文武両道 - Sport & Traditional Budo

Last week's post was about what traditional Budo actually is in the modern world and that it can't be found in the style or the system itself, but in how you approach and think of the training.
I talked about how Budo isn't just about fighting, it's also about being a person of virtue (Bunbu Ryodo - the two fold way of pen and sword).


Within the last 100 years or so Budo has slowly changed. It has become modernised so that it can fit in with the modern world and the mindset of a modern practitioner.

When we talk about the modernisation of budo today, there is an additional element that has been added into the mix that has become an integral part of martial arts for many practitioners.

The large majority of modern martial arts clubs are making their focus on the sport and competition aspects of training.

When sport and competition was added into the equation, it creates a problem.
The problem being that the above venn diagram can't exist. There isn't a way to balance sport, fighting system & virtue at the same time.

I know that many would disagree with the above statement, but if you have a closer look you'll find that it's like trying to force a square peg into a round hole and for it to actually work you need to compromise something and that something is quite often the virtue part.

First we'll look at each aspect of the above diagram, I'll explain my reasoning.
The three main elements of the diagram are:

1. The Fighting System
2. Virtue
3. Sport & Competition

The fighting system is the martial art. It's all the techniques and knowledge. Everything that makes up the physical part of martial arts, as well as everything you need to learn and know about the art form.
The culmination of this being the skills, ability and understanding that can be used in order to deescalate a potentially violent confrontation.

Virtue is all about the character development stuff. Learning to be a better person and everything that entails. It's about setting high standards for who you are and having the strength & integrity to live by those standards in your daily life.

The Sport side of it (as far as I see it) can be divided up into two parts. The first part is taking the martial system and using it as you would any other sport. It simply becomes a physical activity with an emphasis on the fitness and ability.
The second part of sport is about utilising the fitness and abilities you have gained from training in competition with others.

These 3 elements should be pretty obvious for any Karateka. The issues arise when you analyse the sections of the venn diagram that overlap.

1. The Fighting System & Virtue makes Budo
2. Sport & Fighting System make Glorified Violence (or something worse)
3. Virtue & Sport makes some other thing

Budo is the fusion of the fighting style and the way of virtue. As I mentioned in last weeks post, this is what I think 'traditional' martial arts were in pre-modern times.

The 'Glorified Violence' section of the diagram, which is the combination of fighting and sport, has become two basic types these days.

The first type of fighting sport is what we know as UFC (and things like cage fighting). It's the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Where people train to be at the peak of physical fitness and learn techniques and skill with the aim of entering a competition to see if their skill and training is better than the skill and training of other competitors.
This is the epitome of the term 'Glorified Violence' when we analyse what this is.
A person literally trains with the ultimate goal of being able to get in a ring and pound the crap out of someone before that person is able to do the same to them.
Being a person of virtue can in no way be synonymous with this type of activity. For what reason would a virtuous person want to deliberately cause damage to another person?... None, there is no need to want to deliberately cause damage to another person (unless there is no other option, as is the case in a real self-defence situation)
It seems to me that the whole point of this type of fighting sport is to prove that your skill is better than the skills of others. A virtuous person is secure enough to not have any need to prove to anyone that they're better than anyone else, especially when it's really about making money as a show for spectators.

What does a person get out of this type of fighting sport?
Obviously someone who is successful gains money and the notoriety, two things that a virtuous person doesn't compromise their values for.
These people do learn fighting skill, so they are capable of defending themselves and others, but what mindset does it perpetuate in people (both the practitioners and the spectators)?
That violence is good? That being the best at hitting people is somehow worthwhile?
I think that many people develop a subconscious attitude of "If I have a reason to get angry and someone stands up to me, then it's ok to physically beat them until they can no longer stand." Disagree with me? Look up the stats on domestic violence. Here you go.
Clearly there are people out there that think their anger is a good thing and that they can solve problems with violence.
I'm definitely not saying that UFC fighters and fans are all wife beaters, but when violence is glorified, idolised and sold as a good thing, people who lack self-control would be more likely to justify using it - even against loved ones... There is absolutely no virtue in this at all.


