Living
Values Archives
-
Theme For 2020 by Jack Hoban.
-
Theme For 2019 by Jack Hoban.
-
Theme For 2018 by Jack Hoban.
-
Theme For 2017 by Jack Hoban.
-
Jack Hoban November 2012 Newsmax interview.
-
The path to becoming an 'Ethical Warrior' by Jack Hoban
and Joe Shusko. Military1.com.
-
Jack Hoban on Frontlines of Freedom.
-
The Ethical Warrior and the Combat Mindset - Jack Hoban
and Joe Shusko's May 2012 Marine Corps Gazette Article.
-
Doug Wyllie of PoliceOne interviews Jack Hoban on "The Ethical
Warrior."
-
Developing the Ethical Warrior
- Jack Hoban's June 2010 Marine Corps
Gazette Article
Download.
-
Bestselling Author Joe Finder Interviews His Confidential
Source: Jack Hoban, The Ethical Warrior.
-
The ethical warrior (Part I):
A Marine Corps model for cops
- PoliceOne.com article by Jack Hoban and Bruce Gourlie.
-
The ethical warrior (Part II):
The hunting story
- PoliceOne.com article by Jack Hoban and Bruce Gourlie.
-
The ethical warrior (Part III): Leadership from the bottom
up - PoliceOne.com
article
by Jack Hoban and Bruce Gourlie.
-
The ethical warrior (Part IV): More than just the ingredients
- PoliceOne.com
article by Jack
Hoban and Bruce Gourlie.
-
The ethical warrior (Part V): Philosophy and why it is important
- PoliceOne.com
article by Jack
Hoban and Bruce Gourlie.
-
The ethical warrior (Part VI): Developing a Cop's Combat
Mindset - PoliceOne.com by Jack
Hoban and Bruce Gourlie, April 2011.
-
The ethical warrior (Part VII): The Warrior Creed -
PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and Bruce
Gourlie, June 2011.
-
The ethical warrior (Part VIII): A True Test of The Warrior
Creed - PoliceOne.com: by Jack
Hoban and Bruce Gourlie, July 2011.
-
The ethical warrior (Part IX): Defensive Tactics Training
and the Warrior Creed - PoliceOne.com:
by Jack Hoban and Bruce Gourlie, September 2011.
-
The ethical warrior (Part X): Are ethics tactical? -
PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and Bruce
Gourlie, November 2011.
-
The ethical warrior (Part XI): Protecting Our Enemies.
- PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and
Bruce Gourlie, December, 2011.
-
The ethical warrior (Part XII): De-humanization and PTSD.
- PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and
Bruce Gourlie, March, 2012.
-
The ethical warrior (Part XIII): What We Have Learned.
- PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and
Bruce Gourlie, April, 2012.
-
The ethical warrior (Part XIV): Where philosophy and reality
collide.
- PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and
Bruce Gourlie, August, 2012.
-
The ethical warrior (Part XV): What is a warrior?.
- PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and
Bruce Gourlie, September, 2012.
-
The ethical warrior (Part XVI): What's in a name?
- PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and
Bruce Gourlie, December, 2012.
-
The ethical warrior (Part XVII): What does it mean to be
tough?
- PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and
Bruce Gourlie, February, 2013.
-
The ethical warrior (Part XVIII): Police militarization
and the Ethical Warrior
- PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and
Bruce Gourlie, August, 2013.
-
The ethical warrior (Part XIX): Combining ethics, tactics
and technique in VNR
- PoliceOne.com: by Jack Hoban and
Bruce Gourlie, November, 2013.
-
Combat correspondent Robert Drury speaks with Jack Hoban
about the Ethical Warrior for Men's Health, September 2011
-
June 2011 Black Belt
Magazine interview of Jack Hoban
-
From killer to protector: Redefining
the Marine warrior ethic through martial arts
- Chicago Examiner interview of Jack Hoban
-
The Ethical Marine Warrior - September 2007 Marine Corps
Gazette article by Jack Hoban
-
Spreading The
Warrior Creed - World Net Daily article by Geoff Metcalf
-
The Ethical Warrior - Human
Events Article by Jack Hoban
-
Ten Values-Secrets for Building Institutional and Global
Harmony
by Robert L. Humphrey
-
2002 Black Belt Magazine Interview of Jack Hoban
-
Hatsumi Black Belt Interview
-
2003 Hatsumi Sensei TaiKai Interview
-
Life Values & Human Equality
(The Hunting Story) by Robert
L. Humphrey & Jack Hoban
-
The Life Value
by Jack Hoban
-
Living According To "Nature"
by Jack Hoban
-
Warriorship As A Lifestyle
by Jack Hoban
-
Ninpo
As A Lifestyle
An Interview with Jack Hoban by Combat Magazine - 1995
-
Hoban Interview
2005 - Paul Richardson
Photo Gallery is here.
Yearly theme essaysfrom past years start below. The theme
for this year is here.
Previous Yearly
Themes
New Year's Message
January 1, 2006
Dear Buyῡ:
Happy New Year! My warmest regards to allof you around
the world who share this Warrior's Path.
Well, it finally happened. 2005 was the theyear that I
turned 50. It's interesting, because when I met Hatsumi
SenseiI was 25 and he was 50. And when Hatsumi Sensei
metTakamatsu Sensei, Hatsumi Sensei was 25. More about
that later. Anyway...
As usual, there was plenty of travel for me. I went toSlovenia
last Spring. We had people from Slovenia, of course, but
also Serbia, Croatia,Bosnia, Austria and Hungary (hope I didn't
miss anyone!); thanks to Andrej Jasencfor inviting me.
I was also in California, Florida, andChicagoland—a couple of
times each. As is our tradition, I went to Atlanta to train
with Bud Malmstrom. KurtHaines also invited me to Houston
and I really enjoyed seeing everybody downthere, it had been
a while. You guys (and gals) are doing great!
I was in Japan for the Daikomyosai—Hatsumi Sensei's annual training
/ birthday party. Sensei is more genki than ever.
I know I say this everyyear, but you really should try to get
there for training. Here's how: After reading this, pick
a date (I recommendDaikomyosai) and committo going. No "ifs"
allowed (as in: "if" I have thetime, "if"
I have the vacation, "if" I have the money,"if"
my dog will let me go, etc.). If you commit, your life
willconform to the power of your intention and you'll go.
If you don't, itwon't. Simple as that. So, what do you
say?
This past summer also saw the eighth annual "BuyῡCamp"
in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific
Ocean. And a second
Buyῡ Camp East in New Jersey. Buyῡ Camps
are a great way to connect with old friends and get that "continuing
education" and inspiration that will help you "keep going" when
you get back to your own, local training group. See you
there again in 2006!
Another seminar that has become an annual event is the "Life
Values Workshop." This is a seminar where we practice our
Budo in the context of Robert L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings. Many
people have expressed interest in the STRIKE training that Humphrey
devised to help Marines overcome the stress of real combat. If
you want to experience it, we'll see you next July in New Jersey.
I also had a lot of fun teaching the Warrior Values seminar
with Joe Lauhere in NewJersey once again. Joe Lau has
really been successful in findingthe philosophical "common
ground" among folks interested in TomBrown's Wilderness
Survival Skills, Bujinkan Martial Arts, and the late ProfessorRobert
Humphrey's Life Values Theory. Thank you, Joe, for inviting
me. Don't forget to check out Joe Lau's
website.
And, of course, consult the
WIN seminar page periodically for detailsof all of our workshops.
Some of the most rewarding work I did in 2005 waswith the Marine
Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). This
is a fine program that covers the martial arts techniques that
a Marineneeds to walk the warrior path—both in combat and around
town. But, themost important aspect of the program, in
my opinion, is the character developmentpiece. The program
is primarily designed to activate the"protector/defender"
value system in the Marine. The premise isthat ethical
Marines are better people—and also better fighters, because
theyare committed to do what is needed to be done to protect
each other and theinnocent people who live in their operating
area—as they take it to the badguys.
I usually end up saying something controversialin these essays,
so here goes. If you are interested in warriorship, whybeat
around the bush? Why the "reality" training,
and theultimate fighting and all this? Why not join
the Marines? Goto Iraq or Afghanistan. That's reality.
Help others throw offoppression. Like the guys in the
picture above (excluding the old fart whois teaching).
That's a warrior's job.
Ahhh, maybe your real goal is to prove to yourself and/or othersthat
you are tough. OK, that's understandable. But, be
careful, remember what Takamatsu Senseisaid about that:
"The skills
of self-protection, which should provide a feeling of inner
peace and security for the martial artist, so often develop
without a balance in the personality and lead the lesser
martial artist into warped realms of unceasing conflict
and competition which eventually consume him.
If an expert
in the fighting arts sincerely pursues the essence of Ninjutsu,
devoid of the influence of the ego's desires, the student
will progressively come to realize the ultimate secret for
becoming invincible - the attainment of the "mind and
eyes of God." The combatant who would win must
be in harmony with the scheme of totality, and must be guided
by an intuitive knowledge of the playing out of fate.
In tune with
the providence of heaven and the impartial justice of nature,
and following a clear and pure heart full of trust in the
inevitable, the Ninja captures the insight that will guide
him successfully into battle when he must conquer and conceal
himself protectively from hostility when he must acquiesce."
By the way, I don't think you have to be a Marine(or soldier
or cop) to follow the warrior path. I just think that
fightingfor fun or ego is NOT the way. There's nothing
wrong with it,necessarily. But it is self-centered.
Warriorship is about defendingothers. That's my opinion.
You decide.
In 2005 we worked through severalthemes, Hatsumi Sensei taught
Gyokko-ryu Kosshijutsu Happobiken—including training inBo-jutsu,
Tachi and Taijutsu. It was surprising to me how the same
ryu andwaza that we practiced in previous years looked and felt
so different in 2005. Perhaps it is our ability to see
the space and feel the"inryoku"that has improved.
We also had our own Buyῡ theme of"nature."
How did we do withthat? Did we "train outside,walk
the forests, swim the seas. Hear the wind, talk to the
ocean, listento the lessons of Mother Earth?" In
2005 she continued to speak to uswith soft summer nights, crisp
winter mornings--and a few rather intensehurricanes, tornados
and earthquakes! She's still in charge.
I guess that we shouldn't be surprised,therefore, that Hatsumi
Sensei's theme for 2006 is...shizen(nature)! Evidently
we will be studying Shinden Fudo Ryu and kenjutsu from the perspective
of "nature." It's definitely a great theme and
a natural follow on to last year's training.
So why don't we, once again, make Nature our Buyῡtheme
for 2006? Let's enjoy!
Enjoyment of life. That is what ourtraining offers—if
you let it. We have theluxury of studying warriorship
in the relaxed and cooperative atmosphere of thedojo.
