"I want to be able to defend myself!"
"I'd like to improve my mental focus!"
"I want to get in shape!"
Japanese Martial Arts Center - Traditions
Become Incredible now ... if not sooner!
Do you want to understand new ideas more quickly? Do you want to become an expert at new activities with less wasted time? Do you want to help your business succeed faster and with fewer false starts? Here are 7 critical ideas that you should make sure you understand if you want to become one of those "switched on" people who are not just good at what they do, but outstanding, and outstanding at a lot of different things. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail in this article...
Don't Just Do Something, DO SOMETHING!
The other day I was having coffee with my friend Ian, who also writes for wellnessaddict.com, and we were talking about what each of us could do to help people become more effective. I was telling him that one thing I can do is help people get in the right state of mind to take action. That’s something I’d love to talk more about, but he pressed me to list some of the key principles of achievement. Now, before I share my ideas of how you can achieve success, I want to tell...
How to Choose a Martial Arts School
A Message from Nicklaus Suino Shihan (Director of the Japanese Martial Arts Center): If you're looking for martial arts training in or around Ann Arbor, Michigan, I applaud you! Thinking about martial arts training shows that you want to improve yourself, physically, mentally, or spiritually. Real, historically-based Japanese martial arts have a long track record of helping people improve themselves. Martial artists are among the finest people I know. Many of our students say that their best ...
Test Checklist
TEST CHECKLIST FOR STUDENTS We know how hard you have worked to get to this point. To ensure the appropriate level of seriousness and safety, please follow this checklist when preparing for your test day. 1. Uniforms: You and your uniform must be clean and tidy. Be sure your uniform is washed and unwrinkled. Sleeves and pant legs may not be rolled up – please have them tailored! 2. Jewelry: No jewelry may be worn during a formal test....
Jujutsu, Jujitsu, and Jiu Jitsu - What's the difference?
What is jujutsu? In the 21st Century, the term "jujutsu" - also sometimes spelled "jujitsu" or "jiu jitsu" has many meanings. The historical roots of the martial art you are studying can have a huge effect on exactly what you practice when you study jujutsu. It's fair to say that there are Japanese jujitsu systems - both ancient and modern - Brazilian jiu jitsu systems, and jujutsu systems that hail from other non-Japanese areas. For a general discussion about jujit...
The Student as Teacher
As a student at the Japanese Martial Arts Center, what should you know about teaching martial arts? Even if you haven't been officially designated as an instructor, you may occasionally be called upon to help another student. Even in the course of normal training, you may find yourself assisting your training partner by commenting on his or her technique. There are three things you ought to know: (1) be positive; (2) tread lightly, and (3) be sure you know before you teach. Be Positive: every...
Testing
At the Japanese Martial Arts Center, testing for rank is done by invitation. The instructors invite students to test when they have reached a sufficient level of mastery of the techniques for their rank. This is probably unlike your experience at the University of Michigan or at Pioneer High School! You might wonder what some of the requirements are when you are being considered for testing at the dojo. Although this list is not exhaustive, some of the aspects evaluated by the instructors are: t...
One Thing Right Today
A great way to approach each day in the dojo is to decide to "get one thing right today." Isolate one aspect of your art - a foot position you struggle with in iaido, the rhythm of a form in karate, or the hand position leading up to a throw in judo - and concentrate on doing it right. Check with the Sensei to find out what the proper checkpoints are, make sure you understand them, and try to execute them. Once you get close to the example set by the sensei, practice that aspect ove...
It's All About Me!
We usually hear that martial arts are designed to develop a selfless person - one who exists to serve his or her art, community, or some purpose larger than him or herself. This is certainly true, but sometimes the proper focus in training is on yourself. At times when things don't go exactly the way you'd like, focus on yourself rather than on the person who may have caused your dissatisfaction. Instead of thinking, "he didn't attack me the way he was supposed to," it is more produ...
Repetition
There's no getting around it, martial arts requires repetition. You have to practice your techniques over and over again to get good at them, whether you train in aikido, iaido, judo, jujutsu, karate, kendo, or kyudo. That's probably why, in the long run, the people who get to be best at martial arts are those who enjoy the practice for its own sake. Some of the benefits of repetition are: conditioning, learning, meditation, and spiritual forging. Conditioning: one of the obvious benefits of ...
Polishing
When we get a new bokken (wooden sword) at the Japanese Martial Arts Center in Ann Arbor, we take time to scrape off the shiny finish applied by the manufacturer. Once the finish is completely removed, we immerse the bokken in linseed oil for 24 hours or more. The wood absorbs the oil, helping to make the bokken much more resistant to cracking. In a quality bokken, the natural finish is much more attractive than the shiny look of polyurethane. This process is not totally dissimilar to what happe...
Japanese Words You Should Know
At the Japanese Martial Arts Center (our "dojo"), we use many Japanese words and expressions. These help create the cultural atmosphere for serious training, and express some concepts that are important in training in iaido, judo, or jujtsu (jujitsu). Among the important Japanese terms you should know are: hai, rei, onegai shimasu, arigato gozaimasu, and sensei. "Hai!" means "Yes!" or "I'll try!" when used in response to an instructor's advice. It is mo...
