I am working with long-time friend Leo Dokutoshi Pimentel to re-establish a dojo in NYC.

Interested in helping start a place for To-Shin Do in Manhattan?

Kick-off was a workshop 2-4 pm Sunday Aug 8 at a friend’s aikido dojo in Chelsea, covering secrets for ninja “unperceived action” in unarmed defense, and a mind & spirit focus “meditation on the move” exercise.

My whole family was there for the workshop – Reina & Matt, Marissa, An-shu Rumiko, and me. We look forward to being available to students more often as this new dojo grows and expands.

Write to info@nyc-quest.com or check the NYC-Quest web site for training information and directions.

The Dalai Lama teaching on the Heart Sutra was live-stream broadcast on the internet and taped for later viewing. You can find all 3 teaching sections – each one well over 2 hours – on-line at http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6858067

Session 1 has a no-sound glitch for the first 12 minutes. You get to “watch me talk” as I introduce the Dalai Lama and the program. (Test out your ninja lip-reading skills!)

In Session 1 at around the 20 minute mark, my voice comes on and I introduce the Dalai Lama after the Michael Fitzpatrick musical piece.

There are links on that web page to watch Session 2 and then Session 3 as well. They let me speak with full voice in those broadcasts, too.

Want to see how the Heart Sutra and its “all appearances are empty of intrinsic existence” (or “every thing, situation, or person is formed and defined by interdependent relationships”) looks as advanced martial arts technique?

Here’s a hint. Less grind and struggle, and more recognizing and using the energy. The bad ending of “He’s got me in a headlock!” becomes the powerful beginning of “He’s set himself up for unconsciousness from my body drop choke-out” – if you are good enough and have studied with the right teachers. That’s the magic of wisdom. That’s the magic of our To-Shin Do.

Find the Heart of Wisdom DVD at our SKH Quest on-line store.

“Shi-kin Hara-mitsu Dai-ko-myo” is our training hall motto. Inherited from my martial arts teacher in Japan and his teacher before him, it is an inspirational phrase we shout in front of the kamiza to start and close SKH Quest To-Shin Do Level 3 and Level 4 classes.

I have translated the phrase as, “Everything I encounter could serve as the perfection of wisdom that leads to enlightenment,” or, “Every experience contains the potential for taking me to the awakening I seek.”

The SHI of the phrase translates literally as “word(s)”.

The KIN translates as “sound(s)”.

Together, the two kanji for Shi-kin mean literally “The sounds of words,” or “Sounds and words”. The combination means “an encounter” or “something that occurs to me”.

HA-RA-MITSU is the Japanese pronunciation of paramita, a Sanskrit term that translates as “perfection of wisdom,” or “having gone over the river to the far shore”, a Buddhist metaphor for going beyond normal limits of thought and perception to reach highest or broadest understanding. I know the 3 kanji characters loosely translate as ” secrets of going over the waves” – a well done translating coincidence – but the word really is an attempt to use Chinese letters and Japanese pronunciation to get the Sanskrit “paramita”.

DAI KO MYO means “great bright light” – illumination “dawns on us.”

My wife An-shu Rumiko offers another interesting interpretation. We can see SHIKIN at one end and DAIKOMYO at the other, both leading inwards to the center of HARAMITSU. “All that we hear and all that we see can lead to the perfection of wisdom.” Multidirectional reading is possible in Chinese and Japanese, though difficult to imagine in Western languages.

My good friend Chris Penn of Boston Martial Arts has suggested that a contemporary parallel might be an expression like, “This could be it!” as you dig for treasure, or study something important, or interview for a dream job. You might recite over and over, “This could be it!” as a way of staying on your toes to make sure you get the most you can out of the opportunity.

Here’s a brief follow-up to my admonition to remember to include greenery on your martial arts dojo kamidana spirit shelf.

A few friends wrote and chided me for not personally teaching them what they needed on that shelf. “How are we supposed to know? We didn’t live all those years in Japan like you did,” seemed to be a reasonable indignant response.

(Awkward pause for effect)  Uh… Well, try looking around.

You’ve been to my dojo.

You have seen photos of my school on the internet.

You have read the books that describe how to set up your dojo (page 10 of Ninjutsu; The Art of the Invisible Warrior).

