Weapons

                                       WEAPONS

                                                                Formal and Informal

 

Nihonto Japanese Swords

Armed Bushi

   Jujutsu evolved in a nation of armed warriors. In feudal Japan the warrior class held all the power. From the 12th to the 19th century even the Emperor was never more than a figurehead. Only the Bushi were allowed to wear swords, and only the Bushi could study Jujutsu. Their principle weapons for hand to hand combat were a long and short sword (katana and wakizashi, or daito and shoto).  A knife (tanto) was also carried in the obi. Swordsmanship (kenjutsu), was the heart of the arms training of bujutsu. 
     Battlefield weapons included the longbow and arrows, spears (yari) and poleaxes (naginata) of various designs and styles. Each kind of weapon had it’s own art, or jutsu. The Samurai trained in the 42(+/-) combat arts that comprised Bujutsu, the Bugei arts, of which Jujutsu was the unarmed form. The Samurai were masters of Zen archery (kyudo), as well as yari jutsu and naginata jutsu. Yari and naginata were also mastered by women of the Bushi class as the weapons of choice for domestic defense.

Naginata

   Besides the bladed weapons, blunt striking weapons, wooden staffs of various lengths, approximately 6ft (bo), 4-5ft (jo), or 2-3ft (hanbo) on average, and wooden swords (boken) were considered weapons worthy of inclusion. Even the harmless appearing yawara stick (tebo or kanga) was recognized as a superior non-lethal weapon in some Japanese ryu. Other non-lethal weapons included the jutte, a short (14" - 18") steel truncheon with a single blade-trapping tine that was a civil officers weapon against the sword, and the tessen, a steel ribbed fan capable of trapping a blade, a Sensei’s defense.

Jutte

                                                         

Tessen

Weapons: hor top to bottom; Daito, Shoto, and Tanto; vertical r to l; Jo, Yawara stick, Hanbo, Yawara, and Bokken

    On Okinawa, ruled at various times by Chinese and Japanese overlords, the peasants were unarmed and chafing under multiple occupations. In self defense they taught themselves to use innocent appearing tools and agricultural implements, rice flails (nunchakus), grinding wheel handles (tonfa), sickles (kama), with tether and ball (kasurikama), and bo staffs with deadly effectiveness. These, are among the signature weapons of most karate systems. Though they might be considered informal weapons by origin, today they are modified and intended primarily for self defense or combat training, my definition of formal weapons.

                                                   Slings and Arrows 

   Most of the evolution of individual armaments has been in projectile weapons, objects thrown or shot at an enemy. This category might include everything from stones thrown by hand or sling, to rocket propelled grenades. Formal hand thrown weapons include knives, spears, javelines, bolos, boomarangs, and an assortment of throwing stars or blades (shuriken). The bow and arrow, crossbow and quarrel, blow gun, sling, handgun, and long guns, are all weapons that are historically significant or relevant today.

   In addition to a wide range of deadly weapons modern self defense has some non-lethal options to offer. Pepper spray (OC) a high tech version of the eggshell filled with pepper of the Ninja, can discourage an attacker, as can electro-shock weapons; stun guns and tazers.

    Informal weapons, tools and other objects not primarily intended as weapons, but repurposed for self defense, include household items like mop handles, fire pokers, kitchen knives and sharpening steel. Tools, axes, hammers, pitchforks; baseball bats, tennis racquets, and golf clubs; belts, keys, even your cel phone can be a weapon of self defense. A rock, your keys, a handful of dirt thrown point blank into an attackers face can deter or distract him and allow you to escape, or better. Informal weapons are everywhere, and it’s an inexpensive precaution to make note of those things around you that might serve.

    In a dangerous world should you arm yourself? If so with what weapons? These are individual decisions dependent on you, your circumstances and situation. If you want to arm yourself with formal weapons do so if, and only if;

1. You are properly instructed, and practiced in the use of the weapons you choose.
2. Your armaments are secure and not, themselves, a danger to you or others.
3. In arming yourself you recognize the limitations and implications thereof.

    A weapon is of no use if you don’t have it at hand. Unless you’re always carrying, and always have your weapon at your bedside, you might not have it at hand. The weapons of the body, however, are always with us.


     The Shaolin Monastery in Southern China was the first Chan (Zen) Buddhist school in China. Founded in the 5th or 6th century by Batuo (Bodhidharma) who brought Buddhism from India, it grew famous for the fighting skills of the monks. Bodhidharma is improbably credited with having introduced martial arts to the monks. The monks, forbidden by their beliefs to carry weapons, were easy prey for robbers et. al. In self defense, purportedly with Bodhidharmas admonition to make their bodies their weapons, every hand a knife, ever fist a hammer, every finger a spear, Shaolin Temple Boxing became legendary for the fighting skill of the monks.

    Under the successive occupation of Okinawa the legendary instructions of Bhodidharma found fertile ground among the unarmed populace. They developed a fighting style called Okinawa Te with the same emphasis on developing and disciplining the weapons of the body. Drawing on Japanese Jujutsu for Atemi waza (striking to vital centers) and Chinese Chu’an Fa, masters refined the art of striking with devastating power, through  focus, control and discipline of the weapons of the body. Okinawa Te became modern Karate. The tradition of training in the peasant's weapons bo, kama, nunchakus, etc. continues in the Nippon-Okinawan karate schools.

