Notes on Budo/Bushido

When we think of budo, what are we talking about?
What is budo? What is bushido?

Budo can be considered as martial way. And within budo, bushido is taught.* Budo is a way of living and a way of dying. In Daidoji Yuzan’s book, Budoshoshinshu, he begins with:

“The man who would be a warrior considers it his most basic intention to keep death always in mind, day and night, from the time he first picks up his chopsticks in celebrating his morning meal on New Year’s day to the evening of the last day of the year. When one constantly keeps death in mind, both loyalty and filial piety are realized, myriad evils and disasters are avoided, one is without illness and mishap, and lives out a long life. In addition, even his character is improved. Such are the many benefits of this act.”

Budoshoshinshu, while written as “The Warrior’s Primer,” offers much in the way of guidance that is still pertinent today. When I read the section above, I take it to mean that we should live every day as it is our last. We should live life to the fullest and appreciate every moment. We should not leave things that should be done now, until tomorrow. We should make peace where peace needs to be made and to quote from one of my favorite songs, “Shower the people you love with love. Show them the way that you feel.”

Budoshoshinshu goes on to state:
“Day and night without fail, as one is involved in all of his business, both public and private, when there is just a moment to be calm, death should be kept in mind… these words are for the understanding of those intending to be warriors.”

I would think, good words for all.

“Bushidō (武士道?), roughly translated as “the way of the warrior,” is a Japanese code of conduct and way of Samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. As part of the Samurai philosophy, Bushidō stresses loyalty, frugality, the mastery of martial arts, and “honor unto death.” Born of two main influences, philosophy and swordsmanship, the violent existence of the Samurai was tempered by the wisdom and serenity of Japanese Shinto Buddhism.” (Wikipedia)

If we look at Inazo Nitobi’s Bushido, the Soul of Japan, he states:

“Bushido, then, is the code of moral principles which the knights were required or instructed to observe. It is not a written code; at best it consists of a few maxims handed down from mouth to mouth or coming from the pen of some well-known warrior or savant. More frequently it is a code unuttered and unwritten, possessing all the more the powerful sanction of veritable deed, and of a law written on the fleshly tablets of the heart. It was founded not on the creation of one brain, however able, or on the life of a single personage, however renowned. It was an organic growth of decades and centuries of military career.”

“Bushido as an independent code of ethics may vanish, but its power will not perish from the earth; its schools of martial prowess or civic honor may be demolished, but its light and its glory will long survive their ruins. Like its symbolic flower, after it is blown to the four winds, it will still bless mankind with the perfume with which it will enrich life. Ages after, when its customaries shall have been buried and its very name forgotten, its odors will come floating in the air as from a far-off unseen hill…”

It is our job, as martial artists, to do our part in ensuring that the budo code not be forgotten… not only by passing on the words, but by being living examples… by traveling the Way.

*A good article with more in regard to budo and bushido can be found @

http://ekamachdi.wordpress.com/2008/10/22/understanding-aikido-as-budo/

Practicing Kyudo: Okayama 1935

Okayama 1935 • Practicing Kyudo
(Click on the line above for photo)

“Japanese school girls practicing Kyudo (弓道, Japanese archery). During the Meiji Period (1868-1912), many martial arts, including traditional archery skills, lost ground. To save these skills for future generations a group of Kyudo masters got together in 1896 (Meiji 29). Around the turn of the century, Toshizane Honda (本田利実, 1836–1917), who was an influential Kyudo teacher at Tokyo Imperial University, started to combine the separate war and ceremonial shooting styles to create a new form of Kyudo. His decision, widely criticized at the time, is now seen as the reason that the art survived. It did more than survive. It became a popular sport at schools, including schools exclusively for girls, as in the photo above. “

The Kyudo Alliance

This past weekend, the Kyudo Alliance held its winter meeting in South Carolina. While the weather dropped down into the teens, we still managed to get a good amount of shooting in and some much needed group study indoors.

For those of you not familiar with the Kyudo Alliance, it is a private organization founded by Sensei Aaron Blackwell, Kyoshi sixth dan and Sensei Edwin Symmes, Renshi fifth dan. Members gather in Atlanta, GA or Simpsonville, SC four times a year for a three day intensive training seminar.

