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| Quotes |
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When
the Way comes to an end, then change - having
changed, you pass through.
I Ching
 Source:
Warrior Quotes |
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Meditation
Tip #1
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Peace
in the Midst of Chaos
It's easy for us to get caught up in our busy world with
our minds racing from thought to thought. This rapid-fire
of thinking causes stress, and unless we occasionally
slow ourselves down and take a moment to rest, we will
continue to jump from thought to thought until we are
mentally exhausted.
One technique to slow down and rest our minds is to interrupt
our busy thinking by taking a moment to focus on something
of grace and beauty. If we look for it, we can almost
always find grace and beauty in the midst of the most
chaotic day. Here’s a meditation that will help you
see how this is done.
Close your eyes and imagine yourself asleep. An alarm
goes off, and you are late for an appointment. So you
jump up and rush to get ready. As you hurriedly get dressed,
you take a deep breath and focus on a cat asleep in the
next room. A moment later, you are in your car stopped
at a traffic light. You feel stressed. So you look around,
take deep breath, and focus on how peacefully the clouds
move across the sky. Now imagine that you have arrived
at your appointment -- a little late, but not bad. You
have to wait to be seen. As you sit there, you begin to
get nervous. You look around, take a deep breath and focus
on a plant blowing gracefully by an air vent.
You can almost always find something of grace and peace
in the midst of an extremely busy day. At times when your
mind is randomly racing from thought to thought, you can
interrupt this stressful thinking and enjoy a peaceful
moment of meditation when you need it the most. by Jay
Tyler © 2001 Meditation
Monthly more:
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| Shinto*
Muso-ryu jo is said to be the oldest style for using
a stick (jo) in combat in Japan. It was founded
in the early 17th century by Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi,
an exponent of Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu.
Shinto Muso-ryu oral tradition maintains that Gonnosuke
once fought Miyamoto Musashi, one of the most famous
swordsmen of the time, with a staff (bo) in a training
match and was defeated by Musashi’s cross-block
(jujidome) technique. According
to legend, Gonnosuke was dissatisfied with this
outcome and retired to Mt. Homan, in what is now
Fukuoka Prefecture, in Kyushu, where he engaged
in a series of religious austerities, all the while
contemplating the reasons for his defeat. Finally,
he received "divine" inspiration about
a new method of using a staff-like weapon, making
it shorter (50 1/4") and thinner (7/8")
for more rapid manipulation. He devised a number
of techniques for this new weapon, which he called
a stick (jo) (as opposed to staff or bo), that included
the use of the thrust (tsuki) of a spear, strike
(utsu) of a sword and staff and sweep (harai) of
a naginata. Factual documents of the style (ryu)
are quite rare. It is said that there is a record
at Tsukuba Shrine, in Ibaragi Prefecture, that reports
that Gonnosuke was able to defeat Musashi in a rematch.
This story is not recorded elsewhere, however, outside
fictional novels, and may not be factual. There
are a total of 64 techniques in Shinto Muso-ryu
jo that are divided into a number of sets, each
with a different character. Training is systematic
and develops the exponent’s technical skills
and psychological abilities, from body movement
and weapons handling to the proper use of timing,
targeting, and distancing, and intense mental or
spiritual training, all to enable the exponent to
successfully use the weapon in mortal combat. Exponents
begin their study of jo by learning a set of twelve
basic techniques (kihon waza), which contain all
of the style’s essential movements. They then
proceed through different sets of techniques of
stick versus sword(s): omote, chudan, ran-ai, kage,
samidare, gohon no midare, and okuden. A final set,
the gokui hiden (also called go muso no jo), consists
of techniques that are taught only to exponents
who have received a menkyo kaiden, the highest level
of license in the system. Also included in the curriculum
of the Shinto Muso-ryu jo are twelve techniques
of swordsmanship called Shinto-ryu kenjutsu. The
first eight techniques are long sword versus long
sword, followed by four techniques that are long
sword versus short sword. There are four levels
of recognition in Shinto Muso-ryu jo. They are okuiri-sho,
sho-mokuroku, go-mokuroku, and menkyo kaiden. Menkyo
kaiden is the style’s highest level of recognition
and these exponents are the only people who are
legally qualified to teach and promote exponents
of Shinto Muso-ryu jo. In addition to Shinto Muso-ryu
jo and Shinto-ryu kenjutsu, a number of separate
arts are taught at various points in an exponent’s
training. They are considered assimilated arts,
and include Uchida-ryu tanjojutsu, Ikkaku-ryu juttejutsu,
Isshin-ryu kusarigama-jutsu, and Ittatsu-ryu hojojutsu.
*The name can be spelled and pronounced either "Shinto"
or "Shindo." Both are correct. This text
has been adapted from "Field Guide to the Japanese
Classical Martial Arts" by Meik & Diane
Skoss; the original article can be found in Sword
& Spirit: Classical Warrior Traditions of Japan,
volume two. Source:
http://shinto-muso-ryu.org |
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way in which Kyushindo Karate differs from some
other styles is that is uses more natural, circular
movements, as well as the straight techniques you
would normally see. This makes it easier to move
around an opponent rather than just defending or
attacking from the front and in time, can give you
more options against both single and multiple attackers.