The second type of fighting sport is the tournaments. The average Karateka doesn't enter UFC type cage fights but can still compete in a relatively non-violent setting.
Tournaments are more the "sport" part of the fighting sport, hence it's this type of competition that will be included in the Olympics.
Tournaments can be fun but there are some serious flaws. The first flaw being that what is considered 'good technique' for a tournament is not the same 'good effective technique' in real world confrontation. 
Generally tournaments have kata and kumite competition, both of these promote ineffective technique.
Tournament kata tends to ignore bunkai completely  (bunkai is the practical application of techniques). The technique you see are all about looking good. In many cases techniques that have actually sacrificed something that might be strong, stable and effective just so that it can impress judges.

If there is ever any bunkai in tournaments it also has been rendered ineffectual so it can look fancy but will never work in reality.

The kumite part of karate tournaments is different but just as good at promoting and instilling techniques that are ineffective. In kumite there are many rules, primarily for safety (which is fair enough), but in real life there are no rules.
I have seen practitioners taking part in tournaments that have rules about no contact to the head, that learn to not bother guarding their head. This is, of course, utterly ridiculous. What sort of martial artist doesn't worry about protecting the most vulnerable part of the body???
Changing the fighting techniques to suit tournament rules isn't the only issue with tournaments kumite. The other problem is with the way tournament kumite is performed in general. Put simply, it's not real fighting.

In this video you can see two practitioners jumping around and darting all over the place in an effort to disguise the telegraphing of offensive techniques. The techniques that are thrown are quite often over extended and lack any control.

Real martial arts have no time or room for such techniques. There's no jumping around and no big long extended punches. 

Tournaments might have their origins in martial arts, but they have become purely sport. 

What drives this need to change technique to become more and more ineffective over time?
Why do people feel the need to prioritise tournaments over a fighting system that really works as a fighting style?

Beyond promoting bad technique, karate tournaments also inherently instil a bad attitude, a culture of competitive pettiness and immaturity. 
This is the opposite of virtue, it's these type of things that martial artists should be above, rather than perpetuate.

As far as I see it, people are driven to compete out of a subconscious sense of insecurity, which ultimately comes from immaturity.
They feel that if they 'win' then it means something, if they 'win' it will prove their worth to everyone (including themselves). A secure person finds self-worth from within, they don't try to find it externally. Externally derived self-worth is shallow, temporary and fragile.
I've seen people put a great deal of importance on how they do in a tournament, as if the entire world hinges on the tournament on that day. It's not just kids (who might be to young to understand), I've seen Dan grade adults lose it, even cry, when they fail to get the "gold medal".
Being that one of the main purposes of Budo training is character development and becoming a better (well-adjusted) person, this sort of behaviour is obviously not a part of real budo and the clubs that foster the "importance of winning" mindset are not teaching martial arts, it's just sport.

You might say something like: "I do tournaments just as a test of my ability, I don't care if I win or lose." and you might think that this is virtuous. While it is indeed a more mature mindset than the 'sooky la la' I mentioned above.
There is still no virtue in competition.
Competition with others gives you no actual indication of your ability level. If you compete and win against 7 other people on a particular day but those 7 people are of a horribly crappy standard, then you might go home mistakenly thinking you're of a better standard than you actually are. The same it true the other way around too, if you lose against 7 amazing experts, then you'll go home mistakenly thinking you're worse than you actually are.

To compare to other practitioners is always arbitrary, there's no baseline or standard by which you can measure to give any idea of the standard level. It will give you false-positives 95% of the time.

You might say: "I just compete in tournaments for the fun of it."
Well, you should always do what you enjoy and if you enjoy the tournaments and fighting competition then you should do it. 
Having said this, don't fool yourself into thinking that it's Budo or even martial arts. It's sport, just like any other, it's no more budo than swimming or football.

Don't fool yourself into thinking that because you do good or bad in tournaments that it means you're a good or bad Budoka.

 

 

Bushi Matsumura (the greatest Karateka who ever lived, the man who influenced pretty much every style of modern Karate, your master's master's master's master's master [give or take a master or two]) once wrote:

If we investigate the martial arts, we also see that there are three distinct divisions or elements in them:

The first method, or division, is more like a game of psychology and tactics. It actually has no practical application in fighting, but it is more like pretty dancing. It is quite superficial.

The second method is nothing more than physical exercises. Its only goal is to win. In this there is no virtue. The practitioners of this method are contentious. Many times they bring injury to others and to themselves. Very often they cause dishonour to come upon members of their family.

