Happy Halloween!

Have a happy halloween everyone! Remember to take down any ninjas you see trick or treating. To help us celebrate this dark holiday please enjoy some Japanese death poems:

Had I not known
that I was dead
already
I would have mourned
my loss of life. -Ota Dokan 1432-1486

Whether one passes on or remains is all the same.
That you can take no one with you is the only difference.
Ah, how pleasant! Two awakenings and one sleep.
This dream of a fleeing world! The roseate hues of early dawn!
-Tokugawa Ieyasu 1542-1616

Like a rotten log
half buried in the ground -
my life, which
has not flowered, comes
to this sad end. -Minamoto Yorimasa 1104-1180

Yamada Jirokichi

"Sword and mind must be united.
Technique by itself is insufficient,
and spirit alone is not enough."

Zen Meditation - Zafu/Zabuton

For students interested in purchasing the sitting pad (zabuton) and cushion (zafu) visit Zabuzabu. It's around $85 for the set, but remember that a blanket or sturdy pillow with a folded beach towel or yoga mat will work just fine.

The Analects of Confucius

As westerners, we're fascinated by the samurai, often wanting to connect ourselves to the code by which they lived their lives that molded who they were. There are many books written about the warrior's code, but I like to look a little further to find the roots of these treasured precepts that dominated Japanese society, their influence still seen today in modern Japan. Study the words of Confuicus. You may have heard many things said by this great philosopher, but many of his teachings found their way into the homes of the samurai. A good place to start your Confucius study is to read The Analects.

Bruce Lee

As we begin sparring, remember these words from Bruce Lee:

Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.

Shoto Training

Please make sure you have a shoto as we'll begin training with them on November 9th.

Humility in the Dojo

Student-to-student relationships are the framework that keeps a dojo together. The student-to-teacher relationship is the heart that keeps the dojo in order. As you work with each other in class there is a bond that forms as students with more experience practice with students who are still learning to hold their bokken. The senior student wants to give some resistance, but must help instill the confidence necessary for the junior student to continue in their training and feel successful. This is crucial and will keep the dojo’s wheels turning.
Often, we question why we practice slow standardized sparring techniques or have a series of preset movements to avoid our attackers. In real life, our opponents will use any means necessary to bring us down. We practice like this for many reasons that I will discuss at another time, but they benefit us much more than we see at present.
When practicing with fellow classmates, there needs to be a sense of humility. If the junior student overcomes the senior student in partner sparring, how should the senior student react? He or she must not try and protect a “shattered” ego, but accept that they were sloppy or lax and this is why they were overcome. Students with more seniority often feel the need to salvage their pride and explain to their junior classmate what went wrong or why they didn’t listen to the instruction received and it was indeed their fault that they were defeated. The junior student can see right through this and will lose confidence in that senior student’s ability.
These things are accepted by the teacher as students continue to work together and learn how to give proper resistance, yet allow each other to progress at a comfortable pace. However, this behavior is not acceptable from the teacher.
The word Sensei in Japanese often translates as, “teacher,” nothing more. The word has been mystified in western culture to describe a paradisiacal instructor who never makes any mistakes and knows all there is to know about the martial ways and life. Unfortunately, this is a false perception of sensei because he or she is really just there to pass down knowledge learned from their respected teachers. They accompany you on your path to becoming a skilled martial artist and hope that someday you will be more advanced and have acquired more skills than them. A sense of respect is required as they are a teacher and have more experience, but they are still a human and far from perfect.
As students are instructed by their teacher, they must be aware that should they overcome the sensei, how he reacts will let them know if they have a Mr. Miyagi or a Mr. Lawrence. Does he accept that you overcame him and esteem you or does he feel the need to defend his pride and make up a lousy excuse for becoming careless and inattentive? If it is the latter, run away as fast as you can and find a new teacher. Get out of there because this is not the type of person you want to learn from. This teacher is too busy defending their false sense of pride and does not care about their student’s progression or seeing them succeed. They shouldn’t be instructing and might be better off training for mixed martial arts competitions rather than wasting their time in a traditional dojo setting.
Whether you are a teacher, senior student, or a new budoka still learning your way around the dojo, please be humble and remember to leave any egos and pride at the door before you enter. These little things must be attended to and taken care of. We are all students striving to do our best and refine our skills. Being humble and constantly striving to maintain a beginner’s spirit will make your experience as a martial artist more enriching and allow you to reach your full potential.

