Suzuki Sazo sensei kyoshi 7dan (鈴木佐三 教士七段) It is in this continuation and perseverance that the character is slowly refined and the true strength revealed, polished by the flow of time. The unwavering mindset allows us to continue to practice through injuries, bone-chilling winters, and blistering summers. With regards to kendo and iaido, fudoshin has a strong relation to shugyo (austere training). In the realm of modern budo, though its origins lie in kenjutsu and iaijustsu, we now train to perfect ourselves, our techniques, and our character such that we remain steadfast and serve as a beacon for others, like a lighthouse guiding others along the way. It is a developed mindset that is unperturbed, yet flexible, not stuck as Soho Takuan might have said, and is able to respond to a myriad of situations. A practitioner of budo aims to achieve Fudo shin, a frame of mind that is immovable or unshaken by the opponent or the multitude of changes that life is sure to impart. Shin, the Chinese pronunciation, or kororo in Japanese, is the mind, and refers to the heart or spirit of the person. The rope simultaneously is used to keep him affixed in the swirling currents of change.įudo (without movement) at its core symbolizes the attitude of endurance. It is with his sword that he cuts through the illusions to reveal the unadulterated reality. Ken wo korosu is usually displayed in the beginner ranks as fledging kendoka typically emphasize speed and power, waza and ken wo korusu in the middle ranks, and ki wo korosu as ultimate goal for senior and seasoned kendoka as they progress in the more advanced ranks.įudo Myo-o, one of the protective deities in Buddhism, is often shown wielding a rope and a sword. The development of and skilled application of san satsu no ho, is often related to the advancement in skill, experience, and philosophical knowledge in kendo. Pressuring the opponent can allow for their kamae to be perturbed prompting them to strike allowing for the use of a counter waza, seen as go no sen. Having a strong physical, perceived, and ki (spiritual) seme is vital to disturbing the opponent’s kokoro no kamae leading to the prominence of the four sicknesses (fear, doubt, confusion, surprise) in their mind. The third san satsu ho is ki wo korosu, which refers to defeating the opponent with a dominant spirit and presence. The development of waza wo korosu is certainly enhanced with experience such that the effective counter technique and attack is spontaneously manifested at the right time without conscious thought.
However, a truly successful debana waza exemplifies sen sen no sen. Debana wazas are often times mistaken as sen as many kenshi depend on speed to execute the debana techniques.
A few of these include kote-men, nuki wazas, otoshi wazas, and debana wazas. There are numerous techniques that fall under the umbrella of waza wo korosu. This is related to sen sen no sen in which one anticipates the opponent and then strikes. Waza wo korosu refers to choosing and successfully executing a waza that renders the opponent’s waza null, thus defeating their technique. Ken wo korosu include wazas such as harai, osae, maki, or renzoku wazas. In regards to ken wo ken wo korosu 1) kill/defeat the sword/shinai, one aims to disrupt the opponent’s katachi no kame, their physical kamae, by taking the initiative (sen) and moving their sword from the centerline and forcibly creating an opening. As stated earlier, they are strongly related to the three initiatives o opportunities to strike, mitsu no sen, which are sen, sen sen no sen, and go no sen. These are translated as: 1) kill/defeat the sword/shinai, 2) kill/defeat the opponent’s technique, 3) and kill/defeat their spirit. San sappou or san satsu ho, related to the mitsu no sen, refers to the three ways in which one can disrupt the opponnet’s kamae and create an opening and/or opportunity to strike or thrust.The three are known as 1) ken wo korosu, 2) waza wo korosu, and 3) ki wo korosu.