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Thread: Budo Isn't Life

  1. #1
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    Default Budo Isn't Life

    I know my friends will laugh at this, but this week's budo blog is titled "Budo Is Not Life." I know too many people who make the mistake of letting budo squeeze out all the other areas of their life while they focus on training. Here is my take on the relationship between Budo and Life!
    http://budobum.blogspot.com/2015/03/budo-isnt-life.html

    Did I miss the mark?
    Peter Boylan
    Mugendo Budogu LLC
    Fine Budo Books, Videos, Clothes and Equipment Direct from Japan
    http://www.budogu.com

    Find my Budo Blog at http://budobum.blogspot.com/

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  3. #2
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    Peter
    I will read it on the plane heading home.
    Preliminary thoughts that may echo your own:

    1. Family
    2. Job
    3. Budo
    Each makes the other possible to achieve a balanced life.
    That said, the legendary training that makes budo people powerful? It can be done anywhere, with family or at work, standing in lines, etc.
    So.... we can see a Japanese budo teacher's saying (who is a living national treasure):
    "Budo and life, are one." as being relevant on another level.
    Dan
    [url=www.bodyworkseminars.org][COLOR=#B22222][B]Ancient traditions * Modern Combatives[/B][/COLOR][B][/url] [/B][COLOR=#B22222][/COLOR]

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dan Harden View Post
    1. Family
    2. Job
    3. Budo
    A sempai told me the same thing about 15-20 years ago when my mentality was to train 6 days a week at the dojo. Such things don't make sense to young and fiery budoka. It is easier to understand now and even advise others. Given my profession though it is easy to get them mixed up once in a while. I know I always remind myself of the correct order of things.
    Christopher Covington

    Daito-ryu aikijujutsu
    Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryu heiho

    All views expressed here are my own and don't necessarily represent the views of the arts I practice, the teachers and people I train with or any dojo I train in.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kendoguy9 View Post
    A sempai told me the same thing about 15-20 years ago when my mentality was to train 6 days a week at the dojo. Such things don't make sense to young and fiery budoka. It is easier to understand now and even advise others. Given my profession though it is easy to get them mixed up once in a while. I know I always remind myself of the correct order of things.
    Life is the whole point of Budo I think.

    Still, I think Dan's order is exactly right. I might put it Family, Job, Dojo.

    I credit my being here today with what I learned in budo - not in the technical sense, though that makes parts of my job easier, but in a life and death sense.

    Still the point of being here is to be here for someone else. For me especially a certain someone. And even though this is a period of some personal upheaval, that relationship is all the better because I choose to spend my time in certain ways. Now, I think Dan has another point about finding ways to train right in the midst of your family and friends that have nothing to do with the dojo.

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    Hi Peter,

    That's an interesting read. I think when you first start budo you think budo will inform your life, but after a while you realise its actually the other way round, your life should inform your budo.

    Gavin

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    This piece really had me thinking. Great thought provoker. I would ask others about how this plays out even in the dojo; or any training environment for that matter. How often do we encounter others who (or admittedly at least once myself) start out utterly focused to the detriment noted in the article, burn out without identifying how that could have been prevented and eventually leave the training?

    Edit for a second thought...

    To some extent, at times the focus can be exhilarating as long as it is not overpowering life. Having been blessed with the opportunity to learn a new art that has been on my radar for twenty years I find that when I am excited to get to practice I am encouraged to do better at life so life does not force me to abandon practice to make up for mistakes when overly focused on just budo.
    Last edited by StephenBaker; 31st March 2015 at 23:16. Reason: added second thought.
    Stephen Baker

    "Never cruel nor cowardly, never give up, never give in." Doctor Who

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    Hi Kit.
    I keep it:
    Family
    Job
    Budo (not dojo)
    As higher level budo happens constantly.
    * I got my martial skills inside of dojo.
    * I walked into my power, training every spare moment I could manage that didn't harm the first two.
    Wife went to bed- train
    Laying in bed- train
    Sitting on a plane- train
    Everyone's out of the house- train.
    Standing on a job site- train.
    In about ten minutes between flights at LAX, I'm going to?
    Find a corner and stand-train
    Dan
    [url=www.bodyworkseminars.org][COLOR=#B22222][B]Ancient traditions * Modern Combatives[/B][/COLOR][B][/url] [/B][COLOR=#B22222][/COLOR]

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    Dan

    Yep I copy you - I call it dojo as for myself, there is no distinction between budo and job and life, they interpenetrate. I don't see budo as "training," though I think budo is very much something that develops with training and experience and personal and professional tests and -literally- life and death matters. Facing death other than notionally but instead "If I have to go in there this guy could kill me and/or someone else but for my efforts."

    Again its semantics as it so often seems to be with you and I - but I will say your last post reminded me of something. That kind of discipline is truly the way to integrate life and training.

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    Well, sure
    You have preparedness/ awareness training. LEO and active duty forces have their demands. That is a mental state as well.
    I'm not taking about that.
    That isn't the immovable state that can be -continually trained anywhere-that I was referring to.
    It's all good. Just different training.

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    Good read.

    And no, I think its spot on.
    Chris Thomas

    "While people are entitled to their illusions, they are not entitled to a limitless enjoyment of them and they are not entitled to impose them upon others."

    "Team Cynicism" MVP 2005-2006
    Currently on "Injured/Reserve" list due to a scathing Sarcasm pile-up.

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