SOME NOTES ON KOMAGAWA KAISHIN-RYU AND SUBURI

Some Notes On Komagawa Kaishin-ryu and Suburi

The founder of Komagawa Kaishin-ryū was Komagawa Taro Zaemon Kuniyoshi who later changed his name to “Kaishin”. In his early life, Komagawa studied and practiced Shinkage-ryu under Izumi Isenokami, the found of that school of swordsmanship. Late in life he handed down his skills to Sakurada Jirozaemon Sadakuni who in turn gave the ryū the name of Komagawa Kaishin-ryū in honor of his teacher.

Kaishin-ryū is traditional Budo which has been handed down through history by the Kaga Maeda clan¹ of Toyama Prefecture. The Grandmaster who instructed Kuroda-sensei (Kuroda  Tetsuzan), a man I greatly admire, was taught the ryu as Yagyu Shinkage-ryū and thus Koroda-sensei thought this was also the case, but later discovered that it differed from traditional Yagyu-ryū very much and he began to question why.

He questioned his great- grandfather about the matter who answered:

“Once upon a time there was an extremely good swordsman in Edo named Hujii Umon Naoaki, a loyal supporter of the Emperor who staged a revolt against the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1767. For his crime he was sentenced, along with Yamagata Daini, to death and executed. Naoaki was the chief proponent or practitioner of Komagawa Kaishin-ryū. By decree of the Shogun, Kaishin-ryū was banned and each and every clan blocked out any mention of the ryū and all of the texts associated with that school of swordsmanship were burned. Even it's very name was banned from being spoken. But, there were many students and practitioners of Komagawa Kaishin-ryū and they could not bear to abandon their “school”; thus, the name was changed, becoming Yagyu Shinkage-ryū.

On Suburi, the swinging of the shinai, bokken or sword.

Kuroda-sensei would say that Saburi is the most important part of kata; indeed, it is in itself kata. Anyone can swing a sword, but not everyone can do it correctly, mainly because it is neither taught nor studied as kata². Because most pupils are not taught to think of Suburi as Kata, they tend do engage in it only as warm-up or cooling-down exercises this lack of regard is worsened and one thus tends to miss much of the point of Budo. A Budo master lives in a different world when engaged in his art. When observed by often less skilled, less trained and less aware students, the movements of a maser may seem slow: but this is not the proper view. A normal person, one who has not studied Budo at its depths, cannot understand what is going on inside of the master's mind and body; hence, in reality (the master's reality) he is moving fast within his mind and spirit, although the body appears to move slowly. The actual mental intensity, the self-control and skill is thus missed by the observer and cannot then be understood.

“Our enemy is not others, it is 'self'. One must compete against one's self. If we cannot control our bodies by ourselves, then how can we possibly bring down an enemy?”

-Tokugawa Aoi Sensei

1The Maeda clan (前田氏, ) was a branch of the Sugawara clan who descended from Sugawara no Kiyotomo and Sugawara no Michizane in the 8^th and 9^th centuries.  It was one of the most powerful samurai families in Japan, second only to the Tokugawa clan in income and domain size.  It was during the Edo Period that the clan actually became daimyo, ruling the Kaga domain from Kanazawa from1583 through the Meiji Restoration of 1868.  Perhaps the most famous member of this clan was Maeda Toshiie (1538 – 1599) who was one of the leading generals under Oda Nobunaga and later fought against the Hōjō clan under the command of Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

The Kaga Domain (加賀藩) itself was a powerful domain of Edo Period Japan located in Kaga, Noto and Etchū provinces (what now comprises Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures).  It’s income rating was the highest in the nation except for that of the Tokugawa Shogunate itself.

