New Blog

I tend to spend time posting on terminology as it relates to the kanji/kana so thought it might best serve the martial community to create a blog devoted to defining the terms with an association to the kanji/kana or "ideograms," used from a traditional point of view. At least as close as I can come from my understanding and perception.

I ask for patience and indulgence with a caveat that all comments complementing, correcting or refuting my views are "Welcome."  If you do refute or correct my posting please provide a source for the correction.

I have five web sites I use in my research along with several books on the cultural words of the country involved, i.e. Japan and China, not to forget two outstanding dictionaries in book form.

Welcome or "Mensori," to the martial art terminology blog, I look forward to an continuous exchange of information to take us closer to the culture and belief systems that brought us the arts such as Okinawan Karate/Kobudo, Japanese Aikido and the many other systems in practice today.

The link is : Martial Art Terminology

Spiral/Helix Solar System to Universe

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The Spiral/Helix Theory of Martial Systems

The spiral is a two-dimensional structure; the helix is its three-dimensional extension into space: the periphery near to and the center far from the eye, center is dense, movement is from periphery to the center, all things begin at the periphery and move toward the center, and it consists of six or seven coils; ea coil = a stage in life.

To explain would take a book, i.e. ergo the "Looking-Glass God" by Nahum Stiskin. In a nutshell the dualistic monism of reality being represented as yin and yang can be symbolized by both a spiral and the helix as denoted in the first paragraph. Apparently this spiral/helix representation is in every phenomena, thing and being so it would go that looking at our martial systems there should be some form of the spiral/helix present if things are as they should be.

I believe that in all martial systems we have duality in a yin and yang form. Fundamentally martial systems are both "hard and soft" which is duality in a monistic fashion, i.e. a system of both hard and soft is "one" system and as an example the Okinawan system of "Goju" demonstrates that at least in its name.

The spiral in this case, martial systems symbolism, would be practice of both the physical and the spiritual where the physical is yang and the spiritual is yin and the goal is to find both extremes and join them holistically into one so the fluctuation remains closer to the center realizing that neutrality is impossible but the ebb and flow from that neutral point is of importance.

The helical aspects comes from the symbolization of the practice of martial systems toward progress. We travel a path toward proficiency and enlightenment which puts us in a forward motion while the practice of the physical and spiritual ebb and flow across the center causes us to spiral around the path creating a spiral and helical effect.

I am reading this book, The Looking-Glass God," for the fourth time and find new facts and such at every read. It is well worth the effort to find a copy to read and study.

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Dualistic Monism

The principle is a means by which all phenomena, things, and beings within the universe are classified into the two polar categories we call yin and yang. These two simple categories of such complexities remain profound and mysterious and they include within themselves all the individual complementary antagonisms of the polar universe. All things, beings and phenomena are aggregates of the two tendencies - the yin and the yang - combined in various proportions.

In order to train the mind properly one must comprehend the "intertwining relationships" as demonstrated in the philosophy of the yin-n-yang - dualistic monism.

If this is a truism then how can one achieve mastery in any endeavor unless the dualistic monism of the art is not embraced, understood and practiced as a whole in a wholehearted manner? To achieve the physical one must achieve the spiritual and vice-versa. Like the mind leading the body the one cannot exist without the other, dualistic monism. A singularity of the dualistic.

To comprehend the intertwining relationship one must acknowledge the governance of the universe being the two polar tendencies that permeates all - the yin and yang.

Man's imbalance is often the result of some imbalance in the two governing concepts of weight but not just the weight but rather the weight and its relationship to the pull of the Earth, gravity. For the weight to remain in balance there must be a counter weight otherwise the weight overcomes the balance at the fulcrum and topples the thing, phenomena or being. If a person's unbalance is due to a lack of spiritual in direct proportions to the physical then it is the same as a huge weight and topples the practitioner from following the rule of the universe, dualistic monism.

The Looking-Glass God: Shinto, Yin-Yang, and a Cosmology for Today

Chapter One:

"Beings are in a dynamic state of change and life is process. In daily life we find no constant. Movement is a continuum from one extreme (pole) to its opposite. Process occurs as movement between these poles of the universe. The poles are complementary; one can't live without the other. The universe is constituted of an endless to-and-fro movement of life from any pole to its complementary opposite." Nahum Stiskin

Bibliography:
Stiskin, Nahum. "The Looking Glass God: Shinto, Yin Yang, and a Cosmology for Today." Weatherhill. New York. 1972.

