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Budo Q&A 2021 Budo Q&A 2021 March/April By Louis Vitalis Introduction • Budo is more than techniques training; • Shape your character, knowledge, position within (budo)society • A pandemic shouldn’t stop us from training those other aspects • So let’s ask our highest grade European sensei! Louis Vitalis sensei – kyoshi 7th dan kendo, -- kyoshi 7th dan jodo, -- kyoshi 7th dan iaido Guidelines for the Q&A • MUTE! So we can all enjoy Vitalis sensei’s talk • Questions: • Put them in the Google Form so we add them to the list for Vitalis sensei • Slides will be shared after the meeting, please handle with care Enjoy, learn, train! KATEI ENMAN 家庭円満 • Katei = Household, Ones home • Enman = Peaceful • Although this is not specific Budo terminology, it’s the first concept that my Kendo teacher Edo Kokichi taught me in 1979, during my second visit to Japan. • Wether your target in Budo is winning gold medals or obtaining higher dan grades, you will not be successful unless your home situation is stable. Additional stress will make it more difficult to focus on Budo. GEI NI ASOBU 藝於游 Kodokan building in Mito City, Ibaraki Ken GEI NI ASOBU 藝於游 • Gei = Art (as in Martial Art) • Asobu = Enjoy • The Kodokan was a kind of General University, where Samurai of the Region received Education in both Martial Arts and other arts and sciences. This saying was favoured by the 9th Daimyo of the Mito Han, Tokugawa Nariaki (1800-1860). • By this time, Martial Arts were no longer needed to kill an enemy, but it was already shifting from Jutsu to Do as we now know it. The main theme was “Bun Bu Ryodo”: The two ways of Study and Martial Arts. • Simply put, if you want to continue the study of any art for a long time, you will need to enjoy doing it. • If you can read Japanese, here is a nice explanation: https://note.com/kotofumi/n/ne84f08ca1622 SEITO & DESHI 生徒と弟子 • Seito = Student • Deshi = Disciple • According to Google translate this is the difference between Seito and Deshi. In Budo we can easily translate it as follows. • If you participate in an open Seminar, where a certain teacher is the head Sensei, or when you practice a few times at a Sensei’s Dojo, you might call yourself a student of this Sensei. • However, the Sensei-Deshi relation goes much deeper, and is a relation build on 100% trust. You can only call yourself a Deshi from a certain Sensei if that Sensei has actually confirmed that relation with you in person. • I.e. Ishido Sensei has only 6 Deshi in Europe. It doesn’t mean that a Deshi is better than a Seito, but the relation with the Sensei is built on the fact that the Sensei allows you to represent him in teaching. Budo and Scientific Research Can you explain how your Kendo teachers introduced a scientific approach to budo training and how Andy Watson Ryoshinkan UK that differed to what you experienced elsewhere? Budo and Scientific Research (1) • Let me start with Kendo. In Judo we had Kano Sensei, in Aikido we had Ueshiba Sensei, in Kendo we had Takano (Sasaburo) Sensei. His book “Kendo” was still written in a sort of classical Japanese, and not easy to understand by modern day Japanese. One of his senior students, Mistuhashi Sensei, was the first one who made a modern version of this book in 1972, with a kind of scientific approach which was completely new to Budo. • Because Kendo is so large in Japan, even compared to many Western Sports, there are now many Universities where scientific research is done on Kendo, but Mitsuhashi Sensei and Edo Sensei were the forerunners of this trend. • This is a page from his book, featuring his most senior student, Edo Kokichi Sensei (my lifelong Kendo teacher). Budo and Scientific Research (2) • There are many kinds of Scientific approaches to Kendo, the main ones: • Statistical Research, ie what kind of points are scored the most, what kind of techniques are more successful. • Trainig Method Research. Comparing training methods of very successful Kendo Teams, including physical training, power training. • Medical Research. Some universities even study how the brain works during some Kendo situations! • Historical Research. There is a lot of old literature on Budo, so there is a lot of topics to do research on as well. • Bio Mechanical Research (see pic). Budo and Scientific Research (3) • Is there no Scientific Research for Iaido and or Jodo? As far as my research goes, there is only one book I could find called “Iaido no Kagaku” (Science of Iaido), but this is purely based on Literature Study, not on Biomechanical or Medical research. • Also Ishido Sensei’s study in his early thirties was based on Literature Study. • However, Ishido Sensei did study how to do Physical and Power training which