KU KATSU KYU

A couple of weeks ago, I received a letter from Sôke. It begins by saying Ku katsu Kyu, Uma. 久活久   馬, which means “To live a long life, horse”.

Sensei enjoys his Ponies a lot, and in the same letter figures a picture of his 3 ponies next to Sôke and his wife.

Sensei writes the Kanji 活 katsu, which means life, to live, and it’s also used in martial arts as “technique used to reanimate”.

By reading this, I bring myself to the feeling that the present is a moment of constant reviving, of rebirth, and that without going to far, we live  because of the forefathers. Sôke uses the Kanji 久 Ku, which can also mean long time, ancient history. Without a doubt, the ancient history of knowledge and teachings of the Bujinkan traditions, allows us to live our presents in a very particular and concious way. We know that we are in fact heirs of the past, but we don’t know what we can do with it in the future, so we have no other option that to enjoy the present.

Maybe the Ponies have a connection to the past, given that more than any other kind of horse, Ponies are a living remembrance of the youth of our planet. Neglected by the caregivers who wouldn’t bother to improve them, they keep the aspect of their ancestors, which lived free in a wild nature.

Sôke ends by saying “I’m glad you are alright. As the present indicates it, this year I’m enjoying this theme. The most important thing, is to do the things you like the most”.

My daily activities: Yoga, Martial Arts and Natural Therapies, wich are roads for self balance. That is why I’m always looking for a way of a good health, both in physical aspects as in mental and emotional. The teachings of oriental masters, have a load of wisdom that may help us to live on frantic times like these, in which society has lost (for the most part), it’s own nature. I don’t know if I’ve found my nature. but I keep rehearsing and experiencing the encounter of simplicity, and this is what I’m referring by sharing this message.

Sôke more than once has highlighted that health is weak, and we must take care of it. Surely at is 80 years of age, and the load of wisdom of the heritage that carries within his soul, are the knowledges that he shares with us to improve our lives. Little details like smileing, not over thinking, walking directly, eat healthy, sincerity, change and adaptability, training and flowing, living relaxed, and being spontaneous, are some of the hundred of things Sôke teachs.-

Finding our own nature, is an escential part, and being able to share it without destroing it, is a great challenge that we live in the present. The nature that we have, is also de heritage that we have received, and to take care of what has been given to us, is escential for humanity.

If you look back to the Kanji just bellow the photograph, you’ll be able to see that the ideogram of horse has a long tail, and he rest of the ideograms grab on to it, as if it meant that to hold on to the tail of a horse of wisdom, could allow us to live a long life.

Today I feel that I travel around the world sharing and learning from Budo, beacuse of the fact that with confidence I follow the teachings of Sôke. Maybe I’m just a bug that has grabbed tight to a Thoroughbred horse.

I follow his teachings passionately, more than a thousand times without understanding, but positively feeling with happiness, because those are part of the beautiful mistery of life.

My long life wishes to Sôke, and also to the teaches of the Bujinkan to the hearts of it’s followers.

Christian.

El Salvador

Yesterday i came back from El Salvador, where I spent almost a week sharing great moments with students and teachers from Center América and México. The organization by Romel Hernandez and some of his students has been with heart and sweat, a beautiful example of the latin blood in their effort for the Bujinkan Teachings live with passion and love.

The presence of Shihan Eduardo Hernandez (México) and Shidoshi Luis Bernal (El Salvador) with students from several countries from center américa, have made a seminar filled with martial friends with a spirit of joy and passion.

FOTO: Next to Eduardo, Romel and Luis, gentlemen of the Bujinkan.

I feel fortunate of being able to share the valious teachings of the Bujinkan. Feel happy of being able to make so many buyu around the glove, know their countries, their customs and culture, discovering that we have so many things in common. I try to not look at the differences, but always look at the things that join us and makes us stronger. We all have so many things in common under the divine eyes; similar and complementary things that can elevate us in human configuration.

El Salvador was in civil war for about 12 years (between 1980 and 1992) which marked a fighting spirit in many of their habitants. Survival is reflected in the eyes of many if their habitants, both in low economic class and those who have achieved a high patrimony (economic, politic and social). To everyone who has been participant of struggle, pain and death, the seal of war has been attached. The number of victims has been calculated on 75.000 to 100.000 dead and dissapeard, but the ake on the heart of an center american people, is uncalculable.

