is located behind my home at 610 Mitchell Street, Headland, AL 36345. Tel (334) 798 1639

KEN, ZEN, SHO

2011-12-04T06:58:00.000-08:00

Ōmori Sōgen Roshi (1904 -1994) was a Japanese Master of Zen, from the Tenryū-ji line of Rinzai School, Shodo (Calligraphy) from the Taishi school of Yamaoka Tesshū (another famous Zen and Kendo Master), and Kendo of the Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū.

Omori Sogen Roshi taught a unique approach to Zen practice integrating insights from Martial and Fine Arts training with traditional Zen methods; sometimes described as a unity of Zen, Ken ("sword", referring to martial arts or physical culture), and Sho ("brush", referring to calligraphy or fine arts). This unique approach is described in the book “Omori Sogen – the Art of a Zen Master” by Hosokawa Dogen.

This remarkable video is part of a 1977 BBC documentary entitled "The Long Search - Land of the disappearing Buddha with Ronald Eyre". The parts with Omori Sogen Roshi were filmed at the Koho-in dojo in Tokyo.

Omori Sogen Roshi was the author of more than 20 books in the Japanese language. His excellent and practical “Zen Training” was translated in English by Trevor Leggett.

Yoshukai Chaperones go to France

2011-12-01T11:01:00.000-08:00

Shihan Travis Page and I traveled to France in November 2011. I had planned a few classes and demonstrations to promote Yoshukai Karate. 

On November 21, we visited my friend and previous Nihon Tai Jitsu instructor Mr Jean Luc Lemoine at his Tai Jitsu kan Dojo in Rouen.

Jean Luc had suffered a heart attack the week before, and we proposed to teach his Monday night class for him. 

We got on the mat with his students and Mr Page taught them a number of his signature street and bar fighting techniques, while I was trying to translate some of the details. 

Nihon Tai Jitsu incorporates techniques found in mainstream Budo such as Karate, Aikido, Judo. Students ranged from 7th Kyu to Niddan, The class lasted about 2 hours. The enthusiasm and efficiency of Mr Page, and the practicality of his waza - chokes, throws and strikes - were highly appreciated by all. Mr Page had to come home early and we did not get the opportunity to work out with the local branch of Kyokushinkai Karate which is has been getting more and more popular in France for the past 10 years. Another trip will be needed... 

On November 25th, I myself had the pleasure to train with my friend and Kendo Instructor Francis Hollier, at the Kendokai of Friville Escarbotin, when Mr Page and I gave classes several years ago on 2 occasions.

Overall, Yoshukai Karate and its Spirit are appreciated for its simplicity and efficiency. It should be kept this way.

If it works, practice it, if it does not, drop it.

Travel to Europe

2011-11-14T08:33:00.000-08:00

Shihan Travis Page and I  will be traveling to France for 2 weeks to save the Euro Zone, as well as visiting with family and friends. We plan to train there with my Ju Jitsu instructor and friend Jean Luc Lemoine and Kendo Instructor and friend Francis Houlier of the Kendokan, and possibly meet some of my old Ju Jitsu students

While I  am gone there won't be any Zen or Martial Arts activities at the Yoshukai Dojo (Beside Yoshukai Karate of course) 
 

You are welcome to meet to train in Tai Chi Tuesday and  Thursday mornings.  Geri's will be your instructor at Westgate. 

I plan to fly back once the Euro Zone  is saved, on November 29th, that is a Tuesday, and we  will resume normal classes on December 1st with Tai Chi and IaiJutsu

May all of you have a happy Thanksgiving among your loved ones.

PS : do not forget our December celebrations : 

December 10th : Zazenkai at the Jap House in Headland.
December 17th : Iaijutsu Seminar at 11:00 as usual at the Yoshukai Dojo, followed by a joint Budo - Zen BYOB Christmas party at the Headland Jap House.

People gain self esteem through Tai chi

2011-10-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

Tai Chi appears to be a great way to build self esteem and encourage volunteering according to a new survey being discussed today at the Regional Conference of Gerontology and Geriatrics in Melbourne.

Already known for the significant role it plays in preventing and treating physical and psychological illnesses, Tai Chi seems to hit the mark with older people when it comes to increasing happiness and feelings of self-achievement.

Ruth Wei, a postgraduate student at Murdoch University, has been investigating the effects of Tai Chi on building self-esteem; through the International Taoist Tai Chi society of Western Australia, she surveyed 382 Tai chi participants between January and July 2010.

According to Ms Wei, one in five reported that their confidence and attitudes towards life had improved and they had become more confident in daily life, more compassionate and tolerant towards people and less self-absorbed.

“What emerged from the survey was that the more often people practiced Tai Chi, the more often they became involved in voluntary functions, and the more likely they were to report positive changes associated with improved self-esteem,’ said Ms Wei.

Although the underlying mechanism of how Tai chi might improve self-esteem is not clear, other findings from the study such as increased social contacts, better physical and mental functioning, effective chronic illness management, and an improved ability to relax are all likely to be related.

full article

ANNALS OF THE SWORD TAIA

2011-10-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

The full text of Zen Master Takuan's letter is included in "The Unfettered Mind" a translation by William Scott Wilson of 3 texts about swordsmanship by Takuan.

In this post I only provide the Translation of the Chinese part of the text, without the Japanese commentaries of Takuan. I encourage you to read and consider them, then refer to Takuan's comments in the full version to reach a better understanding of this letter.

Presumably, as a martial artist, I do not fight for gain or loss, am not concerned with strength or weakness, and neither advance a step nor retreat a step. The enemy does not see me. I do not see the enemy. Penetrating to a place where heaven and earth have not yet divided, where Ying and Yang have not yet arrived, I quickly and necessarily gain effect.

Well then, the accomplished man uses the sword but does not kill others. He uses the sword and gives others life. When it is necessary to kill, he kills. When it is necessary to give life, he gives life. When killing, he kills in complete concentration; when giving life, he gives life in complete concentration. Without looking at right and wrong, he is able to see right and wrong; without attempting to discriminate, he is able to discriminate well. Treading on water is just like treading on land, and treading on land is just like treading on water. If he is able to gain this freedom, he will not be perplexed by anyone on earth. In all things, he will be beyond companions.

Do you want to obtain this? Walking, stopping, sitting or lying down, in speaking and in remaining quiet, during tea and during rice, you must never neglect exertion, you must quickly set your eye on the goal, and investigate thoroughly, both coming and going. Thus should you look straight into things. As months pile up and years pass by, it should seem like a light appearing on its own in the dark. You will receive wisdom without a teacher and will generate mysterious ability without trying to do so. At just such a time, this does not depart from the ordinary, yet it transcends it. By name, I call it "Taia."

All men are equipped with this sharp Sword Taia, and in each one it is perfectly complete. Those for whom this is clear are feared even by the Maras, but those for whom this is obscure are deceived even by the heretics. On the one hand, when two of equal skill meet at swords' point, there is no conclusion to the match; it is like Shakyamuni's holding the flower and Kashyapa's subtle smile. On the other hand, raising the one and understanding the other three, or distinguishing subtle differences in weight with the unaided eye are examples of ordinary cleverness. If anyone has mastered this, he will quickly cut you into three pieces even before the one has been raised and the three understood. How much more so where you meet him face to face?

In the end, a man like this never exposes the tip of his sword. Its speed - even lightning cannot keep up with it. Its brevity - it is gone even before the quick wind of the storm. Not having such a tactic, if one, in the end, becomes entangled or confused, he will damage his own blade or injure his own hand, and will fall short of adroitness. One does not divine this by impressions or knowledge. There is no transmitting it by words or speech, no learning it by any doctrine. This is the law of the special transmission beyond instruction.

There is no established rule for manifesting this great ability. Orderly action, contrary action - even heaven does not determine this. So what is the nature of this thing? The ancients said, "When a house does not have a painting of a Pai Che, it is like having no ghosts at all." If a man has tempered himself and arrived at this principle, he will control everything under heaven with a single sword.

For those who study this, let them not be thoughtless.

Notes :

Takuan Soho was a Zen monk, calligrapher, painter, poet, gardener, tea master, and, perhaps, inventor of the pickle that even today retains his name. His writings were prodigious (the collected works fill six volumes), and are a source of guidance and inspiration to the Japanese people today, as they have been for three and a half centuries.
Born in 1573 into a samurai family of the Miura clan, Takuan entered a monastery at the age of ten to study Jodo Buddhism, moving on to Rinzai Zen at the age of twenty-four. He becamethe abbot of the Daitokuji, a major Zen temple in Kyoto, at the young age of thirty-five.
At the court of the Tokugawa Shogun, Takuan was in frequent contact with Yagyu Munenori of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, and Ono Tadaaki, second Grand Master of Ono Ha Itto Ryu. Both Munenori and Tadaaki were official sword instructors of the Shogun's family and his close retainers. Legend has it that Takuan was also the friend and teacher of the famous Miyamoto Musashi. (See the story of the Takuan, Musashi and the Snake)
In his writings, Takuan emphasizes the unity of Zen and Sword, (Zen Ken Ichi Nyo), which deeply influenced the Great Masters of the time and produced a number of documents which continue to be read and applied, such as the Heiho Kadensho of Yagyu Munenori and the Gorin no Sho of Miyamoto Musashi.
His letter Taiaki, "Annals of the Sword Taia," was written during his exile in the North between 1629 to 1632, possibly to Ono Tadaaki, Taiaki mostly is about the relationship between one's self and the other.

Taia was one of China's legendary swords. It was forged by the famous sword-smith Ou Yezi for King Zhao of Chu (r.515-489 B.C.)

 The Pai Che is a legendary animal with a cow's body and a man's head.  It eats dreams and misfortunes. In ancient China people they would display a picture of a Pai Che at the entrance of their house to ward off evil spirits.

Self-Control vs Self-Esteem

2011-10-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

In some Martial Arts Schools or tournament, every kid receives a trophy or medal, there are no losers, you don't want to hurt these little creature's feelings or self esteem. I have always thought that this is not the way to prepare people to behave in the real world. 

I believe that Martial Arts help us become better people who can positively impact our environment, society, community and country through cultivation of self control and self discipline - this is not an easy task. Self esteem acquired without working to improve one's self control is a worthless and even possibly toxic luxury

Angela Duckworth, is an assistant professor of psychology at the University of  Pennsylvania. Following her research on the importance of grit in achieveing success,  she was called in by West Point to predict  which cadets have what  it takes to survive the tough atmosphere at the  academy...

Question to Ms Duckworth : Which is more important, self-discipline or self-esteem, for being successful as a student?

Answer : Ah, how great to be asked this question!

