Refuting the Teacher?

I have been fascinated by the intricate working of the universe. I have been digesting as many physics documentaries as I can get my hands on. On of the fascinating quotes I pulled out from one of the films was something to the effect of, "In physics you achieve status often by refuting your teacher, what other field of study is like that?"

I propose that other field of study is budo. Maybe refuting is too strong a term, maybe breaking or changing methodology. Maybe it is just finding your own path.

Let's look at my own lineage. Takeda was a powerful artist. Eventually his great student Ueshiba learned to forge his own path. Ueshiba's student Kenji Tomiki studied under the great teacher for many years until he learned to think for himself. Mr. Geis took Tomiki's work in bold new directions, further polishing the mirror to see his own reflection. Russell Waddell and Nick Lowry learned from their teacher and forged their own path based on their preferences when the time was right. I learn from, yet challenge the work and ideas of all the great men who came before me.

Like I said in field of Budo 'refuting' might be too strong a word. The process might even be really friendly. We can morph to expose the weakness in previous methodology, or simply to find a personal prefernce in training. I do believe every student of the way has the right to become their own artist. While some believe in the feudal notion of following and copying is budo, I believe budo is something deeper. Budo is taking the art of your teacher and molding it with practice, science, artistry and insight into your own sculpture.

Budo is owned by no one person. Every person that touches it molds the result. Truth and perfection was not found by some master of old. It is found in the here and now - one practice session at a time.


Eric

The Crucible of Criticism

crucible (ˈkruːsɪb ə l) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]

— n
1. a vessel in which substances are heated to high temperatures
2. the hearth at the bottom of a metallurgical furnace in which the metal collects
3. a severe trial or test


I finished my quiz for anatomy of the eye early tonight, so I let myself look through all my you tube comments piling up. Over the years I have posted a lot of videos. The subjects range from magic, interviews, juggling, calligraphy and of course budo.

Reading down the list of comments is a laundry list of insults and degradations. You Suck...you suck...you suck. On some days that is all I hear, about all my art forms.

Years ago when I first started I would burn with shame when I saw these comments. My fragile ego couldn't handle the attacks. Now, as a seasoned performer I see these as badges of honor - marks of achievement.

You see, I have performed among the elite magicians in Vegas. I have trained with top level jugglers. I have a successful martial arts practice, with people I love. My calligraphy is not masterful, but it is my expression of the joy of practice.

The criticisms over the years have burned off any self doubt. I stand now confident in my ability, and always eager to learn and experience more. I see all those criticisms as marks of honor, because at least I am producing. I am contributing to these arts and am not just another invisible critic trying to tear others down.



Eric

Impossible Judo

Throwing people should be easy. Humans have continually surprised me with their ability to move in crazy and unpredictable ways. No, there is nothing easy about the throwing arts.

This video is very interesting, showing that often people simply do not fall in predictable ways.

The music sucks though, be warned.

IMHO - what Shomen Ate Isn't

In the world of competitive aikido we find shomen ate being used often. I recognize that opinions vary about sport, and technique in the world of Tomiki Aikido. But I too am entitled to an opinion also.

IMHO - It isn't shomen ate if....

1. Tori drives uke back with such force you chase them across the mat. This violates the aikido principles of non resistance and indeed the technique becomes just a crude drive just piling on force.
2. Tori falls over because he is adding so much thrust that he cannot keep balanced when uke falls.
3. Tori uses more energy than uke to make the throw work.


Yes I understand these guys play a game. They are probably good at it. I probably would love to train with all these guys. However I understand why aikido people say Tomiki aikido is not aikido, when you see examples like this. I don't think these guys are doing bad martial arts, or bad sports. I do believe that they are missing some critical ideas about what aikido is supposed to be. Again this is in my humble opinion, and I honestly mean no disrespect to the artists in the following videos. Thankfully the world is big enough we can all play however the heck we want. I just wouldn't call these shomen ate, or aiki technique for that matter.

Fixing Failure is Mastery

When I was in Oklahoma City, Lowry Sensei took me to the art museum where the Chihuly glass collection is on display. There was a lovely film about the artist, his team and the process of making glass. There were many glass blowing masters working through their ego issues to try to create together. The whole film was crazy lesson on dharma and budo.

In the film they defined a master as someone who could fix mistakes rapidly and use the mistakes to shape the art.

Lowry Sensei and I both got struck by the truth of this statement.

"A master is someone who can fix mistakes rapidly and use mistakes to shape the art."

Tonight Mike and I had a rough and tumble workout. Every attack was rapid, intense and with uke solidly geting his balance back. Mike is a big physically talented guy, and I found that I ran into 3-5 failures of technique application before I could find something to take the beast down. We were filming, and during our breaks we would watch our work. Even though to me it felt like swimming in peanut butter when I was doing it, in film it looked like a nice flow from one technique to the next. The result was lovely high intensity aiki. Art.

When I visit Hussey Sensei, he always demands his students fix mistakes as we train. I do not think he cares if students ever make the specific throw we are working on. To his artistic eye it seems the only failure is not working with the mistake.

You see, for me I rarely hit that first technique perfect. Aiki as I currently experience it is the process of shaping failure into new opportunity. The mastery comes from chaining failures into a work of art. Now it only takes me 5 failed techniques until I find the one that cuts like butter. I can never predict the outcome - the art makes itself.

The definition of a technique

Every time I shoot a little film I get a variety of responses stating some factoid about what a technique must have. In my shomen ate series I have heard that the technique must sweep the person off their feet, or I have been scornfully told where I must connect with what part and how to the face. The list goes on...

I am overjoyed that so many people are deeply studying this stuff. But when it comes down to it, there are no definitions except what we create. I am overjoyed people think they understand technique the specifics of a technique, but frankly these people do not get to define my techniques and my relationship to the art.

there are no definitions except what we create

The fact is the only definition is the technique name itself, and even this can be misleading and incomplete. We have precedent from the artists that come before us, we have personal ethics and the scientific method to guide our practice in the now. Other than that this is our game to write, and our techniques to learn and refine.


So I hope you find a grading point system to so you know exactly what a technique is supposed to be. I myself have taken off the shackles of 'form'. I don't care how the poo bah sensei's defined the art for you. The very concept of techniques are merely training wheels friends.

Question absolutely every facet of the art form and you might find out what the best teachers say, there are no techniques, just principles. Some of you guys have been looking at the wrong place all along! The fact is every time I start working on a technique again it is like working it for the first time. The multi faceted levels of the puzzle keep opening and opening.

Question your own understanding and truly learn. Loosen your rigid definitions and find greater threads of truth.

Katsujinken Calligraphy

Late at night at KyuRyu headquarters.