John Lindsey
31st July 2000, 03:46
The following is part of the Tengu Geijutsu Ron written by Chozan Shissai (first printed in 1729). Though the author was trained in kenjutsu, his comments apply to martial arts in general.
One can observe that ordinary people often walk as they do
because they have shifted their center of gravity upwards,
and because they maintain their balance with their heads or
rub their limbs against one another. A person who walks
correctly has no movement above the hips. Because he walks
with his legs, his body is quiet, his inner organs do not rub
against one another, and his body does not tire. This can be
observed in the walk of a sedan-chair bearer. If the Life Force
of a person who approaches bearing a sword or a spear is clouded
and unbalanced, he will not succeed in walking with his legs.
If a person, following the movements of his head, rubs his
limbs against one another, he will damage his body. The Life
Force is aroused, and the Heart is not tranquil. When grasping a
sword, the right hand is forward, when grasping a spear, then
it is the left. While standing a person keeps ready the foot with
which he will take his first step. One must constantly discipline
oneself in all things. Whether a person is walking along a road,
sitting, sleeping or talking with somebody, he must be attentive
to this.
In observing the foot movements of the sarugaku dancers,
one notices that they keep all of their toes bent, thereby keeping
ready the foot with which they will take their next step, and they
walk by leading with the heel. This is more than a peculiarity
of style particular to their class. By keeping ready the foot
with which they will take their next step, they are free in the
use of their feet. Thus, the Life Force of the dancer flows back
into his self and is not diverted by his partner. It is exactly the
same with the foot and body movements of a ball player. When
a good sarugaku dancer enters the stage from the rear, he does
not trip and fall. That is because his Life Force is vibrant and
fills his entire body, he is collected and heavy low in his body and
light above, and his movement is balanced; his voice resounds
because he breathes from below the navel upwards. W hen a
poor dancer enters the stage, he trips and falls even over the
smallest obstacle. That is because he - not being heavy or
anchored below, having an unbalanced and sluggish Life
Force - breathes from the upper part of the chest, his center
of gravity is high and below is nothing. Whenever a good singer
drops his voice to the tone ryo, his stomach below his navel
swells powerfully with air.
Through constant self-examination, all of these things can
be recognized. Thus, he who is light below and moves his center
of gravity upwards, will tire quickly when he walks. That is
true not only for the examples presented here. If a person
concentrates upon every perception of the eyes and the ears and
examines each one, then he will understand that he must be
concerned with all things between heaven and earth. No one
can ever say that the world has nothing more to teach him.
For there is always something that is superior to him and he
strives towards that. Man will never reach the realm where
there exists nothing superior towards which lie could strive. It
says in a work about strategy "If you accompany your master
on a march, you should contemplate the abundance of blessings
which the earth offers all around you in the mountains and
rivers". A famous army commander of ancient times observed
the work of the farmers and provincials and devoted his heart to
it, and there are many people who have attained absolute
perfection in this as in other arts. Do not limit yourself to
strategy! If a person continually directs his Heart towards all
things of this world, he will share generously in its abundance.
But the person who is foolish and empty is as good as dead.
Things offer themselves to him, but he does not reach out to them.
One can observe that ordinary people often walk as they do
because they have shifted their center of gravity upwards,
and because they maintain their balance with their heads or
rub their limbs against one another. A person who walks
correctly has no movement above the hips. Because he walks
with his legs, his body is quiet, his inner organs do not rub
against one another, and his body does not tire. This can be
observed in the walk of a sedan-chair bearer. If the Life Force
of a person who approaches bearing a sword or a spear is clouded
and unbalanced, he will not succeed in walking with his legs.
If a person, following the movements of his head, rubs his
limbs against one another, he will damage his body. The Life
Force is aroused, and the Heart is not tranquil. When grasping a
sword, the right hand is forward, when grasping a spear, then
it is the left. While standing a person keeps ready the foot with
which he will take his first step. One must constantly discipline
oneself in all things. Whether a person is walking along a road,
sitting, sleeping or talking with somebody, he must be attentive
to this.
In observing the foot movements of the sarugaku dancers,
one notices that they keep all of their toes bent, thereby keeping
ready the foot with which they will take their next step, and they
walk by leading with the heel. This is more than a peculiarity
of style particular to their class. By keeping ready the foot
with which they will take their next step, they are free in the
use of their feet. Thus, the Life Force of the dancer flows back
into his self and is not diverted by his partner. It is exactly the
same with the foot and body movements of a ball player. When
a good sarugaku dancer enters the stage from the rear, he does
not trip and fall. That is because his Life Force is vibrant and
fills his entire body, he is collected and heavy low in his body and
light above, and his movement is balanced; his voice resounds
because he breathes from below the navel upwards. W hen a
poor dancer enters the stage, he trips and falls even over the
smallest obstacle. That is because he - not being heavy or
anchored below, having an unbalanced and sluggish Life
Force - breathes from the upper part of the chest, his center
of gravity is high and below is nothing. Whenever a good singer
drops his voice to the tone ryo, his stomach below his navel
swells powerfully with air.
Through constant self-examination, all of these things can
be recognized. Thus, he who is light below and moves his center
of gravity upwards, will tire quickly when he walks. That is
true not only for the examples presented here. If a person
concentrates upon every perception of the eyes and the ears and
examines each one, then he will understand that he must be
concerned with all things between heaven and earth. No one
can ever say that the world has nothing more to teach him.
For there is always something that is superior to him and he
strives towards that. Man will never reach the realm where
there exists nothing superior towards which lie could strive. It
says in a work about strategy "If you accompany your master
on a march, you should contemplate the abundance of blessings
which the earth offers all around you in the mountains and
rivers". A famous army commander of ancient times observed
the work of the farmers and provincials and devoted his heart to
it, and there are many people who have attained absolute
perfection in this as in other arts. Do not limit yourself to
strategy! If a person continually directs his Heart towards all
things of this world, he will share generously in its abundance.
But the person who is foolish and empty is as good as dead.
Things offer themselves to him, but he does not reach out to them.