We did a study in which we followed kids for four years. We took their self-control ratings from parents and teachers and the kids themselves. We tracked them every year, and we kept their grades from school records, not from their own reports on their grades. We pitted self-control and self-esteem - we also took measures for both - against each other. Here's what we found: When kids increase in self-control, their grades go up later. But when kids increase their self-esteem, there is no effect on their grades. 

The bottom line is that our research shows that self-control is more important than self-esteem in determining achievement. 

People have been studying self-esteem for a long time, and this allows you to compare the self-esteem of kids who grew up in the nineties with, say, those who grew up in the seventies or eighties with regard to self-esteem. Self-esteem has gone up in the United States; achievement has not. 

If anything, compared with other countries, we have done worse, but our kids feel really good about themselves on average. What seems particularly interesting, and there is an article by J. P. Tangney on this, is that there is an uncoupling between your perception of your own competence and how much you like yourself. Many American kids, particularly in the last couple of decades, can feel really good about themselves without actually being good at anything. This is the problem with the "self-esteem at all costs" message. 

Self-esteem should be earned. I find that parents today, at least those in a high socioeconomic bracket, never want to say anything critical of their children. Everybody has to be a winner. You take your children to a soccer game, and they don't keep score anymore. They don't want anybody to lose. Well, it's a good thing for kids to lose sometimes. They see what it's like to get up again. They realize it's not the end of the world. 

Self-Control...

The scholar Roy Baumeister began believing in self-esteem as a predictor of success, but he did studies and it isn't. Self-control is.   

Read the full article

MJER Tatehiza - Renzoku Waza

2011-10-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

A very clean and smooth demonstration of  the Tatehiza (half sitting) Waza of the Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu (MJER) Iaido by Noboru Kataoka Sensei - Instructor of the New York City Kendo club.

Kataoka Sensei performs the waza of this series  in a continuous (Renzoku) sequence at different angles.

The Waza of the Tatehiza no Bu (立膝之部) series are : 

横雲 Yokogumo
虎一足 Tora no issoku
稲妻 Inazuma
浮雲 Ukigumo
颪 Oroshi
岩波 Iwanami
鱗返 Urokogaeshi
波返 Namigaeshi
瀧落 Takiotoshi
真向 Makkō

Their full description with pictures is detailed in the book Flashing Steel by Masayuki Shimabukuro Hanshi

To practice MJER Iaido in Dothan, Alabama at the Yoshukai Dojo contact Frederic Lecut

Perfect Settings

2011-10-22T20:59:00.000-07:00

I arrived this evening at the dojo, tired by a long and hot day of work, still sore from last night's somehow intense Karate class.  

Fred and I began warming up with our Iaito : Kirioroshi, kesa giri, nukitsuke, and a few more basics

We switched to our boken, and brought Vlad in the game – 100 vertical cuts, then a few sets of waza against him..  

We completed the class by practicing the Shodan sets of waza. By the end of the class, all my fatigue was gone !  

While we were training, the rain finally decided to hit us ! 

I drove back home, had a sip of Rosé, changed cloth, walked to the Zendo. 

The night was fresh from the rain,  the deck wet under my feet, tree frogs and other night creatures were humming in the darkness.

Drops of water falling from the  trees onto the metal roof. 

Ting, ting.

Just Perfect...

MAN-AN - On Zen practice by Lay People

2011-10-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Man-An Eishu was a prominent Soto Master of the early Edo period. He was a good friend of Samurai and Zen Master Suzuki Shosan, and tried to raise the Soto Zen of that period to a higher level. He rebuilt the Temple of Kosho-ji in Uji. Together with other Masters of this period, he was convinced that a general reform of Zen was necessary, but he lacked the influence to carry it out. (He possibly pissed off a few important heads of powerful Monasteries, favorites of the Tokugawa shogunate ...). Man-An never had on Soto Zen the influence that Master Hakuin had on Rinzai Zen.

This post is a passage from "An elementary talk on Zen", from "Minding Mind - a course in basic meditation" , a collection of texts translated by Thomas Cleary.

This first part is about the practice of Zen by Lay people (us...) Man-An was not always tender for some of his fellow Zen Masters...

If you want to quickly attain mastery of all truths and be independent in all events, there is nothing better than concentration in activity. That is why it is said that students of mysticism working on the Way should sit in the midst of the material world.

The Third Patriarch of Zen said, "If you want to head for the Way of Unity, do not be averse to the objects of the six senses. " * This does not mean that you should indulge in the objects of the six senses, it means that you should keep right mindfulness continuous, neither grasping nor rejecting the objects of the six senses in the course of every day life, like a duck going into the water without its feathers getting wet.

If, in contrast, you despise the objects of the six senses and try to avoid them, you fall into escapist tendencies and never fulfill the Way of Buddhahood. If you clearly see the essence, then the objects of the six senses are themselves meditation, sensual desires are themselves the Way of Unity, and all things are manifestations of Reality. Entering into the great Zen stability undivided by movement and stillness, body and mind are both freed and eased.

As for people whose tout to cultivate spiritual practice is with aversion to the objects and desires of the senses, even if their minds and thoughts are empty and still and their contemplative visualization is perfectly clear, still when they leave quietude and get into active situations, they are like fish out of water, like monkeys out of the trees.

Even people who go deep into mountain forests; cut off relations with the world for ever, and eat from the fruits of the trees as ascetics can not easily attain pure singleness of, concentration. Needless to say, it is even more difficult for those who are mendicants in name only, or shallow householders, who are so busy making a living.

In truth, unless you have definite certitude of overwhelming faith, or are filled with overwhelming doubt or wonder, or are inspired with overwhelming commitment, or are overtaken by overwhelming death, it is hard to attain concentration that is pure and undivided in principle and fact, inaction and stillness.

If you are wholeheartedly careful of how you spend your time, aware of the evanescence of life, concentrating singlemindedly on Zen work even in the midst of objects of desire, if you proceed right straight ahead, the iron walls will open up. You will experience the immense joy of walking over the Polar Mountain and become the Master with in the objects of sense. you will be like a lotus blooming in fire, becoming all the more colorful and more fragrant in contact with the energy of fire.

Do not say that it is harder for lay people living in the world of senses and desires to sit and meditate, or that it is hard, to concentrate with so many worldly duties, or that one with an official or professional career can not practice Zen, or that the poor and the sickly do not have the power to work on the Way. These excuses are all due to impotence of faith and superficiality of the thought of enlightenment.

If you observe that the matter of life and death is serious, and that the world is really impermanent, the will for enlightenment will grow, the thieving heart of egoism, selfishness, pride, and covetousness will gradually die out, and you will come to work on the Way by sitting meditation in which principle and fact are one.

Suppose you were to lose your only child in a crowd or drop an invaluable gem: do you think you would let the child or the, jewel go at that, just because of the bustle and the mob? Would you not look for them even if you had a lot of work to do or were poor or sickly? Even if you had to plunge into an immense crowd of people and had to continue searching into the night, you would not be easy in mind until you had found and retrieved your child or your jewel.

To have been born human and heard true teaching is a very rare opportunity, so to neglect meditation because of your career is to treat the life of wisdom of the body of truths of the Buddhas less seriously than worldly chattels. But if you search for wisdom singlemindedly like someone who has lost a child or dropped a gem, one day you will undoubtedly encounter it, whereupon you will light up with joy.

People in all walks of life have all sorts of things to attend to, how could they have the leisure to sit silently all day in quiet contemplation? Here there are Zen teachers who have not managed to cultivate this sitting meditation concentration , they teach deliberate seclusion and quietude, avoiding population centers, stating that intensive meditation concentration can not be attained in the midst of professional work, business, and labor, thus causing students to apply their minds mistakenly.

People who listen to this kind of talk consequently think of Zen as something that is hard to do and hard to practice, so they give up the inspiration to cultivate Zen, abandon the source and try to escape, time and again becoming like lowly migrant workers. This is truly lamentable. even if they have a deep aspiration due to some cause in the past, they get to where they neglect their jobs and lose their social virtues for the sake of the Way.

As an ancient said, if people today were as eager for enlightenment as they are to embrace their lovers, then no matter how busy their professional lives might be and no matter how luxurious their dwellings maybe, they would not fail to attain continuous concentration leading to appearance of the great Wonder.

* Kaichi Sosan in the Shin Jin Mei

VLAD

2011-10-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

Please allow me to introduce our newest partner - Vlad

Vlad is made of treated lumber. 

To make your own Vlad, you'll need one post 3 to 4" in diameter, two 2 x 4 x 8" treated, some nails and screws.

What is Vlad good for ? he can be beaten up, he won't complain, and he won't hit you back...

Seriously - it is all very nice to cut in the air, but it is a little like doing kata by yourself, it is very useful, but when it comes to accuracy, timing and distance, it is not enough... If you want a better taste, and a better test of your technique, you need to meet a real target.

Kendo allows you this opportunity, however, as you are, for various reasons, very limited in the number of cuts you are allowed to perform in Kendo.

And then, Vlad never complains... One way to improve your technique is to practice until you are utterly exhausted, go past it, and then, something may happen. It is said that some Kenjutsu ryu practiced up to 10,000 strikes daily. Do you know of any Kendo partner who would stay in front of you to let you hit him 10,000 times ? This is why we needed Vlad...

Karateka and boxers have punching bags, Kung Fu people wooden dummies. I wanted something to practice our cuts, adjust our angles and distance, something that would also offer some resistance to our moves. This is how Vlad was born.

PS : I am not yet at 10,000 cuts a day, just 300 for the time being, it takes less than 10 minutes, and is excellent exercise, it is not about beating the hell out of Vlad, but about aiming at different levels,  adjusting your stances, practicing your "power cut" by twisting your back foot (pivot on the ball of the foot...)

300 + cuts get you a little tired, and it then becomes easier to adjust your moves, your muscles are not too much in the way...

Kendo Kata in Japan

2011-10-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

A very nice demonstration of Kendo Kata. Prior to 2009. 

Pay attention to the way partners separate in Kendo Kata, if I am not mistaken, this is the way one should separate in the Batto-Ho katachi paired exercises described in 

Samurai Swordsmanship: The Batto, Kenjutsu, and Tameshigiri of Eishin-Ryu - the last book by Carl Long Sensei and Masayaki Shimabukuro Hanshi.

Pay also attention to the way they walk, the ball of the foot lands first, the toes slightly lifted, and the heel never really supports much weight.

This is important. It is the fastest way to move or change direction.

When your weight is on your heel, you cannot jump, push with that leg, or change direction as fast as when it is on the ball of your foot.

Always slightly bend your knees to bring your weight to the ball of the foot. Never support your weight with your heels.

Basically, this is when your opponent's weight is on their heels that you want to attack them, specially when they are retreating. For then they are off-balance, and their strikes or cuts cannot be really powerful or accurate. This is true in Kendo, this is true in Karate.