                           Hand striking weapons of Shin Go Ju Ryu Karate

   Whether complementing other weapons of choice, or freeing you to live in relative safety without being formally armed, training in martial arts is the most important practice I know of  to arm yourself against the uncertainties of life. Traditional Jujutsu training teaches us to defend against armed or unarmed attack, practicing principles and techniques in situational settings against simulated attacks, strengthening our bodies, refining our skills, disciplining our weapons and managing realistic self defense situations. Whether or not we choose to include them in our own armories, we need to be familiar with the weapons and tactics we might encounter in order to practice defensive strategies and techniques against them.

    So arm yourself. Be competent with whatever weapons you choose. Be prepared to defend yourself, your home, and your family. And be aware of the informal weapons at hand. Note items you might use defend yourself, and practice handling those you think might be relevant. First and foremost develop the weapons of your body. Be strong, be alert, and be safe. Your most important weapon is your mind.

RS

   John Donald, Marine, Law Officer, NRA Certified Instructor and Director of Western Maine Defensive Tactics, offers the following thoughts about carrying weapons.
                       
   One thing I might add that is relevant today is that a weapon, be it handgun, knife, pepper spray, taser or brass knuckles, is not a magic talisman that by its mere possession prevents one from being a victim. This is a reaction from fear: " I carry XX because I was scared of XX, and now I feel better".   That's all though, its a FEELING, not the confidence that comes from hard, realistic training.
   Carrying a weapon is an exercise in personal discipline. Less so now that we have the vast array of "micro" handguns and mini knives available. The idea is that they are convenient, and thus don't require great modifications to the lifestyle and wardrobe ( and thus the MINDSET) of the person carrying it.
   A regular sized fixed weapon requires inconvenience, modification to the lifestyle and wardrobe, and a mental commitment to keeping it available, yet out of sight so as not to attract attention. This, I believe, leads one to consider the realities of carrying a weapon, and the realities of the consequences of using it in the real world. Make physically carrying a weapon too easy, and people start doing so because their friends do so, not because they have arrived there through their own thinking.
   As far as tasers and OC, they are useful, but need just as solid a groundwork in hand skills as do actual fixed weapons. Perhaps moreso, as they are a one trick pony, particularly a taser. OC is just the latest rendition  of an egg of pepper. People, myself included, can fight through it. But, it can make someone rethink a course of action, and if they continue hostilities, a half blind man is easier to fight, not easy, just easier. 
   Weapons are not the solution to every problem, thus unarmed skills are essential, and in my mind need to be the solid foundation that weapons skills are built upon. Not every confrontation is a "shoot (stab) scenario" but every one for sure is armed, as you brought a weapon with you.

   Remarks included with permission, and appreciation. Thank you John.

Freedom

                                     Freedom 

 

                             Liberty, Independence, and Self-determination.

    “We the People, of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”


    Freedom - the power or right to think, speak, and act according to choice. We cherish it. Generations of our youngest and bravest men have been sent off to die for it. It is enshrined in our Constitution and laws.

    Liberty - This shared freedom from arbitrary or despotic government control, domestic or foreign, is the bedrock of a government of, by, and for the people. We rightly fear the unwarranted incursions into our Civil Liberties, customary rights guaranteed in the U.S. Bill of Rights. 

   Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty. Thomas Jefferson

   Freedom to act (including freedom of speech) is not absolute. Laws legitimately constrain us from harming each other, or the environment egregiously. We’re even discouraged from doing things to harm ourselves. Many if not most of these restrictions are for the common good. Some are well intentioned but ill advised. And some laws and orders are pernicious and threaten our very democracy.

   Independence - freedom from; control, support, dependence on, or oversight from, authority.
   Absolute independence may be unattainable, and undesirable. Relative independence is, however, highly desirable, and something we can directly impact from childhood on. We can influence parents and other authority figures to respond to trustworthiness with trust, and self sufficiency with relaxed oversight. That doesn’t change as we grow up. The scope of our freedom to act without interference or oversight, our personal Independence, is directly proportional to how trustworthy we are seen to be.

    When the Way is lost then comes virtue. When virtue is lost then comes benevolence. When benevolence is lost then come rectitude. When rectitude is lost then comes the law. (Lao Tzu). 

    Where the law ends tyranny begins. (Locke)                                                               

   Self determination - The power of the will to choose; independent from fate or necessity. Autonomy. Self determination is a defining characteristic of the warrior.
    Jujutsu trains us to be warriors. Jujutsu training enhances control (of self and situation), safety, and freedom from the outset. Strength, flexibility, agility, self protection skills, safe falling, focus, and discipline are all promoted and encouraged through training. Awareness, sensory and intuitive, is developed through meditation.

