The Storms continue…

“May you live in interesting times”, I have heard is an old Chinese curse.

Hmmm let see,

My youngest brother is in a nursing home, some 8 months, he can not walk, he can barley see, getting dialysis twice a week due to diabetes

He has no income.

His roommate is moving out of their apt because she can not afford it alone.

He is in LA.

I am the nearest relative…

My Stepdad is in the hospital recovering from heart surgery last week, he is not recovering quickly

A company took their $4,000 to get their mortgage payment of 3,500 lowered and did nothing.

The last house payment sent in was returned

The bank sold their home from under them

My Mum , 85 yrs old got served noticed she needs to move from their home in 3 wks or get put out.

They are in Sac.

I am her nearest relative…

Our condo, was suppose to be sold, but the buyer lost his loan due to the slowness of the mortgage company

The law firm wanted another 3,000 to work a deal with the mortgage company so the condo could be relisted for sale

The mortgage company is calling now, foreclosure is on the horizon

My ex-wife sent a note thanking me for the money I sent and reminding I was still behind on payments

My unemployment benefits run out in 3 months….

The company were we have been practicing Kyudo for free is closing down and getting evicted.

Things could be worse…and are for many…still

…I would say these are interesting times.

Remember to be grateful

for those moments of joy.

Kyudo no Unko mada kuso desu… part II

Before I go into more, let me do a bit of review, let’s take a ride on the “way back machine” to my beginning contact with the NorCal Renmei. There are basically three Dojo’s here in Nor Cal. By my first contact, I was told, if I could not commit to every practice session then he ( the sensei) did not want to be bothered because after 10 yrs (or whatever) of teaching he was tired of repeating himself to people who could not remember. Nice! Very impressive instructor, reeks of warmth and a fine example of Shin Zen Bi…not!

Next, I go by to see another Sensei ( 2 of 3).  I spent the afternoon practicing with him. He seemed nice enough. Helpful. However when I ask him via e-mail about the requirements for a kyu (which is one step above nothing) ranking, I am totally ignored. Ok, not really a big deal, but… that did not leave me with a good impression…made me feel blown off,

Ok, next school. I ask about visiting a class. I am told because my email address has “Zen” in it, I would be better off going to another school ( were I first  started Kyudo) because they ( his school) teach the True Budo form of Kyu-do. None of this shoot for enlightenment stuff. I should look elsewhere I’d be happier. I went to visit anyway. Later i was told, by the main Sensei they already have two or three new students and there was no time for another, maybe next year.

On Page 9 of the Kyohon * this is the Bible for the AJKF) it states:
Kyudo is not simply a way to create well-being and train the body, but a way to bring enhancement and cultivation to your life… we, as practitioners of Kyudo, who are expected to master such virtues as discipline, modesty, gentleness, self-restraint, and reflection through the shooting, can realize these qualities in our own life.

hmmm, I seemed to have missed this in my contacts so far…

Ok , on to SoCa. The So Cal group was very welcoming. It was a most pleasant change from the other contacts. I spent the weekend practicing with them at several venues. They were pleasant. I enjoyed the added “Zen” touches from the Sensei. However they had internal issues, which I will not go into and there was an internal split somewhat later. One of those somewhat common Martial Art things…anyway the “Zen” Sensei is basicly a Ronin from the Renmei Daimyo …sad.

But wait… there is more. I found out later there another chapter of the So CA Renmei Group. I never met this Sensei however I did read some of the correspondence to one of my Tanuki bothers, which was not very heartening about the open-mindedness of the very “serious” members of the AJK who says “We are more serious about AKR Kyudo and making sure that it is practiced accordingly.”…Wow!

“When one door closes …another opens”

At this point I am pretty feed up with the Renmei in CA. I figure to just practice and  give up any thought of joining, testing, the like and if need be do things the long way once in Nihon. Shortly, I am contacted by a friend who says. Well I told you about the BS there, I figured it was best to let you find it yourself. There is another way. The Kyudo Alliance is about welcoming people and advancing the Art of Kyudo without the Political Unko. Also via them you can test , go to Japan to train whatever, because the head of the Alliance is the highest ranking Renmei member in the states. You can attend seminars, whatever including the upcoming one in January. You will still need to join a group, but that can be worked out. Shortly after I receive an email from another Ranking Sensei who is also a founding member inviting me to train at his school and attend seminars. He too is concerned about the current stat of affairs with stateside Renmei and says I am welcome to train with his group. He also states that the Senior , the leader, the Highest ranking State-side Dan is a breath of fresh air. Wow! finally The lotus blooms. I am delighted and amazed.

The Lotus flower in Chan /Zen is a symbol of purity, enlightenment. The Lotus itself is considered special as it grows out of filth and muck to bloom into a beautiful flower that has risen above the yuk and muck.

but wait there is more.

