Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion. Respect others in their view and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even to a stranger when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing. For abuse turns wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a warrior going home.

It is widely known that the Japanese often have a different way of looking at things. Their difference in character and culture makes Japan a fascinating place to visit, where you can compare many things to your home country and maybe learn something about yourself along the way. Culture in general, across the world, varies from ancient traditions to attitudes in daily life. Some say that there is a lot that western people can learn from Asian concepts, and one of these is the concept of “mushin”, a fascinating form of meditation and mental state that can greatly affect the way one lives their life and carries out their life.

The word “mushin” is comprised of two kanji characters: 無 (mu), meaning “nothingness”, and 心 (shin), meaning “heart,” “spirit,” or, in this case, “mind.” In this way, mushin can be roughly translated to “nothing mind” or “no mind.” It comes from a longer phrase used in Zen Buddhism, (mushin no shin), or “mind of no mind.”

What does this mean, exactly? Why might it be important? Mushin is a mental state where your mind is empty of all thoughts, all desires, and all assumptions. When your mind is clear, you are free and able to act spontaneously and fluidly without emotion and hesitation getting in the way.

An early description of mushin comes from the famous Zen Buddhist monk and accomplished swordsman, Takuan Soho (1573 – 1645) in The Unfettered Mind. In this work, he connects aspects of Zen Buddhism with martial arts. The following paragraph provides an excellent explanation of what goes on in the mind of a swordsman when they are in a state of mushin.

“When the swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent, nor of himself, nor of his enemy`s sword movements. He just stands there with his sword which, forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dictates of the subconscious. The man has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the man`s subconscious that strikes.”

A more recent interpretation of Takuan Soho’s view on mushin is included in the manga Vagabond, written and illustrated by Takehiko Inoue (and based off of Eiji Yoshikawa’s Musashi novels). Takuan Soho is said to have been a friend and advisor to Miyamoto Musashi, expert swordsman and author of The Book of Five Rings. In the fictionalized conversation between the two of them below, Takuan tells Musashi not to be “preoccupied with a single spot.” If you are preoccupied, you lose mushin, and are not able to act effortlessly in any situation.   (Zanshin)

Is it possible to be an expert swordsman only by training the mind and achieving mushin? No, that’s not it at all. Of course, mental training is important, but you can’t defeat someone in a physical fight by using the mind alone. The actual technique has to be learned to begin with in order to achieve it. However, you need to learn what to do first, (kata's) and to do so you do need to use your consciousness to become familiar with the bodily movements.

So how can you hope to achieve this effortless state? The simplest answer is through dedicated practice. One needs to practice so much that technique becomes instinct or second nature. One of the ways of doing this is through kihon, or basics. By practicing these movements, we are building “muscle memory” and become familiar with basic foot and body movements (ashi-sabaki and te-sabaki, respectively). This, in turn, helps us with our waza, or techniques, which we practice with different partners in the dojo, and further helps us with our muscle memory and awareness of what to do in various situations. The more we practice, the less conscious we become with our movements.

Your mind must clear so you can quickly and appropriately respond and adapt to all situations

Mind the sword, mind the people watching, mind your footsteps 

No Mind! 

戦士・武士の詩

死の恐怖に侵されない自分の人生を生きろ

人の宗教を冒瀆するな

他人の考えを尊重し 自分の考えにも他人からの尊重を求めよ

自分の人生を愛し、完璧な人生を生き、自分の人生の全てのものを美化せよ

長く生き 自分の周囲の人に尽くせ

死に際のために気高き死の歌を準備せよ

友達に会う際や別れる際にはいつも敬意を表し 挨拶せよ

孤独な場所で 見知らぬ人でさえも

全ての人へ尊敬を示し 卑屈になるな

朝起きる際 食物や生きている喜びに感謝せよ

感謝する理由が見つからなければ、その過ちは自分自身の問題だ

誰も 何も悪用してはいけない

悪用することは賢者を愚者に変え 心から視界を奪う

死ぬ際、死の恐怖に心が満たされるようになるな

したがってその際 嘆き もう一度異なる人生を生きるために もう少し時間を求め祈る な

死の歌を歌い、戦士・武士が帰還するように逝け

 

Ishido Sensei – Iaido shinsain no me

 

20. August 2012

 

