"The Author, it must be remembered, writes from his own standpoint!"
My personal "Interpretive" Lens!

"One thing has always been true: That book ... or ... that person who can give me an idea or a new slant on an old idea is my friend." - Louis L'Amour


"Providing a first step on a path to self-reflection." - C. E. James

"Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider..." - Francis Bacon

"What is true today may be reevaluated as false not long after. Judgements are frequently based upon a set of "temporary" circumstances surrounding them. Conflicting ideologies can exist simultaneously. Antagonistic dualities are complementary aspects of a unified whole: are seen as mutually dependent mirror images of each other." - Nahum Stiskin

Warning, Caveat and Note: The postings on this blog are my interpretation of readings, studies and experiences therefore errors and omissions are mine and mine alone. The content surrounding the extracts of books, see bibliography on this blog site, are also mine and mine alone therefore errors and omissions are also mine and mine alone and therefore why I highly recommended one read, study, research and fact find the material for clarity. My effort here is self-clarity toward a fuller understanding of the subject matter. See the bibliography for information on the books.


Note: I will endevor to provide a bibliography and italicize any direct quotes from the materials I use for this blog. If there are mistakes, errors, and/or omissions, I take full responsibility for them as they are mine and mine alone. If you find any mistakes, errors, and/or omissions please comment and let me know along with the correct information and/or sources.

Kenpo Gokui

The lines of the ken-po goku-i are set from an atomistic aspect simply because it is the manner in which the brain learns. Its nature is completely holistic and like the I Ching must be in a form that promotes learning and understanding so a person can see, hear and grasp the nature of a holistic system. The gokui is a method to teach us how to be holistic. Its terseness is the best that can be done to convey its holistic meaning.

A person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth while the blood circulating is similar to the Sun and Moon yet the manner of drinking and spitting is either soft or hard while a person's unbalance is the same as a weight and the body should be able to change direction at any time as the time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself and both the eyes must see all sides as the ears must listen in all directions while the mind must grasp all the tactile, olfactory and gustation data not seen on all sides and not heard in any direction


Master Zeng said, "Am I preaching what I have not practiced myself?"

All Bottles are Truly Good

All Bottles are Truly Good

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The Way

A moral course and a means ...
I Ching; Tao-te-Ching; Ken-po Goku-i; Texts of Taoism; Go-rin-no-sho; Art of War; The Analects; Chinese Book of Life; Chinese Astrology; and many many other ancient classics one uses to achieve the "Way!"

The Way which in Japanese is "michi" which means a way, a road, a street, a path, a lane, an alley, a route, a course, a moral principle and a means. To follow a path as a moral endeavor is to follow some pathway even if it does not have a literal meaning of following a route on a highway or road. Tho this character does indicate that literal meaning the one we as FA/MA practitioners use is to follow a course, a moral principle is involved, and the means by which we do this is the singular practice of the FA/MA.

All the classics I mention all have the same thread throughout of a moral guide to a sage like living of life. They  mention a singular form whereby one promotes a way of living that meets the natural way of the Universe; by the Universe's natural laws which like the laws of physics are non-negotiable and unchangeable; the type of laws which we live with but choose as to its goodness or not-goodness, the law of opposites, the law of duality, the law of Yang-Yin, etc.

No matter which classics are studied the theme through out is the same but the message is conveyed as an individualized viewpoint of either a person or a group. Much like the variety of FA/MA systems we have today even though at their core they all are the same, i.e. striking, kicking, etc. Divergence occurs at the mental levels and those mental perceptions and translations provide the different systems.

I have posted on traditions and classical practice of FA/MA and if I am to understand the mental part these differences in systems is natural and traditional to all the past masters. Change is inevitable because of the human condition but the spirit core of life is the same for all of us even if our expressions seem "different" on the outside. The inner life is all the same; the outer life differs due to individualized expression.

All bottles are good, they all serve a purpose! - Shimabuku, Tatsuo Sensei

To truly see and hear  one must be open and those who trained under the watchful eye of Tatsuo could not truly see or hear him for if they did they would not promote the dogmatic adherence to his demonstrations of old man kata on the 8mm films of the sixties, etc. The doctrine of having to show you practice and know his way of doing Isshinryu as interpreted by Americans who failed to "see and hear" his truth throughout the classical/traditional way of FA/MA are stuck in that rut stifling the growth potential of the practitioner and thus the spirit of Tatsuo's Isshinryu.

In my opinion the No. 1 trait of Isshinryu is its founders desire we not remain stagnate in his original beginnings but to see and hear his message of practice and training he demonstrated through out his teaching years. Forget the vertical fist, the double bone/muscle block, the short stances, etc and remember his spirit of Isshinryu teachings, practice and training.

Kung Fu: I Ching not Chinese Boxing

In a recent post I told of finding a reference to "Kung Fu" where it could have been in relation to Chinese Boxing, i.e. Martial Art. I have since found that in philosophy it could represent/symbolize other aspects so when I went back to James Legge's translation of Hexagram 61 you find Kung Fu as follows:


One can interpret this statement, translation, to provide guidance as to the wholehearted practice of FA/MA where one of the results a combatant wishes to achieve is a freedom from the ego and all its trappings, maybe?

Water: Symbol

The symbol of water as depicted in the I Ching denotes gradual advance, like the soaking in of water. In the "Zen" like symbolism of the martial arts water is used to denote strength, flexibility, and the state of one's mind to name a few. The moon reflecting on a still pond, a still water reflects, etc. all present some example of what a martial artist strives for in the practical application of use in combat, both civil and war based.

There is the crystal clarity of pure water vs. muddy water. Water denoting a peaceful practice of tranquility. How water seeks the lowest places. How water is soft enough to flow around all things but can be focused to a point where nothing can withstand its onslaught. Water is one of the five elements of the I Ching.

The stillness of water with purpose vs. being active with meaning/intent. Water is flexible in that it remains a liquid, can become solid as ice, it becomes gaseous as steam, and water except if some cases remains flowing. Water is also that one element that supports and maintains life itself. We are made up mostly of water in our bodies, etc.

Water flows over, under, around all things. It does not jump. Water is water is karate is life is both yang and yin thus not surprising utilized as a symbol for a consummate martial artist or budo-ka.

The I Ching uses water to give a sense of gradual advancement as a natural order to life. The idea of advance/progress is used to teach us that this process is natural and done in a gradual manner with and by successive steps and other conditions as denoted by the particular hexagram. It can be hypothesized by the readings that to do otherwise results in calamity. What this means today is the short cuts many take to achieve the glory of the cool stuff may give immediate satisfaction but for longevity it will open the practitioner to fault and instability of the entire system. To follow proper natural ways is to build strength and stamina while "cheating" leads to weakness and instability.

We can learn from the yin side of the coin we call karate-do or any "Do" for that matter for they all lead to the truth of life, living, and self improvement, etc.

Just see how many times water is used to convey some meaning and ability to achieve proficient levels of expertise in the combative arts of both FA and MA. After all, symbolism is a way to "teach" others by expressing ideas and knowledge in a way that will allow understanding not to forget the ability to convey that over generations.

Examples:

Water has a universal undertone of purity and fertility. It is also seen as a source of life which in reality it is since we are, as I have said, mostly water and lets not forget that we look to "water" as an indication of life or possible life on other planets. Some mythological stories use water to indicate where live emerges.

Let use also the water flowing as an symbol to represent circulation where the ken-po goku-i also alludes to circulation by saying blood circulates similar to sun and moon.

Taoism, Tao-te-ching, also uses the symbol of water to indicate aspects of sagely wisdom. They let us know that water, unlike most other elements, assumes an form that it encounters to flow in, over, or around objects. It forms with what ever contains it and when unconfined if follows a path of lease resistance and seeks the lowest area.

It also symbolizes to us the innate ability to morph or change. Water was so important to life that whole tribes would create homes adjacent to sources of water.

Water can be symbolic of transformation, the subconscious, fertilization, purification, reflection, intuition, renewal, motion and life to name just a few.

In astrological symbolism the water sing of Cancer symbolizes purity, clarity and refreshment while for Scorpio mystery, stillness and reflection. Pisces is depth, motion and life.

As to the references of the moon and sun of the ken-po goku-i the moon reflecting off water can be reference to the subconscious. The sun and moon circulating deals with the harmony of the cycles.

Water deals with these cycles of life, the revitalization, the generosity and also dreams and visions.

Water as it relates to natures animal life give us a means to add persecutive to our daily lives as can be seen in the Chinese martial traditions which use animals to symbolize fighting systems and styles.

Of current note is water frozen where the crystals seen with microscopes display designs that can be related to many of life's cycles and systems which include our human form. 

As you can see water does symbolize many things not only in the martial arts but in philosophical teachings from all over history and the world. These existed long before we achieved the ability to travel and to get it from the Internet ;-)

Symbolism of Three Stars

In the Isshinryu-no-megami there are three stars. Their meaning apparent is attributed directly to Tatsuo Sensei and his system as derived from three Masters. It is these three that comprise his innovative system of karate-do.

