| Shinsei's blog | |||
| Sometimes I have a thought that I want to expand upon and develop because it seems important in the moment. Sometimes I am lucky and a thought seems to represent a breakthrough in developing an understanding of a principle. Please feel free to mail me if you can throw an additional perceptive shaft of light upon any of the subjects. I will be happy to use your thoughts in the expansion and development of the themes. I will also be happy to publish any member's reflections or comments on this page or in the resources section if they are sufficiently extensive, so please let me have them. | |||
| Progress with the website Shinsei. 11 October 2006 | |||
| I am gradually managing to reconcile OMAA, Shurite and Shinseido differences now. It feels as if it has has been a long haul. MSK students can now find the Core Syllabus and Structure of Personal Advancement in these pages. | |||
| Humility Shinsei. 8 April 2006 | |||
| “Some Westerners consider humility a matter of being without pride or self-assertion. If this definition were correct we could speak of anyone not deserving of respect as being humble, as long as he didn't have pride. Only those people who have accomplished something and are deserving of respect can be humble. The master possesses great pride in a form that appears like humility. He knows his tremendous accomplishment, yet never loses sight of his great short comings. The hard, soft law of our art applies even here: the master will talk with his newest student with sincerity and humility as long as the student's attitude is right. Should the student become demanding or sarcastic, the master will walk away silently.” Jon Alexander, my teacher. 1974 | |||
| What is old style karate? Shinsei. 7 April 2006 | |||
| Someone just asked me a question that led me to reflect upon the nature of old style karate again... the question was, "Did Old Okinawa Village Karateka wear gi, how did they come about in the first place?" Well, I don't need to answer that one here, beyond saying that it was Jigoro Kano of Judo who introduced the gi in 1907, because I have a paper on it somewhere. But it just fired off the sense of what the Japanese imposed upon the old Okinawan village karate a hundred or more years ago. If anyone thinks that the karate gi (training suit), the obi (belt and indicator of rank), kyu and dan ranks, Japanese dojo terminology, and karate competitions and tournaments were a part of the old karate - think again, for they most certainly were not. Therefore, if we place any importance on these things we are missing the point and purpose of our art entirely. | |||
| Hmmmph Shinsei. 4 April 2006 | |||
| It has been pointed out to me that I have not recorded a reflection or event for over a week!!! | |||
| I have given much time to a notion that crept into my mind when I wrote about dojo terminology on 27th March - this extended to cultural things, and it looks as if I am going to have to start writing my thoughts down on this matter... | |||
| I have also been struggling with a paper upon non-dualism for the last five years or so - unsuccessfully. Only in the last couple of weeks have I found a way of expressing what I want to on the subject. It is in the form of a dialogue. One that I had some years ago, but it is over 75,000 words long and I am busy condensing it and making it remotely understandable. So my silence has purpose and is going somewhere... so watch this space. | |||
| Bi-monthly seminar Shinsei. 4 April 2006 | |||
| This month's seminar was very poorly attended. Those who turned up were Mike, James, Jim, and Françoise. Mike and Jim worked together all day on Bo, Sai and Seisan oyo. James worked with them while I worked with Françoise on sensitivity drills ranging from sticking hands, through pushing hands, compromise sparring, flow drills and the like. Then James worked with Françoise on compromise sparring and flow drills while I worked with Mike and Jim checking out that we were all in agreement upon the correct rendition of Soken no Sai Sho and Chiken no Bo kata and some applications. Then I went back to Françoise while James worked on kata Seisan, Paisai, Chinto, Kusanku and Useishi. Françoise and I did the formal pairs 1-4 and releasing techniques. There was a great deal of talk between us all reminiscing, sharing anecdotes, offering diverse opinions about training and our art, and a sense of general camaraderie. It turned into a nice friendly and progressive day. | |||
| Dojo terminology Shinsei. 27 March 2006 | |||
| For as many as twenty years now, I have de-emphasised the use of Japanese terminology within the dojo. There have been many reasons for that. Our art is English, based in old Liu Ch'iu practises, not Japanese. When the Okinawans learned martial arts from the Chinese, Japanese or from wherever, they did not embrace the language, only the art - and then changed it to suit themselves. That was the same for the Chinese and Japanese. We have a history in the west of trying to assimilate the language and even the culture as well as the art, but the truth is, no matter how hard we might try, we could never fully adopt the Japanese mindset. The language of our system does not make the art. Language is merely a means to discuss and describe aspects of our art. The Okinawans would say that you cannot talk about karate in Japanese, only in Okinawan Hogan. I think we also fall into a kind of elitism when we hide behind terminology, even if that is not our intent. It allows only the initiated to understand what we are talking about. I want beginners and outsiders to share our conversations, and to be able to understand what we are about. Karate is not exclusively Okinawan, or Japanese. Karate is just a word... it means so many things... I am English, and English is the language of Shinseido. By all means learn Japanese dojo terminology so that you can converse with people in martial arts outside the dojo, but apart from the Okinawan names of kata and a handful of other fundamental and well known terms, English is the language of Shinsei dojo. | |||