     “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Benjamin Franklin

    Instead of trading freedom for safety, training in jujutsu promotes both. Any real safety should be an opportunity to exercise our freedom, not stifle it. Whatever concessions to safety one has made, The power or right to think and act according to our own free will carries responsibilities. Freedom is no insurance against the consequences of our own mistaken choices.
    It is incumbent on us as citizens and warriors to inform ourselves. The better we understand the nature of the world we’re living in the more wisely we can choose our own path. Choices that advance our own interests at the expense of others, reap short term benefits without regard to long term consequences, or rely on insufficient or misinformation can be regrettable.

   There is another aspect of freedom, the state of not being subject to or affected by a specified thing or condition (freedom from). Generally, freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint. etc.
    In 1942 FDR, in his State of the Union Speech, called on the world to recognize four freedoms as basic human rights. Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom from Want (economic security), and Freedom from Fear (Human security).

The Four Freedoms photo by Akasha Gnosis

   Poverty and insecurity are forms of slavery. Economic slavery is real and growing in our own country. Freedom of Religion has become about imposing my religious beliefs on others. Cities live in fear of everything from gangs to police, not to mention accidental lead poisoning.
    If you don’t think our freedom is at risk consider the remarkable reverse trickle down effect our economy has exhibited for thirty years. We are an Oligarchy, as I understand the word. Unbridled capitalism, deregulation, corporate greed and welfare, and now the unfettered influence of money on politics have corrupted the system. The influence of popular opinion on our legislators is nil. But our votes can still change the self-perpetuating system that is in place.
    If I were more enlightened perhaps I would appreciate the freedom of letting go. (Just another word for nothing left to lose). We can be enslaved by what we own, or more particularly, what we attach to.    
    But I’m still attached to the beautiful idea of Freedom, with all it’s balances and compromises. And I’m still hopeful we can reverse, or at least mitigate, the disastrous effects of unbridled capitalism we’ve experienced over the past three plus decades. We owe it to our children to turn it around on every front.
  
    Or so it seems to me.                                                

Physical Conditioning/Fitness

                                  

 

Boulder Colorado CU Campus

The Indian Peaks

Bob Jay, Sensei and Bob Webster / AKS Boulder 


   The body you have now is what you have to work with. Whether you are naturally athletic, or limited in your natural ability, what you do with what you have is up to you. This is true at any age.
A healthy diet, good sleeping habits, regular exercise, and other healthy choices are a natural consequence of the desire to be at your physical best, whether preparing for competition, or training to live like a warrior.

    Martial arts training complements, and is complemented by almost any sports or fitness regimen. Strength, flexibility, and endurance all benefit from the exercises and practice in the dojo. More important, as with any sport or challenge, the desire to improve is a strong motivator to practice good fitness habits.

    I was, at best, a mediocre athlete when I started practicing Jujutsu. I was also lazy, I smoked, and I had so strayed from any regular exercise regimen that only vanity, and habit, kept me doing a few basic calisthenics. My only cardio workouts were the occasional hikes at altitude that made me painfully aware of how unfit I was. I had met Joan, the love of my life, but we were apart while she studied her Junior year abroad in Bordeaux, and I was out of school, living aimlessly.

    The Jujutsu class was demanding enough that I quickly realized what wretched shape I was in. Moreover I was motivated not just to get through the class, but to become good at it. I’d grown up imagining Judo to be the acme of martial arts, though I knew next to nothing about it. Jujutsu was more what I had imagined Judo to be than Judo itself. (Back in the mid 20th century a shuto was still often referred to as a “judo chop”). Jujutsu warm-ups made me aware of my weakness and lack of flexibility. Falling (Ukemi) exercise, throwing and grappling quickly exposed my lack of endurance. I began a lax regimen of stretching and calisthenics, along with practicing, in pantomime, the footwork and techniques I was learning in class.

    And then I saw the demonstration that changed my life. Seeing Shihan Goody and his Yudansha demonstrate the possibilities, the beauty and elegance of the gentle art, I was inspired. I was invited to join the Jujutsu class in Denver while continuing our Boulder classes. Twice a week workouts and the desire to excel, for personal reasons, as well as the ego driven desire to impress my Sensei, pushed me to more organized workouts, calisthenics, and repetitions of the jujutsu drills and techniques I learned. I started running again. It killed me to build up to the first mile. I tried to quit smoking, and succeeded, again and again.

    When Joan returned from France we got engaged. Her brother had a Siberian Husky, Frosty, who ran on his vet’s sled dog team. In the winter we became handlers as he raced the team with the Rocky Mountain Sled Dog Club . Darrel Norgren, the vet, asked me if I would like to run a four dog team in a short race, four or five miles. Sure, why not, how hard can it be. The dogs do all the work! Wrong! With four dogs in Colorado snow at 8,000 feet I spent precious little time on the runners. If I wanted to finish, let alone compete, I had to run uphills, kick on the level, and slow the sled without using the brake on downhills. Four miles was not a short race! But we finished competitive. I was hooked. Joan and I acquired our lead dog from a breeding with her brother’s Siberian, and with Tasha and Frosty and three or four borrowed dogs we started training our own team.

    In the course of earning my black belt in Jujutsu, I ran sled dogs in the winter, raced from spring through fall with the Rocky Mountain Road Runners, trained in Tang Soo Do (karate), trained and rock climbed with one of Boulder’s best, Tom Fender, my eventual Uke, competed in Judo and Karate tournaments, and married the most supportive and patient woman in the world, Joan.

