Heisei Warriors

[Fu_Bag]

Don,

I'm sorry if it appears that I'm merely making excuses or trying to tell people, or especially Hatsumi sensei, what Hatsumi sensei thinks, feels, or should do. There are no teachers alive who have more pieces of the puzzle than Hatsumi sensei. While he has said that he doesn't like the books and videos so much because you can't capture the feeling correctly, he has also said that you can train the rest of your life with a bad teacher and get nowhere. He's also given anyone who will take it to heart "Shikin Haramitsu Daikomyo" and said that those who can never see the positive things about others (or about life for that matter) will never become anything.

When, and if, people start attacking me because they can't see anything positive in me or within anything I say, I can take it with a smile and a grain of salt. Those who walk around looking for a fight are so blinded by their fighting spirit that no amount of trips to Kabuki-Cho will ever enlighten them. They may have a lot of fun, and think they're spending time with true budo, but more than likely they're just falling for Kunoichi tricks because their heart wasn't in the right place to begin with. It can then be said that the true prostitutes of Kabuki-Cho are the fighters who would seek true budo for the wrong reasons.

It may be possible that I have more of the right type of experience than those who criticize me. As I said before, it's also possible that that experience, combined with the volumes, and volumes of data that exists on the internet and in his books and videos, gives me insight that those who thirst for the fight will never have. There are a lot of concepts we could discuss online that involve the "Way" that shouldn't be discussed in any more depth than Hatsumi sensei has decided to present them.

The house of inter-dimensionl taijutsu is one that should be guarded closely and carefully. That's why, when and if people become fearful, then angry, with me, I can see in them the love of what they do. There is no reason for me to become angry with them or to give them further reason to be fearful or hateful. Many of those who would attack me are people with good hearts and are not my enemies at all. That's why it's important to have a heart like a Kyoketsu-shogei - because enemies and friends are the same and should be treated as such until the evil in their hearts removes their ability to live. Their life is important either way.

I will know when it's time to seek the teacher that is right for me. This is not an excuse. Waiting and watching for the appropriate time to act is just common sense. I don't know who they are yet, or even if they use the internet, but we'll know each other when it's appropriate for us to meet. In the meantime, the best I can do is to try to prepare myself through becoming as natural as possible. If this means books, videos, and the internet, then so be it.

If I have offended anyone, especially Hatsumi sensei and/or any of the Shihan, I offer my sincere apologies. The whole purpose of this thread was to embrace the spirit of buyu, where anyone and everyone has something to offer. If it becomes clear that it's not possible to find peaceful, calm, ordinary, or simple people, who can see the best in others and accept them as friends, then it would appear that true "Heisei Warriors" merely avoid getting involved in internet discussions. If that's the case, I can live with that.

I would rather truly live with my family and loved ones than to become stagnant by replacing them with a four walls, some training mats, and the idea that I know everything and have nothing to learn from others. There is more than enough negativity in people's hearts right now. Maybe it's time to start moving the other way and to remember the admonitions of those who know how to live:

1. Family
2. Job (see number one)
3. Training

My best to you and yours,

Fu_Bag

 

[Kizaru]

I agree that pure intellectualism breeds ignorance of a deadly kind.

Then you probably already realize that it's a good time for you to enage in physical training.

I say this with sincere and absolute respect and admiration for those who's life/lives are dedicated to preserving

Preserving???? I've never liked the smell of formaldahyde(sp?).

and transmitting "the Way".

I'm not part of the Shidoshi-kai; the only thing I'm "transmitting" is radiation from my cellphone...

To me, the heart is the best place to begin training.
When the heart is right, it can then pump healthy blood to the brain. When the brain is supplied with the healthy blood, it can then use the eyes to see. When the healthy blood supplies the body

I think you are confusing some concepts here and coming to make a point that sounds nice and "looks good on paper". The spiritual heart does not "pump blood" healthy or otherwise; that's the job of your physical heart. When one physically trains, the physical heart can be felt beating; when one actually lives the spiritual "heart" can be felt "beating". If one is concerned with losing some blood in physical training with a real teacher, one should discard that fear.

