the mind is obsessed, it bears worldly desire and creates a cause of ku (trouble).
MU AND KYUDOU (JAPANESE ARCHERY)
Kenzou Kawami, known as kyusei (master of Japanese archery) had the following philosophy of mu for kyudou.
To hit the target, it has to be as if the arrow heads toward the target voluntarily, regardless of your aim. You need to be mu to achieve it. When you are mu, the arrow you shoot will naturally hit the target without your aiming at it. It is not to hit but to be hit.
Keep looking at the target until it starts to blur, and then close your eyes. When you close your eyes, you feel as if the target is approaching toward you. The target and you become one. God and you become one. When these are united, they become immovable center. Then, the arrow hits the center of the target. The arrow goes out from a center and goes into a center. The arrow hits the target. When you reach this state, do not aim at the target, aim at yourself. Hit both the targets of you and God at one time.
Kenzou described the secret of kyudou as follows. When you come to know who to see, what to see, and who to put in instead of you, you don’t need a mentor any longer.
A Record of a Dialogue Between Musashi and Lord Hosokawa
Musashi stands for Musashi Miyamoto (1584–1645). He left a great name behind him as author of Goryinsyo, which is now read as a utilitarian and practical book.
Lord Hosakawa stands for Lord Tadaaki Hosokawa (1588–1642). He was the lord of the area that is now called Kumamoto City. Musashi served him.
Lord Hosakawa : You say that you risked your life more than 100 times in deadly duels. Were there any opponents who seemed formidable?
Musashi : They were all great sword fighters.
Lord Hosakawa : While you were in a duel, haven’t you ever been afraid that you might lose?
Musashi : Never.
Lord Hosakawa : Life is very dear to every human being. I suppose every swordsman must think about life when he meets the opponent who is more skillful than him. How about you?
Musashi : I have never learned swordplay from a master. I train myself in the mountains. I hang dozens of strings from branches of trees and strike them at random from below, the strings rebound. My swordplay is the extremity of the timing of not being hit by the strings. You cannot win humans’ duels if you see the duel as killing each other. I dodge the branches so that they do not hit me. I only deal with the opponents in the same way.
Lord Hosakawa : Why do you do that?
Musashi : Trees do not fear. Only I feel the fear. When I fight against human beings, my opponent fears me and he escapes from my sword. The strings hanging from the trees never escape. When I fight against the strings, I sometimes lose and get hit. However, I never have been defeated nor hit in humans’ duels.
When your mind is positive, it is not weak. When your mind is absolute, you don’t feel that you are fighting to dear life even during a deadly duel.
There are two kinds of positive. As for the secrets of swordplay, if you become defensive to the opponent’s technique, your body becomes defensive and then you lose your balance. You should not be defensive, just fend off the attack.
Similarly, as for events in your life, you should disregard them as if they were swords that attack you at random. Then, the opponent will stumble on oneself and falter.
—From a Record of a Dialogue between Musashi and Lord Hosakawa.
Fudoshin
Chapter 3
Tactics for Actual Fighting
Waza – Techniques
The martial arts training starts from sensitizing five senses.
In the beginning, learn how arms and legs function, then learn how to use waza. You will then continue to train your concentration and unification of mind, learn to sharpen your cautiousness, association, and inspiration. After you learn those basics, intensify you inner life energy and train to achieve super power.
To intensify your life energy, it is necessary to practice waza repeatedly. When you drive yourself to the edge of death physically and mentally, your sensitivity will be sharpened and your life energy will be intensified.
By intensifying your life energy, you will be close to the state of emptiness. Once you reach the state of emptiness, you can manage your waza without consciously trying. The first-class unbeatable arts will then be completed.
All the training is done to achieve the movements of unconsciousness. Training is meant to forget training after repetitions. If you are conscious of your waza, it is not real yet.
THE STATE OF FUDO AND FUDO-SHIN
Fudo – Stable, nonmovable.
Fudo-shin – Stable mind
Some of the most important things in fighting are the state of fudo and fudo-shin.
The state of fudo
The state of fudo is a condition that cannot be moved or changed by anything.
Techniques, sensitivity, experiences, and many other factors count to be a skilled athlete.
When you confront someone with abilities, you cannot set off your waza as you wish. Those strong ones can read what you will do next.
The non-beatable fudo state can be attained by training fudo-shin.
Fudo-shin
Mind and body are deeply connected to each other with full concentration.
Fudo-shin means that you let go of clinging and firmly believe that you won’t be beaten by anything.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE FIGHTING
Eye levels and eye light (ganko)
Eyes are an important factor for pre-fighting. Eye level and eye lights will be the greatest factor to determine the outcome.
If you look with a light in your eyes, your mind could be out of focus and affect your movement.
If you look with power in your eyes, your mental power lowers as well; you can get caught off guard.
Eyes are the energy resources of your body, mind and waza. It is ideal that your eyes hold power, lights, freshness, and liveliness.
Posture
When you round your back, energy will become trapped inside your body and become negative energy. When you straighten your back, energy will flow more smoothly. Energy will start to go out and become positive.
Straightening your posture makes your breathing smooth.
Opening
