Friday, January 1, 2010

2010 - Year of the Tiger :-)

Hello friends! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

First let me say THANK YOU for your friendship and training over the many years we've spent together. Last year was a very exciting year and ended with myself struggling with a new level of training and understanding of Soke's budo. Such is the warrior path, never comfortable, never satisfied, and never settling. It personifies the term "gambatte", or "keep going". In real combat, you have to keep moving or you will die. The same is true in life and training. If you aren't moving on, you will fall.

In what has become a global tradition in the Bujinkan community, Shihan Jack Hoban (15th dan) has written his New Year's message on his website. Please take the time to read it - http://www.livingvalues.com/theme2010.html. Jack has an amazing way of taking Soke's multi-level expression of this art and transforming it into a common sense, real world approach. There's a reason Soke named Jack as one of his top instructors for teaching his budo to us westerners.

This year is the year of Tora, or Tiger. In Japanese mythology, the tiger is the opposite of the Dragon and the two are said to be always in contrast to each other. Yet, it is in this dual relationship that both struggle and harmony exist. Where the dragon soars above in the ethereal heavens, with it's great vision and ability to be above everything else below, the tiger is the one solidly rooted in the earthly world, fierce and courageous, full of passion and using it's great physical power to interact and survive in the brutality and harshness of the physical world. These two move around each other in a relationship of attraction and repulsion, like the in and yo (or yin and yang) symbol.

I bring this up because the painting Soke made for me when I passed my godan test in 2007 is a mysterious piece of both calligraphy and symbolic art, yet when I asked for clarification, Soke said it is "Ryuuko Hikan". The first half, "Ryuuko" is the dragon (ryuu) and tiger (ko). The third, "Hikan", means "Secret Scroll". But, the Ryuuko or combined relationship of dragon and tiger, is what I have made the root of my own personal path, and used as the name for our training group. There is a deep significance for me in this name and I believe this year, being the tora, or ko, will also carry deep significance.

But, it is important to understand that it isn't the tiger, or the dragon, that is the focus. Rather, we should seek the kukan, or space, that exists between them. It is in that space that one can move, create, and live free.

With that said, I have been thinking heavily on what to dedicate this year's training to. Of course, my first dedication is to capturing the feeling of Soke's budo as best as I can, with whatever exposure to it I can get. But, also I find that the training for 2010 should also capture the feeling of the symbolism of the Tiger. For me, this means that training needs to be based in common sense, real world skills. But, even more importantly, the training should have the feeling of the heart of a tiger. This is something easily lost when training becomes comfortable, safe and routine. In the real world, "routine" gets you killed. Letting your guard down out of familiarity will leave you vulnerable. So, why train that way?

I want us to light a fire in our own training. Passion has to be the core, the fuel, for training. If you find yourself comfortable in your training, step outside that comfort. Bring back that passion, that drive, that courage to face risks. It's in the struggle and sacrifice that growth and change happens. If you don't have that in your life, in your training, I encourage you to embrace it now.

As far as Soke's theme this year, he said that it is "Rokkon Shou Jou". Now, there are several implications and meaning for this and, with Soke, you never really know what direction things will go or what teaching will come from it. But, as a starter, I highly recommend you take the time to read Shihan Duncan Stewart's blog post on it: http://tazziedevil.wordpress.com/rokkon-shou-jou/.

Last year, the theme Soke used was Nouryoku Kokoro Utsuwa, or "Talent, Heart, Capacity", also known as the balance of mind, heart or spirit, and potential. But, this year it would seem we are transitioning into a twist of "Rokkon Shou Jou" to mean "the purification of the senses through laughter". How this will mean to us may vary and Soke may also reveal his own clarification on this topic. But, for now, I think the feeling is what is most important. I am reminded of a phrase I am seeing more and more common in today's society: "Live, Laugh, Love". This kind of Sanshin ("3 Hearts") is the secret to living fully. For me, it is at the root of Soke's budo and goes far beyond the kata. It is the kokoro, or heart, of budo.

It is this passion for living that I want to embody, to pursue, in our training and, for me, in every area of my life. It is the theme for the Ryuuko Hikan Dojo for 2010. I encourage you to make it yours as well.

Happy New Year!