Posts Tagged ‘martial arts’
Lecture Series
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Professional Martial Arts Instructor Anthony Whetstine of Poway Samurai Martial Arts, has used his years of study and research in the samurai martial arts and the code of Bushido, (The Way of the Warrior), to create a series of lectures that capture the “Virtues” of the code of Bushido. In these lectures, Mr. Whetstine will provide a historical look back, and a modern view, to see how the lessons of some of the most renown and enigmatic warriors of the past can offer a “code” for today that aids in rebuilding respectful disagreements, dialogue and encourages respect.
Bushido: Why the Code of the Samurai Matters Today
Our Most Popular Lecture looks at the origins of the Samurai and Bushido, examines the Seven Virtues as listed by Inazo Nitobe: Recitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honour, and Loyalty and offers a look at them in a modern perspective. This lecture is aimed at moving Bushido back out of the dojo of Japanese martial arts schools and using them as seeds that can become the “soul” of the modern world just as it became the heart and soul of Japan.
Business and Bushido: How the Code of the Samurai Made Japan an Industrial Super Power
A must for any company that considers ethical business and responsible business practices as important as the quality of their product or service. This lecture examines how the code of Bushido gave not only a rebirth to a post-World War two Japan and built it into an economic super power but how those same virtues can help turn around a worldwide economic downturn. If your organization has an ethics department or has ethic requirements as part of its’ company handbook, then this lecture is a must!
Bushido and the Law: Restoring Ethics and Respect to the Field of Practicing Law
This lecture should be part of every law school in America. This in depth look at the code of the samurai and how it was used not only as a personal code of ethics that is nearly universally respected, but how it took common soldiers, mercenaries and warriors and turned them into a respected class of Japanese society that fought for, administered and most importantly served justice and the laws of ancient Japan and how these same virtues can help restore respect and ethics to the field of practicing law.
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Why Practice the Traditional Martial Arts of the Samurai and Ninja
The study of traditional (Koryu) Japanese Bujutsu has taken the back seat to the modern and commercialized styles of Jujutsu and Mixed Martial Arts. There are many excellent books written on the history of the Samurai and Ninja arts and even so, they are often confused or associated with modern (gendai) Karate, ground grappling, ring fighting and submission techniques. The roots of Samurai and Ninja arts are really very different.
A brief summary on the history of Japan and the martial arts is in order to understand why the Japanese martial arts have such a dominating presence and rich philosophy. For over four hundred years Japan existed as an island of competing provinces that fought constantly for many reasons, each employing their individual systems of combat. By the seventeenth century, this warring period came to a close and many of the warriors needed to seek out another career. Martial systems up to this point had been handed down from one master to the next. Their responsibility to the lineage was the preservation of it’s history, meticulously teaching and mastering the skills, and adding additions and improvements due to the changing course of the times. During this period of peace, these masters went about and began to openly teach the crafts which had been previously studied by warriors and military elite. They would otherwise be out of work, as war had stopped and the demand for their skills had diminished. This was the beginning of a critical era for the Japanese martial arts. It was during this period that the philosophies of the warrior philosophy became the “way”.
Hundreds of martial arts systems were codified during this period, becoming legitimate “schools.” The most celebrated and popular of these combative systems was the Jujutsu. Through history Jujutsu had been recorded in scrolls of various schools as many different terms including Yawara, Kenpo, Taijutsu and Jutaijutsu to name just few. Jujutsu during this period was taught as a means of un-armed and armed defense, with specific hand held weapons specific to a particular school, including methods of bone breaking strikes, soft tissue attacks, joint lock and breaking forms, armor grappling, un-armed weapon defensives, weapon specific forms etc.
From the late nineteenth century up to the beginning of world war two, the common practice for martial arts was found in the practice of karate and the sport arts of sword fencing (Kendo) and Judo. As a result of the more modern arts’ popularity and the passing of time, the old schools were somewhat forgotten. It must be remembered that many of the old martial art traditions were particular to field combat, tactics involving large groups and the strategies to employ the necessary techniques to see a battle through to victory, among others. While these old traditions were no longer recognized by civil authorities, it should be pointed out that many police and military personnel at this time still trained under the auspices of specialized headmasters of old-combat schools and after the second world war came to a close, the practice of martial arts became illegal for a period.
So why practice traditional systems of martial arts and most specifically the Japanese systems of the Samurai and Ninja? This is a very good question. Since time immemorial, the Japanese have been extremely particular about the documentation and recording of anything with even a slight degree of importance. It is in their heritage to maintain loyalty to the teaching of those who have tested and proven progressive methods of any action. This is just as true for martial arts as it is for business, cooking, writing, etc. For this reason, what a student of the true Japanese art learns is quite close to the original teachings and has only been improved upon through the ages. There have been no changes to suit the desire of someone else, cultural bias, commercialized fads or popular opinions.
