形は，動きの流れに沿ってあるスピード（勢い，ペース）やリズム（テンポ）で動くことが伝承されている。習い始めは，まず動きの順番（流れ）を覚えることが求められる。一通り覚えたら次はその形特有のスピードとリズムを動きに合わせて覚える。ここまでが入門段階だろう。
有段者あるいは上級者は次の段階に進む。同じ形の同じ動作でも，スピードやリズムを変えて動いてみる。すると，伝統的に伝わっているスピードとリズムで練った場合と明らかに身体感覚が異なる。例えば，同じ動作でも，ゆっくり動いた方が，内的な身体感覚を練りやすい。速く動くとごまかしが効くけれど，ゆっくり動くとごまかしが効かない。また，ゆっくり動いた方が意識を身体各所に向けやすい。
武道の稽古としては，だから，様々なスピードとリズムで形を練るのが良い。あえてスピードを速める，あるいは，緩める。あえてリズムを崩す，あるいは，変化させる。そうすることで指先から足先までの身体各所の微細な感覚を詳細に感じ取ることできる。スピードとリズムの違いによる感覚の違いを味わう。そうすることで，身体への気づきがより促される。
武術的にも，速く動くこととゆっくり動くことの両方で稽古をした方が良いだろう。一人稽古で形を練るばかりでなく，二人稽古で技を合わせる場合にも同様である。そうすることで，身体操作の幅が広がる。身体操作の幅が広がれば，敵への対応の幅も広がるだろう。
As for katas of martial arts, it is passed down that we should move along a specific series of actions with a certain speed (momentum or pace) and rhythm (or tempo). When we start learning martial arts, we are required first to memorize the order (sequence) of movements. Once you memorize all the order, then we need to learn it with a speed and rhythm specific to the kata. Until this stage may be the introduction.
Dan-holding or advanced-level practitioners progress to the next stage. If you held a black-belt, when you practice the same movements in the same kata, you should try to move with a different speed and rhythm. Then, you will find a clearly different physical sensation from when you practice with a traditional speed and rhythm. For example, you can cultivate your inner physical sensation more easily by moving slowly than quickly, even when you perform the same actions. You can hide something vague and unclear in the movements if you move quickly, but can not do that if slowly. In addition, you can direct attention to each part of your body more easily when you move slowly.
Therefore, if you want more advanced practice of Budo, you should polish your katas with various kinds of speed and rhythm. You should do intend to quicken or slow down. You should do intend to break or change the rhythm. It allows you to feel the fine sensations of every parts of the body in detail, from fingertips to toes. You can taste the differences in sense made by the different speed and rhythm. It helps you to be more aware of your body.
In terms of martial arts training, you should practice moving both quickly and slowly. You should do that not only when you polish katas by yourself, but also when you practice techniques with a partner. Then, it enables you to broaden the extent of your body manipulation. The broader the extent of your body manipulation is, the broader the extent of interaction with enemies would be.
November 15, 2014
October 27, 2014
Coordination or Covariance of Body Parts 身体の連動性・共変性
手を動かしたときに，我々の身体の他の部位，例えば腰や足はどうなるだろうか。具体的には，例えば，手で突いたときに，足は一体どうなっているだろうか。どういう反応や変化が起きていると感じるだろうか。武道の稽古では，そのように，ある箇所の動きに連動・共変する別の箇所の動きにも同時並列的に意識を向けることが重要である。
別の言い方をすれば，手を動かそうと思って動かしたときに，腰や足はどう動きたがるか，動かざるを得ないか，ということである。これは視点を変えると，手を動かすという目的を達成するためには，いかに腰や足を動かすか，ということが大切だという意味である。つまり，結果的に，手を動かすという問題は，腰や足を動かすという問題に置換される。
今，手を動かす，と表現したけれども，これを「突く」と言い換えると，「突く」という問題は手をいかに動かすかという問題ではなく，足腰をいかに動かすかという問題と同値になる。「突く」ときにはつい，我々は手や腕に意識が集まりがちだが，つまり，我々はつい「手で（腕で）突」きがちであるが，実はそうではない。むしろ，そのとき全身の身体の各部分がどう連動・共変しているかに豊かに意識を向けることが大切なのである。
武術は，手や腕を使うことが多い。空手がもともと「手」と言われていたように，戦闘場面において攻防に用いられる優先的な部位は，明らかに手や腕であろう。そのようにして，手や腕で突いたり受けたり掛けたりするということは，本当のところ，腰や足で突いたり受けたり掛けたりするのだ，という発想あるいは視点の転換こそが必須である。
When we move our hands, how do the other parts of our body move, for example, our waist and hips or our feet? Concretely, for example, when we punch by our hand, how really are my feet? What kinds of reaction or change can we feel are created? As for the practice of Budo, in this way, it is important to be simultaneously aware of even the movement of other parts that coordinates or covaries with the one of a certain part.
