The Seven Qualities

Most traditional schools have a set of precepts that are used to guide it practitioners. Though it is not my intention to create a new martial art, I have decided to create a new set of precepts to guide our students. We have become an independent school due to actions beyond our control and rather than mold the precepts of the several schools we teach into a huge and unwieldy list, I felt it best to distill them down into an easily remembered few for the general students. The traditional lists will be taught to the Black Belt level practitioners that continue their study of the traditional systems.

This list is the result of much thought into the qualities that I would want to see in someone who represents themselves as a practitioner of the arts I teach at this school. It is presented in a similar method to Ueshiba sensei's Seven tenants of Budo/seven pleats of the hakama speech. This is not a traditional list, but is inspired by tradition and the commentary is primarily based on the dictionary definitions of the chosen principles. I decided to keep the number at seven because seven is generally seen throughout the world as a lucky or holy number. In Christianity/Judaism seven is the number of God. The world was created in seven days, there are seven deadly sins and seven heavenly virtues. The rainbow has seven colors, there are seven seas, and seven wonders of the ancient world. Dice has the lucky number seven and in folklore the 7th son of a 7th son was supposed to be gifted.

In Japanese folklore they have the Seven Gods of Fortune ( 七福神 Shichi-fuku-jin ) and it is believed to be lucky to eat nanakusagayu 七草粥  (seven herb rice porridge) on the 7th of January. They celebrate the seventh day after a babies birth and mourn on the seventh day after a loved ones passing and again on the 49th day (7 x 7). Some Buddhists believe in seven reincarnations and there are seven factors of enlightenment.

Here then are the Seven Qualities of a Martial Artist as taught in our dojo:


Courage 勇気 Yuki - Courage is the quality shown by someone who decides to do something that is hard or difficult, or may be dangerous, even though they may be afraid.  If you have the courage of your convictions, you have the confidence to do what you believe is right, even though other people may not agree or approve.

Perseverance 根気 Konki - Perseverance is the quality of continuing with something even though it is difficult. It is best expressed in the dojo by the phrase "Nana Korobi Ya Oki"  七転び八起き  - meaning "Seven times fall down, Eight times get up".

Loyalty 信義 Shingi - Loyalty is the quality of staying firm in your friendship or support for someone or something.  Loyalty does not mean remaining in a situation that has become unhealthy, but it does entail not unfairly disparaging the other party/parties when the time comes to move on.

Courtesy 礼儀 Reigi - Courtesy is politeness, respect, and consideration for others. Treating others the way you would want to be treated is a form of courtesy.

Every culture since time immemorial has taught a version of the Golden Rule and this is the basis of most religions. This courtesy extends to family, friends and strangers. It then extends to nature and your environment. Remember true respect begins with self-respect.

Humility 謙虚 Kenkyo - Someone who has humility has self-respect for their accomplishments, but gives credit where credit is due and does not unfairly glorify one's own self. They are not boastful or arrogant and do not believe they have more rights than other people.

This humility is not the self-abasement of typical western style philosophies, but the humility of a Shakyamuni Gautama, a Martin Luther King Jr., or a Mohandas Gandhi, one who sets about doing great things for the benefit of others, and though they may achieve great fame in the process, the goal is still the same and the fame is used solely to further the goal, not for self-aggrandizement.

Honesty 誠 Makoto – Honesty is the presence of positive attributes such as integrity, truthfulness, and straightforwardness along with the absence of lying, cheating,or theft. Honesty is the value of speaking the truth and creating trust in the minds of others. It is doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do, even when there is no one around to see if you do not.

Benevolence 仁 Jin - A benevolent person helps other people to become better by using the fruits of their own success. They seek to do good things in the world through their compassion for others. When seeking to do good works remember the wisdom of the Chinese proverb, "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life "

All goals can be attained through the use of the first two principles, but can only be maintained by the application of the other five principles.

Educational Philosophy

The underlying philosophy of the Bushikai Hidama Dojo is to integrate the Body, Mind, and Spirit to develop the complete human being.

The aim of education in the Bushikai Hidama Dojo is to teach each student "How to think", rather than "What to think" - to improve students' minds so as to enable them to think for themselves. Education as we see it is the exercise and development of Body and Mind. Training at the dojo is designed to maximize the scientific performance variables taught to the student, while encouraging and developing each student's potential during performance in the applied area of Self-defense. Great care and attention is paid concerning the education of each student.