See it. Do it.

I am never not teaching.

Never.

Here’s a trivial note for friends with martial arts schools that feature a Japanese-style kamiza “spirit focal point” shelf on the main wall of their training space.

As described in the book Enlightened Self Protection, a kamiza can be compared to the family mantelpiece tradition familiar to American and European homes. As the mantel holds special pictures, artifacts, and memories of our family history, the kamiza serves as a reminder of the historic al and cultural legacy that stretches out behind the teachings embodied in our martial art today.

The items on the kamidana “spirit shelf” are Japanese in origin, but they are equally relevant to us in the West as reminders of our connection to the forces of nature, our gratitude to our teachers – even those teachers we have never met – for handing the knowledge down to us, and our personal responsibility for discovering the keys to actualizing our potential in ways that will carry our legacy on to new generations.

• Tomyo candles symbolize the light we carry in our hearts
• The kagami mirror symbolizes a stainless heart, pure in its reflection of “what is”
• A dish of salt symbolizes willingness to sacrifice and gift others in order to grow
• The shinden wooden house-like structure contains a small ofuda plank talisman as symbol of the ancient spirit that guides our training (concealed behind the doors behind the mirror, so not visible in photo below)
• Sakaki greenery reminds us of our place in the richness of nature

(For a sense of size perspective, check the photo in my birthday party post)

When I was living in Japan in the 1970s to train at the house dojo of my ninja teacher, my job during each weekly dojo clean-up was to replace the water in the sakaki vases. I was “the tall guy’ in those days, and my reach allowed me to get to those vases of greens without having to drag out a step ladder.

Today, most of us in the West use artificial greens since fresh branches from sakaki plants are very hard to come by or grow in most of the USA and Europe. Sakaki (cleyera japonica) is a low-spreading, medium-sized evergreen tree of the plant family which also includes tea and camellia.

Even if you cannot get sakaki, you can get bountiful boughs of greenery for your kamiza – holly or any other waxy green leafed shrubs – or at least tasteful artificial ones.

And here’s the point: be sure your kamiza has those boughs. I have seen a lot of photos of various dojo kamiza on internet sites of martial arts schools in America and Europe, and more often than not, there for all to see are a lot of pitiful naked kamiza shelves. Avoid that. Celebrate your tradition with lots of rich green.

Avoid scraggly wisps reminiscent of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Avoid little potted plants with roots. Avoid avoiding greenery altogether.

If you are going for a traditional look in your dojo, be sure that you fully understand the tradition. And avoid ignorant “tradition for tradition’s sake”, just as you would avoid pointlessly odd technique in your curriculum if you are teaching useful methods as opposed to mere museum-like cultural imitation.

I had a conversation with a person who commented that our taijutsu looked “too slow” to him. He felt that for a real fight, we should be practicing with what he called “realistic speed”.

I understand how he could feel that way. Once upon a time a long time ago, I too studied a less mature form of martial art, a less sophisticated form of martial art, in which beating people to the punch or throw was the only way to win.

I did not say it that way to him, though, because it would only have resulted in an argument based on emotional hopes and beliefs. Instead, I invited him to look at a video clip of our art in action.

He wasn’t impressed. “See? There you go. You guys are moving slowly. Your art works as long as you guys agree to move slow.”

I knew he would say that. I was ready for his misperception. “OK. Now watch the clip again and this time, only watch the attackers. Check out how quickly and explosively they move.”

He watched and this time he remained silent. I could tell he was confused and did not know what to think.

I helped him out. “There is absolute speed. And there is relative speed. In the same way, there is power and there is relative power. If your timing is right, you can fit into furious action with minimal motion. Of course, if you are not aware of timing, or you are not experienced enough to use timing to your advantage, you will not be able to pull it off.”

It is all about mastery. The master painter may indeed need less paint and fewer strokes to tell more of a story. The master mechanic uses only minimal elbow grease action to get the most from tuning up a racing engine. Little children use high volume to express the importance they feel their words carry, while a master story teller may instead use a hushed voice to really capture an audience.

Of course, you have to be ready to hear such logic. If you are still a splash and slap painter, a bang-around mechanic, or an exuberant little kid, none of this makes sense.

