Reflections on 2011...

As 2011 winds down to the last few days and a new year is right around the corner, I am finding myself reflecting on the past year and how that has shaped going into 2012.  Our Soke (grandmaster) dedicated 2011 to "Kihon Happo", with his usual play on kanji to provide alternate meanings and deeper significance.  For 2012, he announced the theme would center on "ken" or sword, with possibly longer weapons like yari (spear) and naginata (polearm).  However, as history has shown, what he actually teaches throughout the year will likely take many twists and turns, like following a good mystery story.

And that's just the point.

The mystery of Soke's budo is as elusive and subtle as a butterfly, yet as hard hitting and sometimes overwhelming as a bull.  Those who try to keep up with him only find themselves lost and confused, but struggling to continue on.  I believe that is the ultimate lesson he gives - to keep going ("gambatte") even when nothing makes sense.  Even when the mind is confused, one cannot stop and struggle.  He or she must let go and keep going, to be free, to be zero.  It is not necessary to understand, only to keep going.

In looking back at 2011, I made the year about our Kihon or fundamentals.  I started the year teaching most of the Tenchijin Ryaku no Maki, the 3 part book of selected techniques and skills that our Soke put together as a comprehensive training guide to help establish a foundation.  We ended the year with a little review from the students, having them come out and demonstrate something, anything, from their training experiences over the last year - and then we broke it down to look at possibilities, the inner workings and tied it together with other concepts and techniques.  So, we started with form and ended with no form.

In between the start and end of 2011 held many excellent training opportunities, with some exciting and educational workshops and seminars from top instructors, many of whom went to Japan to train with Soke and the Japanese senior teachers on many occasions throughout the year.  Having them to work with really helped me to try and keep in touch with the feeling of Soke's budo, even if I may not always have understood exactly what was being conveyed.  As I said previously, it's not important to understand with the mind.  It's important to keep moving the body.

This year I also found myself focusing my own training and teaching on what to do when taken to the ground.  With the help of some cross training friends, I picked up several really good techniques for escaping and even reversing somebody who is on top of you and trying to pound you into the dirt.  Even though these techniques came from a sport background, I found many ways to incorporate my Bujinkan training into these techniques, to take advantage of weak points and openings and use my ukemi taihen skills to protect myself, weaken their position, find the safe spaces/angles and escape or counter.  I wasn't trying to be any kind of MMA guy.  Rather, I saw this as a great opportunity to 'fix' a hole or vulnerability in my own training.  I also took on this new avenue of training with the pragmatic perspective to consider the reality of weapons, multiple attackers, environmental dangers (curb, stairs, furniture, passing vehicles, etc).

And, I also shared this with my own students - who quickly found great value in the training and I believe have a good foundation to deal with the reality that we may very well end up on our backs with a hostile attacker on top, pounding away at us with a rain of fists, fingers and elbows.  Or, maybe a weapon like a knife or firearm...

At a few points during the year, I learned some really good foundational techniques for using the katana and tachi swords.  I had some really bad habits that developed over the many years without my awareness and, thankfully, some good friends whom I value as my sempai (seniors) took the time to point out and provide correct instruction.  Now I can go confidently into 2012 with a good idea of what "ken kihon" to diligently train on, to not only close the holes, reverse the bad movement habits, but to also have correct form, control of proper distance and efficient power delivery.  Through this new awakening, I found that these things actually brought my kenjutsu more in line with my taijutsu - so that my kenjutsu and taijutsu are becoming one -jutsu.  I've always known that, but somehow it didn't translate in my body to my kenjutsu.

And, that leads me into where I feel I need to go in 2012.  I want to bring all my -jutsu into one.  We have our bugei, or warrior arts, that include weapons, striking, kicking, throwing, grappling, etc.  It is easy to pursue the various skills as seperate areas of study.  But, as was the case with my sword skills, this can lead to problems.  For my own training, I want to work harder to blend these bugei into one, so that there is no separation, no differences, no holes.  My body should work the same, no matter what -jutsu I am incorporating.  That means I am undefined; I am zero.

That's a lot harder than it sounds, believe me!

So, the reflections continue, as I work to find gems of lessons I may have missed or see the past with new eyes so that I may get as much from it as possible.  Then, with 2012 and a whole new year of training and learning ahead, I am excited to see what seeds planted then will start to blossom out now.

Gambatte!

Buyu

Friends...

I have many kinds of friends, like work friends, friends of friends, friends I see maybe once in a while, friends I see all the time, and even Facebook "friends" whom I've never personally met but share a common interest or two.  All my friends share important roles in my life and our connection is always maintained in some way, even with distance and time between us.

I even have those friends from my military "past life" and those who I've never served with, but because of our common military background, we just click as friends.

There are some friends who I consider family, because the connection of history and life between us is so intertwined that our relationship is no different than a family member.  In fact, some friends I am closer to than my own family, in the sense that they've shared more of my life than many members of my own family.

But, out of all those kinds of friends, none of them come close to the kind of unique relationship that exists with my friends in martial arts.  The martial arts are not the same as the military, yet they encompass a sort of pseudo military context.  However, the pursuit of martial arts is as much a personal quest of self-discovery as it is about learning survival and fighting skills.  It is this point that puts friendships in martial arts on a unique platform from all other kinds of friendships.  True "buyu" (martial arts friends) have a kinship with each other because each knows the internal and external struggles the other continues to face as they progress in training.  Each one knows there are ups and downs, success and disappointment, and the all-too-familiar question of "why" they each keep training.  They each know the walls, the plateaus, the high from moments of "getting it" and the lows of not "getting it".
There is a level of honesty that goes beyond boasting, masks and ego.  They know in the end, it's what they do on the mat that ultimately reveals the truth.  True buyu is based on respect because they each know they are willing to allow the other to see their imperfections, share in their success and lean on each other in their challenges.

It's a friendship that is truly unique and one to be cherished, nurtured and valued.

At the same time, this trust should not ever be violated.  Real buyu don't turn on each other, don't lead the other to failure, don't seek harm to the other and don't abandon the other in a time of need.

Recently, I have seen martial arts friends talk critically of each other, make fun of certain behaviors and do things that would be perceived as violating that spirit of trusted buyu.  But, I've also seen those same people be the first to stand up and welcome each other with hugs and even come to the defense of a fellow buyu against someone saying derogatory things.

My point is that we, as buyu, may bicker with each other, we may talk trash with each other, we may poke fun at each other, but when it comes down to it, we will still back each other up and defend each other against those not part of the special relationship that exists between us.

Funny, but that's exactly how it is in even the closest of families!  Coincidence?  I think not.