shodo and its origins

[bert sijben]

Shodo originated from china were there were numerous variations on how to write karakters. In the beginning these karakters were small drawings for example a dragon. But before the unification of china about 3000 years ago. Every different province or even city had a different writing style, so after the great unification the emperor introduced a system wich incorpareted the various style in to one style.

In the 6 century buddhist brought chinese karakters to Japan and then the growth of shodo started.Through kaisho gyosho sosho hiragana and katakana.

The warrior class and priests develop a system in wich the human spirit would emerge through the writing of shodo.
Why would it be important to the warrior class to develop an artistry in shodo. The reason is as follows in shinto religion there is the belief that the human spirit is pure. For buddhist who were more interested in concepts and meditation they believe actually the same, to wage war on other people is deception but in buddhist terms this is also true . If you have true understanding of shodo than you can see the spirit ma en ki of the person who has written it. When you hold a katana or a brush there may be a difference in what you are holding but your feelings are always same to another human. If you develop in shodo your feelings become like a river they come naturel. In budo you practice till you come to the point were you dont think of practice of making mistakes good or bad is forgotten and it becomes naturally beautiful.And after that there is more and more.

Sincerely yours Bert Sijben

[nicojo]

Hi, welcome to E-budo.

I haven't seen you post before so I was wondering a few things if you don't mind:
What do you study? How long? Where are you from? (I'm guessing by your name that you aren't native Japanese) What do you do in Japan?

No rudeness intended at all, it is just sometimes nice to know. I should have done a sort of introduction when I first joined here.
Anyhow, I spent a day or two in Fukuoka a couple summers ago when I was in Japan for some iaido training. But it was very rainy so I didn't see much. I had wanted to see the famous spear in the museum. Next time I guess.

Interesting info on shodo by the way, this part in particular stood out:

The reason is as follows in shinto religion there is the belief that the human spirit is pure. For buddhist who were more interested in concepts and meditation they believe actually the same, to wage war on other people is deception but in buddhist terms this is also true.

So an idea of pure spirit excuses behavior that hurts others? Of course I may be headed into thread drift there or for the meditation forum...But it is just a quick question.

[dbotari]

I've only dabbled in shodo for a few years and I must say that while I enjoyed it very much it also frustrated the h*ll out of me. Physicallt I'm a bigger guy (both in girth and musculature) and the fine smooth motions required to master shodo where not easy for me to emulate. I find it easier to make smooth flowing motions in aikido than I do in shodo. Someday with more practice and patience maybe I'll be able to flow in both aikido and shodo.

[Brian Owens]

I was interested in Shodo, but at the one seminar I attended the sensei said I would have to hold the brush in my right hand -- no exceptions. However, I am left handed.

I don't know if that was an idiosyncracy of only this teacher, or if that's a general rule in Shodo, but it put me off.

[J.G. Post]

[...] I would have to hold the brush in my right hand -- no exceptions. However, I am left handed.
I don't know if that was an idiosyncracy of only this teacher, or if that's a general rule in Shodo, but it put me off.

In training with weapons, many left-handed will come up with this argument too when told to hold the ken in the traditional way — left hand below, right above. The answer will always be the Shodô teachers’: ‘This is the proper way’ (meaning, no exceptions). Remember, before the latter half of the 20th century, no European or American school allowed children to write left-handed. School teacher’s had ‘their means’ of enforcing this right-handedness. The Shodô teacher could (and would) just insist on the ‘proper way’. It’s a shame you gave up on the brush. Trying to overcome the difficulty of writing right-handed might prove quite an enriching Way!

[Tri-ring]

Konichiwa

While it is difficult but not impossible to push a pen, it is nearly impossible to push a fude or brush to emulate a stroke in shuuji.That is the reason why it is necessary to use your right hand not your left hand in shodo.
The letters or kanji are designed to be written in a pulling motion where the head of the brush aplies pressure evenly.
It is the same as if you are painting a wall with an ordinary paint brush, the head of the brush always follows the stroke. Try painting a wall with a brush in a pushing motion, the bristles snags on the surface making it impossible to apply an even coat.

K.Miwa

[Brian Owens]

...It’s a shame you gave up on the brush. Trying to overcome the difficulty of writing right-handed might prove quite an enriching Way!

I haven't given up completely. At some point, when time allows, I plan to give it another try.

After all, I learned to adapt to "right handed" swordsmanship, which felt odd as heck for the first few weeks but now feels odd if I try to revert to left handed.

(On the other hand, I still like the jo because it's so ambidextrous.)

[Brian Owens]

...While it is difficult but not impossible to push a pen, it is nearly impossible to push a fude or brush to emulate a stroke in shuuji.That is the reason why it is necessary to use your right hand not your left hand in shodo....