| Basic techniques Shinsei. 22 March 2006 | |||
| Members of Shinsei dojo should check out the basic techniques page and make sure you are familiar with the techniques listed. It is also important that you learn and remember the practise order as that format will become well rehearsed over the forthcoming months in various ways. | |||
| Suzanne Stewart attains Shodan By Shinsei. 17 March 2006 | |||
| I am delighted to announce that Suzanne Stewart has been awarded the Shodan black belt. Sue started training with us on 26 November 2002 and so has taken nearly forty months achieve this. I am aware that Sue has put in a great deal of additional practise outside the dojo and it is this as much as anything that has made her progress secure. As always, this award is very well deserved - congratulations Sue, very well done. :-) | |||
| Kata Naihanchi By Shinsei. 16 March 2006 | |||
| I have given a great deal of attention to the Naihanchi kata of late, with a view to making sure we are working it as close to the old ways as is possible. A number of interesting things have cropped up as a result - so don't be surprised if you find some changes within that form :-))) | |||
| Structure of progress evaluation in Shinsei dojo By Shinsei. 15 March 2006 | |||
| Tony sensei and I have discussed the structure of progress evaluation in the dojo... in the light of a number of recent events, and watching how students are progressing at the moment we have decided upon a reversion to a structure we used successfully for a number of years previously. Before you sigh too deeply, no... I have not changed the content of the syllabus in any respect at all - rather I have made things far more clear, and in some respects easier. After all, we are here to facilitate your progress not to hinder it. No one wants you to succeed more than do we. Please click here to go to the evaluation page to see the present structure. | |||
| Returning |
By Shinsei. 13 March 2006 |
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| I cannot believe that over two years have passed since I used this page. That is not because I didn't have anything to reflect, rather that circumstances led me to forget the page altogether, which is a pity because much has happened. So I have resolved to make more use of this page. See you soon :-) | |||
| James Whitley attains Shodan By Shinsei. 11th December 2005 | |||
| As a belated inclusion, I am very happy to record that James Whitley was awarded his Shodan black belt on 11th December 2005. James started training with us on 27 July 2001 and so took about 52 months achieve this. It was a particularly good achievement in view of the fact that James began training with us at 13 years of age. The award was very well deserved - congratulations James, very well done. :-) | |||
| Orthodox forms (seito kata) |
By Shinsei. 27 October 2003 |
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| The rigidity of maintaining the traditional classical forms has value only in fixing a root point of existence. In these times of modern technology we no longer need to maintain that practise. Before the advent of our everyday ability to record the performance of a kata on film to be referenced anytime in the future, perhaps it was more important to retain the forms in the way that they came to us. This was the only way to preserve the knowledge contained within the forms. Now that is no longer necessary. Most seekers of the way do not have a burning desire to recreate the practises of the past for many no longer have validity in the here and now. Most people simply want to learn the art to meet personal needs in the here and now. | |||
| To preserve and furthermore, teach a form exactly and precisely as it came to one, is to act in the capacity of an archivist not a martial artist. Our life-skill is among other things, an art, a living evolving process that demands personalisation in order to become fully useful. Despite claims by many teachers that their forms are being taught as they were hundreds of years ago, it has to be recognised that every teacher of the way takes liberties to a greater or lesser degree and renders them in a way that reflects his or her own standpoint. This is in large part inevitable in the case of a person who thinks about what he does. This is the nature of a living art. | |||
| For long, I have not taught the forms as they came to me, but rather, as I interpret them in the moment. We have video archives of all the forms and every student has access to those. There is no risk of loosing the data, for it can now be made available to all via CD or the Internet. Thus today, in addition to having the so called classical forms, we have Shinsei Seisan; Shinsei Paisai; Shinsei Chinto; Shinsei Useishi; Shinsei Kusanku etc. | |||
