Kokyu : with maai in order to avoid such pitfalls.

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1 The Fundamentals of Aiki-ju-jutsu. Aiki-ju-jutsu as we know it today is a style of primarily unarmed combat. There are many ryu still in existence which practice the arts of Aiki-ju-jutsu; the most popular and famous being the Daito-ryu. The art which we practice has many possible names, Aiki-ju-jutsu, Aiki-budo or maybe ever just Ju-jutsu. As I say there are many possible names to call the art we practice; however, regardless of the name used, I believe that there are six points, which should be addressed and understood to at least a minimal level by all students. These are: rei (decorum), metsuke (eye contact), maai (timing, distance, interval), kokyu (breathing, rhythm), kuzushi (balance, equilibrium disruption) and zanshin (remainingl non remaining mind). I feel that these represent the core elements and foundations for doing our techniques to a high level. Where one element is missing the rest become useless. This is perhaps true of all styles of Budo. Rei: Rei can be translated in various ways depending on the situation, with English words such as etiquette, decorum, personal condcct, or even simply courtesy and manners. More important than its translation is the idea of actually maintaining rei. That is we could say, attending well to issues of courtesy and personal conduct - is a matter of preserving one's life. Some who read this may know that in Japanese you refer to a lack or loss of rei as burei or shitsurei (meaning rudeness, incivility, discourtesy. affront, insult, insolence, impertinence and others). I would suggest that such loss of proper decorum will inevitably lead to some type of trouble. In the rigid society of old Japan. say perhaps 150+ years ago, there were even circumstances in which a lack of proper mannerisms and courtesy could lead to a fatal confrontation. For example, Samurai facing each other while in a seated position wou]d remove their swords from their sashes and place them on the floor. This was an important gesture because in most cases they would put the sword on the right side of their body. To place the sword on the left side would allow the samurai to pick up the sword and draw it. easily and make an attack. Therefore placing it on the right side indicated no such intention and avoided an "I can att.ack you any time" scenario which inevitably would lead to the other persons taking measure to preserve their own life. In ways such as this. many parts of traditional Japanese society in the past, to lose one's rei contained the potential to literally lose one life.

2 Today it is often said that "Budo begins with rei and ends with rei." While today. we no longer have to concern ourselves with being cut down with swords, 1 suggest that attention to rei is still relevant. Rei is something I feel that should not only be applied during our training in the dojo, but throughout our social and personal lives as well. If we fail to extend our study of rei into these border realms, then there is really no point in pursuing it in the dojo. Different style and traditions of martial arts all have different ways and means applying rei. In Tai Gyoku Ryu for instance, when performing a seated bow (zarei). we first bring our left hand to the floor, at the same time ascertaining whether or not it is safe to complete the bow,and if so, continue by placing the right hand on the floor.then you lower the body until the face is about six centimeters or so from the floor thereby completing the bow. The right hand is then brought back first, followed by the left. Incidentally this kind of seated bow is markedly different from a bow indicating an apology. in which the chin is pulled into the chest and the head bowed therefore exposmg the back of the neck. This is the traditional gesture of supplication and remorse. Metsuke : Metsuke refers to the use of the eyes. Essentially, there are two main types of metsuke used in Budo. one is called mokushin (lit. "the eye of the mind"), the other is called ganrikj (lit. "eye power"). Mokushin is written with the kanji characters meaning eyes and mind, it involves a kind of seeing with the eye of the mind or eye of the heart so that you can enclose or envelope something. Ganriki is a way of using a sharp, penetrating gaze to both, see, into an opponents intentions and also to control him. With training, ganriki can become a powerful tool. However it should be noted about ganrikj, that while it has an ability to dominate an encounter and win it without having to resort to real violence. I would caution that to be caught in such a gaze. is inevitably uncomfortable and may actually incite an opponent to fight when he or she may have not be fully committed to doing so before. For that reason. it must be applied with care and not indiscriminately. Metsuke is strengthened not only by directly practicing one's gaze. but also indirectly through other aspects of training such as kokyuho (breathing power) and through experiences and practices that help forge one's power of resolve and nerve in general.

