Motivation

Motivation

Motivation is the urge to achieve aims and reach goals. It is the persistent drive that gets you through the difficult patches and impels you to attain your objectives. It's the ability to maintain an interest, and a sense of direction and forward movement towards a desired outcome. It is the underlying, inherent reason why you do anything at all….ever! Motivation and encouragement is especially important if we work by ourselves or on solo projects. It can be so easy to lose heart and abandon our projects or ideas before we have even given them a chance. Many of seminars and workshops revolve around the theme of motivation and positive thinking. However, what I have found is that different people have different motivations and what motivates one person can leave another cold. Your individual motivation will depend largely on your personal values, but some of the key factors inherent in the desire to get something done are:

* Emotional attraction* - you will rarely persevere with something that you don't feel strongly about.

* Courage* - a degree of personal courage and perseverance are needed to take the initiative and start projects, and to overcome obstacles and setbacks along the way.

* Optimism* - the positive expectation of a successful outcome is needed in order to start in the first place.

* Energy* - feelings of low physical energy and impaired resilience quickly sap the will to take action.

* Purpose* - vision and a sense of mission give purpose and direction, and help to maintain motivation over the long term. If you have one or more of these qualities then there is a greater chance that your project will get off the ground.

Jim Price, Sensei

A lesson which Karate do endeavor to impart us all is that of remembering: remembering our roots, remembering our past; remembering that we are born of God's Spirit; and remembering those who came before us, laying the groundwork for our journeys. If we forget the past, then we fall victim to cutting ourselves off from the roots which nurture us. If we forget those who came before us, then we fall victim to severing our ties from the very foundation stones upon which our human legacy stands. And, without a strong foundation, all structures will eventually topple to the ground.
Jim Price, Sensei has been an instrument of that endeavor reminding us of our roots through his work on the Master Web Site


Sensei James Price holds the rank of 9th Dan, Hanshi, in Maestro Peter G. Urban's USA Gojudo Karate. He was promoted to this new rank on December 12th, 2006 by Senior Hanshi, David Box of GH# 016.
He has been an Urban Goju practioner for over 30 years, and in 1996 became a Commissioned Career Sensei under Grand-Master Urban. At that time, Maestro Urban assigned him The Martial Combatives Dojo, GH# 288, and presented him with his historical martial arts name of "Ol'Reliable".
In 1999, Sensei Price received the Urban "E" flag. This is the Flag of Excellence that was presented by Maestro Peter Urban every year in New York City at Master Al Gotay's All Goju International Event. The year 2000 was the last year of the "E" flag presentations.
In December 2001, The Cosmopolitan Florida Hall of Fame Martial Arts Brotherhood, honored Sensei Price with The 2001 Martial Arts Media award, as Urban's Webmaster.
Hanshi Price is retired from Abbott Laboratories where he was a Pharmaceutical Medical Representative (calling on physicians and other allied health care professionals) He completed 28 years of rewarding, productive service on December 31, 2001.
In 2004 Maestro Peter Urban Nominated Sensei Price to receive the Outstanding Martial Contribution Award as Urban Goju Webmaster, presented by The World Head of Family Sokeship Council.
Sensei Price has just recently retired as the Director of Operations of the United States Police Defensive Tactics Association. The USPDTA is a 30 year old organization that he co-owns with Soke Ric Black, Ph.D. (Bunbu-Ichi Zendo Budo/Bugei Remmei). The USPDTA specializes in training police, military, karateka, and civilians in Defensive Tactics.

