Groping the Void with 探り回る Sagurimawaru

There are various types of awareness we use to gather information. Maintaining good situational awareness is key to succeeding in any complex environment or encounter. Once, when we were studying taihenjutsu and ukemi with Soke Hatsumi, he made reference to the term 探り回る (Sagurimawaru) which translates roughly as "to grope for, or fumble."

But Hatsumi Sensei didn't talk about this in a way us English speakers might normally consider the term fumble, as some kind of clumsy, unskilled, movement. He spoke of it more as a exploration and a searching about the environment to see what you may discover. It was a process of discovery.

So if we fumble about the Japanese language and look at other related terms in our art or just in the Japanese idiom, we may discover something:

You may have heard about the Ashinami Jukka Jo- The ten ways of walking according to the Ninpo book Shoninki, but we also have 探り足 Saguri Ashi and Saguri Aruki which are used for stealth and to feel your way with your feet when your eyes are not enough to set your path.

When you are trying to understand someone else you may use 探り合い saguri ai to probe each other or sound each other out.

Maybe you are uncovering secrets: 探り当てる saguri ate ru - to find out

If you feel like Marcellus from Hamlet that something smells rotten in the state of Denmark: 探り出す saguri dasu to spy out / to smell out

Maybe you lost your house keys and need: 探る saguru to search / to look for / to sound out

Many people use training in the Bujinkan to: michiwosaguru 道を探る to seek a path; to find one's way.

If you have bad manners you could saguribashi 探り箸 using your chopsticks to find a food you like by rummaging in your dish, pot, etc. (a breach of etiquette)

So at the root of understanding 探り回る Sagurimawaru in our training are two contrasting perspectives on your approach as a student in class. Are you fumbling about blindly or are you on a path of discovery? This is a choice you make everytime you step into the dojo, whether you slip in with saguri ashi or trip over the threshold.

Comments

Ride the Tiger: Japan Report Seven 令和6年

Michael tries cola flavor Ninja gummies, a gift from 中川将志 Nakagawa Shōshi I went out to do some laundry and grocery shopping before training. Along the way, I stopped in at the bookstore to find some inspiration from Hatsumi Sensei’s painting. As I flipped through the pages, my eyes settled on a painting of 毘沙門天 Bishamonten riding a tiger. Support my work and watch the FULL video: https://www.rojodojo.com/ride-the-tiger-japan-report-seven-reiwa6/ Hatsumi Sensei gave the painting the title of 坂上田村麻呂 Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. This historic figure was one of the first Shōgun in Japan. Legends around him grew over the centuries and he was considered an avatar of Bishamonten, a god of war, and warrior king. Hatsumi Sensei wrote some poetry from 虎倒流 Kotō Ryū on the painting. Soke said that when he visited Takamatsu Sensei, Takamatsu recited this poetry to him. The poem extols the virtues of a figure like Sakanoue, but I suspect Takamatsu Sensei was also honoring Hatsumi as h...

Behind the Black Gate: Japan Report Eight 令和6年

黒門 Kuromon: the Black Gate This morning I made my way into Tokyo to visit the 黒門 kuromon, or black gate. This was one of the few structures from 寛永寺 Kan’ei-ji that survived the battle of Ueno (上野戦争, Ueno Sensō). During the Boshin War (戊辰戦争, Boshin Sensō), and the gate marked the spot where the 彰義隊 Shōgitai lost a decisive battle against the Imperial troops. Today it is riddled with bullet holes and cannon scars. The Shōgitai were the last of the Tokugawa Samurai. They had swords, arrows, and spears. But they were no match for the 官軍 kangun, the Imperial army led by 西郷隆盛 Saigō Takamori, who used Snider rifles and Armstrong Cannons. 黒門の半分見へて春の雨 the Black Gate is only half visible – rain in spring 〜Kobayashi Issa, 1805 My visit to the black gate was marked by the gentle fall of Ginkgo leaves. A quiet peaceful morning helped me reflect on such a fierce battle. Maybe one of the reasons I am allowed to be here was because of this war which led to the end of the Tokugawa ...

The Kaname of 神眼 Shingan

真是厲害的鏡頭 photo By *嘟嘟嘟* Hatsumi Sensei has suggested that another reading of 神眼 shingan is kaname. As we study this years feeling it might become important to see with the divine eyes of shingan. To truly comprehend this principle requires we understand how to connect to the divine. In my recent video about 不動座 fudouza , I suggested some symbolism that connected the heavens, down through the conduit of our physical bodies, and into the earth. The way Hatsumi Sensei describes this connection, it's not him doing the techniques, but they are being created through this connection. No matter your beliefs or religion, it is crucial to understand the foundations of Japanese symbolism to get the feelings behind our art. Hatsumi Sensei says that one way to learn this is through Sanshin no kata that is connected to the heavens. It is connected through heaven, earth, and man (tenchijin). He further describes this as 天動説 tendousetsu, 地動説 chidousetsu, and 人動説 jindousetsu. 天動説 tendousetsu is...

Bujinkan Santa Monica

Search This Blog