The
Iaido Journal July 2006
Iaido wa Hitotsu: Kokoro
Copyright
© 2006 Chris Gilham, all rights
reserved
By Chris Gilham
Many years ago after having hitchhiked much of Japan and trained with
many Iaido sensei across the country, I arrived back in Tokyo for some
final training with my sensei before leaving for Canada.
He was immediately dismayed by changes in my Iaido.
He asked me where I had learned these things: I told him from other
sensei in Japan.
Eventually, after several classes of this he scolded me harshly.
“You do not understand budo. You do not have a budo heart.”
My desire to learn more about Iaido was sincere, and I did not intend
in any way to upset him, but indeed I did.
I left Japan for a short time, returned for a grading, passed my test,
apologized sincerely to sensei after a long talk, and returned once
again to Canada.
I left Japan feeling tired in many ways, and I left frustrated with my
sensei and my club in Tokyo. For some time I said I would never return
to Japan, and I battled over Iaido as an important part of my life.
I continued to train on my own. I trained at the major seminars in
Canada. I visited some Canadian sensei for training as well.
Eventually, I found my way through stubbornness, over eagerness, and my
troubles with Japan. I started a club in Calgary and truly renewed my
love for Iaido and all I had learned from Japan.
But the way was not completely smooth from there on.
The lesson I learned of loyalty has come to play a monumental role in
how I present Iaido to my students, and how I accept and use the
teachings of others. This is what I wish to share mainly.
Across Japan and Canada, the world really, all members of the
International Kendo Federation and the All Japan Kendo Federation
practice a standardized basic set of forms known as the Seitei or
ZenKen Iai. These twelve forms act as the basis for gradings and
tournaments. In most dojo these forms also act as the foundation for
learning basic Iaido techniques.
Throughout every dojo I have trained in, and truly this is a
significant number to act as a sample, there are sensei teaching Seitei
Iai differently, if only slightly, in interpretation and practice. This
includes Japan: regional differences in Seitei Iai are strong in Japan,
actually. However, throughout all these clubs, not one appeared
to be so markedly different as to be fundamentally misguided or
‘off-track.’ The essence of the forms, as practiced across these clubs
appeared the same. Minor variations did exist, and it seems we are
forever challenged by minute changes to the set as visiting sensei come
along, or as some of us go to Japan for training.
Because of the natural variations and interpretations, bound to exist
because of our uniqueness as individuals, as teachers and students of
iaido, it is senseless to believe and persist in claims that we must
all be doing the exact same things. Yet, there are those who believe
this, and make it their mantra for training and teaching. Some of these
people go so far as to tell other students from other clubs that they
are ‘wrong’ and they should change to the ‘right way’.
People who make such claims might not understand budo completely.
Running deeper than technical universality, the concept of loyalty and
respect for other dojo, teachers, and their students is fundamental.
Furthermore, insistence on ‘rightness’ and ‘wrongness’ within a very
strictly defined way of exhibiting a technique does not display a
reasonableness and flexibility in understanding people, teaching,
learning, and importantly, iaido.
When I left Tokyo to visit different dojo I was in search of higher
levels of technical interpretation and competence. This was a misguided
approach, I believe, and in doing this, I learned a great lesson about
personal hubris, and budo.
I believe Iaido is, by its kanji interpretation, the striving to be a
better person by becoming more reasonable and flexible, and in so
doing, more understanding and accepting of people in general. Thus the
general mantra to be ready at all times for all things: no easy task
indeed. As an aside, one can ask me how this applies to working with
troubled youth whom have severe behavioural and emotional difficulties
(my current work) – it applies in the most testing of practical
senses.
Very recently, six years after leaving Japan, I returned once again for
a two week visit.
I am deeply contented with having returned, and have found a much
greater peace within me: Sensei and I have reunited as we had once been
years ago. I have ‘calmed’ in my life, and in my Iaido training and
beliefs. I left Japan this time with a settled, fundamental belief in
the importance of loyalty to one’s teacher as the core foundation of
budo training.
This now settled belief comes from several experiences, a primary ones
being recent conversations had with sensei and senior students in our
club in Tokyo as well as the experiences I explained in the above
paragraphs.
Let me share some of the content of those conversations in Tokyo.