The third method, in contrast, is always performed with conviction. The practitioners of this third method gain a solemn enlightenment, free of strife and depravity. It promotes loyalty among family, friends and country. It also promotes a natural demeanour, which develops a gallant character.

In my mind, both the UFC and tournaments are a mix of both the first and second methods that Matsumura mentions. As he says, there is no virtue in these methods. Hence why virtue and fighting competition are on the opposite side of the venn diagram.

This is also why fighting competition isn't Budo, as there is no virtue. in them.

The part of the diagram that is the combination of virtue and sport (opposite the fighting system) is 'Not Martial Arts'.

I'm not entirely sure that this section can exist, as I don't think there is any way to reconcile competitiveness and truly being a person of virtue.

If there is, it's not really relevant, as being that it's lacking the fighting system, it has nothing to do with budo anyway.

 

 

 

I'm fully aware that many people will disagree with some of the things in this post. I don't claim that any of this is absolute certainty, this is simply my opinion and my point of view (as is everything in this blog).

I don't imply that a person who disagrees with my views are wrong, they simply have different views to me and we are all free to believe what we like.

I believe that the popularisation of Budo in modern times has resulted in a change that is not for the better. That change being the introduction of the mainstream acceptance of a competitive mindset. In the process of making budo more 'sport like', we have sacrificed other important aspects of Budo, so much that I wouldn't describe what the majority do today as 'Budo'.

 

To my mind, real Budo is practiced by people who learn to train and perfect techniques that work (rather than look good) and they have no inclination to compare or compete in an attempt to disprove some subconscious feeling of insecurity.

 

 

 

Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have. J

Thanks for reading.
Derm

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Kata Focus - Kururunfa

Kururunfa is unlike most other Kata, it is very practical with only a few of the established basic kihon techniques within it. This leads many people the conclude that it is more 'advanced' than kata that have more commonly used techniques.

This kata serves as a good example that Karate wasn’t originally a 'striking art' and I believe it is a mistake to describe it as such. 

While there are some ‘striking’ techniques, they are used primarily to unbalance or distract the opponent. 

This is evident in Kururunfa, as all bunkai in this kata involve grabbing or restraining the opponent then unbalancing them, without actually striking them. 

This is the meaning of the Kata’s name, 'to restrain and suddenly destroy'. 

Many of the bunkai in Kururunfa are straight from of the Bubishi's 48 self defence techniques.

 

The techniques in Kururunfa most likely originate in Mantis style Kung Fu.

The Kata was introduced to Okinawa by Kanryo Higashionna after he learnt the techniques in the Fujian Province of China from Ru Ru Ko.

Chojun Miyagi’s student Ei’ichi Miyazato was a Master at this Kata. 

         

 

 

Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have.  :)

Thanks for reading.
Derm

Ͼ

Information Sources:
Web:
http://www.wuweidao.com/karate_kururunfa.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C5%8Dj%C5%AB-ry%C5%AB#Kaishugata
http://shitokai.com/archives/474
https://karateunderground.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/being-negative-about-kururunfa/
https://karateunderground.wordpress.com/2012/11/22/kururunfa-decoding-the-singular-hands-up-technique/

Books:
Bubishi: The Classic Manual of Combat by Patrick McCarthy

 

守破離 SHUHARI - The Process of Mastery

Shuhari 守破離 is a Japanese term directly meaning “Obey - Digress - Separate” , but (as I described in this previous post) within the context of Budo it more appropriately means “Follow the rules - Break the rules - Make the rules”,
or also could be interpreted to mean “First learn - then detach - then transcend.”

The idea is that to become a true master, you must first learn the system (all its in's and out's), then you need to question the system and why it is the way it is, then you need to make it part of you. To master anything we must follow these steps.

If you understand these steps, you will have deeper understanding of the journey and what is required. This understanding may also give you insight into your place in the journey and help you reflect on "the Way".

SHUHARI is all about the progression from a beginner to master.

Only masters have big long beards

Most sources of information regarding this topic basically describe what SHUHARI is, as I have done above (although very briefly).

This is a very detailed and complicated subject, so today I figured rather than just write a post about what it is, I'd share a few thoughts and realisations I've had regarding SHUHARI with a brief explanation.