Enter the ken-po goku-i, the key to the ancient practices assimilated into Okinawan culture and customs where three also signifies the three pairs of starts in the Norther Bushel which resides over men's heads recording their acts and passing judgment as to which is detected, i.e. goodness or wickedness. Then there is the three spirits of the recumbent body residing in man, the spirit, the mind, and the body.

Lastly we see the three poisons of human heart, greed, anger, and stupidity. The very essence of understanding as to the Tao is its three things of Heaven, Earth and Man which is symbolized in the I Ching symbols that transcend all the classics in one form or the other. These three are considered the coordinate powers.

"Ken-po Goku-i Three"

person's ... heaven ... earth.
blood ... sun ... moon.
manner ... soft ... hard.
person ... balance ... weight.
body ... change ... time.
time ... strike ... time.
eyes ... see ... sides.
ears ... listen ... directions.

The Meaning of Tao - XII

He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent. He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty. He who is satisfied with his lot is rich; he who goes on acting with energy has a (firm) will.

[We spend an exuberant amount of time "looking (seeing)" outside ourselves for all the solutions to all our troubles when in reality, as spoken here in the tao-te-ching/I Ching, etc., all our troubles and problems are from within us and all the answers to all these problems come from within us; provided we are ready, willing and able to "listen (hear)" that which is in our hearts. True intelligence, in this interpretation, is one who realizes and accepts that all things of the Universe experienced by the individual is a direct result of that individuals interaction with the Universe and all the differing "ways" that arise from this can be maneuvered into the correct path by that same individual who listens and hears; perceives and sees what is within, the Tao influences the within and provides us all the answers we could possibly seek in our life times.

Americans in particular seem to be drawn toward the type of strength that results in some dominance of others. This is a result of not having the ability to see or hear our hearts from within so we understand that the most difficult opponent we could ever encounter is us, the person within each of us. This is why it is coupled together here in this quote because they are intertwined. They are the two sides of the coin called "man or humans."

Man/humans can only understand the minds of all humans by first understanding their own mind. There is no other way and karate-do, like many differing ways, provides us the fundamental tools to achieve this wholehearted way of the human (persons) heart.]

The Meaning of Tao - XI

... the man of skill is a master (to be looked up to) by him who has not the skill; and he who has not the skill is the helper of (the reputation of) him who has the skill. ...

[Immediately I get the sense of Sensei-to-Deshi relationship; the teacher to student; as alluded to in karate-do and budo where that relationship is a fundamental of the way of the empty hand, etc. It extends into the tori-to-uke relations when practicing the more combative aspects where trust is only achieved through the ongoing relations developed only in time, practice-practice-practice. No where else except in those environments such as military, police, prison officers, firemen, etc. does this type of relationship develop deeply and with a strong bond as all these must trust and rely on each as brothers/sisters who "have your back" or in the case of karate-do/budo where mistakes can result in injuries or more.]

Understanding Meaning of Ancient Texts - Philosophy

Recently I found a reference to "kung fu" in the Taoist texts translated by James Legge where I assumed that it referenced the physical practice but now am understanding that it may mean a lot more.

I recommend you read the article which was first posted by Dojo Rat at this location. I am providing his link which also takes you to the actual article here as well, "Kung Fu for Philosophers."

I believe that this can be translated into any "art form" when the intent is improvement of one's life in general. I found a good deal that although referenced Kung Fu still applies to my practice of Isshinryu.

As I would suggest here it all has relevance regardless of the topic specificity and that this type of discovery when taken with openness and a tiny bit of skepticism leads to greater understanding.

The Eyes ...

The moral of the story - your body (and your car) goes where your head (or your vision) goes. - Mokuran Dojo "Cowcatcher and Vision"

Parker Sensei conveys a point that also corresponds with the teachings of the "Ken-po Goku-i" at least for those who study Isshinryu. I often witness when persons are "doing" kata that they do not use their eyes. I have also heard Sensei explain that your using instinct to turn into an attack which I find a bit discerning. Why? Because no one ever has or will ever develop "instinct" that actually "sees" an attack with out the eyes being involved.

What may be occurring is someone who appears to be "seeing" the attack with out the eyes is actually seeing the attack from a peripheral aspect. Does this mean a practitioner and/or a person in self defense should not turn the head and look/see, better not or you will get your clocked cleaned.

I use a term, "Chakugan," which in a nutshell means to set your "eyes" on your opponents eyes or just your opponent. This assists in proper focus of techniques and targeting. In the adrenaline dump effects of fear of violence it also assists the proponent in overcoming the limiting effects in the body, i.e. narrowing of vision, etc.

Maybe if Tatsuo's so-called first generation practitioners actually listened to him when they got their silk certificates they would have understood this and so many would be utilizing chakugan/eyes in kata and in fighting, etc.

The Meaning of Tao - X

He who stands on his tiptoes does not stand firm; he who displays himself does not shine; he who asserts his own views is not distinguished.

[A person's unbalance is the same as a weight. The fourth tome of the ken-po goku-i where the Tao-te-ching validates the philosophical reference by saying one who does not firmly plant his feet to the Earth can be easily unbalanced causing them both physically and metaphorically fall as if by heavy weight.

Display comes in many forms but one such form is the belt system. They say here that one who does not proclaim themselves in a egoistic fashion has more respect that one who touts his accomplishments.

Asserting views seems to indicate one who remains close minded and insists dogmatically to push their own agenda when Tatsuo and the various ancient texts express the greater need to be open, honest and to make changes when proven incorrect.]

The Meaning of Tao - IX

Chapter 14. I. We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it the equable. We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it the inaudible. We try to grasp it, and don not get a hold of it, and we name it the subtle. We take these three qualities and we blend them together and obtain The One.

[The three qualities as One make us human, person, while the others refer to the "eyes" and "ears" which are also referenced by the ken-po goku-i. This also alludes to an understanding that if we are closed to seeing, i.e. not seeing it or reality, and/or we are not hearing, i.e. not hearing truth, we are blocking the true tao/Way. If we open our minds and truly see and hear within grasp the Way of the Tao and achieve the wholehearted oneness Tatsuo inspires us to achieve by the physical practice of Isshinryu and the spiritual practice of ken-po goku-i.]

Eyes and Ears

"The eyes must see all sides. The ears must listen in all directions." In the "Writings of Chung Tzu" it is said, "When men possessed and employed their (natural) power of vision, there would be no distortion of the world. When they possessed and employed their (natural) power of hearing, there would be not distractions in the world."

Ahhhh, ken-po goku-i, our ability to open the mind to allow truth to be seen and heard. Distortions of truth come from the refusal to truly see and hear. This is the minds pension to allow the ego to instill the stories of comfort, the stories we tell ourselves to accommodate that which provides us comfort and distance from stress/fear and those myriad things that bring them about.

Tatsuo provided us the key, we must be willing to accept all we see and hear when we open the gate to truth and reality. We decide to remove the ego's distorted view of the Universe and to allow our natural ability to see and hear in the present moment. We take this on wholeheartedly bringing us to a "oneness" that is the system of the physical and spiritual, Isshinryu karate-do.

A clever and inspiring soul this person called, Tatsuo!

The Meaning of Tao - VIII

The Taoism of old occupied itself with the belief that the breath or vital force was the way to manage longer life. ... They go on to say, "The Way of Heaven = The Heavenly Tao," which is exemplified by man. ... Finally the Tao says, "The gates of Heaven is a Taoistic phrase for the nostrils as the organ of the breath."

[In the goku-i the first tome talks of Heaven; the I Ching and other ancient texts also expound on Heaven, Earth, and Man in a variety of references. This particular passage in the Tao-te-Ching leads us to understand that references to heaven in the translations is far different from our perception. In this last quote it carries to full circle since breathe is vital to longer life and at the end Heaven is connected to the nostrils for that same breathe.

Breathing is a "key" in life and especially within the fighting/martial art applications. Health and all we are internally start and end with breathe. Breathing can influence the heart and its beating. Longer and deeper breathes can cause the heart to beat slower. Breathes can influence aspects of the body where it causes changes in the brain/mind and the mind then leads the body to react to this change either in a positive way or negative.

Negative effects are when suddenly surprised the breathe becomes shallow and quick causing stress and sometimes fear while a positive effect is you recognize it instinctually thus breathe slower, deeper, diaphragmatically, resulting is changes that reduce the stress and fear and allow for clear thinking processes, etc.

Breathing is connected to all of the body and mind in so many ways that one needs to study this long to achieve a modicum of knowledge but for FMA/MA practitioners all you need to know is when the adrenaline dump hits practice to breathe slower, deeper, and diaphragmatically.]

Dual Certificates

Dual Certificates were presented to the early practitioners who trained in the honbu dojo of Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei. Tatsuo provided them two silk certificates, one for the rank and one with the ken-po goku-i.

No one then and not many now truly understand the significance of that presentation. When you couple it with his wishes that the person not use the rank half until they practiced and trained for at least fifteen years you can get a good idea of his intent.

Tatsuo as a sumachi, etc. who studied the Chinese Ancient texts, etc. understood that after the "one" or the great "tai chi" came to be that every thing of the Universe consisted of a dual nature.

