Ten Ryaku Uchu Gassho

This is basic stance when waiting for the attack. It gives concentration (litteraly: Heaven transmission from space).
Banpen Fugyo

This is the mental attitude to have in Gyokko Ryu : "10000 changes, no surprise".

Tenchi Inyo No Kamae

This is the kamae in Ten to get the feeling of "Inryoku" and "Juryoku".

The Ten Ryaku is Based on "Gravity"!

text by Peter Reynolds

We've gotten off to a whirlwind pace here in 2001! Hatsumi Sensei thus far has been primarily focusing on Gyokko Ryu and Daisho (long and short sword). That's been the physical foundation on which he has been building the feeling and understanding of Fusui, written with the kanji for air and water. Fusui like Gyokko Ryu has its origins strongly entrenced in China.

Fusui is more commonly know in the west as Feng Shui. Most westerners have limited idea of Fang Shui, specifically as it pertains to properly placing furniture and using appropriate colors to have a harmonious flow of energy throught your home or office, and the average Japanese is likely to think it's fortune telling. These misconceptions give but a limited insight in to the full meaning of Fusui.

Fusui is the understanding and awareness of the natural flow of energy and the forces of nature, both on a tangible and intanglible level. Hatsumi Sensei has given a number of exampes to help us gain insight into it. One example given was cycle of perception. Water falls from the sky and flows dowinhill due to the force of gravity. Once in the sea, water rises in the form of vapor overcoming gravity via evaporation. As it rises, it forms clouds that are then driven by the wind back over land where the process starts all over again. This cycle involves Fu (wind), Sui (water) and the natural forces and energies of gravity and heat.

That is all fine and well but how does it relate to my Budo training you may ask. This is where some of Hatsumi Sensei's other examples help us gain a measure of unterstanding. It's all about being aware of and using these natural forces at the appropriate times. His first example was using Juryoku or gravity. He referenced Sir Isaac Newton and the apple falling on Newton's head demonstrated how to use the weight of your body or the weight your weapon in a natural and advantageous way. Hatsumi Sensei has also been saying that we really souldn't try to avoid the attack, we should move like Kaze or a cool breeze. To shed more light on this concept he referenced what the Japanese call Jiryoku.

Jiryoku , notice the differnce in spelling from Juryoku (gravity), is an attacting or repelling magnetic force. Here we should look at the way two magnets clang together when the north and south re brought near each other. Almost magically, they glide by each other, each one subtly repelling the other. We've all experienced this, haven't we, if not go out and try it immediately. This is the feeling we should have in our movement!

This is only meant to be brief introduction to Fusui and hopefully it has shed a little on the subject. It certainly isn't an easy concept to fully grasp, but as Soke divulves more, be assured additional articles will follow. So until then in the words of Hatsumi Sensei, " Gambatte Kudasai" which means Work Hard please and Keep Going!

Inyo , or as known in the west by its Chinese name of ying yang, is commonly understood as being about opposites, for example light/dark, hot/cold, heaven/hell, love/hate, old/young, male/female, etc. While this viewpoint shows one level of unterstanding, as Hatsumi Sensei pointed out, there is a bit more to it.

Frequently people focus on these opposites, but what they fail to see is the relationship between them. They fail to see the natural flow and exchange that joins them. For example, the connection and exchange between day and night. What should be looked at is the process of how day becomes night and become day. It's really just one process. Or, let's take being born an dieing, they seem extremely different, but what's really important is to understand that they are just part of the life process and it's important to see the life which exists between them. Restarted, It's understanding the connection of opposites and seeing that opposites aren't really opposites. It's realizing that in sense they're really same thing.

This concep relates to Budo in many ways. Take Kamae for instance, what may be most important and what is often overlooked is what's between Kamae. Yes, a good strong kamae is difficult to perfect, but what is even more difficult is movement between them. And to take it a step further, what's between the kamae is also kamae. When you're doing this art properly you're never really out of Kamae.

