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All study and no (sword)play... what is a bushi to do?
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It
is sometimes tempting to think of the practice and training of martial
arts in pre-modern times in monolithic terms, as if there was an ideal
model, perhaps followed by a master in retreat at some secluded temple
or shrine. On closer inspection, this seems unlikely as social
conditions and the role of the warrior changed as the times moved from a
period of perpetual war to one of relative peace, not to mention the
varying requirements dictated by different roles and relative
professional positions, even within the warrior class in Japan.
Having
given that caveat, it must be conceded that traditions of martial
practice in Japan enjoyed far greater continuity than those of Western
Europe, even if it is generally acknowledged that the techniques that
have reached us today are very likely not the same as those practiced by
the founders of those traditions. One aspect that must have been of
great concern at all periods was how to develop and refine skill.
There
was, of course, the demanding, often repetitive physical training that
must have formed the basis of most trainees’ experience. This is likely
to have been intense, and yet quite unlike the military style drill
common in some more modern disciplines, a development that seems to have
gone hand-in-hand with the rise of militarism in the early 20th
century.
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Omori Sogen performing a kata
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There
were other sides to practice, too. Omori Sogen (1904-1994), a 20th
century Zen priest and practitioner of the Jikishinkage ryu who had
clearly put plenty of time and energy into his physical practice (this
was a style which includes strong elements of both kata and sparring (in
the style of kendo) in its curriculum), spoke of his approach to the
practice of kendo in his younger years. He explained that he developed
the attitude that life itself was a perpetual series of contests. Every
encounter or situation in life could be seen as a clash with an opponent
in which any negative reactions he felt meant the situation had scored a
point over him.
As
he matured, he saw the mind that could be developed during kendo
practice as being the same as that developed by the practice of Zen:
“For
example, a person who practices Kendo holds his bamboo sword and faces
his opponent. If he forgets his opponent and his ego, enters samadhi,
and truly experiences this state, then even when he puts his bamboo
sword down, he must be able to maintain this frame of mind. Usually,
however, it is a different world when he puts his bamboo sword down.”
(Omori Sogen: The Art of a Zen Master by Hosokawa Dogen)
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A kendo dojo from a postcard dated 1915 |
This
might be seen as typical of the Zen inspired approach of the later
C19th and early C20th, a time when a measure of social freedom combined
with the idea that personal efforts could reshape the world (efforts
that were often centered around violence, it must be said). It seemed to
have a particular appeal to young men, and was a direct factor in
Japan’s road to war, both with the wave of assassinations that removed
some of the less militaristic politicians from office in the 1920’s and
30’s, as well as the precipitating event in the invasion of China. It
must also be said that Sogen was closely involved with groups advocating
such methods, (to the point of being hunted for by the police) although
his own account stresses that he felt the time was not right for
assassination. (He also attempted to persuade Prince Konoe to appoint a
less hawkish minister of war, so it is difficult to categorize him in
political terms).
This
approach, to life as well as martial arts, stresses the power of
intention and the strength of will over technique. To be sure, this is
always a major factor in confrontation, but one that has inherent
weaknesses (exemplified in aspects of Japanese military doctrine in
WWII, not to mention the unfortunate tendency to veer towards
extremism). Older martial disciplines were shaped by the greater range
of resources, technical, psychological and social, from which they drew
the elements of their curricula.
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Detail from a painting by Noguchi Tetsuya
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While
Sogen pursued mastery in Zen, swordsmanship and calligraphy, seeing
commonalities in them all, Matsura Seizan (1760-1841), writing some 150
years earlier, presents an interesting contrast. A man of wide learning,
he is known principally for his literary accomplishments, in particular
his multiple volume collection of essays, Kasshi Yawa (Nighttime Tales
of The Year of the Rat). He came from a very different social
background – he was the daimyo of Hirado, a small island just off the
coast of northwest Kyushu (where the English sailor, Will Adams, landed)
– and although he retired at the age of 46, prior to that he set up a
school for academic and martial studies, the Ishinkan, and a library
that eventually had some 10,000 volumes (Rakusaikan Bunko). He was also a
noted swordsman and author of several works on that topic.