Please take advantage of it. The real world is not the
dojo, but the things that we do in thedojo will impact how we
move, act, feel in the real world—whether in a hostileof non-hostile
situation. So use your time in the dojo well. Studysincerely.
Strive for clarity of thought, feeling and movement. Thatis
the true bushin (warrior spirit).
Hatsumi Sensei's shodo - Bushin
|
As I said earlier, I turned 50 in 2005. Sensei was 50 when
I met him, so I really don't know what he did for the first25
years of his training. But I have a good feeling for his
next 25. After all, I was there and watching very closely.
So were many of you, aswell! It should give us confidence
and a clear direction. No, our livesaren't and won't be
remotely like his. But we have a wonderful role modelfor
that 50 - 75 year old phase of our training. I feel great!
Howabout you?
Other than that, I really don't have much to saythat hasn't
been said. 25 years into my training, all of the talking
andphilosophizing has really all come down to this:
-
Be a defender
of life.
-
Keep going.
That's it! So, one of my resolutions for2006 is to talk
less about martial arts and just try to set the example. Less
explainin' more trainin'.
Finally, I am pleased to announce the good newsthat we recently
republished Dr. Humphrey's book "Values For ANew Millennium."
This has been a dream of mine fornearly ten years. If
you are interested in point 1 above,
readthe book.
If you are interested in point 2, train. Warriorship
is pretty straight forward—notcomplicated. And not easy.
Keep going!
Jack Hoban
P.S. I went for my New Years Day swimtoday. It was
cold. Again.
New Year's Message
January 1, 2005
Dear Buyῡ:
Happy New Year! My best regards to allBuyῡ around
the world. It was my privilege to share this wonderful
artof Warriorship with you in 2004. It has been a full
and beautifulyear of training, as well as, the thirty-third
anniversary of Takamatsu Sensei'spassing. A very lucky
and auspicious year for all of us.
As usual, there was plenty of travel for me. I went to California,
Florida, and Chicagoland-- several times each. I also went
to Atlanta to train with Bud Malmstrom.
I was in Japan twice, including the Daikomyosai--Hatsumi Sensei's
annual training / birthday party. It is clear, now, that
if you want to train with Sensei, you have to go to Japan. Get
there! No excuse!!
This past summer also saw the seventh "BuyῡCamp"
in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific
Ocean. And for the first time, there was a
Buyῡ Camp East in New Jersey. Buyῡ Camps
are a great way to connect with old friends and get that "continuing
education" and inspiration that will help you "keep going" when
you get back to your own, local training group. See you
there in 2005!
Another seminar that has become an annual event is the "Life
Values Workshop." This is a seminar where we practice our
Budo in the context of Robert L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings. Many
people have expressed interest in the STRIKE training that Humphrey
devised to help Marines overcome the stress of real combat. If
you want to experience it, we'll see you next July in New Jersey.
I also had a lot of fun teaching the Warrior Values seminar
with Joe Lau at Tom Brown's Tracker School here in NewJersey
once again in 2004. Joe Lau has really been successful
in findingthe philosophical "common ground" among
folks interested inTom's Wilderness Survival Skills, Bujinkan
Martial Arts, and the late ProfessorRobert Humphrey's Life Values
Theory. Attendance in 2004 was roughlytwice what
it was last year. The word is really spreading aboutthis
wonderful course. Thank you, Joe, for inviting me; and
thanks, Tom, for making the "Farm" available. I think this
will be an annual event. Keep an eye on Joe Lau's
website for details.
And, of course, check the
WIN seminar page periodically for detailsof all of our workshops.
In 2004 we studied the concept of
Roppou-Kuji-noBiken (六法九字之秘剣). I
am not sure that any of us really were able to grasp the total
essence of thisconcept (six methods kuji of the secret (hidden)
sword). I have spent timespeaking with Sensei and contemplating
it, and think of it this way (this isonly my personal interpretation):
Roppou-Kuji-noBiken admonishes us to see things clearly, as
they really are so that we canbecome mū--movingwith the
timing of the kukan and using the secret"sword."
Maybe this helps you; I hope so. But asSensei said in
a letter to me in May of 2004: "Itis important to know
that Ninjutsu is not only sneaking into enemy lines, butalso
allowing mysterious lessons to sneak into your own mind.
This is thetop secret of Ninjutsu."
As I said, this is a concept that may beimpossible to describe
intellectually, but we certainly had many opportunitiesto see
it in action, including plenty of swordwork. As I said,
I was able tovisit Japan twice this year and learned a lot.
Just as interesting to meas the swordwork, was Sensei's emphasis
on training in armor. It justso happens that I spent
some time training in armor and protective gear with theMarines
this year. It is very different from flitting around on
a tatamiin a gi!
|
Hatsumi
Sensei in yoroi in the honbu dojo
|
|
Jack
Hoban (left) participating in mock bayonet training
with the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program
|
And we do tend to spend a lot of time training inthe dojo.
And with our friends. And as a result, we risk losing
asense of what combat is really like. And that is why
I feel that Senseispent so much time training in armor and talking
about martial arts as they werepracticed in real war.
Yet, if we concentrate too much on the mechanics ofkilling,
we run another risk: the risk of losing a sense of what Warriorship
isreally for. Though our skills may, on occasion,be used
to take life,their primary purpose is to protect life.
And this we must not forgeteither. Again, I am reminded
of the story that my late mentor,
Robert Humphrey,
told me aboutbeing a Marine on IwoJima.
On the sixth
day of the battle for Iwo Jima, I took command of the
only six (teenage) American Marines who were still left
in a front-line rifle platoon that had more than 40
original members [Company F/2/28]. After losing
his closest friends during those first six days, the
evening that I took command, this young Marine named
Mercer [George Mercer WIA then later KIA during the
last days of the fight when his hospital tent was overrun]
told me, skeptically, that I was their sixth lieutenant
in those six days. Then, as he “dug in” for the
night, he suddenly started denouncing the top cultural
values that had been instilled in us Marines during
that age of high patriotism. “F*ck the Marine
Corps!” He shouted. “F*ck democracy, and
f*ck this war! I don’t volunteer for nothing.
I DON’T VOLUNTEER FOR NOTHING!” Four of the other
five Marines took up that chant. “Right,” they
yelled, “I don’t volunteer for nothing! I don’t volunteer
for nothing.” As their new leader, I knew I had
been warned. (I was just 22-years-old myself.)
The first
thing next morning, an order came in for me to send
a "volunteer” straight out front on an almost certain-death
reconnaissance mission. Thinking about that chant,
and feeling fresh, compared to those exhausted, young
combat-veterans who had already shot their way across
the base and up to the top of Mt. Suribachi (during
the patrol before the famous flag-raising), I decided
to go myself rather than appoint an enlisted “volunteer.”
As I started to crawl forward in the detestable black
sand, Mercer, knowing that it was foolish leadership
for me, the officer, to go, crawled over into my face,
blocking my path, and said, authoritatively: “My turn,
Lieutenant.”
Stunned,
I realized that Mercer was saying, “My turn to die,
Lieutenant—not yours.”
The irreducible
facts of human survival are clear: THE BEST MEN
VOLUNTARILY DO THE DYING, IF NECESSARY, TO SAVE THE
GROUP WHOSE MEMBERS ARE LESS MORALLY/PHYSICALLY FIT.
So much for Social Darwinism!
Human nature
as I saw it on Iwo Jima is not such that everyone acts
heroically. But human nature is such that the
best of us humans do act heroically to save the group.
It is even more sophisticated than that: When
“the best” is killed while trying to protect a group,
the next best fighters tend to recognize that they are
now “the most capable.” Sometimes this assumption of
leadership continues right on down the line to those
who are the weakest, and they too will step forward
toward that horror of possible death when other lives
in their “in-groups” are threatened. That “in-group”
feeling is the trigger, but I found that this “in-group”
feeling is not hard to expand even across the historic
barriers of ethnic hatreds spawned from bloodletting.
Wow. And I have it on first-hand authoritythat the same
kind of heroic, self-sacrificing activity occurred inIraq-especially
in Fallujah. Many Americans risked—and lost—theirlives
by taking extraordinary personal risks, rather than allowing
innocentcivilians to be killed unnecessarily.
So now I am going to say something prettyharsh. These
days we all hear a lot of (frankly) BS in the martial artsabout
ranks, and who deserves theirs and who doesn't, and who is tougher,
orstronger, or which art is better, or more complete, or more
realistic, or blah,blah, blah. It is all said with the
pseudo-authoritarian air that isdesigned to sound like helpful
instruction, but really just strokes the ego ofthe speaker (writer,
emailer, poster). Translated it says: I am stronger,I
train tougher, I have a better martial art, I know more than
you, I, I, I! Is this thetalk of a warrior? I don't
think so. Warriorship is not about you,you, you.
It is about becoming "zero" so that we can see thingsas
they "really are," and be at the right place with
the right timingso that we can protect others, even at the risk
of our own lives. If you think you are practicing martial
arts, but you are unhappy, orinsecure, or worried, or jealous,
or any of those niggling things, then youmight want to think
about that Iwo Jima story and see if there is a lesson inthere
for you.
Warriorship is about others. Not aboutyou! Enough
said.
Now let's talk about the training for 2005. As most of
you know, Hatsumi Sensei has been giving us a theme to work
with these past years. Thisyear it appears to be Gyokko-ryu
Kosshijutsu Happobiken—including training inBo-jutsu, Tachi
and Taijutsu. Hatsumi painted the picture of a waterfallbelow
for me. Most of the kanji (on the left side) is a famous
Japanese poemthat says: "Water falls down to a
hollow but that is thebeginning of rising." However,
on the right it says Jumonji (as inJumonji no kamae from Gyokko
Ryu) Shim Pen Kyojitsu. You probably knowmost of these
words, but "Shim," means "God; and "Pen"means "changes."
Yes, God does change (move) in mysteriousways. This is
a great reminder for us to be mindful of the "waythings
really are;" and a wonderful way to extend the concepts
from lastyear into an exciting new year of training.
To be truthful, there is probably a little humorin the painting
as well. The painting is of a waterfall, as I said(although,
you never know with Sensei! Does it look absolutely likea
waterfall to you?). Anyway, I had an interesting experience
with awaterfall once and Hatsumi Sensei had an unexpected response
to it that I willshare with you.
As a younger and bolder fellow I went once to aShugenja training
facility in the mountains because I wanted to sit under awaterfall
and feel what it was like. Well, as I approached the area,several
attendants came out to shoo me away. I insisted that I
wasn'tthere to bother anybody; I just wanted to sit under the
waterfall. Well,then they got pissed! "How
dare you, an unsanctified foreigner, comehere thinking you can
just sit under this sacred waterfall? Go away! Now!!"
All hostile and everything. Well, I was a little pissedby
then, too, but what could I do? Be an Ugly American?