The frustrations of having experiences with people in iaido who insist
on having the ‘right way’ became the topic of one important
conversation. Sensei calmly noted how ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ words should
not be terms of use in Iaido training. There is poor and great
technique of course, but not exclusive and inclusive terms. More
importantly, sensei shared the need for seeing iaido as only one
concept. Iaido is not winning or losing, or right or wrong, but rather,
heart, or spirit: “Iaido wa hitotsu – kokoro.” Tournaments and gradings
can shift us towards iaido as winning and losing, right and wrong.
However, Iaido is not sport. The dojo should be our place of focus. The
dojo is about spirit.
A few words about this ‘spirit’ are necessary now, since the word can
manifest multitudes of meanings and as many diverse reactions to those
meanings.
If a person’s character has proper spirit, that is, they truly respect
their sensei, their fellow dojo members, other people around them, and
the greater community around them, and train sincerely and diligently,
then that person is practicing Iaido on its proper path. A student
could have amazing technique, but if they move about the world
persisting in their way, and not respecting others, then they only have
a path of technique – an empty shell of movements on a road seemingly
smooth and successful.
Iaido has come to mean much more than Japanese Swordsmanship, for me.
Iaido is a vehicle for character training, for Life Skills.
So it is that when students come to me from other clubs or have seen
something different from other sensei and are concerned, I tell them of
the range of flexibility needed in understanding Iaido, and how one
should never say things like ’right’ or ‘wrong’. We should move within
a certain framework of understanding, which is provided for us in our
Iaido handbooks and in videos and through proper, respectful sensei.
But we are not training to bring everyone to an exact same page,
through the uses of body language, terminology, and tones of voice that
speak to disbelief, ridicule, incorrectness and humiliation. The latter
are signs of an inflexible spirit troubled and frustrated by those
around them who do not meet their unrealistic expectations defined by
black and white messages.
Iaido is not a jutsu, nor a complete fighting system. Iaido is a way
that all can be part of.
Let’s talk briefly about loyalty and its importance in Iaido.
As Iaido teachers and practitioners it is our challenge to understand
we have entered into an agreement to trust our teachers. In so doing,
we respect others who come to us who are different because we
understand they have put their trust in other teachers. We should be
able to share our learning in respectful ways, and not impose our
learning on others. If there is one lesson for us all, it is this
concept of loyalty as a stepping board for understanding iaido as
circles of respectful learning and sincere character training. What
better iaido practice than to meet members of other clubs and celebrate
in our different learnings! Sad that such meetings can become places of
criticism and indifference!
To move from sensei to sensei in search of a ‘better’ or ‘right’ way to
learn and practice iaido is often a sign that one’s belief systems in
Iaido are more focussed on technique and less on developing the spirit,
as it was the case for me so many years ago. This art we do is so much
more about relationships and trust than it is about finding a truer
swordsman, or swordsmanship.
A student recently asked me if there are those in Japan who train in
Iaido and do not understand Iaido as I have tried to explain it here.
My answer to him and to all is a resounding “Yes!” People are people,
regardless of culture. This is not an essay on western difficulties
with understanding Iaido. This is an essay for all. Of course, it is
not the final word, and never should be. My word is the word of my
sensei, and the words of his sensei before him and so on. It is not the
gospel, but it is the word I have committed myself to trusting in and
giving to those who will listen to me. I do not struggle accepting this
word, since it fits with my inner sense of what is true and
respectful.
Finally, some last thoughts on what can be drawn out from this writing:
Seek out authentic sensei but be wary of teachers extolling too much on
the trueness of their lineage, or the age of their style of iaido. Seek
out those who are accepting, humble, flexible, and who will teach to
your particular needs.
Iaido is ‘seishin tanrin’: spiritual forging. This comes from having,
or developing the proper attitude. Once you have the heart to cut your
ego and re-build it in a softer, more adaptable form, then you will be
able to apply this technique to settings outside of the dojo, like
relationships with family, co-workers, and others.
Gradings, tournaments, seminars, and visiting sensei’s instructions are
very valuable parts of the learning process in iaido, but they are
secondary to loyalty to one’s sensei.
The student’s challenge is to understand and believe in loyalty
wholeheartedly, without doubts. This is not automatic, nor should be.
The loyalty in its purest form will come as your ego opens to sensei’s
teachings, and your relationships in the dojo develop. Although iaido
is mainly individual kata, it occurs within a social setting, a
particular one at that.
Coming to this unification in understanding and belief is not easy.
Those who come to understand this have arrived at a fundamental level
in Iaido, and I might add, in martial arts training.