Check out the video clip of spontaneous totally unrehearsed sword clashes and only watch the attackers’ speed and explosiveness. Do not even consider my speed. Then reflect on the results of each clash.

Can you see it? Can you get it? Are you ready to get it?

Living in a way that keeps you ever aware of the preciousness of each moment and fullness of potential held in each encounter is called being mindful. Developing such a habit is a part of the To-Shin Do 8-Step Personal Perfection Plan for personal transformation from the inside out

7. IDEAL MINDFULNESS – “Perfect way to be aware”
“I use every moment as an opportunity to grow. Everything matters!”

So many people move through life in a way best described as semi-focused and partially distracted. They creep from moment to moment waiting for whatever might come along. Whatever pops up, they deal with it or duck it, and then go back to dull ease. It becomes a habit.

They certainly do not keep their eye on any prize they have committed to win. They move through meetings, take or make phone calls, talk to coworkers on the job, share space with family members, maybe go to a party or event with friends, all the while taking things as they come. Life is a pattern of winging it, docilely and mildly comatose.

Such people are not clear about the specific outcome they want from each interaction. They certainly have no sense of looking for and expecting the potential magic of every encounter. Life is perceived as “not too bad” but never soars or roars. Unguided and undefined, life eases along and becomes whatever it it becomes.

As long as life never falls into states that challenge survival, few people seem to consider it a problem to live in an aimless and random manner. Even fewer think to look for a solution. Only a very few know how to implement the solution.

If you did realize that an unfocused life just using up days is a problem, and if you did want a solution, one simple change is extremely effective. Create a new habit of asking yourself before you start any activity, “What do I want to get out of this? What is the outcome I want to generate?” Pay attention to paying attention. Even the smallest thing – a cup of coffee, a casual conversation, a walk to your car on a hot sunny day – becomes an opportunity to live with depth and purpose. Do not waste time or opportunities.

To make asking this question a habit, put visual reminder icons where you cannot miss them. One friend uses an exaggerated exclamation point as a talisman. One uses a bug-eyed smiley face. One uses a grinning Tibetan skull caricature to remind him of the swiftness and shortness of life. Pencil your reminder in your daily schedule, on a card in your briefcase, or post-it note on the bottom of your computer monitor.

Constantly seeing these reminders makes it easy to develop a new way of thinking. That leads to a new way of operating. Whatever you do repetitively and consistently can develop into a habit, so make sure you pick the most ideal habits to invite into blossom in your life.

Shikin Haramitsu Dai-Ko-Myo! Every moment has its lesson, if only we are alert enough to be ready for it. Stay mindful of all the possibilities. What is the higher value of what you are experiencing right now? What is there to enjoy and build from right here?

I asked some of my training friends what keeps them going in their To-Shin Do martial arts study. Why are you doing this? If you are not anticipating a lot of life-or-death fights in the next few weeks, what is the pull to keep on training? Give it to me straight. What is the pay-off beyond the exceptional physical combat efficiency we offer? My friend Russ Nemhauser sent me some heart-warming thoughts of how To-Shin training reaches beyond combat and addresses other realms of chance-taking and risky exploration.

Here’s what Russ had to say:

Since beginning To-Shin Do I have noticed that my personal growth has really taken off. I was growing and succeeding in my work life, something that nearly monopolized my attention for twenty years, but I was at a near stand-still when it came to personal growth.

At 37 years old, I made my first trip to Europe. While there I toured buildings that have been standing four times longer than the United States has been a country. I engaged with the locals in their culture and history. At times I could literally feel the bigness of where I was. I found it most invigorating. Ironically, for my first 30-plus years I had no interest in exploring other countries. Now I can’t wait to get out there and see more.

Since my trip I wake up in the morning eager to find ways to expand my horizons. I’m ready for new ways of thinking instead of the same old repetition. I like to use the Internet to learn more about why things are the way they are in today’s world. What happened? How can I use that information as a lesson before I need to learn that lesson?

When we’re bored by routines, it’s easy to become distracted by the next fancy car, the fastest new computer, or that next promotion and raise. Sometimes we begin to think those material goals are what life is all about. It‘s easy to forget that the toys often serve as a “treatment” for unhappiness. By the time you notice it, the daily grind defines your life and it can be difficult to break out and start a new, fresh path. The lucky ones realize that material rewards are a treatment and not a cure, and much like for an addict on drugs, the rewards need to get bigger and bigger in order for you to feel enough happiness.

