Inspiration

The  Samurai Creed

I have no parents;

I make the heavens and the earth my parents,

I have no home;

I make 'saika tanden' (abdominal region) my home.

I have no divine power; I make honesty my divine power.

I have no means;

I make docility my means. I have no magic power;

I make personality my magic power. I have neither life nor death; I make 'a um' (art of regulating one's breath) my life and death.

I have no body;

I make stoicism my body. I have no eyes; I make the flash of lightening my eyes. I have no ears;

I make sensibility my ears. I have no limbs; I make promtitude my limbs. I have no laws;

I make self - protection my laws. I have no strategy; I make 'sakkatsu jizai' (free to kill and free to restore life) my strategy. I have no designs;

I make 'kisan' (taking opportunity by the forelock ) my designs. I have no miracles; I make righteous laws my miracles. I have no principles; I make 'rinkiohen' (adaptablility to all circumstances my principles. I have no tactic;

I make 'kyojitsu' (emptiness and fullness) my tactics. I have no talent;

I make 'toi skumyo' (ready wit) my talent. I have no friends; I make my mind my friend. I have no enemy; I make incautiousness my enemy. I have no armor; I make 'jin-gi' (benevolence and righteousness) my armor. I have no castle; I make ' fudoshin' (immovable mind) my castle. I have no sword;

I make 'mushin' (absence of mind) my sword

Senjo

Senjo is a battlefield strategy taken from the writings of Musashi and the Book of Five Rings. Zen Do Kai utilizes the strategy as a concept for the personal development of student character. Each position denoted within the battlefield represents a different personality or character trait. These traits we may already possess or they may be ideals that we wish to develop.

The Shogun comprises all the colours mixed together. This position is the pinnacle of student achievement. It represents mastery of the self and surroundings. At either side of the Shogun is the first and second house - named this way from Japanese history. The Shogun's closest generals resided in these houses depending on who was first or second in line of succession.

Forming a triangle around the Shogun are three pivotal warriors:

• Yamabushi (spiritual - Mountain warrior) - for senjo this is the self controlled person represented by the colour blue;

• Hatamoto (most trusted one) - this person represents the Shogun's most trusted person. At the apex of the triangle immediately behind the Shogun and represented by the colour yellow. People who follow this path are revered as the loyal and trustworthy;

• Yakuza (fighting warrior) - person with the most aggressive personality and fighting skill represented by the colour red.

The primary colours represented in the triangle form the basis for the other colours and hence other character traits of senjo.

Circling the triangle are the eight essential character traits of the samurai warrior:

• Reshiki (etiquette)
• Kokkishin (self control)
• Kandai (benevolence)
• Seijitsu (truth)
• Chuijitsu (loyalty)
• Meiyo (honour)
• Adashi-koto (justice)
• Yuuki (courage)

The following article appeared in the KORYU JOURNAL of the International Ryukyu Karate Research Society, which Kyoshi Patrick McCarthy heads up. I, along with several other ZDK Instructors, are members of the organisation. I feel that the article is a very good one that warrants dissemination. I found it moving, and I'm sure you will to

How many of you have often wondered, when tying your obi (belt), if there was a meaning which transcended holding your gi together? I have. I sincerely hope that the following explanation moves you in the same way it moved me nearly twenty years ago when I first heard Prof. Don Jacobs recite it in Hawaii.......Patrick McCarthy.

“When tying the obi (belt) you must first make absolutely certain that it hangs evenly from the middle before wrapping it around your waist. This act symbolizes the importance of balance and reminds the bujin (martial artist) that the "way" can only ever be found after physical training is augmented by non-physical study & application. This is what is meant when we say that, "Any path not paved by physical conditioning, moral philosophy & methodical introspection, leads nowhere."

The obi (belt) is first wrapped around the waist by placing the middle of it just below the umbilicus. This action serves to remind the bujin that we are both the giver & receiver of life and therefore, we must embrace both respect & compassion with all those with whom we come into contact with.

When we cross the obi behind our back it makes an "X" and reminds the bujin to be prepared for what can go on behind our own backs.