Teaching with passion

Teaching with Passion

Learning being a journey, not a destination, has always been a philosophy that has guided me as a Sensei. My vision has been to train and develop thinking Karate leaders of tomorrow. Empowering students to be high achievers and critical thinkers in pursuit of life-long excellence in this ever competitive and inter-connected world where knowledge has limited shelf life has always been my mission as a university teacher.
I believe that teaching in the University should realise one’s pedagogical philosophies as they apply to Karate education both inside and outside the Dojo. In an increasingly competitive environment with all kinds of unending demands on our time and resources, being an effective Sensei is a challenging task. To rise to the challenge, it is first of all essential that the Sensei have a passion for teaching. Only then can the Sensei ensure that meaningful learning takes place all the time as he/she helps students to develop as morally sound and upright citizens, committed to diversity of ideas and thoughts and a total understanding of Karate do.
In my view, good teaching produces self-confident and self-disciplined individuals who have been exposed to a core set of knowledge and ideas. To nurture such students successfully, the Sensei should first possess critical thinking skills and be capable of not just transferring such skills to his/her students but also teaching them to apply the skills to novel and changing circumstances. The Sensei should also arouse intellectual curiosity, train the students to develop an expertise in Karatedo and encourage the individual students to gain a breadth of exposure to interdisciplinary topics appropriate the traditional Karatedo training. To achieve this, adopting innovative ways of presenting lectures can easily ignite the spark in students to go the extra mile.
To be an effective Sensei, ample time should be spent on preparing one’s course and lessons. There is no substitute for adequate preparation. A rushed, half-heartedly produced lecture is easily exposed. Once a Sensei loses the respect of his/her students, it is rarely regained. The Sensei should also be aware that his/her behaviour strongly influences the receptivity and motivation of students. I believe that my enthusiasm for the subject I teach keeps students motivated and emotionally positive. Outside the Dojo, it is important to be approachable while maintaining a marked professional distance.
As most students need a greater sense of discipline and order, they tend to associate a less formal relationship with their Senseis as indicative of lower performance expectations. Thus, it is important to continually send the message that ‘we are here to work and learn’. Many students, concerned with how their peers perceive them, become paralysed by the fear to appear ‘dumb’. These students neither speak up nor ask questions in the dojo, thus forfeiting valuable opportunities for clarification and discussion. To encourage Dojo discussion, I intentionally create an inclusive Dojo environment where all questions are good questions. One of the ways I achieve this is by admitting both my mistakes and those instances when I don’t know the answer to a question immediately (I will get the answer later). It has been my experience that such disclosures strengthen rather than erode the students’ respect for the Sensei.
To help students learn and excel, it is necessary for the "Sensei" to establish concrete guidelines on course expectations, performance evaluations and conditions under which exceptions may be granted. Such information should be communicated clearly to the students at the start of the course. The Sensei should help the student understand that firm adherence to these guidelines is in the best interest of those who may require help to develop self-discipline. However, if external issues (illness, family and personal problems) prevent a student from performing well and/or requiring extensions, I strongly advocate a case by case treatment of these exceptions. Such rules and guidelines should help students achieve their goals, not ‘burden’ the students especially when external circumstances have already interfered with the learning process.
Senseis are role models. A misplaced word or inappropriate action may have a damaging effect on a student for years to come. The inherent power accompanying the position demands humility and constant self-reflection to ensure that one acts with wisdom, fairness and professionalism.
As the ‘CEO’ of a ‘knowledge corporation’, the sensei should be able to ensure that the quest for knowledge and learning continues without the teacher being present and that this becomes a way of life. Put simply, a good Sensei should train his/her students to become lifelong learners capable of learning independently reseraching the art. This is especially important in an Asian culture where the Sensei is subconsciously considered supreme. The things one learns from a Senseis instruction are always greater than what is in the book. Sensei-student relationship is both sacred and permanent. However, with changes taking place all around us in the society, the Senseis role should also adjust as well—from the sage of the olden days to more of a guide on the side.
To be an effective Sensei, one must maintain a high level of commitment to teaching and nurturing students while keeping abreast with the latest developments and needs. It is critical to create a warm and supportive learning environment that will ensure optimum learning. A Sensei should also use appropriate assessment data for diagnostic and planning purposes and employ varying methodologies to measure student’s needs, understanding and performance. In this regard, a good pre- and post-module feedback is critical. Respecting students will also motivate them and further ensure all-round learning in and outside the Dojo.
In the final analysis, as a Sensei, I believe in empowering my students to be critical thinkers and independent learners. It is my duty to simulate creativity among the students who would be the future leaders in Karate. My students should be creative, research-oriented and intellectually inquisitive. They should be passionate about learning and eventually, be able to impart knowledge to others. They should develop an unquenchable appetite for knowledge in an increasingly borderless world. Yet, they should be sound citizens with a heart for those who are less fortunate in the community. It is only when I have successfully nurtured some of the mentioned qualities in my students would I have made a difference in the students’ life as an effective Sensei.

Dayton Guinee, Hanshi

The most important skill any teacher can have is humility. This speaks volumes not only to how you act but the state of mind with which you approach the training floor. Humility allows a teacher to have the respect to listen to the student’s questions and comments. It allows the teacher to approach all situations with an open mind and a willingness to learn as well as teach.
Hanshi Dayton Guinee is that kind of Teacher.

The humble person makes a realistic assessment of who he is and puts that unillusioned judgment into practice. He does not judge himself to be smaller or larger than he really is. In so doing he avoids despair as well as pride. Consequently, the humble person enjoys the freedom to be who he is.