Meanwhile, after the big let down from the letter from the SO CAL person about how closed the upcoming seminar was and feeling their superior attitude, I had written to the Sensei I had practice with one afternoon in Nor Cal. I asked him about training with him reguarly, he was my final hope for Nor CAL and the Renmei entrance…I thought. He is now the President of the Nor Cal Chapter. I asked about training with him, now that I was located closer to him and had all my equipment, ( I did not before). I was not expecting to hear from him once again, like the last time. However I figured, why not give it one more shot. I was not too surprised when I did not receive an answer for a day. However I was really shocked this evening when I did receive the answer that I was welcome to come train with him! Whoa shock! another Lotus

So things have sorted out. The Lotus Flowers have risen from the muck.

There is a piece from the Tao Te Ching that I can not recall right now, but it sorts out to, after being in the dark , you are more grateful for the light.

The path gets interesting from here…

to be continued

Kyudo no Unko mada Kuso desu…

It was said, “a Rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. ” The Tao says that for every yang there is a yin, it also applies to this statement and could be phrased “a Bull Dung by any other name would still stink”

I am finding out there is a lot of BS that goes on with-in Kyudo organizations I have come across. Stuff that they say they are above. There are two factions basically in the states those that say Kyu-do is the way and those that say Kyu-jitsu is the way, ok three, those including the Japanese that say there is no separation.  Like Zen/Chan, Chan is one not two. There is no duality. duality, separation, “our correct way” is about ego. Maybe it is just an American thing, we like to add our own BS to things. However, human nature is human nature and the Japanese  most likely have their own form of BS as well. Anyway, there are those that say building spirit, raising one’s dignity, is what Kyudo is about. Yet even with in the ranks of these “higher” types there is still the regular, human ego, this is “the way”  Unko.  Being fair, this is the same BS that goes on within some ranks of Kung Fu , Karate, Religion, Zen,  basically anything that people let their ego’s get control. Some get on some power trip. Er ah, hmm oh, yeah then there are those that say shooting is what Kyu-do is about, it is a Martial Art, we teach it as such, in it’s Pure state. “We are more serious about AKR Kyudo and making sure that it is practiced accordingly.”

Something  I have heard from my Kung Fu Shifu’s and Sisuks,  in my pursuits of skills, “there is something to be learned from everyone and anything, any path”. No one style is better than another, this is just our style, our way. Maybe that is just their Shaolin Chan humbleness influence or maybe it is just me dong the same thing, saying “our way” is best. hahahaha.  However, seriously though all things, all groups have Yin and Yang, good and bad, sometimes one out weighs the other.

Here in the states as said there are two main bodies of Kyudo and sadly within both I hear about backstabbing and political issues, Jeez. How tiring is this. I guess the thing that is most disheartening about this is,  the ones talking about dumping the ego, being ‘pure”, shooting pure, are blinded also with their own image as much as the one who are martial . Do not aim at the target aim at yourself…then there is, we are the marital way the true way..the true Budo, …oh please.

What is it Jesus said about the log in your own eye!

Chan is one , not two.

All life is one, not two!

Kyudo is one not two!

So what has me all bent out of shape and on the rag….

Well I can not go into details because that in some cases would be betraying a trust. Which is kind of Ironic because in some cases  and in a way this is about a trust betrayal. It is also about “clicks”, for my non-American readers a “click” is an exclusive club or group of people. Who if you do not think just like them, you can not play with them. The other reason it is speculation on my part from info gathered. So I do not want to slander people.

Basicly, I’m very disappointed at the close minded clicks of people who think they are the true way and look down on everyone else and think their Unko does not stink. I just want to shoot better and not get stuck in the muck! I do not want to deal with someone’s ego trip or Political BS,  I have plenty of that with our government.

I will say this, Karma, people Karma! You do crap , you will have to walk in it someday.

sigh…

…end of rant

This post may not make sense, but I feel better writing it.  (^_^)

It is not over yet, I’ll be back…

…and now back to our regular programing

Friday Fu @ Shifu’s…Oct 09

I arrived just a bit behind the approx start time, due to a late start and some phone issues. Again Fong Sisuk was there, I guess he is making it a regular monthly stop now. Nice. When I arrived they were already working on the Wooden dummy training partner. Fong Sisuk was showing the difference between doing the application on the training dummy and doing it with a live person. Most of it had to do with “closing”, as in closing the arms or hands. How the skills are directly transferred with a small adjustment for because working with a movable person.

Even though I brought along my weapons bag, I just watched and absorbed what was being said instead of practicing my weapons forms.

