Soke's
Kuden
By Bujinkan Soke Masaaki
Hatsumi taken from Sanmyaku
issue #2 1994
When
someone's Taijutsu is flowing healthily, the narration to their life runs
on just like nerve fibers; it becomes a tale of Logos, and they are able
to head the boundary of Shinden' and Kuden. (divine
transmission or oral transmission)
Takamatsu Sensei used to have 20 Spitzes (dogs) and take them ‑ or be
taken ‑ for a walk every day. I also lead my dogs on walks, with five of
them pulling me.
What
of the path walked by the Bujinkan Dojo? Ever since the Portugal Taikai
last year (1992), we have been able to observe a healthy community amongst
the Buyu in Spain. 'This is
doubtless thanks to Emani. the Taikai organizer and his "Budoka's heart".
. , .
At
the Huelva Taikai this year, the Shidoshi were able to gather together and
drink as though emulating the knights of the round table. This Taikai was
organized by Andres Ponce. Again, the success of the Taikai was due to
Andres' `Budoka's heart", as proved by the diamond tears flowing from it.
Mr.
Ponce said, "In the future we will not tolerate the presence of anyone
other than knights of justice in Bujinkan Spain'''. ". In Spanish children
are known as nino / nina. Children are said to be beautiful, sweet, and
charming ... and they say there is a harmony in the flow of sounds nina
and Ninja.
At
the Taikai party we saw. a demonstration which was planned, produced and
performed, by Isidoro. Its manner of execution was the best I have seen in
my twelve years of traveling the world. As the demonstration ended, we
were able to see beautiful jewels in the eyes ‑of Isidoro too, glinting
under the stage lights.
I
would like to state clearly to all people treading the way of the martial
arts: if you do not possess a Budoka's heart, leave the martial arts ! I
say this on the basis of what I have gained from decades of teaching,
because it has all been proved by the words Takamatsu Sensei spoke.
The
martial arts are not something you can learn. The starting point is your
own effort and endurance, and if you do not realize this, no matter how
many years you train and what grade you reach, you will lack the value
perceptions of a martial artist. Without this self‑awareness, even 10th
Dans are equivalent to people without either Dan or Kyu. This is the
Shinken‑gata of the Bujinkan grades.
People who do not grasp the true nature of a martial artist may well go to
some trouble to knock on my door and request training, but unless they
search for the heart of a martial artist, my teachings will fall on deaf
ears. Yes, let us write Budoka as "Martial flower", and leave it as one
solution to Kajo‑chikusei, the puzzle of enlightenment
which you are
all questing after.
Now,
as a Doctor of Human Sciences, I would like to analyze the symptoms and
morphology of various diseases which people searching for combat
techniques are prone to contract without being aware of it.
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1. Number One type
A hypoplastic (underdeveloped) form;
self‑centered, fussy about grades, and always wanting to be "Number
One".
This is an awful type. They do not
even know how bad they are, and could be killed before they realize
... a real nuisance.
2. Business type
A type which develops from the
conception of earning a living by the martial arts; they'd
forget the Budoka's heart, and
theirs is transmuted into the heart of a merchant.
They may end up believing that
someone with many students is great ‑ and if a student runs away
from them they may feel as though they have lost some money.
Furthermore, they do not notice that as a martial artist they are a
failure.
Let me clearly state that in my
experience no Tatsujin (master)
of Bujutsu or Bugei ever develops from such a type. . . . .
3. Reporter type
Someone who comes to me, but finds
"collecting materials" more important than training, and takes notes
and photographs which they‑then sell once back in their country.
This really is deplorable. They are
already incapable of going beyond the amateur's view of the martial
arts ‑ the "set forms" or "this is right but that is wrong"
mentality, etc. They do not even get as far as realizing they have
fallen into such a state.
There are many more types left The
"Sensei‑Shihan" type, the "Mood" type, the "Collector" type, the
"Violent" type, the "Animal" type; the "Religious" type, the
"Philosophical" type...
The important thing is to understand
that the true nature of the martial arts can only be perceived once
these types have all been made transparent . . .
The flow of Takamatsu Sensei's Budo
started with: training in the transparent, beautiful and natural
flow of Shinden Fudo‑ryu. The berg for me was following an invisible
flow of light as it flowed through space, to knock on the door of
Takamatsu Sensei's Bufu My encounter with Takamatsu Sensei in some
ways resembled the old tale of the opening of the cave door on
Shinshu Mt. Togakushi.
Until recently people have tended to
see the Bujinkan as being only Ninjutsu and to use Ninjutsu as a
catch‑phrase, but it is about time we became aware of the full scale
of the Bujinkan.
The Bujinkan martial arts
incorporate tire flow of nine schools of martial ways, with a
history of three thousand years. You should not forget that you are
martial artists on a space shuttle. Do not be distracted from the
training; you must persevere to the end.
"Single‑mindedness" can be thought
of through its sound "Sennen" as also meaning one thousand years.
"If one thousand days pass the techniques will appear by themselves"
is a common phrase in scrolls, and I believe that from this you can
hear sounds joining you to a space beyond.
If I also rewrite "Ikkan" not as
perseverance but as joy, then the sound waves can spread out so that
some gladness, health and happiness is discovered. |