The Devil is in the details...

Joshu's Dog

2011-10-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

A monk asked Joshu, a Chinese Zen master: "Has a dog Buddha-nature or not?"

Joshu answered: "Mu." 

Mushin

Countless Students have lost sleep and appetite on this "MU"...

For one thing, Joshu did not say "MU". He said "WU", because he was Chinese, not Japanese.

And "WU" is  the way Chinese dogs bark, English speaking dogs do "WOOF", Chinese dogs do "WU". Anybody with a bit of common sense knows that.

Japanese dogs, I don't remember...

Two important facts well known by those with the slightest experience of the Canine world: 

Dogs don't do "MU" in any language.
No matter their nationality or culture, dogs bark to display their unhappiness about the way things are, and to signify something like "DON'T DO THIS, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, DON'T COME HERE, STAY AWAY !"

So some smart disciple asks a question about the nature of a dog, and the Master barks back to him.  That's it! It does not mean "no" it does not mean "yes", it's barking.

Now the student with a lust for deep meaning tries to figure that one out and loses sleep over it. 

When they translated that into Japanese, they should have said the student asked if a cow had Buddha nature, Cows usually do "MU". However, the "MU" of a cow does not carry the same disapproval meaning as the "WU" of a dog... 

Now, do you imagine what would it be if the student had asked "Does a giraffe has  Buddha Nature or not ?"  

Once upon a time, during a sword seminar in Pensacola, my friend Joe asked Carl Long Sensei something like "Sensei, when you perform this waza, do you lean forward, or do you lean backward ? "

And the answer came "YES"...

Practice...

Heaven and Hell

2011-09-22T08:05:00.000-07:00

Mugen and I often have meaningful conversations at red lights, and may not see that it turned to green. Not long ago on my way to Karate, I had stopped at a red light. The light must have been green for 3 seconds, and some idiot behind me honked. 

That pissed me off !  I really felt like getting off my car to go punch the moron in the face.  

Now what is amazing is the speed at which this happens. It is unreal ! In a matter of a few milliseconds, you switch from Dr. Jekyll to Mr Hide. (I've heard that some women have the ability to do that even faster, but this is a different story...).

No seriously, it is hard to believe,  It is so fast, no conscious ego involved. Pure, Row Anger Flaring. 5 skandhas at work.  

Form : the honking,
Sensation: the sound hits the eardrum;
Consciousness : awareness of the sound;
Perception : someone is not happy,
Mental formation - pure, row anger.

Later on the Ego becomes involved. Anger needs to be resolved - it really is not good for the body : high blood pressure, adrenaline overflows, stomach acidity... 

Either give up to Anger and blindly act upon it : Go punch the moron's face, or just wait 5 more seconds before starting the car; (You're an ass, I can be a bigger ass), or

Try to deflate Anger through reasoning : "Look, you are not going to do this, you have other things to do, you are already late for class, and moreover this guy could have a gun... and then it is not the Zen thing to do, after all, he might be distraught because his child is sick, or he just learned his wife is having an affair (too bad, he is a moron anyway...)

So here actually,  Ego is not always the bad guy. It can be a good  concept, a good trick contributing to the survival of this creature and to the harmony of society. Ego has  - in theory - the power to chose between blind action only triggered by emotion ("emotion" from ex-motion : out of it comes motion - or action), or to consider the consequences of various possible actions in response to a situation and accordingly chose a wiser course of action...

Great danger comes when the ego is not even involved and action is carried out without any rationalization, just on a whim.  

Actually, the ability to properly act under such condition was considered positive by samurai, and is very likely the goal of training of modern elite soldiers. This is what Heijoshin is about. Instinctively knowing what to do in any situation. (read the Hagakure) 

It is not, however, a simple thing to do. To get to that point request years of practice. Needless to say, I am not there yet. I wish I would not have these bouts of anger (rage?), and I am thankful I am able to control them.

I'll keep training. 

Long ago in Japan,  a samurai, retainer from a clan well known for their fierce (cocky...) attitude,  went to visit Zen Master Hakuin. The Samurai was a big, proud man, used to getting whatever he wanted.

"Hakuin!" shouted the Samurai at the temple door, "I want a word with you right now!"

Master Hakuin rose from his cushion. He took his sweet time to stretch his legs before turning toward his visitor. The large figure of the impatient Samurai blocked the temple entrance.

"Well, monk," grunted the samurai, " They say you are a wise  man ! If that is so,  tell me  about Heaven and Hell!"

Hakuin looked carefully at the fierce-looking Samurai and finally replied, " Did you disrupt my meditation to ask something every fool knows about? You immature fool!  What kind of a second class soldier are you ? Look at yourself !You are so unkempt. Your hands and feet are dirty. Your hair is  uncombed, you stink, and above all your sword  - did you steal it from a kid - is rusty and so obviously neglected that it would not even slice a cucumber !  You are ugly and your mother dresses you funny. And you dare ask me about Heaven and Hell? Leave this temple right now, and never come back again!"

The Samurai was furious! No one had ever dared to speak to him that rudely. In a flash he drew his  sword and raised it high above his head. "You filthy monk will die for those words!" he roared.

Hakuin quietly looked up and told him: 

"THIS is what Hell feels like..."  

The samurai instantly froze, his sword in mid-air, realizing that Hakuin had risked his own life to teach him. He lowered his sword and deeply bowed to Hakuin. 

"And THIS is what Heaven feels like..." said Hakuin...

MAYO CLINIC RESEARCH URGES CORPORATIONS TO TAI CHI & MEDITATION

2011-09-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

                         The implications of a study involving 13,108 employees - one of the largest of its kind, are  significant for businesses and other organizations that offer  wellness programs for employees or members. ... 

Many organizations offer wellness programs for employees or members. The         programs can cut health care costs and boost productivity.  However, many        people drop out or decline to enroll.          

Instead of  expecting tired, stressed participants to run off pounds on the  treadmill, Dr. Clark suggests organizations could offer them  yoga, tai chi, meditation, stress management classes or  sessions with a personal wellness coach that would help them reach  overall wellness goals. 

   Mayo Clinic researchers surveyed 13,198 employees who joined a Mayo        Clinic employee wellness center when it opened in 2008. Their study showed the biggest differences between stressed and        non-stressed respondents were in fatigue levels after a regular  night's        sleep and in current quality of life. 

Full article available at :

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/mayo-clinic-study-suggests-one-simple-question-regarding-stress-could-help-employers-tailor-wellness-programs-and-improve-participation-2011-09-07

Early mention of Martial Arts in the Ryu Kyu Islands.

2011-09-15T10:20:00.000-07:00

In 1816 the ships Alceste and Lyra made the first known British government contacts with both the Koreans and the Ryukyu Islanders. Captain Basil Hall was captain of the Lyra and he left us an interesting journal of this trip.

I was mostly trying to find information about the practice of Martial Arts in the Ryu Kyu islands (Okinawa is the biggest Island of the Ryu Kyu archipelago, in these times named Loo Choo. Leu Cheu, or Lew Chew by the Brits.)

The Brits recorded the great gentleness of the very peaceful natives, and the fact that they had no weapons at all anywhere on the islands.

However, after describing the amazing dancing abilities of Maddera – the highest ranking official in charge of the communication with the Brits - Captain Basil describes the following incident :

... Maddera, who, to use a common phrase, was up to everything, ran amongst them, seized one of the dancers by the shoulders, and pushing him on one side, took his place, and kept up the reel with the same spirit, and exactly in the same style and step as the sailors. The other dances were left off, the music played with double spirit, and the whole ship's company assembled around Maddera, cheering and clapping hands till the reel was over. The chiefs joined in the applause, not less surprised than we were at this singular fellow's skill; for his imitation of the sailors' peculiar steps and gestures was so exact as if he had lived on board ship all his life. The officers and midshipmen then danced together, after which the chiefs, unasked, and with a sort of intuitive politeness, which rendered everything they did appropriate, instantly stepped forward, and danced, as they had before done in the cabin, several times round the quarter-deck, to the unspeakable delight of the sailors.

On returning to the cabin to tea, the chiefs amused themselves with a sort of wrestling game; Ookooma, who had seen us placing ourselves in sparring attitudes, threw himself suddenly into the boxer's position of defense, assuming at the same time a fierceness of look which we had never before seen in any of them. The gentleman to whom he addressed himself happening to be a boxer, and thinking that Ookooma really wished to spar, prepared to indulge him with a round. Maddera's quick eye, however, saw what was going on, and by a word or two made the chief instantly resume his wonted sedateness. We tried in vain to make Maddera explain what were the magical words which he had used; but he seemed anxious to turn our thoughts from the subject, by saying, '' Loo-Choo man no fight; Loo-Choo man write, No fight, no good fight; Ingerish very good; Loo-Choo man no fight." Possibly he considered Ookooma was taking too great a liberty; or perhaps be thought even the semblance of a battle inconsistent with the strict amity subsisting between us.

So here we have several interesting facts :

The head of the delegation was very good at dancing. Okinawan Kata of a long time ago were practiced and demonstrated at public celebrations as dances – a way to fool the Satsuma samurai occupying the Ryukyu, who could not openly tolerate the practice of martial arts. (This tactic was also used by Karate Masters at the beginning of the US occupation in 1945-46 when Martial Arts had been banned). Dr Tsuyoshi Chitose - founder of Chito Ryu Karate was himself a very good dancer (Note 1)

Wrestling was openly practiced by the natives of Ryu Kyu. When Ookooma, under the influence of Sake, proposed to box against one of the sailors, he naturally put himself in a boxing position, and took a very fierce look. A little strange for one of Natives deemed so peaceful by the Brits. It seems to me that this guy had been training before...

When this happened, the head of the delegation immediately stopped everything and explained that the sailor was very good, and the Native did not need to fight him. In my opinion an other instance of keeping the actual fighting abilities hidden from the general public, and even more so from foreigners.

The Brits had absolutely no clue of what had been going on.

Note 1 -  Mr. Van Horne had been in Japan training in 1971 and one day he was watching a local television program depicting a group of dancers going through an old dance routine. As he was watching this program he happened to notice others in the room looking toward the doorway and, there, going through the same movements, was Chitose, and as Mr. Van Horne stated, "with more grace and fluidity than those on the program". He spoke with Chitose concerning what he had just seen and was told "this is one method we used to cover some of our early training sessions when the occupation was being enforced". The American Military had banned most martial training and to get around the rules some other format had to be presented to hide what was actually taking place. Chitose said that in this manner, dance, kata could be practiced without the foreigners understanding what was happening.  
Extract from an article in the Dragon Times about Tsuyoshi Chitose - Founder of Chito Ryu Karate 

Compassion happens

2011-08-17T10:15:00.000-07:00

“Compassion arises by entering into the subjectivity of others, by sharing their interiority in a deep and total way.” (Bhikkhu Bodhi).

