August 22, 2014

Commenting and the depth of arts or way 指摘する行為と術・道の深み

ときに,稽古をしていて,形通りの決まった動きをしていないと,即座に指摘や注意をする人がいる。教える,つまり,人に自分の体得したこと学んだことを語って聞かせる,あるいは,自分が考えたことや発見したことを人に教えるのが好きなタイプの人に多い。こうしたとき,はっと気づかされる的確な指摘と,非常に戸惑う不的確な指摘がある。

もちろん,形を間違えて覚えている可能性のある初心者や,初段や二段の人でも形の意味を正しく理解していないために動きがちぐはぐになっているような場合であれば,そうした事細かい指摘や注意は役に立つ。また高段者の場合でも,より深い身体操作や動きに関する場合には,そうした細かい指摘や注意はありがたい。


ただ高段者の場合,そうやって決まった通りの動きをしていないのは,何か意図があってそうしている可能性もある。だから,決まった通りに動こうとしていて間違えているのか(間違えて覚えているのか,気がつかずに習慣的に不自然不合理な方法で動いているのか),あるいは,決まった通りのやり方とは違うやり方で意図的に動かして研究しているのかを,教える側は見極める必要がある。


師以外の,注意をしても咎められない立場にあるような,例えば,当人よりも段位が上の人であるとか,稽古歴の長い「先輩」や「師範代」や「先生」筋であれば,その辺りは当然見極められるはずである。しかし,残念ながら,実際はそういう稽古眼・観察眼のある人ばかりではない。ときに,まったく予想外の指摘や注意をする人がいる。これには内心,非常に戸惑う。


稽古をすればするほど,他者に何かを物申す気が失せていく。つまり,おそらく術を深めて道を極めた達人に近づけば近づくほど,人にあれこれ言う気が無くなっていくのではないだろうか。そういう達人からすれば,他者などどうでも良いのだ。


もちろん,教えるか教えないかは,その人のパーソナリティによるところは大きい。また,術を広めたい残したいという思いから教えることもあるし,人に請われて教えることもあるだろう。ただ,いずれの場合であっても,術に深みがあり道を知る人ほど,相手の稽古の様子を全く鑑みないような唐突な指摘や注意をするようなことはしない。指摘や注意が的確で深いと感じる人は,武術家・武道家として本物である。つまり,こうした他者の状態・状況の見立てや見極めこそ,その人の術や道の練度の表れの一つといえる。


During the practice, we sometimes meet a person who gives a comment or warning to us, immediately when we do not move according to the formulated sequences of kata. He/she often seems to be an individual who loves teaching, that is, telling others what he/she acquired and learned, or showing what he/she thought and found. When such an individual makes such a comment to us, there are two types of comments; exact one inspiring us with awareness and inexact one perplexing us with surprise.


Of course, these detailed comments and warnings are helpful for beginners who are possible to learn the movements of kata in a wrong way, or even the first and second dan black-belt practitioners who move oddly because they do not realize the meanings of kata in a correct way. Also, these ones are valuable even for high-dan holders when they are about profound body manipulations or movements.

But, as for high-dan holders, there is a possibility that they have some specific intention when they do not move according to the formulated sequences or movements. Therefore, persons who is in a position of teaching them must identify whether they are mistaking the sequences or movements though they want to move in a formulated way (they remember the sequences or movements falsely, or they are not aware of their habitual movements in an unnatural irrational manner), or they are examining the body movements by intentionally moving in a way rather than the formulated one.

Persons but our own master, who is not blamed for giving a comment or warning to us, such as higher-dan holders than us, "senior practitioners" that have a longer history of practice than us, "assistant instructors," and "sensei" the fellow disciples of our master, as a matter of course, ought to identify how and what we practice at that time. But, unfortunately, it is not actually all of them that have such an ability to observe others during practice. Sometimes, there are individuals that give an completely unexpected comment or warning to us. This extremely bothers us at heart.

The more we practice, the less motivation to say anything to others we have. In other words, there may be a possibility that the more people is becoming a master who has deepened the techniques of the art and gone to the heart of the art, the less they are decreasing their intention to say something to others. It doesn't matter to such a master how others behave.

Of course, whether a person teach others or not largely depends on his/her personality. There may be some teachers who want to spread and hand down their art, and other ones who are requested to teach their art. But, in any case, a person whose art is deep and who know the way of the art would not give a sudden comment and warning to others with no consideration about how and what they practice. A person that we feel gives a precise and deep comment or warning is a genuine martial artists or budo-ka. Therefore, it is this judgment or identification of others' state or situation that is said to be one of expressions of how the person practice the art or way.