I believe he in his own way was trying to teach those leaving so early in training that there was more, so much more they must learn and this presentation was a clue to that end. Those who found the clue would then understand the spirit of his system while those who missed it would merely remain fighters.

This graphic depicts my viewpoint on this matter. George Breed Sensei provided these graphics of his certificates which I used on my web site and blog with his permission. Please see George's Warrior blog site for the originals and their post on them. (click it for larger view)

The Meaning of Tao - VII

An illustration of the Tao by Lao Tzu, "There is nothing in the world more soft and weak than water, and yet for attacking things that are firm and strong there is nothing that can take precedence of it."

[A maxim of the fighting/martial arts. In one form or another we all have heard this told to represent the hard and/or soft of practice and training. The goku-i refers to hard and soft in the third tome, "The manner of drinking and spitting is either soft or hard." This direct reference is also indicative of Yin-n-Yang or in Japanese, "in-n-yo."

Indirectly the other tomes of the goku-i such as balance, shifting, strike/not-strike, see and hear, etc. all come from the basic tenant of Yin-n-Yang but only in less extremes of soft and hard. The many levels, i.e. extremes poles to all the variances and degrees of intensity to the actual balance or that equilibrium we strive to achieve in our Way of the Empty Hand.]

Water (tao)

Lao Tzu used water as his favorite symbol for the Tao. He states in the Tao-te-Ching, "There is nothing in the world more soft and weak than water, and yet for attacking things that  are firm and strong there is nothing that can take precedence of it; - for there is nothing (so effectual) for which it can be changed. Everyone in the world knows that the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak the strong, but no one is able to carry it out in practice."

The ken-po goku-i provides us the thread to this lesson by its references, both implied and actual, to the hard and soft of practice. The tome, "The manner of drinking and spitting is either soft or hard."

Just goes to show that the lessons did not stop with the first black belt. It was then that Tatsuo provided the black belt, the honor and trust of fifth or sixth dan, and a copy of the ken-po goku-i. The three gifts he provided back in those days was not lost on all who received them but sadly most did gloss over the gifts and assumed the trusted ranks long before Tatsuo intended.

Tatsuo made the one mistake because he didn't truly understand the mentality of Americans and Servicemen. We didn't take time to understand the source either since we spent the little time there learning the physical and thus never learned the customs and such of Okinawa and the core of their systems of fighting, civil and martial.

Understanding that the goku-i is also a dualistic key to the Way, the actual and direct interpretations along with the other side of that coin the implied interpretations one can achieve  through the study of the ancient classics, etc.

The Meaning of Tao - VI

When your "eyes" see nothing, your "ears" hear nothing, and your mind knows nothing, your spirit will keep your body, and the body will live long. Watch over what is within you; shut up the avenues that connect you with what is external; - much knowledge is pernicious. I will proceed with you to the summit of the Grand Brilliance, where we come to the bright and expanding (element); I will enter with you the gate of the dark and depressing element. there heaven and earth have their Controllers; there the Yin and Yang have their Repositories. Watch over and keep your body, and all things will themselves give it vigor.

[A direct reference to the seventh and eighth lines of the ken-po goku-i with other references that indirectly reference other lines as well. It also gives hints toward a benefit of practice in training to remain aware of the present moment, the now. It seems to me it also tells us how our practice leads to a healthy mind, body, and spirit which benefits from our removing such things as ego, past, and future thoughts that hinder the health and well being of the individuals inner self.

We see that too much focus on excessive knowledge or knowledge that goes beyond what is necessary is the type that leads to harmful effects. This is like taking kata bunkai and assuming that there is more complexity which then adds excessive meaning to the simplicity of kata practice and usage. It tells us that this can be very subtle and if we are not aware and diligent, much like awareness and due diligence in practicing fundamentals, it is harmful, injurious, and/or deadly.

Bright and expanding indicates the sun and its expansion over the world, or earth, as it ascends into the highest point of the sky illuminating all things while the gate of the dark and depressing is of the night and moon where it both hides possible harmful things yet illuminates the still waters of the mind so present moment awareness seeks to see beyond the nights veil by the light of the full moon, enlightening the way.

Thoughts, those of the monkey brain, which tells us the importance of self talk can and does lead to unhealthy effects of the body simply because the body follows the mind but remaining in the present moment with positive self talk is proven to be healthy and enhances our well being providing our lives and bodies with healthful vigor or energy which we sometime refer to as "chi or ki."]

The Meaning of Tao - V

... the antics of the Kung-fu, or system of mystic and recondite calisthenics. ...

[The only reference to date found to directly reference any sort of physical manifestations of the Tao where the translated term, "antics," seems to indicate an adverse view of a martial art and the Taoist beliefs. Yet, it does not actually say one way or another whether this system of physical activity does or does not relate to Tao. It would be interesting to have found further reference to martial arts/fighting arts and the way of Tao, etc.

Then again, the reference to both "mystic" and "recondite" may allude to more than the quote as it stands alone. After all recondite, meaning: "incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge," does have possibility that the translator not having any knowledge or understanding of the art of Kung Fu could not elucidate further as to its relation to Tao and Taoist beliefs. The term does mention a type of wisdom that is both abstruse and "profound" in its meaning and thus relations.

This term also indicates that such knowledge is best known by the "experts" which in this case should/could involve one or many who are experts in Kung Fu and also at least knowledgeable/understanding of Taoist beliefs and Taoism.]

The Meaning of Tao - IV

The old Taoist had no idea of a personal God, when they wrote of Heaven.

[My first demonstrative impression that Heaven in ancient classics may be the English equivalent imposed by translators but in reality may mean something akin to the entire force that split creating the Yin and Yang which creates all the myriad things. It was very apparent that the translators of ancient classics who resided in China were of strong religious background and naturally used the word Heaven to describe what may have impressed them as an all-knowing force that created all things which we tend to attribute to a Heavenly Being, God.]

... there is no idea of Creation in Taoism. ...

[Creation to us is God while creation to the ancients is a totally indescribable force that created the opposites and thus all of us. This is important in order to get it straight as to how the reference is used in the goku-i where the very first tome connects humanity to both concepts of something extra-ordinary, Heaven and Earth with alluding to cycles, rhythms and patterns.]

The Meaning of Tao - III

The Tao of Heaven means the Tao that is heavenly, the course that is quiet and undemonstrative, that is free from motive and effort, such as is seen in the processes of nature, grandly proceeding and successful without any striving or crying. ... There is the Tao of Heaven, and there is the Tao of man. Acting without action, and yet attracting all honor, is the Way of Heaven. Doing and being embarrassed thereby is the Way of man. ... Acting without action, - this is what is called Heaven. Heaven thus takes its law from Tao. ... Vacancy, stillness, placidity, tastelessness, quietude, silence, and non-action would be found to be3 their characteristics, and they would go on to the perfection of the Tao.

[Many of the descriptive here parallel the aspects one who follows the way of the empty hand strive to develop and enhance. We simply derive guidance from the ancient texts, this is also the way. We can see some hints as to what the ancients meant by Heaven/Heavenly, etc.]

Ancient Texts: "Heaven"

In every single Chinese text, i.e. Tao-te-ching, I Ching, etc., there is always a reference to heaven. As I mentioned the ancients did not have a singular god with any ideology that Heaven is this place all go after death where some utopia type existence is believed. I have been studying these ancient texts for a while along with my practice and study of karate-do which as the Yin half the study of the ken-po goku-i along with its connections to those same texts. I have come to an initial conclusion as to what heaven is in this context.

There is the physical and there is the non-physical; Yang-n-Yin. One cannot exist with out the other much like up-n-down; good-n-bad; hard-n-soft and so on. When they mention heaven-n-earth this duality also must be as one will not exist with out the other. Neither will exist if not for the great tai chi or the Tao.

Where I want to focus as to try and explain the totality of heaven in the texts I would prefer to give my views as to how that works with humans, mankind, persons, etc. We directly deal with the physical but with out the non-physical we would be no more than animals. It is the heaven aspect as I perceive it that gives us that unique "thing" which makes us human. It also makes us non-human for with out the ability to be both you cannot be "one human."

Heaven deals with that which constitutes a "spirit" within each of us. Not as in ghost type spirit but that innate quality that makes us either human or non-human with all the variations that fall between the two extremes. Simply stated heaven in humans can be either "love" or "hatred." After all we all experience both to one extent or the other.

To truly adhere to the ancient texts teachings of "heaven" we must find those aspects/qualities that promote love, love of self; love of others; love of mankind; love of nature; love of the entire Universe.

We learn to kick and strike with karate efficiency and deadly intent. The difference between brutality is this aspect spoken of as our relation to heaven, listening to heaven, and letting heaven guide us. This begs the question, what are the traits that cause this heaven influence to guide us to the proper path?

I will now list those adjectives that I believe help us to "begin to understand" what the ancient classical texts are trying to teach humankind, for over a thousand plus years.