So I wentaway without sitting under their stupid waterfall.
When I got back to Noda, I mentioned the incidentto Hatsumi
Sensei. He questioned me on all the details, and Itold
him everything. Finally, he said: "Bakayaro!"
("Thoseidiots!"). Then he said: "Well,
Jack, just go back to your hotel, getinto the shower, and turn
the water on cold. It's the same thing!"
Ha! The dojo is anywhere! Everywhere!!
Yes, the dojo doesn't necessarily have to bewhere you think
it is. In fact, sometimes our dojo—the place with the
tatamis(or mats) and gis are—is not necessarily the best place
to train. So why do we do it? Well, it's easy and
sensible, that's why. Butthat brings us to our Buyῡ
theme of the year. As you may know, in additionto Hatsumi
Sensei's theme, we also have traditionally selected our own,
Buyῡ Dojo, theme everyyear. Last year, if you recall,
our theme was the year of Shinobu. How did we do?
Were we patient? Aware? Persistent? Werewe
able to look beyond the purely technical and tactical aspects
of our training? Were we vigilant against threats that
we couldn't see nor understand. And,most importantly,
did we open our hearts to the way of the benevolent warrior—protecting
whenwe could, hiding when we had to? Using our skills
only as a last resort? Difficult, wasn't it?
But that is the natural way of the Warrior. And that brings
us to this year's theme. The theme is: Nature.
Recall Takamatsu Sensei's words:
"In tune
with the providence of heaven and the impartial justice
of nature, and following a clear and pure heart full of
trust in the inevitable, the Ninja captures the insight
that will guide him successfully into battle when he must
conquer and conceal himself protectively from hostility
when he must acquiesce."
Well, how do we learn that?! In this age ofcell phones
and computers (I, myself, work in the Internet business) how
do welearn the laws of Nature? Certainly not in front
of a computer (althoughwe can learn a lot about the new "laws"
of man that way, and that isimportant, too). No, we need
to get out into Nature. Train outside,walk the forests,
swim the seas. Hear the wind, talk to the ocean, listento
the lessons of Mother Earth. She is speaking to us.
Remember thehurricanes, the earthquakes, the tsunamis.
She still has control. And something to teach us.
As Ninja, as warriors, let us listen veryattentively in 2005.
Keep going!
Jack Hoban
P.S. To set the example, I decided to gofor an ocean swim
today, New Years Day. It was cold.
New Year's Message
January 1, 2004
Dear Buyῡ:
I wish for you
all a Happy New Year filled with good health and love. Thank
you for helping me to "keep going" for yet another wonderful
year!
The years pass
quickly, don't they? I clearly remember sitting here, last year
about this time, and it seems like just a moment ago. Hatsumi
Sensei says to me often: "Life is just a series of moments."
There were many
beautiful "moments" in 2003 as we studied the concept ofjuppo-sessho
and Buyῡ (courageous warrior).
Indeed, the concept
of juppo-sessho spawned many ideas for our training. We
began to look at the physical encounter from many new perspectives.
We enhanced our ability to use the space around the opponent. "Ju,"
as we learned, means "ten" and "ho" means "direction,"
so"Juppo" means "the ten directions." The ten
directions are east, west, south, north, northeast, southeast,
southwest, northwest, and upward and downward. These represent
all directions, the whole of space (kukan), or the whole world.
Sensei talked often, this year, about using three dimensions
in our training. Very enlightening!
The root of "Sessho"
is Setsu (or koro su) which refers to the act of killing. Sho
means living thing. This term sessho is often used in Buddhism
in the context of an admonition to avoid killing (including
animals), particularly in a thoughtless or cruel way. For
me, this is a very powerful concept. It speaks to the "awarenessof
life" that we all must maintain in our training, and what
martial artsare really all about. It is a warning to never
forget that the vocation of the warrior deals necessarily with
the concept of life and death. Our skills are for protecting
life, but may, on occasion, need to be used to take life. I
am reminded of the story that my mentor,
Robert Humphrey, told me about an incident that happened
to him as a Marine on IwoJima.
As many of you
know, Iwo Jima was the first native Japanese soil invaded by
Americans inWWII. Approximately 60,000 Americans and 20,000
Japanese participated in the battle. Iwo Jima was approximately
2 miles wide, 4 miles long; that's 8 square miles. In that
tiny area, death--horrible, mutilating death--became a commonplace
occurrence. Almost 7,000 Americans were killed in action
on Iwo Jima; there were more than 20,000 American casualties. Approximately
one-third of all Marines killed in action in World War II were
killed on Iwo Jima, making Iwo Jima the battle with the highest
number of casualties in Marine Corps history. Virtually
ALL of theJapanese soldiers on Iwo were killed.
The incident
to which I am referring took place while Humphrey and his platoon
were clearing a cave. It was usual for the Japanese soldiers
to fight to the death, so clearing caves--often by burning the
soldiers alive with flamethrowers--was a dangerous and soul-withering
job. In this one instance, however, a solitary Japanese
soldier emerged from the cave to surrender. By this time
in the battle both sides had adopted a "take no prisoners" attitude. The
Japanese were killing any American who tried to surrender, even
if they were too wounded to fight back; so we began to kill
their soldiers, too. It seemed normal, therefore, when
one of Humphrey's men lifted a rifle to shoot the surrendering
Japanese. Like I said, according to Humphrey, shooting
the boy would not have been unusual. Actually, it would
have been unusual under the circumstances NOT to shoot him. After
all, he might have booby-trapped himself [which was common]
and was just trying to get close enough to take a couple of
Marines with him when he went.
For some reason,
however, Humphrey felt that he should stop his Marine from killing
this Japanese boy. When Humphrey ordered the Marine to lower
his weapon, there was a real moment of tension between them. The
Marine couldn't understand why Humphrey was protecting the enemy.
No one would see it; no one ever would know. Both sides
were doing it. It would be just one more death among thousands.
At the time,
Humphrey didn't really know why he didn't want to kill the boy,
either. He just had a feeling about it. Due to Humphrey's
forceful insistence, the Marine reluctantly put his weapon down. The
Japanese soldier did surrender and was taken prisoner without
a problem. Humphrey recalls that the Japanese may have
even provided some worthwhile intelligence. But it took
Humphrey many years before he understood the REAL reason why
he had protected that enemy soldier.
Humphrey told
me that there was so much UNAVOIDABLE killing on Iwo Jima that
when he had that one chance to NOT kill, he felt that he must
take it. For the sake of his own humanity. To the
day he died, the act of saving his enemy was Humphrey's proudest
life moment.
And that, to
me, is the essence of Juppo Sessho. Protect life when you
can, kill only when you must.
Training with
Hatsumi Sensei in Juppo Sessho was very special. Sensei
came to New Jersey in 2003 for the last TaiKai outside of Japan.
It was a beautiful TaiKai at an oceanside resort in New Jersey. With
the sound of the waves outside, I had the privilege of just
relaxing with Sensei and talking with him for hours a day for
the better part of a week. I don't remember even a fraction
of what we talked about. It was all just a "beautiful
moment." Maybe some of the things that he said are now
seeds in my subconscious that will bloom again at the right
time. I do remember him speaking of his sense that the
Bujinkan was strong enough to "keep going." He said that
we have many good people who understand the important lessons
of Takamatsu Sensei and all the past GrandMasters of our art. Sensei
wasn't sad about the changes that are coming inevitably; rather,
he was happy and was facing the future withoptimism. He is a
very wise man. And an inspiration.
As usual, there
was plenty of travel for me. I went to California, Florida,
and Chicagoland--actually, several times each. I also went
to Atlanta to train with Bud Malmstrom. I am wondering
about my resolution totravel less....
Actually, it
is flattering, and a privilege, to be invited to share our art
with Buyῡ everywhere. I thank all of you who participated.
I also was in
Japan with many of you for the Daikomyosai and Hatsumi Sensei's
annual training / birthday party. It is clear, now, that
if you want to train with Sensei, you will have to go to Japan.
Fortunately, it looks like there will be an additional three
day seminar in April, so there may be two significant training
opportunities in Japan in 2004. Get there! No excuse!!
This past summer
also saw the sixth "BuyῡCamp"
in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific
Ocean. As in past years, many martial artists from around
the country and the world met as Buyῡ. The Buyῡ
Camp has really become a fun and international event.
See you there in 2004! It is also gratifying to see that
other "Buyῡ Camps" are springing up around the country
and the world. Buyῡ Camps are a great way to connect
with old friends and get that "continuing education" and inspiration
that will help you "keep going" when you get back to your own,
local training group.
Another seminar
that has become an annual event is the "Life Values Workshop." This
is a seminar where we practice our Budo in the context of Robert
L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings. Many people have expressed
interest in the STRIKE training that Humphrey devised to help
Marines overcome the stress of real combat. If you want
to experience it, we'll see you next July in New Jersey.
I also had a
lot of fun teaching a Warrior Values seminar with Joe Lau at
Tom Brown's Tracker School here in New Jersey. Thank you, Joe,
for inviting me; and thanks, Tom, for making the "Farm" available. I
think there will be another in 2004. Keep an eye on Joe
Lau's website for details.
And, of course,
check the
WIN seminar page periodically for details for all of our
workshops.
Now let's talk
about the training for 2004. As most of you know, Hatsumi
Sensei has been giving us a theme to work with these past several
years. In 2004 it is DaiSho Jutaijutsu. I assume
that this means that we will delve deeper into ways of using
and moving with the sword. I am really looking forward
to it.
[Note:
After this essay was originally published,Hatsumi Sensei clarified
the theme and now uses the term Roppou-Kuji-noBiken (六法九字之秘剣)to
characterize the focus of the 2004 training.]
I have to say,
it is uncanny how Sensei selects his themes. Those of you
who train with us regularly in New Jersey know that, back in
the Fall of 2003, we began to get the feeling that we should
start re-examining the concept of proper distancing. The
best way to do that, we felt, was to break out the swords.
So that's what we did--we started working on our swordwork. Then,
BINGO! Two months later we go to Japan and Hatsumi Sensei
announces that his theme for 2004 is...swordwork! Weird!!
How does he do it?
We also have
traditionally selected our own, Buyῡ Dojo, theme every
year, and this year is no different. The theme is inspired
by reflection on the reason that many of us came to this martial
art in the first place. Let's face it: We wanted to be
Ninja. At the time, aside from some obscure references
in an old James Bond book, we didn't really even know what a
Ninja was. But something about the mystique of the Ninja
drew us in. I remember encountering Stephen Hayes, first
in a magazine and later in person, and his stories of this real
Ninja in Noda, Japan. I was hooked!
Well, most of
us have been through the Ninja craze, and the Ninja boom, anda
lot of silliness in that regard. And we mostly use the
term "Bujinkan" when we talk about our training these days. But,
I recall when I first met Hatsumi Sensei. There WAS no
Bujinkan! We were training in Togakure Ryu Ninpo.
