Dosa - The Way of Movement

Dousa (動作) = Movement, the way you move or how you move,

動 = to move, to act, 

作 = to make, to work, production, same character as sahou (作法) = manner

We have spoken of Kamae and Inzo in previous posts, but I'll give a brief review and a few more details here.

Inzo being the Seal of the Kamae. The Inzo begins with the finger nails and toe nails to include the position of hands and feet as the point between our tanden and the universe around us. The Inzo seals the intent of the Kamae, so the Kamae is really important, as is it's seal.

Kamae is the Stance / Position / or Pose that implies both the moving in and moving out; but is primarily the position of our tanden in the universe. The position of our Tanden, of course, sets the position of our whole-self. When we discuss Kamae, we are usually talking about the body position, but since there is really no separation between... we are also speaking of: Where we are, How we stand; the positions we hold from our core principles and beliefs.

The third foundation of this triad is Dosa. The Dosa is the moving in and out of Kamae. How we move in the world. How we live our daily life... every moment of every day.

Of course all three of these rely on the secret 5.

1. Kokyu = Breathing

2. Yurumeru = Letting go / to relax

3. Tanden = Our Center

4. Hone = Bone

5. Hari = Stretching

The Dosa / Movement always begin and end with Rei (Manners / Etiquette / the physical bow). And Rei always begins and ends with Tanden (our Core). Moving with the Breath (Kokyu), Blood (Chi), and Bone (Hone) create a beautiful Dosa.

Being mindful of our position in the world and moving from our center without force, without pushing or pulling. By being in a beautiful pose for others to see and emulate, by showing movement of challenged ease, presents the Dosa of the Japanese Do arts.

Practice

We are taught that there are 3 kinds of practice or keiko.
1. Mitori Geiko = Taking with the eyes; observation; watching
2. Kufu(u) Geiko = Experimentation; to work it out...
3. Kazu Geiko = Repeat with the body; to emobdy the practice.

Also I think there is a place for Jiyu Keiko; free practice or open practice.

Keiko is an interesting word to me. 'Kei' is To Think or Study, and 'ko' is the past. Keiko is then to study the past, or think of the past... the ways of the past, of olden times... of those who came before. For me, I begin to appreciate all those who came before and all they did to prepare the way for us today.

Shugyo too, is usually used for an austere practice or training. 'Shu' is often translated as 'to conduct oneself well'. The 'gyo(u)' is action, activity, going, walking depending on the circumstances it is used (I've even seen it translated as karma). But in our school we say the kanji came from a phrase 'to sweep the dust balls from the corner of the room'. It means to me to find the last remenents of our attachment hidden in the corners and dust them away, brush or sweep them away as needed. I suppose this could sometimes take some austere measures, but I just brush them away and let the wind carry them from there.

There are other good words used for practice. Renshu is a favorite of mine. The 'ren' means to knead or polish, and 'shu' means to learn or study. Renshu is actually a Buddhist term we use for a repetitive ritual... we knead our study or polish our practice by repeating it until we embody it. We repeat it mindfully until the movements become unconscious in their execution even though we are still quite conscious of what is happening, but we no longer do it, we just experience it. To shoot unconsciously doesn't mean we are unconscious of what is happening, it means we are not consciously deciding how to execute the shot, but letting the bow, arrow, and target teach us what to do and where to go; they point the way.

In kyudo it is the minds job to learn, the body already knows what to do; the way of shooting is in everyone's DNA; there is not a culture in the world that didn't have a bow and arrow 2000 years ago; our bodies already know how to shoot. The bow, glove and arrow too, though they have no brain have been constructed by master craftsman for generations, and they have embued the way of shooting into the equipment for us; we have but to pay attention, very very close attention... attention to every detail and subtlety (including our heartbeat and breath) of our relationship with the equipment... and our alignment to the target and space around us... and those in the space around us... and on and on and on... when there is no distinction between all these things... when the stars align, kyudo is truely beautiful. ["... and there is the Golden Body, shining white, and the Half Moon positioned in the West" an excerpt from the end of the 'Shaho(u)-Kun by Master Yoshimi Junsei; a shingon priest and founder of the Kishu Clan and Kishu Chikurin-ha Heki-ryu Kyudo]

Either way I wish you a good practice.
Gambatte ne.
Thank you,
jyozen

Training Continues

Since Master Yen passed away I trained with a variety of instructors in a variety of martial arts, sometimes just for a seminar or maybe for a year or two. These include Bill Ryusaki Sensei, Roger Arell Sensei, Russell Black Sifu; But my next real teacher / student relationship was with Hirotaka Okubo Sensei in February of 1982.

I met Okubo Sensei at the San Fernando Kendo dojo. We used to move from one sensei (instructor) to another as we attacked each of them with our shinai (bamboo swords). The first day Okubo Sensei came, I cut down on his men (helmet) and shouted 'Men!'. He was small and in his sixties but he held up his hand as I tried to pass and stopped me in my tracks, like hitting a brick wall. He whispered to me 'that's the best kiai (shout) I've ever heard; you should come practice with me at my class at UCLA on Saturday;' Of course I answered 'Hai Sensei' (yes teacher). The following week at break time Okubo Sensei scolded me, 'you said you would come to my class at UCLA, but you didn't come'. I apologized and promised to come. He had me pick him up at his house and take him to UCLA across town. When we started class at UCLA I again cut down on his 'men' and again he stopped me in my tracks; but this time he said, 'what was that, you sound like a wolf howling to the moon' that's the worst kiai I've ever heard'.

I started going to his house almost daily. We would either go to a class somewhere in L.A. together, or I would practice swinging the shinai in his living room.

Training Begins

My martial arts training began in 1966. My sisiter's friend drove us to the beach. We always sat near the 'rings'. These rings stretched in a line of about a dozen rings; everyone would climb a few steps, jump out, and catch the first ring; then they would swing back and forth from ring to ring until they dropped to the ground on the far side. I tried, but couldn't even reach the first ring; I would just miss and land right there on the ground. As I walked away a boy, even smaller than I, climbed up, jumped, grabbed the first ring and swung back and forth from ring to ring and dropped on the far side. I stood there with my mouth hanging open; the boy said, 'hi'.

His name was Johnny Wills and I asked him how learned to jump and swing like that. His father and uncle taught judo and pinjat silat; they had brought in an oriental teacher for him to learn more. This teacher was Master Yen Su Ho. Johnny and I studied with Master Yen till his death 10 years later. I couldn't travel 'over the hill' to see Master Yen as often as I wanted, so I began to train with other teachers and practice with my friends everyday. Martial arts training became my life.

The basics I teach today are the same basics Master Yen taught me in my youth: Breathing; Relaxing; Moving from our center; using our bone alignment, and extending out.