TRAINING

The traditional Japanese martial arts are NOT like a sport, a competition governed by rules. The real enemies of body, mind, and spirit attack without warning and follow no rules. We prepare to defeat these enemies by training, "keiko" and "shugyō" in Japanese.
稽 古 KEIKO, TRAINING
The most common type of activity associated with the traditional martial arts is 稽 古 keiko. The term keiko is composed of two Kanji (Chinese) characters: the first, 稽 kei, means “to cogitate,” “to think,” or “to consider”; the second, 古 ko, literally 10 mouths or generations, is rendered “old” or “ancient.” Therefore, the verb Keiko is usually translated, "to involve oneself in a process." However, when the meaning of the Kanji is fully considered, keiko really means "to meditate on the old or ancient."
We find this reference to ancient things particularly significant as the kata we "meditate" on are often very old. In keiko training we focus on kata, repeating them over and over until they can be performed without thought. The traditional way of learning is to imitate the master, to learn his movements down to the smallest detail. According to Grandmaster Tanemura, when we observe his movements (during a kata), we are seeing the movements of his predecessors.
修 行 SHUGYO, SEVERE TRAINING
A less common but equally important activity associated with traditional martial arts is 修行 shugyō. The term, shugyō, is composed of two Kanji (Chinese) characters. The first character, 修 shu, means to “study,” “cultivate,” or “master.” The second character, 行 ko/gyō, means to “do,” “proceed,” or “carry out.” When combined, these characters are normally translated as "training” or “ascetic practice.”
In the traditional bujutsu, the term shugyō carries strong Buddhist associations that are rooted in China, where monastic practice and asceticism was referred to as shugyō and one who engaged in such practice, a shugyōsha. Buddhist shugyō is training done in pursuit of higher (deeper) levels of consciousness and the refinement of one’s physical, mental, and spiritual capabilities. Therefore, when its association with the Buddhist tradition is considered, the term shugyō implies a very demanding or severe training experience that profoundly affects the whole person.
SHUGYO >>>
A bujutsu master’s shugyō could take the form of an actual journey or quest, leaving the protection of one’s clan or school to roam the countryside. A warrior on shugyō might seek out duels with masters from other schools or employment as a mercenary. Sometimes, a bujutsu shugyō was not so much a physical journey as a symbolic one, a period of intense physical, mental, and spiritual training involving extreme feats of endurance and deprivation.
Regardless of outer form, a shugyō is intended to be a forging process that exposes both one’s limitations and, more importantly, a certain hidden ability that allows one to break through limitations. The shugyō process is like a spiral that mines down deeper and deeper till a core breakthrough is discovered. When successful, a shugyō leads to an experience of enlightenment, a divine insight or vision that propels a founder into a new and higher (deeper) level of mastery. Knowledge gained from such an experience is termed tenshin shoden, or divine knowledge. A founder’s experience of enlightenment is so powerful and impactful, not simply for the founder but for his followers as well, that stories from the founder’s shugyō period normally are transmitted as part of a ryu’s special teachings (den).
While shugyō of ancient times could involve brutal, life-or-death experiences, the term shugyō can be applied to any form of training that aims at a depth of knowledge, wisdom, or technical ability. For example, the term shugyō is sometimes used to describe a particular form of bujutsu training that enables contemporary students to uncover a founder’s breakthrough insight hidden within his special teachings. In shugyō training, students focus on a small number of koshiki-no-kata, or ancient patterns, practicing them over and over again. The process of repeating the kata, and 100 or more repetitions would not be unusual, is intended to refine one’s skill and deepen one’s knowledge. This repetition is done without much explanation from the instructor or cognitive analysis by the students. In this form of training, the kata are permitted to “speak” for themselves, revealing to students their own hidden truths.
Instruction is given through kata not only in martial arts, but in many cultural arts. Kata is an embodiment of the teachings of an art and, therefore, should be learned correctly without preconception. Kata is like a "container" that is used to accurately transmit a certain content, called 'ryuha,' from teacher to student. Theoretically, we could throw away the container after we have received its contents, but if we discard the container the school would cease to exist too because there would be no way to transmit the ryuha (teachings) to the next generation. The life of human beings is very short but we can feel the spirit of an art’s founder and his disciples through kata. In short, kata is a vehicle for us to have a vicarious experience—through kata we can follow in the footsteps of the past generations. -Kuki Shinden Tenshin Hyoho
In the past, severe training was the proper tradition, but nowadays people tend to avoid it as much as possible. Sometimes being ruthless or withstanding brutality is part of the art of self protection. When your life is in danger and you are totally involved in survival, severe training can help you endure severe injuries and hardships. Easy training will not make it possible to protect yourself from attack and danger.
-Grandmaster Tanemura
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Anyone can learn traditional Japanese martial arts. All that is needed is a sincere desire to learn and perseverance. If you are sincere in your desire to learn traditional Japanese martial arts and willing to commit to regular training, we invite you to contact us.