Dale...

Cryozombie

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I just want to commend you on this section of your website... I think this is described BRILLIANTLY...

Dale Seago's Website said:
Much more significant, however, is the fact that the physical training is approached via a completely different conceptual paradigm from that of other martial arts. In other systems the focus is on learning particular techniques and applying them against an opponent. In Bujinkan budo as Hatsumi sensei is teaching it, there is a very different way of viewing one’s relationship with the opponent. Just as in a Japanese Zen garden the shapes of the spaces between objects are every bit as important as the nature and positions of the objects themselves in the overall composition, so in our martial art perceiving and controlling the shape of the space between yourself and the opponent is critical to mastery.

One way of thinking about this is that if you try to deal with an opponent’s weapon (fist, knife, gun, etc.) the person himself may still kill you. It is more effective to try to control the opponent himself, because then you control the weapon also; but in that case you still will have a fight on your hands and the outcome is still in doubt. If you control the space your opponent wishes to use, however, he is totally neutralized and all his efforts are ineffective. Senior U.S. Bujinkan instructor and former Marine officer Jack Hoban, has expressed this idea eloquently in military terms: Your unit can try to outshoot an enemy force, but it can be a grueling ordeal with heavy casualties on both sides. . .and you may be defeated. But if you control the terrain around the enemy so that you can reach him easily, while he cannot fire on you and cannot maneuver without exposing himself to your own fire, his defeat is inevitable. . .and you may save lives on the “enemy” side as well as your own. Whether the opponent lives or dies thus becomes, in a very profound sense, his own decision.


I hope you don't mind me reposting that... But I am quite impressed with how you put that. I have also never heard Jack Hoban's take on that, thank's for sharing it!
 

Shinkengata

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I agree. That is a very good couple of paragraphs. I read through Dale's site a good while ago and i do remember being quite impressed with that little section. It seems to offer a very good explanation of the uniqueness of taijutsu training.
 

Shinkengata

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Dale Seago said:
*blush*

Glad you find it useful, folks.

:asian:
Our pleasure, Dale. With so many misguided views and opinions floating around the net, its nice to read something from an enlightened individual such as yourself.
 

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