Now that I think about it, I guess I do train. I guess I just train alone.

"Budo" is comprised of two characters; "Bu" which means "martial" or "warrior" and "do" with means "path" or "way". We learn efficient ways of fighting (confict resolution, blending with an opponent...whatever you want to call it, it's fighting) in training. A big part of this is learning how to control the space between (at least) two people. It's kind of like sex; you need (at least) two people to do it...otherwise (excuse my bluntness) it's just masturbation.

It can then be said that the true prostitutes of Kabuki-Cho are the fighters who would seek true budo for the wrong reasons.

And how many times have you actually been to Kabuki-cho? All joking aside, the dynamic in that area is far different than anything in the US; but that would be a topic for another thread.....

I'm just trying to become natural enough to be able to endure and grow in what you guys do.

If you were born human, you're already "natural enough".

One cannot say that a man embodies the Way simply because he has studied and speaks well."

Fu Bag, I think you're making alot of points that look good on paper, but you're still just "shooting blanks", so to speak....

Gassho.

 

[Fu_Bag]

Kizaru,

Thank you for your reply. You've also made a lot of good points. I've taken these to heart and decided it best to keep my thoughts and opinions to myself. I've learned that the internet is not an appropriate place to discuss such things as I'm not a very good communicator. Many of the replies that I could make have been done to death in other threads. As you've said, though, written communication is really just mental masturbation when it comes to true budo.

It would appear that true budoka have far greater understanding and experience and not a single transmitter of budo has ever found value in training alone as there is no value in developing anything other than fighting techniques. Thank you again to all who've replied. I apologize for ruffling any feathers.

My best to you and yours,

Fu_Bag

 

[Don Roley]

not a single transmitter of budo has ever found value in training alone as there is no value in developing anything other than fighting techniques.

Hmmmm.....

Not quite 100 percent sure what you are getting at. But I think that you might be off a bit anyways.

Training alone has value. Training with a teacher has value. Doing one without the other has no value.

That is my experince in both training alone and training with a teacher. I assume that I have experienced what you have by training alone, while you have not experienced what I have by training with a teacher.

 

[Bigshadow]

You would be amazed at how differently you interpret "Secret Techniques" if you were training. Even moreso the interpretation can be drastically different after 10 years of train, or 20, etc. There in lies the secrets!

 

[Fu_Bag]

Hello All,

Well, since I don't really have any "street cred", I thought I'd see if anyone would like to discuss some quotes and articles written about "Heisei Warriors", budo, and the "Way". I believe the authors have more than enough credit to be acknowledged as shooting "live ammunition". The only quote I'd read before today was Hatsumi sensei's quote. A lot what it shared in these quotes and articles sounds very similar to what's in Hatsumi sensei's books and videos. I enjoyed reading it and I hope you do too.

“You can't cut the heart of a man with a "good" (righteous) heart." – Masaaki Hatsumi (from Benjamin Cole’s notes posted on various Omote & Ura sites)


“See first with your mind, then with your eyes, and finally with your body” -- Yagyu Muneno
“It is easy to kill someone with a slash of a sword. It is hard to be impossible for others to cut down” - Yagyu Munenori

“Stop doing everything, have an empty, everydays mind, even when you have lots of things to do, do it easily, smoothly. The man who has nothing on his heart is the man of the Way.” – Yagyu Munenori


I thought this quote embodies the spirit of buyu:

“Nishimura Sensei: When I first met Ueshiba Sensei, he taught me that the Chinese character "bu" meant "to abolish arms." He explained that budo was not something just to be practiced, but that the true meaning of bu was to strive to create a heaven on earth by avoiding those who might do you harm, by joining hands. He also said that the techniques of bu came from the kami. From the first, I thought that he had very interesting ideas.”
http://www.aikidojournal.com/article.php?articleID=394






Here's a link to the "Memoirs of Master Morihei Ueshiba". I believe he has a lot to share with regards to the "Heisei Warrior" idea.