Fear and self doubt will keep you in SHU indefinitely.
As beginners we need the rules and the system in order to follow the way. Eventually we reach a point with enough knowledge and understanding where we are able to begin to question and analyse the system, this is generally when we enter the HA phase. The problem is, whether you're actually ready to enter HA, doesn't matter if you don't believe you're ready.
If you never believe in yourself, you'll never leave SHU and always have to follow the system.



SHU is comfortable.
When 'following the rules' and being part of the system, it's like you have a safety net (the system is there to let you know if you're doing something right or wrong). This is a good thing for those that are learning, they still need the system in order to progress.

It has been said that Budoka in SHU only have to do two things, to do as they have been asked by the instructor and put effort into training. It's easy to stay in SHU and always follow the system.
If all you have to worry about are those two things, then the journey is straightforward and uncomplicated.
We need to remember that this journey doesn't take you anywhere beyond established system that all others follow.

To truly progress and reach your potential, you will need to eventually take what you have learnt in the system and "find your own way", you can't do this in comfortable SHU.



Arrogance and overconfidence will urge you to skip SHU, this is impossible to do and attempting to do so can be dangerous,
SHU is necessary.
Sometimes, certain people tend to be ignorant and don't realise all the work, the effort and focus that is required to master something. They see skilled people (but not the effort they put in) and assume they are able to emulate these people, without the work and effort that is needed to achieve that skill.
What these people fail to realise is that even with natural talent, without taking certain required steps that are involved in SHU, simple mistakes will be made and important lessons will not be learnt.

Put simply, you can't "break the rules" if you never learn what those rules are in the first place. It's wandering blind.
A person who tries to skip SHU is highly likely to make dangerous mistakes, for themselves and others around them.

To think that you're able to skip the most important lessons when you don't even know what those lessons are is the very definition of Arrogance.
Don't be arrogant, be patient and take your time, learn everything you can about the system and the rules. Only then can you consider progressing into HA.



People in SHU are sometimes judgmental of those in HA and RI.
Some people (not all) that are following the system, observe those in HA or RI. For them, it's easy to see others that aren't following the system as mistaken or misguided. This is especially true for those who are stuck and comfortable in SHU. They see those on HA as 'breaking the rules' and therefore incorrect. They make no distinction between doing something 'wrong' and doing something 'differently'. 
These same people see those in RI as crazy. One who has transcended the need for any rules at all is so far ahead of those in SHU, that they aren't likely to even make sense of this person.

Of course this is not true for all people. Other types of people in SHU do see the other levels for what they are. They respect and/or revere those who are ahead of them.

The lesson being, don't be judgmental of others just because they do things different or have different views, they might actually be more advanced than your level of understanding.



People in HA are sometimes judgmental of those in both SHU and RI.
Even people who have progressed into HA still sometimes see those in RI as misguided and are quite often unable to understand people who have transcended the need for following the system.
Some people in HA can also let their progress make them arrogant and they start to see those in SHU as beneath them. They sometimes perceive those who are still learning as 'not as smart' or 'not as enlightened' as themselves. This is (of course) silly as it doesn't matter where others are on the journey compared to anyone else.

The lesson being, don't be judgmental of others just because they do things differently, but also don't be judgmental of others just because you're the one who does things differently.

You'll notice that a person who has truly reached RI, generally isn't judgmental of any part of the journey. They understand the journey as a whole.

We are only able to transition from SHU to HA when we're ready.

This is similar to a couple of the above thoughts on this list. Only when you're in a position to move into HA will you actually do so.
While in SHU there are certain lessons that must be learnt that make the progression to HA possible.

These lessons can vary depending on the individual and what you're trying to master.

The lessons quite often involve more than just one simple thing.
To be ready to progress onto the next level in Budo, we must be developing in: Physical Ability, Skill, Knowledge, Understanding but most importantly Self belief.

You must believe you are capable in order to achieve that capability.

It's easy to get lost in HA.

The idea of "breaking the rules" can have negative connotations, but the way it is meant in the context of SHUHARI is as an expansion on the given basic knowledge and techniques.
It's about questioning the system and searching for the reasons why the system is set up the way it is. It's about taking the 'training-wheels' off and learning to ride the 'bike' without the constant reassurance that if you lose balance you won't fall and hurt yourself.