After 30 to 35 minutes of Zazen, a stabbing pain arises between my shoulder blades, slightly to the left. It burns, it stabs, it nags... I can adjust my position and find some relief to it, but I know it's here, ready to strike !

Once upon a time, I was driving on a small road of Provence. It was a rainy stormy night of  1981. The road was slippery. The car skidded, I tried to catch up, it skidded the other way... And I flipped my Dad's convertible into a 25' deep ditch.  

 My head crushed under the windscreen frame, I knew I was bleeding, and realized I was going to die there if I didn't try do something about it. After quite a struggle, I was able to collect my legs underneath my chest. I lifted the car just enough to release my head from the wreck. (I was practicing Aikido one hour before the accident, and all my muscles and joints were warm and stretched)

 I pushed the door open. I got out from under the car and climbed back to the road. Some people stopped and took me to a doctor. And from there to a hospital. Literally covered with blood I walked to the ER - I distinctly remember a cat sitting on the operation table...

 They shooed him away. I climbed on the table and within 30 seconds was paralyzed from head to toe.

 Not a good feeling...

 The doctor had to stitch my scalp back together. Because of the concussion, she could not put me to sleep. This was painful... You can deal with 2 or 3 stitches, but  30 or 40 of them, added to the fear of paralysis... I could not even punch the Doctor in the nose: I was paralyzed !  

 A nurse gently grabbed my hand. She said nothing, she just held my hand. I could not squeeze hers, but I could feel it. The release was amazing and instantaneous. She did not move, she did not speak, she was just here with me, sharing physically and in person.  

 Compassion.

I was young, I recovered quickly.  Minor damages. One dorsal vertebra  slightly crushed. I would feel it when I'd get older said the good looking Doctor... 

So now, when I sit and feel the pain, I know where it comes from, and remember Compassion.  

Compassion is often confused with benevolence, generosity, altruism or self-sacrifice. But Compassion hardly can be defined with words. I can tell you what it's not, but I can't tell you what it is. 

You don't decide to be compassionate, Compassion happens. When it happens, you don't know it, and once you realized it happened, well, it's not happening anymore ...

Don't be excited or fooled by big words,  big deeds,  big acts. In Compassion two sentient beings become one, and experience together.  There is no need or room for words, thinking, or feeling. 

Compassion happens.

Calligraphy by Yamaoka Tesshu

2011-08-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

Last acquisition for the Dojo : A Calligraphy by Yamaoka Tesshu - Zen, Sword and Calligraphy master of 19th century Japan.

Yamaoka Tesshu was the founder of Muto Ryu style of Kenjutsu - also practiced by Omori Sogen Roshi (see my other post about this other remarkable Master).

Tesshu also negotiated with Saigo Takamori, leader of the Satsuma rebellion who inspired the famous movie "The Last Samurai".

Although this is just a piece of paper with ink on it, I am proud and happy to display in the dojo the work of a true Master. 

May this inspire us all on our ways.

On a more practical account, if you know someone who could read this, I would highly appreciate their interpretation !

2011-08-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

Sekiguchi Komei Sensei shows us how to use one's tsuba (the guard of the sword) to stop a Kirioroshi (vertical cut), and 3 different follow-ups:

One strike with the Tsuka gashira (Tsuka ate).
One diagonal cut (Kesa giri)
One strike with the tip of the Saya (Kojiri ate).

This is a good illustration of the use of the Tsuka gashira and Tsuba as a shield.

Note how Sekiguchi Sensei keeps his hands protected :   

He always blocks with the LEFT side of his Tsuba (his Right hand is on the Right side of the tsuba...) and

His Left hand grabs the saya just above the Kojiri and never around the Koiguchi.

Have fun, Train Hard.

Zen on a budget : the $13.08 Zabuton

2011-08-04T12:51:00.000-07:00

Zen stuff is expensive. A basic Zabuton - without a removable envelope, is hard to find under $35.00, and then you need to have it shipped, that's 5 to 10 more bucks...

A few years ago I watched a movie about an Ango in Korea. The Nuns were sitting on folded blankets, and at night, they used these blankets for bedding. 

Harbor Freight (a.k.a. "The Chinese Embassy") has on sale right now some 60 x 80" wool blankets.

The price is $5.99.

I bought 2 of them - total $13.08 (yes, the taxes...), folded each one of them to 28 x 30",  and stacked them. 

This gives you a 2" thick mat that sits very nicely. 

If it's not thick enough for you, triple them, you will have a very comfortable cushion for less than $20.00. At this price you can't go wrong...

Blanket and regular Zabuton at the Headland Zendo

If you really want it to look traditional, you can have a cover made for them. Personally. I won't; I don't want to spend more money than I need.

If the Koreans do it, I can do it, (did I say I liked Korea ?), and then when comes the time to clean up, No envelope to remove; just wash them in cold water and let them dry in the shade.

Zen...

Zen & I Ching

2011-07-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

     Basically, the 2 great contemporary currents of Mahayana Buddhism were deeply influenced either by the Chinese or the Tibetan civilizations.

The I Ching is a good example of a very peculiar Chinese way of thought that influenced Buddhism when it came from India to China.

I wanted the other day to illustrate this fact to our Meditation group. It took us a little while to come up with the following question : 

"As a group practicing meditation, are we having any impact ? (on ourselves as well as on our environment)"

Then we threw the coins. 

The result of our drawing was : 9, 8, 7, 9, 7, 6

Which translate in Binary to a primary hexagram 101110

Hexagram 49 : Change

and when we replace the 9 and 6 by their opposites to a secondary (Note I) hexagram : 001011

Hexagram 53 : Gradual Progress

The reading for the hexagrams are - according to Thomas Cleary translation of the Buddhist I Ching :

Hexagram 49 : Change :

Change is believed in on the day it is completed. It is very successful, beneficial if correct. Regret vanishes.

When the village is changed but not the well, this refers to the place. When the well is used up, there are animals there and it is muddy; it has to be changed.

The first priority of learners is to change their character. This is like fire refining gold : during the process of refinement, the gold finds it painful; only after the refinement is done and the gold is made into a vessel does it believe in the merit of fire.

This path of change is the path to creativity and receptivity; it is very successful for those who do it correctly. Before believing in it, there is regret; once it proves trustworthy, regret vanishes. 

Hexagram 53 :  Gradual Progress

Gradual progress in a woman's marriage is auspicious. It is beneficial to be chaste. 

In Buddhist rems, essence is realized all of a sudden, then you use this realization to clear your mind and make it fluid. 

Phenomena are not cleared away all at once. this is done through a gradual process, just as the procedure for a woman's marriage is a gradual one.

Also the gradual method of meditation is called "woman"; arriving at reality right in meditation on phenomena is called "marriage". Comprehensive cultivation of meditation on phenomena with complete understanding is called "Chastity":

My point was ONLY to give an example of the Chinese way of Thinking, a way that deeply influenced Buddhism (We will later analyze the references to the I Ching in Master Hakuin's Yasenkanna, or the five ranks of Tung Shan)

However, just sticking the primary hexagram and not trying to interpret the part about the village and the well, the I Ching mentions 2 things : 

That the first change to occur is internal - there is no point trying to change the environment without first changing oneself.
That this is not an easy process, but hat it is worth it...

Note I  : For lack of time I did not mention during our dharma talk. that when one draws a 6 (extreme Yin) or a 9 (extreme Yang)one has to  consider a second hexagram obtained by changing the line for its opposite. 

This is due to the fact that when things are very Yin they  turn to Yang, and vice versa. as celarly represented by the Tai Chi  Symbol

Tanden location

2011-07-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting video by Bill Douglas, the founder of World Tai Chi Day -  with down to earth explanation to help you localize your Dan Tien (Tan Den in Japanese).

Now this is not only important for Tai Chi or Chi Gong, it is important for ALL martial Arts (Budō 武道), as well as Zen (禪). Actually, it is also very important in other ways such as Calligraphy (shodō 書道,. 

No matter which discipline you practice, your Movement and Intention needs to begin there. 

There actually are 3 Dantien : The Lower, Middle and Higher Dantien. The Higher is located in the brain, the Middle one in the heart area, and the Lower one in the lower abdomen. Because this one is the most important, it is generally referred as the Dantien. This isthe Dantien Bill Douglas speaks about in this video. 

The Drummer

2011-07-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

The four great wows in the Mokurai Zen lineage go that way : 

Beings are numberless, I vow to free them

Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them

Dharma gates are boundless,  I vow to enter them...

The Buddha way is unsurpassable, I vow to realize it. 

There are an infinite number of ways to realize the Dharma. Sitting in Zazen - Shikantaza is one of them. 

There are other ways.

In The Drummer, Sid, a young and not so bright man seduces the mistress of a Triad Boss, who totally does not appreciate, and sends a bunch of thugs to teach him better manners by chopping his hands off. 

Sid flees to a remote part of Taiwan. While hiding in a the mountains of the island, he stumbles upon  a group of monks living in a monastery, far from civilization, where they practice a unique tradition allying Drumming, Kung Fu and Zazen.

This meeting totally changes his destiny.

The Drummer reminded me of the Korean movie "Why did Boddhidharma come from the West", there are lots of similarities, but it is a little more dramatized and romanticized. It is nevertheless a good movie. 

Watch it if you can.

Tonfa Kata

2011-07-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

A great demonstration of Tonfa Kata, with Bunkai (Bunkai are actual applications of a kata's moves. There may be several possible bunkai for the same move.

I particularly enjoyed the attack to the wrist (Kote) of the attacker. We often tend to attack body or head, and these are all very legitimate targets, but they are not always easy to reach from a safe position. Here, the teacher attacks the wrist from a very safe position, he controls the distance (Maai). 

A broken or badly bruised wrist will seriously decrease the chances your opponent has to hurt you, and in attacking it, you also exhibit restraint in your defense. 

We should become very proficient at our arts, so that we can defend ourselves without inflicting too much damage to our opponent. If your goal is to crush him no matter how serious was the attack, you don't need to learn Martial Arts, buy a gun, and learn how to use it. 

There is more to Martial Arts than destroying an opponent.

Moderation in training

2011-06-28T05:45:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer in hard and serious training. I am also a believer in common sense. There  seems to be a tendency in certain young people to train extremely hard to the point of ruining their health by negating the needs of their bodies.  Although this seems to be more true for Japanese people, it is true of all ascetic practice. Even the historic Buddha experienced this denial of one's earthly nature and almost starved himself to death. The Chinese, possibly because of the influence of Taoism, seem to be less prone to this kind of exaggerations. 