2Kata (型 or 形) is a Japanese word which describes the detailed, choreographed patters of movements practiced with by one’s self or in pairs.  Kata are used in many forms of traditional Budo just as well as in other traditional cultural forms such as Kabuki and Sadō (the tea ceremony).  In Budo, kata is often seen as a basic and thus indispensable partner to randori  (free-style practice or sparring), each one complimenting the other.  In Iaido, solo kata using the katana comprises almost all of the training where as in Judo, kata lacks emphasis and is usually only studied and practiced for grading for rank or dan.  In Kenjutsu, paired kata is often very restrained but in higher levels (ranks) kata is practiced with much higher speed and serious injury is prevented only by the high level of sensitivity the participants have achieved through years of training, including a strong consciousness of such things as timing and distance, Many forms of Budo and martial arts use kata for public demonstrations and in competitions, awarding points for such characteristics as style, balance, timing, etc.

IAIDO AT SEKISHINKAN TOKUGAWA DOJO

IAIDO AT SEKISHINKAN TOKUGAWA DOJO

Iaidō is a traditional form of Japanese Budo which is associated with the controlled, even movements of drawing the Japanese sword from its scabbard (saya), striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and ten returning the sword to the saya. Depending on the ryū (school), dojo, and/or instructor, a new student may begin to follow this Way with a wooden sword (bokken) or more commonly with an unsharpened sword or Iaitō, later progressing to a “live” or sharpened blade (shinken). Iaidō is an art requiring great personal discipline and perseverance and with its emphasis on its precise motions and contemplative or even meditative mindset, it is often referred to as “moving zen”.

The word Iaidō can be translated to something akin to “the way of mental presence and immediate reaction.” It should not be confused with Kendo, which does not include the drawing of a sword and utilizes a bamboo “sword” or shinai with no saya and which is basically a competitive sport. Iaidō is not competitive at all but rather, a matter of learning and perfecting one’s own movements and techniques.

Iaidō should also not be confused with Kenjutsu which involves parrying and striking an opponent with a sword that is already removed from its saya. Iaidō is also not to be confused with Battōjutsu, which encompasses both the practice of drawing a sword and cutting movements, but also tameshigiri or actual cutting.

There is an inherent emphasis in Iaidō upon the psychology or mindset of the practitioner with the actual drawing of the sword and performance of striking motions almost secondary

Although there are indeed a wide range of koryū or traditional/classical Iaidō styles practiced in Japan, the two most enduring and widely practiced styles are Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū and Musō Shinden-ryū They resemble each other quite strongly owing to their common heritage from the same parent, only separating in the late 18th century owing to philosophical differences.

The Sekishinkan Tokugawa offers a “continuing program” of training and practice in Musō Jikiden Eishin-ryū (more often just referred to as Eishin-ryū), conducted personally by H. Tokugawa-sensei, M. Yamamoto-sensei, and closely assisted by H. Yamamoto-sensei. Our course is referred to as a “continuing” program because even though one has learned the etiquette and techniques of Eishin-ryū, progress beyond that point depends on each individual student’s individual devotion to the art and practice. As long as a student is with us at Sekishinkan Tokugawa Dojo, we will endeavor to give them all of the individual encouragement, guidance, and coaching we can so that they may achieve there individual goals.

For those who are perhaps interested in a shorter course of study or who are also interested in tameshigiri, for example, a similar course is offered by Sekishinkan Tokugawa Dojo as part of its more comprehensive Amatai no Shugo-ryū Bujutsu program as Battōjutsu or Iaijutusu

Sentei Iaidō

Sentei Iaidō or Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei Iaidō is the official style of the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF), Zen Nippon Kendo Renmei or ZNKR. The twelve Seitei Iaidō forms (seitei-gata) are now the standard for promotion within Iaidō as dictated by the controlling kendo federations. Although not al dojos teach Seitei Iaidō, the AJKF does use Seitei as their standard for examinations and thus it is the most widely recognized form of Iaidō in both Japan as well as the rest of the world. Because the twelve Seitei forms match so well with the teachings of Eishin-ryū, they are taught as part of the Sekishinkan program.

Tōhō Iaidō

The All Japan Iaidō Federation (ZNIR, Zen Nihon Iaidō Renmei) which was founded in 1948) has its own set of five Iaidō forms referred to as Tōhō Iaidō. These are the ZNIR’s equivalent to Seitei but are derived from other ryū not so closely related to Eishin-ryū and thus are not taught at Sekishinkan Dojo.