After a while he went into knife defense. He stressed how the knowing the application is only a small part of doing the technique when dealing with a knife. It is the accumulation of training that makes the techniques work, Strength, timing, etc. things that come from working with multiple weapons, partners, etc. KNOWing one’s style’s basics and being able to perform them well. It is NOT just about knowing a few knife defense applications. After that, we went through several defense technique stressing not only hands positions, but footwork and body placement. Knife work is a high art not to be taken lightly, you get one chance to make it work…

After a few rounds and explanations of training, we broke for food and chit chat. In the past when Sisuk visited, he would take off about this time, these days he has been staying and hanging with us. Sharing some stories about Sigung and his own training history with him. even though Eng Shifu is his elder, Fong Sisuk was with Sigung longer and spent more training time with him. Fong Sisuk is regarded as the youngest Shifu of the 8th generation the Northern Shaolin Tai Chi Praying Mantis style. So it is always interesting to hear his memories of the grandmaster.

Usually we go home after eating, tonight Fong Sisuk starting talking about various weapons, that Shifu had there at the school. He mostly gave a demo and some history on the spear halbard and tell of how dangerous a weapon it was. Not a interesting form to learn  or see, because it is all in the application.

With some other chatting on misc topics, Sigung’s intense training session in his later years. His stressing knowing the qualities of Mantis in combat being likened to the I-ching and it’s changing dynamics, being able to flow and adapt with those changes.  Soon we ended the evening as it was getting late. There is a certain ego coolness, and responsiblity in being a Shifu, but it there is a fun factor that comes in when just being a student and hanging out with classmates. Perhaps more pronounced to me with having few friends, and none to just hang with regularly.

I was pleased after it all that I only have a 45 min drive now instead of and hour plus, even late at night. Sweet! No more sessions until after the holidays. This was the last Friday Fu until 2010.

and now for something completely different…Halloween

I have never been a big fan of Halloween. Teaching kids to go out an beg for candy. Too much sugar, bad for health and teeth, etc. The sicko with putting “stuff” in “treats’ to hurt or kill. The Vibe of evil, death etc. Yeah I need to lighten up. It is though just my opinion maybe something left over from a bad childhood memory…even LZ says Halloween is weird.

Anyway… as I drive around the island, I notice that some people here are really into Halloween. I have never seen such effort put into the houses for it. Today while on the Motorcycle. I took some picture for my 4 or 5 maybe I’m up to 6 readers now…

This was built over several weeks

You can see the rest of the pictures HERE:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2041784&id=1318695816&l=2b3ce7333b

Booooooooooo

The Finger Pointing To The Moon

One of the things we learn in Chan is not to place so much value on labels, names, not to get lost in them. eg: God, Allah, Jehovah, Buddha. Names are just a way of putting something in a box, in a sense of limiting something. The Tao Te Ching says, that “The Tao that can be named is not the True Tao”. As an Artist I tend to think more with one side of the brain, you know the left and right brain thing. I tend to see things at times more in a broader sense  and not analyze things so much. I purchased a small Omeyage (gift) for the Tanuki Dojo a small ornamental set of Swords and brought it in on Sunday. One of the Sempai, seemed as though he could not mentally accept it as simply a decoration, a trinket. It had to be “something” it needed a purpose. I heard ,” it seems to be a letter opener to me”, I heard this several times.  Is this a joke or serious I was asked? My response was, it is like Monday’s. Like Monday’s he says. Yes, Monday’s are not good or bad, they just are, it is how we interpret them that make it good or bad. Monday’s just are. These swords, like Monday’s are whatever you want them to be…

In Kyudo terms perhaps my Sempai, was missing part of his Kyudo lesson and focusing too much on the “mato” (target) and not the spirit of the shot. In Zen terms, getting lost on the finger pointing to the moon, and missing all the heavenly glory

It makes me wonder why labels are so important to people. He his White, Black, Christian, Jew, Buddhist. The storm is bad, it blew down this house , that tree, ruin the floor.  It also brought much needed water for crops, drinking, it gives life and takes it away…The storm just is, we interpret it into something . Perhaps it is just our human need to organize things, life, the universe…perhaps what we perceive as a sense of control of things. We can not control it, but it we label it , in our minds it gives us some sense of control by limiting it with the label.

Names, labels have their place, their need, but sometimes we get too lost on the Finger Pointing to the Moon.

The storm continues…

The storm had past several days ago, but there was still talk of it, some good, some not so good. In Temple Sunday, Rev Sensei spoke of the storm and how it cleared the air, it was good for life. He also remarked on how our spiritual life can be like a shower for our lives, washing away the negative energy like the storm washed away the smog and bad air. A spiritual life is needed to refresh our spirit, like the earth needs a cleaning storm to refresh the earth.