Toru Shirai was born in Edo in 1783. He was a renown Kenshi. He had opened a dojo at the age of 28 and taught around 300 students. But he worried about his own kendo. In the fencing world at the time, there were many fine kenshi. After the age of 40, however, they often became weaker or slower and became a mere shadow of their former selves. Not wanting this to happen to him , Shirai left his dojo and his 300 students, went back to his hometown of Edo (presently Tokyo), and sought out his Itto-ryu sempai Terada Goroemon.  

Terada was also a Zen priest and Shirai practiced zazen under him. He also underwent Terada’s severe training methods. This included the practice of cold-water ablutions.

Okunojo Yoshida, a later student of Shirai, writes:

“Shirai Sensei abstained from liquor and meat, and poured a hundred, two hundred, even three hundred pails of water over himself a day. He dipped his pail so often that the water in the well he used would become stirred up and muddy, so he would go to the Sumida River to continue. He repeated this day after day for years—in the morning in the hottest weather, at dawn in the depths of winter, and even at inns during journeys to Bishu, Kyoto, and Setsu. On two occasions he fasted and performed his ablutions for seven days—once at Mt. Yuga in Biyo and once again at his home.”

Unfortunately, Shirai’s extraordinary dedication to Terada's ablution method did little or nothing for him. Actually it ruined his health and Shirai finally broke down.

Shirai writes in Heiho Michishirube, “My efforts were fruitless. Worse, they put me in such ill health that neither acupuncture nor medicines had any effect. Eventually my mother and other close relatives begged me to ‘cease those baneful ablutions.’ Unable to bear my mother’s lamentations, I was finally convinced to give up the practice.”

Compare this with Master Hakuin's passage in Yasenkana :  

... I began devoting myself single-mindedly to my practice, forsaking food and sleep altogether. Before the month was out... I became abnormally weak and timid, shrinking and fearful in whatever I did. I felt totally drained, physically and mentally exhausted. Strange vision appeared to me during waking and sleeping hours alike. My armpits were always wet with perspiration. My eyes were watered constantly. I traveled far and wide, visiting wise Zen teachers, seeking out noted physicians. But none of the remedies they offered brought any relief.

Hakuin himself had fallen gravely hill from "meditation disease". No doctor was able to help him. In despair Hakuin had gone on a quest for a cure and had finally met Master Hakuyu, a mountain hermit, who had taught him an abdominal breathing Qi Gong that would finally cure him.

Giving up the ablution practice, Shirai began practicing Rentan no Ho: the same style of abdominal breathing practice described by Zen priest Hakuin in his work Yasenkanna.  Not only did it  restore his health, it also instilled in him the self-awareness and ability to take the first steps toward the establishment of his Tenshin Shirai-ryu.

In Heiho Michishirube, Shirai describes his cure. 

“At the age of thirty-three, on January 18, 1815, I abandoned cold-water ablutions once and for all and adopted the abdominal training method. I had previously read a number of the posthumous works of Hakuin and I had heard from my teacher Terada about the effectiveness of rentan no ho, but I had neglected it in favor of the more arduous practice of ablutions. Now I practice rentan no ho exclusively. I have rallied my spirit and, as Hakuin did, integrated rentan no ho into every part of my life and ways—into my prayers to Buddha, into my studies, into my swordsmanship. Within two short months of such practice I felt my health return as energy flowed into me and filled my abdomen (seika.) My illness has melted away and I feel myself as bouncy as a brand-new ball.”

What Shirai gained from his practice of Rentan no Ho allowed him to take some distance from the treachings of his teacher Terada and develop his own style Tenshin Heiho. In Heiho Michishirube Shirai writes :  “the exclusive practice of Rentan no Ho advocated by Hakuin is quick and effective, while the method of ablution has little effect.”  

Shirai had become utterly disgusted with cold-water ablutions as a means to enlightenment and it seems that in his later years he even told his pupils that “dousing oneself with cold water and fasting are poor ways to achieve Tenshin (understanding one’s own Buddha nature).”

Common Sense, the Middle way...

Great Judo Chokes

2011-06-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

Don't mess with old guys. These guys are practicing Kosen Judo - A form of Judo which was heavily practiced before WWII, and allowed for very hard ground work. These rules were later changed by Kano Sensei to allow for more standing work, but some Dojo still train and compete under these rules. 

The chokes practiced here are actually not intended to crush the  windpipes, but (in the best case scenario), to generate a spasm of the  carotid artery bringing blood to the brain. This happens only if the choke is very accurately and quickly applied to a certain point of the neck (it can also be done through atemi). It is however not easy to do. Plan B is to simply squeeze that artery to mechanically restrain the flow of blood to the brain. 

When the choke is well applied, Uke has very little time to tap out. The Human brain uses 20 % of our oxygen, and really does not good at all without blood. When I was practicing Judo in the early 70's, I witnessed an incident during a competition. A guy chocked another one from a standing position, which did not seem to bother him at all; he looked perfectly normal and we were impressed by how well he was able to resist this choke. Disgusted by this the choker let go, and the guy collapsed, unconscious, and breathless. He did not even have the time to tap. Paramedics took care of him, he probably to this day does not remember what happened...

Monkey Mind Simulation

2011-06-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

“Monkey Mind” is a Buddhist term meaning "unsettled; restless; capricious; whimsical; fanciful; inconstant; confused; indecisive; uncontrollable”.  It is the Monkey mind at work when you walk to the kitchen to get the pair of glasses on the table, see the refrigerator and open it to grab something to eat, realize that you are almost out of milk, get in your car to go buy milk... etc...

With the help of 9 persons, involved either in Zen and/or  Martial Arts, I carried out this little experiment to simulate how the  “Monkey Mind” works. 

To do this simulation I sent an image to one person who sent me back a short story inspired by that image. From that image I selected a few words, and used Google to generate a new image, which I sent to a second person, etc...

I had to make a choice of the words or expression to use to generate some images in Google, and that when images had been generated, I had to chose one of them to send it to the next person – That is right, I tried to pick “strong” images, which could easily stimulate one's imagination. Somehow, the whole experiment is tainted by my own preferences and bias. That is correct, but it is not a very big problem. After all, the individual Monkey mind is also very tainted by the individual's personality. My point was to illustrate how things work. 

Even if the whole thing looks crazy, there is a logic at work behind this monkey mind.

Somehow, I believe this kind of experiment could also be used to study the deep motivations or collective unconscious of a group, or Sangha... 

Thanks to all those who participated in this game.


This train only goes East

The nomad was prepared to cut her to bits


A log Jam, in the Northwest


Up in the Air


His only chance at salvation was tracking Allison

Some young girls looking for a chance out of poverty

That's why flip-flops are good

We continued our walk along the beach

The sound of the waves soothes troubles and restores peace.

The version including all stories would be too long to post here, it is available here :

Monkey Mind Simulation - Full version

Zazenkai at the Enterprise Community Zendo

2011-06-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

A Zazenkai (Short Meditation retreat) will be held on next Thursday June 30th at the Entreprise Community Zendo by Michael Inmo Dretsch and his teacher Rev Bobby Kankin Byrd from the Both Sides / No sides Zen community from El Paso Texas. 

This Zazenkai will include sitting (Zazen) and walking (Kinhin) meditation, and Buddhist service by Rev. Kankin. It will end up with a Tea Ceremony

Everyone is welcome to attend. If you are in the area, please make the effort to be present. there are evry few opportunities to practice Zen in the Wiregrass. We should try to support all efforts in that direction ! 

Michael and his wife Elizabeth opened their new Zendo at 108 Oliver Drive, Entreprise, AL 36330 a few weeks ago. The Sangha meets for Zazen every Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. For more information about the regular Zazen sessions or the Zazenkai itself, please contact Michael at (360) 359 5950 or dr.dretsch1 @yahoo.com

3 Short Stories

2011-06-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

3 short stories on the same theme. Can you figure them out?

Last Monday evening, after Karate class, we sat in Zazen from 8:00 to 8:30. While we were there, a thunderstorm broke up. Before our Dharma discussion, I went outside to close the cars windows. And there, no Mugen (my dog). The furry little bastard (one of his nicknames - another one is Houdini) was gone. Jumped through the window. So, no Dharma discussion that night. We all go out in the dark and rain, trying to find him, no Mugen. I roamed the neighbourhood until 11:00. Still no dog.

Tuesday morning, after a short and agitated night, I asked Gerri to take over the Tai Chi class while I went looking for him.As I had almost given up, my phone rang, he was at the fire station, right beside the Dojo... I went there, thanked the firefighters (great guys) and took him back home with me.

Two monks traveling on a trail arrived at a river. Waters were higher than usual. On the bank, a young woman was hesitating and asked the younger of the two monks to help her cross. He exclaimed, 'Don't you see that I am a monk ? I took a vow of chastity and cannot touch you for women are unclean'

'I require nothing bad from you, but simply to help me to cross this river,' replied the young woman with a little smile.

"I am sorry. I can do nothing for you," said the embarrassed young monk.
"Don't worry about the vows" said the elderly monk. "Climb on my back, I'll carry you to the other side".

Having reached the other bank, the old monk put down the young woman and she thanked him with a broad smile. She went her own way, and the monks theirs.

After a while, the young monk who could not stand it anymore and said, ' How could you dare carry this unclean woman on your back? It's against our rules.'

'This young woman needed help and I carried her down to the other bank. You didn't carry her at all, but she is still on your back,' replied the older monk.

Once upon a time in Thailand, a Lady saw a Monk sitting in meditation under the sun in the middle of summer. The Monk was very thin, he looked starved and sickly, sunburnt and bitten by mosquitoes and other pests, but there was a saintly aura about him as he sat beautifully and still in the middle of this ordeal.

Impressed by his dedication, the Lady invited the Monk to rest at her house. She served him food and tea and he ate and rested for several days. The Lady and him spent lots of time talking about the teachings and practice of Buddhism, and the Lady was thoroughly enjoying his company

She built for him a small temple and a shed at the top of a hill she owned, so he could practice in decent conditions and would not have to beg his way out in the world. Everyday, a servant would bring him some food. The Monk got better. At times, the Lady would come speak to him and he would preach the Dharma to her.

After several month, the Lady's Granddaughter came to visit her. She was lovely. There was a special bond between the two ladies, they both were beautiful, charming and generous, and deeply loved each other. As she thought the Monk would also enjoy meeting such a charming and lovely young girl, the Lady asked her grand daughter to bring the Monk his food.

That evening, when the Lady visited the hermitage, she asked the Monk how he had felt about her beloved granddaughter.

The Monk answered : "An other walking sack of shit."