Benevolence
Filial Piety
Respect
Loyalty
Honesty
Rectitude
Courage
Honor
Goodness
Righteousness
Good Faith
Virtue
Equanimity
Gentleness
Economy
Balance
Proper Attitude
Attentiveness
Acceptance
Kindness
Morality
Civility
Patience
Tolerance
etc...

These are what is meant by influence of heaven; and all the other references lead to a "pattern of behavior; the actions we take; the example we set; the deeds we perform." A good beginning.

The Meaning of Tao - II

We have the phrase, "Heaven and Earth," used for the two great constituents of the cosmos, owning their origin to the Tao, and also for a sort of final power, acting in harmony with the Tao, covering, protecting, nurturing, and maturing all things.

[We are constantly reminded that Heaven and Earth are a significant part of the Way. It is mentioned constantly through out the texts and is the first tome of the ken-po goku-i of Isshinryu Karate-Do. It has been and is now the "first" tome spoken, written, and characterized as a intricate part of the way, the great Tai Chi, etc.

We do not want to mistakenly believe that the ancient Chinese meant all references to Heaven to be related to our modern perceptions of "Heaven." It is not the same and it takes a bit of study to come to any non-conclusive interpretations of the texts especially when you have to consider that the spiritual background of the interpreter influences his or her interpretations. My view is that references to "heaven" have nothing to do with some religious dogma saying we all will live happily in heave at the end of our lives here on earth.

I don't wish to provide, at this time, what I feel is their intent when writing of "heaven and earth" in the ancient texts as I believe that is something each of us has to find through their own studies. This was/is the intent of Tatsuo when he presented the ken-po goku-i to his first students in the late fifties, i.e. Marines and other military folks. I believe he felt that we each have such uniqueness that to provide a "static interpretation" to us would hinder our growth and knowledge thus limiting our practice of the way of the empty hand.]

The Meaning of Tao - I

The Tao was devoid of action, of thought, of judgment, and of intelligence. ... Lao-tzu's idea of the character was that it primarily and properly meant "a way," ... Tao was adopted to denominate an abstract cause, or the initial principle of life and order, ... Chung-tzu (Kwang-tzu) translates Tao as nature as the ordinary rendering of the Chinese Tao. ... There Tao appears as the spontaneously operating cause3 of all movement in the phenomena of the Universe.

[The "Way" is synonymous with tao and I Ching for they both allude to what the way is and this is fluid in nature allowing any and all myriad things to provide guidance to humans in finding that Way that is conducive to achieving so called enlightenment which I interpret to mean a way for the individual to find harmony within so that harmonious connections can be achieved with society.]

The Texts of Taoism

"The brevity arises from the terse conciseness of the style, owing mainly to the absence of the embellishment of particles, which forms so striking a peculiarity in the composition of Mencius and Kwang-tze."

This introduction to the texts of taoism with particularity toward the "Tao-te-ching" is to karate-do where studies of Ancient Chinese Classics equal the way to a better self.

Much like I Ching and Tao-te-ching; the ken-po goku-i is a brief terse and concise style with all the embellishments removed to form a striking prose meant to open the mind and heart to achieve a "wholehearted" ability though the practice and study of karate-do. This warrants comments and views as to how Tao and karate-do mesh and teach. It has connectivity as other ancient texts to the goku-i and by endeavor that of karate-do.

The posts that will follow are my views as to the connectivity of Tao, Taoism, I Ching, Ken-po Goku-i, etc. to the practice of karate in the Way.

Accepting Truth; Rejecting Falsehood

We join a dojo. We spend a great deal of time with Sensei, Senior practitioners, and Junior practitioners to where we develop this camaraderie or tribe like solidarity where any outside idea's may be thought of as criticism, be it fair or unfair, not to forget actual and sincere inquiries. This tribe will tend to automatically lump all this into one thought, a thought that their tribe or way is under attack.

The defense mechanisms go up and resistance is strong and focused, blinding them to any truth be it theirs or the others, the ones outside the tribe/group/dojo. They pull into a circle of wagons to defend against the attackers. They say to themselves, "We know the truth and we will defend that till our dying breath!"

Unknowingly they will circle up and lash out ageist the naysayers. They will justify and argue even when it may sound ridiculously absurd. They will pull in and ignore the others and refuse to discuss it. They feel their nobility and will strive to make that belief stronger.

This is how some end up getting themselves into spots that when shown to be false leaves them embarrassed. It also can take some who start out with the noblest intentions and lead themselves into beliefs that in the beginning they would have refuted vehemently. Like the fellow who fooled himself and his followers into believing he could move objects with his ki or energy. He went on an old talk show where a naysayer set up a test that proved he was using tricks. Even on television and in front of millions the practitioner still tried to cover his tracks to protect his beliefs.

We who go this way have lost our way, we have failed to first confront the truth within ourselves. We failed to remove all those false beliefs, those illusions that come from stories we tell ourselves to justify something we want to do or believe. We fail to "see or hear" reality. We provide ourselves excuses, we equivocate, we delude and by this action we limit ourselves and if we teach we pass this along to our fellow practitioners.

One of the most important aspects of learning a fighting/martial art is that of removing our own limitations, both mental and physical. This is where various terms in Japanese promote such things as present moment awareness/mind. When we practice, we practice to overcome our ego's so that the ego does not subvert our actions and this does work in life stuff as well.

Sometimes accepting the truth hurts, it kills our belief in some things but in reality it should be looked upon as an opportunity to lean and grow. A hallmark of a good person is one who can see and accept faults and falsehoods. It is a person who remains open to all the possibilities regardless of personal beliefs.

The eyes must see all sides includes the sometimes foggy side of either truth or falsehood. The ears must listen in all directions includes allowing the direction that is not always easily discernible, literal and figurative. The body must change directions at any time is not always meant to be literal for we as good persons must allow ourselves to change directions to remain balanced and true to the way. Being hard or soft means when necessary be hard and remain steadfast but also allow for a soft view so that when change is necessary we adjust accordingly. Remember, all bottles are good, they all serve a purpose does also mean that everything said about a way is open to truth and acceptance regardless of our own viewpoint and beliefs.

The time to strike is when opportunity presents itself means that just because someone is outside the group does not diminish their view and beliefs for it is imperative that a person of the way should take such opportunities to strike for truth and acceptance when that opportunity presents itself and you should believe that it can come from anywhere, anytime and from anyone, regardless.

Thanks to Dave Lowry whose book, "The Essence of Budo," inspired this post. He may or may not agree but the inspiration is welcomed by me, thanks Mr. Lowry!

A Discussion of Heaven (Heaven is pure eminence and pure Wisdom)

This comes from the book indicated in the bibliography at the bottom specifically section 17 which is titled the same as this post. I felt it might shed additional light on the studies of the Isshinryu Ken-po Goku-i, the I Ching, The Tao Te Ching, etc. Heaven is only one reference in all of this books and papers so it might benefit my readers to get more which hopefully will help us Westerners with understanding its usage.

Bear with me, I took excerpts out so I could comment on them. Look for the [comments to be in brackets] while the excerpts stand along in quotations.

As we begin with the first excerpt let me say that how the ancient Chinese sages define their usage of "Heaven" is greatly separated by a chasm of opposites where its inference is not of the Heaven we tend to think in our religious views. So, in that light DO NOT TAKE OFFENSE when an explanation seems to be outside your current understandings. It is like the "rei or bow" in traditional dojo which is a basic Asian courtesy and not some way of demeaning an individual or make them feel subservient to the Sensei.

Let me stress that my comments will be geared toward Karate primarily with smatterings of reference to the classics so it will be limited by this effort. Remain aware that it all goes much further and deeper than I can go at this point of my studies. This post is my viewpoint through my interpretive lens (lens in reference to the "third eye" for seeing the more esoteric values).

We begin …

"Heaven's ways are constant."

[It may be a reference in our gokui that it is important to remain constant in the practice of the fundamentals where those same fundamentals remain intact at the core yet allow for the constant change of humans to adapt and assimilate to our own uniqueness.]

"If you practice the Way and are not of two minds, then Heaven cannot bring you misfortune."

[First, this seems like stating a double negative to reach a positive. This is just the way they thought and wrote in those times. It could be the actual characters the Chinese wrote but it must be kept in mind that in translation the translator could have inserted the form which could reflect that individual, it is s subjective matter for the reader to accept or not. In my way I see the reference to "two minds" to be the present moment mind and the mind that allows the intrusion of both past and future thoughts to distract. Yes, we still have to reference past and possible future to come to some consensus in acting in the present but this should not be to the detriment of the present moment mind.

If we practice the Way where the mind is trained to remain in the now, the present moment, and that training is constant then we are able to avoid that misfortune. The Way is to use the singular practice of some art form to teach us about the two minds and how we can take some semblance of control thus control of our lives.]

"To bring to completion without acting, to obtain without seeking - this is the work of Heaven."

[Mushin or mind-no-mind, a complex way of remaining in present moment mind where the past training and practice are reached quicker by the mind/brain for acting in life situations which include the possible use of karate where the intrusion of the second mind, thoughts of past or future possibilities, etc., cause the present moment mind to delay and lose focus results in not winning, in anything, but if one can not act or not seek to stay in present moment mind then they can complete things quickly in the manner prescribed.]