3 Obviously training in Budo is one excellent way to get such experiences and practice. In various research I have come across the name ofyamaoka Tessu, a master of sword, Zen and calligraphy who lived near the end of the Edo period (mid 19 th C). One well-known story tells of a conversation between Tessu and Shimizu Jirocho. Jirocho expressed his view that Kendo was not particularly useful. He said that when-ever he faced an opponent with a sword, he would often end up with various injuries. But when he refused to draw his sword and simply let loose a deep bellowing "Kono Yard' (not polite Japanese to say the least) and fixed his eyes in a sharp glare, most of his opponents would simply lose their resolve and flee. Tessu replied, "well in that case, why don't you take that sword over there and try to cut me with it any way you please, and I'll defend myself with this short wooden sword." Jirocho glare at Tessu for a time, full of competitiveness and refusing to yield, yet he did not get up. After a while he cried in frustration, "Sensei, why can't I seem to attack you? Why do I feel so weak, like I can't do anything?" Tessu replied "it is much the same as the way you cause your opponents to cower before you by bellowing and glaring at them. When you do that it is as ifrays of piercing light are emanating from your eyes. But as you can see, practicing Kendo, as I do. can help you achieve the same thing...but with much greater effect." While this and other stories may include certain exaggerations, they point to the idea that in Japanese Budo it has always been felt that metsuke is more complex than simply looking into your opponents eyes. That it is also necessary to cultivate a capacity to discern your opponents mind, to sense and intuit his thoughts and intentions, and to perceive and foresee potential conditions. Maai : Although maai generally refers to physical distance or interval, it goes without saying that it has other meaning as well. It includes the issues of timing, trajectory and so on. In olden days, there were said to be a number of different maai, including the maai of archery, the maaibetween two spears, between two swords, or empty handed against a sword when a swordsman had lost his sword, and of course the maaibetween tow empty handed combatants. It may also be said that the way in which this maai was created and utilized would often be the single most important factor determining the outcome of a confrontation. It sometimes happened that, for example, the maai a combatant thought he had established would actually turn out to be I his opponents favor. Men at arms therefore spent considerable amount of time and energy studying and working

4 with maai in order to avoid such pitfalls. Also, during martial arts demonstrations we see people disarming and throwing swordwielding opponents seemingly very easily. I suggest to you that really doing so would be far more difficult than such demonstrations make it seem. While the maai set up is optimized for Ju-jutsu, generally for the purpose of illustrating some technical point or principle. The fact is that the sword also has an optimum maai. within which it can both cut and thrust, and there can be nothing more difficult or terrifying than dealing with a swordsman who has mastered such distancing. Finally we find the idea of interval and distancing not only in combative encounters, but also in the skillful handling of conversations and social relations, the composition and playing of music, and in many other fields and activities. Our study, awareness and understanding of maai in Budo can certainly carried with us outside of the dojo and applied to these things as well. Kokyu : Kokyu refers literally to "breath" or "breathing." It is said that training one's kokyu over time cultivates qualities such as spiritual vigor, courage, nerve and tenacity. The word Kokyu is written with a combination of two characters meaning "exhale" and "inhale" respectively. Whether the fact that exhale comes first has any linguistic significance is unclear, but it may at least be said that exhaling is an extremely important aspect of Kokyu. Exhaling is a form of yang or in Japanese yo, basically positive energy. While inhaling, is a form of ying or in, using Japanese, the form of negative energy. Temple gates in Japan are often flanked by a pair of guardian statues called Nio, one with his mouth fully open, the other with his mouth closed. The same is also found at Shinto shrines in the form of statue of pairs of guardian dogs called Komainu. In either case, these pairs are expressing what is called "aun no kokyu." Both the "AH" sound of the mouth exhaling the breath and the "UN' sound of the mouth closed stopping the breath represent ways that breathing is related to the generation of power. In other word, you can generate power and energy when exhaling or when stopping your breath. These are both states of yang, or positively. While the opposite inhaling, is a form of yin. or negativity. We can apply this to physical or martial movements. A swordsman standing in the