Many things can heal the heart of people, and I belive that love and the teachings of the Bujinkan Dojo tought by the right people, can be medicine of the soul. Just like how the lotus flower borns from mud and grows into an unexplicable beauty, so can the Bujinkan contribute luminous treasures, to calm suffering in many people (I think).

Seeing foreign and own nature is a quality called Kenshō (literally seing nature) Kenshō is not a permanent state of enlightening  (satori 悟り), but really a punctual sight of the true nature of the existence of own knowledge  (Kenshō 見性). That same self knowledge is what allows us to live healthy (Kenshō 健勝).

It has been said that the  Godan 五段 is a state that is reached with the Sakki test, but we all know that that instinct of survivorship and extra sensorial experience evaporates quickly if we stop training. Same way if we talk about Satori, as something distant only reachable to Budas, but let me tell you that enlightment is also a fleeting state that borns  when you stop thinking and you live the present with happiness, but evaporates quickly when the chain of thoughts activate and the emotions of competitiveness, jealousy and hate, among other negative thoughts , rule our heart.

I ‘ve found hundreds of people around the world in a state of Satori, and they have made my heart also shine for their valious presence. Obviously, Sôke has always been a being that seems to live in a constant state of “not thinking” and filled with happiness. Surely because of that, we all want to be near of his luminous presence and receive his charismatic teachings.

These days in El Salvador, I’ve found that the Satori shined within the smiles of many students, and that that fugacious instant will most surely  have repercussions in the prosper future of the Center America Bujinkan. The “dream world” that there was there was accompanied with the presence of Sôke, misteriously every night I had the asistance of Soke on my sleep. So every morning I woke up with an enormous energy of wantint to share the Bufu to my hosts and Buyu.

Thank you Romel, for your huge effort of wanting to get the Bujinkan to the students of your country and center America. Keep practicing with enthusiasm and happiness. Gambatte Kudasai !

 

Christian.

GYOTOKU

The Bufu moves our sails in several directions, but it is the heart who must steer on the right direction, must be the Budoka who canges the direction of the sails for the ship will reach port. To go in the path of benevolence or to cross the path with virtudes, its called Gyotoku.

In the budism it can be translated as the virtudes of the practitioner, of the one who follows the path. As like in Budo, I find of such importance this aspect of achieving virtudes while training. The Keiko, the training, is the flame who feeds our body, our intelect and our spirit.

To go, gives me the idea of continuing, of flowing  (nagare 流れ) . To follow the path is the escence of Bufu Ikkan, and being able to adapt to infinit changes in this “going” reminds me the famous and inportant teaching of banpen fugyo万変不驚 (infinit changes, without surprise)

In this going, sometimes the warrior loses love ones, in this going one leaves a lot behind, but you get to learn that following a path, means to live the present with total conciesness and Gratefulness, being preparated for infinit changes, that knowing from where you come from is important, as it is to thank people and situations that allowed us to receive the valious present, the “now”. Equally, to be able to see who are at our side every step of the way, and who will give his hand for us to go forward.

I feel that it’s important the fact of being in the “now”, also aware that the accomplished virtudes are merits of the own effort, but that our interdependence with hundreds of people, allowed us to learn and cherish the important things in life. A virtude of the “now” also is being able to learn to detached from the situations, things and people who are not worthy having close our space, but that in the end where necessary for our journey and learning.

The path of gyotoku is filled of ego traps, which as food for itself, can make us believe more than our own capacities. To detach from the achieved virtudes is important, as they won’t overcrowd the ego.

Maintain the peace flowing in the “going”, is of high value to convert periods of virtuous times. Perhaps, thinking in the virtue as a river that flows in times of peace, can have some connection with the Tokugawa Jidai  徳川時代  (Japanese Period of 1600-1867). This way, being able to find peace in the heart of the warrior, upon infinite changes  (banpen Bushinwa 万変武心和).