The Lady told him : "If are not able to see and appreciate beauty when it is there for you to see, you don't deserve it. Leave now !"

The next day she burnt the hermitage.

The Art of a Zen Master - I

2011-06-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

The Hojo Kata of the Jikishin Kage Ryu - a Koryu (traditional) style of Kenjutsu was created by Matsumoto Bizen no kami Naokatsu  in the middle of the Muromachi period (1333-1573). He received the  teachings of the Hojo in a dream.

Note that this dream deal is very convenient. When your students know that some sort of God visited you in a dream, they tend to not question you so much.  

This also was the case Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi who founded the Shindo Muso-Ryu of Jo Jutsu.  After an encounter with Miyamoto Musashi he went to spend some times in the mountains of Kyushu in training and meditation. There he had a dream. A God, Kami or Tengu visited him and revealed to him the secret art that would enable him to finally beat Musashi with a single stick ! 

But back to the HOJO. In this video of the late 70's, the Kata is performed by Omori Sogen Roshi (in white) and his disciple Terayama Tenchu Sensei. Omori Sogen Roshi was a Zen, Kenjutsu and  Calligraphy Master.

If you compare  this version of Hojo kata to others (fancier) available on Youtube, you will be impressed by the intensity displayed in this old version.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

In 1929 Omori Roshi underwent Hyappon Keiko, the grueling practice of performing the Hojo a hundred times a day for seven days. in  Hosokawa Dogen's book "Omori Sogen : The Art of a Zen Master"  he recounts his experience :  

Onishi Hidetaka - who was captain of the Kendo Club of Hitotsubashi University  - and I were told by Yamada Sensei, "In our style, after completing the hyappon keiko (one hundred time practice) one is able to receive the final certificate” It was decided that at the end of July, we would be confined to a mountain temple in Yamanashi prefecture. After 20 days of preparation we began the hyappon keiko. 
  

We got up at 4:00 in the morning, went down the mountain, and bathed in a river. Before breakfast we did the Hojo 15 times. After that we rested awhile then practiced 30 more times. After lunch we rested and did the Hojo 55 more times until dusk. We did zazen in the evenings. 

By the third day I could shout more loudly and powerfully during practice, but my voice was so hoarse I could not speak at all. At night my body was so hot that I couldn't sleep. Food would not go down my throat; I had only water and raw eggs. My urine was the color of blood. The arms that held the wooden sword could not be raised. We were resigned to death. I couldn't go before Yamada Sensei and say, "I failed." Onishi and I got out our notes and letters and burned them all as we prepared to die. 

On the fourth day, a strange thing happened. The same arms that had difficulty in even holding the wooden sword went up smoothly over my head. As my arms went down, I felt a strength that was not physical coming out of both arms. It felt as if this downward cut extended to the other end of the world. For seven days, we practiced the Hojo a hundred times daily in this manner. We finally finished at the beginning of September. Later Yamada Sensei praised me saying, 'That is the Muso (No-thought) Style.' 

I was able to cultivate mental strength entirely because of this Hojo. 

And we thought we were training hard...

Positive effects of Tai Chi for Obese and Diabetic persons.

2011-05-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

Moderate aerobic exercises have  positive effects on the heart, lungs and blood of patients with  diabetes. Most Chinese martial arts including Tai Chi have been  acknowledged in the management of blood glucose levels. 

A study was conducted in Taiwan to analyze the effects of Tai Chi  on patients obese with type 2 diabetes. 155 patients were selected . One group of 62 was instructed in Tai Chi while the other was instructed to perform conventional exercises. The patients exercised three times a week for three months. 

At the end of the study, it was observed that :  

The body mass index reduced from 33.5 to 31.3 and the blood cholesterol from 194 to 189 mg/dL. A few other relevant parameters showed significant changes post-Tai Chi exercise.
The blood triglycerides had dropped by 28.3 in the Tai Chi exercise group but there was a mere 17.4 mg/dL drop in those involved with the conventional exercise.
The high-density lipids were also reduced in the Tai Chi exercise group.

Conclusion

Tai chi exercises were proved to be beneficial on patients with diabetes and obesity, and were safe when supervised by professional trainers. Intricate monitoring of blood sugar, lipid profiles, blood pressure and general fitness showed that the Tai Chi exercises could in fact lower these parameters after three months. Patients with diabetes and obesity usually have high blood levels of oxidative stress proteins and oxidative stress could initiate vascular complications. These were also reduced after the Tai Chi exercise regime. 

Thus, “Tai Chi can be an alternative exercise intervention for increasing glucose control, diabetic self-care activities, and quality of life.” 

Simple Tai Chi exercises could be enforced as regular daily exercises for patients with diabetes and obesity.

Full article :  
Effect of T’ai Chi Exercise on Biochemical Profiles and Oxidative Stress Indicators in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Tai Chi and Balance - Proprioception of the Knee and Ankle

2011-05-19T19:54:00.000-07:00

A  study published by the British Journal of Sport Medicine shows that elderly people who regularly practice Tai Chi not only show better proprioception of the ankle and knee joints than sedentary people. Which would explain why Tai Chi improves balance in its practitioners.  

Not only long term Tai Chi practitioners have better ankle and knee joint kinesthesis than sedentary controls but also their ankle joint kinesthesis is better than regular swimmers/runners. Furthermore, the latter did not perform any better in ankle and knee joint kinesthesis tests than their sedentary counterparts. 

The postural control system is the control circuit between the sensory sources, the central nervous system, and the musculoskeletal system. Proprioceptors and visual and vestibular (internal ear) centres contribute information to the central nervous system on body position and balance.  

Other studies also showed that :  

All age groups are more dependent on proprioception than on vision for the maintenance of balance.
Disruption of proprioceptive input was the most important determinant of quantitative balance performance in subjects older than 80 years.
Different kinds of exercise have different effects on balance. Comparison of the effects of proprioceptive exercise, bioenergetic physical activities (swimming, cycling, or jogging), and no exercise on postural control in elderly people shows that muscular strength was significantly increased in the bioenergetic exercise group, but proprioceptive exercise appeared to have the greatest effect on balance control.

Swimming and running are two of the most common exercises practiced by elderly people; they are excellent forms of aerobic exercise, and provide good training stimuli for cardiopulmonary function and muscle strength. Compared with Tai Chi, swimming and running involve cyclic repetitive actions. But awareness of joint position and movement is not emphasized during these exercise forms but highly in Tai Chi. This probably explains why the swimmers/runners did not have better scores for knee and ankle kinesthesis in this study.

It is interesting that the effects of Tai Chi on proprioception were different in the knee and ankle joints. An old Tai Chi proverb states, “In Tai Chi, the feet act as roots”. Also most Tai Chi forms are performed in a low position, which puts load on the muscles which stabilize hip, knee and ankle. The continuous changes of stances and steps cause more variations in ankle joint position, (toes or heels outward or inward, up or down). 

Moreover, while making a stride, feet moves are slow and deliberate. "Control your weight, don't let your weight control you".  

These movements greatly improve and help to retain the sensitivity of proprioceptors located in the joint capsules, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.  

Ankle proprioception is very important for the elderly to maintain proper postural control. When it comes to control of postural stability, the elderly rely more on hip movements, while young people rely on ankle movements. Therefore the impact of Tai Chi on ankle proprioception is of great benefit in improving and maintaining balance in old people.  

The decline in proprioception with age is an important contributing factor to falls in the elderly. This study shows that, compared with other common activities, long term Tai Chi exercise is more valuable for maintaining balance control in the elderly. 

Practice, Slow...

Japanese fencing has no ‘blocking’ or ‘defending’ techniques

2011-05-08T18:15:00.000-07:00

A very interesting idea...  

"Japanese fencing has no ‘blocking’ or ‘defending’ techniques... It is useless simply to just stop or block the enemies attack. In deflecting or receiving a blade you must instantly turn it into an attack." (see the whole text below)

I never was very strong, and it is not going to get better with age. Whether in Karate or Kendo, I am reluctant to blocking a strong technique from my opponent, for I know that if that technique is very strong, it might well go through my block (I have a few of my Yoshukai friends in mind here : Travis Page, Paul Turner, James Ronnie...)
So I like the idea: no block, but deflect and counter in a same move. 

The practice of Eishin Ryu Iai jutsu and Itto Ryu Kenjutsu, have helped me use that concept in Kendo shiai. The result is: less fatigue, I can last longer. Lasting longer is good, it helps you outlast your opponent until he is tired, then win. 

So, how do I apply this to Karate? I am not sure.  I am looking into this, and I'm not too successful so far. I have to find new techniques, and forget about the old ones, too strong, too straight. Little by little...

Takano Sasaburo (1863 - 1950) of the Ono Ha Itto Ryu,  was an instructor at the Tokyo Shihan Gakko (Tokyo Teacher's College). The pPesident of the college was Kano Jigoro (1860 - 1938), founder of Modern Judo. (We are in good company...) The College housed the first department of Physical Education in Japan and was the first school to train martial art instructors for public schools. 

Takano Sasaburo took the 68 shinai techniques of Chiba Shusaku Narimasa and reduced their number down to 50 techniques. He then revised  them so they could be practiced by school children using relatively short (but still longer than most steel swords) shinai. 

Takano Sasaburo explained this teaching curriculum in a series of books still studied today.

Japanese fencing has no ‘blocking’ or ‘defending’ techniques. Against an enemy's attack, we evade, cut through their blade (kiriotoshi), or deflect and strike (ukenagashi). These cannot be categorized as blocking as these actions are done with the objective of cutting or thrusting the enemy. All these techniques are used to place yourself in an advantageous position. For example, when you are doing kiriotoshi the goal should be to cut the enemies body, and the instant you perform ukenagashi you must turn your blade and strike him. While doing this you must not even allow the tiniest opportunity for the enemy to attack you.

Its useless simply to just stop or block the enemies attack. In deflecting or receiving a blade you must instantly turn it into an attack. Simply blocking/stopping the enemies attack is not beneficial (in defeating your enemy).

Therefore, the merit of kendo is using “sen sen no sen” to take the lead and attack with strong resolution and overwhelming power, all the time without leaving any opening for the enemy to attack you. This will lead to a superb victory.

If you stop to think for a while, this method is not simply about flying blindly into an attack; rather it's about spending a long time working out when the right time is to attack, learning about what works when and what doesn’t (the principles)… only after you do this can you gain (true) victory.

(This is an excerpt from the excellent blog KENSHI247)

We can practice our arts in this way. Karate may be a little trickier, I will keep trying and let you know how I'm doing with it... There are a good supply of strong young stallions at the Dojo, always eager to see what they can do against the old man... There are even a few fighters I would rather have on my side than against me in a bar fight. I am thankful for them.  

