NIHON KORYU BUJUTSU

HEIHO

 

 

 

 

 BUJUTSU – The Art of War

The field of Martial Arts is particularly rife with flamboyant swordsmanship, with commercial popularization and profiteering on the part of both those who teach the science and those who study it. The result of this must be, as someone said, that amateurship Martial Arts are a source of serious wounds.

Miyamoto Musashi (1584- 1645)

 

 

 

Zen

Zen has no secret other than seriously thinking about life and death.

Takeda Shingen (1521-1573)

 

 

 

BUJUTSU – The Art of War

A man who has thoroughly mastered the art does not use the sword, and the opponent kills himself; when a man uses the sword, he makes it serve to give life to others. When killing is the order, it kills; when giving life is the order, it gives life. While killing there is no thought of killing, while giving life there is no thought of giving life; for in  the killing or in the giving life, no self is asserted. The man does not see this or that; he makes no discrimination and yet knows well what is what. He walks on water as if it were earth; he walks on the earth as if it were water. One who has attained this freedom can not be interfered with by anybody on earth. He stands absolutely by himself.

Takuan

 

 

 

 

Battle

The warrior does not care if he is called a beast or a dog, the main thing is winning..

Asakura Norikage (1474-1552)

 

 

 

 

Kamae: it exists, it does not exist

Lower a jodan kamae and it becomes chudan. Raise a chudan slightly in response to necessity and it becomes jodan. Raise a gedan slightly, according to circumstances, and it becomes chudan. If circumstances call for it, facing slightly toward the centre changes migi waki or hidari waki into chudan or gedan.

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645)

 

 

 

Meet the enemy with dignity, defeat him with strength

Whatever the circumstances, dignity does not change. Preparing correctly and boldly, not yielding to the enemy’s movements; this is called dignity. The enemy can be brought under control without moving oneself. Overwhelming the enemy with one’s own movement is strength. Within the calm of Dignity are hidden a thousand changes. The movement of strength can cope with ten thousand changes. In essence, dignity and strength are one.

Kotoda Yahei

 

 

 

 

 

Learning

Learning is to a man as the leaves and branches are to a tree, and it can be said that he should not be without it. Learning is not only reading books, however, but is rather something that we study to integrate with our own way of life. One who is born into the house of warrior, regardless of his rank or class, first acquaints himself with a man of military feats and achievements in loyalty, and, in listening to just one of his dictums each day, will in a month know 30 percepts, at the end of that time he will be much better.

Thus, a man can divide his mind into three parts: he should throw out those thoughts that are evil, take up those ideas that are good, and become intimate with own wisdom…. I would honor and call wise the man who penetrates this principle, though he lacks the knowledge of a single Chinese character. As for those who are learned in other matters, I would avoid them regardless of how deep their knowledge might be.

Takeda Shingen (1521-1573)

 

 

 

 

The Purpose of Training

The ultimate Purpose of Training is to have the body perfectly habituated to the basic techniques. Then in actual combat, accurate techniques and movements are possible without conscious effort.

Yagyu Munenori (1571-1646)

 

 

 

Learning

When a man in the beginning of his life is ignorant of everything, he has no scruples, finds no obstacles, no inhibitions. But after a while he starts to learn, and becomes timid, cautious, and begins to feel something choking in his mind, which prevents him from going ahead as he used to before he had any learning. Learning is needed, but the point is not to become its slave.

You must be its master, so that you can use it when you want it.

Yagyu Munenori (1571-1646)

 

 

 

 

 

Battle

Fate is in Heaven, the armor is on the chest, success is with the legs. Go to the battle field firmly confident of victory, and you will come home with no wounds whatever. Engage in combat fully determined to die and you will be alive, wish to survive in the battle field and you will surely meet death. When you leave the house determined to see it again you will come home safely; when you have any thought of returning , you will not return. You may not be in the wrong to think that the world is always subject to change, but the warrior must not entertain this way of thinking, for his fate is always determined.

Uesugi Kenshin (1530-1578)

 

The eyes in combat

It is important to keep the eyes on all things, seeing both widely and deeply. In seeing things, there are Kan and Ken. Penetrating the true nature of things is Kan; seeing surface phenomena is Ken. Accurately judging faraway conditions and rightly grasping the nature of nearby phenomena is a secret principle of the art of war. The secret of success is to know the enemy’s sword without looking at it. To correctly assess his nature and to not be seduced by his movements. It is vitally essential to take in both sides (right and left) without moving the eyeballs. Mastery of this is not easy.

Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645)