FROM EDITION 11 OF THE TRADITIONAL AIKIDO EUROPE JOURNAL – SPRING 2024
The Meaning of Budo
The common translation for ‘Bu’ is ‘martial' and ’Do’ is commonly understood to mean 'path' or 'way'. Hence a ‘Bu-do’ tradition can be understood as a path of self- development and self- knowledge through training and confrontation in the martial arts where conflict and its management are the arena of practice and study.
For the moment I would like to concentrate on the first term, ‘Bu’, as the second ‘Do’ deserves a whole essay in its own right.
So what does the term ‘Bu’ mean?
The common English translation for Bu is simply ‘martial’ and is somewhat misleading in its incompleteness. The Japanese character is formed from two sub characters meaning: 'violence, arms of war' and 'to stop, prohibit or bring to an end'. Hence a more comprehensive understanding of this term would be 'to stop violence' or perhaps even, 'to bring about peace’.
Modern day Budo (Kendo, Iaido, Karate-do, Judo, Kyudo, Aikido etc) are the contemporary descendants of the traditional martial schools of Japan (Bujutsu, Koryu, Bugei).
In 1987, the Japanese Budo Association (of which the Aikikai Foundation is a member) was formed to foster, develop, and uphold the fundamental principles of traditional Budo in Japan. The member associations drew up a charter as follows (www.nipponbudokan.or.j p):
ARTICLE 1: OBJECTIVE OF BUDŌ
Through physical and mental training in the Japanese martial ways, budō exponents seek to build their character, enhance their sense of judgement, and become disciplined individuals capable of making contributions to society at large.
ARTICLE 2: KEIKO (TRAINING)
When training in budō, practitioners must always act with respect and courtesy, adhere to the prescribed fundamentals of the art, and resist the temptation to pursue mere technical skill rather than strive towards the perfect unity of mind, body and technique.
ARTICLE 3: SHIAI (COMPETITION)
Whether competing in a match or doing set forms (kata), exponents must externalise the spirit underlying budō. They must do their best at all times, winning with modesty, accepting defeat gracefully, and constantly exhibiting self-control.
ARTICLE 4: DŌJŌ (TRAINING HALL)
The dōjō is a special place for training the mind and body. In the dōjō, budō practitioners must maintain discipline, and show proper courtesies and respect.
The dōjō should be a quiet, clean, safe, and solemn environment.
ARTICLE 5: TEACHING
Teachers of budō should always encourage others to also strive to better themselves and diligently train their minds and bodies, while continuing to further their understanding of the technical principles of budō. Teachers should not allow focus to be put on winning or losing in competition, or on technical ability alone. Above all, teachers have a responsibility to set an example as role models.
ARTICLE 6: PROMOTING BUDŌ
Persons promoting budō must maintain an open-minded and international perspective as they uphold traditional values. They should make efforts to contribute to research and teaching, and do their utmost to advance budō in every way.
All of the above clearly point towards training in a modern traditional martial art (Budo) as something much more than about learning techniques for self-defence or engaging in competitive fighting sports. Training in a Budo is a path of self-discipline and self- knowledge which as such should be a source of richness in one’s life and a positive contribution to the society in which one lives. It does this by promoting in its practitioner’s not only the qualities of skilful technique, physical strength, and mind-body unity but also politeness, sensitivity, serenity and appropriate engagement with a view to restoring harmony and peace when under conditions of conflict and discord.
Given this underpinning philosophy, how should the regular training in the Dojo be carried out to foster the above ideals? Before looking at actual technical practice three basic attitudes or orientations to the training need to be addressed that inform all the Budo Charter ideals as follows:
Etiquette (Reigi)
Trust and Respect are the cornerstones for practising a Budo. Without them the training environment can easily become a jungle and injuries a real possibility. The bowing etiquette that takes place serves to set the practice in this context: that our ‘opponents’ are our partners and that our engagement with each other is for the sake of our mutual learning and development. Another related aspect of reigi is that in training we are also training our sense of presence and awareness, without which all the martial techniques are of no real use. Morihiro Saito Sensei once commented succinctly on reigi in that ‘a polite person is an attentive person’. Trust, Respect, and Attention: Without these elements pervading the training, one is not engaged in a Budo regardless of the techniques being practised or the ideals being espoused.
Beginner Mind (Shoshin)
This term refers to the attitude of mind that the student should have as a Budoka. It should be open, hungry for real understanding, and free of preconceptions. This attitude should be present whether one is a beginner or an advanced student. Without it one’s learning is effectively blocked.
‘There is no attainment in training. If you think you have attained something you have strayed from the Way.’ (Hagakure).