It
is clear from his writings that he considered sword use far more
broadly than Sogen did, which is unsurprising, as swords were routinely
carried by bushi until 1876. What may be more significant is that he
stresses care and attention to surroundings rather than Sogen’s emphasis
on single-minded determination, as a key to understanding the deeper
teachings of the art, a reflection both of the more complex demands of
Seizan’s social position, as well as the perspective of swordsmanship as
training for use (in protection and for ceremonial uses as well as,
potentially, for war), rather than primarily for personal and spiritual
development. (It may added that it is entirely possible that Sogen did
not receive the deeper teachings of his style – Sogen says his teacher
did not consider any of his students to be his successor.) The flavor of
his writing may be seen here:
“…for
those who are recommended to accompany their father, older brother, or
master, it is necessary to be familiar with etiquette. Because this
spirit of etiquette stems from the spirit of vigilance, if you perform
this duty well, it will carry over to the heart of swordsmanship. Those
who feel they cannot understand this roundabout explanation do not have
the real spirit of swordsmanship. But when it is time to impart the
himitsu ken (lit. the secret sword) from the inner teachings of our
school, those who have resolved to maintain this excellent spirit of
caution in daily life will already have the necessary attitude and
approach.”
(From Joseishi Kendan in The Samurai Mind by Christopher Hellman, p.54)
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Training in calligraphy started young for a well-brought up samurai.
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To
take this a step further, Seizan’s insights may also reflect another
aspect of many traditional ryu-ha. These schools possessed great depth
and breadth of teachings, some of which were reserved for those of the
requisite social or professional standing. They might include teachings
on strategy and generalship, as well as more esoteric subjects such as
divination. Students who were generals or daimyo were likely to be
exposed to more than simply fighting techniques and tactics, and though
Seizan’s writings give no direct evidence of specific teachings, it is
very likely that his social position would have had some influence on
the teaching he received.
While
Sogen saw kendo as a way to achieve the same state of mind that was
sought through seated Zen meditation, Seizan’s approach was rooted in
everyday experience:
“The
master always said, you should go beyond the importance of winning
contests in the practice hall. On the contrary, your normal state is of
primary importance.”… (here he uses the example of maintaining a serious
demeanor at a mourning ceremony to show that a superior man does not
show his true feelings in his countenance.) “…for those who value
courtesy, we might put the analogy forcefully and say this is the
essence of swordsmanship…The wise certainly took care not to lower their
guard. Swordsmen also think like this.”
(The Samurai Mind, pp 92-3)
I will leave the last word (almost, anyway) to Miyamoto Musashi from Alexander Bennett’s translation of Gorin no Sho:
“The
mindset in the Way of combat must be no different from one’s normal
state of mind. In the course of your daily life, and when engaged in
strategy, there should be no change whatsoever in your outlook.”
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Miyamoto Musashi exhibiting heijo-shin. | |
(Actually, this is Mifune Toshiro in one of the films in Inagaki Hiroshi's Samurai Trilogy)
This
is what terms Musashi heijo-shin (everyday mind); however, it is not
everybody’s ‘everyday mind’. As Hidy Ochiai (A Way to Victory: The
Annotated Book of Five Rings) comments, “The everyday mind of an
ordinary person is not called heijo-shin, for it is not based on the
true inner strength that can be attained only through a hard and
authentic training.”
And that is something I’m sure both Omori Sogen and Matsura Seizan would agree on.
For more about Omori Sogen:
http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2015/02/spirit-forging-hard-training-of-meiji.html
For
more about Matsura Seizan - I spelt his family name wrong – it
should have a single rather than double u – at the time I was
translating his work I took the pronunciation to be the same as the
nearby Matsuura City (written with the same character).
http://ichijoji.blogspot.com/2010/08/matsuura-seizan-swordsman-and-scholar.html