The “traditions, lessons and philosophies” so quickly thrown away as useless or outdated by many modern martial arts and instructors still strongly influence the kobudo (old martial arts) of the Samurai and Ninja. Most often, instructors who discard these lessons have not obtained the skill level or experience necessary to recognize the value inherent in the teachings. The focus of the Japanese warriors was not simply to be a good fighter or warrior (bushi) but to temper those skills with the lessons and philosophies for a fundamentally more full, abundant and happy life. That is why Samurai means essentially “to serve” and Ninja essentially means “to persevere or be patient”. Too often modern martial arts, especially mixed martial arts (or perhaps appropriately called mixed up martial arts) fail to provide much skill or focus or purpose for life outside of the ring or being in a fight. That is not to say that there are not good mixed martial arts and instructors out there that add philosophy to their training but it is not an inherent part of the training.
The traditional arts of the Samurai and Ninja teach effective skills not only for defense and combat that have been practiced for hundreds of years but they build character, self esteem, focus and self discipline. As a physical activity they offer a non repetitive form of physical exercise and offer stress relief both physically and mentally. These skills help lead not only a safe and happy life but help increase the mental agility and focus and discipline that can give an advantage in work and work ethic as well as a solid moral and ethical approach to life and work as well.
How Martial Arts Reaches “At Risk Youths”
One of the programs I am currently working on is a program to reach at risk youths. Every year, especially in hard financial times, the number of kids at risk increases, as parents are required to work longer and be away from home for longer periods of time. Many of these youths can’t afford to be in after school programs or simply don’t get what they need from those programs.
There are many great things about a good traditional martial arts program. A big one is the focus on self-improvement-self-esteem-personal growth. While it seems like these should be three separate things, they really are so intertwined that our language does a disservice to us in using different words. Self improvement is not about getting better at fighting so you can win a trophy or a competition or be better than someone else. It is about being better than you were yesterday and without the right motivation, role models, and lessons, many kids begin to learn these important roles from each other. Where the problem occurs is that counting on kids to teach other kids right from wrong doesn’t work, and they often come up with and use inappropriate examples and role models.
In a good traditional martial arts program like ours, that focuses and the lessons and teachings of the samurai and ninja, is that everyone participates. Unlike a lot of sports there is no A and B squads, no “Starters” and “Backups”. Everyone learns together and excels together but each in their own way and they help each other learn as well.
I am currently reaching out through speaking engagements and other avenues to help find candidates and sponsors who are willing to provide scholarships to at risk kids to participate in my programs. It really is a simple matter of “Pay Now” and save these kids while there is time or “Pay A Lot More Later” through paying for the court filing fees, defense attorneys and in some cases jail and prison terms that can occur when these kids get older and into trouble and your tax dollars are allocated to help them. Please contact me at #858-486-0059 to schedule a speaking engagement on “At Risk Youth Programs” or, if you know of an organization ready to provide sponsorship now.
Martial Arts with Meaning
There are a lot of martial arts today, from Karate to Mixed Martial Arts covering the distance between sport and art. Most of them have been created fairly recently from the late 19th century to a combination of different arts into a so-called “real” martial art and of course sport fighting in the 20th and 21st centuries. There is no doubt that there are intrinsic values in each of these from physical skills to discipline, confidence, respect and other values.
It takes a lot of discipline and skill to be a MMA fighter and it is no less so to be skilled in karate, kenpo or any other marital art. However, going beyond the physical and the inherent discipline, etc., the real question is why train in these arts at all. Some train for physical fitness, some for self-defense skills and others for trophies and titles.
When training in the traditional martial arts, and speaking even more specifically to the kobudo arts we train at Poway Samurai Martial Arts, the teachings go beyond these concepts. Some mistakenly think of the samurai arts as being only the sword or weapon training. And it is true there is a diverse set of skills with weapons in kobudo training. However, traditional martial arts are the source for many of the modern unarmed martial arts. Kobudo is a very diverse training that builds the highest levels of discipline, dedication, confidence as well as leadership and focus.
What really sets kobudo apart is that it is what I call “Martial Arts with Meaning.” The samurai didn’t go “do” kobudo. It was how they lived. The samurai virtues were a code for their entire life and how they strived for the “ever appropriate response” to whatever situation they encountered. Above all the samurai lived a life of service.
Many with only a cursory knowledge of martial arts and the samurai, think only of their tremendous fighting prowess and martial skill. While those were present, what motivated these warriors were service and love of family, lord and their country. It was equally important for the samurai to be skilled in other arts to remain in balance. Whether it was painting, writing or any other number of forms of art, the samurai needed to live a full life in balance.
Now I do not mean to suggest that no other martial art form carries any lessons, philosophies or “meaning”. However, not all more modern schools do or focus on it. In kobudo that original purpose and the “meaning” is inherent and is such an integral part of the training, that Julian R. Fuller in the British Journal of Medical Psychology p.321 wrote that “Traditional martial arts training is more beneficial than modern martial arts training.” When comparing the samurai code of bushido and its principals and effective modern psychotherapy.
Michael E, Trulson, wrote (“Martial Arts Training: A Novel ‘Cure’ for Juvenile Delinquency, Human Relations, vol 38, no 12) “The majority of…schools teach only self-defense techniques, and our data reveals that this type of training enhances negative personality traits of people who are already delinquent…Traditional…martial art philosophy places great emphasis on respect for others, humility, confidence, responsibility, honesty, perseverance and honor.”
There are a number of reasons for training martial arts and choosing a school and there is no “correct” answer for everyone. When considering a martial arts program and school, what do you want most for you and your family?