Knowing the Difference

Many people, probably most, don't know the difference between the different martial arts. They use Karate or Taekwondo as generic terms for martial arts, but they aren't. Well, about one hundred years ago in Japan they used the term karate for empty hand fighting, ie. no weapons. Today are specific to those styles and often those aren't what people are looking for when they think of martial arts training. They think of this old heritage their school is connected to that connects back to samurai warriors of old. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

I was in this same boat when I was a child and I wanted to learn Karate. I didn't know the differences, I just wanted to learn martial arts, so I went to the nearest Karate school to me. I didn't understand that the school was several generations removed from it's Asian roots. This is too often the case. Students sign up at a school without doing much research into the school's history, they take it for face value that surely it must be connected to some old heritage. This is not always, in fact it's very rarely, the case. Sometimes the very ancient art they think they are practicing was actually created by someone in someplace like Idaho Falls and has not real connection to China or Japan.

Now, if this doesn't bother you, then it really doesn't matter. If there are other factors more important to making your decision in finding a school, stick with those. This is your journey. For me, I wanted something old, like really super old, because I knew the older schools were used in actual combat and had to be proven on the battlefield. That was what I was after. That is why as a teenager I started training in the Bujinkan, because it has that connection to history. It has a martial heritage of an unbroken chain of being passed down from generation to generation, teaching what works and ignoring what doesn't. I can't begin to even just summarize the vitally important things I learned training in this art instead of the other arts I trained in and explored such as Karate, Judo, Jujutsu, Taekwondo, Aikido, and GR Wrestling. Many of my students come to our dojo with black belts in other arts and are dumbfounded by the depth of training they were missing out in before. Some even get a bit angry and felt they were misled by their other style or school. They need not be angry, it was just a part of their path they needed to take to get here.

Come experience the difference first hand. We are located in Meridian, Idaho. Our school is very close to Boise, Idaho. If you are looking for a martial art in Boise or the surrounding areas, if you are thinking about Karate or Taekwondo, consider adding our dojo to your list to explore.

International Women's Day

I learned that today was International Women's Day and just last night I was reading in the book, Understand? Good, Play! a collection of Soke's quotes, several quotes from Soke on women in training. I felt it was appropriate to share them since the timing of reading them was so fortuitous. (If you don't have to book, I highly recommend buying a copy)

"There are numerous examples of women killing men in battle. Never forget this. Men and women are in-yo (The Japanese terms for yin-yang in Chinese). They are part of the same whole. They are the same." And to make a joke out of it, as Soke is famous for doing, "That is why I am occasionally ungentlemanly."

Another was about the importance of training seriously in the dojo. Soke wants us to train lightheartedly in the dojo, there are many quotes about this, such as this one from the same book: "Everyday life is stressful and worrisome enough. Your time in the dojo should be anything but. Training should be fun and carefree."

So, when he said this quote, I pondered it for a while. "It is extremely important that women train seriously. If a woman's Taijutsu is not effective, the people she trains with are partially to blame. There is a fine line between being a gentleman and doing someone a disfavor by making her think that she has a technique when she actually does not.... If you do no train seriously, you could end up being killed."

So, why the dichotomy? I am not Soke, and I can't speak for him, but for me he is saying it's important not to let bad training occur. I've seen this happen, a man is training with a woman and lets her take him down with a technique that may not actually have worked. Subconsciously he may just be acting the part of a gentleman, but in Budo that can't happen. If your partner can't do the technique, help them learn to do it correctly, don't simply go with it if it won't actually work. That is how to train seriously, and yet still train in a fun and carefree manner. Help each other to learn, learn from mistakes, and have fun while training.

So, see you on the mat, have a great day everyone!

Yamato Damashii

In Hatsumi Soke's book, Ninpo: Wisdom for Life, there is a section towards the back called Do Not Forget Yamato Damashi. Yamato Damashii, he explains, means Japanese Spirit. There is more to it than just that, though. It is the essence of what give Japanese people their quality of life. There is a heavy emphasis on harmony in Yamato Damashii. Soke says, "This is the martial artist's true Tamato Damashii." -pg. 177 

This often confuses people, how can one be a martial artist and yet keep a spirit of Harmony? Isn't martial arts all about fighting? The word Budo contains the kanji for War (bu) after all. Except, that the the kanji for Do is path, referencing the path one takes toward enlightenment. While there are certainly times where a warrior takes up arms in defense of one's life, family, or country, the path of the warrior is one of harmony and enlightenment. "Budo is never meant to be a weapon for aggression." -pg. 177

In the west, martial arts are often seen as something violent. Locking two people together in a ring or cage and let them fight until one person in knocked out, taps out, or loses enough points that judges determine them the loser. But this is sport fighting, not martial art. And I'm not saying anything against sport fighting, it is just important to understand that sport fighting and marital arts, especially Budo, are separate things entirely. 

A person who trains in Budo, a Budoka, doesn't need to be in constant conflict. They actually avoid conflict and seek a path of harmony. They strive for enlightenment. It is very difficult to become enlightened if you are always in conflict, if you are always being aggressive, if you constantly feel the need to prove you are better than someone else. "The true master of budo avoids fighting until all other possibilities have been tried. By avoiding a confrontation, one finds the smartest way to become friends with an opponent." -pg. 177

Shared Blog Post, Jutsu vs. Waza

I wanted to share this great blog post from Don Roley on the difference between Jutsu (art) and Waza (technique or form). Often Waza and Kata are used interchangeably, so if that is a word you are more familiar with, you can somewhat substitute Kata for Waza, though there are some differences.

What I took from this post was the importance of learning the subtleties of the art from a teach who can share them with you. Books and videos have their place in learning, but they are a supplement to the real training. In Budo, the feeling is so important. Those who have trained in the dojo for any length of time over a couple months have expressed at some point their surprise at how certain subtle changes can make a technique work so much better. Some things are so subtle they don't show up on video, but the person receiving the technique can feel those important changes, because they hurt so much more! :)

Please read and enjoy:
http://www.coloradospringsninjutsu.com/Ranting_and_Ravings_2016/Entries/2017/1/24_Jutsu_vs_Waza.html

Top Martial Arts School

So, exciting news. Our dojo was named one of the best martial arts schools in the area by Expertise.com
https://www.expertise.com/id/boise/karate-taekwondo-martial-arts