When I travel to Japan it seems like I race from class to class. Or, I race from train to train through Tokyo to explore the historic sites of Japan and our Bujinkan art. But here I stopped the race to enjoy training with Nagase Sensei and think about tiny insects.
I slowed down for 考え事 kangaegoto with deep thoughts about a class I had with Hatsumi Sensei. He demonstrated evading an attack to the outside. Then Soke used his shoulders to support the attack briefly before dropping them. This allowed him to secretly take 子殺 ko goroshi. The opponent never saw it, but he yelped in pain.
Tiny Insects
Hatsumi Sensei then shared a lesson about あも一寸の玉 虫 amo issun no tama mushi. This is a a gokui found in 高木揚心流 Takagi Yoshin Ryū. It has to do with the relationship of the strong and weak. The strong seek to control through strength. But Soke suggests we control lightly so we don’t get “stung.”
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| あも一寸の玉 虫 painting by Hatsumi Sensei |
Maybe this is why Hatsumi Sensei said that amo issun no tama mushi is the kamae of the heart. This is both an encouragement and a warning. If you are the weaker opponent, you may find the spirit to fight on. But, the opposite is that the weak have a spirit and will to survive. They may be underestimated to surprise the strong with daring, unconventional tactics.
Training with Nagase Sensei
After my meditation on tiny insects, I went to class with Nagase Sensei. When I arrived at the dojo, he greeted me warmly and immediately invited me to his house for shuriken training.
Nagase started class with a waza similar to 霞雷 karai. During this, he focused on plus and minus, inside and outside, heaven and earth. All of these were connected through the person. As you may remember, I have described his ideas on 天地人 tenchijin during other visits to Japan.
He told us that all of his techniques are connected in an infinity. He said that he’s been training for 46 years. During this time he has collected many data points. He described those points in the form of inputs to his body. He emphasized that it wasn’t his mind that held this data, but his body.
I definitely experienced some of that data. He gave me some training input in the form of pain that I won’t forget. Sometimes doing ukemi in his class feels impossible. He applies the technique in a very intense way. He only releases you to take ukemi right at the break point.
Nagase Sensei is aware of this. And I have to trust him to release me at the right moment. So I accept the pain and add it to my own data collection.
Then as he progressed with the form, he emphasized kamae like 左右の一文字 sayū no ichimonji where both hands act as 大小 daishō. And he spent a lot of time with 攻勢之構 kōsei no kamae. Each kamae provides its own interpretation of the form.
The kōsei henka that he did finished like 雪耀 setsuyaku. The ukemi was impossible because he locked up both hands and lifted us to the heavens. We had to trust him to release us.
During this he also wrapped his 帯 obi around a wrist. He compared the length of the ends of his obi to the length of a tsuka on sword. This led into the progression from taijutsu, to bōjutsu, to kenjutsu. You might lock up the opponent’s wrist with a sageo or trap it with your tsuka.
Nagase Sensei finished class with some 半棒術 hanbōjutsu variations. He kept telling us to use 地 chi power. The hanbō was touching the earth and he used that as a fulcrum point for leverage on the wrist.
As usual I had a great time in his class. I look forward to the shuriken training at his house. Please check Rojodojo for the next Japan Reports.
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