When in HA, you can and do "fall off and get hurt". Without the 'rules' strictly directing you, you can make mistakes (sometimes really stupid ones) and you can get it really wrong. Some people reach HA and forget the rules that got them where they are. If you toss out the system all together, you will get lost and end up somewhere you didn't want to be.
HA is about making small changes and little mistakes and learning from them, under the loose framework of the rules. The idea is to find out what type of Budoka you are and what you are working towards being.

It's easy to confuse HA for RI.
Just because you are no longer bound by the strict rules, don't assume that you have transcended them and they now don't apply to you. When first transitioning into HA we have lots of little 'eureka moments', where we come to interesting (sometimes mind-blowing) realisations that we hadn't thought of before. These 'eureka moments' are a sign that you are questioning the system as you know it. This is easily confused for, but isn't a sign of, the 'enlightenment' that comes with stages in RI.

(In my opinion this is the same mistake made by many teenagers.
In lots of ways the teen years are a good simile for the end of SHU and start of the HA phase of development. Questioning the rules, sometimes breaking them, but still lots to learn about the world.)

Just because you have learnt some lessons recently, doesn't mean you now know everything, it's just another step along the way.

HA only comes with correct conscious thought, yet RI only comes in its absence.

Transitioning from SHU to HA is basically a paradigm shift from learning the established system and following it to doing the exact opposite. We no longer simply trust and follow, we question it, we doubt it, we analyse it and seek to understand the reason why the system is set up the way it is. As the Matsuo Basho (the wise poet form ancient Japan) once said "Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought." I think this sums up HA really well, no longer follow the masters teachings, but attempt to emulate them and find the understanding and thoughts they possessed.
So all of this takes great effort, analysis and reflection. There is much that is consciously required in order to progress to HA from SHU.

In contrast to this, transitioning from HA to RI isn't some big paradigm shift, it doesn't take any more effort or conscious thought. Reaching RI is the culmination of all that we were doing in HA. With enough depth of knowledge, understanding and wisdom gained from years of experience in HA, things that once required focus and effort slowly become subconscious and start to happen automatically (without effort or conscious thought). Once we reach RI we've mastered it and it is no longer something we 'do' - it is now something we 'are'.

This is why RI is 'transcendence', because it's now a natural part of who you are and you now have your own system and rules. You have literally transcended beyond the need for the external rules taught by others.

Calmness and time leads to RI.

A calm mind will help you find RI (for the same reason why meditation can lead to enlightenment). Being level-headed and not letting emotions take control.
The process of SHUHARI is all about maturing. Immature people tend to be emotional and rash. In life, as we learn more lessons and grow, we learn to not be as reactive to situations and find how to be more level-headed and calm.

RI is the epitome of maturity. Maturity is about not being emotional or reactive, but having learnt how to stay calm and be in control.
So finding calmness and not being emotional is how we find RI.

RI is all about having an intuitive subconscious understanding. When it comes to what you are mastering, you can only be confident in it. This is real confidence, those in SHU & HA sometimes feel the need to act over-confident in order to make up for the lacking knowledge or skill. Real confidence comes with not needing to prove how good you are to anyone, because how good you are is incidental.

When you have truly mastered something and you possess real confidence regarding it, your demeanour is nothing but calmness.

RI is not a finish or the end. RI opens up new options for more SHU.

SHUHARI isn't a linear progression of beginning, middle and end:


It's not this easy!
Yes, I did do this on a post-it

We don't actually stop once we have reached RI. The whole process is complex and different depending on the skill you're trying to master. So the path that your journey takes will be structured differently for different skills and for other people. So in reality, it looks less like the linear journey depicted above and more like this:

Complex - not straightforward

Once you have reached RI, it might actually be a different RI than any others and once reaching RI you might be simultaneously in HA for slightly different skills and also have yet other SHU become available to you. When you're at RI, nothing has ended or finished. Confused yet?

For example; you have (presumably) mastered the art of walking, but with that skill you became pretty good at jogging and maybe running (...simultaneously in HA for slightly different skills...). Once you have the 'walking art' mastered, you will have the capability and strength to start learning other things like riding a bike or swimming (...yet other SHU become available to you).

We are only able to transition from HA to RI when we're ready.