"Heaven has its seasons; earth has its riches; man has his governance. Hence man may form a triad with the other two."

[A person is same as Heaven and Earth; Heaven has a rhythm and pattern that it follows by reference to the seasons that come and go, i.e. summer, fall, winter, and spring. This is constant while the Earth with its riches, i.e. land, water, trees, flowers, the soil to grow and provide food, etc. Then man, or person whose heart is good natured, provides governance which is tantamount to full realization of the cycles of the seasons and governs human actions to balance out actions accordingly, i.e. when to plant, when to store up for winter, etc. Man is the middle point of the triad of Heaven, Man, and Earth which is referenced a great deal in the interpretations of the I Ching or the Book of Changes.

Heaven, the seasons, the sun and moon, Earths involvement and Man's role as the fulcrum to balance all is a way to show the various ebbing and flowing of karate-do, i.e. balance of the person literally and mentally, the ability to shift and translate movement, when to focus, strike, deflect, etc. and what we do to perceive, evaluate and act from perceptions of the mind through the "eyes and ears."]

"The ranks of stars move in progression, the sun and moon shine in turn, the four seasons succeed each other in good order, the yin and yang go through their great transformations, and the wind and rain pass over the whole land."

[What better explanation of life and in smaller parts the practice of karate-do. Movement in progression means that we must not change or subvert the steps/processes of practice and training to achieve movement to more exciting places. We always have to first provide fundamentals and through natural progression of training and practice achieve efficiency and proficiency to gain the next level. Each description affirms this in a manner much like the need to practice, practice, practice and then when you get it practice again. It is that rhythm and pattern of life and karate-do, it provides us the guidance to remain on track at all times even when we might be tempted to bypass natural progression of training.

Yin and Yang going through transformations is practice and training with diligence and continuity so that we may transform ourselves within and without so when actions are required we are knowledgable and proficient enough to act according to the natural laws of the Universe.]

"Ears, eyes, nose, mouth, and body all have that which they perceive, but they cannot substitute for one another. They are called the Heavenly faculties. The heart dwells in the center and governs the five faculties, and hence is called the heavenly lord."

[Much like the spirit conveyed by Tatsuo for Isshinryu as referenced by the gokui we as practitioners should listen to our "hearts" and use our senses with emphasis on eyes and ears to perceive all the myriad things of Heaven, Man and Earth with out preconceptions caused by our current perceptions and beliefs. This is necessary to avoid being trapped by our own minds tendency to stay in a comfort zone and to not see or not hear facts, truth and those things that bring about changes in the mind and in our practice and training.

We need to allow our hearts to help us move beyond the limitations of the minds perceptions governed by our emotions, etc. ]

"When we turn our thoughts to Heaven, we seed to understand only those phenomena which can be regularly expected. When we turn our thoughts to Earth, we seek to understand only those aspects that can be taken advantage of. When we turn our thoughts to the four seasons, we seek to understand only the changes that will affect our undertakings. When we turn our thoughts to the Yin and Yang, we seek to understand only the modulations which call for some action on our part."

[Phenomena and aspects to be expected is determined by the level of knowledge and experience which is attained by seeking the knowledge with out restrictions or preconceptions and the experience by what we do in practice and training which is always influenced by the knowledge as training of the mind/brain. The thoughts to the four seasons is about the variances we encounter in training and in combat where attaining the knowledge and experience provides the understanding of the changes these encounters affect on us and take appropriate actions to counter or accept the benefits or detriments of those actions.

By understanding the concepts of the classics and in particular the ebb and flow or polar extremes and those variances that travel between we understand the changes and the lack of permanence in all things be they of Heaven, of Man, or of Earth and all the myriad things of the Universe.]

"Heaven has its constant way; Earth has its constant dimensions; Man has his constant demeanor."

[In the constants of the Way of the Empty Hand we can readily see and experience the microcosm of life with particulars toward the mental influencing the actions/physical acts to achieve greater understanding and by way of that avoidance of those detrimental influences, i.e. acceptance and manipulations for benefits vs. detriment.]

"If you have no faults of conduct, why be distressed at what others say?"

[Karate-do by way of gokui allows us to go further than the mere physical but into those realms that allows us to see and hear our own faults. Knowing and learning our faults allows us to make changes and that is what life is about, changes and finding the balance.]

"To be refined in purpose, rich in virtuous action, and clear in understanding; to live in the present and remember the past - these are things which are within our own power."

[Teachings, seeking knowledge and understanding of ourselves lead to understanding of others and society so we may act appropriately in all situations is within our power and through our singular practice and study of the way we can see, hear, and understand clearly so that our practice teaches us to consider the past with out its emotional/mental baggage so that our present moment mind remains clear and open, all within our power to achieve only if we acknowledge the truth of the Universe as taught through practice and gokui.]

"The sun and moon are subject to eclipses, wind and rain do not always come at the proper season, and strange stars occasionally appear."

[A reminder that nothing is written in stone, all things are subject to change and its influences but what is done with that knowledge is critical. This is the teachings that although we accomplish great things those things may need change to continue the progression of Heaven, Man and Earth as depicted by references to the rhythms, patterns, and influences of the sun and moon, hard life and softer living, our balance to life and nature, our ability to change direction when change is necessary, to act when action is appropriate, and to see and hear all things and not just those that provide comfort, etc.]

"In the Heavens nothing is brighter than the sun and moon; on Earth nothing is brighter that fire and water; among natural objects nothing is brighter than pearls and jewels; among men nothing is brighter than ritual principles."

[Ritual principles including a rhythm and pattern developed by the practice of such principles as adherence to the natural progression of learning a fighting art such as karate/karate-do.]

"If you harmonize with what is best in the Way, all will go well."

[To harmonize is to create a symbiotic relationship between our spirit and mind; between ourselves and our fellow practitioners; between ourselves and others of society. The self improvement resulting in the betterment of self that transcends our ego's and allows for beneficial and harmonious connections to all the myriad things of this Earth in direct result to the recognition of Heaven, Man and Earth.]

Bibliography:
Watson, Burton. "Basic Writings of Mo Tzu, Hsun Tzu, and Han Fei Tzu." New York, Columbia University Press. 1967.

Jiki-shin or "Direct Mind"

Jiki-shin means approximately that we control our minds so that we allow no stray thoughts or emotions to intrude so that our present moment mind can respond to stimuli without any mental hindrances. This is being in the "Now" or the present moment with out allowing intrusions of either past or future thoughts so that the mind can deal with present moment situations most efficiently.

Dave Lowry in "The Essence of Budo: A Practitioner's Guide to Understanding the Japanese Martial Ways" provides that "Isshin" can mean "one mind or unified mind" which seems to equate to this present moment ability referred to here as "Jiki-shin." The one-mind/unified-mind  is "not distracted" by anything other than the present moment (now) that is.

We can then add in "Zanshin" which is to remain alert through the entire situation, the instinct before action that warns us to the action itself and then to remaining aware/alert past the end of the action just in the event that something hidden from our perceptions and instincts rears its ugly head to cause another successive action.

This is all under the heading of "focus." Training to fight in this manner is unique and takes a special kind of teacher/mentor. Our focus must allow us to achieve efficiency above and beyond the effects of the adrenaline dump and the other stress related things that the body and mind dump on us in high stress and possibly violent situations.

This brings up the ken-po goku-i specifically the last two "tomes" which express an ability to "see" all sides and "hear" in all directions. Under the stresses of a fight or violent situation our ability to "see" and "hear" are affected. We train to achieve control over the mind and thus the body so that the diminishing of both sight and hearing are lessened so we can maximize our use of those senses. Training should allow us to lessen the human bodily distortions that occur due to the psychological and physical responses to stress or stressful situations.

This brings up mental training, which is the most critical aspect of the fighting arts if you encounter violent actions, which means overcoming nature's natural instinct in dangerous situations to first "flee or RUN" from the danger and allow us to fight instead.

When we first sense some dangerous situation most will instinctively pull back, open the eyes wide, take a quick deep inhalation and put up our arms for protection. The pulling back is instinctually starting the "fleeing" response. To me this means if we failed to achieve the first self defense technique, i.e. to avoid it all together, then we need to have the ability to see and/or hear so we can instantly determine if fleeing is available. If not, we "act accordingly" to achieve space/interval so we can then "flee the scene" and find protection from the danger.

Jiki-shin, to me as my training and practice, means not just a unified/one mind but a mind that can distinguish danger from safety in every day activities but in the event of danger sensing it allows me to either flee quickly or create an interval/space so that fleeing is available. Avoidance/Fleeing/Action which should be taught/trained/practiced in the arts when emphasizing self defense.

Bibliography:
Lowry, Dave. "The Essence of Budo: A Practitioner's Guide to Understanding the Japanese Martial Ways." Boston & London, Shambhala Publications. 2010.

Simply the Ken-po Goku-i

Are we, therefore I, making the Ken-po Goku-i more complex than it was meant to be? Is our American tendency to go ballistic with complexities that are simply not there taking it beyond what Tatsuo meant or is it just "our way" as Americans?