Hanshi Dayton Guinee is the founder of American Heritage Goju Karate-Do. This name was created and given to Guinee by GM Urban himself. He encouraged and entrusted this position to Hanshi Guinee as a leader in the USA Goju System (USAGA). On a diploma from GM Urban, it read,”My Personal recognition of him as founder of his own dojo, style and organization; herewith to be known as:”American Heritage Goju”. From Sensei Urban of The United Sons of Goju International. The “Do” (Way) was not added on Guinee’s style name until the passing of GM Urban because until his passing GM Urban was the Grand Master of American Heritage Goju. From 1973 -1975 Guinee trained with Sensei Duke Kasten who at the time was a 5th degree black belt under GM Urban. Sensei Kasten traveled out of the country often and ultimately moved to Israel. He introduced Guinee to GM Urban as a white belt where they would go to train on occasion at GM Urban's dojo. Guinee also trained in the Kyokushin organization at the same time under Shihan Shigeru Oyama and Sensei Lamatina. Guinee was a brown belt in both systems. Before Sensei Kasten’s final move to Israel he took Guinee to GM Urban as a brown belt where Guinee would stay for the remainder of his martial arts education. In the following years Guinee was taught, mentored and became a close friend and confidant until the passing of GM Urban on April 7, 2004.
Guinee earned an Honorable Discharge in 1969 from the USMC - 0311, after serving his country in the Viet Nam conflict. He received a Full Obligation Discharge in 1974.
In 1977 Guinee opened up his 1st Dojo in the town of Mamaroneck, New York. There he began the teachings of USA Goju. Guinee continued his teachings under the watchful eye of GM Urban. In 1978, Guinee was to become a Franchised Member whose certification would end in the year” Never”!
In 1980, Guinee relocated his dojo to the town of Hawthorne, New York where he continued to teach students of all ages. That same year Guinee was given the certification of 4th Degree Black Belt Suma Cum Laude from GM Urban. 1982 brought Guinee the position awarded by Sensei Urban as being GM Urban’s Personal Ambassador of American Goju Systems, Secretary of Financial Affairs and Minister of Financial Affairs. He successfully competed from 1973 through 1988 proudly representing the USA Goju System, having been awarded for Superior Excellence in Public Performance for a Demo team at a NYC tournament in addition to a Brooklyn Tournament Demo Team.
In 1995, Guinee relocated and opened a dojo in the town of Thornwood, NY. This dojo would go on to win the first E-Flag of excellence given by GM Urban. Today, Sensei Guinee and his instructors hold classes in the Mount Pleasant Recreation Community Center, continuing to instill the philosophy, ideology, methodology and moral values he learned from his instructor, GM Peter Urban.
Throughout the years American Heritage has worked to inform the students, parents and general public of the importance and values of a good education, strong moral and family values and the importance of staying physically, mentally and spiritually fit in order to reach ones full potential.
Our organization has held successful events for children (Dayton Guinee's Youth of America) as well as fund raisers for Cystic Fibrosis and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. The importance of being community minded and helping others is an integral part of our art.
Sesnsei Guinee accredits his many successes to the dedicated Black Belts and students of the dojo. They have always worked extremely hard to assist all who come to train to reach their goals in and out of the confines of the training hall.