http://www.aikiweb.com/general/memoir.html


"In many systems of martial arts, budo has degenerated into 'fighting arts', where the importance of self-defence is not properly emphasized. 'The Way of the Warrior' is one interpretation that is often used and abused. This encourages competition and conflict - competition does not encourage peaceful cooperation, because the goal is winning."

http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~dkw02r/kempo/budo.htm


“Originally BU = ways of armed combat; thus method of killing, method of war. Later BUDO = way of maintaining peace, method of awakening in men the sense of life.”

http://www.aikidoonline.com/Archives/NoDate/feat_tmra.html


I thought these articles and quotes might offer some good conversation material since it removes the necessity of the author having to prove themselves and, instead, encourages conversation in the spirit of buyu. Anyone interested?

Have a nice day/night all.

Fu_Bag

 

[Fu_Bag]

Hello All,

I’ve been re-thinking my ideas and comments on Heisei Warriors lately so I thought I’d add something to this post. I apologize (Kizaru) for discounting the value of the physical techniques in my earlier posts. It’s not that I believe that the physical techniques aren’t as important as the non-physical techniques, it’s that I don’t believe that the physical techniques are what ultimately make a warrior. Physical techniques can make great fighters but what does a fighter have when they’re unable to execute the physical techniques anymore? Of course, what does esoteric pondering and meditation do for you when the crap’s hitting the fan and you have to either protect your loved ones or to get home to them in one piece?

I guess one of my main points is that, given that it seems to be generally agreed upon that killing another human being takes something from you, it seems that it would be very difficult to live out the rest of your life with any quality if you couldn’t come to terms with having to kill another person. Another point is that if someone who’s been trained in lethal combat cannot live a simple, ordinary, peaceful life, then they’ll more than likely end up living in such a way which will constantly create a battlefield around themselves and their loved ones. Isn’t this contrary to everything Hatsumi-sensei is trying to teach?

“Get your butt to a dojo” say the people who are convinced that they “get it”, yet anyone who’s lived a life worth living knows that the artificial environment of any type of school is irrelevant when it comes to the lessons of real life. It’s amazing to me that people will sacrifice their relationships with their loved ones for the sake of satisfying the social and political “requirements” of a dojo or organization. Isn’t filial piety one of the key aspects of Bushido? Aside from that, I find it inconceivable that any one person would be able to teach every student, whatever it is that the Universe wants them to learn, when every individual has different lessons that they need to learn and different ways in which they’ll learn them. That's an unimaginable burden to place on any one person's shoulders.

I think that’s why Hatsumi-sensei stresses that the only way to learn the true Budo is to look for the best in everything and everyone, constantly strive to see beyond the 1st thru 3rd dimensions for the gateway to the next level, then go out into the Universe and make yourself worthy of receiving the secret teachings. In my opinion, the only things a teacher can do for a student are to help awaken in them a sense of life, a thirst for enlightenment, and a heart which may, or may not, be able to survive the lessons which the Universe has in store for them along with, hopefully, the secret teachings of Budo. Ultimately, it lies upon the shoulders of the student to do the growing, not the teacher or where the teacher teaches.

Have a nice day/night all.

Fu Bag

 

[Don Roley]

No matter how many times I read what you write I still can't shake the idea that you are trying to say that despite not going to a real teacher and doing real training you can be just as knowlegeable and skilled as those that do.

If so, then no, you're wrong.

I have trained with teachers and not trained with teachers. I know the difference and there is no way of getting around the need to train with a real teacher. If you had the same experience I have, you would be saying the same thing.

On an aside, by 'fu' are you trying to say 'wind'? Most people think that fu equals wind, but alone it should be kaze. But if so, I think your name of wind bag is a good jest.

 

[saru1968]

'On an aside, by 'fu' are you trying to say 'wind'? Most people think that fu equals wind, but alone it should be kaze. But if so, I think your name of wind bag is a good jest'


I thought the same but thought better not to mention it, same as the time i was in a Tatooist and a was having the artist's version of 'nin' on his arm!