If interested, please feel free to contact Mr. Tokugawa or Ms. Yamamoto at admin@takayamabudokai.com or leave a message here or at one of our dojo blog sites:

http://360.yahoo.com/senshinkan_tokugawa_dojo)

http://takayamabudokai.blogspot.com/

http://newbushi.blogspot.com/

BREATHING AND BUDO III

BREATHING AND BUDO III

There is an exercise, derived from Zen which may be of use in developing good breathing practices. It is of particular benefit in Budo for the development of centralized energy, a foundation in the principles of ki, as well as simply a relaxed body, mind, and good health. That is the practice of deep abdominal breathing.

In this exercise there are two dimensions: a physio-functional dimension which relates to the way one controls the two phases of breathing: inhalation and exhalation. The second dimension is mental and emotional, directly relating to the mental images one uses as a method for developing a proper rhythm and style to breathing.

One method to develop proper breathing involves sitting in a zazen or seiza style on a mat or some sort of cushion so that the pressure on legs, ankles, and feet does not become too painful. In reality, adaptation to this way of sitting is a gradual process, requiring the increasing of time spent in this position by a few minutes each time you practice. Sitting cross-legged is totally acceptable but make sure to put a cushion underneath you in order to keep your posture straight and to make you more comfortable.

Once you are seated, comfortable and relaxed, you can begin the exercise. Inhalation should be long, as a thin stream of air is taken in through the nose at a steady, controlled rate. This should be done in a relaxed way with no straining. The feeling you should have is that the air is filling the central part of our body, not only the chest but also the lower abdomen, which should expand normally, again without stress, strain, or tension. The idea is to breath fully and naturally.

When you have inhaled all that you can with ease, being sure to keep your shoulders down during the inhalation, then rest quietly for a moment before beginning to exhale. Exhale through your mouth, again in a steady, concentrated yet relaxed stream, perhaps making a slight sound resembling “aah”. Remember, there should not be any straining and do not attempt to exhale in a sudden or forceful manner.

A way to coordinate both the mental-emotional dimension of this exercise with the physio-functional dimension; thus, striving to achieve a unity of mind and body, many Zen masters tech their pupils to visualize a stream of air being drawn in and out during the exercise or to imagine the ebb and flow of gentle waves against the shore of a lake or the sea, providing both a relaxing image as well as an excellent rhythm for the breathing pattern.

Unless proper breath control is mastered, progress in Budo will always tend to be limited. Once mastered, however, the techniques of breath control must be continually “toned” or maintained through regular practice.

Next time we will learn some very simple Tai Chi movements meant to teach deep breathing and at the same time relax your body and mind.

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Copyright 2008 by Hayato Tokugawa, Aoi Tokugawa, Sekishinkan Tokugawa Dojo & Takayama Budokai. All Rights Reserved.

BREATHING AND BUDO: Part II

Now, let us examine a simple breathing process borrowed form Tai Chi. This will allow you to release stress, relax, and to be more aware of ki.

1. 
   Breathe from your nose instead of your mouth, If you cannot do this because of congestion (a cold, flue, sinusitis, allergies, or a structural blockage), then breathe in and out through your mouth.


2. 
   Keep your tongue on the roof of hour mouth, behind your teeth on the hard palate.
   Do not hold your breath.


3. 
   Breathe in deeply.


4. 
   Relax the chest and breathe with the abdomen. This will strengthen your diaphragm and enable air to move more more efficiently. Do not stick your chest out or use the front of your chest to breathe.


5. 
   Use each breath to consciously relax your body. Initially use exhalation to focus releasing the tension in your body and nerves. Over time, do the same with inhalations.


6. 
   As the abdomen relaxes, allow the breath to put deeper and deeper pressure on your internal organs.

This will take practice and time, but the benefits to you are well worth the time and effort.
Next time we will discuss a Zen variation of what we have discussed today.
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Copyright Hayato Tokugawa, Aoi Tokugawa, Sekishinkan Tokugawa Dojoe & Takayama Budokai.