Ah, but I can pull the brush with my left hand. It only requires using a different angle of hold, rather than simply "mirror imaging" the way a right hander does it.

That being the case, I think it's more a case of inablity of the teachers to be flexible than of inabilty of lefties to form the characters properly.

[fifthchamber]

I don't practice Shodo. I don't have much free time here and wouldn't enjoy being trained to do so. However, my kocho sensei here has deigned to teach me a lot of what he knows. One fundamental point being that the brush should be vertical or as close to vertical as you can make it while you write..What this means is that the angles of the stroke on the paper are affected as your right arm pulls the brush across to the right (Say)..To do it with the left arm would require a push across in the same direction unless your body was to the right of the paper surely? This would throw the entire character off, you can't push the brush across the page and to not have it in front of you creates worse problems with the writing..
I agree, you could do it with the left hand..But this being Japan it is designed and held that the right hand only is the way to right perfectly. I am not sure the that the reason given above of inflexibility could apply..It is wrong to write with the left hand because the brush operates (In Shodo at least) for the right hand. You pull and sweep the brush across to the right or down and it can't be transferred to the left hand..(Just think of the smudges!)
We could argue that the modern times demand a more modern way to do shodo..But I think that would ride somewhat against the entire point of it all..Which is to create a perfect character..One only thought of as perfect when it conforms to certain principles..
Like kenjutsu using the left hand near the Tsuba..It is in this case, just wrong to do so..Certain principles cannot be maintained by changing it.
I realise it now sounds incredibly undemocratic...But then Japan isn't really..And they have the laws we follow in these things..
Regards.

[Brian Owens]

...One fundamental point being that the brush should be vertical or as close to vertical as you can make it while you write...

If the brush is vertical (and I agree that this is how I have seen it done), please explain to me how the hand that is holding it can affect the way the bristles move. Regardless of which hand is holding it, if the vertical brush moves to the right the tips of the bristles will move after the handle has started to move, and they will "flow" in a certain manner.

A difference in bristle shape between lefties and righties would only make sense if the brush were not held vertically.

[J.G. Post]

If the brush is vertical (and I agree that this is how I have seen it done), please explain to me how the hand that is holding it can affect the way the bristles move. [...] A difference in bristle shape between lefties and righties would only make sense if the brush were not held vertically.

This Chinese man, writing with two brushes in Beihai park, may just be what you look for in calligraphy! Apparently, one can (eventually) write a proper character with the left hand. Or, he could be the legendary Founder of Nisho Ichi-ryû!

Perhaps the inflexibility of this Shodô teacher can be explained by the kata learning model. As you replied earlier, kenjutsu requires a lefty to ‘adapt to “right handed” swordsmanship’. Learning to adapt to right handed calligraphy will probably be just as odd for more than a few weeks. And, it’ll be just as wonderful to be able to handle the brush and sword as ambidextrous as you do the jo!

[fifthchamber]

Hi Brian,
Because the left hand would have to push across to the right when writing the strokes..Not pull across to the right as the right hand does..The stress on the arm is changed by this pushing and not pulling across the page..If different muscle groups are working to create the picture the effect may change...I don't know that it would..But I would hazard a guess that this could be one reason it never took hold...And hasn't been changed.
The only way around it would be to write to your offside left..Pulling across to your left side..But that creates it's own issues..
Not clear perhaps..

[kimiwane]

Trying to overcome the difficulty of writing right-handed might prove quite an enriching Way!

Plus, it's a good exercise for the brain to write your native language in the opposite hand. For instance, I sometimes write left-handed simply as an exercise. It's good for the mind/body connection in many ways.

[Brian Owens]

This Chinese man, writing with two brushes in Beihai park, may just be what you look for in calligraphy! Apparently, one can (eventually) write a proper character with the left hand. Or, he could be the legendary Founder of Nisho Ichi-ryû!

Thanks for the picture. Very interesting.

[Kendoguy9]

Hello all,

When I was in high school I took some Japanese classes at the local university. There was an elderly Chinese man in the class learning Japanese, because he had a few Japanese friends he wanted to impress. One day we did shodo and his was remarkable. When the sensei asked him about it he told us about his teacher. His teacher was one of the calligraphy teachers for the last emperor of China/Manchuria! After the commies took over he fled to Taiwan, like everyone else, and taught school. His secret technique to a smooth, flowing, vertical, brush was to stack coins on the back of your hand. The elderly gentleman could only do about 5 (he showed us with quarters) but his teacher could stack a dozen and still write quickly! It was pretty amazing. I wish I hadn't been a punk teenager, because he would have been a good person to study shodo under. Oh well. At least I got a cool story out of it and some tips on drawing with a brush.