    To anyone who would like to study Jujutsu but find you are too busy with other sports or activities, I would suggest that Jujutsu will help you to improve at any sport, athletic endeavor or activity. Besides benefitting you physically and enhancing your safety, Jujutsu teaches control of mind and body, control that can be seen in the confidence and power you bring to sports, as well as other aspects of your life.

A MAN WHO HAS ATTAINED MASTERY OF AN ART REVEALS IT IN THE HIS EVERY ACTION.

Mind Control III

                                                      Influencing others.

    As teachers, parents, and mentors we want to influence the minds of our students so that they choose wisely and excel at what they choose to do. In an autocratic society like feudal Japan proper behavior was demanded, and strictly enforced by reward and punishment. In many of our relationships in a more democratic society, when we are in a position of authority, the judicious application of the reward/punishment model can compel a desired behavior. However to encourage self determination, inspire responsible decision making, and motivate our students or children to excel we should respect their social equality.

    A dojo is an autocratic environment. For reasons of safety, efficient instruction, instilling respect, and tradition, rules for conduct and etiquette are taken seriously. Progress is rewarded, mistaken behavior is discouraged. In some cases physical punishment is applied, however even in traditional schools, like the American Budo College, this is usually as a logical consequence of the behavior. 
    Shihan Goody exacted discipline. He could be, and was, autocratic and intimidating. However he taught with extraordinary empathy. He led by example, a life of honor, and service, and remarkable achievement. He taught brilliantly, demanding but always encouraging. He let his students at all levels and ages, know that he expected a lot of them. From youth judo students to ranking black belts we all worked hard to live up to his expectations. All students were treated with respect, as fellow warriors, regardless of rank.

                                                                                                                                 

Walter F. Doris, Sensei, Jujutsu Go Dan, ABC,

with Ron Small, Sensei WMJS, at Small's Falls (ca 1995)

    Shihan Goody and Sensei Doris taught me many lessons for Empowering students to develop their potential, among them:
    Empathy, teach with the needs of the students, not the teacher, foremost in your mind.
    Example, follow and teach the Way. Be a good example.
    Encourage, not just with praise, but the encouragement that allows self discovery.
    Expectations, what you expect is usually what you experience. Alter a man's expectations and you change his life.
    In later years I learned about the Pygmalion effect, or principle. The way in which people view you influences your behavior. The way in which you view people, the expectations you have of them, influence their behavior. Call someone a warrior and he or she will behave like a warror. The negative corollary is proverbial. "Call a man a thief and he will steal."
        

    It is a axiom of Saimen Jutsu that to influence another person's mind you must first control your own. To face a belligerent enemy without showing anger or fear is disarming thing. In formal training we would practice receiving attacks with quiet mind, and defending dispassionately, until each attack and defense became a meditation. Even the posture we take in facing a potential attack, the ready stance (fudo dachi), facing forward with feet shoulder width apart, knees and arms slightly bent, seeks to dissuade hostility, neither provoking nor inviting aggression while subtly preparing for a sudden attack.
    It is hard to overstate the importance of meditation in preparing mentally for a potential confrontation. Learning to calm the mind by regularly practicing zazen, whether using visualization, or mantra, or simply breathing with deliberate awareness, you develop a pathway that, with a mental picture, or silent chant, or a deep breath can slow your racing heart and focus your thoughts even in a crisis.

    It's much harder to attack someone who's neither angry nor afraid, but simply willing to hear the reason for the hostility. Most confrontations would be defused if only one person would avoid escalating. If an attack does occur the stance, and the state of quiet readiness, make practiced avoidance a spontaneous reaction.
    The way you face an adversary influences his behavior. His perception of what you expect will depend more on body language and manner than words. Knowing that you have the skills to defend yourself, and the practice to manage your emotions, you can be calm, and walk away from most fights without any violence. A fight is over when you can safely walk away.

   If a situation escalates and you find yourself having to defend against an attack, nothing about your posture betrays your fighting skill, while everything from your eye contact to your lack of anger or fear create doubts and hesitation in would be bullies or assailants. The kiai (warrior's shout) can disrupt an attack and freeze the attacker while amplifying your counter-attack.

                  Your greatest weapon is your enemy's mind - Buddha

 

    Shihan demonstrated and taught both aspects of mind control. I saw him encourage and calm competitors at tournaments, teach advanced classes demonstrating jaw dropping excellence of technique, and teach Judo to the kids classes, along with lessons of life . His ability to place suggestions in minds of his (willing) top competitors and teachers, suggestions that strengthened them, was like hypnosis without the induction process.
    As for controlling the mind of potential enemies, Shihan was like the proverbial sword, so sharp that when placed in the autumn stream, leaves floating in the water would turn aside from it. None dared to be his enemy. Or so it seemed to me.

    Benevolence, wishing well even for one who would be your enemy, is one of the cornerstones of Bushido. Meditation has been, for me, key to experiencing Benevolence, a feeling of empathy toward others, not just friends, but enemies. My meditation sessions with an Indian Guru, Acarya Nityananda, led me to feel a compassion for others I'd only intellectualized before.