is suitable for Iaido, but I assume this was mostly self taught. • Some modern Iaido Sensei do use a more easy to understand way of teaching, which is influenced by modern teaching methods of Physical Education, so in that sense there is a clear influence of Science on Iaido and Jodo as well. Social background of Budo population in Japan vs Overseas With his long experience of Budo in Japan; I would like to ask Louis sensei's view on the different social/financial/education/political leanings between the practitioners of Kendo, Judo, Kyudo, Karate etc. that he observed in Japan. Also I would like to ask Louis Sensei his view about how budo in Europe generally attracts the liberal/arty/left-leaning people whearas in Japan more people seem to Jock Hopson Eishinkan U.K be the traditionalist/conservative/right of centre members of society. Social background of Budo population in Japan (1) • Although I lived in Japan for more than six years and speak, read and write the language reasonably well, I only practiced Kendo, Iaido and Jodo, so it’s a bit difficult for me to compare the other Budo disciplines. • The following remarks are purely based on my personal experience and opinion, there is no scientific truth in it! • Kendo, Judo and Karate all share the competitive element, with a so-called “real” free fight as a form of competition. Iaido, Jodo, Kyudo have competitions, but you don’t really fight each other. Except Tomiki Aikido (which was conceived by a Aikido Sensei who was also a high grade Judoka), Aikido doesn’t favour competition. • The top players in Kendo don’t show any interest in “Traditional” Budo such as Iaido and Jodo, and the Top Iaido and Jodo Sensei may have a grade in Kendo, but they are never in the top Kendo league. Social background of Budo population in Japan (2) • I cannot comment on the political leanings of groups of people in Japan, but I do think there is a social and financial background difference. Kendo, Judo, Karate populations in Japan are very big, so you will find poor people and rich people doing it. You will find them in Metropolitan Areas as well as in the country side. • In my personal experience I find Iaido and Kyudo Sensei usually of a more affluent background than Kendo, Judo and Karate people, but this is not based on scientific research! • There are still many prefectures in Japan where the Iaido population is extremely small, so this will lead to a more “Elite” type of people practicing it. • Jodo is even worse, there are still many Prefecture where Jodo is almost non-existent. I.e. Ibaraki Ken, which has a very big Kendo population, has almost no Jodo people, even if they are so close to Tokyo! The reason may surprise you: “why should we import a Budo from Fukuoa Ken, if we have our own famous Kendo/Kenjutsu schools?” therefore you will not see Jodo demonstrations on their official Kendo Tournaments, which is a custom in most other Prefectures. In stead you will see Hokushin Itto Ryu from the Mito Lineage, which was practiced in the Kodokan Samurai School in Mito. Social background of Budo population in Japan vs Overseas (1) • In my opinion, this can only be explained by a difference in history. The Budo population in Japan is, generally speaking, more conservative than progressive. For many young people, Kendo is old fashioned, because it is literally OLD! • The fact that REIGI SAHO (etiquette and correct manners) is such an integral part of Kendo/Iaido/Jodo, is for many young people a part of traditional Japan, which they compare to more modern European and American societies. • Another part that may influence young Japanese is the fact that Kendo/Iaido/Jodo is associated with Militaristic Japan of the 1930’s and 1940’s by some people. • However, I would not like to generalize too much. All my personal Sensei are very relaxed and openminded personalities, and certainly not old fashioned. If they were really conservative and traditionalist, they would never have taught Budo to a weird Gaijin like me in the first place! Social background of Budo population in Japan vs Overseas (2) • I have noticed big differences in Budo Groups in Japan. For example Kendo at Police, Army, and some traditional Universities are quite strict and old fashioned. But many Universities and Companies with Kendo Clubs are much more open and relaxed. Guess which kind of Kendo Clubs I always went to? • The Iaido population in Japan I find more conservative than Kendo, just look at the many old fashioned customs that still exist among Iaidoka. • As a contrast, the Aikido community in Japan is much more on the “Alternative” side of things, and if you study Ueshiba Sensei’s philosophy it’s easy to understand why.
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