Over the last years, through Yoseikan Budo training, I was exposed to many different principles of budo philosophy. Writing this essay gave me an opportunity to consolidate those thoughts and better grasp the synergy existing between budo philosophy and technique.

The following is my humble opinion on this subject. It is the way I understand it at this point in my life.

It is probably best to first examine budo and technique as separate entities.

Budo

The symbol "bu" of budo can be split into three component symbols meaning "stop", "two" and "spear". It describes the action of stopping conflict or violence represented by two spears in opposition. The second symbol "do" means "path" or way of living. Budo philosophy is thus based on living in harmony with each other. It promotes mutual welfare and prosperity. To follow its path, one must think about it, develop an understanding and live according to its principles. Hence, budo helps us work on our humanity and develop our spirituality.

"Although (budo is) usually translated as 'martial art', a more precise rendering is 'martial way', implying a martial discipline for character or spiritual development practiced as a lifelong pursuit." - (Aikido Journal encyclopedia.)

Technique

The word "technique" in Japanese is "jutsu" which can be combined to make other words such as ken-jutsu (sword technique or art) or ju-jutsu (supple technique or art).

Generally speaking, a beginner's primary objective when he (or she) enrolls in a martial art is to learn self-defense techniques. Some schools put more emphasis on technique because their main purpose is to enter their students in competitions. Judo is a good example. Nowadays, judo is perceived to be more of a sport than a martial art, as it has become very competitive since it's acceptance in the Olympics. Coaches tend to put more importance on technique and less importance on the spiritual aspect.

Budo and Technique

1) On the mats

Although the initial motivation for martial art training generally seems to lean towards learning self-defense techniques, as mentioned earlier, students are just the same introduced very early on to budo philosophy through proper ethics. During the feudal era in Japan, mastering proper ethics was a matter of life or death. Nowadays, it begins on the mats with bowing to one another. A proper bow is the first sign of mutual welfare and prosperity. If done in a meaningful and sincere manner, it will reflect the true intent of the partners and avoid misunderstandings and conflicts if an injury occurs during practice.

Pairing up with junior students to help them improve their techniques during practice is another example that stems from budo philosophy. In many schools where mutual welfare and prosperity principles are not prevalent, more senior students tend to practice together and seldom help out beginners. In fact, it is somewhat ironic that if they did spend some time with less experienced partners, they would eventually reap the benefits, among them, a higher overall technical standard of the school's students. After all, the welfare should be "mutual"! However, our human nature tends to favor immediate rewards. We are not patient. Budo philosophy helps us stay on the path.

2) On the street

Outside the mats, on the street, the synergy between budo philosophy and technique is as equally important. The purpose of "bu" is to avoid or resolve conflicts without violent confrontations (physical or psychological). In some situations however trying to resolve a conflict in a passive manner can be futile. An aggressor, whose ways are set in violence, will not be stopped by passive means. Moreover, it might encourage the aggressor to pursue his (her) behavior. We are taught to be compassionate, but also wise and strong. Applying technique(s) in this situation is inevitable. But budo must stay omnipresent during a self-defense situation. It will ensure that only necessary force be used and help preserve the aggressor's dignity. If more than necessary force is used, then self-defense becomes violence, which then defeats the purpose of changing the aggressor's intent or behavior. In the same respect, humiliating the aggressor will only fuel hatred and desire for revenge. Everything we do has consequences, like a stone thrown in a pond makes ripples. The aggressor might never be seen again, but it is certain that our behavior during the conflict will have direct or indirect consequences on the life and actions of this person (and others) after the event. It is our responsibility to make sure we make a positive influence. This is easier said than done, but keeping in mind budo philosophy can help us achieve this goal.

I once met a teacher who showed me different techniques used in the martial art he practiced. He would always finish his techniques by saying: "Break!" After questioning him about this, I was amazed to learn that it basically meant that he and his students were actually brainwashing themselves to automatically inflict injury to any potential attackers whatever the level of threat may be. This irresponsible way of thinking (or rather of not thinking) is an example of technique without budo! And there is a lot more to this, such as legal ramifications, which I will not get into in this essay.