Sincerity (Makoto)
This Japanese term has a different meaning than the common English meaning and is easily lost in translation. The following story from the Zen tradition (quoted from Diasetz Teitaro Zuzuki in Ruth Benedict’s the Chrysanthemum and the Sword) illustrates this point:
Monk: I understand that when a lion seizes upon his opponent, whether it is a hare or an elephant, he makes an exhaustive use of his power: pray tell me what is this power?
Master: The power of sincerity (literally, the power of not-deceiving). Sincerity, that is, not-deceiving, means ‘putting forth one’s whole being’ technically known as ‘the whole being in action’... in which nothing is kept in reserve, nothing is expressed under disguise, nothing goes into waste. When a person lives like this, he is said to be a golden-haired lion; he is a symbol of virility, sincerity, whole heartedness; he is divinely human.
Morihei Ueshiba also talks about Makoto:
"Always imagine yourself on the battlefield under the fiercest attack; never forget this crucial element of training." (Moriihei Ueshiba. Budo p. 36)
In training therefore, we should not just train our body but exercise and engage our ‘full being’, body, mind, spirit, and energy. Morihiro Saito Sensei would often tell us that repeating just three kata with full attention and sincerity (makoto) was far better than endless empty repetitions.
In Kyudo (Japanese traditional archery) this is expressed by the often heard saying, ‘one life, one shot’ (ichi-go ichi-e: ‘one time, one meeting’).
These apparently philosophical concepts can be seen as admonitions to pay attention to the present moment and seen as prescriptions for behaviour. However, more than prescriptions, they are literally descriptions of the way things are. This IS the only moment. Martial arts can serve as a powerful reminder to ‘re-cognise’ this ultimate truth and live more fully from that
So how does all this tie into training Aikido as a modern Budo?
First, we must recognise that the objectives of modern Budo are different from those of the former traditional Bujutsu and Koryu whose aims were simply to train soldiers and warriors with one aim in mind: to vanquish the enemy. With the advent of modern technological warfare and the abolishment of the samurai class in Japan, traditional Bujutsu and Koryu schools became effectively obsolete. With their evolution into modern Budo disciplines the purpose of training shifted from combat effectiveness to self-development, as outlined in the charter of the Japanese Budo Association detailed above.
However, it is at this junction that we enter a very tricky area. The origin and backbone of the techniques practised in modern day Budo schools are descended directly or indirectly from older more functionally and practically oriented Bujutsu traditions. With self-development shifting to the fore, the practicality of the techniques and the original intention of the training and techniques receded to the background. The battleground was no longer the point - daily life was, although it could be easily argued that this is also a battlefield albeit one far more complex and multilayered.
To my mind this is not necessarily a problem if that functional background, as a background, is still able to inform and check the foreground training process and the teachers and students understand the concept of levels and where they are currently training at and with what objectives (see previous essay on Levels in TAE Journal 9). The problem arises when that martial background disconnects or disappears from regular practice.
Specifically looking at Aikido practice.
Aikido itself is a modern descendent of older jujutsu schools and specifically Daito Ryu Jujutsu. Morihei Ueshiba was also proficient in various weapon forms and in his creation of Aikido two streams converged in his understanding and experience:
One was his understanding of the above martial traditions where empty-handed jujutsu and weapon forms became synthesised into a complete single technical system where the specific way to use the body – whether handling weapons or empty handed – was the uniting factor (riai).
This process of the technical refinement of his system was a long process and went through many stages of development throughout his life. Hence the many styles of contemporary Aikido reflecting these different levels of development and the students who trained with him in these phases.
The second influence was clearly of a spiritual nature. Aikido is not just a modern synthesis and extension of older traditions of combat but to my mind represents a radical break with previous martial traditions.
Aikido as conceived by Morihei Ueshiba is the convergence and expression of martial genius and spiritual enlightenment. For the Founder of Aikido, Budo was an expression of universal love and in realising his intrinsic connection or ‘at one-ness’ with all things, opponents did not exist for him as ‘others’.
In the words of the Founder:
"I felt the universe suddenly quake, and that a golden spirit sprang up from the ground, veiled my body, and changed my body into a golden one. At the same time my body became light. I was able to understand the whispering of the birds, and was clearly aware of the mind of God, the creator of the universe. At that moment I was enlightened: the source of Budo is Godʼs love — the spirit of loving protection for all beings … Budo is not the felling of an opponent by force nor is it a tool to lead the world to destruction with arms. True Budo is to accept the spirit of the universe, keep the peace of the world, correctly produce, protect and cultivate all beings in nature".
(An account of an experience of transcendent awareness, soon after a contest where, unarmed, he defeated a naval officer armed with a wooden sword without harming him; as quoted in Aikido (1985) by Kisshomaru Ueshiba).
