martiality
Originally Posted by
Trevor Johnson
bu =martial
do=way
martial art, martial way. They're both martial.
Well, "martial" isn't a perfect translation of "bu".
"bu" means "stopping violence" and it has a range of applications from warfare to peacefulness. It's more the suffix of "do" or "jutsu" that makes a big difference.
Mochizuki sensei always said that "bu" means "doing only as much as necessary to stop the violence", but if you ask any number of Chinese what it means, and they will say "Japanese aggression." The same with "do". One of sensei's best friends, an old English teacher, said he grew up hating the character for "do" because it was always associated with right-wing militarism and the tortures he endured as a schoolboy being forced to participate in fanatical training in judo and kendo.
He changed his mind when he got to know sensei, and realized that there was much more to "bu" and "do" than he had been shown. You could say it was "hijacked" but even people like Morihei Ueshiba were participating in those days, teaching at the Naval Academy an art that "kills at a single blow."
Still, Japan's loss in WWII seems to have affected Ueshiba deeply and he really changed his techniques after that.
Amdur's article shows a man who was much more a shaman than a warrior--at least in his late days.
But as far as real "martial" arts, it's unlikely that a soldier in today's military would even get a chance to use any "aiki" thinking since they follow strict rules of engagement and working as a team is more important than fulfilling any abstraction of ethics as expressed in a Japanese black belt art. It would doubtless help them stay calm, but could also frustrate them when they see things being done inefficiently.
If we think that aikido is really for combat training, we should prepare to face an opponent wearing body armor and helmet, carrying at least a rifle and a pistol and probably a knife or two--and flanked and followed by others (many others) of his own kind.
Not to disagree, but to think about this as deeply as I can...
David Orange, Jr.
-------------------------------------------------------
"That which has no substance can enter where there is no room."
Lao Tzu