In addition, Symmes Sensei just returned from teaching seminars in California and Canada. Blackwell Sensei will be heading back to Mexico City next month for a seminar there. The Kyudo Alliance participates in area cultural events as well and works hard to contribute to the social, moral, aesthetic and athletic development of its members and to promote the growth of Kyudo however and whenever possible. It supports all ANKF (All Nippon Kyudo Federation) and IKYF (International Kyudo Federation) events and teaches the All Nippon Kyudo Renmei forms. All instructors are certified by the ANKF. The Kyudo Alliance is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of Kyudo as the traditional Japanese Budo of Archery and upholds The Budo Charter.

The Budo Charter is as follows:

ARTICLE 1 (OBJECT): The object of Budo is to cultivate character, enrich the ability to make value judgments, and foster a well disciplined and capable individual through participation in physical and mental training utilizing martial techniques.

ARTICLE 2 (KEIKO): When practicing daily, one must constantly follow decorum, adhere to the fundamentals, and resist the temptation to pursue mere technical skill rather than the unity of mind and technique.

ARTICLE 3 (SHIAI): In a match and the performance of kata, one must manifest Budo spirit, exert oneself to the utmost, win with modesty, accept defeat gracefully, and constantly exhibit temperate attitudes.

ARTICLE 4 (DOJO): The dojo is a sacred place for training one’s mind and body. Here one must maintain discipline, proper etiquette, and formality. The training area must be a quiet, clean, safe and solemn environment.

ARTICLE 5 (TEACHING): When teaching trainees, in order to be an effective teacher, the budo master should always strive to cultivate one’s character, and further one’s own skill and discipline of mind and body. One should not be swayed by winning or losing, or display arrogance about one’s superior skill but rather one should retain the attitudes suitable for a role-model.

ARTICLE 6 (PROMOTION): When promoting budo, one should follow traditional values, seek substantial training, contribute to research, and do one’s utmost to perfect and preserve this traditional art with an understanding of international points of view.

The Kyudo Alliance has evidenced its value through the growth of its members, not only in numbers, but more so through helping members apply what is written in the Kyohon to technique and everyday life. It is a cultural, social, mental, and physical experience. It is an inspiration and motivation each time this group gathers. I am honored to be a part of this organization. My goal is to give back whatever I can, in whatever way possible, that which I have gained through Kyudo and the Kyudo Alliance.

The Kyudo Alliance web page is under development and can be accessed @ http://www.kyudoalliance.com

Yumi: Naming the Parts

Yumi

Originally uploaded by 14kyudo

In the back of the Kyohon (pg. 121), you will find a listing of the different parts of the yumi.

I find this depiction useful as well, in that it gives the translation of each term.

Along the Way

Who is wise?
He who learns from every man.

Who is strong?
He who overpowers his inclinations.

Who is wealthy?
He who is content with his lot.

Who is honored?
He who honors others.
- Ethics of the Fathers

Kyudo Quote of the Day

In kyudo we are required to have knowledge of many things and think about none of them.-Mattie Warlick

The Notebook

My kyudo notebook is an eclectic mix of diagrams and arrows, quotes and passages from books that I have read, study questions and answers for testing, seminar notes, project outlines, letters, doodles, reminders, page numbers to refer back to the Kyohon on, various words that few would understand unless you were there when they were said… such as squirrel’s butt, and profound, partial sentences trailing off into nothingness resulting from a night around the table with a bottle of Eagle Rare. It tells a story as I look at it. I read between the lines and it tells a tale of travel.

You might see how when I got home one evening to discover that my notebook was not with me, I was a bit unsettled. Luckily, I knew exactly where it was. I had left it on the right-hand side of the table behind the sofa at Sensei’s house. There were no better hands it could have been in, but never-the-less, not the sort of thing one wants to do. I could never re-write this book and only parts of it do I share. On my return to his house later on, he put the notebook in my hands without a word. None were needed.

Sensei recently brought out his notebook and read an excerpt to us while we were shooting. He has read from his notebook previously… a rare treat, one of those special moments you don’t want to miss. As Sesnei left the dojo on this day, he picked up his notebook and causally walked by. He informed us that he was taking the notebook, that it might blow up our minds if he left it there for us. I enjoy my days in the dojo with Sensei, with his wisdom and his humor. Some days I understand and some days I don’t. This day, I understood.

As I thumb through my notebook this morning, I see everything from the words from Confucius, the Tao Te Ching, Tich Nhat Hanh, Rumi, Kosaka sensei, Miyauchi sensei, Blackwell sensei and many more, including all of the Sensei that collaborated to make up the Kyohon, down to my own words. As I look at this, and think with great respect to all that gave their time and wisdom so that others could find the Way, I find it a bit “mind blowing”.

While I don’t know which great mind the following words came from, I would like to share them from my notebook. I hope they will help you in finding the Way.

“Everything happens for a reason.”
“You are always where you are meant to be.”
“The Way teaches.”
“Quiet the mind to be open to where you should be next.”

With that, I leave you to go shoot!

Kyudo: Reflections of the Mind… A study in progress

As I sit at the table, I glance down at my hands.
They are twisting, tearing, shredding a straw paper. I realize what I am doing.
I don’t stop. I hide nothing.
I am talking. I am telling a story with my hands.
Are you listening?
“I don’t know you.” “I don’t trust you.” “You make me uncomfortable.” “You are in my space.”
I turn slightly in your direction. Do you hear me? The fact that I remain at the table speaks for itself.
“If I did not want to be here, I would leave. I would not come back.”
“I give you this chance to earn my trust.”-Unsent Letters, Unsaid Words

The excerpt above is an example of how the hands are a reflection of our mind, of how the body speaks.
Mezukai, ikiai, dozukuri. are reflections of our mind as well.
The hands, the eyes, the co-ordination of breath, our posture, they are all telling a story as we practice the art of kyudo. The Way.. the way of the bow.
Kyudo is a budo, a martial way. The warrior way. Any opening tells a tale of weakness. Leave no opening.

“The human mind is disturbed by delusion, worldly desires, passions and attachments, which are more often than not the result of the pursuit of experience and knowledge. Also the mind succumbs to the temptation of the eye and the ear, which assail and agitate the spirit. To have the correct activity of the physical body and the right fullness of spirit, there must be stability of spirit. This is a fundamental requirement for the shooting.” (Kyudo Kyohon pg. 58)

In Herrigel’s book The Method of Zen, he tells a tale of eating dinner in a restaurant with Japanese colleagues. As one friend is telling a story, an earthquake shakes the entire building. The hotel creaks and sways, sending objects to the floor. While many rush to evacuate the hotel, his friend sits calmly. Herrigel fears for his life but is mesmerized by the calm nature of the friend. He sits back down at the table. As the commotion subsides, the friend continues his story at the exact point he left off from, as if nothing had happened. This story is a good example of heijoshin.

Simply put, heijoshin, can be described as the calm, everyday mind. The Kyohon states that “…at full draw you must wipe away negativity like doubt, anxiety, faintheartedness, fear, and self-depreciation…”. (pg. 70)

“When we are watching someone or something, our mind is concentrated only on what we see, and we neglect the spirit and the body. Therefore, the most important element of setting the gaze (metsuke) is to look into your own heart and take command of that place. The condition of the Mezukai has a great influence on the breathing and posture.” (pg.58)

As we begin to look deeper into the mental aspect of our shooting, we begin to see how everything is tied to the mind and the mind is tied to all else. The concept of sanmi-ittai , unity of the three essentials, Body, Spirit, and Bow as one body, then becomes clearer. (ref pg.24) In summation, as you shoot, show no weakness, take command of your heart, shoot with heijoshin. Focus the mind on the body and the body on the bow. Become One.

“The Way is in the training.”

New Yumi

It didn’t take much encouragement for a friend to set me in motion. He told me that I should do something for myself, “get out of the house, go out to dinner or something”.

Well, I took the or something path and ordered a yumi.

I got an email the day before yesterday, saying my yumi would be here today. Now, being my first bow, I felt it was somewhat akin to bringing home a new baby. Don Symanski “gave birth” to my new yumi. but she is in my hands now to take care of. A bit of that “new mom panic” is setting in. Elementary education tells us we don’t take a newborn and expect it to walk, talk and eat table food right away. Likewise with the “green” bamboo yumi.

In my relatively short Kyudo career, I have witnessed a few different “parenting” techniques with new yumi. The two listed below could be considered the two extremes.

1. The Neglected Child:
This is the yumi that has arrived, been opened and put in a corner to fend for itself. It may become wild, having a high rise height.

