Iken [意見]

The characters/ideograms mean "opinion; view; comment." The first character means, "idea; mind; heart; taste; thought; desire; care; liking," the second character means, "see; hopes; chances; idea; opinion; look at; visible."

The word iken kokan [意見交換] of which the characters/ideograms mean "exchange of ideas; exchange of opinions." The third character means, "mingle; mixing; association; coming & going," the fourth character means, "interchange; period; change; convert; replace; renew."

What I am attempting with all the writings I provide is to give my opinion an various subjects with the hopes that others reading will reciprocate by giving their opinions so that we exchange our opinions and ideas coming to a greater understanding of the subject - martial arts and self-defense, etc.

Honshin [本心]

The characters/ideograms mean "true feelings; root spirit; true heart; heart-mind; original mind." The first character means, "book; present; main; origin; true; real," the second character means, "heart; mind; spirit."

"The concept of honshin is that of one's true essence or heart of hearts; an internal moral compass, or something akin to a conscience. By heeding the honshin, one can find the way back to one's true moral and essential nature (by virtue of michi). The idea of connecting to one's true, inner self - the original mind, aligned with nature, unclouded by sensory misperceptions, calculations, or cognitive deliberations - is an old one in Japanese and Chinese thought. It is the concept that involves overcoming the clutter of false perception or dualistic interaction with the world, and discovering one's inborn essential character of harmony with the nature universe." - Linda Yiannakis, Classical Fighting Arts

Bibliography:

Yiannakis, Linda "Judo as Moral Education" Classical Fighting Arts. June 2013 (Vol. 2 No. 24 Issue #47): 60 to 65. Print.

Knowledge

"To store up knowledge when young, and to bring it into practical application when old, is the order of things which holds true through all ages. For storing knowledge, we must be guided by great men, otherwise we shall not be able to develop our talents, and adjust ourselves to the infinite varieties of external circumstances. Again, the spirit of studies does not lie in mere reading and writing. The true spirit is to cultivate our minds by the method indicated and to advance to their applications." 

"The phrase 'advantageous to see great men' teaches not to devote oneself to mere reading and writing, but to attend the true school of mixing with great personages, of being aware of the worldly phenomena, and of piercing through the stat of the nation, and gradually to advance. I must open myself to intercourses and I must freely mix with the world."

- My Resolution at the Beginning of Meiji, The Takashima Ekidan. 

This speaks to the need of obtaining knowledge first before teaching. It is knowledge that is both academic and through experience. It is best served for both the future teacher and future students that the teacher acquire such knowledge and experience before taking up the full mantle of teaching alone. Even then it is the experienced and knowledgable teacher who continually, diligently and consistently tests their knowledge and experience under the guidance of one who is greater to maintain a constant change toward new knowledge and experience. 

All to often those who attain the coveted black belt, sho-dan, assume that this is enough to teach. All to often they branch out quickly to be on their own, to own their own dojo and to teach others before they are fully and truly capable. This lessens the lessons. This diminishes the content and context of the system only because no one at such a young age and level can obtain and retain all that is necessary to transmit the fullness of any one system.

Then we can speak toward those who assume the role of teacher early too often attempt to accumulate many other systems to bolster their resume' not considering that the foundation on which they are attempting to build knowledge and experience into a solid foundation of teachings is inadequate to the full task at hand. 

The ancient and wise of old China managed to convey this through such as the I Ching translated into the Japanese Takashima Ekidan, the I Ching equivalent. The entire society of two great and old nations was built upon this great knowledge and experience so it seems ludicrous to try and circumvent the natural process for expedience sake and monetary gain not to leave out ego and pride. 

It is therefore prudent and wise for seekers on knowledge to first assure that their teacher meets these requirements of nature. To be older, wiser and more attuned to both knowledge and experience of the system to be passed down to others who follow. 

I made this mistake and only now through long years of practice, long years of attaining knowledge, and long years of attaining experiences that I have come to accept and understand those early failings and to achieve what I have achieved in my winter years. 

The Way (Dao) and Wu-Wei

The way is wu-wei is the way or the Dao. An enigmatic way of thinking that came from ancient Chinese way of thinking. My recent studies has emboldened my thoughts on wu-wei and the way as we may speak of it in the practice of martial systems. In my attempts to further my understanding of the cultural belief systems that caused such martial disciplined practices it has come to my mind that our perceptions of the "Way" may be misaligned much like many factions of ancient Chinese thought conflicted in their beliefs and understandings to the Way and wu-wei. 

I quote, "A model of skill-mastery in any form provides one access to a type of realism that differs significantly from - and lacks some of the weaknesses of - the sort of realism found in Cartesian representational theories of knowledge. The realism that governs the skill of martial systems, for instanced, is thus reflected in the fact that techniques (tactics and strategies) can be applied well or poorly, and the difference between these two types of techniques is observable in the material realm. When a technique cannot fulfill its intended use because its fundamentals do not apply properly or because it fails to fulfill its purpose when used can be said to have been applied by a bad martial artist. One's embodied mind becoming adequate in martial fundamentals to apply technique with fundamental principles is thought to be evinced by an apparent ease of action (wu-wei) and the possession of a sort of spiritual power with observable effects."

This quote as a stand alone does not adequately convey the connections of wu-wei with the way/dao and with martial systems, i.e. a physical discipline used to provide access to a type of realism that connects through patterns, rhythms, and realism with nature and its patterns, rhythms and realism that is called Heaven (another term that is perceived to mean nature itself).

In martial systems we strive to reach an ideal level of mastery and by this we can achieve wu-wei but the Way and wu-wei encompass more than mere physical master for it requires a spiritual master as well that speaks to nature's human virtue. If the proper cultural belief system is not understood and applied then the martial system in question is often practiced by one who may not be of moral spirit. This context is taught by the Way and wu-wei so that the entire martial system or any discipline can be a representation of the perfection that already resides in nature, or heaven, thus through perfection of skill you become a fully realized human being who embodies the way in all the actions and deeds done in living as a human connected to nature or Heaven. 

Nature (Heaven), the Way, Wu-wei, and virtue are intimately linked with one another to form the way of wu-wei or the wu-wei of the way. This is a complex context that warrants further study so that one can achieve the full spectrum of wu-wei, the way and master of a physical discipline. The order of which is irrelevant since it is the holistic wholehearted one that teaches us wu-wei-the-way-the-dao. 

I continue my studies to further my understanding.