Article from the book The Eyes of the Iaido Shinsa – 2009

 

Can you perform “Ni-ku, San-ke”? Devote yourself to acquiring Shu

 

Profile of Ishido Shizufumi Hanshi: Born in 1945 in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture. On

graduating from Nihon University, he joined Chiyoda Glass. Left the company in December 1976, after which he devoted himself to teaching at Shinbukan Ishido Dojo. Started practicing Iaido in 1955 with his father, Ishido Sadataro. Won the 7th dan division in the National Iaido Championship. Currently

holds the positions of Deputy Head of the Kanagawa Prefecture Iaido Division and Head of the

Shinbukan Ishido Dojo. Attained 8th dan in Iaido in 1994, and became Hanshi in 2006. Also holds

Kyoshi 7th dan in Kendo, and Kyoshi 8th dan in Jodo.

I have decided to pick up my pen and write down my thoughts in order to help people

who are currently practicing Iaido.

Firstly, I am going to state my thoughts on Iaido, that’s because I approach gradings

based on these thoughts. From long ago it has been said that “the innermost secret of

Iaido is always being in the moment, wherever you are, so that you can respond to

anything swiftly”. In other words, I think Iaido is about developing a mind in which

you never become flustered and retain a calm presence of mind no matter what

happens, dealing with things without becoming alarmed.

If you were to compare training to mountain climbing, everybody starts the climb to

the top from a different environment and a different direction. There are a variety of

motives for starting, be it for health reasons or because you want to become stronger;

however, once you have started, you cannot stop. There are sure to be times when you

hit a wall, times when you experience problems, but you have to aim for the top while

overcoming these things. Although there is no knowing if you will ever be able to

reach the top, it is nevertheless important to keep enjoying training with an intention

to reach the top. I think that by persevering you are sure to gain something that will be

of benefit to you.

Iaido was created as a way to attain techniques that allow you to defend yourself and

attack others. Opinions about these goals differ according to the person and the era in

which the practitioner lived. There are three main goals in Iaido: to cultivate the spirit,

to train the body, and to master the techniques. These three have varying degrees of

importance. The most important goal is to cultivate the spirit, followed by training the

body. The last goal of mastering the techniques is a means that allows the other goals

to be attained. In other words, Iaido is truly a path that cultivates a warrior-like

character and enhances the Japanese spirit.

These three goals complement each other for them to be all achieved, thus you

shouldn’t aim for the first two goals and dismiss the third one. However, it is an

unavoidable fact that their importance will vary according to the person and the times.

When people in the past fought with a sword, their focus was on technique because

this decided the outcome of a duel and hence was connected to their very survival.

Back then mastery of technique was the ultimate goal.

Since culture has advanced and times have changed, the goals of current Iaido

practitioners are not just confined to those previously mentioned. In terms of both

technique and spirit that has developed over the past few hundred years, Iaido has

reached a level of profound exquisiteness, incorporated a system of etiquette and

finally, through its fusion with Confucianism, Shintoism and Buddhism, it has

become a path that cultivates and builds the human character.

Everyday life is Iai

The following teaching explains the stages involved in martial arts training: Shu

(protect); Ha (break); Ri (separate). I personally only believe in Shu. Although this is

the stage in which you train to remain faithful to your Sensei’s teachings, forms and

techniques, making sure not to stray from them, I think it is a difficult stage that

remains a perpetual goal.

The higher up the grading a person tests for, the clearer it is whether or not he or she

has firm foundations. Namely, if you focus on and tackle Shu, this surely becomes Ha

and then Ri.

Your own hard work is important for you to be certain to attain Shu, but so is learning

from a good Sensei. You should listen to your Sensei’s teachings with an open mind

and then practice to make your body remember the techniques.

One of the organisations currently bearing the role of Shu in Iai is the Zen Nihon

Kendo Renmei Iai. Gradings are becoming increasingly important. The manual

written by the association takes great care in explaining the details of the essentials

and movements, such as distance to opponents (Maai), as well as heights and angles,

which are all correctly determined. It is easy to understand, but I think it is best to first

receive instruction on the forms and then carefully read it. If you read it first, you will

have preconceptions, meaning that you won’t be able to work out what mistakes are.

