ISSUE 14 BIRANKAI EUROPE NEWSLETTER MUSUBI M before our very eyes.before ourvery We must life, butalsoareality happening concept ofrebirth toanother Buddhism isnotonlyanabstract of The reincarnation theory the energywe have absorbed. create otherlifeformswith as asource ofourlifeforce and life forms,absorbtheirenergy cycle oflifeinwhichwe eatother exist inacontinuouslyflowing presence ofotherlifeforms. We ofthecosmos. dhist view tion -thefoundationofBud Buddhist conceptofreincarna alsoparallelsthe in. Thisview entities withtheenergywe take through eating, andcreate new absorb energyfrom otherentities tion ofenergy:Human beings to theconceptofcircula one. Thisphilosophycorresponds aremeans thatbodyandearth and seasons.Fu Ji (inseparable), ing theenvironment, locality, comprise the“being”, includ multitude ofconditionsthat the “being”. Do isthe (earth) the physicalbodyandpresence, inseparable.” Shin (body),means to asensiblediet Chiba Sensei’s 3principles Closing date for submissionfor Nov 2017 2017 issue:31Sept 5 3 1 C All lifeformsdependonthe inKolonos Seminar NewDojo Diet ontents

Ji: are Bodyandearth Diet is“Shin Do Fu y basicphilosophyof MAY 2017 - - - - forms we consume are a necessary forms we consume are anecessary recognize thefactthatalllife central theme: We shouldnot three principlespointtoone are theprinciplesofeating.These waste. (3)Do notdevour. These what isenough.(2)Do not ciples ofrecognition: (1)Know manifested through three prin Reverence toward lifecanbe all lifeforms:“Respect others!” simple universal lawapplicableto well. self-sacrifice inour own lives as awareness of oftheimportance toward life.Through it, we gain and isthewellspring ofreverence This recognition isfundamental sacrifice tomaintainourlives. Chiba Sensei To restate thisphilosophyasa

Alexander Gheorghiu Alexander Gheorghiu Shihan TK Chiba continued onpage2 - BIRANKAI EUROPE ‘A sensible diet... continued from page 1 Founder Shihan TK Chiba 8th Dan sacrifice more than what we need in the universal flow of life. These principles of recogni- European Birankai Shihankai tion lead us to the importance Norberto Chiesa 6th Dan, Birankai of mindful chewing when we eat. Chewing well is important Gabriel Valibouze 6th Dan, Birankai because of the physiological France necessity of absorbing nutrition, Shinto, humans are not above Dee Chen 6th Dan, British Birankai but it is also significant because all other creatures, and therefore Tony Cassells 6th Dan, British Birankai it creates a quiet dialogue with cannot do whatever they wish to Chris Mooney 6th Dan, British Birankai the life forms being sacrificed. other life forms. MIke Flynn 6th Dan, Scottish and Through this dialogue we unite Now let’s return to my basic Borders Birankai Daniel Brunner 6th Dan, Birankai with other life forms. Only theme, the “Shin Do Fu Ji” then are we able truly to taste philosophy. First of all, the actual Patrick Barthélémy 6th Dan, Birankai the essence of the sacrificed life practice of the philosophy - in France forms. other words, the fundamentals Joe Curran 6th Dan, British Birankai The Eastern and Western views of diet - should be based on the on this subject are quite different. earth. This means that the food Member Countries Christianity teaches us that God you consume should be based Birankai Austria and human beings are in sepa- on the life forms indigenous to Birankai France rate domains, and that humans your locale, ie life forms which Birankai and other life forms are also in grow in the same environment Hellenic Birankai separate domains. It teaches us in which you live. Moreover, Birankai that other life forms are created you should eat food in season Birankai Poland for humankind. This is a very (spring, summer, fall, winter). Birankai Portugal “human centered” view of the The advancement of refrigera- Birankai Switzerland British Birankai universe. tion technology and worldwide Scottish and Borders Birankai Buddha taught that “Weeds, transportation allows us to eat trees, the earth and all creation anything at any time. Without can have Buddha’s nature.” In being conscious of it, we eat this view, not only human beings, foods from all over the world, BE Musubi is published twice but also weeds, trees, earth and even if they are not in season annually in May and November. English edition available on rubble may have Buddha’s nature! locally. In this day of modern www.britishbirankai.com and Similarly, Shinto religion convenience, we need to pay the French edition on teaches us that there are eight particular attention to the food www.birankai.eu/shiun_fr.html million gods in the universe. we consume. This means that from a Shinto Second, you must eat food perspective, we see gods within which is as close to its original Individual article reflects the author’s all life forms as well as in natural form as possible. Thus, when you own views. All submissions may be phenomena. In Buddhism and eat rice, eat genmai (brown rice). edited due to space constraints and When you eat wheat, eat unpro- should be sent to the Editor. cessed flour. When you eat fish, eat it whole, as much as possible. Small fish should be eaten as they Editor (English): Dee Chen are (head and all). Large ones can [email protected] be cooked with skin and bones Editor (French): Jean-luc Busmey intact. If you eat vegetables, eat [email protected] roots, leaves, stems and flowers. Sub-editor: Wellington Tsang In short, you should basically eat [email protected] foods which are processed to the Design Consultant: Franco Chen least extent possible. Third, eat foods that still have © Copyright 2017 life (ki) in them. The question All rights reserved. you should ask is whether what Reproduction is prohibited without you are about to eat will grow express written permission if you plant it in the earth. Is 15062017 Mrs Chiba barbecuing at party in it alive? (Does it have ki?) Eat San Diego 1988 food that is as close to this state