And in my heart, I still am. But, what I realize now, after
more than 20 years, is that this art--by whatever name you choose
to call it--adapts to the age: the age we are in, the age in
years thatwe are, the age of man.
It could be said
that, now, we are in an age of terror--a mindless,inadvertent
stumble on the way to clearer human vision. So, again,
our art must change. You can be killed anytime, anywhere,
by a person who does not know you nor care who you are. You
can be killed with common weapons, or with weapons that are
new and different. You can be killed by invisible weapons.
Those that would kill you don't want your money or your possessions. They
want your death. Their reasons are hard to understand,
so protecting yourself from them (as opposed, say, to protecting
yourself from a thief) is not easy. It takes awareness
and patience. In other words: shinobu.
Shinobu is patience
with a purpose. Shinobu is positive. It is not meanthere
in a defensive or paranoid way. There is a cosmic purpose for
your patience:Life. Yours and anyone else's life that you can
protect with your skills.
The religious
philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) spoke of
an Omega Point to which life is destined to evolve. The Omega
Point is supreme enlightenment (or self awareness). I like
that concept because it suggests an encompassing "reason
for itall." The journey to the Omega Point is not
really a "progression," but rather, a"becoming."
It is true understanding and total consciousness, amanifestation
of a perfection that already exists. But we must change
and adapt until we attain it (or it attains us). The Omega
Point is ahead, but it is also here. Most importantly,
for us to realize this Omega Point, for us to become our full
potential, we must live. We must "keep going."
This is a subtle
point that I have struggled with: How do you become something
that you already are? Perhaps, you must "keep going" until your
perspective changes. Hatsumi Sensei said to me once that "progress
is an illusion, but change is necessary." I
guess it is his way of saying that there is really nothing new
under the sun. But a Ninja, necessarily, must change with
the times. Consider TakamatsuSensei's words in this regard:
"The vast universe, beautiful in its coldly impersonal totality,
contains all that we call good or bad, all the answers for all
the paradoxes we see around us. By opening his eyes and his
mind, the Ninja can responsively follow the subtle seasons and
reasons of heaven, changing just as change is necessary, adapting
always...."
It is so difficult
to be patient in this fast moving world. It is easy to get the
feeling we will be left behind, somehow, if we wait. But
how can we be left behind when we are already there?
So let's call
this the year of Shinobu. Be patient, be aware, be persistent.
Look beyond the technical, and even tactical, aspects of your
training. Imbue your training with a special awareness.
Seek to understand the un-understandable. Be vigilant
against threats that you can't see and can't understand.
Open your heart to the way of the benevolent warrior--protecting
whenwe can, hiding when we must, using our skills as a last
resort. Reaching for our full potential.
Keep going!
Jack Hoban
New Year's Message
January 1, 2003
Dear Buyῡ:
Thank you all for helping me to "keepgoing" for another
great year!
I sit here on New Years Eve, as I have done forquite a few years
now, and reflect on the year that has gone past. I havethat "good-tired"
feeling that you get after a nice, long day oftraining.
It's a special feeling, and I bet you know just what Imean.
But, the REALLY special times are when we have just had that
tough day atwork, and we think we'll just skip training for
the night. Yet we changeour mind at the last minute and
drag ourselves to the dojo. And likemagic, an hour or
two later we are re-energized. I call those the"keep
going" nights. It's amazing the kinds of insights
you geton those exceptional nights. Don't you think?
The year 2002 has been another year of greattraining (I think
I say that every year!). We studied Takagi YoshinRyu Jutaijutsu
and Dai Sho Sabaki. We continued our studyof the
concepts of"space," "perspective," "kukan,"
andfighting in "three dimensions." We
started to look at theconflict in terms of terrain and tactics,
rather than just from the perspectiveof the technique.
We spent a lot of time on our knees, and we became"Men
In Black...Dresses" (women, too, of course) as we trained
inhakama.
Training with Hatsumi Sensei in 2002 was alsovery special.
He seems to have grown more joyous, more spirituallypowerful,
and his energy is unflagging. What an inspiration!
As usual, there was plenty of travel for me. I went to
California three times. Florida twice. Imade another
trip to Chicagoland to train with Mark Hodel and Buyῡ
there. I went to Atlanta to train with Bud Malmstrom. I
went to the Norway TaiKai and theSt. Louis TaiKai, aswell.
I also was in Japan with many of you for the Daikomyosai andHatsumi
Sensei's birthday. Great training, great party.
You reallyhave to hear Noguchi Shihan sing his annual version
of "Ginza Monogatari"(Tokyo Love Story). Plan
to go to Japan this year if at all possible!
This summer also saw the fifth "Buyῡ
Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden GateBridge
on the Pacific Ocean. Again this year, many highly regarded
Bujinkan martial artists fromaround the country and the world
were in attendance to share theirinsights and gather the views
of their fellow Buyῡ. The Buyῡ Camp
has really become a fun and international event. See you
there in 2003!
Last year Ihad a chance to teach with several friends and Buyῡ
who came to New Jersey. There was Steffen Fröhlich from
Germany, Bud Malmstrom from Georgia, and Dick Severence from
Florida. These Shidoshi seminars are really fun and a
great chance to meet people from around the nation and world
who share our love of Bujinkan training! Look for
visits from Bud again this year. Also, maybe a surprise
guest or two.
Another seminar that has become an annual event, is the "Life
Values Workshop." This is a seminar where we practice
our Budo in the context of
RobertL.
Humphrey's Life Values teachings. We even do the STRIKE
training,which Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the
stress of real combat.
And we added a seminar that will be ourannual remembrance for
the September 11th attack. My friend Joe Tenaglia (retired
NavyCommander, EOD commando, and Anti-Terrorist expert) gave
a brief onthe terrorist threat. We followed up the "classroom"
portionwith a session that covered what you could do if you
were ever involved in aterrorist incident. The training
included a section on "weapons ofopportunity."
It's amazing the damage you can do with a chapstick!
Check the WIN
seminar page periodically for details and join us for these
interesting workshops.
Now let's talk about the training for 2003. As most of
you know, Hatsumi Sensei has beengiving us a theme to work with
these past several years. Thisyear it is juppo-sessho
(possibly from the perspective of Shinden FudoRyu). There
has not been talk of studying the waza of any specific ryuha
(at leastthus far). We'll be working with some classic
Japanese weapons, as well,including Kunai, Tessen, Kyoketsushoge,
etc. Great! We can work on any waza we want.
The kanji forjuppo-sesshois probably
十法 殺生
(although you can never tell
what kanji Hatsumi Sensei will use to illustratedifferent iterations
of the sound). Ju means "ten" and"ho"
means "direction," so Juppo means "the tendirections."
We all know the word happo (eight directions orways).
The ten directions are east, west, south, north,northeast, southeast,
southwest, northwest, and upward and downward. Theserepresent
all directions, the whole of space, or the whole world. (Threedimensions?
Where have we heard that before?) In Buddhistphilosophy
the meaning of space is frequently discussed. In these
discussions,the word juppo is often used to describe space (kukan?).
Veryinteresting, neh?
Setsu (koro su) means killing. Shomeans living thing.
This term is often used in Buddhism in the context ofan admonition
to avoid killing (including animals), particularly in athoughtless
or cruel way. I can only speculate on where we will go
with thisconcept--but I have already started!
One of the most exciting things that is happeningthis year is
that the TaiKai will be in New Jersey! What a privilege
forus to be able to host it in 2003. Who knows how many
more Sensei will beable to do. Don't miss it! Info
is
here.
Hatsumi Sensei drew three kanji for me this yearthat I thought
were very interesting. I have put them below for your
study.
I am sure you recognize the one on theleft. It is "Buyῡ
- warrior friend." This has a different feelthan
the one we usually use for our Buyῡ Dojo, but it is wonderful,
don't youthink? The one in the middle is "Buyῡ
- courageous warrior." I like that one so much you
may see it on the TaiKai T-shirt. The third"Buyῡ?"
It just means "male." But it looks cool,doesn't
it?
And that brings us to our Buyῡ theme of theyear.
It is...Buyῡ. We will study the art of war (bu)
thisyear, andexplore the courage (yu) it requires to act in
times of crisis. And maybe evenwhat it means to be a real
man and wo-man. And what it means to have andbe a warrior
friend (Buyῡ). This is a good time to have Buyῡ. I
believe the world has been at war since September11, 2001.
For many, war is an obscure concept, especially a war like this. It
doesn't reallytouch them. And for the most part, that
is a good thing. Most peopleare too lucky to have the
capacity to live consciously with war on a day to daybasis.
It has touched me, though, and I know it has touched many ofyou.
Our warrior art is really about how to deal with and survivewar.
And preserve life ifpossible. It is not about techniques,
or ranks, or politics. Ororganizations.
I was asked this question in an interview this year: Howshould
we behave and train in the Bujinkan? My answer was this:
We should behave likehuman beings, like warriors. We should
follow the example that has been set for us. Listen to
our teachers. Trust them. That doesn’t mean that
we are robots, or members of a cult, or that wemust change our
personalities, it only means that we should follow theprinciples
as they have been shown to us. Whatare they? Look
at Sensei, he is following them, too. He is following
them, as we all must. The principles certainly have the
flavor of his personality, but they arethe principles passed
down from the previous Sokes of the arts that make up theBujinkan.
They are principles thatare immutable, although the manifestations
may change.
Many people worry about thefuture of the Bujinkan. Don’teven
think about it. The futurewill come in its time.
We shouldface it using the principles we have been taught or
discovered on our ownthrough training. Why think about
the future? Why even ask about it? It is like asking,
“What is the future of tides?” Well, as long as there
is a moon, there will be tides. What is there to think
about? Onmore human terms, consider the concept of motherhood.
Is it a technique? Anorganization? A cult of someone’spersonality?
No. It is a fundamental of human existence. And
so is warriorship. Theprinciples that are represented by
the art we call “Bujinkan” arefundamental to the human experience
and have a life of their own. They are the laws of the
warrior. They will endure as long as there isone true
warrior in the world. Let's explore THAT important line
ofthinking. With courage, as true men and women.
With our friends. Of course there will be plentyof fun in the
dojo, too! Train hard. Get in shape. Pay attention
tothe environment.
Keep going!
Jack Hoban
New Year's Message
January 1, 2002
Dear Buyῡ:
Thank you all for another great year oftraining. It has
been an amazing one!
Think back, if you will, on all that hashappened. Give
thanks for what we have—our family, friends and fellowBuyῡ.
Pray for those who have been touched by terrorism.
We live,truly, in challenging times. Warrior times.
The events of this pastyear have given our shared vocation more
relevance than ever.