Martial Essence

First one must understand that the essence of martial systems is a physio-psychological sensitivity to the structure and direction of movement within  nature, i.e. constituting nature. If we fail to recognize this true essence then it will become a physical means of dominance toward man. This is in direct contradiction to the true meaning of the way.

One must strengthen and refine the physical center (hara: haragei) of the individual. Only when the self is balance and in harmony can it achieve the same in society. Once the self is fully centered and the centering is centered in the physical body, the hara, only then can one achieve a harmonious unification, i.e. create a holistic whole, wholeheartedly, of the entire self.

This is accomplished through diet, physical activity (karate-jutsu-do to name one means), mental activity, establishment of order (in its most basic state achieved through kata or shikata of life), by serving others (the senpai/kohai and dojo community achieves this so the individual can express and achieve this in the greater society), and self-reflection (to look into the mirror of self and truly see both sides of self).

When we add the yin, i.e. mental activities, etc., to the yang, i.e. kihon, kata and kumite of karate-do, we achieve a whole that begins to train the intuitive aspects of the mind so that it may lead the body toward a holistic practice in both physical and spiritual domains.

Literalism vs. Symbolism

It seems to be our nature in the West, to see things in a literal sense. In the East and many other cultures symbolism is that which denotes a good deal of things in one snapshot.

When we see things or read things or experience things we tend to see that which is the surface, that which is without metaphor or allegory and usually without any symbolic meaning - it is literally raining outside. It is that which is absolute, the exact words of the original, copied exactly, etc. It expresses the essential or genuine character of something.

Symbolism is that which represents something else, an idea or a quality. It has something intrinsic to some natural object, fact or event. It is poetic in nature in providing an image that directly or in most cases, indirectly, provides an indirect suggestion to express some idea, emotion or state of mind. It is that system which presents symbols or symbolic representations. It opens the mind to more that merely the literalism of some exact idea, quality or event, etc.

In what I see from my recent studies of the Asian cultures that provided us the practice and study of the art of the empty hand or any martial system was its conveying of said studies through symbolism, i.e. both images and characters which are in and of themselves symbolic in expressing and communicating.

This type of communications has more depth and results in a person achieving a fluid mind whereby all things are not set in stone but rather a fluid nature changing at every moment. Literalism is a rigid unforgiving method often used in initial training and teachings. It is not understood that it is meant to achieve a more holistic approach to the whole that is the way or Tao.

Literalism is that which opens the gate to symbolic communications required for a more holistic way vs. the dogmatic adherence to a literal way of life. Another lesson to the symbolic meaning in Yin-Yang. It is not just a black and white design but holds a hidden meaning far and beyond the literal view taking us to the other side of that mirror showing us the dualistic monism of life.

Ain't life grand?

As it remains to be seen by many practitioners of martial systems the ken-po goku-i is not a literal way of understanding things but rather a symbolic way of teachings us the flip side of the physical aspects to martial systems thus making the system truly "whole" or "holistic" in its more progressive practices.

If we take this to be true then what we define as to balance and unbalance must be more than the literal toward the bodies balance or unbalance, the eyes seeing vs. seeing from the mind's eye and other such things.

Take the literal out of your study toward enlightenment through the goku-i and reach a more holistic or wholehearted understanding by putting the symbolic back into the study of a full and completer martial system.

Something to Ponder

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Shinto is often said to be a simple and pure religion of nature. The Universe is asymmetric. In everything either yin or yang predominates: there is nothing neutral. The entire Universe is spoken of as positive.

The symbol of the great tai chi represents a universally uniform cosmic asymmetry within space-time itself. It consists of two opposing magatama (jewel of japan, three treasures). It symbolizes a conical helical form that in both sides is clockwise in direction and implies the inability of the two opposite-hands structure to exist simultaneously. It is a symmetric symbol with asymmetric properties in the symbolism.

The Last Lesson

Usually I don't put too many books in my list of recommendations that are not up to my perception of worthiness but in this case since it strikes toward an aspect of the practice of Isshinryu, in general, via Tatsuo-san's gift of his silk ken-po goku-i certificate I just had to make a few comments on this book. If you are not open to criticism then don't read this review.