BREATHING AND BUDO

In whatever form of Budo or martial arts you may practice, there should always be a focus and emphasis placed on consciously controlling one’s breathing. Breathing is essential to life as well as to the purification of body, mind, and spirit; indeed, breathing connects both our physical selves with our emotional selves. In Budo, students (especially) will end to hold their breath. Actually, if you care to think about it and admit it to yourself, we all are guilty of this from time to time. This is both a reaction to stress as well as a bi-product of concentrating almost too hard on technique. It is often a failing of many dojo and sensei, that proper breathing techniques, and coordination of breathing with movement are not taught or only lightly touched upon. Breathing creates a connection and a joining of both our mind and our body, which must be one if we are to succeed at our art.

In the next few days, we will look a bit at breathing and try to learn some good and useful breathing techniques, particularly derived from Tai Chi, which have direct application to us as Budo-ka.

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.Copyright w008 by Hayato Tokugawa, Aoi Tokugawa, Sekishinkan Tokugawa Dojo, & Takayama Budokai. All rights reserved.

THOUGHTS FROM A TAKAYAMA ROOFTOP: The End Purpose of Budo

The end purpose in practicing kenjutsu or any Budo is to make the art thoroughly a part of one's self. One must try to achieve a state wherein one can resond with the best of tacticsas a matter of reflex; that is to say, unconsciously.

This can be accomplished by learning to deal with every possible circuncstance. When one is using a sword aganst an opponent or enemy, one shouldl not allow their soul, their inner spirit, to link itself to the technique. The enemy will perhaps have the opportunity to see within you and strike at you in a way that could cuase you to be defeated. Do not think about being killed (defeated) or whether or no you have killed (defeated) your opponent.
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Copyright 2008 by Hayato Tokugawa & Sekshinkan Tokugawa Dojo/Takayama Budokai

THE CORE OF BUSHIDO

If we wish to find the core of Bushido, we must I think look at it in its historical context. To do that, I would like to use a metaphor, first put forward by Nitobe Inazo in his book on Bushido, worn as it may be; I think it is still effect. Certainly, we do not need all the flowery rhetoric or the cryptic European references of Nitobe so grasp what is truly simple.

If we think of Bushido as the Sakura, the cherry blossom, and think of how plants live, our search may become clearer. Japan of course is the soil and without the proper soil, no plant can flourish. Some will whither and die quickly, others will struggle over a long time, trying to survive, but never growing perhaps beyond some stunted weed. Japan, more than anywhere in the world, was the right “soil” for Bushido.’ The seeds came to Japan long ago from China, who in many ways is the “Mother of Japan”. The seeds came in the form on Confucius and then his disciple Mencius. If one wishes to understand Bushido, then look to the seeds themselves: Analects by Confucius and simply The Mencius. With these two great “fathers” came Wan Yang Ming and Lao Tsu. The great seeds of Asian thought came riding across the sea to eventually take root in Japan.

The Sakura, like any plant, not only needs soil, it needs nourishment and Shinto was just such nutrition for Bushido. Native to Japan, growing out of the sea with the land, it was there waiting to embrace Bushido and to give it all that it could. Perhaps the two greatest “gifts” of Shinto were its sense of patriotism, loyalty, reverence for ancestors, and love of family and parents, which lay at the very heart of Bushido at its birth as it does today. Look in any dojo and you will see the character of Shinto present from the walls to the etiquette of those who practice there.

Seeds, soil, nourishment, are fine but our analogy still lacks something. The Sakura needs sun and rain which was supplied in abundance by first Buddhism and later its refinement of Zen, which went directly to the growth and development of the Samurai character – the Samurai spirit, and provided for the growth and development of Bushido on the most personal of levels.

Bushido was exclusive only to Japan. Despite Nitobe’s analogies to European Chivalry, they are as different as night and day. Bushido could only have been in Japan. It was destined to be so.

Copyright 2008 by Hayato Tokugawa and Sekishinkan Tokugawa Dojo