Power of the Positive
In our martial arts training lives, whether we study aikido, karate, kendo, or some other martial art, we must learn to use the power of the positive. This means that whenever there is a choice about how to act at the Japanese Martial Arts Center, we should choose the positive action: when teaching, when preparing to demonstrate or compete, and when communicating with others in the dojo. Teaching: Studies of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) have shown that the subconscious mind absorbs info...
Tradition in Practice
What does it mean to teach "traditional" martial arts? It can mean many things, some obvious and some not so obvious. A few of the major aspects of a traditional dojo include: a verifiable lineage in a recognized historical style, a respectful atmosphere, reasonable training fees, and observance of basic formalities. Lineage: the instructor at a traditional dojo should be able to tell you the name of his or her teacher, and to explain the line of teachers from the recognized founder...
Relations Between Martial Arts Schools
Those of us who grew up watching Bruce Lee and other actors in martial arts movies sometimes believe that dojos in the same town are always in conflict. In fact, Ann Arbor is a mecca for martial arts training, and the relationships between schools are usually quite cordial. When we interact with instructors and students from other schools, it is important to be respectful, open-minded, and helpful. Respect: regardless of whether you happen to like the martial arts taught at another school, th...
Zen in the Martial Arts
Zen refers to Zen Buddhism, a system of thought that is widely misunderstood to be a religion. Instead, Zen, in its purest form is a systematic method for improving one's ability to perceive reality. The primary tool used by Zen practitioners is zazen, sitting. One attempts in zazen to quiet the mind - to decrease or stop the constant internal chatter most of us experience - in order to more directly experience ourselves and the universe. Martial arts training can sometimes be useful for cult...
Aikido, Judo, Jujitsu, and Aiki-Jujutsu
Many students wonder what the difference is between aikido, jujitsu (jujutsu), judo, and aiki-jujutsu. The short answer is that all of them are "grappling" martial arts, i.e., they all deal with grabs, locks, and throws, but each emphasizes a slight different aspect of grappling. The long answer is much more complicated. Jujutsu (also written jujitsu or jiu-jitsu) refers to Japanese hand to hand methods that existed hundreds of years ago. In samurai times, the techniques of jujutsu ...
Beginner's Mind
"Empty Your Cup" is a martial arts aphorism that virtually every student has heard. It refers to the idea that students should put aside their own thoughts and opinions and diligently try to do exactly as their instructor asks them to do. Whether one studies aikido, karate, jujitsu, or kendo, the requirement is the same: diligently and enthusiastically perform the techniques of your martial art, over and over, trying to match all the checkpoints provided by your teacher. The idea is th...
The Frog at the Bottom of the Well
The Frog. Sato Shizuya (Chief Director of Kokusai Budoin, IMAF) sometimes tells the story of the frog at the bottom of the well. The frog, it seems, thinks that the sky he sees is the entire universe. He has no idea that anything exists outside what he can see. The point of the story, of course, is that we must always guard against thinking we know everything. In martial arts, we must always recognize that there is more we can learn about a technique, more room to perfect our skills. While most ...
'Mastery' in the Martial Arts
What does it mean to "master" a martial art? In the Japanese martial arts, we are very reluctant to use the term "master." The term would imply that someone has completely understood the art and can perform its every technique perfectly. The reality is that even the very best practitioners are still working on perfecting their art. Perfection is an elusive goal, but one that keeps us training and trying to improve ourselves for a lifetime. What we can do, however, is move our...
The Martial Arts Social Contract
Between the martial arts teachers at the Japanese Martial Arts Center in Ann Arbor and their students, there exists a social contract. The contract - mostly implied, sometimes written down - goes something like this: As the teacher, I agree to give you, the student, the absolute best training opportunity I can give you, be it in judo, jujutsu, or iaido. I promise to offer you the complete martial art I know, including all its best aspects: physical techniques, theories of physical power, men...
Budo Mind and Body
Budo Mind and Body: Training Secrets of the Japanese Martial Arts Available at the JMAC Online Store Visit Us for some serious training at the Japanese Martial Arts Center Introduction A man who has mastered an art reveals it in his every action. - Samurai maxim The Skill of the Masters After a hard day of martial arts practice, while enjoying a cold drink with training partners, we sometimes share stories of the masters of old. These are stories of me...
Strategy in Japanese Swordsmanship
Strategy in Japanese Swordsmanship Available at the JMAC Online Store Visit Us for some serious training at the Japanese Martial Arts Center Introduction In my first book, The Art of Japanese Swordsmanship, I provided instructions on the formal solo techniques of Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu Iaido. These techniques were taught to me in Tokyo by the late Yamaguchi Katsuo, a 10th degree iaido Meijin (“meijin” means an acknowledged master) and extraordinary k...
Art of Japanese Swordsmanship
Art of Japanese Swordsmanship Available at the JMAC Online Store Visit Us for some serious training at the Japanese Martial Arts Center Etiquette and the Code of the Samurai One of the first tasks facing any leader of fighting men is that of instilling discipline in his troops. This was especially important for the Japanese, since the samurai were part of an elite social group and were expected to deport themselves in accordance with their position. They were schooled in...