    Though they may wound your feelings, these three you have only to forgive, the breeze that scatters your flowers, the cloud that hides your moon, and the man who tries to pick a quarrel with you - Inazo Nitobe  Bushido, the soul of Japan. 

   "If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we would find in each man's life sorrows and suffering enough to disarm all hostility." Longfellow

Mind Control II

                                                         Manage your emotions

    They are the feelings that can inspire us to accomplish great things, for ourselves and our societies, or impel us to destroy. Emotions are neither positive or negative in themselves. Anger can motivate us to take action to overcome abuse, but unbridled anger makes us abusers. Fear is an essential survival tool, but uncontrolled or unwarranted fear lead to paralysis and panic. Love, that beautiful emotion, can induce despair. Even hate, abhorrence of cruelty for example, can be positive motivator. Not emotions, but the ability to manage them, determines how well they serve us, or undo us.

                            An angry man defeats himself in life as well as in combat.

    And there's no way to stop them, even if we wanted to. We'll get angry when something or someone pushes our buttons. When we perceive danger we will feel fear. The warriors ideal of Mu Shin (no mindedness) is elusive. How, then, do we train the mind to use our emotions without succumbing to them. 
    Emotions and feelings aren't readily changed by thoughts. Your mind is much more susceptible to your actions. If you act unafraid when you are afraid, your mind responds by lessening the fear. If you act calm when you are angry you can avoid escalating the anger, in yourself and in another. For the warrior, to show fatigue when tired was a disgrace. Fortitude, accepting hardship without complaint, mitigates the pain. How you act influences how you feel.

    Meditation, I found to be one of the most essential practices of Bushido. The Bushi were zen warriors. The practice of Zazen, formal sitting to meditate, was an integral part of warrior life. I made it a part of mine. Learning to temper those emotions is a pretty important social skill. Being able to remain clear headed and calm in the face of danger, a pretty important survival skill.
    If enlightenment is the goal of meditation I have a long way to go. I still don't know what enlightenment is. But meditating, even with imperfect regularity, has been an important asset in my journey. The virtues and benefits of meditation extend to all aspects of life and include:
   Serenity, being able to quiet the inner dialogue.
   Stress management.
   Self confidence.
   Enhanced awareness, sensory and intuitive.
   Spontaneous reaction, reflexive or conditioned responses are enhanced.
   Emotional control.

   Just as you need to train the body through regular practice to develop your physical skills, developing your ability to quiet the "inner dialogue" requires regular practice. Regular practice requires serious commitment. 
    I asked my high school track coach how to become a better runner. He said "run every day."
    I asked my meditation teacher how to become better at meditating. He said, "meditate regularly.
    "It is easy to meditate, anyone can meditate, but to meditate regularly requires heroic effort."

    Saimen Jutsu, the art of mind control, begins with the control of ones own mind.

                                                                                  On the rim of the Grande Canyon returning from a tournament in Phoenix

      
Ron Small
                                                                                            Bob Webster

Mind Control

Direct your thoughts.

    Critical thinking was instilled in me. My father was a Bates graduate, trained to be a medic for WWII. Scientific by nature he had a healthy scepticism and encouraged me to take an analytical view of life. Question authority. Consider the source. Ask why.