Another more specific example relates to Tenryaku Uchu Gassho no Kamae and Tenchi Inyo no Kamae. The ten of Tenchi is heaven and the chi is earth. In Tenryaku Uchu Gassho no Kamae the hands are clasped together in a "praying" type position. Hatsumi Sensei explained from one perseptive people often pray when confronted with a life threatening situation and that in another when we lay our deceased to rest that they are usually placed with their hands clasped across their chest. In one case you may be praying for life and in the other your already dead. In TenChi Inyo No Kamae, the front hand is extended forward, but the key point is having the rear hand extended upward towards heaven. When assuming this kamae you may be in a situation where you have to decide whether to sen your opponent to heaven or to let him continue his life on eart. You and your kamae become the brigde/connection between heaven and earth.

As you can see, Inyo is more than just opposites. Soke has said that he can only give us hints about these type of things because they can't be taught. It's up to each of to fully study, explore and learn these types of things for ourselves....

The Chi Ryaku no Maki is based on the "Wind" Kaze :

In the techniques we have to move like the wind: naturally powerful but without any strenght. We have to be like a whirlwind appeaning and disappearing. The form is less important than the overrall attitude.

The Kamae for this level is : Futen Gosshin..... This posture represents the wind. This is what Sensei has really been stressing for the last few months. The movement of the Gyokko Ryu is similar to that of the wind and there is no way I can put this movement of the body into words so I will not try. What is important is that at the Chiryaku level of training one's focus should be on trying to move like the wind when attacked. The wind has no central point and therefore cannot be controlled or grasped. It always slips around anything that impedes its path.
The hand position also varies, what is important though is the "wind" finger or the "pointer" finger. When making this gesture we are to try to imagine our bodies actually turning into the wind itself. This mindset when performed properly will help the ninja to move like the wind. Although we do not see Sensei actually stand with his hands in front of his chest performing these Kuji-like gestures he does stress the feeling immensely, often asking his uke to explain to the class what his techniques "felt" like. The response is generally the same, many faces have turned red from embarrassment trying to explain what Sensei's movement felt like because how do explain what the wind feels like?, especially when it is sending you a few tatami mats away on to your head.

KOSSHI JUTSU

by Andrew Young

The two caracters which comprise the word kosshi go more than skin de ep. In fact they go right to the bone. So what is Kosshi? in a recent private talk with Hatsumi Sensei a fresh feeling to the meaning of this year's theme (Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu) was given. . The basic definition of the caracters are BONE & FINGER. So let's look at each character more closely.

BONE :

In earlier times Japan respected the bones of the dead. These were collected from the ash of the dead after a funeral. Traditionally strong bones were also seen as the capacity for one to be able to work in the fields or fight in battle. As Soke pointed out, what makes us human as much as anything is our skeletal structure; without whitch we would nothing more than a jellyfish. Our skeleton gives us the advantage of walking bipedally and gripping a weapon for self protection. Fundamental to make up of Kosshijutsu is the Sanshin no Kata. Explained here as skeleton, soft tissue and skin. Even bone could be expressed in terms of the sanshin as teeth, bone and cartilage.

FINGER :

The two caracters which comprise the word kosshi go more than skin de ep. In fact they go right to the bone. So what is Kosshi? in a recent private talk with Hatsumi Sensei a fresh feeling to the meaning of this year's theme (Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu) was given. . The five digits of the hand represent the five elements. "Chi" is represented as the little finger through to "Ku" as the thumb. The techniques in the Ten Ryaku No Maki or first section of Gyokko Ryu are practiced with the feeling of gravity in my mind. The natural force of gravity conntinually pressing down on us is countered by the skeletal structure whose bones grow naturally to from a strong shape and natural position. This could be expressed as the only true "FORM" of any Kamae or technique.

Ever wondered why the Kihon Happo is derived from the Gyokko Ryu? Whell, as I said the bone represents the three centres (Sanshin) of the whole being and the fingers represents the five elements giving us eight. In other words the person within the environment. If one wants to master the Kosshijutsu and Kihon Happo then the only way is to work (practice) one's fingers to the bone!.

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