Hatsumi Soke Painting For Me Assumptions are deadly. They kill the chance to learn anything in class, and they can get you killed in combat. Sometimes they are subtle and you are not aware that you are making them. One simple interaction I had with Hatsumi Sensei illustrates this. I was training at Hombu dojo one Sunday. Sensei was generously making calligraphy and ink paintings for the students. When he had my blank shikishi 色紙 board in front of him, he took one look at me and said, "You like manga right?" For some reason this question threw me. Sometimes Sensei takes requests from people. People often request calligraphy of a certain phrase or kanji that is meaningful for them. Some people just let Sensei decide. In the many times Sensei had painted something for me before, he had waited for my request. This time he did not. He just asked that question. So what were my assumptions? I had two. And they were both off the mark. One had to do with my poor understanding of...
Train smart. Live better.