Traditional, classical, progressive; how do you define your martial art practice?

Famous Zen sage and 17th-century poet Matsuo Basho famously said; “do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the wise; seek what they sought.” Easy to say, difficult to put into actual practice. On traditional and classical methods. Something that is ‘traditional’ is normally associated with a long-established custom or belief that has...

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Musha shugyō

Hero’s Journey. Musha shugyō 武者修行 or “training in warriorship” was inspired by Zen monks, who would engage in similar ascetic wanderings (which they called angya, “travelling on foot”) before attaining Satori, enlightenment. During musha shugyō the samurai would take on various roles within society. This included helping peasants, providing justice and upholding high moral...

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Giri (義理)

Giri (義理) is a Japanese word that is most encountered in the study of martial arts. Giri means roughly duty, or obligation, in English, but as is often the case I believe there are important nuances that are difficult to convey. If the senpai–kōhai relation is a snapshot of vertical hierarchy (senior-junior, teacher-student) ) that...

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Koryu or Gendai, which is best? 

Gendai budō (Japanese: 現代武道, modern budō) or Shinbudō (新武道, new budō) are both terms referring to modern Japanese martial arts, which were established after the Meiji Restoration (1866–1869). Kobudō or koryū are the opposite of these terms referring to ancient martial arts established before the Meiji Restoration. While koryū are often considered to be traditional...

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