"A vaincre sans péril, on triomphe sans gloire". 

There is no glory in winning if you take no risk. 

And then, how about applying this to Zen ?

In Bushido you don't hit the balls !

2011-05-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hilarious comedy sketch by Katocha and  Kenchan (from the band/comedy group Dorifu).

A disciple asks his master to teach him Kenjutsu, but the master does not consent.

Any resemblance to person or persons living or dead, facts or events is purely coincidental.

Weight of Swords

2011-05-02T19:54:00.000-07:00

I was once asked how today's practice of Martial Arts differed from Samurai's practice of years ago. In essence, my answer was :  "It's very simple : when I get on the ring to compete  today, my life is not at stake. If I make a mistake, the consequences  won't be catastrophic for myself, for my family, for my clan, my  country..."

Here is a high speed camera compilation of the 8th All Japan Kendo Hachi-Dan (8th dan) Championship of 2010.

This is truly amazing, very high level and beautiful Kendo. 

But then, as you can see, in most cases, the strikes are almost simultaneous. The winner hits before his opponent hits him and so, in a real confrontation, both opponents would be cut.

 They would both survive, or die, or only one would survive (probably crippled for a while or ever) and the other die.

If at the end of a fight both opponents die, or are left crippled, did anybody win ? 

If I want to win above all, I will do whatever it takes for this, including putting my own life at risk. Whereas if my goal is to NOT LOSE, then I will let my opponent take the risks. This makes the big difference between today's practice of Martial Arts as sports and their practice on the battle fields. 

Also, because of the emphasis on winning at all cost, weapons have been modified to allow for a much faster game. I do not think there is any way one could ever use a regular katana as fast as these shinai are used.

A 39" Kendo Shinai weighs between 1/3 and 1/2 the weight of a regular katana... If you wish to practice more in the spirit of samurai swordsmanship, you should try to use something heavier, it would slow down your practice, (unless you're a Jigen Ryu  student) and bring more realism and intensity to it.

This table summarizes the weights of various contemporary swords, shinai, boken, iaito, katana...:

WEIGHT OF SWORDS

SWORD	Weight (lb)	Weight (g)	Seller
Regular Kendo Bamboo Shinai (39”)	1 lb 1oz	500 g
PAUL CHEN TSURU IAITO (29” blade)	2 lb	907 g
PAUL Chen Practical Pro Katana (29 ½" Blade)	3 lb	1360 g
Paul Chen Practical Pro Elite Katana (29” Blade)	2lb 13 oz	1276 g
Itto Ryu Bokuto (E Bogu) total length 39”	1 lb 5.6 oz	613 g	e-bogu
SHINAI SHAPE Bokken for Suburi total length 39”	1.85 lb	840 g	e-bogu
Suburi Bokken With Groove (Red)	2 lb 2.1 oz	968g	e-bogu
Suburi Shinai for Training Pieces 4	2.02 lb	915 g	e-bogu
Suburi Shinai for Training Pieces 6	2 lb 5.4 oz	1060 g	e-bogu

From different sources, it seems that an average katana blade of a 27 or 28" length would have weighted between 900 and 1100 g (2 to 2.2 lb). This is the weight of a bare blade without any koshirae (mountings : Tsuba, tsuka, etc...). A mounted blade (without the saya) would probably weight between between 1200 and 1400 g.

So if you want to practice in a more realistic way, you should : 
get yourself a heavy 6 blades shinai, I know, at $ 75.00 it's a little pricey... 

make sure when you cut your opponent, that you do it without  putting yourself at any risk of being cut. (No Aiuchi)

Respectfully...
 

Jigen-ryu Kenjutsu

2011-05-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

Jigen-ryu Hyoho Kenjutsu (示現流兵法剣術) was founded at the end of the 16th century  in Satsuma Province (now Kagoshima prefecture in Southern Kyushu) by a man named Togo Chui.

Jigen-ryu Kenjutsu is known for its emphasis on the first strike (during practice, a long wooden stick is used to hit a vertical pole or tree). During a hard practice,  the wood is said to give off the smell of smoke. During the Edo period,  at the height of its popularity, adepts of Jigen-ryū were said to  practice striking the pole 3,000 times in the morning, and another 8,000  times in the afternoon... Can you imagine how your hands would be after just 100 full power hits with a big wooden stick against a much bigger pole...

Click for Other Video

To illustrate the power of the Satsuma warriors, it is said that after the Battle of Toba-Fushimi which opposed forces loyal to the Shogunate to forces loyal to the Emperor in 1863, the heads of many dead samurai of the shogunate forces were found with the back of their own swords driven into their foreheads. It seems they had a hard time defending against the attack of a Jigen-ryu samurai.

But Jigen ryu also had some influence on Okinawan Karate. 

In 1609, Shimazu Tadatsune, Lord of Satsuma, together with his 2500 well-trained samurai had invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom and forced King Sho Nei to surrender.

During the 19th century, Sokon (Bushi) Matsumura (1797-1889), a renowned Martial Artist and Dignitary of the Ryukyu government, traveled and sojourned several times in Satsuma.

According to Soshin Nagamine's Tales of Okinawa's great Masters, he was one of the few if not the only one among the inhabitants of Okinawa to be allowed to study and become skilled in Jigen-ryu kenjutsu. 

Bushi Matsumura taught shuri-te to Itosu Anko (1831-1915). He also was the maternal grandfather of Tsuyoshi Chitose, founder of Chito Ryu Karate, himself Teacher of Katsuoh Yamamoto, founder of Yoshukai Karate.

Medication in Movement

2011-04-29T08:45:00.000-07:00

Tai Chi has often be described as "meditation in movement" and it is true that Tai Chi can be practiced as a Meditation exercise, and can also be practiced in order top help regular Sitting  Meditation as we practice in Zen. Now, according to a Harvard  Medical School newsletter,   tai chi is increasingly seen as a form of "medication in motion."

 Visit  an urban park in China any given  morning or late afternoon, and you're  likely to find elderly people  engaged in Tai Chi. 

Visit  an urban park in China any given  morning or late afternoon, and you're  likely to find elderly people  engaged in Tai Chi. 

A study  out this week in Archives of Internal Medicine says it may  help people suffering from heart  failure  feel  better about life. In a quality of life questionnaire  the researchers gave out, those who  practiced tai chi scored  significantly higher than those who hadn't been  doing the movement. The  tai chi group also reported an improvement in  mood.

                               
Heart  failure is a tough disease to live with; the shortness of breath and  low energy that can come because the heart can't pump enough blood make  physical activity unappealing. "Historically,  patients with chronic  systolic heart failure were considered too frail  to exercise  and, through the late 1980s, avoidance of physical activity  was a  standard recommendation," the study's authors write.

It's been shown to be useful  in  treating a wide range of diseases from breast cancer to Parkinson's.   The National  Institutes of Health has also jumped on board and is funding a  variety of studies on tai chi for chronic disease.

The Archives of Internal Medicine study is the  first large clinical trial to look at whether a tai chi program can do  anything for people with heart failure. The researchers recruited  100 people with the chronic condition from heart clinics in Boston.  About half were randomly assigned to  receive a 12-week tai chi exercise  program. The other half got a heart  health education program.

The  tai chi program started off with some  traditional warm-up exercises of  arm swinging, gentle stretches,  breathing, and visualization techniques.  Then patients learned five  simple movements designed to release tension  in the body, increase  awareness of breathing, and relax the body and  mind. Patients got an  instructional video tape, and were encouraged to  practice at home at  least 3 times a week.

The  study  authors say there's a usually a strong relationship between  depression  and heart failure, so the fact that tai chi helped cheer  people up was  an especially good sign.

Respect and Manner

2011-04-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

A nice little spot about Bowing, Respect, in the context of Kendo

When I was a kid in a French primary school, there was quite a bit of fighting, all the time, nothing vicious. There were few rules, of course unwritten. You did not beat the hell out of  someone smaller than you. Once you had won and your opponent submitted, that was the end of it... Fighting under these circumstances usually generated respect.

Actually, I made a few friends fighting them.

The Zero Tolerance about fighting in our schools is hypocritical, shameful, and dangerous. 

Kids who are bullied can't vent their anger, one day they grab a gun and bring it to school... Or if they cannot find a gun, they might commit suicide... If they had had the opportunity to beat the crap out of the bullies, maybe lots of terrible tragedies would not have happened.

It is easy, and it is wrong, to systematically ground both students who get in a fight. The right thing to do would be to figure out why the fight happened, and decide in all fairness what to do. Otherwise, how do you want the kids to understand what justice is about ?

Reigi o Omonzubeshi

Huineng and the Rice Sieve.

2011-04-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

In the first chapter of the Platform Sutra, Zen's 6th Patriarch Huineng tells the story of his life.

After a first episode of enlightenment in his native Kwangtung, Huineng travels far from home to meet the 5th Patriarch Hongren.  At his arrival at the Monastery, Hongren asks him a few questions, realizes he was pretty sharp, and sends him to work in the kitchens. 

After several month spent  pounding rice, Huineng - who can neither write or read - enters a sort of spiritual poetry contest in which also compete the smartest monk of the place. 

He asks one of his colleagues from the kitchen to write his Stanza for him on one wall of the Monastery. 

Impressed by what he read, but not willing to let anyone know about it, Hongren does not say much. Instead, one evening, he goes to the room where Huineng is pounding rice.

Huineng goes on:

Seeing that I was working there with a stone pestle, he said to me, "A seeker of the Path risks his life for the Dharma.  Should he not do so? " Then he asked, "Is the rice ready? " "Ready long ago, " I replied, "only waiting for the sieve.  " He knocked the mortar thrice with his stick and left. 

Knowing what his message meant, in the third watch of the night I went to his room..."

Now, what is this "sieve" business here ? Honestly ? Can you figure this out? This does not seem to add anything to the story. But, Zen Masters are not known to act without reason.  Huineng could simply tell us that Hongren asked him to come see him later that night. But No! He insists on this sieve story, so there must be something to it that we don't get, and is worth investigating...

I researched Rice agriculture and processing, and learned quite a bit on the subject and its relation to Kobudo - I'll post about that later - but it did not help my understanding of this part of the Platform Sutra. The only relevant fact out of this research is that yes, lots of sieves are used at different stages of rice processing.

Actually, I found the explanation when and where I was not looking for it (is that familiar or what???) in a book by Nan Huai Chin : the Story of Chinese Zen.

It was not to be found in technical details of Rice production, cultivation or preparation, but is of linguistic nature. It is simply that in Ancient Chinese, "The word for "sifting" has the same sound as the word "teacher" ..."

 Now this is what Nan Huai Chin says, and I won't argue with him for my knowledge of Chinese is to say the least, extremely limited, even more so of Antique Cantonese...