Nothing is simple when it comes to subjects we try to take on as Americans. The diversities indicate that the comparisons are able to teach us something but as to what is determined by our view point, our standards, our customs, etc.

If I were to "simplify" my view on the ken-po goku-i what would that be:

First, remove all the numbering. You don't see it in the silk certificates provided to early practitioners so we can rightly assume it was Americanization that caused us to number them to fit us.

A person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth. This could be a simplified reference to the ancient classics only so far as to emphasize to practitioners that there is a connection to the spirit of humanity to that of Nature as represented by Heaven and Earth.

The blood circulating is similar to the Sun and Moon. Asians put explanations in a form that made sense at that period of time. If you study the I Ching and Taoist classics this is a reference to the cycles and patterns set by nature as symbolized by the sun and moon in action. This could be the connection from the broad view of Man, Heaven and Earth to the Human triad of the mind, body (heart) and spirit. 

The next six are even more specific and relate to teaching a practitioner about such things as achieving balance, etiquette in both practice and combat, and extending our simple senses into an awareness that results in self-improvements that extend to societal connections which change from person to person and societal groups and so forth.

The first of those six teaches about the duality of all myriad things being at extreme hard or soft with a variety of levels between. Then it goes on to teach us about finding balance in spirit and in action. This is followed by a teaching of using our bodily ability to change with reference to the literal changes of the body in fighting to those mental changes in conflicts.

It goes on to teach us about focus and timing and then the two abilities to literally see or be aware by vision and/or hearing only to allow us to allude to seeing and hearing beyond the literal to the more undefined, i.e. the third eye and hearing the underlying meaning of sounds.

We can make it more complex as I have shown by all my interpretations as they would and could relate to study of the I Ching and Taoist teachings but is that necessary or was it implied when presented by Tatsuo?

It comes back to my original feelings in that each of us as a unique person needs to determine the validity of any study and take it to the level that teaches us as an individual. Maybe the goal was to present a fundamental view with intent of allowing the individual to either accept it as is or take it beyond our outside the box.

We all have to decide for ourselves and remember that all bottles are good as they all serve a purpose. So, what ever level you take this study of the ken-po goku-i is solely yours and yours alone. This is possible and possibly true with the study of the I Ching, etc.

Simplicity (Asian) vs. Complexity (Western)

We strive to achieve a level of proficiency in Asian Fighting Arts, specifically Okinawan for Isshinryu, by assimilating the esoteric of that study, i.e. Zen, etc. which advocates simplicity while at the same time we take that simplicity and convert it into a complexity of issues, idea's and views. Why is that?

Well, first if you compare Asian to Western you find "opposites." For instance, we Americans cut with a knife on the push stroke as we push the blade away from us and into the object. The Asians cut on the pull stroke as they pull toward their center and into the object.

I wish I knew the "why" our minds in Western culture is "totally the opposite" of that of say Okinawan's or Japanese, etc. but that is something I have a feeling deals with the culture, customs, and beliefs of our separate environments.

Take not that the differences begin as to our locations. We are absolutely on opposite sides of the Earth. If we look at the Tai Chi symbol and superimpose it over the earth we might find that the Yang and Yin are covering their respective area's of Asia and America, etc., close anyway. Maybe this is so because the world needs those opposites to balance itself out, i.e. I Ching and Yang-Yin, etc.

Then we must ask the question, can we truly and fully understand the Asian view of the fighting arts? If not, can a fundamental understanding that influences our own and unique view/practice of the fighting arts be beneficial to our way?

An important aspect of our studies, i.e. the mental training necessary as fundamentals, must take into consideration that what we may think as we study could be perceptively the opposite of what we should be thinking. Maybe when we "think" we understand aspects of Asian practices and training that we should flip that thought over to its exact opposite before we assume our thought or view is correct or incorrect.

Even if this is not true it is a means of open thought that could lead to a better understanding of our practice and life. Maybe this is a fundamental process of mental training that truly will teach us to think like the other guy if that is even possible with out a personally experienced view that the mind can access. If you believe in something much greater such as Tao then maybe it opens a door that allows you to change the mind/brain so it can understand the opposite views of the Asian mind.

Texts of Taoism 1 & 2 by James Legge

I have found that the translations of James Legge for the I Ching and these two volumes on Taoism are by far the best for one very important reason, his explanations contained therein are the best. The best is because they are his from that period and time of his studies and not those of whom translate the characters today with out the face-to-face Legge had with the Chinese.

Please don't take this as a demeaning statement of other translations as I have found them to be great works but James Legge's give you more umph for the studies.

This does not mean I am advocating his translations and explanations as the final word on these complex works but a doorway to find your own unique interpretations as this, to me, is the true value of the study of Ancient Classics. I don't believe that we are to take the ancients view literally or even figuratively but a means of study to open our minds and go beyond what we see or hear directly and see/hear beyond mere words or actions.

I highly recommend added these two to your library and then find a way to get into discussions so as to achieve a wider view from many differing perspectives.

Book One

Book Two

Blog Value

Once again it appears to me that I may be banging my head against the wall. Maybe I am totally out of touch with today's "Martial Arts," what ever that is truly.

I question myself continually and the question for me today is, "why bother, very few actually listen and they very seldom go outside their own personal belief system?" (Even if you are lucky enough to be right) After all, it is not a matter of getting fees/paid, etc. I get nothing as to remuneration by posting my meandering thoughts.

It seems that in today's world of Karate that any posting done is just a venue for someone else who feels they know better to refute what you say and inset their own belief system in its place.

I seem to fall into this category. Is it because I am trying to teach or convey knowledge or am I just "refuting someone else's belief system?"

I was sitting in a meeting yesterday and the person acting as the project lead wanted some data. When I said I already had it and passed it along verbally they acted as if I said nothing and started to justify their need for me to do the work once again so I sat there getting kind of steamed when I realized I was falling into the monkey dance so I told myself, "Just do the data and send it to them and stop turning it into drama. There is no reason not to just submit a simple email to all parties, get the response, and forward to the lead. So shut the f%$# up and do it."

I then just said, I will send them the mail for the data and let you know when its done. They said ok and that was that so I just allowed them to continue with their belief system and put the matter away.

What has this to do with this post, it is just that sometimes I feel that it may be "rude" of me to assume that my posting and my efforts are even wanted. I read once that in the dojo it is incorrect/rude/inappropriate to assume you as a practitioner should be providing instruction to others especially when they don't ask for it. It is extremely rude so if that is true they why do I go to the trouble of posting my thoughts and idea's on karate to a blog.

No one asked me to, no one requested I correct their way of practice. If anyone wanted to hear what I had to say they would ask wouldn't they?

I learn new stuff almost every day. I take it in, evaluate it, make sure it is valid at least to me, then I assimilate it into training and practice to make sure it is valid, that it works. So, this is what I do and who asked me to provide it to the world on the blog? No one.

Is this just my ego feeding me to make me feel superior or knowledgeable, etc. ? I am getting that sneaky feeling this is true and maybe it is time for me to Kick that Mo$#@#F*(^%$# butt and let it go. It will not change my attitude or my practice and training. It has taken me to this point and I expect it will go further but I am not sure I should be teaching anyone who has not "asked" for my instruction and/or postings.

Something I need to contemplate and make a decision.

Awareness is like Symbolism

Awareness in karate do/life is much like hidden symbols/objects. What is perceived literally may not reveal hidden symbols or objects if the mind, thus the eye, has no knowledge of such things.

This is why acquiring knowledge is such an important fundamental of karate-do/life. If you know about it you are aware of it and the mind can now have a reference to "detect" it or "see" it.

Take a look at the side of a "FedEx" truck,


see anything that resembles either a symbol or object?

Now if I tell you to look for a butter knife, an egg, and an arrow; can you see it now. If you cannot then I will post later where you see the hidden objects.

Point made. Learn to be aware, train the mind!

Ken-po Goku-i - A new view!

As I study this short and cryptic pome called the "Ken-po Goku-i" I discover the limitations of the addition of numbers before each one. I have a distinct feeling the numbers were added by Americans who have a pension for ordering and numbering things. This is especially true of the military and after all the Isshinryu system as taught today was strongly influenced by Military with particularly the Marines.

I feel that the numbering and even ordering of these pomes puts limits on its interpretation. I believe from my view of the silk copies that were given to the first group of Marines who earned black belt at the end of the tour on Okinawa has no numbering at all, just the kanji characters. It must also be noted that the characters provided do not translate to what is written in English. Although I would not consider the google translation feature to be as accurate as we would all like it does give a good approximation. When translating the English to Kanji or Japanese Kanji characters what you see has the core characters but added more …

I do believe, as I mention in the following, that the first two pome's are the keystones of the whole, the whole is also a keystone to the ancient classics as studied today by the translations. I don't wish to assume that Tatsuo actually studied such things as the I Ching but all clues point to that as being the case. After all the Chinese had strong influence on Okinawa and as time passed it may have trickled down to him.