The year was full of training. We studiedGyokkoRyu Kosshitjutsu
and DaiSho. We explored the concepts of"space," "perspective," "kukan," "ura"and "omote," "in"
and "yo,"and especially "kyojitsu."
It was very exciting. We learned that the word kosshi
has some very interesting connotations inthe Japanese language.
Kosshi, it seems, can refer to certain bonesof the spine.
And since the spine is the center or "core" of thebody,
kosshi can be used when speaking of the essence of something—theheart
of the matter, if you will. Of course that kosshi, althoughsounding
the same, uses a different kanji. Layers within layers....
And do you recall how vital and happy HatsumiSensei was this
year in the training? He remains such an inspiration. Keep
going, Sensei!
As usual, there was a lot of travel for me. I went to California
three times. Florida twice. Imade another trip to
Chicagoland to train with Mark Hodel and Buyῡ there.
I went to Atlanta to train with BudMalmstrom. I even got
to visit myroots by going to Dublin to train with my friend
Steve Byrne and many Irish Buyῡ. As I do whenever
possible, I told the
WarriorCreed
story and the HuntingStory,
getting the usual, very positive, emotional reactions. Thestuff
still works—allover the world!
I went to the Madrid TaiKai (gracias toJesus Equia for treating
me so graciously) and the Washington DC TaiKai, aswell.
I also was in Japan for the Daikomyosai andHatsumi Sensei's
70th birthday. The training was wonderful, as was theparty.
People from all over the world turned out to share this greatoccasion.
This summer also saw the fourth "Buyῡ
Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden GateBridge
on the Pacific Ocean. Once again, many highly regarded
Bujinkan martial artists fromaround the country and the world
were in attendance to share theirinsights and gather the views
of their Buyῡ warrior friends included my friend SteffenFröhlich
from Germany. Newly promoted 10th dan, Sheila Toribio
taught her first workshop and it was very well received.
We plan to make women part of the instructor cadre from now
on! The Buyῡ Camp isreally turning into a
fun and international event. See you there in 2002!
Last year Ihad a chance to teach with several friends and Buyῡ
who came to New Jersey. There was André Trudel from Montreal,
Bud Malmstrom from Georgia, and Ed Martin from Pennsylvania.
These Shidoshi seminars are really fun and a great chance to
meet people from around the nation and world who share our love
of Bujinkan training! Look for visits from Bud again
this year. Also, Dick Severence in December.
Steve Byrne is coming over from Ireland in February, and SteffenFröhlich
will be visiting from Germany in June.
Another seminar that has become an annual event, is the "Life
Values Workshop." This is a seminar where we practice
our Budo in the context of
RobertL.
Humphrey's Life Values teachings. We even do the STRIKE
training,which Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the
stress of real combat. Last year Bob's sons, Jess and
Rob, both former active duty Marine Officers,shared the teaching.
Don't miss it!
Check the WIN
seminar page periodically for details and join us for these
interesting workshops.
Now let's talk about the training for 2002. As most of
you know, Hatsumi Sensei has beengiving us a theme to work with
these past several years. This year itlooks like we will
be studying budo from the perspective of Takagi Yoshin RyuJutaijutsu.
We are even being told that we should prepare a pair of hakamaand
a set of soft training Daisho! Sensei is full of surprises,
isn'the? I am always so curious to see what he will do
next. In that way,Sensei helps me to "keep going."
At the Madrid TaiKai I spoke with Hatsumi Senseiabout the events
of September 11, 2001. In light of what had justhappened,
the Marines had asked me to step up my participation in their
newMartial Arts program. I was soon headed back to Quantico,
Virginia to helpas best as I could. During the course
of our conversation, Sensei said:"We have now passed the
era of 'in.' It is now the era of 'yo.' Goodness
will prevail, but to win, we will have to be more terrible than
theterrorists. Gambatte!"
Our talk made me think of what a luxury we havehad these last
years—studying,"playing" with this martial art in
the relative safety of our dojos. Had we been lulled into
a sense of complacency? Seeing our budo as a"hobby?"
Were any of us ready to use our Martial Art for real?
Sensei made me think that there comes a time whenthe true Martial
Artist must leave the comfort of the dojo and use his skills
inthe outside world. But how?
That is for us to discover this year. Ioften say that
a Martial Artist's job is not necessarily to lurk around a gasstation
waiting for it to be robbed so that he can save the day.
We arenot vigilantes. We are warriors.
Yet most of us (thank God) will never be in areal war.
So what do we do?
Perhaps you, the reader, are awarrior in your heart. Perhaps,like
me, you struggle with your understanding of what being a warrior
trulymeans—and the commitment it takes to be one.
Whatis a warrior? To me a warrioris a protector of life—his
own and others’. Fora Warrior, there is no difference
between the physical and the moral. They are the same. Themoral
is that which sustains life. Warriorshipis a life of moral
action.
Ibelieve that the primary responsibility of a warrior is to
understand thisunique perspective: the perspective of the physical-moral.
I often hear or read things like: "people are not as moral
as they used to be." Or that there is a "crisis
of morality in our society." I disagree. I
think people are as moral as they ever were. After all,
how can you change human nature in a generation or two?
No. There is no crisis in morality. Rather, I believe
that there may be a crisis in physicality. People still
know the difference between that which is good, that which sustains
life, and that which does not. They just don't speak up
the way they used to when they see something that they know
is wrong. They are afraid.
There is an old saying that goes something like this: The only
thing it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.
It is time to stop doing nothing.
But what form does this "doingsomething" take?
Again, it isn't running around in the middleof the night
dressed in black looking for bad guys. In reality,
itis a very simple thing. When we see or hear something
that we knowis wrong, speak up. Say something, do something.
Ninety-nine percentof the time this does not mean getting in
a fight, or even putting yourself atrisk of physical harm.
But the truth is, that it is still sometimes damnhard to be
moral if you don't have the skills to back it up—justin case.
The moral requires the physical. I think that theyare
inseparable for most people. After all, are you really
moral if youdon't speak up when you see something wrong?
For we martial artists it means taking the morality that wepractice
in the dojo and using it in the real world. The physical
skillsare merely a back up—seldomif ever to be used. The
skills are only for courage—asin moral courage. Are we
up to it? As Robert L. Humphrey used tosay: "It is
a better life."
When I returned home from Japan this year, Ireceived a package
in the mail from Hatsumi Sensei. One of the items inthe
packet really surprised me. Like so many times in our
relationshipover the years I had to ask myself: "Can this
man read minds!?" Here is a copy of the painting
Hatsumi Sensei sent me.
The kanji says: "Man
Ben Fu Kyo"(Countless changes, no surprise).
To me this is an admonition to observe and knowthe real world—the
world "outside." Know that there is good and
evil. Do not become complacent about thisdynamic.
It is as natural as night and day, cold and hot, "in"and "yo."
It is such relevant advice for the warrior wholives in the real
world.
Of course, there will still be plenty of trainingin the dojo.
In keeping with the spirit of "yo" in 2002 Iwould
also like to continue exploring the concepts of "space"
and"perspective." My work with the Marines has
re-awoken my feelfor battlefield strategy. Unlike the
sterile environment of the dojo, thereal battlefield is a place
where things like weather and terrain play acritical factor.
He who best understands these factors has anadvantage.
Have you ever thought about the space as terrain? Withsafe
spots and danger zones? Defilades and natural cover, camouflage
andplaces of concealment? And understanding this, can
it lead to a broaderawareness of strategy? Can the lessons
learned in defeating one enemy beused to defeat ten thousand?
Takamatsu Sensei said something to thateffect. So did
Sun Tzu. What does this mean for us? Let's tryand
find out.
So, the "Year ofYo" it is. Let us try to live
our lives with moral courage. Live our lives so thateach
small warrior moment has the potential of changing the world
somehow. And let us live with Takamatsu Sensei's admonition
in our heart: "Fora Ninja, there are no surprises."
Buyῡ, let's have another great year!
Keep going!
Jack Hoban
New Year's Message
January 1, 2001
Dear Buyῡ:
I want to thank you all, once again, for a greatyear of training!
As time goes by I realize, more and more, howimportant our relationship
is. You truly help me “keep going.” This concept
of an informal, yet very real, Buyῡ community really has
become apowerful force throughout the world. I think back
to when I wasyounger. I had the romantic (and adolescent)
view that my life would bebest as that of the “lone warrior.”
I sure am glad I grew out of that! This is a much better
life.
It has been another wonderful year oftravel. I went to
California three times. Florida twice. Imade another
trip to Chicagoland to train with Mark Hodel and Buyῡ
there. I went to Atlanta, Quebec, and Germany. Here's
an interesting one: I wasinvited to be a guest instructor at
the American Judo & Jujitsu FederationConvention held, this
year, in Boise, Idaho. What a great group offolks!
And very competent, too. This presented somewhat of achallenge.
What was I going to present to these dedicated martial artiststhat
would be valuable to them? A couple of wrist-twist techniques
justwasn't going to do it. So, rather than going over
the usual one-on-one fight scenariostuff, I decided to try something
different. We broke up into groups ofthrees and practiced
protecting the person next to us. It was great funand
I got a lot of positive feedback. My mentor, the late
Dr. Robert L.Humphrey used to say that selfpreservation was
a human being's strongest inclination, except, for theinclination
to protect loved ones. This is such a universal sentiment,
butit is often overlooked in our day to day training.
Even though they worewhite and I wore black, I thinkthat the
Buyῡ feeling and the "protecting others" training
helped to bringus all together. When I told the
WarriorCreed
story and the HuntingStory,
I got the usual, very positive, emotional reactions. Thestuff
still works!
I went to Taikais in Holland and Atlanta. Atlanta was
great; as always, Bud and Bonnie Malmstrom did a wonderful job. I
also had quite a time in Holland. When I arrivedat the
convention center near Amsterdam where everyone was staying
and where the training wasto be held I was surprised to discover
that there was no room for me! Iwas to stay at another
hotel about 5 kilometers away. I wondered howI could get
back and forth several times a day from my hotel to the traininghall. "Oh
well," I thought, "just make the best ofit."
I took a taxi to the other hotel and decided to have anap.
I woke up several hours later, hungry, and decided to go down
to therestaurant for something to eat. As I entered the
dining room I heard afamiliar voice calling: "Jack, Jack,
come here!" It was HatsumiSensei. It turned
out that he, too, was staying at this other hotel. Needless
to say I was able to get back and forth quite easily by tagging
alongwith Sensei. I also had many priceless hours of eating
(and drinking) andwonderful conversation. I must have
gotten a little carried away withmyself, too. For those
of us who trained together last year,you are aware of our theme
for 2000--relationships--and my obsession with theconcept of
kukan, or "space." I was anxious to tellSensei
all I had learned over the year about "space."
