BUDO BLUES

AGING IRON

Published on 2007-02-08 14:12:00

It’s an expression I recently heard applied to the helicopters that have been dropping out of the sky in Iraq. They are full of committed individuals, warriors and healers, dying in their crashes. It has been said that the first casualty of war is the truth. It applies particularly to these events. We’re not there so we don’t know the full story. Insurgents using the same medium as this blog post announcements claming they shot it down. The Pentagon claims that the helicopters are part

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR ~ MAN OF BUDO

Published on 2007-01-16 19:05:00

One of my most influential instructors told me that a true martial artist is a servant of society. The bushido code also expects that the warrior will give his life if need be. Martin Luther King Jr. embodied both of these qualities. It is hard to explain to those who weren’t there the turmoil of the troubled times of the sixties. The social upheaval was tremendous, so was the sense of idealism… and so was the resistance to change. Dr. King had his life threatened on a regular basis al

OSHOGATSU RENGA 2007

Published on 2007-01-04 12:03:00

Graceful emptinessShadows of barren branchesSunrise on the snow Flowers sleep beneath the coldDreams reach through the frozen dark Time being fleeting as windFlowing past in gentle touch then strengthSeeds of hope falling in silenceBeads of effort raining potential of successJoy, sorrow mixing to create new lifeA year with promiseNew horizons in my viewI will look forward Predictions rise like the moonPeeking from behind the clouds Like time moving onSeeking, learning, forgetting tooFo

OSHOGATSU RENGA ~ Let’s Celebrate Together

Published on 2006-12-30 19:12:00

The New Year is the most important holiday in Japan. Although there are many ‘secular’ aspects to it there is also a ‘spiritual’ component. It is a time of renewal, a time to say goodbye to the problems of the past, to forgive misunderstandings and to release grudges. This might be celebrated at a Bonenkai (“Forget the Year” Party). Western festivities, of party hats and libations, are remnants of ancient Roman times. It seems Rome’s chronological arithmetic was not as good a

HEART – SPIRIT – MIND

Published on 2006-12-19 12:28:00

In Japanese it’s pronounced kokoro or shin, depending on the context. It can mean heart, mind, spirit… As observed in a prior post, (ARTS & CRAFTS) calligraphy is more like a picture and this version of “shin” seems to resemble the shape of the human heart. Perhaps the meaning could be seen as similar to the English word “courage” which is derived from Middle English and also has the root word “heart” (cor/cuer/coer) embedded in the definition. The phoneme is the same as

TAKE THREE YEARS TO FIND A TEACHER

Published on 2006-12-08 19:18:00

Years ago, as a new shodan, I attended a seminar conducted by a visiting Japanese master. He had been invited to another dojo that was in my geographic region and within commuting distance. Announcements for the seminar stated that he received his first 5 Dan grades directly from the Founder of the art so it seemed well worth the trip. This was to be a day of many surprises. The first was his age… he seemed much older than any of the uchi deshi I had trained with in the past. The second w

SAMURAI SONG

Published on 2006-11-01 23:28:00

a poem byRobert PinskyWhen I had no roof I madeAudacity my roof. When I hadNo supper my eyes dined. When I had no eyes I listened.When I had no ears I thought.When I had no thought I waited. When I had no father I madeCare my father. When I hadNo mother I embraced order. When I had no friend I madeQuiet my friend. When I had noEnemy I opposed my body. When I had no temple I madeMy voice my temple. I haveNo priest, my tongue is my choir. When I have no means fortuneIs my means. When I haveNo

SWORD SAINTS

Published on 2006-11-01 14:01:00

Traditional 'samurai influenced' Japanese culture has the concept of a “sword saint’. This designation is saved for highly developed individuals who embody “bushido”, that is the “code of the warrior”. Samurai did not necessarily refer to themselves with this term. Typically the term “bushi” was used. It is interesting to note that this term derives from the same root as the word for, 'servant'. So contrary to an idealized contemporary idea that samurai were powerful independ

ARTS & CRAFTS

Published on 2006-10-26 12:20:00

There will be a perpetual debate in the martial arts world as to the relevance, importance, practicality, effectiveness, (etc. etc. etc. ad infinitum) of studying the more formal Japanese martial arts such as Aikido, Judo, Karate-do, Kendo, or Kyudo. It is part of the wheel of life and will never stop turning. What has to be distinguished here is the difference between a "jutsu" and a "do" (like between Jujutsu and Judo). The former is a 'craft' the latter is an 'art'. The former is a system of

EVOLUTION OF A BUDOKA

Published on 2006-10-24 20:10:00

Please excuse this exceptionally long post. The goal is to provide enough background about the author to validate the collection of thoughts and observations while allowing sufficient anonymity to remain so that there will be as little ego involvement as possible. It is being placed at the beginning of what is hoped to be steady entries into the future. It is intended to sufficiently address the matter of personal history so that it will not need to be revisited. My first real love was cro