    I arrived at Colorado University in 1960 a naieve 17 yr old with an exaggerated sense of my own importance. After a less than stellar 2 years, I took a year off to establish Colorado residency and qualify for in state tuition. Boulder was a great place to live, and I'd fallen in love with a Denver girl, so a year out of school was no hardship. After a summer supporting myself with campus lawn care jobs I was hired as a security guard.
   The American Karate School was on Pearl St, a block from Broadway. The job with the security service came with a eight week jujutsu class conducted by Boulder Police Dept. officer and self defense instructor Gene Sparks. Although he was only a brown belt instructor, he was competent and I am grateful to him for that introduction. Eight weeks, and I'd be able to handle myself in any situation. It was rudimentary, but I imagined I'd learned quite a lot over those two months.
    Along about the last week we had a special instructor. Frank J Goody, a man they called Shihan, and two of his yudansha came from the parent school in Denver, the American Budo College. Shihan Goody spent much of the class demonstrating aspects and principles of Jujutsu, including Judo, Aikido, and Yawara. It was a  demonstration that is still highlighted in my memory fifty years later.
    I saw magic that night in the power and precision of the execution of technique, and in the profound elegance of the art. I'd learned barely enough to appreciate what I was seeing, and I saw enough to realize that I'd learned very little indeed. It was a start.
   The class continued. I was invited to attend the Jujutsu class at the home dojo. Walter F. Doris, Sensei became my mentor and benefactor, teaching me lessons in life and Bushido in the tradition of a Japanese sensei.
   The American Karate School of Boulder was in fact a Tang Soo Do School. The head instructor was Jerry Bestol, Cho Dan, who had studied with Lt. Choi of the Moo Duk Kwan, at the invitation of Shihan Goody. Karate was the rising martial art, and after I had been studying Jujutsu something less than a year I wanted to join the Tang Soo Do class as well. With Sensei Doris's blessing I started cross training.
   Jerry Bestol, our last Moo Duk Kwan black belt, had moved to Ariz., leaving Robert Jay in charge of the classes. In Korea, in an act of nationalistic pride, the government preempted the Moo Duk Kwan and declared the all Korean style to be Tae Kwan Do, effectively orphaning American Tang Soo Do. Being a branch school of the American Budo College we fell under the Shin Go Ju Ryu school of Karate, of which Shihan Goody was hachi (8th) dan and Grand Master. Although our style and technique remained Tang Soo Do, all subsequent promotions in Karate, including my own, were in Shin Go Ju Ryu.
    I relished the discipline of Tang Soo Do training and the challenge of tournament competition, and it certainly refined my striking skills, but I always saw it as a subset of jujutsu technique. As with judo, tournament karate offered valuable lessons and experience, but the rules of competition invite disaster in real combat if training doesn't transcend them.
    Inspired by my Senseis I started setting goals for the first time in my life. Writing down my objectives, and the time I hoped to accomplish them. Keeping them in the forefront of my mind by regularly reviewing and affirming my intentions, tracking my progress. The discipline of regular training encouraged me to use my time more wisely. I grew more fitness conscious, giving up some detrimental habits.
   I learned to direct my thoughts. It's not done by thinking or willing it, but by action. Setting a goal of becoming Yudansha in 5 yrs I accomplished it in less, with the help and encouragement of many fellow students, the motivation and guidance of Senseis Jay and Doris, and the inspiration and benevolence of Shihan Goody, himself.
    Setting goals, specific trackable goals, and tracking them;
    Controlling your environment, who you associate with, the media you listen to;
    Committing to action; regular and sustained activity in furtherence of your goals;
    Seeking the guidance of those whose mastery you admire, and the help of those with whom you interact, even in competition.
    These are a few specifics that helped me combat self indulgence and follow my own Bushido.
    These, and the practice of meditation, about which more to follow.

   
Bob Jay, Sensei, Bob Webster, Ron Small, Al Richardson
American Karate School of Boulder ca 1968

Jujutsu - The Gentle Art of Self Defense

 

                                            

      Jujutsu was the unarmed combat art of the Bushi, the Nobility and the Warriors of feudal Japan. Along with the right to wear swords, training in the Warrior Arts, weapons, tactics, and spirit was pretty much confined to the Bushi. The Samurai were the most sophisticated and fearsome Warriors of their time.

   “In aggregate, Jujutsu could be defined as an art or technique to attack barehanded or with a short weapon or to defend himself from an opponent barehanded or with the weapon.” Kano Jigoro.

   With this definition the Founder of Judo summarized the broad spectrum of technique that is Jujutsu. This includes throwing, striking vital centers, joint twisting, joint locking, choking, arresting and restraining techniques. Training in safe falling, footwork and body management, even mind control are all encompassed in Jujutsu.
   Jujutsu is about self defense. In traditional Japanese Jujutsu there are no rules of competition, no unfair techniques, and no targets off limits. Classical Jujutsu is not contested. The techniques are such that the risk of injury is unacceptable.
   Though not restricted by rules or defined by technique, Jujutsu is guided by principles. Among these principles are:

    Ju - soft, gentle, yielding.
    “Yield and overcome, bend and be straight.” Lao Tsu
    Jujutsu is literally the art of yielding. Often described as using an opponents force against himself. Deflecting, avoiding, and redirecting an attack allow a weaker smaller force to overcome a stronger greater one. Bamboo in a hurricane is laid over by the wind, but straightens when it passes, while mighty oaks are broken. Flexibility, mental and physical, is a great asset.

    Restraint - to use force only when necessary, and only as much as necessary.
   In a society of sword armed Warriors, Bushido, like the code of Chivalry in Medieval Europe, provided a framework for honor, reason, and virtue, and discouraged excess and abuse of power. The skills of Jujutsu allowed a warrior to defeat unarmed attackers, or unworthy opponents without the dishonor of having to use lethal force, or draw his sword.
    For us refraining from unwarranted aggression or overreaction is the responsibility that comes with the privilege of learning this art.
    Our Bushido includes a simple Budo pledge.
    I will never use my Budo ability to injure or intimidate another person unless necessary to defend myself or others.
    I will never demonstrate my Budo ability in an arrogant or aggressive manner.
    I will practice Budo with care and respect for myself and others.
    I will teach Budo only with the knowledge and consent of my Sensei.
    I will respect my art and obey my Sensei

    “To win a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the highest skill. To overcome an enemy without fighting is the highest skill.” (Sun Tzu).
    A fight is over when you can safely walk away.

    Zen - meditation. A word associated with Zen Buddhism, but meditation is a stand alone principle, not specific to any philosophy or religion. The regular practice of meditation should be an integral part of Jujutsu training. While the ideal of meditation is enlightenment, the virtues and benefits of meditation are many and practical.
Managing ones negative emotions so that fear doesn’t devolve into panic, nor anger become rage.
Quieting the mind, helpful at any time, essential when dealing with urgent situations, allows clear sight, heightened awareness, spontaneous reaction.
Integrating body, mind and spirit.
    It is a Samurai maxim that “The spirit, controls the mind, controls the body.”
    Training the body, practicing until technique be comes reflexive. Seeking knowledge and wisdom. Meditating regularly. These are the practices that bring mind, body and spirit into harmony.