Over-believing can be good to project ourselves into the future, knowing that we still have a lot to learn and travel, but this shouldn’t be a “cause” of the abandon fo the unconscious of the present. A mind, should have faith and belief in the future, but being close enough while living the present. A warrior, a student of the path (Bugeisha) bust be an artist of it’s own enthusiasm of traveling and apretiate the walking, rolling, jumping and training with happiness. The motivation may come from hundreds of places and people, but they must awake the precious treasure of one’s inside, as something individual, characteristic, and remarkable of a daily life.

Inert Strenghts, are the ones that don’t apply in the path. Gyotoku refers to being able to make yourself day by day, of the antagonistic experiences and discover that problems can be confronted, accepted, comprehended, and if they can… be solved.

Many times, we take rigid Kamae, that won’t allow us to see clearly the enviroment, something so rigid and structured which doesn’t give place for us to empty ourselves and accept that many things that happen to us cannot be avoided. I feel that if one take Ma Ai  間合い (Right distance) into a heart position  (Kokoro Gamae 心 構え)  we can open ourselves and accept everything more broadly.

To accept makes me think in adaptability, and to adapt makes me feel the conection of flowing according to changes in evolution.

I affirm that in order to walk the path, is necesary to have in mind the reference of the main three virtudes (Santoku 三 徳)  courage, wisdom and benevolence. This way the person is doing himselft while walking, in a peregrins flowing with intuition and dignity.

This in Japan is known as  (Saitoku 才 徳) which can be translated as “Intelligence and virtue”.

This article has no other motivation than sharing my point of view in the “going”, knowing with joy that soon… I’ll encounter in the path with many of the readers, for sharing the frienship and the martial winds of the Bujinkan.

SEIYOKU

A couple of days ago while I was having breakfast and reading part of the last book of Soke Masaaki Hatsumi, entitled “The escense of Budo” I was hanged on a fragment in which Soke spoke about Seiyoku. I’ve written “spoke” because I consider always that Soke’s writings are like a Kuden (oral transmission) intertwined to the denshô (written transmission).

When Sôke writes, and many times when he speaks, he tends to play with ideograms, looking for the same sounds but changing the Kanji (japanese words) brings diverse meanings to explain the complexity of life and Budô. Sôke tends to explain the complexity of life with the simpleness of being simple and natural.

On this ocasion, in one of the parragraphs of his last book, Sôke brings us to value the pure and sacred. Using the ideograms
“Sei” 聖 (sacred, saint, pure) and “Yoku” 欲 (greediness, desire, wanting something).

Reflecting on his text, I feel that it’s important to be able to value the sacred things and spiritual things of life, not necessarily in big temples or complex philosofis, but in simple things. While reading this text from Sôke, I consider that it encourages us to go beyond a life of desires just for the fact of keeping us alive, but in the supreme sense of being able to live connected to what’s sacred and pure in life.

To interlink us with people, from our state of pureness, holyness and sacred, is without a doubt a challenge on daily bases, mostly because of the high social competitivity and summed to the daily violence in some of our countries, makes flourish the highest posture of defense and survivorship, keeping us appart from the capacity of harmony that allows us to appreciate what’s pure and sacred. To be able to appreciate the pure and sacred in others that are not related to our belives or tastes, requires knowledge and tolerance.

Sôke adds in his text that ancient warriors valued the sense of self sacrifice the most, instead of the willing to live. This brings us to the Seppuku (Hara Kiri Ritual), Showing us that the ancient valued the ethnic and honorable senses of the warrior as a first instance state. Their lives didn’t have the sacred and high significance if not considered in honor and respect. Maybe that’s what Bushido means in “the warrior’s path is death”.

I think that surviving refers more to the state of Seiyoku, which Sôke describes as “desires or greediness of living”. Instead, the sense of living with respect and honor connected to the sutil and spiritual, we could see it as Seiyoku which Soke describes as “desires of what’s sacred and pure”.

To live towards the pureness, brings to my memory the idea of simplicity, and make’s me imagine a neutral state in which the antagonic dissapears just for the fact of accepting them. To accept is marvelous, because it puts us in a cero level, and allows us the adaptability between days and nights, joys and sorrows, it’s the purest and sacred point in where everything flows in harmony. Maybe this same point is the entropy of various events.