The Bushikai Hidama Dojo in its philosophical aspect can be condensed as a vehicle for investigation for each student's personal truth and the direction in which they would like to go. In essence we blend the philosophical with the physical, the theory with the practical, and create balance. Each student is trained both on a physical and mental level to get straight to the point, they become efficient and their energy is controlled and conserved in the body for the purpose of " Self Development ".

Meditation plays an essential part in this self-development, as it is here the student learns to conserve their life force and to quiet the restlessness of the Body and Mind and become at one with their own internal Spirit. Through the daily training at the dojo students have found new vitality and a calmer state. At the Bushikai Dojo each student will truly learn " The Art and Science of Self-protection ". We believe that each student should understand that knowledge is how to use the whole of one's self, "Everyone would like to have knowledge, but few are willing to pay the price for it". Knowledge and the understanding, which accompanies it, cannot be given, or bought. It can only earned and learned through the discipline of training the mind, body, and spirit.

There are 3 paths to truth
1. The Inquiry - which is the essence of it.
2. The Knowledge - which is the presence of it.
3. The Belief - which is the enjoyment of it.

The improvement of understanding is in 2 parts
1. Our own increase of knowledge.
2. Our ability to deliver that knowledge to others

True knowledge in the mind, body and spirit follows a Five-step path.
1. To ask
2. To learn
3. To know
4. To do
5. To teach

Kokyuho- The Importance of Breath

What are the necessities of life? Food.? You could live for ten days or more without food. Water, maybe? At least three days before death comes. Air, then? Most people would not list air among the essentials of life because we take our breathing for granted. Yet we can see how this easily overlooked nutrient, air, is the most essential element of life. Just try going without it for more than a minute or two and see how you feel. Dizziness and weakness will quickly set in.

Our breath, therefore gives us strength. When we perform ukemi or kata without proper breathing our technique is weak and our flow of energy(Ki) is blocked. If we hold our breath during Randori or Kumite we quickly become tired and lack the energy to continue. If poor breathing habits are used during Shiai or real fighting we lose the power to pace our fight and are quickly defeated despite excellent conditioning.

Proper Breathing or Kokyuho allows our energy to flow freely and adds power to our technique. Our movements are smooth and relaxed, yet crisp and precise. We have reserves of energy to call upon as the pace of the battle increases. With proper breathing, we harmonize with our environment and the rhythms of the Universe - the breath rises and falls like the tide, allowing the Ki of Creation to flow through us. We feel better and perform better.

Have you forgotten how to breathe properly? Do your chest and shoulders rise and fall with your inhalation and exhalation? Or do you breathe naturally from your diaphragm as a baby does? Try this test. Lie on your back in a comfortable spot and place a book on your stomach. The book should go up on your inhale and down on your exhale. If not then you are breathing incorrectly. This type of breathing is counter to our cultural training, that says “Stand up straight! Shoulders back! Chest Out! Stomach in!” While it looks great in Military Uniforms it inhibits our movements and bodily functions.

In the Dojo we practice several forms of Kokyuho for developing proper breathing. These exercises should be performed with Zanshin(attention) and done frequently. When these forms are done correctly the Ki will flow through you and you will feel a tremendous heat build up within you. Your mind will clear and you are ready to focus on your training.

One should also correctly practice the usage of Kiai. When all of these elements are incorporated into your training, great progress will be made.

Bushikai - Its Meaning

Previously I have discussed the meaning of the word 道場 Dojo. This time we'll take a look at the meaning of the word 武士会 Bushikai.

The word 武士 Bushi was first used in the late 8th century but later became synonymous with the word 侍Samurai around the 12th century, though they have very different origins. 武士Bushi means a warrior while 侍Samurai is a political term used to describe a societal class and has the meaning of one who serves a lord.

武士Bushi can be broken into its component parts of 武bu(military) and 士shi (person). The
漢字kanji used to write the word 武Bu can also be seen to be made up of characters meaning 止"to stop" and 戈"spear", "to stop a spear". It has the meaning of preventing harm to the people and not the more commonly translated meaning of "war". Thus a 武士bushi is one who prevents war. It is this hidden meaning of one who protects the people that guides the teachings of our dojo.

The word 会Kai denotes a society or group coming together for a common cause. When you add it to 武士bushi it becomes the society of those who protect - 武士会Bushikai.