I launched intosomething ridiculous like this: "Before
I understood the importanceof kukan, I was like a blind man
entering a forest with an ax. Every timeI came to an obstruction,
I would have to chop it down before I couldproceed. But,
now it's like I can see a secret pathway through thewoods.
All I have to do is follow the invisible path to my goal ofvictory."
You can imagine what Sensei must have thought of thatpreposterous
proclamation. He blinked, sighed, and said: "Yes,but
what you must be able to do is move effortlessly to the middle
of the woods,unerringly find the largest tree, and climb to
the top. Only then will yoube able to look down and see
the kukan. He finished by saying,softly and kindly: "Jack,
there is always more, always more."
I'll leave you to puzzle over that one, as I have. But
it was a great lesson and a great year with Sensei. I
thank my friends Sveneric Bogsäter and Mariette van der
Vliet for their hospitality and the opportunity to share their
beautiful TaiKai.
I also was in Japan for the Daikomyosai (no talk of forests
and trees, thank heavens, just good training) where I had the
opportunity to sing "Happy Birthday" to Hatsumi Sensei
with Buyῡ from all over the world. Check out
a picture of the birthday party by
clicking here.
This summer also saw the third "Buyῡ
Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden GateBridge
on the Pacific Ocean. Once again, many highly regarded
Bujinkan martial artists fromaround the country and the world
were in attendance to share theirinsights and gather the views
of their Buyῡ warrior friends. Highlights were workshops
taught by SteffenFröhlich from Germany and Paco Bellmonte from
Spain. The Buyῡ Camp isreally turning into an important
international event. See you there in 2001!
Last year Ihad a chance to teach with these friends and Buyῡ
who came to New Jersey: Sveneric Bogsäter from Holland, Pedro
Fleitas from the Canary Islands, as well as Jeff Prather, Dale
Seago and Bud Malmstrom from the USA. These Shidoshi seminars
are really fun and a great chance to meet people from around
the nation and world who share our love of Bujinkan training! Look
for visits from Bud again this year. Also, Ed Martin in
December. My friend André Trudel is scheduled for June.
He is quite a character. Remember the situation under
Carter's presidency when the American Embassy in Tehran was
overrun and the embassy employees were held hostage? Well,
not all of them were trapped. You may also recall the
story of the Canadian Special Forces Officer that spirited some
Americans out of the area during the confusion and hid them
in the Canadian Embassy. That was André! He went
on to become head of the Canadian Secret Service detail that
guarded Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. He is also a fine
martial artist who is especially known for his pressure point
techniques. Check the WIN
seminar page periodically for details and join us for this
interesting workshop with a truly cool guy.
Another seminar we had last year, and one that wewant to make
an annual event, is the "Life Values Workshop."
This is a seminar where we practice our Budo in the context
of RobertL.
Humphrey's Life Values teachings. We even do the STRIKE
training,which Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the
stress of real combat. Last year Bob's son Jess, himself
a former active duty Marine Infantry Officer,and his widow,
Mrs. Peggy Humphrey, joined us for the weekend. This yearwe
are trying to get even more Humphreys to come. Don't miss
thisone.
Now let's talk about the training for 2001. As most of
you know, Hatsumi Sensei has beengiving us a theme to work with
these past several years. In 2000 we worked on the
Koppojutsu ofGyokushin Ryu Ninjutsu, Gikkan ryu, and Koto Ryu.
This concept of Koppowas an interesting one. I think we
all started out the year thinking kopporeferred to the bone-attacking
methods of the Koto Ryu. Ha! Senseitaught us a deeper
meaning. The higher level of koppo, he said,refers to
a "complete facility" with the martial arts.
It is theability to immediately adapt to any situation (and
use any weapon) withoutthinking and with complete ease.
It is like getting "the knack"of martial arts in a
fundamental sense--far beyond the mere performance oftechniques.
It is becoming, personifying, the martial arts.
I am not sure that we are quite ready to movebeyond that concept
yet, but Sensei loves to keep moving usforward. This year
it looks like Gyokko Ryu Kosshitjutsu and DaiSho are onthe agenda.
I am excited, as I know you must be, to take that next stepdown
the warrior path.
And, as always, I also like to pick a Buyῡ theme for the
year. Last year was the Year of Relationships. This
led us to a greater (but not final--I heard you, Sensei) understanding
of kukan. So what is the next step? I have been
thinking about this a lot. Are you ready? OK, take
a deep breathe and let's go!
I'd like to re-explore the concept ofkyojitsu,or the juxtaposition
of truth and falsehood, in light of what we learned last year.
It will take some consideration to move from where we are to
where I think we can go. The first step requires a discussion
of the concepts of in and yo. In and yo are like metaphysical
polarities. Yo is usually thought of as the open, in,
the closed. Yo the light, in the dark. Yo the positive,
in the negative. Yo, the full, in the empty. Etc.
Well, how about, yo as the opponent and in as the kukan?
I think most martial artists would consider the opponent, the
physical opponent, to be the yo manifestation, wouldn't you?
The place where the opponent is not, therefore, might be called
the in. It is our first inclination to deal with the physical
opponent. But what if we juxtaposed that? What if
we considered the space the yo and the opponent the in?
This is not really such a bizarre concept in Japanese culture.
For example, if you consider the art of Sho-Dô (calligraphy),
the yo element, the actual drawn character itself, is not light,
but dark--the black ink. The white rice paper on which
the character is drawn is seen as subordinate. But a true
appreciation of Sho-Dô requires that one sees the painting as
a whole. Therefore, the white space--where the ink is
not--is just as important a place as where the ink is.
This is really a type of kyojitsu, isn't it?
There is a discussion about in and yo that applies directly
to warfare. In warfare, one might ask, which is the predominant
element? In or Yo? Is it control of the in
(space or, more precisely, the key terrain)? Or is it
control (or killing) of the enemy that is the yo? One
could argue that you need control of both. But what is
the best approach? Is it the "body count," or
is it "control of the most territory with the least amount
of killing?" Don't be too quick to answer.
Generals have argued about this for centuries.
Closer to the subject of our own training, it is clear (to me
at least) that you must control both. Yet, our amateurish
application of martial arts "techniques" seems to
be designed to deal mostly with the yo, or the physical element,
which is the physical opponent. What if we made it our
goal, however, to control the space as opposed to the person?
Well, we began to deal with that last year. But let's
go a step further. Let's consider the space to be the
yo and the opponent to be the in. Let's use the concept
of kyojitsu to juxtapose our very perception of a "fight"
to be one of treating space as solid and solid as space.
What would this "switcheroo" do to our opponent who,
obviously, would expect us to deal with him? (Or her--sorry
about that!).
One last thing about this "Year ofKyojitsu."
Kyojitsu is not just some kind of trick. It is as natural
as nightis to day, as cold is to hot. It is necessary.
We just have not beenseeing it for what it can be. Rather
than being a negative concept, it isjust an indispensable part
of the whole. And I believe it is a part that wemust understand
and accept before we can progress as martial artists--and humanbeings!
In a letter Hatsumi
Sensei wrote to me in 1995 hesaid:
Although many people consider kyojitsu as
tricks, there are many examples of kyojitsu
in our life. Starting from the body: there
are two kinds of blood carriers, artery and
vein. Breathe has two kinds, inhale and
exhale, and when you inhale you consume oxygen,
and when you exhale you expel carbon dioxide.
The nervous system also has two types: the
autonomic nerves and the sympathetic and subsympathetic
nerves. These nerves contol the balance
of the body condition.
Bright and dark, day and night are also kyojitsu.
Kyojitsu makes the life form alive without
us knowing it. Since kyojitsu is the power
of natural life, it is not necessary to study
it deeply. Essentially, we should understand
kyojitsu in this way.
|
After years of thinking about it, I amjust beginning to understand.
There are lessons here for our lives outside ofthe dojo, as
well. We are confronted with challenges there too, ofcourse.
It is so difficult not to be bothered by those everyday things
(orpeople) that would upset us, or even attack us. We
want to deal with problemsin such a way that we crush them.
Or avoid the problems altogether inhopes that they will just
go away. Rarely do either of these methodswork satisfactorily.
This year, let's challenge ourselves to accept thefact that
there is really so much more space in which to move than we
allow ourselves to see. There are places from which wecan
gain a betterperspective on life's trials and tribulations:
places at the top of theforest where we can look down and see
the natural path toward happiness andserenity.
So, the "Year of Kyojitsu" it is. Let's live
it resolutely, with joy, and as complete human beings.
Buyῡ, let's have another great year!
Keep going!
Jack Hoban
New Year's Message
January 1, 2000
Dear Buyῡ:
Happy New Year everyone. I sit here tonight sighing in
relief that theY2K bug didn't really bite the planet Earth too
badly. As for me and myhouse in particular...we have lots
of food on hand. Anyone hungry? Anybody need a water
purifier? Anybody...disappointed?
But its been a great year. I think I broke my travel record. Let's
see. I went to California three times. Florida twice.
Imade my first (probably not last) trip to Chicagoland to help
kick off MarkHodel's new training group in that area.
I was in St. Louis. I wentto Washington DC. And
Germany...twice. Holland and Spain. I was alsoteaching
a seminar in Slovenia the day the bombs started to drop onYugoslavia.
There were participants from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia,Serbia
and Austria. There were, therefore, strong undercurrents of
feelings, asyou can imagine. Perfectly understandable due to
the circumstances, but I thinkthat the Buyῡ feeling helped
to bring people together. When I told the
WarriorCreed story and the
HuntingStory, I got very positive,
emotional reactions. Thestuff works, folks!
I went to Taikais in Germany and Tucson and the Daikomyosai
in Japan withabout 30 Buyῡ; 23 of us actually traveled
together up to Togakushi (Togakure Mountain--homeof Togakure
Ryu Ninjutsu) on a bus. Whew! I'm very close to
being persona non grata at myday job.
I even had the opportunity to teach at the Hombu Dojo in Noda. Youbetter
believe that that was a highlight of my martial arts"career."
This summer also saw the second "Bujinkan Camp" in
San Francisco under the Golden GateBridge on the Pacific Ocean.
Once again, many highly regarded Bujinkan martial artists fromaround
the country and the world were in attendance to share theirinsights
and gather the insights of their Buyῡ warrior friends.
It isreally turning into an important event. What is the
purpose of the BujinkanCamp? The reality is that whenHatsumi
Sensei comes to America to do a TaiKai, 600 or 700 people willparticipate.
But without Senseihere, it is very hard to bring people together.
Its the same in Europe and everywhere. So what about
the future? Shouldwe resign ourselves to the possibility
that all the Bujinkan members will splitup and go their own
way someday?
The TaiKai is always a fun time and a time to learn and share
many things. We are looking for ways to continue the true
feeling of theBujinkan that we get when we are all together.