Understand that Iai is a combination of logical reasoning and truths, and that you

cannot alter the specifics of the theory. In other words, the facts and the truths are

consistent with each other.

I firmly believe that the way that you behave and move in Iai does not specially

change from the way that you behave and move in your daily life. This applies to

when you sit down, stand up, change direction, walk and anything else that you do

when a guest comes to your house – the only difference is that you have a sword in

your belt and that you draw and re-sheathe your sword. You have to be sufficiently

aware that the way you are in your everyday life will manifest itself in an Embu. If

you are not aware of this, no matter how good your forms are at an Embu, the Embu

itself will lack appeal if your training in everyday life is insufficient. The examiners

will be able to see through this immediately.

The three ways to train your mind in Iai are based on wisdom, benevolence and

courage, which are the three aspects of sincerity. Through wisdom you can distinguish

the nature of things; through benevolence you realize your path; and through courage

you carry out that path. The root of these aspects comes from the five cardinal virtues

that people have received from the heavens: benevolence, justice, courtesy, wisdom

and fidelity. Since the path has not changed since the ancient times, it is based on

these virtues. Other manifestations of these virtues exist in the relationships between

father and child, subject and lord, married couples, siblings and between friends.

Those people who conduct themselves in accordance with these five virtues are said

to be on the path. The source of this conduct comes solely from sincerity. The path’s

driving force comes from sincerity, which is fair and pure. It is said that “sincerity is

the path of the heavens, so that those people who strive to be sincere become the

path”. Thus, this is naturally the path that people should proceed along. If one

considers that Iai is a path in which you achieve mastery over yourself and others, you

learn the forms in which the spirit is displayed, so you learn the virtues. You have to

focus on benevolence, sincerity, endurance, justice, courage, compassion, honour and

shame, and develop a sense of gratitude.

Are you aware of distance (Maai) when you are drawing your sword?

Attire and etiquette are important points during a grading. This is something else that

you also need to attain from your daily life. Thus, when etiquette is neglected you

cannot have true Iai. Etiquette is explained in detail in the clauses about manners in

the manual produced by the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei Iai. Even though the manual

goes into how to use the fingers, I have seen people confuse this to old styles’

etiquette, so the utmost care must be taken.

A Dojo is a tranquil area where Buddhist training is carried out, and it is a place that

is sacred and inviolable. Even if the facilities of your dojo are lacking, when you

practice Iai there you must regard the area as a Dojo. Therefore, you should conduct

your entire daily lifestyle based on strict rules of etiquette.

In Iai there are three subjects to which you bow. The first is bowing to the deity (or

Shinzen), which helps to develop feelings of reverence towards the emperor. Bowing

to your Sensei is similar to bowing to your parents; hence it cultivates a feeling of

filial piety. Lastly, bowing to each other is the same as bowing between siblings, so it

cultivates a feeling of trust. If you carry out etiquette with this mindset, it will be

sincere.

My father considered the phrase “Ni-ku, San-ke” important and would tell me to

never forget it. Ni-ku refers to calming down (Ochitsu-ku) early on (Hya-ku), while

San-ke refers to Metsuke, Nukitsuke and Kiritsuke (translator’s note: this is a play on

words that is close to the idiom created by the author’s father.) These are truly the

words that are right on the mark in terms of identifying the key points one should

focus on when practicing Iai. In fact, they are also the key points that I focus on

during a grading.

A manual is important to understand the context of “Ni-ku, San-ke”. The way to

improve is to get rid of your preconceptions and always approach the manual with an

open mind, as if you are reading it for the first time. Even then there will be times

when you will not notice things.

It is important that, even after you have carefully read the manual and are shown the

correct techniques by your Sensei, you get rid of your preconceptions. Take for

example the phrase “Kisen wo seishite (to get a jump ahead of)”. What condition does

this refer to? How would you like to deal with your opponent? What will you do when

you become aware of your opponent’s ill intent? Will you draw before your opponent

starts to move? What does it mean to draw with Jo-Ha-Kyu? This refers to the draw

starting slowly, gradually increasing in speed, then finally reaching its fastest speed

the moment the swords leaves the scabbard. It is not good to blindly draw quickly, but

rather to draw in accordance to your imaginary opponent’s movement. I am sure that

everybody knows this, but it is still important to repeatedly read the manual and

confirm this point.

