You only have a little bit longer to live. The end is coming, whether in the most violent or quietly unexpected way; it is coming. Make space in your daily life to focus on the few important things. There are many sweetly satisfying things that we can lose ourselves in. Enjoy your Netflix binge but it comes with a cost. Power through a few more levels in that video game tonight, it also has a cost. Working too much and trying to stuff things into an already packed schedule does not mean you are living life to the extreme. You are wasting it on purely empty experiences. Drowning in the honey tastes great but the end is not good.
Did you notice the subtle changes of things around you and within you? It takes time. There is a lot to contemplate within your bujutsu keiko let alone physically do. What is essential? There is an overabundance of information around us. Our attention is limited.
Just as a warrior must focus on the main threat in an army of five hundred charging at him, so we must properly choose how we live our lives. Too many goals and objectives do not increase the value. Get to know one or two things with great intimacy.
Be mindful and keep space in your life to properly enjoy and contemplate things. Be aware of all the honey around you.
Practicing and Studying
There are two main words used about practicing and learning in martial arts. Generally, we wouldn't say, I do martial arts, but rather …
Being righteous and doing the right thing is one of the foundations of body and speech actions, as well as mental formations. Righteous decision making …
Studying the arts of fighting leads to peace.
The pursuit of martial arts has one real goal, the betterment of ourselves and society through personal development …
After every meditation session my teacher, with his eyes still closed, would softly speak in Pali the words of the Buddha,Sabbe sankara aniccati, yada pannaya …
The mental issues involved with subscribing to someone you dislike, hate, have anger towards, desire to ridicule or act maliciously, is very real and …
Waza Waza Everywhere
In our respective martial arts systems, we learn many waza 技 (techniques). Some ryū-ha (systems) have a handful, while others have hundreds. Can …
The spirit of the sword is the breath.
Breathing Physiology
What's so crucial about martial arts breathing or just plain old breathing? How do we breathe in …
What is the difference between munen and mushin? These concepts outline the ideal mental state for the bushi, or warrior of Japan. Attaining either munen …
The Sword and its study.
Hesitation (doubt) is one of the four diseases in swordsmanship. In martial arts really. It is not unique to swordsmanship. Reluctance …
Japanese Koryū Creator myths; becoming enlightened and making up a whole martial arts system.
Some martial arts in Japan have origin stories that borderline on the …
To learn a traditional bujutsu, koryu or comprehensive martial art is something to approach as a serious endeavor. Learning martial arts is not a hobby. …
Japanese martial arts are usually defined in two groups. Pre-modern and modern. There are no single agreed-upon criteria for the separation. Generally, schools that were …
