Rekishiki for Ikkyu Brown
Belt
By Toby Humphry
Kumiuchi
Conflict
will come one’s way without seeking it out. Most of the time it will require
mental or spiritual involvement. Sometimes it will call for a physical response
and occasionally this will be injurious or even lethal.
When
one faces conflict that is likely to be injurious or lethal one needs to be
competent in Bujutsu, the warrior techniques of combat. Thus one can switch from long-range to
short-range weaponry and back again, improvise from everyday objects, or do
without.
Like
playing a game of chess, one can see the consequences of each move and act
appropriately so that the current weapon is ideally placed for subsequent
moves. For instance, a block to each side facilitates a corresponding
counterattack, but one may be particularly advantageous. This is true whether one is considering left
and right, inside and outside, front and back, above and below.
One
would be almost unknowingly considering such questions as whether or not to
manoeuvre a body between oneself and the opponent; whether or not to disable or
kill; whether to keep one's distance or close in; whether to stay on higher
ground; whether to force or yield and so on.
A
part of this craft concerns Taisabaki, one's body position and posture, which
can so dramatically affect the outcome of an engagement. Again, one almost
unknowingly considers weight and balance; the amount of effort involved in
either moving or staying still; the method of movement, such as rolling,
crawling, or sidestepping; one's height in relation to the ground, horizon and
opponent.
Steven
Hayes illustrates this point in his book, “The Ninja and their secret fighting
art”. He describes one nights' training
when he said aloud that he felt as if he was the punching bag for the night.
“You
will continue to be the punching bag as long as you keep that high body pose.
You are moving around like a boxer in a ring.
There is no way that you can see your attackers that way; they just
blend in with the ground. Lower your
hips”, came the reply.
Steven
Hayes dropped his pose and then saw his opponents silhouetted against the night
sky. For now he could discern dark
forms blotting out stars that he hadn't seen before. He could see figures darting towards him and to his sides and was
able to act accordingly.
Lowering
one’s position affords one greater peripheral vision, the act of looking up
seems to aid concentration and retention of information. Being nearer to the ground is also a
resource in itself. Though there are times when having the higher ground and
looking down upon the opponent affords one advantage.
Some
forms of movement lend themselves to stealth and concealment, which can give
one an edge in conflict. Furthermore, a
technique such as a roll can be neutral, evasive or offensive. One can play on what others might expect in
the course of conflict, to devastating effect.
In
the same way one would exploit their weakness and manipulate them in any
conceivable way. One could use feints
and distractions, that opponents may fear dangers that are not really there, or
may drop their guard to make them more vulnerable.
Adopting
a disguise and living out the part with the ease and naturalness, almost absentmindedness,
of the real person often grants one greater access and freedom.
However,
it is not enough to be versed in innumerable possibilities and set pieces.
Although practice is said to make perfect, there comes a time when a harder
reality can help to usher in perfection.
A real enough conflict or battle can unfold whereby one is thoroughly
tested. This is possible without the
result of grieving relatives or one's summary arrest, because it is under the
aegis of the ryu.
This
is not to say that one does not receive knocks and blows. Even one's own weapons like to taste one's
blood. A sharp weapon will nick the
flesh and a blunt will bruise it in the course of training. Yet this equips the body as much as
technique and rehearsal.
In
a story called, “The Taste of Banzo’s Sword” the young Matajuro Yagyu
labours in the house of Banzo, having been told never to speak of fencing and
never to touch a sword. After a long time Matajuro is sad that he has not begun
to learn the art to which he has devoted his life. Then one day Banzo creeps up behind him and gives him a terrific
blow with a wooden sword.
The
next day, when Matajuro is at work, Banzo again springs upon him
unexpectedly. After that, day and
night, Matajuro has to defend himself from unexpected thrusts. Thus he is ever
thoughtful of the taste of Banzo’s sword.
In
time Matajuro becomes the greatest swordsman in the land, even though, before
he met Banzo, he was disowned by his father as being too mediocre.
It
was not just the physical element of Matajuro’s albeit unorthodox tuition that
enabled him to become adept. There was
a psychological and spiritual dimension to it as well.
One
benefits from developing Haragei, literally the “art of the belly”. In this state one’s energies are
concentrated in the Hara and one is in control of oneself and at one with the
universe. Thus one can read the harmful
intent of a potential assailant, or detect the Sakki, the aggressive intention
of the adversary.
Dr
Masaaki Hatsumi writes about this in his books, as does Steven Hayes. They describe it as a sensation that allows
one to react to the intention before it is affected. One reaction might be to stay away and to avoid the conflict
altogether. This might be the most
appropriate defence against a sniper’s bullet or a planted bomb.
If
engagement is unavoidable, the detection of sakki gives one time to block the
attack or to put in a counterattack before the attack is carried out.
Various
authors describe Mushin, no mind or original mind. This is a state of mind that is not fixed on any one thing, idea,
or mood, but is constantly open and available.
It is not troubled by the apparent appearance of things. It is not
inconsistent with Haragei, but more. The openness of mind is an aspect of
Satori, which is to do with understanding the reality of the universe and all
therein, and identifying with it.
Such
an openness of mind allows one not only to detect Sakki, but also weakness
within the opponent. There is Suki, an
empty moment, or wrong mental outlook. Maybe the opponent’s mind is wandering
or a technique is falling to pieces. Or there is Bonno, a disturbed feeling,
whereby the opponent is no longer maintaining alertness in an outwardly calm
fashion. At these times De Ai, a counterattack can be launched.
The
psychic force of Ki can be released as instantaneous physical power. Kokyu,
breathing from the Hara and timing this with movement allows one to influence
the opponent (Kokyuho) and even throw
them (Kokyunage)
This psychological edge that one can have has a spiritual
dimension to it. In any art one will succeed if one has Kokura, or sacred fire
and puts one’s heart to work. One then
engages in dispassionate endeavour that does not look for reward. One has a vision of what lies beyond the
conflict, whether one wins or not, or even loses one’s life.
It is the understanding at everything is a source of learning and helps one to conquer oneself. Everything one does is Netane, a sleeping seed, waiting to be woken up to come to one 5 aid and to the aid of those to come.
Notes:
1.
Steven Hayes, The Ninja and their secret fighting art, Tuttle. 1996,
pl08ff
2.Paul
Reps and Nyogen Senkai, Zen flesh, Zen bones, Shambala, 1994, p137ff
3.Dr
Masaaki Hatsumi, The Grandmaster’s book of Ninja Training, Contemporary Books,
1988, p56ff
Bibliography:
SunTzu,
Art of War, c500B.C.E.
Miyamoto
Musashi, The book of Five Rings, 1643C.E.
Louis
Frederic, A Dictionary of the Martial Arts, The Athlone Press, 1991
Charles
Daniel, Taijutsu: Ninja art of unarmed combat, Unique Publications, 1986
Dr
Masaaki Hatsumi, Ninjutsu history and tradition, Unique Publications
1981
Steven
Hayes, The Ninja and their secret fighting art, Tuttle, 1996
Joe
Hyams, Zen in the martial arts, Bantam, 1982
Paul
Reps and Nyogen Senkai, Zen flesh, Zen bones, Shambala, 1994
Jay
Sensei, Tiger Scrolls of the Koga Ninja, Crompton, 1984