| What is style? |
By Shinsei. 27 October 2003 |
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| I purport to teach Shorin Ryu among other things, but just what is Shorin Ryu? I am not about to enter into describing the descent of what we think of as Shorin Ryu - that is for another paper. There is another point to this thought process. The term Shorin Ryu is generic, that is as in belonging to a particular genus or in this case in more broad terms, a family. However, if a system embraces principles or aspects that make it so broad, so (w)holistic, as I suggest is the case with Shinseido, how can it be defined as coming from any one generic stream? | |||
| Purpose of Kata |
By Shinsei. 27 October 2003 |
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| Any physical movement that we make can be described as a martial movement, whether it is reaching into a cupboard for a packet of cereal, picking up the telephone or scratching one's head. By the same token any martial movement may be seen as any everyday action, grasping, moving, pulling, pushing etc. | |||
| The point of making this loose observation is that I want to encourage reflection upon the forms that we practise in a broader sense than that of being merely self-defensive sequences. Have you ever wondered how a form came into existence? What purpose it originally served? As regards the classical forms of our system we will never know how or why they came into existence. We can only guess. But even informed guesses may be far from the truth of the matter. | |||
| In the case of our contemporary forms we are lucky in having detailed records of the reasons why a form came into being, what thought processes were attendant in its creation and what definitive purpose it serves. | |||
| The reasons do not always have martial connotations or application. This is particularly so in the case of the paired Shinzen and Tenshu forms. | |||
| Creating an Alternative Reality |
By Shinsei. 26 October 2003 |
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| I reflect upon symbolism and of the elemental principle of which I have talked a great deal. So much in Shinseido is of a wholistic nature it becomes very difficult to separate the threads. I discover myself repeating a message countless times but with a slightly different slant. | |||
| Today I reflected upon how I create alternative realities for myself when the threat or reality of discomfort or hurt exists. We none of us enjoy hurt, pain, distress, trauma or the like and naturally seek to avoid it or lessen its effects in some way. | |||
| Think of the very worst thing that could happen to you or to one close to you. How could one endure such an experience without creating an alternative reality? Even if that be of some temporary illusory nature to somehow lessen the almost unendurable pain of the event. Whatever belief system we hold, in the moment of traumatic hurt, we are likely to turn to a belief system that supports us through the event. The atheist would say that turning to religion in such times is a means of creating an alternative reality. Whatever construction we put on the circumstances of that event to enable us to continue have great validity regardless of the truth of such a construction. | |||
| We know that by creating an alternative reality we can change the way we feel and subsequently act. If we can create a reality which helps us to feel, for example, kindly towards a person to whom otherwise we would feel antagonistic, would this not be a good thing, irrespective of whether it was 'true' reality or not? | |||
| Is this not the placebo effect in action? I feel unwell and through the power of the mind I enable myself to feel well again. What if we choose with a deliberation, to create an alternative reality knowing that it is make believe, but also knowing that it matters not that we know it is make believe, for it still has the effect of making me feel better? What if I use that strategy to achieve all my goals - making use of an altered reality in order to accomplish my needs? | |||
| Perceptive roots |
By Shinsei. 25 October 2003 |
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| In response to getting back to roots, living traditionally and misuse of the computer: I think most of us have a need for roots and tradition. Milking cows and using pen and paper, walks in the country ad infinitum... however, the time will unquestionably come when many of us humans will be leaving all that behind as technology marches on and we expand our sights beyond this planet. The mind can still get a pretty good workout using a computer, which, after all, is only a tool as is a pen - we can still be as creative but in a more technological way. Indeed the computer can now do all the donkey work for us while we look to being more creative. Hopefully, soon, I will be able to put some device on my head, lie back and simply think to my computer. Certainly it is good to be in touch with our roots, but if we are going to save the universe from its 'inevitable' fate we need to become mind-blowingly clever in areas we haven't even dreamed of yet, and that will inevitably necessitate leaving our roots behind. We humans need each other for our survival, we are unquestionably a collective organism, and I am delighted to leave my farming to others who work on my behalf. That doesn't mean I couldn't do it, although I am aware it actually doesn't matter if I could or not. I have my specialist niche in the grand scheme of things, and thus this makes me feel very much part of a large global family, and I like that. 'Tis all about perceptions and those are fickle and change in a moment. To Budo and the World Group. | |||