It is a matter of forgetting the ego a little bit and daring
to cooperatetogether with some natural leaders showing the way,
but without a Boss. We have nick-named the
Bujinkan Camp "The Hoop" after itssimilarity to the
great tribal hoops of the American Indian tradition. In
the summer many small Indian tribes would come together to hunt
andtell stories and share experiences. Theywould set up
in a big circle called the hoop. There was
no requirement to come, but most all the tribes would comebecause
it was fun and you could learn many things. The important
thing was that no one was really "Boss, and at theend
of the gathering, all the small tribes would go back to their
separateterritories for the winter. Eachsummer, most would
return again to join the hoop. Hopefully next
year there will be more people who willjoin thehoop;
and more good people will help teach, too. We will see. Itsnot
the only way, but it may be one way that could work.
This year Ihad a chance to teach with these other friends and
Buyῡ, as well: Mariette vander Vliet from Holland, SteffenFröhlich
from Germany, Pedro Flietas from Spain, Peter King fromEngland,
and BudMalmstrom from Georgia, USA. Next year Pedro and
I will teach together in NewJersey, as well as JeffPrather and
Bud Malmstrom. Mariette and SvenericBogsater will visit
us, too, for some training. Everyone is invited.
These Shidoshi seminars are really great!
And finally, I am really grateful to Hatsumi Sensei for all
that he has givenme over the years, because, as bad as a student
as I am, I think the training is finallystarting to pay off
for me. I had some insights this year that have trulyallowed
the budo to become even more inspiring and useful (and fun).
And Iam very happy that Hatsumi Sensei has cared enough to bear
with me for solong. I have been thinking a lotabout how
he has been teaching us and realize that I havent been
listeningvery well. Now I know what hemeans about a dojo
being a place for penance. Itisnot only to ask forgiveness
for the bad things we have done in general, but toask for forgiveness,
specifically, of our teacher to whom we never listen towell
enough.
The bottom line is thatthis year Ihave had to change my entire
view about taijutsu from one of technique toone
of distance and interval. Butof course this
secret was before my eyes all the time. Hatsumi Sensei
even named the Quest video series The Art ofDistance.
But I didnt listen. But I am starting to. Truly,
technique, the thing many of us worry the most about in martial
arts,is really not supremely important. At least in this
sense: you canhave perfect technique, but if you are in
the wrong place at the wrong time, you still mightfail.
Yet, even with less than perfect technique, a person with gooddistance
can succeed.
And doesn't thisprinciple seem to apply in other aspects of
life, as well? Aren't therepeople who you should be closer
to than you are? And, isn't it possible tobe too close
to someone? Actually there is such a thing,depending on
the person and situation, as the "right" distance--nottoo
close, not to far. But it's hard to measure, it's not
a"technique;" it's a "feeling."
I think it can bea "three-dimensional" thing as well.
It isn't right to act toofar "above" somebody, or
be treated too far "below" someoneelse. We talk
aboutthe fellow who is "too good to be true."
He says and does theright thing, dresses right, has the right
job, car and everything. Yet hedoesn't seem "authentic"
somehow. We all have encountered thatkind of person, haven't
we? And then there is the guy who might not do everythingquite
right, but people like and respect him. Why? Because
his"heart is in the right place." Could that
be the secret ofmartial arts? Having your heart in the
right place. Think about it.
And proper distancing is also a process--avery DYNAMIC process
(always changing). Actually, I have started to use the
word"relationship." (Even though people who have known
me a long time arestarting to giggle and point at me). But relationships,
marriages, for example,are VERY dynamic. They are always changing
and adjusting. Rarely is itsmooth going for very long
without the need for realignment--or maybe evencatastrophic
change! Can anybody think of a better word than"relationship"
to describe this? People are thinking that I'm turninginto
a marriage counselor.
Last year was the year of "commitment." This
year, let's makea commitment to work on our "relationships"
so that the"distances" between us are "just right."
Let's callthis year, the Year of Relationships. Let's
concentrate,particularly, on the relationships between us, those
ones that we are put onEarth to defend, and those who would
do harm. But, let's also reconsiderall of our relationships.
Boy, we're going to get some weird looks. Oh, well. People
will just have to get over it.
One last thing about the training. Last year we worked
on KukishindenRyu. This year it looks like we will be
studying the Koppojutsu ofGyokushin Ryu Ninjutsu, Gikkan
ryu, and Koto Ryu. But let's not forget therelationship
between these ryu and the Bujinkan. They are merely ingredientsof
the martial art that is now Bujinkan. It is important
torealize that in this era, the whole is quite more than the
sum of theparts. We are all enrolled in a "doctorate
program" in martialarts under a true Master. Now
is the time for us to start thinking liketrue professionals.
We must live the art, evolve with it. This is our destiny;
and it is our good fortune to be born at this time and havethe
privilege to train under this teacher--Hatsumi.
By the way, many of you know that my mentor, Dr. Humphrey
received aposthumous 10th dan in the Bujinkan. His name
and grade are written on alittle plaque of wood that hangs on
the rank board in the Hombu Dojo in Noda. Humphrey's Life
ValuesTheory and "Warrior Creed" are also officially
authorized for inclusion inBujinkan instruction. When
I was at the Hombu Dojo in December, I noticedthat somehow my
little plaque of wood got moved so that it hangs directlybeneath
Dr. Humphrey's. I am very comfortable with thatrelationship.
If you are not familiar with Dr. Humphrey, you might want tocheck
out the
Life ValuesInstitute Home Page and the
Warrior Creed.
Well, Buyῡ, let's have another great year, or should I
say, century!
Keep going!
Jack Hoban
New Year's Message
January 1, 1999
Dear Buyῡ:
Happy New Year everyone. I hope 1998 was a wonderful year
full of friendship andplenty of training for all of you.
I must say, it was for me!
In addition to the TaiKai in Tennessee, I was able to attend
the TaiKai in Italy, aswell as, the Daikomyosai in Japan.
Hatsumi Sensei was in great spirits for hisbirthday training/celebration
and the final party at the Hombu dojo after the training wastruly
unforgettable.
I also had the opportunity to teach in Germany for the first
time. It wasabsolutely fantastic; I learned so much and
want to thank all of the people who attended. I may have
indulged in a bit too much "apple wine" one night,
however. The result was a warrior poem I was "inspired"
to write. You cancheck it out
here if you dare!
This summer saw the first "Buyῡ Camp" in San
Francisco under the Golden GateBridge on the Pacific Ocean.
Many highly regarded Bujinkan martial artists fromaround the
country (around the world, actually!) were in attendance
to share theirinsights and gather the insights of their Buyῡ
warrior friends. We also shot threevideos
for Black BeltMagazine that weekend. Great fun and, again,
we all learned so much. We planto do it again this year!
Finally, we have started a tradition that I hope continues. We
in the Buyῡinvited many of the world's top practitioners
to come and train with us. This year Ihad a chance to
teach with these friends and Buyῡ: Sveneric Bogsäter from
Sweden, SteffenFröhlich from Germany, Arnaud Cousergue from
France, Moti Nativ from Israel, and BudMalmstrom from the exotic
state of Georgia. Next year Peter King fromEngland and
I will teach together in New Jersey. Everyone is invited
to join us. These Shidoshi seminars are really great!
I am confident that 1999 will be a great year, because I amcommittedto
making it one. In fact, I am so committed that Iwould
like to christen this year, 1999, the "Year of Commitment."
I am inspired to do that for a number of reasons. Most
of the reasons, it turnsout, are simple but very deep.
It started out with my realization that making acommitment,
rather than being difficult (which seems to be the prevailing
attitude towardcommitments), can actually make life easier.
When you are committed, many of thedoubts that you have are
put into perspective. Commitments mean priorities, so
lifebecomes more manageable. Let's take, for example,
a commitment to another person. When problems arise in
the relationship (as they almost always do) andyou are committed,
its not a matter of "if" you will staytogether,
but "how" you will work it out. There's no confusion,
there's noprocrastination, there's no questions, no ifs, ands,
or buts. It has to be done--sowork it out! I suppose
not every relationship is destined to last. But, inmost
cases, its better to work out problems than to live with the
pain of losing arelationship with a friend, lover, or spouse
or relative.
Of course the same can be said about commitment in the training. "How
do Iget to training on Monday night?" is almost always
a more manageable question than"Should I go to training
on Monday night?" Think about it...
One of the big commitments in the Bujinkan is the commitment
to go to the Daikomyosaiin Japan. I know so many people
who tell me that they want to go. Unfortunately, something
always seems to come up and they never quite make it. Ihave
made the trip to Japan every year since I started training except
maybe one. That is at least 17 times. Maybe more.
The reason I go is simple. Thetraining is always great,
Hatsumi Sensei is usually very relaxed and available. Andlet's
face it, Sensei will not be able to teach forever, so
ever year we have him isvery precious.
I must confess, however, that there were many years that were
very difficult. ButI was committed; so I went. I
started every year with a promise to myself that Iwas going
to Japan--no matter what! With that commitment made, it
was no longer"if" I was going to Japan, but, "how"
was I going to get there. And here's a little secret:
I believe that it was that commitment that sort ofrearranged
my fate so that I was able to go each year. What if I
had approached itthis way: "Well, I want to go; but
let's see what happens as we get closer tothe fall. Let
me make sure I have the money (or the vacation time, or nothing
betterto do, etc, etc.) and make sure nothing else comes up."
I guarantee youthat I would never have gone. That's because
I never reallyhad enough money or time off, and something else
was alwayscoming up. That's life--with or without commitments.
I remember, also, when I really committed myself to following
Hatsumi Sensei'sguidance. I decided that I wasn't going
to try and read into everything he said, orattempt to reconcile
contradictions that I thought I had detected in his statements
overthe years. I would just listen and take things at
face value. That's whenthings became much clearer and
easier for me. I could ignore the politics, thedoubts
about what I should or should not be doing, who I should or
should not be listeningto or training with. All I had
to do was listen to what my teacher said and do mybest.
Now, that kind of thing sounds dangerous: putting your faith
in anotherperson. But, rather than feeling like a cult
member or a robot, I felt freer. It wasn't confining to
make the commitment; it was liberating. Of course I have
agreat teacher--that's a definite requirement.
Last year was the year of the Buyῡ. I also wrote
a bit about sustainability andthe Japanese concept of "Gambatte,"
or persistence. We all need theability to "keep going."
Perhaps the foundation of that concept iscommitment. When
you make a commitment and have your priorities in place, all
theother confusing and distracting things in life become, as
my late friend and mentor,Robert L. Humphrey used to say, "just
details."
As you may know, Hatsumi Sensei has awarded Professor Humphrey
a posthumous honorary10th degree black belt with gold medal
for his positive impact on the Bujinkan. Dr. Humphrey's
name now hangs at the Hombu Dojo in Noda. Humphrey's Life
ValuesTheory and "Warrior Creed" are also officially
authorized for inclusion inBujinkan instruction. Check
out the Life ValuesInstitute
Home Page and the Warrior Creed
if you havenot done so already.