    Ki - the power of the Spirit.
    When we act without inhibition or reservation, either through training, or in desperation, we are capable of extraordinary feats. The power we access, called Ki in Japanese (Chi in Chinese), is demonstrable, if quasi mystical. Ueshiba created Aikido, developing many exercises to enhance and demonstrate the power of the spirit. Ki flows in all of us. When our motives are free of ego and inhibition we can direct and apply a higher power.
 
    Rational technique. For it to be Jujutsu, a technique must be effective, efficient, and appropriate.
    Effective - it only counts if it works.
    Efficient - the maximum effect with the minimum effort.
    Appropriate - necessary and sufficient to meet the needs of the situation.

   A little historical perspective
   In the 12th century Minamoto no Yoritomo defeated the Taira clan and consolidated his power as the first Shogun (warlord) of Japan. A form of warrior wrestling (sumai) was then practiced by the Samurai. According to some accounts the personal army of Yoritomo, Ainu from the island of Hokkaido, were trained in a Ju, or gentle, form of self defense inherently so superior it was rapidly adopted by the Bushi.
   Jujutsu evolved for over the next 300+ years under several names and schools, or family systems, called Ryu.
In the 16th century Takenouchi Hisamori, founder of Takenouchi Ryu Jujutsu, attempted to chronicle and consolidate the schools and styles including Taijutsu, Taido, Wajutsu, Jujutsu, Aikijutsu, and Yawara  under the Jujutsu name. The art continued to flourish until the end of Japan’s feudal period and the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
   As one of the Bugei arts that were the combat training of the Samurai, Jujutsu had been taught in secrecy and only to the Bushi class for hundreds of years. With the end of feudal Japan many of the hundreds of Jujutsu and Bujutsu schools fell into obscurity. Others quietly kept their legacy alive.  
   Kano Jigoro, a master of Kito Ryu and Tenshin Shinryu Jujutsu, founded the Kodokan in 1875. Preserving the spirit of Jujutsu while limiting the more dangerous techniques by rules of competition Kano created the first Budo (modern Japanese martial art). Judo, the way of gentleness, was taught openly to Japanese and westerners alike. Yamashita Yoshiaki, an inner student of Kano, brought Jiu Jitsu* to the United States at the outset of the 20th century, training President Teddy Roosevelt himself as well as many of his family and staff.
                                                                     
    At about the same time Mitsuyo Maeda, Kodokan trained, emigrated to Brazil where he taught Carlos Gracie and others. In recent years Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has emerged as a combat sport, emphasizing and refining the Katame Waza (matwork), or grappling aspects of the art. The success of the Gracies and their students in UFC competition and other submission grappling venues in the past two decades has propelled BJJ to prominence as a recent addition to the modern sport forms. 

    Ueshiba Morihei, a student of Jujutsu and protege of Takeda Sokaku, founder of Daito Ryu AikiJutsu, taught the style while training as a Shinto Priest. From his Jujutsu and spiritual training Ueshiba created another Budo art, Aikido, the Way of Oneness with the Spirit, and founded the Aikikai Hombu. Ueshiba, too, believed in teaching Aikido to any sincere student. Shihan Goody studied at the Hombu under Ueshiba, and was one of the first two Americans he ever certified as Sensei.
   
    * Judo, Aikido, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu all are direct descendants of Jujutsu. In the early twentieth century Kodokan Jujutsu was interchangeable with Judo. The variant spellings (ju jitsu, jiu jitsu) attempt to Americanize the translation from Kanji into Romaji. 

Bushido

                                                            Bushido

   Bushido, the Way of the Warrior, is the Way of Jujutsu. It is a code of ethical conduct, a framework for living with purpose and integrity, and a guide to developing one’s greatest potential. Traditionally a Sensei’s lessons were about Bushido in a feudal society. Today, a Sensei must apply Bushido in a modern democracy. This may require innovation, but the fundamentals transcend time and culture.
    The virtues of Wisdom, Benevolence, Courage, of living with Integrity, of managing one’s fear and anger, of conducting oneself with dignity, of practicing fortitude, restraint and self discipline, are as relevant today as in feudal Japan.