I go a bit further by adding the reference, much like the trigrams of the I Ching, or designations of sons and daughters. This would be supported by the knowledge that Tatsuo had two kata that met the designation of father and mother, i.e. Sanchin and Naihanchi, and the other six open hand kata are a combination of the offspring being a daughter or a son. This, if you will allow through the lens of personal interpretation, seems logical to this extent since they tend to connect in this way. I would even go so far as to say "Sunsu-no-te" kata is the "first born son" of the Isshinryu system of Goju and Shorin which are the father and mother referenced in the two kata Sanchin and Naihanchi.

I don't wish to go beyond this as an initial and fundamental interpretation and/or understanding of the ken-po goku-i as that should and shall remain the preview of the individual who wants to achieve the uniqueness of the system to their personal practice. So, here is my fundamental view of it:

CAVEAT: As stated many times this is a fluid interpretation that is my viewpoint through my personal interpretive lens and is meant only to inspire one to "dig a bit more" in their practice and training of the Isshinryu system; the Okinawan fighting arts, etc. Enjoy and good luck! [Note: I also took the liberty to add the last two pome's as if they were one because it just fit.]

A person's heart is the same as heaven and earth.

Look at the person as the "human" in the I Ching trilogy where the heart is considered the center or point of balance for humans while the human is the center or point of balance in both Heaven and Earth. Male and Female make "one" and both of the same "heart" where they act and live as if in harmony with the nature of Heaven and Earth. Much like the Earth being influenced by the pull of the heavens, i.e. stars, other planets, the sun and moon, resulting in the fluidity of nature where calm and peace are achieved when it all balances out.

The blood circulating is similar to the sun and moon.

The sun and moon have the greatest influences on the Earth where humans or a person live. The interconnectedness of the Universe, i.e. heaven and earth, etc., along with mankind/humans affects the way we live, i.e. moon effects tides and the sun affects the winds which change the tides and oceans temperment, etc. While these very same aspects of earth/nature have affects on our emotions and personalities, i.e. rain storms can cause us to be depressed, etc.

These two primary pomes of the goku-i cover all of the myriad things produced/created by the Tao or great Tai Chi; the "one" of the universe called the void or "Ku." All the next six pomes are the sons and daughters of these two much like the I Ching primary hexagrams for Heaven and Earth. One and two represent Heaven and Earth hexagrams where their inner selves represent the trilogy of Heaven/Man/Earth. This warrants further study.

This, for me and my viewpoint, changes the way one should view the ken-po goku-i, i.e. in lieu of eight pomes there shall be two pomes with three sons and three daughters to better align the practitioners thoughts toward the ancient classics such as the I Ching and the Tao-te-ching.

- The manner drinking (inhaling) and spitting (exhaling) is the same . It is neither hard or soft. (Yang: Son)
- A person's unbalance is the same as a weight. (Yang: Son)
- The body should be able to change directions at any time. (Yang: Son)
- The time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself. (Yin: Daughter)
- The eyes must see all sides. (Yin: Daughter)
- The ears must listen in all directions. (Yin: Daughter)

The manner drinking (inhaling) and spitting (exhaling) is the same . It is neither hard or soft.

Hard, soft, this can mean striking hard with chinkuchi or it can mean parry a strike by deflection with soft palm parry to the forearm. This is the literal meaning or at least one of them to consider.

Something to consider beyond the literal is the transitions between soft and hard of the mind. Extend this into the soft or hard strategies you utilize in actions. If you are resolute in using karate literally then your mind is hard. If you are open to all the possibilities beyond just techniques then your mind is pliant/soft and allows for this type of action. Somewhere in the middle, equilibrium of soft/hard mind allows you to shift in any direction (fifth pome).

Offense and defense can be either hard or soft as already mentioned. Our body language, what we project in addition to our voice can be either hard or soft and is determined by the tactics used as indicated in our overall strategy.

Our tactics can be karate techniques or simply our way of speaking or reacting to an attacker. Many injuries are avoided; many conflicts are avoided by understanding this before hard acts are committed.

There is a time for our minds to be hard and a time for them to be soft/pliant to allow for alternatives. We can literally "spit/hard" into an attackers face or we can "drink/soft" in the alternatives that de-escalate or avoid conflict. We all have the choice and with knowledge achieve greater tactics, both hard and soft, to achieve our goal on non-violent alternatives to conflict.

A person's unbalance is the same as a weight.

A person's unbalance is the same as a weight does not always mean literally to be physically unbalanced so they fall to the ground. Unbalance starts with the mind. To get your attacker/opponent to lose confidence in their ability is to unbalance their mind. This results in their minds leaving the moment and start to "think" which distracts and delays allowing you to strike first (remember this could be an opening to de-escalate vs. strike with fist, etc.).

If you are resolute in your readiness and have practiced diligently with present moment awareness you will "see" and/or "hear" opportunity to achieve unbalancing of the opponent in their mind that the rest follows and also becomes unbalanced. Their confidence will leave and allow you to dominate in a positive way.

Do not let your mind succumb and be unbalanced, remain resolute in action and thus through the strength of your eyes, face and mind cause the other to lose or unbalance their mind allowing you to strike first, fast and completely.

The body should be able to change directions at any time.

Changing Directions at any Time does not always apply to the literal change of the body using stance transitions, etc. but can also mean to change the direction of your strategy. You can actually shift from defense to offense or offense to defense as required. The body will change instinctively in regard to whether you are attacking or defending. This also equates to the changes in mental states. Remaining positive and acting positively is paramount and drives how you apply either defense or offense.

Changing the way your body language talks to others is also applicable. If one approaches you with intent to do harm you can change they way your body projects your intent. It is best to find balance in this to not project weakness but still project non-violent intent while at the same time projecting strength of character and strong attitude that causes the other to pause and take another look at the actions they take.

Sometimes this change in direction which equates to the way your body, face, and eyes talks to others can mean the difference between avoidance and peaceful resolutions vs. conflict and injuries, etc.

The time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself.

Opportunity does not always mean an opening in another defense to actually strike with intent to injury, etc. Opportunities to those who truly practice the way of the empty hand can be found long before anyone actually comes to blows.

Find the opportunity to strike in a manner that prevents conflict, that is the ultimate goal. A sophisticated defense can prevent the attack thus the attacker never gets the chance to touch you. This is striking before being struck (striking does not have to mean actual striking; striking with words and such to prevent striking is best). Call it a positive defense utilizing your eyes and ears.

We tend to focus too much on the physical strike when other strikes should also be a part of our repertoire of techniques. The technique of the mind is far more powerful than the arm or leg, foot or hand, elbow or knee. One must be taught from the novice level in the fundamentals that to strike with the mind at the first opportunity is far better than resorting to violence.

The eyes must see all sides. The ears must listen in all directions.

Literal and metaphysical aspects apply. In karate power is necessary, along with lots of other variables, to achieve effective karate technique. In the practice of karate the "eyes" become a significant factor.

Literally the eyes are required to "see" and thus "assess" before action is involved. This is practiced in kata by "looking or seeing" before committing to a move such as a parry or strike. The "eyes" provide decisiveness in application of the technique. Before the brain can determine which technique or tactic to take it must perceive the problem.

Next, the "eyes" provide a focus for that same technique. Look with determination and resolve at the target, which is the opponent. Put your eyes dead on their shoulder/head area and lock on with the facial and body language that speaks of determination and resolve. The direction of the gaze, eyes, will also provide additional focus toward the target area. Try it, hit the heavy bag while gazing at it directly then try it again with the eyes down, left, right, up at the sky or what ever and see if things don't go hinkey.

The "eyes" also provide stability to the body. Eyes turning toward the target provide a line of embarkation for the body and the weapon of choice so it starts the physical process that provides power, speed, and such to hit. Eyes must point to the opponent and target, in general, to achieve maximum effectiveness.

If you don't put your eyes on target then you lose focus, that of seeing what is occurring and what effectiveness the weapon, hand or foot, etc., will have on the target. It the eyes lose direction and focus then the ability to protect and defend; utilize good solid technique effectively; will suffer.

The eyes truly must see all sides, all sides of the spatial arena, all sides of the opponent, all sides of the effectiveness of action, and all sides of any situation.

We see literally then we see in a figurative sense but what we see internally is most important. Taking a look inside ourselves involves looking inward which brings to mind reference in karate circles of old the term, "third eye." (click photo for larger view)

When you see references, especially in the ancient classics, you need to "see" the more modern term in its place. The third eye is supposed to be about the middle of the forehead just above the eyebrows. Does this provide a clue to the modern meaning of "third eye?"

The part of the brain in that location is the "frontal lobe" which involves planning/anticipation; follow-through; impulsive; judgment; reasoning; abstract thinking; smell; motor planning; personality; emotionality; speaking; integration of thought and emotion; self-monitoring. Hmm, if we look at these we realize most of what we do and how we do it comes from this area so maybe, just maybe the third eye is referring to the use of the frontal lobe in meditation, etc. to achieve true seeing into the self.

