Japanton – Chronicles of Anton in Japan!

I have this weakness that I am unable to shake.  Every time I preform a technique that doesn’t work I blame myself not the technique, not the art.

I figure that the techniques which have endured through so many generations have done so because they work.  So if I can’t get the techniques to work, I am the problem not them.

Understanding this is necessary to improve.  I know many talented individuals whom have attained a certain level in several martial arts but that’s as far as they ever go.  I have trained briefly in may different martial arts out of interest but I have chosen my path.  I have chosen to delve into the deeper levels of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu.

I don’t feel the need for cross training.  I will not take away from the value of training in other martial arts that I have experienced over the years.  My love of the martial arts started with Karate 19 years ago.  I still think back fondly on the thousands of push ups from my youth.  The point is that once I saw what was possible in the Bujinkan, I lost my desire for the other arts.

Which brings me back to my weakness, I know the ideal.  I have seen an image of what I want my martial arts to become so when I fall short it’s just me.  I have no one to blame but myself and I can only look to myself to make it right.

I will see if I can’t create an appropriate Haiku to end this post.  Haiku’s are tough, I don’t know how Shawn does it.

The topic of fitness and Budo has come up in the past few months so often that I wanted to write about it.  Everytime I wanted to I was caught in an infuriating (in my opinion) conversation, I do not like to write blog posts with my grey matter thus troubled.

With able body,
And unhindered reasoning,
True budo aspired.

I made this haiku for to explain what I have been told by Japanese shihan.  I wrote about it often in my posts.  The way that we are ridiculed by Japanese instructors because of our poor physical condition.  Besides not knowing the techniques needed to progress in our art, our bodies are in no shape to even preform the techniques of the Bujinkan.  We have quite the audacity trying to pass on our sloppy techniques to others.

I of course don’t want to get carried away and turn our classes into exercise classes but come on, we should know a bit about what we eat and effective ways to keep our bodies flexible and strong for the sake of taijutsu.  The techniques don’t require speed or strength but if we don’t take care of our bodies how can we hope to attain the most important technique from Hatsumi Sensei, being able to move like a 30 year old when we are 77?

Being able to do it your own way is not good enough either.  From conversations that I have had with the senior Japanese shihan, if you can’t do the kihon then why do you bother coming to see Hatsumi sensei?  As I have said before, one of them was astounded that he had a class who wanted to do the kihon so he gave us the gift of an hour worth of training on our tsuki (punch or thrust).  After that he told us that if we practised that every day for a year we could relearn the basics without habits.

In the haiku I mentioned that able body and unhindered reasoning.  There are very few people in the Bujinkan that I give a pass on technique.  Those few whom find themselves in a wheelchair or otherwise infirm I know can not do techniques as taught by the shihan.  Otherwise, it’s time to get to work lets get our bodies and movement right.

I look forward to the madness this post will cause.

To all of my seniors in the Bujinkan from whom I have received so much, Shinnen omedetou gozaimasu.  Please take care of me again this coming year as it is quite obvious that I need some Budo help.

Now that I feel I have given enough time for those who read this blog to remember Brad and reflect on his words I will continue on a regular Japanton schedule.  I do not know when Japanton round 8 will be yet.  First I have to get ready for the Canadian Tai Kai which I recommend everyone who is able attend.

That’s all for now.

I can not say enough good about the short time that I knew Brad.  I was looking for a way to properly remember him on my blog.  That’s the least that I can do.  I found this post he wrote so I thought I would share it.  It speaks volumes to the quality of man that he is.  It’s a post on testing what you know taken for kutaki.org, sorry Shawn.

A small bit of my background will explain what I have experienced in my training. I started in the Bujinkan in 1987 when I was 16 years old. I had trained in other MA since the age of 9 years and had done quite well. When I say my 1st Booj instructor move I was hooked. This person had speed, power, flexibility and raw ferocity that seemed to defy reality. I began training the next class. We would condition ourselves by smashing shinai into our bodies to build up resistance to strikes we would hit anything hard. We would bare knuckle spar all the time. We would have people come to the dojo to challenge us even. We would boast all over the city that we were the best. By the time I was 20 I had had countless challenges from high ranking students from every type of Martial Arts that were in the city. I never lost. Why? I had no fear. I would never quit no matter how hurt I was. My body was a finely tuned machine for fighting and I tested it all the time.
If you are still with me here is what all of that got me.
In 1991 I went to the Texas Taikai (my 1st ever) and was blown away by sensei and others. I had also been extremely disappointed by what I saw too. I remember Mr. Severe doing a demo with his students and can attest to his skill and ferocity. I like it he trained like I did and as I thought everyone should. I saw others that I felt were not worthy of the rank that they held.
Then I met a person who shed some light on what I had seen.
Her name is Abi Allen and I will be grateful to her forever. She told me that I could learn a lot from everyone there and that I should not be closed to others. I was young and stupid (I can say it I was) and did not really get it.
Sorry that this is long winded by I do have a point.
She came to Canada for my wedding and a seminar and I had the opportunity to train with her. She tried to teach me to open up but could see that I was a closed door. She then told me to show her what I had. She then proceeded to beat me like a dog for the next hour. No matter what I did she was better than me. After an hour I was exhausted and could barley move. She asked me how I felt and I told her I was beaten. She said well now we can get started. She proceeded to teach me sanshin for the next few hours and as I learned to move properly she talked to me about me, her, life, Hatsumi, ect…

I have trained the way she has instructed me from then on and have been growing ever since. What I have learned is that I am an exponentially better “fighter” than I was before but more importantly I am a better person. I do not regret my earlier training although it caused numerous bone and joint problems and I ended up with a Kidney transplant due to the severe training. But when I teach my students I train as Hatsumi and the Shihan do. The skills and methods have been tested under conditions we can just barley imagine. I have learned to trust those that have gone before me and have suffered so that I do not have to. Instead of trying to chase reality scenarios do the techniques exactly as shown by your teachers. If you do this then the fighting part will take care of itself.

Just my personal experience

Brad V

In your passing you teach me I have to live a life without regrets.  Brad, I will miss you.

Last night I ranked my second 5th kyu ever.  At our school you do not receive a green belt until you are 5th kyu.   The reason this is done is I want a clear distinction in Skill from a beginner to experienced practitioner.  This does not happen very often in the Bujinkan so you have no idea to whom you should look for guidance.  I will also go on to say that once you reach 5th kyu your training must change.  You are now one of the students whom will be chosen for techniques where there is difficult ukemi or harder hits.

Basically you become a personal Yabu-san.  Anyhow Congratz Marcus on your rank, for us it’s a big one.

I have had some questions recently about why Edmonton is a TenChiJin club.  Well the answer is simple, I don’t want to recreate the wheel.  I think that it is important to have a guideline to follow as we pursue our study of Budo.  I think that the progression which Bill Atkins has his students follow (of which I am one) is effective.  I understand the he has not had the chance to get to Japan as of late and I am alright with that.  The fact of the matter is that I have made it to Japan and because I have not been training in the art for a long time, there is a background of information which I need that he has.

I hold a respect (not reverence) of teachers whom have a history in this martial art.  Many of the new generation get pushed through the ranks without having the same groundwork as the older practitioners.  I am not arrogant enough to think that I am any better than those whom went to the classes and did hours of drills on basics.

I must also note that I should not take as long as they did to reach the same level.  Hopefully I can learn from their mistakes and progress even faster than they did.  The next generation must always out grow the last.  But the only way that we can do that is by learning from the last.  I feel an obligation to learn from their sacrifice.

So that’s it, until he or I decide otherwise, the dojo in Edmonton is a Bujinkan TenChiJin Dojo.

Hatsumi Sensei said that we must train to become masters.  I have a question, what is a master?  What makes a master?  How do you know when you have reached that level?

Hatsumi Sensei was saying that to become a Shisho (master) you will have to move beyond techniques.  Then again he has been saying this as far as I know since 1989.  So what can we do to reach this point?  Is there something more than just getting beyond doing techniques?

I have always wondered if I had a chance to ask Hatsumi Sensei anything, what would it be.  Well I now know what I would ask, what makes a master.

Who knows maybe one day I will get the chance.

I thought I would mention it shortly.  Hatsumi Sensei was talking about the importance of being able to see the future.  Then he mentioned it was like Miroku Bosatsu.  To get the full context I would have to explain the reference but you don’t get those.  Because being abstract is so beautiful I will let you figure it out on your own.  That is unless I am asked nicely.

It’s 5 AM and I am starting to get tired.  I guess that’s what happens when you have nothing to do on a specific time line.  Because I am awake, I guess I should talk about moving through the hips.

Moving through the hips is something that I can not give physical instruction on how to do.  It is something that must be experienced.  It’s part of that whole “this art can not be taught” thing.  The only thing that I will mention is that a few people in the Bujinkan that I have met do this, fewer still explain it when they are teaching.

I guess it should have been self event, even to someone like me who is a bit slow on the uptake.  But never the less, if I can’t explain the movement, perhaps I can explain the benefit.

As I said in a previous post I got this from Noguchi Sensei.  In the past while observing this I had thought it was the use of his back muscles to generate this power, which may be part of it.  If you however recreate the movement you thing you are seeing using your hips instead you can create a response in the opponent which feels quite powerful even though they can tell you are not using your physical strength.

I have also experienced this while being twisted up by Oguri Sensei, it seems like he is using a lot of power, when his upper body is relaxed.  Lets be honest the man is in his late 60’s, I should be able to use my muscles and overpower him.  I have tried to be strong, it doesn’t make a difference.

Now if you are saying, “My favourite Japanese Shihan X does it too”, you’re at a 10 we need you at a 2.  I know that, but the first person to talk about moving through the hips to me directly was Oguri Sensei, the first one to explicitly show me to move through the hips was Noguchi Sensei which is why those two names were mentioned.

That’s all on this for now.  On a final note though, there is a Japanton seminar hosted by Calgary.  I have to drop a line for them since they are the only ones who will actually host me.

In Budo, I compare people on Skills and Levels.

For example, I have different skills than the other teachers in the Club.  When I am away I let Brian and Russ teach knowing that the quality of training will not suffer.

Someone like Lubos is on another Level.  I might have one or two skills which happen to be better, but the rest of the skills which he has are on such a higher level than mine that I have to go through a complete paradigm shift to reach his level.

Why do I mention this?   Because while I am not away you guys must train.  It doesn’t matter if I am not teaching.  I have very little to teach Brian and Russ.  They have a lot to teach you guys.  Anyhow I am back now so I guess I will just make sure to remind everyone when I next go to Japan.