It is the second word in our name, 武芸Bugei, that causes most people trouble when learning to pronounce it. Pronounced "BOO-GAY" it means martial arts , but using the character 芸Gei to signify arts in a more comprehensive sense than the more commonly heard 術 Jutsu (pronounced JITZ) which refers to a specific art or skill as in 柔術jujutsu or 刀術kenjutsu, which are arts that are taught within the 武士会Bushikai curricula.
武芸Bugei is used in the name to signify that we are a martial arts dojo and not a dojo teaching other traditional Japanese Arts such as 書道Shodo.

Martial Arts Learning

Are you remembering and assimilating your techniques as quickly as you would like? Have you had the embarrassment of your instructor asking you to demonstrate a technique you have previously learned and having no idea what you are being asked to perform. The problem is that we do not pick up everything that taught to us. Most people miss 80% of everything that is said to them or shown to them. (Don't believe it? -remember the game of "Telephone"? ) We have to learn how to learn, and learn more effectively.

Here are eight simple techniques to speed your learning:
1.Keep A Notebook
Keep a notebook to jot down the subtle points that the instructor pointed out in class that could be forgotten. This is also a great place to put theories, strategies, and philosophical tidbits, as well as mistakes that the teacher pointed out in class. Don't wait until you get home to make your notes either - most people will forget about 90% of what they learned within 10 minutes.

2- Perfect, Maintain & Use The Basics
"If your kihon is weak you will never understand kata."
This underlines the importance of mastering the fundamentals of your system. You may think that once you have tested on the requirements of your rank that you can put them out of your mind, but you would be mistaken. If you don't have a solid foundation of basics, how will you ever learn advanced techniques? Yes they may look cool and effortless when performed by a ranking martial artist -just remember that what you see is the result of long years of toil and effort. By revisiting the basics, often you'll find that advanced techniques will be much easier to pick up. Besides, if you can't even do a proper punch how do you ever expect to exert maximum power?

3- Be Committed
You will get out of your martial arts training what you put in. From experience, I can tell you that if you don't practice outside of class, it shows -- and in a big way. Ask yourself this question: "What if my instructor put forth the same amount of effort in teaching as I do in training?" Make a specified time for your training and stick to it. If you are not doing so now, what better time to start than now?
Start small - just 5 minutes a day to begin. It is better to practice 5 minutes per day every day than an hour once a week. Commit yourself to betterment, by the day, week, and month.

4- Be Open-minded
Eastern Masters have often used contrasting images of an empty and a full cup of tea as a way to symbolize the concept of an open versus a full mind. You may already know a certain way to achieve something, and feel that it is the best -- but keep your mind open. Consider that the simplest technique will hold numerous nuances and applications you never considered.

5- See The Whole Picture
In a seemingly simple movement, such as stepping forward with sayu sabaki against a cut from Daijodan shomen giri, there are usually countless hidden subtleties that play key roles in the application and its variations. So although it may seem obvious that our attention as a learner of the example above should be drawn towards the evasion movement, that is not the case. You should observe the instructor's footwork, waist movement, hand positioning, etc.; pay attention to whole body movement.

6- Be Mindful
Tada Ima. This phrase means "here, now." After having practiced a certain movement hundreds of times, you'll come to a point where you don't have to consciously think about "how-to-do-it" anymore. Unfortunately, many people stop there, and end up simply "going through the motions." Push that technique to another level by visualizing the opponent(s) as you execute the kata -- see the application, feel the energy and intent. Be in the moment.

7- Be Adaptable
Take a familiar application and vary the possibilities. What if you were to use the same technique from another stance? What if the opponent was taller than your usual training partner? This is training.

8- Ask Questions
This one may seem obvious, but needs to be emphasized. The study of bujutsu requires complete involvement of the body, mind ,and spirit. You cannot just go through the motions. If
you come to the end of your class time and you have not formed any questions, you have wasted part of your opportunity for learning. There is nothing more frustrating to an instructor than asking for questions and being answered with blank faces and silence. There are no foolish questions but the one you didn't ask.

Consider the possibility that after many repetitions of a certain movement, you find out that you've been doing it incorrectly. Now imagine trying to correct that movement. We know how hard habits are to break: A lot of time and frustration could have been saved by asking questions of the instructor. And one of the most important questions to ask before going home is, "Is this the way to do it?"