I would have to question the title for I have come to the conclusion that the goku-i (will use this terse reference to mean "ken-po goku-i.") is NOT the last lesson but rather a lesson we should embrace from the very beginning of the practice of ANY martial system. It has come to my belief that to not balance out the physical with the spiritual (not a religious reference here) whereby the spiritual encompasses a deeper understanding of the Okinawan people with their customs, beliefs and history. Not the surface stuff you hear about all the time but a deeper level that reaches back in its history to the influences before Okinawan Ti become Toudi and then Naha-Tomari-Shuri Ti and finally today's Karate.

In general I found the content more an expression of the author rather than the goku-i. This is fine in general but I felt it did not actually speak toward the goku-i at the level's Tatsuo-san meant for us to reach. I say this as my personal belief and findings after my thirty plus years in practice and my ten plus years researching and delving as deep as I can into the full spectrum of the goku-i which does speak to many connections between Okinawa, China, Japan and other Asian nations such as Korea, etc. Many commonalities but also many unique perspectives of the same customs, beliefs and history.

If you are a student of the author I would encourage you to purchase the book if for no other reason then to see an inside view of the author, teacher and practitioner of Isshinryu but understand that the reference to the goku-i seems flawed, off-set and not quite the meaning meant by Tatsuo-san - again, my personal opinion and perspective only.

When I read that this was promoted as the "first book of its kind on Isshinryu" I had to disagree. Once you  read the content and remove the title of the book as for the goku-i it is actually another rendition of may other books not only on Isshinryu but on other systems/styles, etc. of karate. In that it is not from my view indicative of goku-i and the underlying meaning it can contain.

Then again at the level of which I perceive the efforts that may have gone into or not gone into researching the true meaning of the goku-i this book for this author may truly be his/her views on their perspective and belief as to the goku-i therefore I would applaud that effort for it as an effort to understand this often difficult koan called the goku-i at least on a rudimentary and beginner level. I would say it might be a start and remaining open to the possibilities that it is not the end of the story is crucial to all new readers to this and to the goku-i.

In this light if this book provides all the readers inspiration to seek out more as to the goku-i then it does meet that which Tatsuo-san wanted most from us, the desire to seek out the knowledge that encompasses that of the customs, beliefs and history of the Okinawan people and those Okinawan masters such as Tatsuo Shimabuku Sensei, creator of Isshinryu Karate-jutsu-do.

In general I do not recommend this book for anything other than a small part of your effort to find out the wholehearted truth that is Tatsuo-san's desire to seek out more than the mere physical and reach for the stars. Add it if you will to your library but don't assume it is more than what it is - a good start "toward" the true lessons of Tatsuo-san.

p.s. note closely the "Isshinryu-no-Megami" symbol on the cover. I suspect either the author or the publisher reversed the plate as it is backward. Normally the dragon and stars are on the right and the open hand is up on the left side as you look at the picture. :-)

Body-Mind Holistic Approach

"Structure of mental movement should be one with the structure of physical movement to develop the body's instinctive understanding of life." - Nahum Stiskin.

The body follows the mind and the mind leads the body whereby the body trains the mind to see, hear and feel the body creating a unified mind-body for a wholehearted understanding of all things.

The quote came from the writings of Nahum Stiskin in the book "The Looking-Glass God: Shinto, Yin-Yang, and a Cosmology for Today." It provided me the idea that reinforces my belief that our body-mind training holds a high place in the practice of martial survival systems like karate-jutsu-do. It also alludes to the connection the practice of mind-body training includes the more philosophical side as presented with the "ken-po goku-i." This along with other findings in my research tend to bear this out as true and the only solid way to move through life.

We tend to take to many shortcuts because we seem to have this overwhelming urge, an obsession really, to get to the end and the heck with all those requirements in the middle. The most direct route is not always the best. A direct route might involve obstacles along it that would disrupt and damage the journey delaying the true goal at the end while taking another more fluid route might take a bit longer but the end result is reaching a true, solid and long-lasting goal with more benefits to you, your life, your practice, your family and your friends and associates in your group, tribe or society.

This is something to think about, yes?

Man's Soul - three sould mitsu-domoe

Heaven and Earth, Person's Heart

Reference to the person's heart is to connect the physical and spiritual as symbolized by Earth and Heaven. Heaven being more esoteric in nature does symbolize the spiritual which is that something that is not physical, not seen and not touched. Earth represents all those things and are solid, touchable and seen by man.