5 Chudan stance (seigan = sword held out in front) is in a yang state. The movements of bringing the sword up to a Jodan, places him in a yin state. Then both the Jodan position itself and the start of the down-wards strike are, of course, yang states. In other words as the swordsman raises the sword, he changes the state of his potential energy from yang to yin, then back to yang again. In a combative situation, it is much more effective to attack your opponent when he is in a state of yin condition. Specifically, if you launch your attack at the instant when he has just exhaled or when he is starting to inhale again, he will generally be unable to move quickly to avoid or deal with it. For this reason, attacks are best timed to coincide with the instant your opponent enters a yin condition, and it goes without saying that training to perceive the opponents Kokyu while concealing one's own Kokyu is of great importance to Budo. There are numerous specific techniques that have been devised for doing this, but in general it is primarily a matter of developing a "sense" for it through long years of training and experience. Studies of various breathing methods have also given rise to concepts like "shakuson no kokyd' (Gautama Buddha breathing) in anci\~nttimes and "Hhkuin Zenshi no kokyuho'" (breathing method of the Zen monk Hakuin) around the mid-edo period, and various studies of breathing methods continue today. It is even thought in some circles that pursuit of certain breathing methods can assist the body in curing itself of various types of illness. Kokyuho is also a well known aspect of Zazen meditation. It is no exaggeration to say that kokyuho is something deeply complex that is linked inextricably to various aspects of Budo and that it can also be of great assistance in other areas of our daily lives in general. Kuzushi : In the name Tai Gyoku ryu aiki-ju-jutsu, we see that the term "aiki" has been placed before the word ju-jutsu. The aiki refers to among other things. finding ways to disturb an opponent's physical. psychological and spiritual equilibrium to gain the advantage. this principle is known as kuzushi. For example. after speaking with Kawabe sensei of the Daito ryu. he told me that one of the many Daito ryu kuden (oral teachings) and hiden (secret teachings) pertaining to kuzushi admonishes the utmost importance of being able to break an opponent's balance at the very instant of contact. (Unfortunately he didn't actually pass on the method of doing so. hence it remains a secret.)

6 This disruption of the opponent's equilibrium at the instant of contact is at least one aspect of aiki. Therefore, "applying aiki" is really about answering the question "Howdo 1 disrupt my opponents equilibrium?" and then doing so. Furthermore, the admonishment to "attack where the opponent has been broken" has been a fundamental axiom of Japanese combat since ancient times. Whether this type of philosophy or general thinking changes between the arts of aikido and aiki-ju-jutsu, is a question I cannot answer here. Needless to say, I have my own ideas on the issue but refrain from putting them here since they are to a great degree, personal and most likely very different from other practitioners. Zanshin : The concept of Zanshin (lit: remaining mind) has generally interpreted as to " remain the mind" or to "remain the body,"i.e. a mental state in which you continue to focus your attention on your opponent and/or the surrounding environment in order to maintain control of the situation. I have another interpretation, which is that the characters for zanshin actually refer to "not leaving the mind" or in other words giving out absolutely everything that the self has to offer and holding back nothing. This can apply not only to martial arts techniques in terms of in terms of giving your absolute all to the performance of each one. but also to the pursuit of your work, studies and even personal relationships, in a way that holds nothing back. This is my personal interpretation of zanshin. I would like to, and try to, live my own life in a way that allows me to give 100%of myself absolutely and positively to all that I do. These six elements of Budo = rei, metsuke, maai, kqkyu.. kuzushi and zanshin - are extremely deep and complex, and training oneself even in anyone of them alone requires a great deal of time. effort and thought. But it is accurate to say that one's technique whether it be in Aiki or Iai and hence Budo in general. will only develop if you train while making constant and strenuous efforts to take all of them into account. The significance of using an open handed strike. When pinning techniques are done. some people finish off the technique with strikes. In

7 most cases this is an open handed strike. Some of you may wonder why strike in such a way since in our culture today, we are all taught as children to strike with the clenched fist for maximum results. In combat, the objective is to kill or injure the opponent decisively with a final blow. In our kata practice, however, the open handed strike is used, among other purposes to signal that we are extending our ki. To borrow a concept from swordsmanship. What we practice and hope to learn is not the, "death dealing sword" (satsujinken) but rather the "life giving sword"(katsujinken.) Opening the hand is a sign of our intention to control our opponent by extending our ki, or simply a demonstration of ki extension that is used in place of actually killing our opponent. There are a few other possible technical reasons for using an open hand, but essentially as far as kata training goes, it is simply a stylistic representation of our approach to training.