2 BE MUSUBI MAY 2017 as possible. Examples of these love to eat, tastes completely has physical flexibility but who foods are root vegetables, beans, different when naturally caught lacks muscle and body strength. unrefined grains, seaweed and in the ocean than it does when If I describe flexibility versus seeds. They are closest to the farmed. If you must eat meat, to strength as negative (-) versus ideal foods. In the case of fish, the greatest extent possible select positive (+), he is too much on the basic method of cooking kinds that are raised in a natural the negative (-) side. In order to should be cooking whole (head, environment. Lamb is close to regain the ideal balance in his skin, flesh and bones). Dried the ideal meat in this sense. body, he must include the follow- or smoked fish, deep fried fish, The reason why I fish so ing items in his diet: high quality small fish tempura, etc, are ideal frequently is that I don’t trust protein (grains, beans, naturally methods of fish preparation. the fish that are available in raised meat or fish), a variety You should be careful about markets today. Prepared filets of vegetables (burdock, carrots, meat, however. Meat can be can be washed too much, to the radish, turnips, yams, onions, appropriate for people in cold point where nutrients have been potatoes, etc), and all kinds of climates. On the other hand, we washed off the meat. Also, they seaweed. They are positive (+) Japanese have been vegetarians are no longer a totally balanced yang foods. Consumption of for a long time and have a rather food since they are missing these sorts of foods will offset his short history with the practice heads, bones and skin. They have strong (-) tendency. In addition, of eating meat. Consumption no power to harmonize. he should include high quality of a large quantity of meant has The importance of diet is vegetable oils and salt, such as physiologically harmful effects on that it is the foundation of the sesame oil and natural vegetable us. We have a longer small intes- creative development of life and oil and neutralized salts such as sesame salt, miso (soy bean paste) and umeboshi (pickled plum). These are (+) foods. Even if he doesn’t like fish bones, smelt and smoked whitefish - when broiled well - are good companions to beer. Ancient Japanese wisdom created miso soup with dried small fish in the soup stock. It is a well known fact that during the Russo-Japanese and Sino-Japanese wars, Japanese soldiers’ body strength (stamina) was number one in the world - even though, based on European standards of nutrition, it should have been among the worst because of their “poor” diet, from a European point of view. Nowadays the simple traditional Chiba Sensei and son Kotetsu fishing on pier in San Diego 1988 Japanese diet is being reevaluated in light of contemporary nutri- tine than Europeans (because we living. We must not neglect what tional excesses. were traditionally vegetarians). kind of food we consume. The As I mentioned above, diet Therefore meat remains in our conscious choice of diet is also is the foundation of life activi- bodies longer, and the decaying a concrete way to recognize and ties. At the same time, as we are meat acidifies our blood. feel one’s participation in the law social animals (beings), it is the When you eat meat, also eat of universal nature. foundation of harmony among colorful vegetables, potatoes, and It is important to understand people. The consumption of food drink red wine to balance the that each individual must choose should have a social aspect to it. meat’s extreme acidity. Most meat his or her best diet with compre- Excessive insistence on a certain in today’s marketplace is artifi- hensive study and actual expe- kind of diet may disrupt harmo- cially raised. Thus, most chickens rience, based on the customs, ny in groups and within your are diabetic because they are seasons and climate of the area family. In your association with crammed in a small area without where he or she lives, his or food you must keep flexibility in freedom of movement and fed her profession, individual body mind during those times when high calorie feeds and antibiotics. constitution and characteristics, you are the host who provides When it comes to fish, yellow- family environment, etc. food for others, as well as during tail tuna, which most Japanese Take, for example, a man who continued on page 4