Carrying out the techniques simultaneously with your Sensei’s correct techniques will

allow your body to naturally remember them. This will then become apparent during a

grading.

It is surprising how seldom the supplementary parts of the manual are read. The

preface and the parts on Metsuke and etiquette need to be read particularly carefully.

Take, for example, the 3rd Waza, Ukenagashi. The sword is drawn so that it ends up

above the head and close to the chest. In this this case, how close is the sword to the

chest and how far above the head is it? At gradings, I check to see if people

sufficiently understand that the parry (Ukenagashi) occurs when the sword leaves the

scabbard at the time that the right foot is planted on the inside of the left foot.

The correct technique is to “utilize the energy of parrying (Ukenagasu) your

opponent’s sword to bring the Kissaki upwards and to the right”. Have you swung

your sword? Did the Kissaki swing right and upwards as a result of you just bringing

your sword up? The fact that you have to change to face your opponent the instant

that you parry you will not be facing your opponent square on. The form that you take

when you cut down at a Kesa angle is no different from the fifth Waza, although the

angle of your opponent is different.

I would like you to review once more how the twelve Waza of the Zen Nihon Kendo

Renmei Iai are connected to each other. Pay particular attention to studying the

importance of Ma and Maai – especially Maai. If somebody were to ask me if I can

visualise my imaginary opponents, I would reply no, but whether it be sitting or

standing forms, my Maai is correct so that I cut with my Monouchi. If possible, I

would like you and the members of your Dojo to work in pairs using Bokuto to

determine Maai.

10 points to bear in mind for 8th dan grading

In May 1976, I failed my 7th dan grading in Kyoto. However, I subsequently passed it

on November 1, 1976 in Fukushima. At the national tournament that took place the

day before the grading I saw Kawaguchi Toshihiko Sensei’s Iai and that is when I

finally saw the light. Up until then I had focused mainly on Kendo and looked down

upon Iai. Upon seeing Kawaguchi Sensei’s Iai I felt ashamed that I had achieved 6th

dan by just training for one hour a month (translator’s note: this is exactly what it says

in Japanese). But at the same time I was moved so much by his amazing Iai that I

could not describe it in words.

The next day at the 7th dan grading I was in position 1A, Kawaguchi Sensei in 1B and

Tamaki Sensei in 1C. Please try to picture what it was like. Luckily, since I had

practiced two hours a month (translator’s note: this is exactly what it says in Japanese),

and riding on my father’s coat-tails, I was able to pass. But deep down I felt so

ashamed.

After the grading when I went to get criticism from an old acquaintance of my

father’s, Sakamoto Kichiro Sensei from Osaka, he said, “I reckon that you were more

or less even with Kawaguchi Sensei.” I had the nerve to not even recognise this as

flattery. I asked Kawaguchi Sensei how much he practiced, to which he candidly

replied two to three hours a day. I went back to my house and based on some simple

calculations I practiced 6 hours a day for the next 18 months. This I believe is what

has made me what I am today.

I can firmly state that I would not be who I am if I had not met Kawaguchi Sensei or

not been flattered by Sakamoto Sensei. I am always grateful from the bottom of my

heart for the instruction and support from my seniors and Senseis, the cooperation and

friendship of my peers, and the support and consideration from my family that has

allowed to me practice. I am determined to make sure that what I have received will

benefit as many people as possible.

Finally, I will list the points that I have selected for those people who are taking the

8th dan grading. I would be happy if you use them as a reference.

- Get rid of your preconceptions and learn with a beginner’s mind.

- Study and practice at the same time.

- Persevere.

- Strengthen your body; do not abuse it.

- Be logical in your questioning if you are going to ask for instruction.

- There is a beginning to training, but no end.

- Only Shu exists in training, not Ha or Ri.

- Try to make sure that logical reasoning and truth are always the same.

- Make sure that your Iai displays humility and politeness.

- Make sure that your Iai displays proper behavior.

If you have a desire to learn Budo, particularly Iai, you must first learn about the mind

(Kokoro). The mind determines your actions, which become habits, and habits create

a person’s character, which in turn determines your destiny. My training is still in

progress, so I would be happy to forge friendships with everyone and contribute to the

development of Iaido.

Translation provided by Raju Thakrar – Editing review by Chris Mansfield

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