Walter E. Todd
Walter Todd Sensei (1927-1999) On November 26, 1999, Walter Todd Sensei, eighth dan, passed on. He was 72 years old, and his wife Eve and two children survive him. While Todd Sensei had not operated a dojo for some time, he continued to teach seminars, and he remained actively involved in the Japanese martial ways until the end of his life. Despite advanced age, and in spite of suffering from inj...
Sato Shizuya
Originally Published in "BIG IN JAPAN" Shizuya Sato The world of the martial arts is fraught with mystery, of heroes performing magical feats, famously depicted in movies from Hong Kong to Hollywood. Aside from the glamour of the big screen, there is another, much quieter, side: Individuals and organizations devoted to maintaining and promoting traditional martial arts. Enter Shizuya Sato, a man who has spent his life working to promote traditional Japanese ...
Yamaguchi Katsuo - Meijin 10th Dan
Yamaguchi O-Kami Meijin 10th Dan Muso Jikiden Eishin-Ryu Iaido - Hanshi 9th Dan Kendo Yamaguchi Katsuo, a world-renowned leader in the sword arts of Japan, passed away on January 24, 2006, at the age of 89. His influence on the iaido of the late 20th Century cannot be overestimated. Yamaguchi-Sensei was a swordsman in the Eishin branch of the martial art created by Hayashizki Jinsuke, able to trace his lineage back to Oe Masamichi, 16th Headmaster of the system. Oe taught Yamamoto Takuji...
To Whom Much is Given
To whom much is given, much is expected. This is nowhere more true than in the traditional martial arts. Along with the great skills that we learn and the progressively more impressive belt colors, we also must accept more and more responsibility. Truly, a life in the martial arts is one of service: to the dojo, to one another, to the art, and to the community. Service to the Dojo: a traditional dojo cannot exist without the enthusiastic support of its members. Members pay dues, of course, bu...
Care and Feeding of Training Partners
Training partners are vital to your progress at the Japanese Martial Arts Center. They can give you feedback on how well you're doing a form, can help you practice a joint lock or throw, and can challenge you in sparring or randori. In fact, whether you train for physical fitness, self-defense, or character development, it's hard to imagine real success in martial arts without the help of dedicated training partners. For that reason, it's helpful to think about how to make sure your dojo mates a...
Three Aspects of Training
There are three aspects to your physical training at the Japanese Martial Arts Center, whether you train for self-defense, physical fitness, or character development. These are as follows: (1) learning new techniques; (2) mastering the techniques you know; and (3) applying the techniques in action. All three aspects are critical if you want to become a really good martial artist. Learning New Techniques: because you come to a new art with no knowledge, the early part of your martial arts car...
First Day in the Dojo
On your first day at the Japanese Martial Arts Center (our "dojo"), you can expect to learn some very important basic budo concepts (budo means "martial way" in Japanese, and refers to a life on the path of personal development through martial arts). These concepts are expressed through some simple Japanese words, including the following: rei (courtesy, or bow), sensei (teacher), hai! (Yes! or I will!), and arigato gozaimasu (thank you). Rei is the courtesy that starts and...
Karate, Karate-Do, and Karate-Jutsu
We are often asked to explain the difference between the words Karate, Karate-Do (sometimes written "Karatedo") and Karate-Jutsu (or "Karatejutsu"). All these words refer to a closely related set of martial arts that focus primarily on strikes, kicks, and blocks. These martial arts have a common history that began in Okinawa (once the Ryukyu Kingdom, now a territory of Japan). Some are still primarily Okinawan in pedigree, but others have largely become Japanese, Korean, or e...
Iaido, Iaijutsu, Kendo, Kenjutsu, Battojutsu and Battodo
The Japanese martial arts that employ the sword take many forms. Some emphasize formal techniques, some emphasize sparring. All have valuable aspects that help practitioners develop strength, coordination, mental acuity, and a strong character. Included among the sword arts are iaido, iaijutsu, kendo, kenjutsu, battojutsu, and battodo. Iaido is a word composed of three parts: ee, meaning "to exist"; ai, meaning "harmony" or "unification"; and do, meaning "pa...
Love and Courage
At the Aikibudoin at Dartmouth College, on their shomen, is some calligraphy in Japanese that says, roughly translated, "Have I loved enough, have I showed enough courage?" This is a wonderful admonishment to martial arts students of every variety: kendo, karatedo, aikido, or any-do. It helps to remind us of two of the most important virtues found in budo. Perhaps the more obvious virtue is courage. It takes courage to face a strong punch, kick, or throw, whether in the dojo or ...
Individuality
Out in the "real" world, we take great pains to express ourselves. We choose certain clothes, drive a certain make of car, and wear our hair just so. We choose who to spend time with and which shows to watch, and measure ourselves against the social group to which we aspire. In the dojo, however, the opposite is true. While practicing judo, karate, jujutsu, iaido, or kendo, we all wear essentially the same uniform, strive to perform our moves exactly the way Sensei does, and utter the ...