Japanese Katana vs. 9mm

Japanese Katana vs. 9mm

Don't try this at home! You may have already seen this clip from Youtube, but it does show how strong the samurai blade is. Obviously, they did not use a family heirloom or anything super expensive. Imagine how much stronger a more expensive or famously forged blade would be.

Sensei's Movie Recommendation

 SAMURAI FICTION
Directed by: Hiroyuki Nakano

(From IMDB) Three centuries ago, a precious sword was stolen by Kazamatsuri -- the historic sword, priceless for the clan (Shogun Tokugawa donated it to clan 80 years before that, at the same time that he established them as the local rulers). The Clan Lord's counselor's youngest son Heishiro goes to retrieve the sword himself to protect the clan from the shame or possible demise. He is accompanied with two friends, Shintaro and Tadasuke, and followed by the ninjas of the clan. After Kazamatsuri wounds Heishiro and kills one of his friends, the young aristocrat still wants revenge more than the sword itself, but meanwhile having to recover from his wounds, in the small forest house of a lonely samurai and his daughter. At the same time, Kamazatsuri stays in nearby town in the entertainment center run by Okatsu and falls into her. The older samurai tries to dissuade Heishiro from fighting with Kamazatsuri, but is himself gradually drawn into the conflict.

(Note from Sensei) A few big name Japanese actors took the time to star in this zany comedy taking a break from the often very dramatic portrayals of the samurai. The humor remains very Japanese, but anyone can laugh and enjoy this film. I highly recommend it if you need a good laugh. (Plus, the ninja is similar to Paul...constantly injured, but staying strong)

New Dojo Name Contest Winner!

Mike Kanzler is our winner!!! Here is our official dojo name:

岩山道場

Iwayama Dojo

(Trans. Rocky Mountain Dojo)

We'll design some cool hoodies for this winter season with our new dojo name!

Thomas S. Monson

"On occasion we need to make a second effort - and a third effort, and a fourth effort, and as many degrees of effort as may be required to accomplish what we strive to achieve."

Takuan Soho

“Completely forget about the mind and you will do all things well”
-Takuan Soho

Zazen Seminar

When: Saturday, October 29, 2011
Where: Kanzeon Zen Center International 1268 E. South Temple SLC, UT 84102
Time: 10:00am-12:00pm

***For students interested, we will be going out to lunch after. We will plan rides accordingly for those who are interested in lunch and not. Please wear comfortable clothing and come prepared to relax and learn to study your own mind. Please bring a small donation in cash (however much you are comfortable with)



Dalai Lama

Spirituality concerns our own motivation, while secular activity implies working in the world. Because motivation pervades all action, it is important that we have a positive motivation. Whatever we are involved in, whether it's politics, education, medicine, law, engineering, science, business or industry, the nature of our motivation determines the character of our work.
-His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Hojo Soun - Article 21

Always work at reading, writing, martial skills, archery, and horse-riding. There is no need to detail this. Hold literary skills in your left hand, martial skills in your right. This is the law from ancient times. Never neglect it.

Dojo Name

Please submit any names you think would be great for our dojo. They can be emailed to Sorensen Sensei at toyamaryu.utah@yahoo.com.

There will be a prize from Japan for the name that is picked.
Even though some animes are decent, please don't do anything crazy from one of your favorite Naruto or Kenshin episodes.

"In the beginners mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few" - Suzuki