I went to Kyudo practice Sunday afternoon. Results of the storm were also present, this time in not so positive way. We practice in an old warehouse, some of the windows are broken, which is how the Tanuki enter. There was a plan to cover these broken and open windows with plastic, alas it was too late. During the Typhoon, the rain came in…big time and damaged the floor. It did not ruin it, but it is no longer pristine as before for having a pool of water sit on it for a day or so. We have a work plan this weekend to cover the windows. A bit like closing the barn door after the horse is gone, but it will save the rest of the floor from further damage.

Sunday practice at Tanuki was different, somewhat of a challenge. We share the space with a company, we are in the loft. There were workers there this Sunday, doing their thing. Sadly their thing included playing NPR radio..loudly! The only peace that was there had to come from inner peace and mindfulness. It was a test of focus and mindfulness to shoot. It was not a bad practice , just different. In a way good training as one of my former Sifu’s said, one can not alway go sit and face a wall to find calmness and focus. In the real world one needs to be able to tune into that at any time, under any conditions…

Bamboo in the Storm

It was a magnificent storm a few days ago, I found out later it was a Typhoon born in Nihon. Fitting for a post on the merit of Bamboo.

Bamboo has a lot of traits that we can admire. It is versatile, hard when needed, adapts to many environments, parts are eatable and is flexible. It is used to make homes, floors, furniture, shields, hats, ladders, musical instruments.  It can teach us some things on dealing with life and survival. It is perhaps my favorite plant at least one of Five.

Having just returned recently from a trip to what many call paradise, thanks to a long term plan of LZ, and indeed it was special. Once back and facing the present reality, EDD, underemployed, bills, rent, car repair, the list goes on…I felt a connection to the storm, perhaps not the storm so much as the Bamboo. As I watched the touch of the wind whip the bamboo on our lani , from side to side, back and forth, like a cat shaking it prey I could not help but recall the saying…” In the storm be the bamboo”. Life at times is indeed like living in a typhoon. One’s only hope of surviving is to “be the bamboo” rooted and flexible. I was reflecting on the turbulence of my life right now at least on the financial front. I tried to absorb the lesson from watching my plants and imagine them speaking to me. Yet I could not help but wonder if the bamboo gets tired of being slashed around. A stupid thought because it has no conscienceless. It is not a sentient life form, it is just a life form…it just is…perhaps. Maybe in some type of plant thought it is thinking. Thank the great Plant that I am a bamboo and can be flexible in this storm , and I’m not that big oak laying on it’s side, I’m grateful for that. However it sure is tiring to be slapped around like this. I’ll be glad when it is over. This being banged around sucks. I wish I could go inside with the moving plants that funny looking brown one that water me or my homie that is just by the hard clear thingy checking me out.

I can relate to that thought…

One the bright side, even the Typhoon does not last forever and one day the sun shines again. So one message of the Bamboo is be flexible, and bend in the wind, when the storm passes, straighten up and keep reaching for the sky. However, as for me, for now, I’m emotionally tired.

Hmmm I should write a funky blues song, called Like a Bamboo in the Storm

Top 100 sailing blog, huh, ok …thanks?!

I received a comment that I had won a listing in the top 1000 sailing blog review from the Daily Reviewer. How nice!

Thanks, I think. Ok I do not quite get it.

Top sailing blogs

hmmm I guess. It was under my post about Boats, Planes , Bikes and Rain. It is kind of weird, but I humbly accept the award and thank those who voted me there. What is weird is , this is not my sailing blog. My sailing blog is Zen’s Sekai II- by sea. I have the same basic article there, it was reworked a little for placement here on the non-sailing blog with less emphases on sailing and yachts. Yet it get an award, go figure. I guess since this one get more traffic it showed up or something, more sailors found it, and vote, I have no idea how it works. Well anyway thanks for all who made this award possible, it is not just my award it is our award, there is no duality. Next time please just send money (^_^)

Kyudo update Sept.

It was a good afternoon for Kyudo practice. There is a certain peacefulness that comes from practice in the late afternoon out at RSD. Peace and coolness, because out on in V-town it can get pretty hot and more so in a warehouse.The whole Tanuki clan was there for today’s session.

I remembered today to work on my breath and timing it with the draw. Perfect. It went as planned and fit nicely,  maybe a bit slow but it works for me fine. I can increase the tempo if needed, I was however pleased with the pattern. The one of the other things I worked on today was correcting my Ya location on the draw. I tended to raise the Ya tip. Not a good thing. after a few times of that and my Sempai saying something. I was able to make the correction, with some more mindfulness on what I was doing. Lastly was my aim, breath, draw, and hand position was today’s project. I was able to maintain most of my Ya hits within 12ins of each other. Yay!, I was pleased with that.

I’m getting a better feel for the Yumi and my aiming locations, with the Renmei style…nice. It was a good day of shooting.