Budo and Thoughts

It has been over 2 weeks since I quit weekend and night time internet.  Switching off my computer early in the evening, gave me 2 more sleep hours every day. Not touching the computer during the weekend, gives me splendid family time and attention to my family and myself. Suddenly I have more time to talk to my family, drive somewhere, read books, watch movies on tv with my son...  I recommend this to everyone. Don't let internet rule your life. You will be happier, healthier, and will surprisingly discover, that everything in your mailboxes waits for you and doesn't go away when you turn your pc on in the morning. Switch your life ON. :-)

Jiun 1718-1804, my favorite Japanese calligrapher always hits right into the center of my mind with his straight and powerful works. Please enjoy this shodo by Jiyun. The words are "Shinnyu" with the meaning - something, or someone's true nature as it is, nothing more and nothing less. Found it on this web site:  http://www.japanese-arts.net/calligraphy/jiun.htm

Musubi: to tie, bind, connect... One of Aikido's teachings and a big challenge in our training. Creating a beautiful musubi, brings birth to a beautiful waza (technique). Creating a bautiful musubi in life, will bring birth to beautiful relationships at work, at home, with nature... I wrote today this shodo (calligraphy) of the Japanese word "Musubi". I hope you enjoy it. Musubi

From my Kyoto Aikido diary: We arrived on time - too early, as usual. We had about 30 minuets to kill and it was raining. The old shops on Senbon street were not open yet, so we just took an early morning slow walk good enough to wake up a bit. The simple map took us easily through  a couple of narrow allies, and there was the dojo, righ in the heart of Nishijin district - a neighborhood, famous for its unique machiya houses belong to families that for generations over generations, produced silk products and especially the beautiful Kyoto kimono and obi. The Nishijin Aikodo dojo is one of the most beautiful dojos I ever saw. Okamoto Sensei (6th Dan Aikikai) expected our visit, as we were introduce to her by email, thanks to Lee sensei from North Valley Aikikai . After a short conversations, we changed into keikogi and hakama . Before class began, Okamoto sensei was already on the tatami mats, busy with her own...

An elderly woman with shiny eyes and a charming smile approached me right after warming up exercises ended. In a dojo, it is quite common that the senior members make sure that the beginners and the guests are receiving the best possible attention and care. It was my first time to practice with the Kyoto Budo-Center Aikido Dojo. Training was great, Yoshida Sensei was great, but my most memorable and heart warming experience there, was training with Mrs. Koyama. Although she looked so thin, and much older and smaller than me, as soon as we began practicing together, I realized how quickly and smoothly she moved, and how easily she adopted herself to each and every movement I made. While I hardly managed to control breath, she remained calm and she even whispered questions and friendly comments. I am sure she has at least a couple of decades of aikido training experience. She told me that it is the first time an Israeli Aikidoka is vis...

I recently went to Japan for a month of Aikido training in various dojos. My dear student Shmulik (nidan) joined me for our musha shugyo aikido learning adventure. Our first stop was in Kyoto wich has an ancient and beautiful dojo called the "Butokuden" - Kyoto Budo Center. When we arrived there, there was a Yoshinkai Aikido seminar. We observed the class for a few minuets, and returned a day later, to participate in the regular Aikikai Aikido evening class. After helping the members to spread the tatami, we recieved permission to join the class. Sensei did not arrive yet, so Shmulik and I began practicing freely with each other. One of the senior members - a man in his 70th approached us, and began to ask us friendly questions. I told him that I used to be a member of Kyoto Aikikai but not anymore, and that at last, I am glad to visit the Butokuden Aikido class. He asked me if I know the difference between Judo and Aikido... It was kind'a strange question...

When Shimamoto Katsuyuki Sensei (8th Dan Aikikai and Zen priest) was young, he spent a long period of time in a zen monastery. When Sensei visited us in Israel just a few weeks ago, he spoke about his experience as a student of O-Sensei and also about his life as a zen monk. My wife asked him about life in a zen monastery, and he told us that he cherishes his memories of many hours of hard work and meditation. He said that everyone used to go to sleep very early, in order to wake up at about 4:30am for morning work and meditation. The young monks have to wake up even earlier - at 2:30am, and to clean the whole temple so it will be shining and ready for the morning meditation. The rest of the monks still have two more hours of precious sleep, so the monks who wake up in the middle of night, have to be careful and silent. Each movement has a certain method ( saho in Japanese). How to walk, how to stand and kneel, a way to fill the bucket with water, a way to spread water, a way to wip...

How old is wisdom? My favorite modern Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami recived recently Israel's prestigious literary award, the Jerusalem prize for the Freedom of the Individual in Society. He gave an aoutstanding speach , which was followed by words by our president Shimon Peres. Peres said something beautiful: "buildings become old, but wisdom never becomes old" photo from wsj In Aikido, we first bow toward O-Sensei's photo, in respect and memory of his teaching and wisdom. His wisdom is ageless, Aikido's wosdom s ageless. Our body becomes old every year, but by working together, we create ageless knowledge and experience. Our dear teachers.... some of them are already in heaven, some of them are unable to teach anymore. They worked so hard... I never knew Peter Bacas Sensei, but I know you, and I see an outstanding group of aikidoka. I enjoy training with you because you create an ultimative training enviroment and atmosphere. You are excelle...