Just like the transition from SHU to HA, we can't transition from HA to RI before we're ready.
It's difficult to know if you're ready, being that "it only happens in the absence of conscious thought". I estimate that over 95% of people that believe they have reached RI are most likely lost somewhere in HA, as it's very rare for people to reach RI for an entire art form.

Reaching RI is a result of the wisdom and subconscious skill achieved through many years within HA.

For many of us, this is just the same as the perfection we all strive for within our technique. We train and train and train, trying to achieve perfection with the knowledge that it is borderline impossible to get a technique perfect.
It is the same with RI overall, we aim to seek such depth of knowledge and natural ability with skill, but we know that only a special few are real masters of the art.

All of SHUHARI is not assured, it takes work.

We may not necessarily automatically go from SHU to HA to RI. Some people will stay in HA or even SHU for their whole life. The expectation that you will easily go from one to the next to the next simply because you have been training for a long time is a mistake and can be a source for great frustration.

A common mistake is to think that time equals development. You hear people say things like "I have been training for over [insert number] years!" with a tone that implies the proclamation indicates their level of development.
Time isn't irrelevant, it certainly is a requirement, but it's what we do with that time that determines how far we have progressed on the journey.

SHU, HA & RI can be found in everything we do.
SHUHARI isn't just about Budo training. Anything that needs to be learnt follows this process. In general we use SHUHARI to describe the whole journey of mastering an entire art form. It can also be used to describe learning individual skills or concepts. As I mentioned before "you have (presumably) mastered the art of walking". This wasn't meant as a metaphor, when you do something and get so good at it that it becomes a subconscious part of you and you are a part of it.
I think if we recognise the process involved for SHUHARI, it helps us understand what we're doing and where we're up to in the mastering of any skill. Understanding this also can help those who are are stuck in SHU and don't realise what it required to move ahead.




I'd like to finish this post with a paragraph from the amazing book "Shin Gi Tai" by Michael Clarke:

A secret, standing in plain view of us all that the majority often fail to see, shu ha ri, nonetheless, is real for all that: it exists. It cannot be bought or sold, nor can it be taken or given. It cannot be passed on from one to another either, although it can be pointed to.
Each stage of shu ha ri grows within the karateka to a point where others begin to recognize it; therefore, no one can profess attainment of any stage, least of all ha, and yet, the level can be clearly observed in a person's behavior both on and off the dojo floor.
If you are fortunate, you might know of someone who has progressed beyond shu and even beyond ha too; and if you do, you should take every opportunity to learn from him. But a word of caution here, such people are exceptional, so don't expect to meet them every time you meet someone dressed in a do-gi.
If you cannot detect the level of progress a person has made for yourself, then it simply is not there, for there is nothing ordinary or widespread about shu ha ri. So be warned: if a person has to tell you his status, he is mistaken. In this respect, it is a little like being famous; if you have to tell people you are, you're not!
To conserve, to detach, and to transcend are three vital steps for all who wish to walk the budo path and navigate the way of learning how to live well. To arrive in the place we started from and to know that place for the first time, due to the journey we have taken in order to return, this is the nature of shu ha ri.

Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have.  :)

Thanks for reading.
Derm

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Apparent Contradictions

Sometimes Budoka are frustrated, even confused, by the journey. 
There seems to be contradictions in their learning and training:


Sharp with snap... but flowing.

Be mindful... but seeking Mushin (no mind).

Powerful... but relaxed.

Blindingly fast... but slow and controlled.

Analyse... but don't over-think.

Expend less energy... but move and execute with everything you've got.

Don't exaggerate moves... but don't shortcut techniques.

Aim to always perfect... but be patient, understand it won't be perfect right now.

Be strong like a rock... but be like water.

Train more... but don't over train yourself.

Do what Sensei said... but don't just blindly follow.

Eliminate extra moves... but use your whole body.

In fact, these aren't contradictions. They are opposite sides of the same coin.

Each of the above need their opposites.

Why is it an art form and not just an activity (like sport, competition or form of exercise)?
Why does it take decades of dedication to master?
It’s more complex than you might think and takes a lot to master!

It's about finding balance between opposing forces or concepts.

Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have.  :)

Thanks for reading.
Derm

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The 3 Pillars of Budo – SHIN-GI-TAI

The Kata Sanchin translates as 'three battles'. Generally, the interpretation of the name is given to be simply a description of the embusen of the Kata itself, as pretty much every version of Sanchin is in three sections.
Some believe that there is a deeper meaning to the 'three battles' beyond the physical Kata. It is possible that the intention behind the name is also referring to the three battles within every Budoka.
The three battles that we fight daily. We fight to be fit and strong, we fight to perfect our technique and we fight to be a better person with more discipline and learning.


Shin-Gi-Tai

There is a Japanese term for these three separate conflicts: "Shin-Gi-Tai".




A Budoka must put equal effort into each of these if they want to be a true martial artist. They are the foundation that hold up every aspect of Budo.
For this reason they are known as the "3 Pillars of Budo".

The following is a brief description of each 'pillar' and how it is involved within the context of Budo training.



SHIN

'Shin' is all the mental aspects of Budo training.
Among Budoka today 'Shin' has become quite a broad term, as it encompasses everything that isn't the actual physical side of Budo training.
This includes:

• Being mindful to develop good Zanshin,
• being analytical to develop understanding (and technique) and in turn lead to development of Mushin and a Wise/Calm spirit,
• incorporating Bushido (or similar moral teachings) to develop character and attitude, also leading to Wise/Calm spirit.

Being mindful is basically another way of saying "to be in the present moment", keeping your mind on the 'here and now'. This is important when training, because if you don't, you'll find yourself just going through the motions and not really learning or improving anything. Without focus on what you're doing; it's likely that you'll miss the point.
More important than simply paying attention is the mindset that we are developing by being mindful, 'Zanshin'.
Zanshin 残心 is the Japanese concept of calm awareness. The direct translation of the Kanji is "The Remaining Mind", my interpretation of this is 'the awareness that remains when you clear your mind of all distractions'. 
Zanshin is the natural state of being calm and alert to your surroundings at all times. It is a crucial part of a martial artists mindset. How are you able to defend yourself if you aren't even aware of the situation?

Being analytical is required for any real understanding, without understanding we are truly lost. As I said in my post 'knowledge understanding in Budo', Only you can understand the knowledge in your head, it is 100% internal. Nothing external can make your mind understand something; the whole process takes place internally, within your head.
We must think and analyse, only then will we find understanding. We will only ever be able to correct ourselves when we make analysis a habit.

The below flowchart shows the learnt information becoming knowledge, then understanding, then experience, then deeper understanding and then wisdom.

The key thing to notice is that each step requires analysis, you need to be thinking about the information to make it knowledge, you must be thinking about that knowledge if you want to understand it, and so on.
The other thing to notice is that you might understand something but to go beyond just understanding requires action.
It's acting on your understanding (with continued analysis) that becomes experience and the same thing later with wisdom.
Experience, understanding and wisdom allows us to have a calm spirit.
With a calm spirit we can develop 'Mushin'.

Mushin 無心 directly translates as 'No Mind'. This mindset is required for any good warrior. It is about being able to clear your mind, stay calm and have the control to purge fear, pride, ego or anger.
Mushin is about being able to empty the mind of conscious thought and allow the subconscious to take over, this is where the techniques practiced in training over and over come out and can be utilised.

A key part of 'Shin' (and an aspect of a mature Budoka) is morality and virtue. Someone trained in fighting techniques must temper their skill with being an honourable, good and just person. The Samurai code of Bushido is a good starting point but must be expanded upon and grown to be part of the individual's character. Incorporating this helps shape and polish the spirit. It's about becoming the best person you can be.

GI

'Gi' is what most easily identifies the style or the system. It starts from "how to make a fist" at the first class and never stops. It is everything that is involved with the actual training of techniques that make up the entire art form.

'Kihon' is the foundation of 'Gi', every simple basic technique (like a punch or a kick) is 'Kihon'. Most schools have a list of set kihon techniques for beginners, so they are easier to learn. Kihon isn't just for beginners, Budoka of all grades should practice the basic techniques.

The Kihon can be connected together and built up into more complex combinations, for both simple training and for practical use.
Through training with various combinations we develop timing and accuracy; these are both integral skills for the execution of effective and efficient Kihon techniques. 
Complex combinations are the constituents of the patterns that make up the real technical training exercises, 'Kata'.