In other words, what should be stated here is how our waist, hips, and feet will want or have to move when we intentionally move our hands. From another perspective, this means that how to move our waist, hips, and feet is important for achieving the purpose of moving our hands. Thus, as a result, the matter of moving hands is replaced by the one about moving waist, hips, and feet.
Here, we stated that we move our hands, but if we restate from it into that we "punch," the matter of "punching" is not the one of how we move our hands, but just identically how we move our waist, hips, and feet. When we launch a "punch," we unintentionally tend to focus on our hands and arms, which means that we tend to "punch by the hands (arms)", but this is not true. Rather, it is important to pay rich attention to how all parts of our whole body are coordinating or covarying with each other, when we "punch."
Generally in martial arts, hands and arms are often used. For example, like karate which had been originally called "te (hand)," the part of body that can be used preferentially for offense and defense in the case of fighting may be clearly hands and arms. In this way, it is necessary to shift the way of thinking or the viewpoint, which means that punching, blocking, or hooking by hands and arms is actually just punching, blocking, or hooking by waist, hips and feet.
別の言い方をすれば，手を動かそうと思って動かしたときに，腰や足はどう動きたがるか，動かざるを得ないか，ということである。これは視点を変えると，手を動かすという目的を達成するためには，いかに腰や足を動かすか，ということが大切だという意味である。つまり，結果的に，手を動かすという問題は，腰や足を動かすという問題に置換される。
今，手を動かす，と表現したけれども，これを「突く」と言い換えると，「突く」という問題は手をいかに動かすかという問題ではなく，足腰をいかに動かすかという問題と同値になる。「突く」ときにはつい，我々は手や腕に意識が集まりがちだが，つまり，我々はつい「手で（腕で）突」きがちであるが，実はそうではない。むしろ，そのとき全身の身体の各部分がどう連動・共変しているかに豊かに意識を向けることが大切なのである。
武術は，手や腕を使うことが多い。空手がもともと「手」と言われていたように，戦闘場面において攻防に用いられる優先的な部位は，明らかに手や腕であろう。そのようにして，手や腕で突いたり受けたり掛けたりするということは，本当のところ，腰や足で突いたり受けたり掛けたりするのだ，という発想あるいは視点の転換こそが必須である。
When we move our hands, how do the other parts of our body move, for example, our waist and hips or our feet? Concretely, for example, when we punch by our hand, how really are my feet? What kinds of reaction or change can we feel are created? As for the practice of Budo, in this way, it is important to be simultaneously aware of even the movement of other parts that coordinates or covaries with the one of a certain part.
In other words, what should be stated here is how our waist, hips, and feet will want or have to move when we intentionally move our hands. From another perspective, this means that how to move our waist, hips, and feet is important for achieving the purpose of moving our hands. Thus, as a result, the matter of moving hands is replaced by the one about moving waist, hips, and feet.
Here, we stated that we move our hands, but if we restate from it into that we "punch," the matter of "punching" is not the one of how we move our hands, but just identically how we move our waist, hips, and feet. When we launch a "punch," we unintentionally tend to focus on our hands and arms, which means that we tend to "punch by the hands (arms)", but this is not true. Rather, it is important to pay rich attention to how all parts of our whole body are coordinating or covarying with each other, when we "punch."
Generally in martial arts, hands and arms are often used. For example, like karate which had been originally called "te (hand)," the part of body that can be used preferentially for offense and defense in the case of fighting may be clearly hands and arms. In this way, it is necessary to shift the way of thinking or the viewpoint, which means that punching, blocking, or hooking by hands and arms is actually just punching, blocking, or hooking by waist, hips and feet.
October 02, 2014
Visual Sense 視覚
我々は普段の日常生活から大いに視覚に頼っているために，稽古中もつい視覚に頼ってしまう。目で見た情報，視覚から入る外的な情報を重視してしまう。具体的には例えば，自身の動作のチェックを視覚的にしようとするために，目で各所の位置や動きを確認しようとする。当の本人は目でチェックしているだけのつもりだが，その様子を端から見れば，せわしなく頭や顔や目線が動いていることになる。あるいは，鏡や窓に映る自分の姿ばかり気にしてしまう。このときは身体の向きを問わず，頭や顔や目線はひっきりなしに鏡や窓の方を向いていることになる。自分の目で自身の身体をチェックするにしても，鏡や窓に映る自身の姿をチェックするにしても，いずれの場合も，外的な視覚情報を求めていることに変わりはない。
武道の稽古としては，本来，これではいけない。視覚でもって外的に自身の身体を観察してばかりではいけない。武道は，内的な目，心の目でもって自身の身体を観察しなければ，稽古する意味がない。武道の稽古とは，内側で感じる身体感覚，すなわち，皮膚感覚（外受容感覚）や深部感覚（固有受容感覚）や内臓感覚（内受容感覚）に目を向ける。そこでの微細な感覚に集中する。こうした微細な身体感覚を徹底的に追い求めるのが，武道稽古である。
試しに目を閉じて稽古をしてみると良い。そうすると，我々はいかに目からの入力に頼って動いているかを，即座に知ることができる。容易にバランスを崩すことは当然のことながら，自身の四肢の位置さえも覚束なくなる。目を閉じるだけで，内的な身体感覚，特には四肢の位置や運動状態に関する深部感覚（固有受容感覚）の情報よりも，外的な視覚の情報に頼ってしまっているかを自得することができる。
このように武道は，極論すれば，視覚に一切頼らず，深部感覚のみで稽古する。実際には目を開けていればそれは不可能だけれども，極力，外から目で見て動くのではなく，内から身体で感じて動く。武道的な身体は，本来，そうして練られるものである。
We highly depend on our visual sense in daily life, so we unintentionally do that during the practice. We involuntarily put weight on the information that we see by our eyes, or we receive from the outside through the visual sense. Concretely, for example, we attempt to confirm the position and movement of each part of our body by eyes in order that we seek to check visually our own actions. The person himself/herself thinks he/she is checking just by eyes, but objectively observed, he/she is hurriedly moving his/her head, face, and gaze. Or, he/she is unintentionally paying attention only to his/her own figure reflected in the mirror or window. At this moment, regardless of his/her bodily position, his/her head, face, and eyes may be incessantly directed toward the mirror or window. Even if he/she checks his/her own body directly by eyes, or even if he/she checks his/her own figure reflected in the mirror or window indirectly, both cases are exactly the same in that he/she seeks external visual information about the body.
As the practice of Budo, essentially, this is wrong. In the practice of Budo, we should not keep observing our own body externally by visual senses. Budo would not be worth being practiced if we did not observe our own body internally by mind's eyes. To practice Budo is to see bodily sensations felt inside; skin sensations (exteroceptive senses), deep sensations (proprioceptive senses), and visceral sensations (interoceptive senses). Budo-ka should focus on these fine senses inside their body. It is to pursue these minute bodily senses depthfully that is the practice of Budo.
You should try to practice with your eyes closed. If so, you can easily understand how much you are moving with the help of visual input. It is natural that you can also easily lose your balance, what's more, you are uncertain even where your own limbs are. Only by closing your eyes, you can understand on your own how you rely on the information from external visual senses, rather than from internal bodily senses, especially deep sensations (proprioceptive senses), which are about the position and motor states of your limbs.
In this way, ultimately, we should practice budo by not any visual senses, but only deep sensations. Actually, it would be impossible for us to do that with eyes opened, though, we should move to the utmost not by watching our figure externally but feeling our body internally. Martial artistic body, essentially, should be cultivated that way.
武道の稽古としては，本来，これではいけない。視覚でもって外的に自身の身体を観察してばかりではいけない。武道は，内的な目，心の目でもって自身の身体を観察しなければ，稽古する意味がない。武道の稽古とは，内側で感じる身体感覚，すなわち，皮膚感覚（外受容感覚）や深部感覚（固有受容感覚）や内臓感覚（内受容感覚）に目を向ける。そこでの微細な感覚に集中する。こうした微細な身体感覚を徹底的に追い求めるのが，武道稽古である。
試しに目を閉じて稽古をしてみると良い。そうすると，我々はいかに目からの入力に頼って動いているかを，即座に知ることができる。容易にバランスを崩すことは当然のことながら，自身の四肢の位置さえも覚束なくなる。目を閉じるだけで，内的な身体感覚，特には四肢の位置や運動状態に関する深部感覚（固有受容感覚）の情報よりも，外的な視覚の情報に頼ってしまっているかを自得することができる。
このように武道は，極論すれば，視覚に一切頼らず，深部感覚のみで稽古する。実際には目を開けていればそれは不可能だけれども，極力，外から目で見て動くのではなく，内から身体で感じて動く。武道的な身体は，本来，そうして練られるものである。
We highly depend on our visual sense in daily life, so we unintentionally do that during the practice. We involuntarily put weight on the information that we see by our eyes, or we receive from the outside through the visual sense. Concretely, for example, we attempt to confirm the position and movement of each part of our body by eyes in order that we seek to check visually our own actions. The person himself/herself thinks he/she is checking just by eyes, but objectively observed, he/she is hurriedly moving his/her head, face, and gaze. Or, he/she is unintentionally paying attention only to his/her own figure reflected in the mirror or window. At this moment, regardless of his/her bodily position, his/her head, face, and eyes may be incessantly directed toward the mirror or window. Even if he/she checks his/her own body directly by eyes, or even if he/she checks his/her own figure reflected in the mirror or window indirectly, both cases are exactly the same in that he/she seeks external visual information about the body.
As the practice of Budo, essentially, this is wrong. In the practice of Budo, we should not keep observing our own body externally by visual senses. Budo would not be worth being practiced if we did not observe our own body internally by mind's eyes. To practice Budo is to see bodily sensations felt inside; skin sensations (exteroceptive senses), deep sensations (proprioceptive senses), and visceral sensations (interoceptive senses). Budo-ka should focus on these fine senses inside their body. It is to pursue these minute bodily senses depthfully that is the practice of Budo.
You should try to practice with your eyes closed. If so, you can easily understand how much you are moving with the help of visual input. It is natural that you can also easily lose your balance, what's more, you are uncertain even where your own limbs are. Only by closing your eyes, you can understand on your own how you rely on the information from external visual senses, rather than from internal bodily senses, especially deep sensations (proprioceptive senses), which are about the position and motor states of your limbs.
In this way, ultimately, we should practice budo by not any visual senses, but only deep sensations. Actually, it would be impossible for us to do that with eyes opened, though, we should move to the utmost not by watching our figure externally but feeling our body internally. Martial artistic body, essentially, should be cultivated that way.
September 16, 2014
Body Integration as a whole one 全一としての身体の統合
武術・武道は形で稽古する。形を練るとき，身体は全体として一つの存在に統合される。手足がバラバラに動くのではない。指先から足先までつながった一つの統一体となる。例えば，手で払う動作，拳で突く動作があるとする。我々はついその，払っている手や突いている拳に意識が向いてしまう。手あるいは拳を用いる動作なのだから，それは当然だと考える人がいるかもしれない。しかしそうではない。手や拳は身体の一部であり，そこのみに意識を集めてはいけない。技として，手で払ったり拳で突いたりする動作には，腰の動きや足の動きなど，全身が協働している。この全身の協働（シナジー）を感じながら，形を練る。そうすることで，身体が全体として一つの存在であることを感じることができる。指先と足先が，腰腹という身体と精神の中心を介して一つにつながる。そうして，「一」を感じる。それこそが武道の稽古である。
Martial arts and Budo are practiced by kata. When we cultivate kata, our body is integrated as a whole one. That means our hands and feet do not move asunder. During practicing kata, we become an integrated existence connecting the fingertips and the toes. For example, there are chances that we do such actions as brushing an opponent's attack or punching by the fist. We unintentionally tend to give an attention to the brushing hand or the punching fist. There may be those who think that it is natural to focus on the hand and fist since these acts are conducted by using the hand and fist. But, that is not true. Hands and fists are parts of our whole body, so we must not direct attention to them only. Such motions as brushing by the hand or punching by the fist, which are martial techniques, are cooperated with the whole body including the movements of the lower buck, the feet, and so on. We practice kata with feeling this synergy of the whole body. In doing so, we can feel that we are an existence consisting of the whole body. The fingertips and toes connect at the lower back and abdomen as the center of body and mind. Then, we feel "oneness". That is just the practice of Budo.
Martial arts and Budo are practiced by kata. When we cultivate kata, our body is integrated as a whole one. That means our hands and feet do not move asunder. During practicing kata, we become an integrated existence connecting the fingertips and the toes. For example, there are chances that we do such actions as brushing an opponent's attack or punching by the fist. We unintentionally tend to give an attention to the brushing hand or the punching fist. There may be those who think that it is natural to focus on the hand and fist since these acts are conducted by using the hand and fist. But, that is not true. Hands and fists are parts of our whole body, so we must not direct attention to them only. Such motions as brushing by the hand or punching by the fist, which are martial techniques, are cooperated with the whole body including the movements of the lower buck, the feet, and so on. We practice kata with feeling this synergy of the whole body. In doing so, we can feel that we are an existence consisting of the whole body. The fingertips and toes connect at the lower back and abdomen as the center of body and mind. Then, we feel "oneness". That is just the practice of Budo.
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。
もちろん，形を
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，
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，
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，
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.
もちろん，形を
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，
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，
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，
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.
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