                                                Warriors and Teachers



                       

 

     
  

      Shihan Frank J. Goody Sr, my Sensei, traveled to Japan as a teenager. With letters of introduction from his grandfather and/or uncle he became one of the few Westerners to study and train at the Old Kodokan, under Grand Masters like Mifune Sensei, Nagai Sensei, and Ichijima Sensei, earning the rank of Ni Dan.
    When World War II broke out he joined the Marines, was a hand to hand combat instructor, and saw extensive combat in the Pacific theater, where he was seriously wounded in the Island fighting.
    After the war he joined the Denver Police Dept. He met Frank Matsuyama, Hereditary Grand Master of the Matsuyama Yawarakai (Yawara being an advanced jujutsu system taught only in a few Hatamoto family schools), became his Ichi Ban, and partnered with him to found the American Judo College (later renamed American Budo College). When he died in 1957 Matsuyama designated Shihan Goody as his successor. 
    Shihan Goody was 19 years a police officer, and Denver P.D. hand to hand combat instructor. When I joined the American Budo College in 1963 Shihan Goody held, among others, the following ranks and titles. Judo - Ni Dan (Kodokan), Jujutsu - Roku Dan (Nagai Ryu), Goju Karate - Sho Dan (Yamaguchi), Shin Go Ju Ryu Karate - Hachi Dan (Tin Yang), Tang Soo Do - Yi Dan (honorary - Hwang Ki), Aikido - Sensei (Morihei Ueshiba), Wu Style Tai Chi Ch'uan - Sifu, Yawara - Shichi Dan, Hereditary Grand Master of the Matsuyama Yawarakai. United States Karate Assn. - Hachi Dan and Western Regional Director (Rob't Trias).

    It is Jujutsu Sensei’s responsibility to lead by example, teaching the techniques, principles, and tactics of Warrior Jujutsu, along with spirit of Bushido, the Way of the Warrior. Lessons in life are integrated into the training and practice.
    His responsibility begins with mastery of the principles and techniques of his art.           
 
        “You can’t teach what you don’t know, you can’t lead where you won’t go.”  
 
    Beyond mastery of his art, it’s principles and philosophy, a sensei should approach teaching with humility and respect for tradition, honoring the Sensei’s who have gone before.
    A Sensei must be able to inspire and encourage students. In order for a student to care what you know he needs to know that you care. Know that you care about your art and all aspects that you teach. Know that you honor and respect those who taught and guided you. Know that you care about them, their progress, their safety and well-being.

    I make no pretense to profound scholarship. I’m am not an expert on Japanese culture. Regarding the history of Jujutsu and the philosophy of Bushido I rely on the lessons of my teachers and the writings of others, Japanese and westerners. My Sensei studied in the Japanese dojos of pre WWII and my Japanese terminology probably reflects that. I will offer my views from more than fifty years of training in, studying, and teaching bujutsu. My only expertise is on my own journey.
   From brash young student to Sensei emeritus I’ve tried to approach my art with intellectual curiosity and an open mind. I’ve learned enough to know that seemingly impossible feats can be mastered, and magic can be explained. I’ve seen enough I can neither do nor explain keep me humble in my quest.     
     A traditional sensei is as much about teaching how to live as how to fight. I hope to share some of these “lessons of life” that have meant so much to me, and to my students. I share them as they were passed down to me, some as universal wisdom, some as casual observations, some as rules for conduct and etiquette
   For those who share my interest in martial arts I offer such insights from my training and experience as you may find relevant. For everyone, I hope you find my writings interesting and informative.

Introduction

                              Welcome to my blog - Sensei’s Ramblings.

    This is a blog about martial arts, particularly Japanese jujutsu. However I may be reflecting on many topics, from martial arts to music, philosophy to politics, from the perspective of an American Sensei. 
   What is Sensei? A teacher or professor, in Japanese, “one who has gone before”. Sensei is the title of a teacher of a Japanese martial art. I am a lifelong student and teacher of Jujutsu, the traditional Japanese Warrior art of unarmed self defense.



Ron Small, Sensei - WMJS

    What does it mean to be a warrior?
    A warrior is a person who prepares for and engages in warfare or fighting, not for personal gain but in the interests of his or her community. A warrior defends the people, territory, and way of life. These attributes distinguish a warrior from those who fight for personal motivations, such as money or power. Ideals such as sacrifice, courage, loyalty, and honor are often associated with the warrior.
    In feudal Japan the Warrior class was called Bushi, their code, Bushido - the Way of the Warrior. Samurai were warriors in service, soldiers in the armies of one or another warlord. In war times fighting was their life. In peace times, preparation, refining their combat skills, training in the classical combat arts, of which Jujutsu was the art of unarmed combat.
     Today the warrior’s enemy may be belligerents, states or people, or metaphorically, disease, poverty, or injustice. Soldiers may be warriors, but so may doctors and nurses, lawyers and police officers, politicians, and teachers. 

       For us, warriors are not what you think of as warriors. The warrior, for us, is one who sacrifices himself for the good of others. His task is to protect the elderly, the defenseless, those who cannot provide for themselves, and above all, the children, the future of humanity. (Attributed to Sitting Bull)

   The Warrior is the providence of those in need. He is eyes for the blind, strength for the weak, a shield for the defenseless. He rises by lifting others. Bending over the fallen, he stands erect.     (from Ingersol’s - the superior man)

    Just as not all warriors are soldiers, not all soldiers are warriors. What distinguishes the warrior? That he places social interest over self interest. The warrior chooses his Way. He knows what he is doing, and why. He accepts responsibility for his actions. We can all be warriors, preparing ourselves for, and living a life of purpose.

    A warrior is a man, or woman, of action, guided by reason, controlled by his/her will.


Saiko Shihan Frank J. Goody Sr
A great warrior, and a great Sensei.