So you see, sometimes things are much simpler thatn you think they might be. Providing you know the language...

In a later post I'll tell you about what I found about Rice Agriculture and it's influence on Kobudo (classical weapon traditions of Okinawan martial arts)
  

2011 World Tai Chi Day

2011-04-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

Only TWO WEEKS LEFT until a new edition of this historic event ...

This year, on Saturday, April 30^th,

WORLD TAI CHI DAY

will be celebrated at the Dothan Area Botanical Garden

On that particular day, at 10.00 AM local time, Tai Chi and Qi Gong Practitioners from all over the World, from Tokyo to Paris and Atlanta are going to practice. Here in the Wiregrass, we will meet on the beautiful lawns of the Botanical Garden.

Please join us for this Free event with your whole family - no special clothing required - T-shirt and short or jogging pants.

Take this opportunity to visit our gorgeous Botanical Garden, the Herbs and Rose gardens, The KOI pond with its beautiful Japanese bridge. And stay for a picnic right after the event...

This year we will practice gentle stretching and balance enhancing moves from the Yi Jin Jing, a set of exercise developed in 6^th century China by Zen Master Bodhidharma.

When the First Patriarch came from India to China to teach Zen, he settled at the Shaolin Monastery. According to the Legend, as he found that the monks there were not in very good physical shape, he taught them special Yoga moves that would enhance their Health. He specifically taught 2 exercises Yi Jin Jing, and Xi Sui Jing.

This year, we will practice together the moves of Yi Jin Jing.

For those willing to be BETTER PREPARED for this world event, 1 Free Seminar will be offered on Thursday, April 28^th at 6 PM at Westgate Park.

World Tai chi Day is sponsored locally by Frédéric Lecut’s School of Martial Arts and the City of Dothan Department of Leisure Services..

For more information about the whole worldwide event, please visit the remarkable website of the World Tai Chi and Qi Gong Day Organization (www.worldtaichiday.org)

For more information about the local event, please contact

Frédéric Lecut (334) 798 1639 – frederic.lecut@gmail.com

Larry PATRICK (334) 615 3712 – lcpatrick@dothan.org

Directions to the Botanical Garden

The BRIDGE

2011-04-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

Were 3 major schools of engineering.

It was not easy to get in these schools. The judges would only take the ones with the best grades.

The smartest where the “X's”. Nobody really knows why they were named like this. The X's were very intelligent, really really good in math. They could understand every possible scientific theory and explain and successfully use them. X's were the top engineers of the Galaxy. Unfortunately, they would often use complicated words to try to explain all these scientific theories, and other people could not understand them. Which could be a problem when they were trying to work with people not as smart as themselves

Just underneath the X's came the “Centralians”. They were named like this because they believed that their activities were Central to the smooth operation of the Empire. (BTW, they were the only ones to believe it). Centralians were very intelligent people too, although not quite as smart as the X's. In fact, Centralians all secretly wished they had been X's. But they had not. Still, they were very intelligent and hard working people too, they could understand a great number of great scientific theories, they even could understand almost everything an X would say – which, as I already said, is not always easy.

And last, but not least, the Gadz'Arts who, although they could do good engineering, also liked Art and Beauty, and would spend lots of time in their shops trying to build beautiful things. They were intelligent too, but clearly not as bright as the X's. They knew it, and didn't really care. The Gadz'Arts minded their own business, they might not fully understand all the science behind their engineering, but they still did the job. Needless to say, the X's and Centralians tended to look at them as not very serious people who could not really understand the science behind what they were doing, had a strange attraction for Art, and would sometimes spend too much time on a project to make sure everything was properly executed.

In the big colonies under jurisdiction of the Empire, the big bosses where the X's, the Centralians translated to others what the X's really wanted, and the Gardz'Arts – once they had been told what the X's really wanted, were actually making it happen.

One day, the Emperor summoned the head of the 3 alumni organizations and told them :

“You see that River down from the town. I want each one of you to select one Engineer among your bests to build me a bridge across it. Money is not an issue, each one of you builds me a bridge. I will come back in one year, and see what you have been able to do.”

Each school selected one head engineer who recruited a team, and they went to work.

and this is what happened :

The X's used the latest technologies to build a very sophisticated bridge. Which collapsed. But they knew why it had collapsed, and they were ready to build it anew.
The Centralians used the same kind of technologies to build their bridge. It also collapsed, but they did not know why.
The Gadz'Arts - who had not hear about the latest technology, built their bridge according to the old ways. Their bridge did not collapse, and they did not know why.

If I have not verified for myself that something actually works, I won't tell you it does. Don't take anything for granted, don't trust anything because it is written, or because someone of authority tells you this is the way it works. Try for yourself...

Le Pont du Gard built by Roman Engineers during the 1st century

Incidentally, I happen to be one of these Gadz'Arts, as is my Dad, a sort of family tradition...

The Armadillo, Mushin and the 5 Skandhas

2011-04-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

10:00 pm Monday night, Back from Karate and Zen, driving home on 431 North between Dothan and Headland. Clear sky, the road a long band of black asphalt lit up by the headlights.
Something on the road. It should not be there. Small, moving - it's alive, brownish color. Obviously an animal, it could be a cat, a possum, a raccoon, an armadillo. By its color, the way it moves, more likely an armadillo. But not enough time to say.
Numerous animals killed on our roads, impossible to avoid this one, likely going to die. Bad Feeling.
Stir the car - keep the wheels on both side of the animal, fortunately in the middle of the lane.
To escape predators, armadillos jump up to 4 feet vertically in the air, and then run away. When a car drives over them, they jump, they hit the bottom of the car - they die. No noise from under the car. This one must have survived. Good...

At 55 miles per hour this whole story lasted probably less than 2 seconds. While the whole event was happening, there was absolutely no ego, no "I" involved. Now that I am telling the story, I use the concept. But at the time, there was just the sudden awareness of a shape on the road, the recognition that it very likely was an armadillo, a bad feeling about it, the expectation that it was going to die, and the automatic move of the hands to try to keep the wheels of the car away from the creature.

Now that I am telling the story, I can say that I saw something, I identified it as an animal, probably an armadillo, I felt bad about the fact it was probably going to die, I tried to avoid it...

But these are just figures of speech, when it happened there was no "I" involved.

A form on the road
Awareness of it
It's an armadillo
Bad feeling
Hands adjust direction on the steering wheel. No Bump.

The 5 skandhas at work. 

I realized last night they actually are a very accurate way to describe that sort of experience. And that in fact, there really is no need of an "I" to describe what actually happens.

When something happens fast, the introduction of the "I" - separate from the action - is a waste of time. If someone attacks you or your car starts skidding on a slippery road and you wonder what you should do - it's probably too late. You need to act without having to think, somehow "you" are not even acting, but the action happens through you. I know it sounds funny, but if you have been in such a situation before, you must know what I mean. 

And this is why training is important...

Mushin - Empty Heart - is the ability to react to a situation without prejudice, without fear, without the interference of ANY concept.

Yesterday's Armadillo encounter clearly showed me one thing : "I" is a concept, a figure of speech. And for lack of a better way to word it, I can actually operate without it.

You are Invited

2011-03-29T07:56:00.000-07:00

Come practice Shikantaza (sitting meditation) with us on April 10 in a traditional Japanese Dojo. 

The Dharma gates are endless...

(Headland Dojo - 610 Mitchell Street, Headland, AL 36345)

Arrive around 9:30, We'll sit from 10:00 to 11:30 - 3 sessions of 25 minutes with 5 minutes Kinhin (walking meditation) in between. Chant the Hanya Shingyo (Heart Sutra) together and discuss the five skandhas, an interesting feature of Buddhist (and Hindu) psychology. 

This event is free - but you may donate whatever you can to help furnish the Dojo in Sitting supplies (Cushions, Benches, etc...)

For more information call me at (334) 798 1639 or email at frederic.lecut@gmail.com

Mugen and Yosei no Sai : Yoshukai only Kata

2011-03-24T08:21:00.000-07:00

Yoshukai Karate has numerous open hand and weapon kata.

There are however 2 Kata that are purely Yoshukai.

MUGEN  - 無限 - means Endless, or Infinity. This open hand Kata was created by our Grandmaster Katsuoh Yamamoto.

YOSEI NO SAI was created by Sensei Hiroyuki Koda (1944-1997). 

"Yosei" has 2 meanings. One is "Ocean". But "Yosei" is also an other way to read Sensei Koda's first name "Hiroyuki". 

So that "Yosei no Sai" means "Sai of the Ocean", and it also means "Hiroyuki's Sai".(Sensei Koda's Sai)

This was explained to me by Sensei Hiroaki Toyama at the Yoshukai Winter Camp in 2011.

(And Mugen is also my Dog's name...)

Tai Chi eases depression for the Elderly

2011-03-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

More than 2 million people over the age of 65 and 50 % of people living in nursing homes suffer from depression. 

In the next 35 years, the number of Americans over 65 will double and the number of those over 85 will triple.

So here is the $1,000,000.00 question : How can elderly people fight depression ? 

Researchers from the University of California in Los Angeles, studied 112 older adults suffering from major depression. Their average age was about 70. 

Each patient received a common antidepressant during one month. 73 participants in the group showed partial improvement and were assigned to 10 weeks of either a Tai Chi class or a Health Education class including 10 minutes of  basic stretching exercises. Both classes lasted two hours once a week.

After 10 weeks of Tai Chi, 94 % of the participants showed marked improvement on depression scales, compared with 77 % in the health education group. 

Also 65 % of the people in the Tai Chi group experienced remission, compared with 51 % in the education group.

The Tai Chi group also showed marked improvement in measures of physical function, cognitive tests and blood tests measuring levels of inflammation.

According to Dr. Lavretsky, lead author of the study “If a psychiatrist were to add exercise like Tai Chi, which is very non-demanding and easy to access, that would be a very beneficial thing instead of adding another drug.”

Dr. Lavretsky added that one reason both study groups showed improvement was that all the patients probably benefited from interaction with other people. “I’m sure the social aspect contributed to the improvement in both groups,’’ she said. “In the control group we see improvement, and that was purely because of the social interaction and bonding that occurred.”

Depression is difficult to treat in older people - two-thirds of them don’t respond to initial drug therapy. Often when a patient doesn’t respond to a first drug, an additional drug is given, but that may prove tricky for patients who may sometimes already be taking all the way up to 10 other drugs for other health problems. 

“This is very easily translatable into community care,’’ said Dr. Lavretsky. “As their health improves, they may be able to reduce the other drugs they are taking for pain or other problems.”

Link to the UCLA Study

Tai Chi and Depression Study (University of Queensland,  Australia) 