'Kata' is the heart of 'Gi', and indeed the heart of Budo as a whole. Real Budo training involves kata. It has been said that Kata is like a book, the separate sections of the Kata are the chapters and individual techniques are the pages.
Each kata can potentially be a complete fighting system. If one studies the Kata hard and long enough, the true essence of true Budo will begin to reveal itself.

The practical applications behind the techniques in Kata is the 'Bunkai'. If you wish to be able to use the techniques that you practice over and over in the Kata, you must be proficient and practiced with the Bunkai. This gives meaning and purpose to the Kata.

It's the Bunkai that makes Kata deeper and more meaningful than just a dance routine.

Beyond the Bunkai is the 'art form', this is 'Gi' at it's highest, it is Budo's most noble aspect.
The art form is the reason why it's not easy, it's the reason why not everyone becomes a master at it. It's the reason why it's a life long pursuit.
It's the reason why people that only have a vague part-time interest fail to truly understand it's subtleties.

TAI

In Budo, 'Tai' includes all of the physical aspects of a Budoka's body that facilitate the use and execution of 'Gi'. This involves both the physical characteristics we have and the training we do to enhance them.

I have noticed that this pillar seems to be a source of contention among various Budoka, specifically regarding the amount of time and focus that should be put into it during training.

Some will say that developing the body in terms of strength, fitness and physical ability is the whole point of Budo training. They'll say that "it's not proper training if you're not getting the heart pumping, working up a sweat or getting to a point where you leave with aching muscles".
There are others that will say that the "fitness stuff" is only optional and doesn't really capture the essence of Budo training. These people believe that "it doesn't matter how strong you are, as long as the technique is correct." They'll say that Budo is all about skill and knowledge.
In reality it's both, Budo training isn't 'all' about fitness, but it's a big part of it. Making your techniques "technically correct" isn't enough. This is also about training the body to be stronger and more agile in order to generate more power and be more adept with the techniques, but if you spend all of your time in training just building strength then other important parts of training will be forgotten. Basically, it's an extremely important part of Budo, but it isn't 'everything'.

We develop 'Tai' during most of our training. In general Kata will help develop 'Shin', 'Gi' and 'Tai' at the same time.

While pretty much all training exercises will have aspects that help with physical development (some exercises are better for this than others), there are some exercises that are tailored solely for the development of 'Tai', traditionally Hojo Undo is used for this.
In my post about Physical Development in Budo I went into detail regarding Hojo Undo and the tools involved.

Training to increase correct strength is ultimately about control. The stronger you are, the more control you have over your body. With greater control your techniques will have the capacity for better speed and increased power generation.
With more control comes the capability for better accuracy, better accuracy has a direct positive influence on everything in 'Gi' and makes all Kihon more effective.
Better strength also provides control not just over your techniques, but the whole body, leading to better balance.

'Tai' isn't only about strength, in my post about Physical Development I said: Flexibility, in many ways, is the opposite of strength. Where strength is how well the muscles have the ability to contract and pull.
Flexibility is the how far the muscles and tendons can stretch contributing to the range of movement throughout the body in areas like the joints and through the hips, back and neck. Flexibility can be maintained through normal Kata and Kihon training, but a Budoka can improve the flexibility with regular stretching.
Flexibility is also a key aspect of 'Tai' contributing to range of movement and our ability to effectively execute the techniques.

**3 Pillars - An Obvious Metaphor**

Shin-Gi-Tai can be found in more than just Budo training. Within pretty much anything Shin-Gi-Tai exists. 

On this website it says:

Shin-Gi-Tai is the joining of mind, skill, and body to produce a complete person. These three human qualities parallel the essence of the heavens (represented by a person's mind), earth (an individual's skills) and man (the body). Eric Clapton playing solo "unplugged" has Shin-Gi-Tai. He sits and puts all of himself into each note, striking not only the guitar's strings but the "cords" in the audience's heart and bringing tears to their eyes.

You can look at anything that requires any sort of skill in terms of Shin-Gi-Tai, ranging from playing a musical instrument, to using a computer, to the use of language, even something as simple as walking, listening or reading.

Anything that requires us to do or know anything has Shin-Gi-Tai.

With this knowledge we can approach any task the same as our Budo training and find the way in everything we do!

Comment below to share any thoughts or opinions you might have.  :)

Thanks for reading.
Derm

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