The first time I came across the word sumikiri, was when I read a small but marvellous book called "The Spirit of Aikido" by 2nd Doshu - Kisshomaru Ueshiba. The word "sumikiri" can be translated as perfect clarity, or pureness, but the book did not give any further explanation. So... what exactly is sumikiri? Our most basic training method, is with one partner, slowly and according to clear demonstration of our teacher. Later on, our training becomes more free, creative and dynamic, the attacks and the techniques become more realistic and versatile, and we also learn to resolve situation dealing with a large numbers of opponents. In such dynamic training, we tend to get very excited and quite often we feel mental pressure and fear. If we continue our training for years and gain experience, we realize that gradually our mind remains relaxed even in such training. Although our body is moving fast and many techniques are applied quickly, our mind remains rela...

Our tools and the teaching of Meri-Hari. Maintanance: If you have a hoby, or if you are an artist, you probably like to have good equipment, and to keep it in best condition. Photographer's tools are camera, tripod, film, lenses... all kept clean and working smoothly. Painters, keep their brushes and canvas in clean and good condition, they make sure their paint wont get dry. It is onvious and natural to want high quality equipment. What is dogu? In Aikido, our tools are tatami, hakama, aikido wear (keikogi), bokken, jo, tanto and more. But our most important tools are not thouse wooden weapons or fancy wear. Our most precious tools are our body and mind. No matter how good our keikogi is, and how expensive our hakama and tatami are, if our body and mind wont be under constant care and maintanance, our aikido and helth (mental and phisical) will become bad. In Japanese, many arts are called "do" or "michi". "do" as in Aikido, shodo (calligr...

ONE (Ichi) monks, peackoks, and twenty mistakes In our dojo, at the shomen, we have a monthly Japanese shodo (calligraphy). We opened the new year with the shodo of the number "one" or in Japanese - Ichi. It looks simple, its just a single line, but it can remind us of many important aspects in our Aikido training at the dojo, and in daily life. When learning Japanese calligraphy, beginners first learn how to write the kanji for "ichi". It looks so simple, and like such an easy challenge. Just good for my first rendezvous with the brush and the Japanese soft paper. I remember my first calligraphy lesson in Japan. The teacher painted the kanji "ichi" on a paper, and asked me to copy. After I did my best to write it nicely, and I was quite satisfied, she drew on my kanji, 20 circles, each of them marked a mistake I made... It was a good lesson for me, as I realised, shodo is a serious art, and that I should concentrate in Aikido which I just be...

Zen Bow by Matsuzaka Kian (1892-1959) Poem by Emperor Meiji: Employ the bow and arrow to keep the divine land peaceful, but even in halycyon times remain vigilant! Respectfully brushed and inscribed by Kyokushin* *The pen name that Matsuzaka employed before he took the name "Kian." From: http://zenart.shambhala.com/product-id/198;jsessionid=B62BC54EF3F3CDCEAF09DD0D68242C1F click on the image to enlarge The title that Emperor Meiji gave to this poem was "BU" (also pronounced "TAKE"), the character for "martial." Here the bow and arrow stands for all the budo (martial arts). The Shingon monk Kian, famed for his gentle character, painted mostly vegetables and fruit; he is not usually associated with the martial arts. However, Kian may have practiced Japanese archery ( kyudo), the most spiritual of the martial arts, when he was young. Kian likely brushed this for a kyu...

Not long ago, when you wanted to learn something you had to look for an expert and hope that he accepts you as a disciple. If you spent enough time as his assistant and if you had the talent and luck, there was a chance for you to become independent. In our time, many people decide on their own to become instructors. Some even call themselves "masters". In ancient times, when we lived in tribes, and also today when we observe tribes in remote areas, we can see how naturally children find their field of expertise by accompanying the adults in the group. Some become hunters, some fishermen, some help with construction or agriculture and so on. One generation passes knowledge to the younger in a most natural way. We are fortunate to still have a few teachers who keep the traditional teaching and learning methods. Those teachers are dedicated to the most dedicated students and they would guide them through the learning process.Especially in Budo, it is consider extremely impor...

Kiai and Aiki in Aikido by Fabio Nudelman Israeli Aikido Organization - Aikikai C entral to aikido is the concept of aiki. "Ai" means to adjust, or to fit, as two objects that perfectly fit each other – a pot and its lid, for instance. A common, but less accurate translation is harmony, which according to the Webster Dictionary means "compatibility in opinion and in action; a harmonious state of things and their properties (as of colors and sounds); congruity of parts with one another and with the whole". I believe that all these meanings are actually complementary, and represent different aspects of the kanji "ai". "Ki" is more difficult to translate; it can be understood as energy, vital energy, spirit, intent. It is present in us and in the whole universe. In general terms, aiki means that one's mind and spirit are connected to the surroundings, such that the practitioner is capable to adapt himself physically and mentally with oth...

Please enjoy this very interesting instruction and meaning of Torifune and Furitama. As we were taught in Aikido, these exercises prepare us before conducting Misogi (Shinto purification of body and mind). Founder of Aikido considered Aikido as a kind of Misogi, and therfore regularly performed Torifune and Furitama before every Aikido practice. Thank you Tsubaki Shinto Shrin e for this clear explanation: AME-NO-TORIFUNE-NO-GYO Sometimes called  Fune-kogi-undo.  Ame-no-torifune is one of the Misogi Jumbi Taiso or exercises to prepare the mind/ body/ spirit for the activity of Misogi Shuho. These exercises have been widely adopted as Aiki Jumbi Taiso. Torifune (Bird Rowing) 1. Stand straight and put your left leg forward 2. Clench both fists with your thumbs inside 3. Lean forward and move your arms as though rowing a boat starting from your left knee and ending near your *armpits. As you "row," shout "Yie". 4. Perform this 20 times...