Bringing the obi (belt) round to the front reminds us that what goes around comes around and that we reap only that which we sow; hence, the emphasis upon morality & 'right thinking.'

Making an "X" once again in the front of the body, before tying the obi, is also symbolic. It helps the bujin remember that what goes on behind one's back can go on under our noses as well, and that we must be prepared to negotiate life's difficulties from any position.

Bringing one end of the obi (belt) up under the waist and the other down, before tying the knot, serves to remind the bujin of the only two directions in which we can travel and the importance of continuing on & upwards in an effort to constantly improve ourselves.

Every time we tie the knot in our obi (belt) we should be reminded of how important it is to tighten our resolve in all matters. Finally, at the end of this ritual we find ourselves making absolutely certain that the obi is perfectly even.”

If you know your soldiers are capable of striking, but do not know whether the enemy is invulnerable to a strike, you have half a chance of winning. If you know the enemy is vulnerable to a strike, but do not know if your soldiers are incapable of making such a strike, you have half a chance of winning. If you know the enemy is vulnerable to a strike, and know your soldiers can make the strike, but do not know if the lay of the land makes it unsuitable for battle, you have half a chance of winning.

Therefore those who know martial arts do not wander when they move, and do not become exhausted when they rise up. So it is said that when you know yourself and others, victory is not in danger; when you know sky and earth, victory is inexhaustible.

To win in battle or make a successful siege without rewarding the meritorious is unlucky and earns the name of stinginess. Therefore it is said that an enlightened government considers this, and good military leadership rewards merit. They do not mobilise when there is no advantage, do not act when there is nothing to gain, do not fight when there is no danger.

Sun Tsu

Tools and Tool Boxes

One evening I walked from my car to the gym when I saw Sensei taking his bag out of his car. I greeted him and walked over to him. ‘Good to see you’, he said, ‘can you please help me with carrying these toolboxes to the dojo? We will need them later.’ I took two of the three toolboxes and went inside. We put them in the dojo where after we went for the dressing room to get changed.

I was quite curious what the toolboxes were for. I decided not to ask but just wait.

Back in the dojo everyone was curious what the toolboxes where for and some were joking about Sensei teaching us some techniques hidden in chores like in the karate kid movie.

When Sensei came in everyone lined up where after class started with the bowing ritual and a warm up.

After the warm-up sensei had us seated again.

‘Today we are going to focus on self-defence as promised last week.’ He said. ‘In here we have people with various backgrounds, Mick has been a bouncer, Bob did some shop security and bodyguard work and Marc and Stewart have been fighting some competitions.

All are different settings. To the outsider it might look as it’s all related to martial arts but reality is quite different.

‘Ok gather around’ sensei said guiding us to the three toolboxes. While opening the toolboxes sensei went on: ‘I brought these toolboxes as an analogy. The first one I borrowed from a carpenter, as you can see it’s filled with chisels, a hammer, some screwdrivers, an ice pick, a couple of saws, cord, pencil etc... All tools designed for the tasks of a carpenter. The next toolbox here is from my friend who is an electrician. Some tools are similar to the carpenter’s as both the carpenter and the electrician work in the building trade. I see an ice pick, a saw, a hammer, a chisel for chiselling stone, a pencil, various pliers, etc... The last toolbox is a toolbox I nicked from a car mechanic, I will give it back to him tomorrow. When I open it I see a hammer, some pliers, a couple of spanners, an adjustable spanner, etc...’

As you can see all three boxes have tools in common but not many. Different problems require different tools to solve. The electrician can’t use the carpenter’s chisels to cut trough concrete as they are developed for cutting wood. Likewise the car mechanic will not use the electrician pliers to try loosening a bolt.

If these toolboxes resemble martial arts, competition, self-defence, etc... It would mean that some techniques would work in different scenario’s just like the tools but that for the different problems require adapted and or different tools. We can’t make a problem fit the tool, likewise we can’t make the situation fit to our martial art. So very little of our martial arts toolbox will be applicable in a self-defence situation. As explained before only a small percentage of self-defence is physical. That’s why this evening we will do some scenario’s to practise the soft skills and to get into the required mindset nothing goes above a good anaerobic work-out. Let’s start.’