Blocking techniques are used to deflect an opponent's
attack, rather than trying to stop it using only
force and strength. Striking techniques such as
punches and kicks are practiced from a relaxed position,
so that speed and accuracy can be developed in preference
to power. With practice, power does come from good
technique and movement, but in Kyushindo, we do
not use exercises like breaking boards or bricks
to develop strength and power alone. Another difference
from some Karate styles is that we don't aim for
particularly high or fancy kicking techniques. Again,
we concentrate on developing good, fast techniques
which can be achieved by aiming for lower target
areas. With practice, higher grades will be expected
to get their kicks higher and combine them with
more complicated movements; but we do not use forced
stretching exercises to take kicks higher than you
could do naturally. .Source:
Kyushindo
Karate |
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| Kyudo
- the Way of the Bow |
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Centuries
ago in Japan, archery was regarded as the highest
discipline of the Samurai warrior. Then, as the
bow lost its significance as a weapon of war, and
under the influence of Buddhism, Shinto, Daoism
and Confucianism, Japanese archery evolved into
Kyudo, the "Way of the Bow", a powerful
and highly refined contemplative practice.
Kyudo, as taught by Kanjuro Shibata XX, is not a
competitive sport and marksmanship is regarded as
relatively unimportant. According to Shibata Sensei,
a master of the Heki Ryu Bishu Chikurin-ha school of
Kyudo, the ultimate goal of Kyudo is to polish the
mind - the same as in sitting meditation. "One is
not polishing one's shooting style or technique, but
the mind. The dignity of shooting is the important
point. This is how Kyudo differs from the common
approach to archery. In Kyudo there is no hope. Hope
is not the point. The point is that through long and
genuine practice your natural dignity as a human
being comes out. This natural dignity is already in
you, but it is covered up by a lot of obstacles.
When they are cleared away, your natural dignity is
allowed to shine forth" - Shibata Sensei. Source:
zenko.org |
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Not
to borrow the strength of another, nor to rely on one's
own strength; to cut off past and future thoughts, and
not to live within the everyday mind... then the Great
Way is right before your eyes. - Yamamoto Tsunetomo
Source:
Warrior Quotes |
| Sei
Kosho Shorei Kai International |
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Sei
Kosho Shorei Kai International is an organization dedicated
to the preservation of the teachings of the late James
M. Mitose and all other old masters.
1995 Eastern United States Kosho Shorei Ryu Kempo Summer
Camp Staff:
David LoPriore Sensei, Larry Kraxberger Shihan, Bruce
Juchnik Hanshi, David Champ Sensei, and Michael Brown
Sensei.
Source:
Sei
Kosho Shorei Kai International |
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Nanbudo, philosophy and concept of
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Energy,
breathing, movement and mental attitude, as well as interaction
and balance between them, are indivisible elements necessary
for improvement of physical and mental health. To understand
Nanbudo as martial art we can use three levels of practicing:
First
level technical assimilation of efficient aspects of different
martial arts.
Second level physical reaching and keeping health through
strict control of physical functions, especially breathing
Third level spiritual (mental) learning how to create
self-control, imagination and intuition. Nanbudo
as a school of energy creation and martial art of the
future was made in 1978, but it still evolves together
with his founder. It is open system, functioning on a
feedback mechanism.
Feedback is one of the elementary concepts we can meet
in cybernetics, science of communication and organization
of systems. Feedback is a method of controlling system
by inserting results of preliminary actions. Nanbudo is
evolving by that principle. Nanbu, as creator of ideas,
sets some principles, lets them circle among the people
and observes reactions. Students and teachers are representing
feedback mechanism with theirs perceptions, critics and
remarks. New ideas and principles are created, and they
go to the beginning of the process. Nanbudo-Org: >>> |
| Gen.
Hi Choi Hong |
| Korean
founder of tai kwon do. As a frail and sickly youth, he
studied calligraphy and taekyon under the tutelage of
Hann Il Dong. His turbulent political and military career
began with an expulsion at 12 for organizing a student
walkout, and includes a Japanese imprisonment for complicity
in plans to overthrow the wartime military government
of Korea.source:
Dragon list |
| Unarmed
Defense
(1943.) |
Unarmed
Defense for the American Soldier, June 30, 1942, Section
II, Basic Principles Editor's notes by Joseph R. Svinth.
Text provided by Mike Belzer. Copyright © EJMAS 2000.
PRINCIPLES OF UNARMED DEFENSE. -- It is of the utmost
importance that in order to learn unarmed defense in the
manner necessary to use it effectively, the principles
be first mastered. a.
The first principle is "balance." The accompanying
illustrations will be used to point out the principle
of balance. Figure 1-1 illustrates a man in balance with
his legs apart. It is shown that the individual in this
position is on balance from right to left and from left
to right. However,
figure 1-2 shows that he is definitely off balance forward,
and figure 1-3 shows that he is also off balance backward. It
is usually assumed that when an individual assumes the
position of the charge he is on balance all the way around.
Figure 2-1 shows that in a position of charge with the
right foot forward, the individual is on balance from
right front to left rear and from left rear to right front. However,
figure 2-2 shows that in this position he is off balance
to the right rear, and figure 2-3 shows that he is off
balance to the left front. Notice
the small amount of effort required to take an individual
off balance when you know in what directions he is strong
and in what directions he is weak. No matter what position
an individual assumes, he is off balance in some direction. source:
JOURNAL OF NON-LETHAL COMBATIVES more: >>> |
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