| Karate's one strike one kill principle |
Edited by Shinsei, 24 October 2003 |
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"Ikken hisatsu" is a Japanese phrase that defies
literal translation. It was derived from the sword arts where
the seriousness of drawing the sword was well understood. The closest
it is possible to come to in English is "One punch, one kill". The
problem with such a literal translation is that the poetic and philosophical
implications are largely lost. On a philosophical level, "ikken hisatsu" can be taken as a warning to be aware that any conflict has lethal potential. To engage in fighting, therefore, is dangerous because death can result. It only requires a single trained push to knock a person over. That person could fall and die as a result of injuries to the head. "Ikken hisatsu" can be taken as a moral imperative to consider the import of fighting before the event in order to determine if the conflict is worth dying for. If it is not, it should be avoided at all costs. If it is worth dying for, then "ikken hisatsu" means to approach each counter with complete commitment to maximum force. Just like a police officer who should only draw his weapon if maximum force is warranted, and then shoot to kill, because there is no other reason for drawing the weapon in the first place. Deeply embedded within
my philosophy is the continuum principle - very thing on balance - yin yang.
'Ikken hisatsu is a concept that like everything else in all existence, lies
upon such a continuum. It cannot be fixed in place as the term
suggests. The game is simply to minimise the number of counter
responses and if that can be done 'in one' so much the better, but if it
takes three, six - then that is what it takes according to situation,
circumstance and skill level. |
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| Pressure point technology |
By Shinsei. 24 October 2003 |
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| There can never be a fixed point in terms of how closely we adhere to such a concept - sometimes the definitive opportunity avails itself, most times one has to move along the sliding scale of alternative options and away from that point of definition. Whatever we think about 'pressure point technology' it is useful to know and understand the process, indeed, we should be competent in its use according to our standpoint, but to lock oneself in concrete is to invite disaster. To the CyberDojo group. | |||
| Holding the truth - what is reality? |
By Shinsei. 23 October 2003 |
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| We all hold a part of the truth. Every single human being holds a part of the truth in his or her perceptions that are unique in some respects and make the difference between him or her and every other human being. Collectively all those millions of perceptive standpoints represent humankind's entire reality in a single moment. That reality changes depending upon those who constitute the human race in any given time and the views each holds. But that is only human reality - then we might embrace the perceptions of every living thing, or that thing's reality, in order to come to a truth representative of all Earth's life forms. What of the reality for inanimate objects? Gaia... Once we can accept unconditionally the reality of all things individually and collectively, do we begin to come close to reality itself and consequently peace and harmony. | |||
| Altruism and selfishness |
By Shinsei. 22 October 2003 |
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| My response to people who remark that I am kindly and helpful is sometimes to reflect that it's all about perceptions. If I am indeed kind and helpful it is because I want to be, I enjoy being that way more than I enjoy being unkind or unhelpful - therefore I am satisfying my own wants and needs in order to help others - and that's being selfish. True altruism exists when a person does something really disagreeable in order to help others. If I had to force myself to help someone, hated the process, was traumatised by it, found it very distasteful, then that would be true altruism. But I know its being selfish when I leap into the fray in order to help when I derive enjoyment and enthusiasm from the process. 22 October 2003 | |||
| Learning and teaching |
Shinsei and Sara 24 October 2003 |
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| I sometimes rest responsibility upon the shoulders of our Shinseido members by appointing them keepers of part of the system. This when I see that a particular seeker has attained an understanding of a particular aspect which might be under development or undergoing some kind of evolutionary process. This, so that I do not have to try and retain that transitional or little used aspect in the face of all the other components of the system. This is making use of my resources, in that I act as a resource cataloguer. It takes knowledge and understanding to recognize the good resources and every teacher must have their 'bag' of resources, constantly refining them and knowing when to use each one. Thank you Sara. | |||