The person's heart is that something symbolized as the center of the human therefore is a good representation of man or human kind so to be the same as Heaven and Earth may mean that man must make the attempts to achieve a harmonious blending of both mind, spiritually speaking, and body, physically speaking.

The Body's Sword

? ? ?

The Winter Years (Autumn and Winter Ages)

The winter years as I understand the meaning as alluded to through my current studies into Chinese cultures as they affect my practice of martial systems are those years that equal and exceed sixty years. My previous postings at the blog for the Ken-po Goku-i titled, Autumn and Winter Ages, [http://kenpo-gokui.blogspot.com/2012/02/autumn-and-winter-ages.html] doesn't go into any details on this age period of life.

I am going to provide what I hope and perceive that forth season of live consists of from my more narrow perceptions.

Winter: 60 years and more: I say "more" because this is the stage of life where one should experience more in their lives. They have lived and if lucky lived well so this is that time where one should enjoy and most importantly "provide to others" from their experience and proficiency in living said life. This is the stage where hara is developed and thus through this stage achieves a tempering that may result in mastering hara or haragei. We still hold ourselves accountable for self and others but it is more a influential stage whereby those in the Autumn years receive from those in the Winter years that which will allow them to develop their hara.

This stage not only says we stood tall on our principles but that we are able to achieve more present moment presence and that we can communicate the words and actions that inspire in others a desire to follow the way.  We have shown by deed, actions and word our goal of taking full and complete responsibility for what we have accomplished to reach this stage or season of life.

This stage stands alone and above the three stages of the development of meta-physical hara. We comprehend the significance of hara and have and do demonstrate it through haragei. Our endeavors to blend our body and soul is self-evident and we now understand what it means to achieve spiritual and physical oneness. One in his or her Winter Years has the self-satisfaction knowing they have achieved a level of proficiency in hara/haragei. We now know that mastery is nothing more than oneness where neither positive or negative is required for practice of developed hara.

The winter person breathes naturally and normally as if it were intrinsically a DNA offspring. We don't just know but now feel the wholehearted truth of breathing which is haragei and that meditative breathing leads to greater haragei and haragei leads to enlightenment in life.

We winter folks who have faithfully followed the path realize intuitively and instinctively that there is no atomistic but only holistic life and feel it deeper and healthier in our very core. We have combined our physical and spiritual nutritional intake as if it were once again "the one, the tao or the great tai chi."

We winter aged individuals have achieved harmony in the gradual practice of life without deviation and no expectation. This stage is that level in nature that is what the Universe intended as to the way, path or "michi." Our discovery of the only way to mastery is demonstrated in our activity within the stage of nature called Winter Years.

Bibliography (Earth):
Stiskin, Nahum. "The Looking Glass God: Shinto, Yin Yang, and a Cosmology for Today." Weatherhill. New York. 1972.

Third Eye

Person's Heart -n- Heaven and Earth

Heaven and Earth are symbolic of the ultimate polarity of the created world. "A person's heart is the same as heaven and earth. whereby one might derive a meaning that man or all humankind must achieve balance within that mirrors that of the balance indicated by the symbolism of heaven and earth as Yang-Yin of the Universe or at least our universe which could mean the yang-yin of our own internal universe."

This then questions the how one does this and we can extrapolate that through the physical one achieves a blending of both body and mind, i.e. earth for the body and heaven for the mind (the mind is often also perceived through the heart as well).

This in the goku-i might mean that only through a strong balance practice of a martial way such as Isshinryu can one achieve a balance that best exemplifies what it means to me a martial artists over a bute using waza to dominate. The practitioner of balance uses his expertise to benefit and not dominate his fellow human beings.

Helical Nature of Duality from Singularity

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Balance is Not Achievable

Often I posted that the true ultimate meaning of it all is to find "balance." I have since come to the conclusion that balance is not ultimately possible but one can achieve a level of balance within a certain spectrum of the yin-yang that promotes peace, tranquility and ultimately enlightenment with all that comes with that level of achievement in life.

An entity is always dominated by an either yin or a yang phenomena, being or thing. It is a matter of nature, the universe, the rules of the way. That tendency is what makes things go round so to speak. This speaks of continuous change, changes within are changes in the quality, quantity, or structure of its constituent yin and yang elements. Thus it is virtually impossible to be both yin and yang at the same time ergo the constant tendency to fluctuate from one end of that spectrum and the other with a seed of the other remaining within.