Traditional Karate

the purpose of Traditional Karate

The purpose remains tied to the historical, anthropological, and philosophical framework of Okinawan society, but has universal meaning which transcends time and nation. Karate combines methods of defense with moral obligation. Most importantly, it aims to provide its practitioners with the tools for understanding the self and negotiating any situation.The roots of traditional Karate developed in Okinawa during the sixteenth century during a time when a new centralized government, in an attempt to end civil war, prohibited the use of weapons. Patrick McCarthy's historical work Koryu Uchinadi: Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts explains that Okinawan aristocrats devised their own eclectic fighting methods influenced largely by Chinese gongfu in order to defend themselves during this time of uncertainty (McCarthy, 93). Over time, law enforcement officials systematized and codified these self-defense methods, and passed along this knowledge from father to son or to only a select few students. Karate, a system of "empty hand" defense, grew out of political and social need and was perpetuated through family and clan connections.Traditional Karate requires the practice of formal kata and today is passed from Sensei to student through kata. As described by Miyamoto Musashi in his Book of Five Rings, the teacher is the needle and the disciple is the thread. One must practice ceaselessly (Musashi, 14). Although Musashi was a member of Japan's samurai class, his philosophy mirrors the student/ teacher connection necessitated in Okinawan Karate. Kata have been patterned after real life battles in which blood was shed and lives were lost. In Traditional Karate, purpose lies in delving into these kata, learning their stances, techniques, and complex meanings, and keeping them alive from generation to generation. Dave Lowry translates the pictograph of "Kata" to mean "the architecture of meaning" in his book Sword and Brush, the Spirit of the Martial Arts (Lowry, 27). Lowry compares the practice and study of kata to the illumination of the recesses of a room - study reveals the textures and subtleties of Karate, and of the inner self. Traditional Okinawan Karate practitioners, as with the best Chinese and Japanese military strategists and martial artists, were, and are, bound by moral obligations. The purpose of Karate lies in defense. Bubishi, detailing Monk Fist and White Crane gongfu, is touted as a "manual of military prevention" in Patrick McCarthy's translation. Karate giants Funakoshi Gichin, Higashionna Kanryo, Miyagi Chojun, and Mabuni Kenwa were all influenced by this anonymous Chinese work (McCarthy, 23). Likewise, the ultimate victory, according to the Chinese classic Art of War, is one in which no force is used (Kaufman, 27). The most valued traits of the samurai warrior included not just veracity, courage, and loyalty, but also sincerity of heart, and benevolence of soul. The first principle listed in Musashi's epilogue to The Book of Water states: Do not harbor sinister designs (Musashi, 16). Likewise, Funakoshi's Karate-Do, My Way of Life admonishes us to be mindful of courtesy, etiquette, and to avoid fighting if at all possible (Funakoshi, 112). karate teaches how to maim or kill. Yet, the empty hand of Karate must never cause harm.The ultimate goal of the Traditional Karate practitioner is to take the self-reliance, discipline, and moral responsibility fostered by training, and apply this to everything that we do. The 'way' of Karate-Do is open to anyone willing to do so. Funakoshi's writing reminds us that the challenge is to: "remain not master over others, but over ourselves" (Funakoshi, 115). True power comes not from domination, but from self-knowledge.'Empty hands' should nurture within us clear minds, strong wills, and hearts empty of the need to injure or destroy. thus, kata should not only illuminate techniques and foster spontaneous responses, but should also encourage inner reflection. We should not only be prepared to bow to karate teachers and classmates, but also to everyone that crosses our paths - everyone has something to teach us. We fight with ferocity in the dojo but take care not to injure our competitors. We must defend ourselves when threatened but no more than we must in order to escape safely. Traditional Karate's purpose brings us to a deeper understanding of self, and teaches us to respond with spontaneity and responsibility to any and every situation.Certainly, Karate teaches self-defense and self-reliance and is perpetuated through the transmission of technique and form from Sensei to student. Likewise, Traditional Karate serves to create a safe society of morally responsible, and responsive people. Most importantly, Karate teaches the invaluable mastery of self. Karate's purpose remains as essential today as it ever has been. As long as road-rage is accepted as normal, domestic violence deemed commonplace, and school shootings viewed as a regular news bite, society needs all of the presence of mind, strength of spirit, and abundance of compassion that it can find.