I may be stretching this a bit to elucidate on the "seeing" we accomplish through the term usage of "third eye" but it makes sense. Yes, seeing or vision in a literal sense in not handled here but we are not talking about literally seeing something but lets say, "spiritually seeing" the self with a critical "eye."

To see in all directions is not just spacial but internal as well. To see ourselves as we truly are is in all probability the most difficult task/goal we have as humans. Karate-do tries to lead us toward this understanding and with the ken-po goku-i studies maybe this is the light that shines on us to allow us to see within, in all directions.

Do we take these literally of can we also take them both beyond the literal? When we "see" or "hear" things are we actually seeing it truly; hearing it clearly? Questions that a karate-ka/person must answer in both conflict and life.

When we see or hear something most times we see the surface or hear the words but in almost all cases this is a cover that does not always convey truth. We see someone with a scowl on their face as they approach us and we might think that this guy is going to attack us. But if we truly "see" beyond the obvious we may determine that they are totally consumed with some thought and simply pass us by. We must see everything which means not only the facial expressions but how the eyes convey messages. We also have to see the body language that goes along with the face and eyes. We must see beyond the outer veil and into the inner truth to truly understand. Our imaginations will take us to the extreme so we need to temper it with knowledge and true active seeing.

This goes along with actively hearing. Sometimes the words are driven by the monkey brain which tends to send out anything and everything with out thought. This can be driven by some anger or fear but the words themselves may not be indicative of true meaning of the person. This is where active hearing must be coupled with achieve seeing so they both can be analyzed to determine the true meaning behind the words spoken and the body messages that are unconsciously provided by the person.

So, the pome of the goku-i, numbers seven and eight, must not be restrained in practice and training by the literal perception but taken beyond literal meaning and encompass the underlying information that will truly provide you with what is really necessary to overcome vs. the obvious and imaginations of the monkey brain.

To "see all sides" of the story, the body, the voice, the face and eyes, and truth will be seen. To "hear in all directions" is not just hearing sounds but hearing the subtleties of the persons spirit and the truth will be heard. Both will provide totality of any situation allowing you to practice the art of avoidance. To see and hear the truth allows you to provide appropriate actions, verbal and body language, to de-escalate vs. actions requiring the use of karate techniques.

The true art of the empty hand. A sophisticated defense can prevent the attack thus the attacker never gets the chance to touch you. This is striking before being struck (striking does not have to mean actual striking; striking with words and such to prevent striking is best). Call it a positive defense utilizing your eyes and ears.

The eyes must see all sides. The eyes must not be fooled by our minds. We may observe one thing but our imaginations will sometimes carry that to an extreme causing our monkey brain to kick it with exaggerations that will lead to misunderstandings that result in conflict.

We sometimes take the most direct route in this particular tome of the ken-po goku-i, seeing the obvious but forgetting to "see" the extent of one's imaginations. It is said, "One should not be misled by bad phenomena which meet one's eye." (quote from Kazumi Tabata Sensei)

Misled by our own minds thus strengthening the idea and need to train the mind/brain to differentiate the myriad things we "see" in our lives as well as in training and practice.

Knowledge must be the tempering of the steel forged by our observations and imaginations so that truth and clarity is "seen" in all we do, this is important and maybe the most important aspect of the ken-po- goku-i's seventh pome.

Literal and metaphysical aspects apply. In karate power is necessary, along with lots of other variables, to achieve effective karate technique. In the practice of karate the "eyes" become a significant factor.

Literally the eyes are required to "see" and thus "assess" before action is involved. This is practiced in kata by "looking or seeing" before committing to a move such as a parry or strike. The "eyes" provide decisiveness in application of the technique. Before the brain can determine which technique or tactic to take it must perceive the problem.

Next, the "eyes" provide a focus for that same technique. Look with determination and resolve at the target, which is the opponent. Put your eyes dead on their shoulder/head area and lock on with the facial and body language that speaks of determination and resolve. The direction of the gaze, eyes, will also provide additional focus toward the target area. Try it, hit the heavy bag while gazing at it directly then try it again with the eyes down, left, right, up at the sky or what ever and see if things don't go hinkey.

The "eyes" also provide stability to the body. Eyes turning toward the target provide a line of embarkation for the body and the weapon of choice so it starts the physical process that provides power, speed, and such to hit. Eyes must point to the opponent and target, in general, to achieve maximum effectiveness.

If you don't put your eyes on target then you lose focus, that of seeing what is occurring and what effectiveness the weapon, hand or foot, etc., will have on the target. It the eyes lose direction and focus then the ability to protect and defend; utilize good solid technique effectively; will suffer.

The eyes truly must see all sides, all sides of the spatial arena, all sides of the opponent, all sides of the effectiveness of action, and all sides of any situation.

"To hear a lot means to learn a lot." The verb for hearing is classically used because of the importance of oral traditions, but it also came to apply to reading and research or to the whole process of information gathering. - Analects 7:27, Hexagram 26 of Confucius.

The importance of actively listening and seeing is still valid today and more so than past although both differ as much as Yang differs from Yin. In the past since history was not written, writing was not as efficient in those times, the transference and accuracy was all oral while today the glut of information requires the same ability to see and hear but for different reasons.

This is truth and to acquire the knowledge and proficiency available for the FMA one must "see" and "hear" with everything that nature provides in that endeavor for with out it the system is slowly diluted into nothing of value. As one master said of kata, "Kata with out bunkai, with out purpose is merely a dance."

Hexagram 39 of the Confucius Analects states, "When they look [see, truly see], they think of how to see clearly." "When the listen, they think of how to hear keenly."

To truly see does not just mean what is visible to our eyes but what is invisible to what we see for seeing also means to perceive for perception is influenced by the mind and how we interact and learn from our life, the now/present and those encounters in life past. We must train our brain/mind, spirit, and body to see things with the type of clarity that does not create false perceptions. In order to do this one must first see within themselves "clearly and distinctly." Our ability to view in present moment clarity means the difference between true understanding or the repercussions of misunderstood experiences.

We actively listen all the time yet we don't always perceive truth. We tend to jump ahead when listening to thoughts and impressions that pop up while information is traveling to our hearing. To achieve a level of keen hearing is to achieve the ability to actually listen to outside while keeping the minds tendency to chatter along quiet so that we hear the entirety of all influences of life and living. If we spend time thinking within while trying to listen with out we muddle and fog up the flow of information causing misunderstanding. Listen actively and keenly to achieve a higher level of knowledge and understanding. This may mean shutting down the ego and remaining open and present.

Lip Service

The ken-po goku-i, it is posted on almost every single Isshinryu site there is out there and it is posted in almost every book on Isshinryu as well but the question I have is who actually does anything more with it other than maybe read it once in their career/practice. Do you read the gokui? Do you even understand it? Can you provide more than four syllables on each as to what it might/could/may mean? To karate? To Isshinryu?

If you have it in your handouts; if you post it on your walls; if you have it in your web site; if you use it in your blogs; if you use it on your certificates of promotion or you print it out and hand it to new students do you even try to explain it or its importance?

If you don't then all you do is give it a lot of "lip service!"

Influences

Do you find that you are easily swayed by persons you encounter be they strangers or folks that are friends, family or acquaintances? Do you find that when someone states what sounds like a fact to you that you easily shift your actions and/or beliefs? How easily are you influenced by your environment and social encounters?

We are more and more depending on "outward-direction" when we should be relying exclusively on our own "inward-direction." You may not realize it or feel it since we have become more and more dependent, supposedly, on information or digital influences to receive all sorts of data, information, facts, stories, etc.

In this day of constant flow of incoming information that is sometimes formed into a format, writing, spoken, visual, etc., that tends to greatly influence how we think, act, and so on but this overloading and deluge of influences must be tempered with our "inner-direction" or we may get lost and when it comes to life and especially defense this can be a crucial viewpoint.

Karate-do or any "way" is a ritualistic, rhythmic and influential form that allows us to remain in control and to "see/hear" our own inner voices to provide appropriate guidance in either accepting or rejecting the flow of data that influences our minds and actions.

Just consider "ads" and how you react to them. After all outward-direction or outward-influences are designed to trigger our most basic instincts such as hunger, sex, and survival even when none of them actually need to be acted on or triggered.

We have these survival instincts and mind-sets that come from our base survival instincts. Just think of the last time you got angry and had a adrenaline dumb that caused you to breathe shallow, get anxious, experience fear, etc. and when you actually realize what caused it you find that it was not actually a life threatening situation.

We need to keep tabs on our outward-influences/inward-influences and remind ourselves that those inward-influences resulting in inward-decisions are what must remain within our control and let the outward-influences be nothing more that information our inward self accepts after due considerations or rejects completely as not beneficial to us and the changes we live each and every moment.

Last thought, think of it in the context of the ken-po goku-i pome three and four, i.e. the outward-influences are "yang or hard" because of the tense, overwhelming flow of information and stimuli while the inward-influences of the self are "yin or softer/pliant" and the goal is to find that balance point where one does not dominate the other while keeping the self in control vs. being controlled. Karate-do is about controlling the self, inward first to achieve dominance over the mental and physical, then when ready learning to control the outward influences, etc.