So it comes to my mind that what we should seek is a balance of the fluctuating of our yin and yang to a zone that allows natural and nature to continue its tendency to oscillate between being yin and being yang. To achieve minimal movement from one to the other seems the ultimate meaning of all it is to follow the path. Let my graphic demonstrate that zone.

If we can truly remain in this zone, area, then we can achieve better health and well being. We create a way to achieve many things, this is our goal, the way, our ultimate meaning of life.

The Looking Glass God - Shinto, Yin-Yang, Cosmology

Bibliography (Heaven):
Stiskin, Nahum. "The Looking Glass God: Shinto, Yin Yang, and a Cosmology for Today." Weatherhill. New York. 1972.

Normally a bibliography is presented to the reader at the end of the publication but today I place it front and foremost to achieve a place of importance for this posting. If the question, "Why?," is then presented one can achieve the level of the answer as paramount toward "action" whereby action is "to purchase a copy of this book."

When I read what I perceive as an important publication I have both highlighter and pen in hand. I mark and hilite words, sentences and those parts that tend to speak to my cultural beliefs with specificity toward particular subjects, i.e. martial arts, etc. I did not do so in the case of this particular publication, book. I sensed in the first couple of pages a "need" to read it frequently therefore to hilite or mark the pages would distract my repeated readings and therefore my repeated attempts at full understanding of the depth and breadth of this terse tome on the aspects of Shinto.

Bibliography (Humans):
Stiskin, Nahum. "The Looking Glass God: Shinto, Yin Yang, and a Cosmology for Today." Weatherhill. New York. 1972.

Since I began with an idea I would expand my understanding of the concepts for yin-yang and Shinto I soon realized that it is much more. I find it applies to life first and all others as secondary or with a connectedness to "life." I believe the reader with an open-mind and proper attitude will gain a plathora of knowledge and understanding whereby they will become aware of the mirrors that encompass the way we live life, the way we practice and the way we train - and all that encompasses, includes and blends.

Therefore, after only "one reading" I can truly say that this publication has far exceeded my needs, desires and thirst for more in my way of living, way of learning and way of teaching. I look forward to returning to the very first page, after this post, and beginning once again. I see the need to come full circle many times, like the many lives of humans, to gain more momentum toward enlightenment.

Bibliography (Earth):
Stiskin, Nahum. "The Looking Glass God: Shinto, Yin Yang, and a Cosmology for Today." Weatherhill. New York. 1972.

Yin and Yang - Seasons

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Yin and Yang | Positive and Negative

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The Human Soul - Mitsu Tomoe

In my continuing search for understanding to apply it toward correct attitude in my practice and teaching I have discovered that the "tomoe" you see here has additional symbolism as to the three "tadpole" like shapes that make up the center section.

In Japan their shintoist beliefs promote the concept and symbols of the "Three Jewels" being the "sword," the "jewel," and the "mirror." The sword can be symbolic of human's as to the bodies sword represented by the spinal column with the hilt at the base of the skull and the point at the opposite end.

As to the tomoe we are to understand that the jewel is shaped in the same form, a spiralic structure. It is the fundamental structure of creation and a representation of it in humans is a picture of the human fetus at its earliest stage of human being. This particular graphic in Japanese culture is representative intertwined magatama or is better explained and known to represent/symbolize "three-soul" also referred to as the "mitsu-domoe." In the book below it goes into details as to this symbolization of the tomoe and three-soul concept (or the human-soul).

The last is the "mirror" which is the most sacred and referred to as the "looking-glass God." The qualities and properties of the mirror both actual and metaphysical are to great to get into for this post but I would say it to be most enlightening and well worth the effort to get and read this fine book.

Why? Because the more I dig the more I find our martial arts are touched by the "shintoistic" influences the permeate the Japanese culture which would also touch Okinawa and are all derived from the touch of the Chinese culture, beliefs and experiences.

Jin: Social Relationships of Man

仁 = kernel, benevolence, virtue, MAN, humanity and charity [also by another source: perfect virtue, affection, charity, charity and love]

This character signifies a dynamic, intuitive implementation of a law of nature for the purpose of creating and maintaining "wa: social peace and harmony."

Bibliography:
Stiskin, Nahum. "The Looking Glass God: Shinto, Yin Yang, and a Cosmology for Today." Weatherhill. New York. 1972.