Shu Ha Ri -n- Di Ren Tian

I am going to assume that all the readers of this post already know and understand the concept of Shu Ha Ri or is it shu-ha-ri or shuhari, whatever. Anyway, on he wiki I found a page that provides some information on Shu-ha-ri and at the very bottom it provided the Chinese equivalent. When I read the explanation of the Chinese version the bell started to ring as to the ken-po goku-i.

Di, the Chinese character represents "Earth" basics or fundamental principles if you will. This level is to experience movement at a fundamental level. A bit less of an explanation yet if you view the fundamental principles of the martial systems it will ring a bit better.

Ren, the Chinese character represents "Human" ready to learn. This might even equate to Sho-dan. It too is a middle area where some go and remain in this Country (my opinion here).

Tian, the Chinese character represents "Sky/Heaven" no conscious thought resulting in moving/flowing like the elements. A stage or higher level from many, many years of practice/training.

Where this connects for those who are familiar with the Isshinryu version of the ken-po goku-i are references to Earth, Human, and Heaven. You will also notice if familiar with I Ching that these are the three components of the Hexagrams. They also name representations of trigrams and even the lines.

Those who have read the history of Okinawa will see that this comes about from the huge influences of the Chinese over their entire history. Karate may be Okinawan but it was born from the Chinese martial influences. Look at it this way, Kenpo/boxing is the father and the I Ching is the mother and the child is Okinawan Karate. Once China-hand to now Empty-hand. Evolution, something fierce and unstoppable, nature and its nature.

Another view, humans learn from those teachings of nature which is a marriage of the Heavens and the Earth. The Sun, the moon, the other planets and the entire universe exert some influence against one another providing the balance that makes life possible, human beings or all living things of the Earth.

Wholehearted Person

In Isshinryu systems, all the various tribes or factions regardless of the obvious differences, tend to believe and promote the idea of "wholehearted practice of Isshinryu, the wholehearted system of Okinawan Karate-do." When it comes to where the "rubber meets the road" do any one of us actually understand what that means?

I firmly believe Isshinryu coupled with the ken-po goku-i provide keys to achieving wholehearted practice of Isshinryu - this applies to any martial system be in karate, kung-fu, Aikido, etc.

In the training facility, the Dojo, I speak of "Reishiki" which to me means something like "courtesy, consideration, respect, etc." It is an action that reflects what is in my heart. This can be faked by performing flawlessly those outward actions that promote the idea of reishiki but how do we "know" if one is actually a wholehearted person?

Time! No one can keep up that type of face all the time and for long periods of time. We are humans and a human will always drop back down into that true space of what is in their heart - good or bad as the case may be. Bad folks can display charismatic personalities yet sooner or later the true heart of a person comes up like bubbling water from a natural spring.

One reason we might say, it matters not what you say but what you do, so show me on the dojo floor. Even this brings out the truth in "time." Time reveals actions as wholehearted or simply a false front that is "fool-hearted."

I train and practice and study to achieve a the way of the "wholehearted person." It requires many things but a chief one is balance in all things - seeing, hearing, feeling, sensing both sides of the coin of life.

Seeing and Hearing - Vision and Auditory

Research has shown that people seen to have a preference as to what kind of sensory information they will prefer over any other. This research then focused pretty much on human vision and hearing. It is nice to also hear that today they are now adding in touch, taste, and smell. Apparently you can detect which is the preferred sensory input by their language.

If someone uses such words as "see or hear" then that might indicate what they see along with what they hear will have the greatest influences. Sometimes other words point to either see or hear.

Sight: see what you mean; see your point; looks good to me, etc.
Hearing: I hear you; I know exactly what your saying; sounds reasonable, etc.
Touch: It does not feel right; I can not put my finger on it; If feels okay, etc.
Smell: That is kind of fishy; the whole affair stinks; I will sniff around and fine out, etc.
Taste: I have a bad taste about it; I can taste what is rotten here; It sickens me, etc.

I have read from one professional that one determinant between a specific kind of attacker is what you smell. It was said that this type usually does not maintain their bodies so you will smell then when in a fight, etc. Another expert then explains that when it does get up close and personal your ability to feel the attacker will be superior to what you see, hear, etc.

Now as to avoidance-deescalation if your hearing someone using the stage of verbal attacking in the monkey dance or your encountering a charm predator then listen to the words, know what to look for in the verbal content then attach what they are using for their sensory input. This may affect what you do and say to avoid/deescalate the situation. Simplistic but should provide impetus to gain more knowledge and understanding in a complex field.ß

Match the sensory mode to the person. Just one more technique to achieve the SD of avoidance-deescalation. Yes? No? Maybe? Comments ...

Grateful-Appreciated

I just wanted to recognize the following blogs and say simply, "Thank you for all your efforts, your blogs are an inspiration and an education. - Thanks!"

Martial View by John Vesia, Kowakan by Mario McKenna, Mokuren Dojo by Patrick Parker, Chiron by Rory Miller, Karate Thoughts by Charles C. Goodin, Dojo Rat by Dojo Rat ;-), 24 FightingChickens by Rob Redmond, My Journey to Black Belt and Countdown to Shodan by Sue C, Martial Secrets podcasts and blog by Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder, Tai Chi With Melissa by Melissa, Bushido Road by Felicia, and of course the many folks who take the time to read my stuff and especially those who provide feedback and comments.

While I am at it I want to say thank you to those many authors who provided me more knowledge than was available when I began. Old dogs do learn new tricks.

Thanks,

Charles

Yin-Yang | Good-Bad

The ken-po goku-i, by its nature and composition, teaches us that everything from MA to life itself is comprised of two sides of a singular life force/form. In my post on the Okinawan Karate blog site I talk of the dual coin of humans, i.e. humans or people are good; humans or people are bad. The goku-i, for brevity, also teaches us karate-ka that all things are one yet are made up of two sides which tend to one degree or another are also the opposite of the other.

We speak of practicing wholeheartedly yet we tend to side with either a yin or a yang practice. Some practice as if it were a complete hard system while others a soft. In Isshinryu, my belief, it was meant to balance out both hard and soft.

If you notice it was created out of Goju, which tends to be practiced hard, and Shorin, which tends to be practiced soft. Isshinryu was meant to balance out the hard and the soft living up the the goku-i's maxim of balance of the two sides of yin-yang. It seems to be a core understanding that there are meant to be two sides and they are to be balanced.

Don't misunderstand, this does not mean when your hard your hard and when soft your soft but rather a blending of both to one degree or another. We can apply strictly hard but mostly a blending of both while some are more hard or more soft or some degree between. In some cases it is hard/soft equally.

Even the principles of martial power which in reality are actually "principles of martial practice" teach you this as well. Take the application of impact techniques where your with out tension then suddenly full of tension at point of impact into the target, etc.

The core of the goku-i is balance, being one by managing the two opposites of human nature, and achieving that in our martial practice. Using this as a basis then can be achieved in all aspects of life.