Sometimes it may feel uncomfortable if you ask the teacher a question that initially seems to stump him, but don't let that prevent you from doing it again in the future. Any decent teacher loves a challenge -- it lets them momentarily pause the teaching mode and explore the movement in an "out-of-the-box" method, which is not only educational, but just plain fun.

You may not have a photographic memory, but apply these guidelines to your practice. Your learning skills will improve and you'll find your techniques will have greatly improved.

-Uncredited Author. I found this saved as a file on my computer and can't remember where I got it from, but I feel this is important material to share. If you are the author of this material I apologize for not crediting it properly but I would like to thank you for an excellent article.

ATTITUDE AND INFLUENCE

The quality of your life is directly related to the quality of your attitude. Why is it that two people, given virtually identical circumstances can experience such vastly different results in their lives? The difference is attitude. We can choose to have a positive or a negative attitude.

I'm reminded of a story of two boys who went to visit their grandfather's farm for the summer, expecting to have a great time riding ponies. Now as anyone who has spent time around a farm knows, animals are a great deal of work, and on their first morning there, Grandpa handed them each a shovel and said, "Boys, before you get to ride the pony you've got to muck out this stable."

Well, both boys set to work but before long the first boy started complaining dragging his heels at the thought of all the work to be done. The second boy continued working cheerfully, even whistling a tune while he shoveled the manure. The first boy grew irritated and finally asked the second boy, "How can you be so happy while we have to shovel all this muck?" The second boy looked up at him and smiled and said, "Well, with all this manure, there HAS to be a pony in here somewhere!"

Our attitude is greatly shaped by the influence of and association with the people in our lives. Be careful who you spend your time with. You can afford to spend a few minutes with some people, but not a few hours. Don't join an easy crowd - you won't grow. Go where the expectations and the demands to perform are high. Get around people who have something of value to share with you. Their impact will continue to have a significant effect on your life long after they have departed.

You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What do they have me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that right for me? This is called influence and just like a word that begins similarly -influenza, you could catch something you don't want from these people.

Now there are two things to remember about influence: First, influence is powerful; and second, influence is subtle. We can all recognize a powerful negative influence, but we often let the subtle ones in without thinking. You wouldn't let someone push you off course, but you might let someone nudge you off course and not even realize it.

Peer pressure is especially powerful because it is so subtle. We allow people to keep nudging us off course a little at a time until we find ourselves one day saying, "How did I get here?" We need to pay attention to these influences if we want our lives to turn into something wonderful.

It is easy to just dismiss the things that influence our lives, but remember, everything counts! Some things matter more than others, but there are no unimportant matters. We must be
vigilant to see which way our scales are tipping, toward the negative or toward the positive.

Finally, what does all this have to do with bujutsu? If you cannot yet answer this, you need
more training.

Thanks to Jim Rohn, Zig Ziglar and Miyamoto Musashi for the inspiration for this post.

The Dojo

Is it Special, or Just Somewhere to Go ?

Dojo. What does this word really mean?
Is it a gym or a club? No.
Is it a school ? Not exactly.

Lets look at the meanings of the two kanji that make up the word.
道 (Dou or michi) means a road or path, and is sometimes translated as "the Way" - similar to the Chinese word Tao. "The Way" in this sense means universal principles or laws.
場 (Jou) means place, so Doujou means a place of the Way. In the Bushikai we study
武芸Bugei or warrior (martial) arts.

The ultimate aim of a dojo is not necessarily to teach the subject of study but to give its members a place to learn about themselves through the art they are studying.
With that in mind, how then do you now think of the phrase "You are the Dojo" ? The dojo does not exist without its members (you). In a sense, it is a living entity. It must be fed (monthly dues), cleaned and cared for, as well as receiving the attention of its members. Without these things it will die.

When you become a member of a dojo you take on these responsibilities. So how will YOU care for YOUR dojo? Will your dojo be a beautiful healthy garden or a barren wasteland? Do you see that your monthly dues are received in a timely manner? Do you volunteer to help clean or help with maintenance?(Or do you wait to be asked?) Do you support dojo events? Have you sponsored a new member recently? These things all affect the quality of your training.

Your training can bring you anything you want in life if you will just bring your heart to your training. The dojo provides the place, but your instructor can only provide the means and methods of study. You must decide what you will do with it.