MAY 2017 BE MUSUBI 3 Tam Sensei steeped in martial tradition opens his own Dojo in Surrey

u Gen Kan dojo headed by Chris Mooney Shihan, unexpected opening of his own opened in Woking, where it did not take long for dojo, his long-time teacher Chris Surrey on 21 January the young man to integrate and Mooney Shihan stated "It may be M2017 and is headed by Thomas enter the core of the group. In small, but it is limitless." We, the Tam Sensei. Having grown up 2008, by popular demand, he students at Gen Sen Jyuku and with a fascination in the martial became president of the club. his friends at Ei Mei Kan, wish arts, with a father who was a However, the campus based dojo Tam Sensei the very best for the master of Wing Chun, and even not providing enough to satisfy future and are proud to know practising forms as a young the young dragon's appetite him. child, it is of little surprise that resulted in several visits to Ei Mei Tam Sensei entered the dojo. Kan dojo in Birmingham where His training in began he was to become a fundamental in the Autumn of 2006 at the unit. age of eighteen as he moved Tam Sensei’s attitude and away from home to carry on ability is, and always has been, his further education at the clear to all who know him; he Alexander Gheorghiu . His time was awarded the rank of Shodan 4th kyu at the university was punctu- in 2010, Nidan in 2012 and Gen Sen Jyuku ated by regular practice at the Sandan on 1 October 2016. (Ei Mei Kan) Central university dojo Gen Sen Jyuku On the momentous and not British Birankai

A sensible diet..... continued from page 3 those times when you are the guest who is treated to a meal. It takes great internal strength to practise this middle-of-the-road lifestyle. It is a difficult road to travel - that of clearly knowing the foundation of your own diet while having a sense of balance and understanding of how to harmonize with other people in society. My own motto is: “Harmonize yet do not get swept away.”

Shihan TK Chiba 8th Dan Birankai Founder

Edited version of article from Sansho, Summer 1998

4 BE MUSUBI MAY 2017 Hellenic Birankai excels in hospitality at Aikido seminar in Kolonos while welcoming Gen Sen Jyuku

e practise so that we That evening everybody contrib- On the return journey disaster may apply, not in uted to a pot luck, showcasing struck requiring a member to senseless war, but in some delicious delicacies includ- stay for two further nights. No sensitiveW life, the meaning of ing spanakopita, moussaka, and matter, Chris Mooney Shihan Aikido - both inside the dojo the most flavoursome salads, had informed us during our plan- and, crucially, outside it in the wines of local produce and an ning stage that should we ever get macrocosm. With a big bang of artisan beer that the dojo keeps in into trouble in the dojo roaring jet engines, our cosmos its refrigerator ready, waiting, for would help us. They did with broadens as the Aikido club at an occasion to show off. On the immediate security and grace, the University of Warwick, Gen sweet table, there’s halva, baklava such that the dojo’s hospitality Sen Jyuku dojo, took 17 of its and all manner of cakes, cookies, made the procedure easy and we students to visit Shu Ren Kan in and biscuits. As an offer of our returned to our respective homes Kolonos, Athens for a Hellenic thanks, Xuelin Liu, a student at quite safe and well. Birankai seminar with Chris our dojo, who has been with us From our trip the clearest Mooney Shihan (Ei Mei Kan). only since October, played two message is that Birankai Interna- The beautiful white dojo with sonorous songs on her Chinese tional is not an umbrella term or crisp straight lines is a home flute and received an ovation foreign led super-structure, it's a away from home, familiar yet in admiration. Of course, the collective noun meaning friend- never before visited by any of young blood in our party proceed our members, its welcoming to play a game of tag with the ship. We would like to thank hospitality is the truest legacy of children, an event in which even Shu Ren Kan, thank its stu- TK Chiba Shihan. some of the most senior teachers dents, thank Hellenic Birankai, We began on Friday even- eventually partook. for showing us the delights of ing with three classes; a warm The seminar finished on internationalism and we hope it up and greeting to prepare for Sunday with Kan Ze On (Enmei won't be too long until we meet the next day. On Saturday, Jukku Kannon Gyo) chanting led again. Ευχαριστώ. Ευχαριστώ a full day of practice and an by Chris Mooney Shihan. Our πολύ. (Thank you. Thank you opportunity to try Misogi dojo stayed until Friday evening very much.) led by Jenny Flowers Shidoin to enjoy the stunning city and (Athens Aikido), a practice breathe its history. Indeed, some which wakes up the soul, and eager students went back to the the neighbours. We took good dojo each night to enjoy classes care to steal the knowledge of by Matt Teale Shidoin (Aikido Alexander Gheorghiu the Greeks, though in truth they Adelaide), who founded the 4th kyu eagerly shared with us wealth of Kolonos dojo which is currently Gen Sen Jyuku. experience, enabling our shyer headed by his student Angelos (Ei Mei Kan) Central Aikikai members to learn from the best. Tsantilas Sensei. British Birankai

MAY 2017 BE MUSUBI 5 British Birankai 2017 Summer School

Makoto Ito Shihan British Birankai Shihan and Teaching Committee at Worcester University 22 – 28 July 2017

For details and booking contact Ian Grubb [email protected]

6 BE MUSUBI MAY 2017