Lisa Hello, Mathew How s it going. ALT Hi, Lisa I had a good workout. Lisa Have you made any progress in your Judo. ALT Well, it s not so bad

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1 Visiting Japanese Traditional Martial Arts in Nara Lisa Hello, Mathew How s it going ALT Hi, Lisa I had a good workout. Lisa Have you made any progress in your Judo ALT Well, it s not so bad Lisa You love to practice Judo, don t you ALT Yes, I do. I like all the martial arts like Karate, Judo and Kendo. Lisa I m a little curious about your motivation, so could you tell me why you are interested in Japanese martial arts ALT Of course, it s not only because I really want to keep in shape physically, and to acquire the skills, but also because I am interested in the mental aspect of martial arts. Lisa You are talking about Spirit, Skill, and Body, aren t you ALT That s right It s said that each Japanese martial art has a courteous beginning and courteous end as well. I would like to know more about the mental aspect of martial arts. Lisa Well, since there are many martial arts in Japan, let s visit less active Kyudo and very aggressive Judo, because they are at opposite ends of the spectrum. ALT Well, then Let s go Na

2 Lisa The atmosphere in which they are practicing is really quiet. They seem to have too much concentration to even take a breath. ALT Yeah It s almost like a ceremony. I hear that after the advent of the gun, the utility of the bow and arrow as a weapon was greatly reduced. In western society, it has flourished as a sport called archery. But on the other hand, in Japan, of all the martial arts that have evolved into sports, Kyudo has stayed very close to its original form. Lisa In Japan, after the introduction of the gun into Tanegashima, the bow and arrow have become less useful as a weapon. But people are now using Kyudo for cultivation of the mind. Lisa The old and the young, man and woman alike can now enjoy Kyudo as their life-long sport. Kyudo is also useful for training the body and the mind. ALT By the way, do you have any manners in shooting the arrows? Lisa Kyudo is often said to be centered around courtesy. They think it important that they should acquire the basic forms of shooting an arrow called Shyaho-hasetsu. ALT Could you explain further

3 Lisa First of all, concerning the placement of your feet, you need to put your toes on the extension line at an angle of 60 degrees. You need to plant your legs in half as wide as your height for better balance. ALT I hear this is called Shizentai which means Natural Posture, right? Lisa Yes, that s right. Next is Dozukuri. In this process, you need to breathe quietly and focus on your internal spirit. ALT That way, you try to calm your whole body and get ready for shooting. Is that right? Yes, you are right Lisa Next Yugamae. Holding the bowstring with the thumb of the right hand is called Torikake. And holding the bow with the left hand is called Tenouchi. Looking at the target along the arrow is called Monomi in Japanese. ALT I see All we need is to fix our eyes on the target. Yes, exactly Don t move your eyes till the end This is called Uchiokoshi. This is called Hikiwake.

4 Lisa The state just before shooting an arrow is called Kai in Japanese. Both the bow and bowstring create the greatest power. Try to concentrate in order to fix your whole body for better balance just before shooting. ALT This is the most exciting moment, isn t it? Yes, it is. The climax of whole process of Hasetsu is called Hanare. Lisa This all called Zanshin in Japanese. Lisa When you let down the bow, and when you turn down your eyes, you need to take action in time with your breathing. This is the end of Hasetsu. How do you like it ALT Well, it s different from archery in America. But I really enjoyed it. Lisa Kyudo is the martial art that states that bow and mind are united in motion in time with your breathing. Your enemy is a fixed target, so if you fail you can only blame yourself. These are some of the fascinating factors in Kyudo.

5 ALT The mental aspects of Kyudo are much clear to me now. Thank you very much. Na Na Lisa ALT I m pleased to meet you Thank you very much for inviting us here. Nice to meet you, too. I m happy to help you understand about Judo. Please ask me any question about whatever you want to learn. ALT Could you tell us a little about the history of Judo? 16 Lisa Judo s roots go back to the ancient Jujutsu established in the 16th and 17th century. Jujutsu was called Yawara as well. It was not until early in the Meiji period that Kano Jigoro established the Kodokan school and named Judo as we know it today. ALT I ve heard there are some basic forms we must get through before having a free-form practice, called Randori.. There are three kinds of techniques used in Judo. They are Nagewaza, Katamewaza and Atemiwaza. The last one, Atemiwaza can not be used in competition. ALT Could you explain further

6 Lisa If you want to throw your opponent, you are required to be in a stable posture and at the same time, make your opponent unstable. One thing you should bear in mind is that you need to stand in the natural posture. Another thing you should bear in your mind is that you need to be prepared for any attack.. ALT Could you tell us why Ukemi is so important in Judo. Lisa One who is good at Ukemi, Self ways of falling down, is always ready for any attack and is always standing in the stable posture. These factors enable him to attack his opponent in the most effective way. Well then Let s show you 15 throwing forms right off. ALT We can learn the details of movement of both attacking and defending through these forms. They are of great value in acquiring the skills of Judo.

7 Lisa Every movement has its own practical purpose, so you can acquire the techniques of Judo if you practice these basic forms. ALT Yes, it would be my great honor. 2 ALT Even though I lost, this is going to be a wonderful memory for me. Thanks a million Lisa Lisa How was it, Matthew ALT He handled me as if I were a mere child. He is too strong for me to compete with, as a true Olympic medallist. At any rate, I still have a lot of things to learn, but I think I m beginning to see the real mental aspects of the Japanese traditional Martial Arts. Lisa: