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ZEN AND MARTIAL ARTS: A Brief Background for Birankai Members

What is Zen?

The Japanese word z en ( ) comes from the h!nese word c han " wh!ch !s from the Sans#r!t word dhyana :med!tat!on$ The Zen %!nea&e was transm!tted from Ind!a to h!na !n the ' th cent r $ It was %ater transm!ttedthro &ho t As!a" and !n the modern era to the *est$

What am I? What is this life for? Why is there suffering? These are n!+ersa% h man , est!ons$ Some come to Zenwhen s ch , est!ons can no %on&er -e !&nored$ Zen" howe+er" !s not the!st!c or doctr!na%% centered" and !s thereforenot a re%!&!on !n the western sense$ Rather" !ts foc s !s ps cho.ph s!ca% pract!ce wh!ch /d!rect% po!nts at the h manm!nd0$ Thro &h s ch pract!ce" essent!a% h man , est!ons are reso%+ed w!th!n rea%!zat!on ar!s!n& as one1s owne2per!ence$ The a thent!c ha%%mar# of s ch rea%!zat!on !s compass!on$

About Zen Training

The essent!a% po!nt of Zen tra!n!n& . and !ts &ate . !s to -e awa#ened thro &h a d!rect see!n& of one1s own tr e nat re$3pen and free of fa-r!cat!on" &rasp!n& or fear" -e ond effort and d a%!st!c ha-!ts of see!n&" th!s !s the rea%!zat!on ofone1s 4or!&!na% face$4

Zen has man approaches to re+ea%!n& and deepen!n& th!s rea%!zat!on" sed !n accordance w!th the character and needsof each st dent$ 5or s per!or st dents" a d!rect see!n& of the nat re of m!nd ma -e !n!t!a%% -ro &ht a-o t thro &henco nter w!th!n the ba (4f!e%d4) of a , a%!f!ed master6 th!s approach !s essent!a%% method%ess$ More t p!ca% st dentsm st f!rst remo+e +ar!o s o-str ct!ons to rea%!zat!on$ Z azen " seated med!tat!on" !s one of the most !mportant pract!cesfor st dents of a%% capa-!%!t!es" as are pract!ces tra!n!n& the -reath!n& and s -t%e ener&et!c s stems$

Zen !s a%so we%% #nown for adapt!n& a ran&e of comp%ementar d!sc!p%!nes to ref!ne the h man -e!n& and man!festw!sdom !n act!+!t $ 5!ne arts s ch as ca%%!&raph and f%ower arran&ement" and ph s!ca% c %t re %!#e mart!a% arts" aretrad!t!ona% e2amp%es wh!ch fac!%!tate Zen !ns!&ht thro &h the -od $

Thro &h pract!ce of th!s #!nd one ma sw!ft% &a!n a deep conf!dence !n the rea%!zat!on of one1s own nat ra% m!nd as -oth path and fr !t of the Zen wa $ Tra!n!n& cease%ess% " re+ea%!n& th!s w!sdom !n the p%a of da!% act!+!t!es" freedomand %!-erat!on nat ra%% nfo%d$ Thro &h Zen" one1s ent!re %!fe ma -e sa!d to -ecome thedojo : a p%ace ofen%!&htenment$

Zen and Budo

In Japan -e&!nn!n& !n the 7ama# ra per!od" the pract!ce of Zen - mem-ers of the samurai c%ass %ed to a d!st!ncttrad!t!on of 4warr!or Zen4$ In response to the!r n!, e needs" -oth nat!+e Japanese and !mm!&rant h!nese Zenmasters de+!sed spontaneo s" and at t!mes e2traord!nar " means to & !de the pract!ce of these warr!or tra!nees$8!stor!ca% f!& res %!#e 8o9o To#!m ne and amao#a Tessh are famo s e2amp%es of those who mastered th!s #!nd ofZen$

The enco nter -etween Zen mon#s and the warr!or c%ass o+er the cent r!es a%so re+ea%ed an !nterest!n& fact: certa!nbujutsu (mart!a% arts)" !f pract!ced proper% " co %d ser+e as d!sc!p%!nes w!th the power to c t thro &h ph s!ca%" menta%and ener&et!c o-stac%es to Zen rea%!zat!on$ L!#ew!se" !t was o-ser+ed that Zen pract!ce not on% ser+ed to f rther the&oa%s of mart!a% art tra!n!n&" - t pro+!ded an eth!ca% and sp!r!t a% rat!ona%e for the!r pract!ce$ In short" commona%!t!es!n sp!r!t" tra!n!n& d!sc!p%!ne" and m!nd.-od sa&e -etween the two paths were o-ser+ed and c %t!+ated$

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E+ent a%% Zen contr!- ted to the deepen!n& percept!on that mart!a% arts co %d offer m ch more to h man soc!et thans!mp% techn!, es of offense and defense$ The J!#!sh!n#a&e R " for e2amp%e" came to state that the deeper p rposeof swordsmansh!p was act a%% to 4remo+e a%% -ad ha-!ts and add!ct!ons ac, !red s!nce -!rth and to restore theor!&!na% p re and -r!&ht permanent -od $4 A Zen wa of sa !n& th!s wo %d -e that s ch tra!n!n& c ts thro &h one1s

jikke (4ha-!t ener& 4)" or #arm!c o-str ct!ons" wh!ch !mpede the f %% man!festat!on of w!sdom$ *!th!n s chstatements we ma sense the n!f!ed p rposes of Zen and ; do$

Man prom!nent mart!a% art!sts !n Japanese h!stor < Ts #ahara ;o# den" M sash! M! amoto" 3no Tadaa#!" Ts 9!=ettan" a& M nenor!" 8ar!&a a Se#! n" amao#a Tessh " and others < came to f!nd !n Zen pract!ce a +!ta% e%ementthat !nformed the!r bujutsu Toda we can st!%% sa that man , a%!t!es needed !n o r own tra!n!n& of persona%de+e%opment are !ndeed s!m!%ar to those needed - the warr!ors of the past$ The same fear%essness" ener& and foc sare needed to p% m- the depths of one1s own e2!stence as the are !n the m!dst of a conf%!ct$

*hen pract!ced to&ether w!th th!s rat!ona%e" the deepest mean!n& of the mart!a% arts from a Zen standpo!nt ma th s -ere+ea%ed: th!s !s the rea%!zat!on of muteki " the state of 4no enem 4$ *hen the d a%!st!c separat!on of 4se%f4 and 4other4!s transcended thro &h the for&!n& of deep m!nd.-od tra!n!n&" !t !s seen that no one !s an enem $ The f!nest andsharpest sword !s not for&ed of stee% and !s not for harm!n& others" - t !s the sword of w!sdom we a%% ha+e w!th!n s$>!ew!n& mart!a% arts !n th!s %!&ht" we can nderstand how the ma -e tr % -enef!c!a% 4*a s4 of se%f.rea%!zat!on" ande+en too%s to esta-%!sh peace$

A%tho &h m ch has -een wr!tten !n pop %ar" !nacc rate -oo#s concern!n& connect!ons -etween Zen and mart!a% arts"there are +er few !nd!+!d a%s toda who act a%% nderta#e the e2treme% se+ere com-!ned pract!ce of -oth paths$And et we are fort nate !n ;!ran#a! to ha+e h!-a Sense!1s e2amp%e$ ;e ond h!s own persona% pract!ce" h!-aSense! has !ntrod ced z azen !nto h!s teach!n& c rr!c % m and enco ra&ed h!s st dents to e2p%ore th!s as a comp%ementto the!r A!#!do st d $

Benefits of Zen Training for Birankai Members

;!ran#a! s pports Zen tra!n!n& for those mem-ers who fee% ca%%ed to nderta#e !t$ ;eca se Zen po!nts to a w!sdomwh!ch !s !nherent w!th!n the st dent" !t cannot -e sa!d that an th!n& new !s &a!ned from Zen pract!ce$ Ne+erthe%ess"the fo%%ow!n& -enef!ts of Zen pract!ce wh!ch are re%e+ant to budoka ha+e trad!t!ona%% -een c!ted:

The power of !ntense concentrat!on ( joriki )$ Int !t!+e percept!on ( kan)$ Ener&et!c power or +!-rat!on ( kiai )$ Sens!t!+!t to the sa&e of t!me and space ( kokyu! maai )$ E2pans!+e +!s!on (/ten d!rect!on e es0) and &enera% sense ac !t $ 5ree.f%ow!n& and concentrated awareness !n wh!ch d a%!st!c f!2at!on and concept a% fa-r!cat!on !s

%essened ( zanmai"samadhi )$ ?sa&e of -od and -reath centered !n the hara (the %ower a-domen)" n!f !n& pper and %ower -od and

a%%ow!n& eff!c!ent a-sorpt!on and transference of power to and from the earth$ %t!+at!on of the -od .m!nd1s s -t%e ener&et!c s stem" w!th profo nd effects on hea%th as we%% as depth

of tra!n!n& atta!nment$ ompass!on: the ne&at!on of /se%f0 and the ded!cat!on of one1s %!fe to the we%fare of others$ L!+!n& each moment as the a-so% te moment: /E+er da !s a &ood da 0$ Jo f % acceptance of -oth %!fe

and death$ Rea%!zat!on of the *a ( #o ) w!th!n one1s own -od and m!nd$

$or More Information on Zen and Zen %ractice &''ortunities( p%ease &o towww$-!ran#a!$or& for a %!st!n& of;!ran#a! do9o wh!ch offer Zen tra!n!n& and a ca%endar of pcom!n& Zen tra!n!n& e+ents$ The art!c%e /Zen and A!#!do0

- h!-a Sense! !s a%so essent!a% read!n&$

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