Karate truth

A BETTER LIFE WITH CALM CONTROL
Traditional Karate-Do lacks the value commonly given to other activities in the arts. Throughout my experiences and many years of teaching Karate it has become clear to me that Karate education is not viewed by some people as an actual "education" but more as an informal and disorganized series unstructured classes. This is far from the truth.
The many arts and aspects of living, which comprise Karate, can be integrated into an individual's style of living in different ways. Karate as a Way without limitation can be used to produce utmost benefits for its practitioner. Let us first identify the words use and karate. Within the word use there is a suggestion of "truth", related to the fact that in order to use something, anything, it must contain truth, it must be genuine. We must acknowledge from our very first consideration of the word Karate that it stands for a Way of living, and is therefore far more than an art or a sport. Karate is a way to perpetual "calm control", from the days of a child's first becoming able to obtain knowledge until the reaching of one's age of maximum seniority--into one' 70's, 90's and 100's--when knowledge and wisdom merge.
Unlike "sports" in the Western World, the continuing practice of Karate into an advanced age only improves the ever-increasing powers of the practitioner, who learns more of the artistic and insightful arts of Karate as years of continued practice go by. The physical and competitive aspects of Karate are vital to the practitioner's development of control and discipline and in order to be better prepared to receive and to accept the spiritual, the mental, the theoretical and intuitive art and aspect of Karate. We know these things to be true because our examples of approaching perfection in karate, the karate masters, and still actively attaining knowledge and wisdom until touching a century on earth.
When one practices Karate one has acquired a proficient means through which previously and otherwise unattainable goals may be achieved. In the Buddhist religion a word is used which means "skillful means"; that word is Upaya, and it in part defines what karate is, our karate can become a vehicle, permitting us to transcend our routine, work-a- day lives into realms previously only dreamed of, and into a new insightful, energetic, and vital living experience.
Karate encourage its practitioners, separately, simultaneously and then together, to expand their minds and bodies by earthly techniques and by added knowledge from mystical sources, in order to evolve and to become one with the universe, with its synchronization and with its rhythm. Regardless of what fascinated a particular individual to the study of karate, the Way, his continued practice of the arts involved will refine his original thinking to produce an enlightened and harmonious whole being--powerful and contented with all of the world and universe about him.
Karate is unique, also, in whom it benefits, because its dramatic, physical activity appeal attracts individuals who would not ordinarily be the least bit attracted to any form of meditational practice. Inspired dreams of becoming appealing to other people, forceful, powerful, dynamic, honorable, or influential can all be instrumental in bringing the beginning student to karate's doorway. Some new students, often the weakest ones, upon learning that karate is not all physical will feel disenchanted and will disappear from ongoing practice. The others, those who persist, will become karate-men and karate-women. It is the responsibility of karate instructors to help new student through their initiational practice of karate--through the early days of learning that karate is truly a Way, and not merely another method of fighting for defense or attack.
Any reasonable person will agree that much greater skill is required to block an attack while it exists only in the assailant's mind than to ward it off when it becomes externally obvious as an attack. In the Orient there exist an ancient maxim which relates to that greater skill, "Jugo no sei shi", which says simply and honestly, "Gentleness is superior to force".
We are aware, too, that many of life's problems appear to u or come to us solely because our misunderstandings-- often misunderstanding concerning the basic principles of living in harmony with the rest of our world. When this occurs, as it so often does, what is most important is not the solution to the problem itself, but the resolution of our misunderstandings of "what seems to be a problem" an of our faulty understanding of ourselves.
Karate, in addition to being calm control, is positively controlled power. The arts of karate, whether in combat or in healing, do not deal with symptoms but go directly to the causes, after they are identified by the symptoms, symbol, senses or any other means of perception. "Karate ni sente nashi", is a saying important to karate-men and karate-women, because it means that in karate there can never be any first attack. By it ancient Oriental nature, karate is defensive, or perhaps even better expressed, is transcendental.
It is the individual who can remain calm under smooth or adverse condition who is able to see "realities" and "truth" in potential problems, and who is thus able to deal with them with wisdom. Shi Kuan, "powerful insight", is the quality that comes from calmness of spirit, mind and body: the quality that through the program has developed into all of their students.
Innumerable people on this earth, in fact majorities of people, never truly discover their bodies. They either pay no attention to their bodies beyond obligatory functions or they go to the other extreme in order to develop attractive bodies, skilled in certain physiological areas but overlooking the harmony of developing mind and body together. To develop the body and its physical capabilities is not wrong in itself, but to do so without perfecting at the same time the mental and spiritual capacities of the individual results in unnecessary limitations. In Karate, which includes the arts of developing spirit, mind and body to work harmoniously as one, there are no limitations beyond those imposed by the individual himself.
The complete therapies of Karate, combining explicit physical activities to benefit both body and mind, with meditational practices to permit spiritual and mental control of the perfect body, are unique to our chosen martial art in all of its aspects. We learn that by practicing specific external movements the functions of our internal organs and of our entire being can be improved, especially through the practice of katas. Of the many bodily benefits, better breathing and greater lung capacity, a balanced flow of Chi in the body, and stable temperatures and blood pressure are the most obvious one. Not as noticeable, but important nevertheless, are the overall reduction of bodily tensions, which in turn permits easier absorption of new experience through improved perception, the greater acceptance of signals from the body's sensing faculties, and the interpretation of symbols coming to the practitioner in his meditational practice. The therapeutic aspects of karate- the word therapy and the notion of therapeutic benefits firmly apply to karate--the Way that treats causes rather than simply suppressing symptoms.
In Okinawa, where much of the population studies and practices Karate from an early age, research has established that the land's Karate practitioners are among the healthiest of all of the world's Asian population. In the most recent medical survey among Okinawan people it was observed that among the karate practitioner there are fewer suicides, practically no psychological handicaps, and less organic diseases or disorders than among non-karate participants of the nation. There are, in fact, so many karate people in Okinawa in such excellent physical and mental condition that for the past several decades the hospitals have been overstaffed and under populated.
It was Bodhidharma himself who set down the first doctrine of karate, which tells us that an interpenetration between mind and body exits, and that to develop one without also developing the other will prove to be futile or perhaps, even worse, to cause a complete personality imbalance. Since such imbalance can cause complete failure in other aspects of life and of living, is a sad prospect for people who have not discovered the Way through which they can develop both mind and body. Our Way, Karate, is an ancient and proven Way, dating back to the days when Bodhidharma was teaching hi disciples.
To embrace only some of the arts, some of the aspects of karate without embracing them all is a sad and unfortunate undertaking which true teachers of the art will discourage in their students. When one embraces all of the facets of the karate art, however, one is taking a positive step toward experiencing literally a new life--a life with deeper meaning. With a greater understanding of one's self and the universe, with a new calm control.