3) In everyday life

Budo philosophy and technique can also have an impact in our daily lives, either at work, with friends or family.

Although the mutual welfare and prosperity principle can be easily applied among friends and family, it is not so obvious in the workplace. Mainly because in some companies, the general atmosphere can be one of competitiveness and that promotions are usually based on productivity. Employees are not encouraged to progress at their own rate. A director will favor his star employees the same way a coach will favor his star athletes. It is normal since the main objective of a company is to make more money.

Nonetheless, it is feasible.

Sharing ones knowledge and expertise with fellow employees, helping out newly hired people to fit in, not partaking in cliques nor badmouthing others are just a few examples of positive steps that can help improve the workplace for everyone.

Verbal attacks can happen between employees during meetings. These aggressions can be deflected and if necessary techniques can be applied … non-physical of course! What was said earlier about using necessary force and preserving dignity should also be applied in these situations.

Our training on the mats can provide us with tools to help us cope with difficult situations. Budo philosophy teaches us about "mizu-no-kokoro", which means "a mind (or spirit) like water". Water has the ability to adapt to and marry the contours and shapes of its surrounding terrain, whatever the geography. It will skirt around obstacles, which lie along its path instead of hitting them dead on. Similarly, we must adapt to any hardships that will challenge us throughout our lives, unexpected as they may be. Winter and summer camps help us change our habits and practice under different conditions, which in turn prepares us to deal with misfortunes such as the ice storm of 1998 or the tragic events of September 11th.

"Iron is full of impurities that weaken it; through forging, it becomes steel and is transformed into a razor-sharp sword." - Morihei Ueshiba.

In the dojo, we must sometimes cope with what seems to be inconveniences at first: we have an injury, the mats are too crowded, we forgot our gi, etc. But we can turn this around to our advantage by trying to find opportunities. For example: practicing techniques with an injury, if anyway possible, could prepare us for such an occurrence one day during a true self-defense situation. If the injury does not permit it, then sitting down and observing the class is a mental training that will allow us to see things we would otherwise not see on the mats. Practicing in a crowded dojo will help develop our sense of awareness. Wearing our pants and t-shirt instead of a gi might teach us to modify certain techniques or move differently, etc. Training ourselves to adopt a positive mental attitude will prove to be as beneficial in our every day lives.

When we execute techniques, we are required to think during every repetition, and not simply behave automatically like machines. This will help us improve our techniques. Likewise, "kenkyuu" (study, research) allows us to take some time to think about a particular technique. We are also encouraged to try different ways of applying the same techniques, to find many derived applications ("ura" techniques) for each basic application ("omote" technique). All in all, our training forces us to think by ourselves. We are not spoon-fed the answers. This provides us with the necessary tools, which will eventually enable us to go our own way. In my opinion, this is the most generous gift a teacher can give to their students. In every day life, this mental state is also very important. We become naturally inclined to question issues, to look for a deeper meaning than what lies on the surface. We do not simply accept what we read or hear at face value. We learn to think for ourselves and go our own way.

"Think when you practice." - Minoru Mochizuki

Conclusion

We have seen that budo philosophy can influence technique. We have also seen how technique can help us understand and apply budo philosophy in our daily lives. The latter observation is most important. Practicing techniques in a microenvironment such as a dojo is fundamental to help us grasp the concepts of budo philosophy at a smaller scale, allowing us to then apply our newly found wisdom to the outside world. The dojo is after all a laboratory of human behavior.

In essence, technique becomes the means used to promote budo philosophy, which is the objective, and promoting budo philosophy will help us grow spiritually.

Thank you,

Gino Vincelli

References

· Aikido Journal (www.aikidojournal.com)
· Les Arts Martiaux - Jean-Paul Coche
· The Art of Peace - Morihei Ueshiba