According to Don Symanski, “When you hold an unstrung yumi up off the ground at the upper edge of the leather grip, with the two ends touching the ground, you have an unstrung yumi silhouette shape to observe… a tamed yumi can be left unstrung a week, two weeks, a month, or more without it rising above 8″ unstrung, when used… when a yumi goes above the 8″ measurement unstrung, to 10″-12″’s or more it becomes unbalanced. Rising above a 14″ to 18″ zone it goes into a danger zone when you want to string it. Here lies the the dangers of leaving your yumi unstrung and unattended for long periods of time… needless to say, when stringing a neglected yumi you need caution and your full attention without distractions, or the help of yumi maker, for the yumi to be tamed and usable again.”

2. Hurry Up and Grow Up:
This is the yumi that is not treated with patience and given the time and training it needs to be shaped into the yumi it was meant to be.

A yumi shot before its time may very well break. The risk is not worth the reward here! Let your yumi mature and settle before putting it to the test.

Just as with children, each yumi is different. Training it requires patience and careful observation. According to Don, again, “There are at least nine types and a dozen styles of yumi.” And each one of these has its own characteristics. In addition, on any given day this may vary, as well. “Sudden or persistent humid or rainy weather can cause a yumi to rise up above the 8″ unstrung. Consider that the wood and bamboo [grass, not wood] of your yumi is alive, and quite sensitive to having its tension strength restored naturally with humidity intake.”

It is best to have supervision when you begin training your new yumi. Hopefully, your sensei can help with this. If this is not possible, be sure to talk with the yumi maker. In addition, there is a link to the right under Kyudo Articles/Documents: Yumi Care written by Don Symanski that has a lot of useful information. If you have other resources you can share, please feel free to list them in the comment section below.

Don has recently announced the launching of his new web page. You may view it at:
www.zenkyudo.org
He is one of the few, if not only yumi makers in the United States. His yumi come highly recommended. I am as proud as a new parent to finally have one to call my very own!

More Food for Thought

From The Prophet
by Kahlil Gibran

You have been told that life is darkness,
and in your weariness you echo what was said by the weary.
And I say that life is indeed darkness
save when there is urge,
And all urge is blind save when there
is knowledge,
And all knowledge is vain save when
there is work,
And all work is empty save when there is love:
And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself,
and to one another, and to God.

Kyudo Quote of the Day

As Dr. Shinichi Suzuki so aptly put it, “Only practice on the days you eat.”

Kyudo is Life

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.“
Aristotle

I ran across this quote today and immediately thought of how this relates to Kyudo. One of the things brought up at the autumn Kyudo Alliance seminar this past weekend, was the phrase from the Kyohon, “Kyudo is Life“.

On Page 9 of the Kyohon it states:
Kyudo is not simply a way to create well-being and train the body, but a way to bring enhancement and cultivation to your life… we, as practitioners of Kyudo, who are expected to master such virtues as discipline, modesty, gentleness, self-restraint, and reflection through the shooting, can realize these qualities in our own life.

In regard to kai on page 70, the subject is again brought up, stating:
…at the full draw you must wipe away negativity like doubt, anxiety, faint heartedness, fear, and self-depreciation and make the effort to fulfill the spirit with self-control, composure, endurance, and determination, founded on the right belief. This disciplining of oneself in this very precious way is connected to Shasoku-Jinsei-Shooting is Life.

As Blackwell Sensei has said, “Practice as if you are testing…”. I take this to mean with sincerity and determination, doing our very best each time we shoot. The Way is in the training.

Hopefully, if we practice faithfully and strive for excellence in our Kyudo, we will bring excellence into our own lives as well and learn the true meaning of “Kyudo is Life”.

2009 Kyudo Seminar

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Spartanburg, SC

2009 Kyudo Seminar

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USA, Japan, Canada, Mexico and Argentina

2009 Seminar

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Okazaki Sensei
Spartanburg, SC

2009 Kyudo Seminar

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Okazaki Sensei

2009 Kyudo Seminar of the Americas

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Miyauchi Sensei, Kubota Sensei, Okazaki Sensei

2009 Kyudo Seminar of the Americas

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Okazaki Sensei
2009 Kyudo Seminar of the Americas

2009 Kyudo Seminar

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2009 Kyudo Seminar of the Americas

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Originally uploaded by USC Upstate