The Ryu

All koryu and several gendai budo schools are called such-and-such-Ryu. The -Ryu appended to a title refers to the system's "name"; it is a "style" or "school" delineation. Therefore, there karate do, while a unified gendai budo fighting system originating out of Okinawa, retains several strains that are quite different in their kata and training methods. A Shotokan stylist would be different from, say, a Goju-Ryu stylist, as opposed to an Uechi-Ryu stylist. They would all be doing karate do, certainly, but even the application of a simple punch would be very different in terms of placement of the arms, use of force, and so on.
Some gendai budo do not have any -Ryu systems. Kendo, for example, has been unified as a national (and international) sport and pastime for the use of bamboo staves to represent sword fighting. There are no "styles" or schools of kendo. There is only kendo. All kendo schools share the same general rules when it comes to competition and kendo kata (forms). Likewise judo, although it has fragmented a lot in recent times, is basically judo. Even recent iterations of some modern "jujutsu" schools are, at heart, simply subsets of some parts of judo, emphasizing perhaps the more combative or roughhouse aspects of judo to the detriment of the sportive aspects.Aikido started out as one and only one martial art form. It, too, has developed along different stylistic lines due to differences of style, personality clashes, and other kinds of martial arts politics. Aikido arts presently encompass various different schools, the larger ones being Aikikai (or hombu, the "main branch" style of aikido), Ki Society (Ki No Kenkyukai), Yoshinkan, and Tomiki-ryu.
The differences between koryu schools are even wider. While a Shito-ryu stylist may find similarities in a kata performed by a Shotokan stylist, some jujutsu schools, for example, have no common grounds with each other. Even similar techniques may go by completely different names.
Koryu SchoolsThe number of distinct koryu schools have decreased since Japan's modern era (1868), due to Westernization, the consolidation of martial endeavors into the modern -do schools, and sheer neglect. However, a number of koryu schools continue to this day. While koryu budo once numbered in the thousands, they now number in the low hundreds, if at all that much. The list that follows is very incomplete, but suggests the variety of possibilities still available in koryu schools. Some of the schools may not fit in the category I have assigned them, depending on one's point of view. For that, I beg your indulgence as I admit to not having an in-depth experience with most of the schools listed.
Composite Schools (primarily a variety of bujutsu methods)Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-RyuKashima Shin-RyuKashima Shinto-Ryu (Bokuden-ryu)Takeuchi-Ryu (Honke, bunke, and Bitchu-den)
JujutsuDaito-Ryu Araki-RyuShito-ryuTenshin Shinyo-ryuSosuishitsu-ryuTakagi Hontai Yoshin-ryuKito-ryu IaijutsuMuso Jikiden Eishin-ryuMuso Shinden-ryuHoki-ryuMugai-ryuSekiguchi-ryu iaiHayashizaki Muso-ryuTamiya-ryuMugai-ryuHasegawa Eishin-ryuSwordsmanshipYagyu Shinkage-ryuOno-ha Itto-ryuSekiguchi-haItto-ryuHokushin Itto-ryuHyoho Niten Ichi-ryuJikishinkage-ryuManiwa Nen-ryuShizen-ryu
Staff (bojutsu, jojutsu)Chikubushima-ryuShinto (or Shindo) Muso-ryuKukishin-ryu bo
Shuriken jutsuShirai-ryuNegishi-ryu
SojutsuOwari Kan-ryuHozoin-ryu
KyujutsuOgasawara-ryu (also a school of etiquette and horsemanship)Takeda-ryu
NaginatajutsuTendo-ryuJikishinkage-ryu naginata
KusarigamaJikiyuishin-ryu

Hard & Soft

The concept of hard/soft and external/internal is not one easily described. In terms of styles which most people are familiar with, Karate would be an example of a hard style and Aikido or Tai Chi examples of soft styles. A hard style is generally considered one where force is used against force; a block is used to deflect an incoming strike by meeting either head on, or at a 90-degree angle. A soft style does not use force against force, but rather deflects the incoming blow away from its target. There are uses for both hard and soft techniques. A practitioner may wish to break the attacker's striking arm with the block. On the other hand, a much smaller opponent would not be able to accomplish this, so instead may wish to deflect the incoming attack.

