「武は戈を止むるの義なれば少しも争心あるべからず」斎藤弥九郎神道無念流練兵館
Saito Yakuro, Shindō Munen Ryu instructor of the famous Renpeikan in Edo once said that the character for bu in budō 武道 is made up two radicals, that of a spear and stopping. He said that preventing conflicts is the righteous thing, then as martial artists, we should not have minds imbued with hatred or attitudes of fighting (aggression).
Are not many of us are ignoring the mind and training only the physical? I guess there is nothing wrong with that, but if you are going around hurting other people or spreading lies without remorse or self-reflection then, in my opinion, you are a beast with nothing but claws. Early budo training was never about that as evidenced by Shindō Munen Ryu's Saito-sensei's words.
I believe the sword should be tempered with a compassionate and a just attitude. Speaking for myself, it is part of my practice. It is the main component in Shinkan Ryu Kenpo training. Though I sometimes fail and cause trouble for someone, I admit the mistakes and attempt to move forward and create less suffering to anyone I might have injured with a hateful or uncompassionate mind. If you can't find the psychological health that is necessary for an important life within your ryu-ha, group, dojo or school then you should think about finding professional mental help elsewhere. Fellow students and teachers that permit hateful speech, slander, abuse, lies, gossip are not true budō practitioners, teachers or masters.
It is not about being perfect; it is about having a mind and will flexible enough to try.
ラジカスキー真照
館長Saneteru Radzikowski is the head sword instructor of Shinkan-ryū Kenpō. He lives and teaches Iaijutsu and Kenjutsu from Nara, Japan.
Wisdom Martial Arts Keiko & Buddhism
For those that lack wisdom the way is difficult. It is best to consider the...
What does Budō mean?
I’d like to discuss briefly discuss what Budo or Bujutsu means. I’m not a scholar...
Basic Blocking In Kenjutsu
Please enjoy this informational budo video about sword blocking in classical Japanese kenjutsu. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NfMrHpeGKM
A Very Budo Christmas Happy Holidays & New Year
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all of you that were kind and supported...
Practice
The car at the bottom of the hill needs a sustained gas pedal to move...
Bujutsu Truth
Be honest. Move with the truth and discard the lies and false facades. Leave them...
Saya no uchi
I train to strike correctly. I perform keiko to understand the angles of my sword....
A Lesson Of The Brush & Budō
Today during shodo practice I wrote this. Our minds as the top of...
Guilt and Responsibility
I heard a student say, “If I don’t do any kind of training every day,...
Budō Practice Is Everywhere
Practicing without many excuses not to is a good practice.
What Is A Good Senpai In Budō?
I have discussed teachers and students within martial arts. The senpai-kohai relationship is just as...
Budo: The Culture of Destruction
The desire to destroy is within us all. We must overcome this urge to tear...
Bujutsu Thoughts
Training in iaijutsu (or any bujutsu) means doing the same thing over and over and...
What is Koryū?
Japanese martial arts are usually defined in two groups. Pre-modern and modern. There are no...
Bujutsu Centering
When practicing bujutsu we should always work on being centered. For non-practitioners, it is also...
Katate Tsuki-One handed Thrust Iaijutsu
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent="no" equal_height_columns="no" menu_anchor="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" class="" id="" background_color="" background_image="" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" parallax_speed="0.3"...
Advance The Sword And Mind
No matter what, move. Advance. Unceasingly against whatever odds, internal or external, move towards the...
Budo Don’t
Don’t be in love with your weapon. Don’t be in love with your uniform. Don’t...
What is Kenjutsu? A guide to Japanese swordsmanship
Kenjutsu (剣術) is the Japanese art of the sword. It is one of the four...
正月 Bujutsu New Years 2019
To all of you that have supported and also those that have caused trouble to...
Ken Zen Ichi Nyo Sword & Zen Are One
剣禅一如 The sword and zen are one. The mind of zen is an important consideration...
Basic Head Strike Iaijutsu Kenjutsu
Good Posture = Efficient Movement A graphic I made for a student talking about the...