However, the pure and sacred has also it’s antagonic, in which we could call profane. To break with human life or asimetric harmony of nature, is also to invade a sacred space.

I leave you a text from Sôke, so you can be able to get to your own point of view and understanding.

By Sôke Masaaki Hatsumi – Book “The essence of Budo”

“Traditionally, human beings have acted under their spirit control and for that there are desires, joys and sorrows, pleasure and suffering. I you were a person in whom their normal state is not to think in anything else, then you would be dominated by your desires and feelings of being important.”

“Your heart and mind is what your are, you are your heart/mind (kokoro). No need to separate from your heart/mind and neither the heart/mind should separate from you. That is why the heart/mind of the soldiers in battles was considerated self-sacrifice on the desire to live, and where capable of finding a unit between mind and body. We could call this as the pure or sacred desires, instead of the desires or greed of living.”

Hinko Hosei

On the last week of april in Japan, Soke was asking me to show a couple of techniques, so he would start working on them as I’ve shown. It’s quite common that Soke asks some of the present instructors to share techniques. It happens many times that our techniques in front of Soke seem not to come out well, and that our moves are very clumsy, But the wonderful thing is how Soke will transform our techniques into wonderful art forms.

The body intelligence and enlightened spirit of Soke allows him to preform the alchemy of Budo among anything.

During april, Soke gave emphasys that the theme of the year was also iai jutsu from Shinden Fudo Ryu, so by showing Taijutsu techniques of sword many clases were given.

A striking teaching from Soke was that he more than one time emphasized that 15dans were supposed to be gentlemen inside and outside of the dojo. Also during one of the meals that we had, he encouriaged us to flow around the world and achieve an economic foundation that would allow us to live well, because this would also permit the Bujinkan Schools so stay alive.

Soke always shows an extraordinary behaviour as a teacher, inside and outside of the Dojo, and it’s striking how his life flows naturally as a true human being, with the correct justice on the right path. Correct Justice and Right Path are also expressed as “Hinko Hosei”.

However, while he is a true master, there are many who want to be copies of the master. We understand that everything that is a copy ceases to be original and true. In Japan there is a saying: “Don’t follow the steps of the masters, but follow what they where after”. I would recommend many to try to be a copy first, just to abandon their bad habits and then cultivate their own path.

To follow the precepts of a great human being is fundamental, and in this case the guidance of participation of Bujinkan, from Masaaki Hatsumi, reminds us that connection with Hinko Hosei.

“The secret principle of Taijutsu is to recognize the origins of peace. To study is the way of the inmutable heart (fudoshin)”

Dojo Code:

1) Know that patience is primordial.

2) Know that the way of man procedes from justice.

3) Resign greed, indolence and obstination.

4) Recognize sadness and consern as something natural, and observe the inmutable heart.

5) Follow the path of loyalty and fraternal love, and go deep in the heart of Budo.

Soke lives a simple life, though loaded of wonderful and various activities. One can see him arrive at the Dojo with his mimi golden sandals and change in front of everyone. It’s also common to greet the newly comers and thank for their letters, faxes or phonecalls. A smiley spirit in every moment envolves his atmosphere and spreads to everyone around his space. Soke maintains the spirit of chivalry within his acts, and with a high rank of patience keeps on after all these years, showing the path to devotees and fools as equal.

He has a high level of tolerance on the impermanence of his students, though keeps on going with an inmutable heart, the sharing of his life and inheritance. Provides his inheritance and the magnitude of his wizdom to those who come to the Honbu Dojo, and as the same time indirectly to thousand students all around the globe.

I observe Soke’s patience a lot, and try to really reach a high mastership in Nin.

Maintain respect and patience when you’re alright and with people who care is easy, being the chivalry attitude in a life line with exemplary conducts. But it’s a difficult task, when the situations are complex and people around you are indeed hostile.

To achieve the Fudo Shin (Inmutable heart) and to make a body invisible so it won’t affect the ego, is a wonderful opportunity to experience the substantiality of the soul. I feel that this is to follow the path of loyalty and fraternal love, and go deep in the heart of Budo.

I celebrate today, as yesterday and tomorrow, the blessing that it is that we can find examples of life as Soke.