Such a vision of Aikido as a true Budo is in complete agreement with the original meanings of Budo as delineated above: Budo as a means of restoring peace and harmony versus defeating and winning over opposition.
However, controlling an opponent without injury or neutralising aggression without employing violence is easier said than done! So in practice how can we realise these ideals or at the very least orient our training and practice to align with them?
A key point is to gradually free ourselves from reactive defensiveness.
In training we work with techniques which embody and express the principles of connection, control and neutralisation against attacks which seek to restrain and restrict us (holds and strikes). Again and again, we are confronted on a deep level with our tendencies to either escape from or struggle against opposition. This is how we seem to be wired up: the flight, fight or freeze responses to stress. Yet Aikido asks us to neither freeze, escape or fight against, but to join with, lead and neutralise an opposing force. Aikido is not about ‘against’ but rather about ‘with’ the other.
This ‘fourth choice’ requires that we yield our defensiveness and resistance on a deep level. This yielding or letting go of our position versus the world is the spiritual training in Aikido and to the extent that we can allow this process to unfold in our experience will our skill as Aikidoka’s grow and the practice itself take on additional meaning in the rest of our lives beyond the time spent in the Dojo.
So where is the martial ‘background’ in this practice and why is it relevant?
First, the attacks and holds need to be both ‘real’ and ‘measured’ in terms of the ability of the practitioners to both control the attacks as well as ‘blend’ with them and execute the techniques. We need a restricting environment to temper our ability in.
Second, both nage and uke need to be aware of the issue of ‘openings’ (tsuki) in the technical engagement. These openings can be on the side of uke as well as nage and can be exploited through either counter techniques or atemi from uke or via atemi and variation techniques (henka waza) on the part of nage.
Third, the mind. When training with one or more partners we should keep our attention and awareness open so that we are aware of what is happening around us (zanshin) at all times.
Fourth, our intention. The intention is to join with and neutralise our attacking opponent and not to defeat him. This is the most difficult and paradoxical aspect of the training to grasp but to my mind it is the defining aspect of what separates Aikido from other, if not all, other martial arts.
The best way to describe this is from my own experience with my teacher. Sensei’s techniques felt overwhelming in terms of power and yet I always had the sense of ‘being taken care of’ and although I would be convincingly neutralised by him I always felt ‘safe’ and would always come away with a ‘wow, that was great- let’s do it again!’ kind of feeling.
Receiving this from body to body was a ‘direct transmission’ which allowed me to ‘feel’ what defined my teacher’s Aikido and has always served me as a guiding orientation in my own practice. This is one reason why we cannot learn Aikido from books or films – wonderful tools as these are –, but need to find good teachers who can ‘transmit’, as far as possible, these internal and defining aspects of the art.
If the practice is informed by these basic martial aspects of connection, balance break and control then the training will all be ‘checked’ as to its ‘realism’.
When I practise, even with children, this ‘background’ as to openings and the unexpected are always present as well as the sense of ‘taking care’ of them in the techniques.
In Takemusu Aikido the functional combat level of the techniques is the oyo waza level. This level is not emphasised in our training. Saito Sensei himself would not even emphasise atemi at the basic levels of training but would focus on correct body use and movement through repetitive hard training within a limited technical repertoire first.
This is the ‘finding of freedom within restriction’ level. Once the body and its ability to move and blend had been minimally mastered, atemi and other levels were introduced.
The ‘combat level’ was taught sporadically and only to seniors and my experience with it was that it served to ‘check’ my basics and at the same time open my eyes to the older underlying forms of the techniques. It was also obvious that this aspect was always in the background with all of Sensei’s technique as I never had the sense that I could ‘surprise’ him with a sudden attack or escape from an opening in his technique even at the kihon katai level (first level static solid training).
In conclusion:
Martial ability in Aikido is the result of a lengthy training whereby reactivity has been overcome though a dual process of physical conditioning and inner relaxation whereby real freedom tempered in a training environment of restriction has been developed under the careful guidance of a teacher who can transmit the ‘taste’ of non- resistance to his students directly.
All modern Budo have shifted the focus from combat readiness to personal development, but this personal development takes place in the crucible of physical confrontation rooted in the traditions that modern Budo are descended from. Without this ‘background check’ the techniques and qualities developed in the martial arts can become more fantasy based than real transformations for their practitioners.
Aikido – in addition to the personal development shared with other modern Budo – presupposes a spiritual dimension of insight as expressed by the Founder Morihei Ueshiba in his own definition of Budo which goes far beyond personal development and in fact transcends it.
However, it is my opinion that the insight beyond ‘self and other’ and that conflicts do not in fact exist cannot be attained by avoiding their apparently very real existence. We must go through them and not around them. Hence the training must remain rooted in reality and not fantasy.
This article is a re-written version of an earlier piece written in 2013.
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