Well, Buyῡ, I'm committed to another great year of training,
friendship and discovery. I hope you are too. See
you in Japan at the Daikomyosai, if not before.
Keep going!
Jack Hoban
The
Warriors
|
They
have stood for all ages Side by side The same
as all others Neither better nor worse But
possessed of a burning love For truth and life
above all else.
They have stood side by side
In darkness In fear In ignorance In war
Knowing no certainty But the shoulder of the
man next to them And it was enough.
They
have stood side by side Facing death For their
children Who would live In peace and happiness
and light For all ages.
- Jack
E. Hoban January 25, 1998 Dietzenbach,
Germany
|
New Year's Message
January 1, 1998
Dear Buyῡ:
I know I say this kind of thing every year, but this year has
beenunbelievable! A Buyῡ sponsored TaiKai in New
Jersey was only one of the highlights(at least for many of us!).
The opening of Hatsumi Sensei's Hombu Dojo in Noda wasalso a
significant event.
In addition to our New Jersey TaiKai, I was able to attend TaiKais
in Paris andBarcelona, as well as the DaiKoMyoSai in Japan.
We in the Buyῡ have strengthened andextended our network
of "warrior friends" in our own country and all over
theworld. In acknowledgement of our growing ties with
the others that walk this warriorpath, I have decided to call
1998 the year of Buyῡ.
The Buyῡ
Dojo was conceived almost 15 years ago by Mark Hodel
and myself as a way to put a name, however inadequate,
to our feelings about what a martial arts community
should be. For those of you who have been involved,
you know it is not an organization, really. True,
we perform certain administrative tasks, such as processing
ranks and organizing seminars, etc. But the Buyῡ's
longevity has revolved around the principle that "training
is the thing." Show up for training and you're
in. Train with a nice spirit and you're in.
Ignore the politics and seek friendship, skills and
truth and you're in. This kind of attitude has
been hard for most of us at times--hard on the ego,
hard on our feelings, a challenge to our personal initiative.
But for those of us who still show up for training,
I think that we can look back and see that this has
been a good way of approaching the path--not the only
way, not necessarily the best way, but a way that has
endured. So we will keep going. |
|
This year we will study Shinden Fudo Ryu Happo BikenJutsu, but
concentrate on the sword. So get your training weapons
together,watch some Hatsumi Sensei videos and get to it!
Additionally this year, I will bemaking an extra attempt to
team teach with some of my long-time Buyῡ. Look
forseminars with Sveneric Bogsäter of Sweden, Bud Malmstrom,
and who knows who else. Please make an attempt to train
with other Bujinkan members on a local level if youcan.
I know that this can be difficult. I know how easy it
is to look at otherpeople, even other people who are doing Bujinkan
Taijutsu, and say to yourself:"What's with that guy?
That's not the real way to dothis." Well, when you
feel that kind of (natural) reaction, remember something.
There are many right ways to do this. Success andlongevity
are the signs that the way works, even if it is not your way.
Andremember, these people are not going anywhere, so you better
get used to them! They may have a different spin on it
than we do in the Buyῡ (and remember, all ofus in the
Buyῡ don't have the same spin), but if they've kept going
for 10 years or so,their way works--for them, as ours has done
for us. So respect them and treat themas Buyῡ.
And you'll feel better, I think.
This Bujinkan is really sort of unique because of Hatsumi Sensei'sinclusiveness.
Anybody who shows up, trains with a nice heart, and "keepsgoing,"
is in. We are certainly not little cult member clones
of each otherlike one sees in many other types of organizations.
I sometimes refer to us jokinglyas a "bouillabaisse of
humanity." As in any good stew, there is a delicateblending
of many flavors and spices. Now you and I may both know
(or be!) the"cayenne pepper" of the Bujinkan.
Cayenne pepper straight out of thebottle in large quantities
might not taste too good, but when you blend it in correctlywith
the other ingredients in the stew, it adds something, doesn't
it? Mostimportantly, think of how the stew (or chili!)
would taste without it! Prettybland, huh? Everybody
in the Bujinkan makes up the stew; we need everyone. Please
try to see all these different people as important in the context
of thewhole. Its a better way, I think.
Last year was the year of the Immovable Spirit Part II. I
was very optimistic,but cautiously so. As we have come
to see, life seems to swing like a pendulum: upand down.
When things are going well, tough times seem to always be around
thecorner. When things look the worst, good news is right
down the street. Thisis natural, so it makes sense to "cultivate
an immovable spirit." And ofcourse, this was proved
out once again. A great friend and mentor, Robert L.Humphrey,
passed away in 1997. The timing of it was particularly
significant for me. I knew that he was sick and had spent
some time with him at his bedside inTennessee. Things
didn't look too good, but with a guy like Bob Humphrey, you
bestnever give up, because he sure isn't going to. Finally,
however, I had to get backto New Jersey for the TaiKai.
It was at the disembarkation area at Kennedy airport,as I was
literally watching Hatsumi Sensei come through the gate, that
the cell phone inmy pocket rang. It was Humphrey's daughter
telling me that he had died. Youcan imagine the rush of
conflicting emotions in my mind at that moment. The"immovable
spirit" was an elusive ideal, let me say that.
Hatsumi Sensei and I talked about the timing of Humphrey's death
and that phone callquite often during the TaiKai. Sensei
had met Humphrey and was very familiar withhis work, both as
a Marine Officer and as a conflict resolution specialist. HatsumiSensei
said that he felt as if a "torch had been passed"
to him from Humphrey atthat moment. As a result, Hatsumi
Sensei has awarded Professor Humphrey a posthumoushonorary 10th
degree black belt with gold medal for his positive impact on
the Bujinkan. Humphrey's Life Values Theory and "Warrior
Creed" are also officiallyauthorized for inclusion in Bujinkan
instruction. So the pendulum swings back up alittle bit....Check
out the Life Values Institute
HomePage and the Warrior Creed
if you have not done soalready.
Folks, I have no idea how we are going to surpass last year
in terms of excitement, upsand downs, and significant events.
We'll probably do it, though. And with ourBuyῡ,
together, we can "keep going." That, after all,
is the mostimportant thing.
Good luck, gambatte kudasai.
Jack Hoban
New Year's Message 1997
January 1, 1997
Dear Buyῡ:
Happy New Year everyone! I must say, this year has been a doozy.
I don't know if I havetruly developed an "immovable spirit,"
but it sure was called for: so many upsand downs this past year.
Many of my friends have said the same thing.
The world
seems to be moving so quickly, how to keep up?
I often
think of Hatsumi Sensei's simple admonition: "Gambatte!"
Thismeans, roughly: "Do your best!" Or perhaps, "Keep
Going!"
It is a simple statement, but very powerful.
The world, more than ever, is moving forward.We must move forward
with it.
Yet, the world offers many distractions. Overwhelming
distractions. Perhaps you have foundit difficult to concentrate
on your training. Perhaps you have wondered: "Howimportant
is budo in the modern world?" The answer is, in my opinion,
moreimportant than ever! Now, more than ever, we must "Keep
Going!"
In this time of relative peace it is easy
to relax into a lifestyle where our trainingseems like a hobby,
a quaint adjunct to our "real" world. But, what we
mustreaffirm is that for us, the warriors, the training is ourlifestyle.
The reason is that warriorship is a manifestation, in action,
of our deepesthuman value: what Professor Humphrey calls the "Life
Value."
What do I mean by "manifestation,
in action?" I mean doing, being, training.Living as a warrior.
Don't merely talk about it or think about it or write about
it on theinternet (oops, better wrap this up!).
What
does this mean? It means we must train more. We must train more
consistently and withthe awareness that warriorship is not a
hobby, it is a lifestyle. If we do that, twothings will happen:
(1) We will have defined our life perspective, and all of thedistractions
will be easier to manage, and (2), we can earn the personal
serenity thatcomes with living a life of purpose as a defender
of life.
So I have decided to christen 1997 as: The Year
of the Immovable Spirit Part II.Last year, I think, the tone
was that we must have an immovable spirit when facing the badtimes.
But there is a flip side to that. We need an immovable spirit
when facing the goodtimes, the "easy" times, the distracting
times. Perhaps even more so.
This year we will practice
taijutsu, especially footwork, as well as, naginata, ken, and
jo. These are all important skills for the warrior. But, even
more, we will strive to maintain our warrior's perspective in
our daily lives: focused on our calling as protectors of life.
It is a lofty calling. One that seems to be "out of style"
in these distracting times. That only means we have to focus
harder, train more, continue to cultivate an "immovable
spirit" that, in bad times and good times helps us to "Keep
Going!" Our goal: attainment of the highest levels of human
nobility and serenity. They are, I believe, the rewards bestowed
by nature on the warrior.
BuFu Ikkan,
Jack
P.S. I just spell-checked this document and it didn't recognize
the word internet!That is how fast the world is moving!
New Years Message
1996
January 1, 1996
Dear Buyῡ:
Happy New Year! Get ready for some great training!
Recently returned from Japan, I am struck with the sense that
the next three years maybe the most important yet for the Bujinkan
around the World. Hatsumi Sensei feels thatthere is finally
a sufficient level of basic understanding of his heart and movement
toturn up the intensity in the training. Those of us who have
not been training hard enough,or have not taken the opportunity
to train more frequently with our seniors, run the riskof missing
the significance of these times.
In order to be ready to take advantage of this opportunity,
we must deepen ourcommitment to the warrior lifestyle. This
is not something that happens, necessarily, onthe outside; it
happens on the inside. It is a clarification of our own personalintentions.
Like all of you, I find myself tempted, at times, to view this
lifestyle as a glorifiedhobby. My commitment becomes a function
of convenience. There is nothing wrong withmartial arts as a
hobby, by the way. But, I am talking about something more substantialthan
this. I am talking about pursuing a set of living values, warrior
values, and gaininga lifetime, certainly not of ease, but of
serenity and purpose.
That is why we are calling this year, the "Spirit of The
Warrior."
A I write this on New Years Day, 1996, I am reminded of the
word's of Shinryu MasamitsuToda, 32nd Grandmaster of the Togakure
Ryu. In his New Years message of 1891, he wrote:
1. Know the wisdom of being patient during times of inactivity,
2. Choose the course of justice as the path of your life.
3. Do not allow your heart to be controlled by the demands of
desire, pleasure, or dependence.
4. Sorrow, pain, and resentment are natural qualities to be
found in life; therefore, work to cultivate an immovable spirit.
5. Hold in your heart the importance of respect for your seniors,
and pursue the literary and martial arts with balanced determination.
One hundred five years, and truly pertinent today. Akemashte
Omedeto Gozaimus! Gambattemasho!
Jack Hoban
|