An external style is one, which relies primarily in strength and physical abilities to defeat an opponent. In contrast, an internal style is one that depends upon chi and timing rather than power. Aikido (at the master's level) would be an internal style, while some karate styles are external. Gojuryu Karatedo is both external & Internal.

However, the concepts of hard/soft internal/external are finding fewer proponents among senior martial artists. Both conceptual twins are impossible to separate in reality, and masters will generally acknowledge that any distinction is largely only a matter of subjective interpretation. Novices and philosophical dilettantes, ignorant of the inseparable nature of duality, often wage arguments about the reality of the concepts. They see yin and yang as elements that can exist independently, while philosophical and physical reasoning demonstrate that they cannot. Without their union (Tao), neither can exist. Ergo, a "hard" technique such as a straight fist is guided by the soft power of mind and the internal component of chi. equally; the softest projection of Aikido requires the "hard" element of physical contact and movement, coupled with actively redirecting the opponent. In short, preoccupation with distinguishing soft from hard is a distraction form learning martial arts and moving towards a unifying technique and mastery.

Traditional Concepts

The Three Attacks
Sen sen no sen - to attack first
Go no sen - to let the opponent attack first
Tai no sen - to attack simultaneously

Kumite Priorities
Ichi gan - first, eyes (awareness)
Ni soku - second, footwork (ability and foundation)
San tan - third, spirit (willingness to fight)
Shi riki - fourth, strength (fitness of the body)

The Three Spirits
Fukutsu no seishin - never give up
Kanto no seishin - good fighting spirit
Hissho no seishin - winning spirit

The Four Sicknesses
Fear
Surprise
Doubt
Confusion

The Three Minds
Mushin - no mind (no need to think)
Fudoshin - immobile mind (unaffected by anything external)
Heijushin - common mind (always ready)

Other Concepts
Seme - pressure towards the opponent
Zanshin - awareness of self and surroundings
Ki - universal life spirit
Do - the "way"
Embusen - location of the opponent
Seichusen - center/centerline of either the opponent or yourself

Philosophers

I have a theory Basically, the concept is:

Most people aren't philosophers. Most people don't think. Most people are happy to go with the flow, accept what they see, and just enjoy the ride. Some people can't think. You present them with a problem, and they can't solve it, and sometimes can't even see the problem. These people go with the flow because they see no alternative. And then you have this very small minority of people who are philosophers. The people who question everything, the people who can't stop thinking about everything. The people who can't be indoctrinated. These people are the ones who instigate social change, the ones who change the world. They are only a fraction, probably less than 1%, but this is a necessary condition. If everyone tried to change the world, then there would be no consistency to change. You only need one person to create the theory of natural selection. You only need one person to question the earth centered universe, you only need one person to propose everyone in a society should be treated equally etc..Is philosophy practical knowledge? With the above in mind, I don't think our society would be beyond the caves without philosophers.

Like a full circle, the mind must be empty, yet complete.

State of Mind - Mushin

There is a Japanese term often used in Karate called mushin, meaning "empty mind." This term does not strictly imply no thought, but rather no attachment to any one thought or emotion. To obtain this state of mind mushin, you must let go your fears, doubts, your ego, and any preconceived thoughts of action, or the mind will not react openly.

There is a famous Zen saying called mizu no kokoro that may help to clarify this term. This translates as A mind like water. Everyone understands how the water of a pond can be calm and clear. In this state, it will reflect all around it truthfully, much like a mirror. In Karate and in life we strive to have a calm mind that reflects everything around us accurately. Therefore, the mind must be clear like the glass surface of a still pond, reflecting everything accurately and without distortion. If the mind gets attached to any thoughts, this is analogous to throwing a large stone into the tranquil pond. The ripples that the stone creates (or thought) will interfere with the smooth surface of the pond making the reflection (mind) distorted. If your mind is cluttered with thoughts, how can it possibly react quickly in stressful situations? Only when the mind is clear and calm will you act instantly without hesitation or fear.

