August newsletter 2010

Calendar:
July 31                        Saturday weapons class focus: Misogi no Ken
Aug 1                        Membership fees deadline
Aug 8                        Shodo practice group 4-5:30pm $20
Aug 14                        Saturday weapons class focus: Misogi no jo
Aug 22                        Ukemi Workshop: Kumitachi with Joe Latulippe 2-4pm $15
Aug 26                        O-sensei talk and book signing by John Stevens 
                                    7-8:30pm - FREE
Aug 28                        Saturday weapons class focus: Kumi Tachi

Help requested
Susan sensei is in need of 2-3 able-bodied people to help clear the closet behind the teahouse of the long pieces of wood left there. They go in a space near the teahouse garden door. This must be done in order to fix the electrical wiring in that closet to prepare it for its intended use. Please let her know if you can spare 2-3 hours on an off-day, or call (909) 624-7770 and leave her a message.

Aikido is a Budo ??
The word Budo has two characters: the first is often translated as warrior and the second character is translated, the Way. Both characters together are pronounced "budo" and they are often translated:
Way of the Warrior .

Having recently watched the Musashi trilogy again, I was reminded what a great movie it is. Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) is a legendary Japanese samurai.  He was the founder of Niten-ryu (a style of swordsmanship) and he wrote The Book of Five Rings, a book on strategy and philosophy that is still studied today. Early on Musashi was known as a fierce fighter with the ability to kill people with a wooden sword (often two swords). And during his life his reputation grew so that he attracted many duels as other fighters came to test their skills. But being a great swordsman is not about physical strength alone and in this film we see Musashi coming to terms with this deep, and difficult to master, reality. He was told over and over by Buddhist priests, monks, and a refined beauty that what he lacks is a sensitivity to life without which he could not be a samurai. Thus he goes on the road to learn how to be a samurai.

Saotome sensei says that the character Bu ? means - etymologically - to stop the spear. Like Musashi's enlightenment - that a true warrior includes more than physical power - Bu, far from referring to a fighting mind, refers to a mind tending towards peace. To get from the blood and guts of Japanese samurai movies to the idea that a warrior is a man of peace, is what Musashi had to realize and his realization was very difficult and painful as he found himself drawn into fight after fight.  When faced with an attack most of those trained in fighting skills will fight rather than try to keep the peace. But the latter is the aim of a protector like a samurai or a law enforcement officer. Peace is not easy. Notice that after all these thousands of years, humans are as arrogant and destructive as ever.

We, in the West, often believe that understanding belongs only to the mental realm. (I know one academic who claims to be an "expert" on acupuncture even though he has never had an acupuncture treatment!) As Aikido students we are humbled when we face our inability to perform a movement we just saw and thought we understood. So, an understanding of Budo takes years of sincere training.

Do ??or Way, then, does not refer to a theory but a practiced path. I like to think of Do as an embodied theory or an attitude that informs the way one goes about living. A person might see herself as having a certain quality like generosity or patience but if, when the occasion calls out, her behavior is selfish and impetuous she does not yet possess the quality generosity or patience. Aristotle claimed that to truly have a quality, like patience is, in part, for a action of patience to spring from a firm and deep seated disposition to behave in a patient way. That is, one patient act doesn't make a person patient. A pathway is about how you view the world as seen by your actions and not just your thoughts. So, it takes many years of hard work to create such an attitude partly because its creation includes both training of the body and mind. In the Musashi trilogy, you see this great swordsman of Japan making this very transformation - he has the skills to kill another person but he needs to develop the attitude or disposition to protect life.

It's a completely honorable effort to try to cultivate oneself to this high plain. For those who sincerely try, some transformation of the self over time does happen. Thus we come to the dojo again and again to train in the Way. And, as Musashi learned, it is the training in being centered and focused at all times that is the most valuable. All the wonderful forms and techniques will not be useful if we do not become more sensitive as people. Getting distracted is very easy as distractions come from outside us (blinking lights, shiny objects, an attack with a sword, an unexpected noise) or inside us (physical pain, fear of being hurt, angry that you moved the wrong way, attracted or repulsed by the uke who reminds you of someone from your past), so sometimes our behavior suffers and we are not the best we can be. But, by forgiving oneself and trying again, some forward movement can be found. Through dedicated and sincere practice, one will become better at displaying the peace and harmony, respect for others and humbleness in one's own demeanor that is essential to a person of Aikido. It's not suprising that the word dojo ( ??) means place of the way! It is where we practice the Way of Aikido.

Security in the dojo
Please do not leave any valuables unattended. Either lock valuables in your car or put them in the cart in the mat room where you can keep an eye on them. This has been a 30 year policy at Musubi Dojo and I restate it here as it fits so well into the current series of articles on Budo, Openings, Awareness and Readiness.

www.musubidojo.org     •     4650 Arrow Hwy #D6, Montclair, CA 91763     •     (909)-624-7770