Busy or Active Laziness

“A very poor man, after a great deal of work, manages to accumulate a whole sack of grain… he was very proud of himself and when he got home, strung up the bag of grain to keep safe from the rats and thieves. Lying underneath, for added protection of his loot, the man’s mind began to wander, ‘ If I can sell this grain off in small quantities, that will make me the biggest profit. With that profit I can buy more grain and do the same again and again, and before long, I will become rich, and I will be someone to reckon with in the community. Plenty of girls will be after me. I’ll marry a beautiful woman, and before long have a child and it will have to be a son…. What on earth will we call him?’. Gazing out the window, the poor man saw the rising moon. ‘how auspicious! that is a good name, I’ll call him ‘As Famous As The Moon’. At that instance, before the man could utter the words out loud, the bag of grain dropped from the ceiling, killing the man instantly.. ‘As Famous As The Moon’ was never born….”

How often do we find ourselves swept away by busy or active laziness?

Busy laziness or active laziness is what we experience, as a result of not recognizing our life priorities, while we are experiencing the sufferings of samsara…..Fulfilling
ones life mission is the basic sense of peace and happiness…
Samsara the endless realm of the illusion (not reality) of the life death cycle. This drowns us in the uncontrolled ocean of suffering. Imprisoned in the very aspect of our own death, with not its acceptance..

How hollow and futile life can be when founded on a false belief of continuity and permanence, are we unconscious living corpses?

The kind of comfort most of us seek is a kind of stopgap comfort………
Stop´-gap` That which closes or fills up an opening or gap; hence, a expedient. Moral prejudices are the stop-gaps of virtue.
Comforts of material lifestyles, and daily accumulations of ‘things’ to be responsible for, to ‘protect’ from thieves, is the basic cycle in suffering. To protect from loss, the ultimate failure in the recognition of impermanence.

We experience this kind of laziness because we have a problem recognizing our real life’s priorities. Even if we have time, we put the most important thing in our life—our spiritual development—on the back burner.
Instead of working to live, how many of us find we are living to work. Do we ever find we are not living our life, but it is living us? Modern samsara feeds off an anxiety and depression that fosters and trains us well to be greedy, obsessed with hopes and dreams and desires of attachment…and endless vicious cycle of desire of permanence, within the reality of impermanence…Impermanence is an essential part of our understanding of reality…not even the universe is permanent…..our ‘universe’ as we know it is in flux, everything is changing always..

The Great Deception
The birth of a man is the birth of his sorrow. The longer he lives, the more stupid he becomes, because his anxiety to avoid the unavoidable death becomes more and more acute. What bitterness! He lives for what is always out of reach! His thirst for survival in the future makes him incapable of living in the present. Chuang Tzu
Taking life seriously, knowing it is very impermanent. Pay attention to your motives. Our intentions determine the true nature of our actions….

References:
Matthieu Ricard: a Buddhist monk residing at the Shechen monastery near Kathmandu, Nepal. Coauthor of The Monk and The Philosopher, The Quantum and the Lotus.

Trinh Xuan Thuan: professor of astronomy at University of Virginia and author of The Secret Melody, The Quantum and the Lotus.

Sogyal Rinpoche : Tibetian born and raised, one of the spiritual masters of the century, Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro. Founder and spiritual director of Rigpa, an international network of Buddhist groups and centers. Author of The Tibetian Book of Living and Dying.

GELEK RINPOCHE is a lama in the Geluk lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and the founder of Jewel Heart, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is the author of Good Life, Good Death: Tibetan Wisdom on Reincarnation.

Human Behaviour

Tactics are used by people on people and critically they must anticipate how other people will behave or respond. Therefore it is essential that the tactician also understands human behaviour. The great tactician out-thinks his or her opponent. Most tactics are designed to manipulate or manoeuvre other people in a waythat is advantageous to the tactician.
Today, many people believe that our modern society is no longer subject to the desires and behaviour patterns that controlled the lives of thousands of previous generations. It comforts them to believe that a technology-rich environment saturated with information and education will somehow elevate people to a higher state-of-mind that washes away the very desires, beliefs, instincts and fears that form the basis of natural human behaviour. They are wrong.

SOME GENERALISATIONS
Thousands of people throughout history have tried to explain human nature and establish logical, or at least plausible, reasons for why humans behave as they do. Genetics, learned responses, tribalism, survival of fittest and so forth have featured often. However, what many of these researchers fail to do is actually compile these common behaviour patterns into a concise summary that applies to most people. As a rule, the greater the understanding of human nature, the more likely you are to devise successful strategies and implement effective tactics. The psychology behind human behaviour can be useful but it is not essential – but knowing how humans are likely to behave in any given situation is vital.
Put another way, I don’t need to understand how a car’s engine works in order to drive the car – just what buttons to push.

2008 Silver Cup

2008 Silver Cup

2008 Silver Cup

2008 Silver Cup

2008 Silve Cup