To-Shin Do opened this door for me and helped me to realize new horizons. It helped me to think beyond the boundaries of what I accepted as my life. I encourage everyone to do what I’ve only just started to do: break the mental routine. Instead of obsessing over work tomorrow, spend 20 minutes feeding your own interests. It may be a book you want to read (or write), a long quiet walk, meeting new people, exploring areas you generally don’t frequent, or anything that isn’t part of your normal day. Do something fresh and stimulating. You’ll find something new and exciting to add to your life. I think you’ll be surprised at how good it feels to add to your internal toy chest new things that aren’t made of metal or wood and can’t be measured by money. It made me feel ten years younger, and I’ve only just begun.

Let’s go way back in time, back to the early 1980s. Think of a time when there was no internet, no DVD, no self-publishing, no MP3, no YouTube. Old enough to remember such a time?

We had magazines. We had books. Those were my only possible channels for getting word out to the world that there was a new possibility in the martial arts – the training legacy of the ninja. And those channels were owned and controlled by a tight group of business people known as “the publishing industry”. If a publishing company did not believe that:

• My credentials were authentic
• I was capable of delivering what I claimed to deliver
• I could write effectively and engagingly
• What I wrote was true and verifiable
• I was disciplined enough to deliver a finished manuscript on time
• Other people would want to read what I wrote
• What I wrote was important enough to see print
• What I wrote was a good investment for the publisher (“I would make them money”)
• What I wrote would add to the prestige of the publisher’s reputation
• What I wrote would so impress readers that it would lead to even more books or articles that would make even more money and prestige for the publisher

…then there would be no way for my message to see print on paper.

Back then, if I were just some silly barely-literate inarticulate poorly-skilled but big-ego wanna-be in a less than mediocre martial art method, I never would have made it in the door of a publisher, and never would have seen my work in print by a reputable company. Of course those were the days before YouTube freedom to willfully and thoroughly embarrass ones foolish self in the eyes of the entire world.

Back in the early 1980s, a new 3rd realm of publishing arose next to magazines and books. Videotape instruction became the new darling of sports trainers and instructors. But early videos focused on the sports of the wealthy who could afford the technology required to watch videos. Everyone knew that martial artists are notoriously lower-class poor as a group (as opposed to golfers or yacht crews), and so the big question was, “Would martial arts instruction ever make it to video?”

I was approached by Robert Clouse, director of “Enter the Dragon”, Bruce Lee’s final film, with a proposal to do a 2-tape VHS video exposition of the ninja martial arts. The company was Hawk Films, the producer was Nigel Binns, and I along with 3 other hand-picked martial stars flew to Ashland, Oregon, to film our four individual projects.

Those two VHS tapes were important in that they gave the world a first-hand look at what was only a frozen-pose 2-dimensional presentation on a page up to that time. I way over-packed the presentation with everything I taught – unarmed classic combat, unarmed modern combat, bo staff, Japanese sword, hanbo cane, shuriken star blades, kusarifundo chain, Ryutai Undo body flexibility, and stalking and climbing. The tapes sold like crazy in the 1980s and into the 1990s.

We eventually converted the two tapes to two DVDs, and added some updated footage. I was a little nervous preparing to watch the reissued scenes. That was 25 years ago when those were filmed. I was middle-30s in age. What if I now embarrassed myself with what I thought was cool or skilled back then but was now only amusing? What if by redistributing those original videos, I accidentally created my own embarrassing YouTube-style exposure? What if I wished everyone would forget what I had done back then?

I watched. I smiled. I nodded “yes”. Young guy in that dark beard way back then did not let me down today. I am delighted to see that what was real back then is still eye-opening today. One training friend (who admitted he was not even born when the originals went on sale) claimed the “paper napkin diner defense” was worth getting the whole set for. One friend cheerfully admitted to what he called “lifting” the sword segments and running them as a Black Belt Club course in his karate school, and he actually looked good with his copycat movement. A few Quest Center owners had school parties for viewing the DVDs together.

The set is now “back from the depths of the vault” and available if you would like to own a piece of ninja history in the Western Hemisphere. CLICK HERE to preview some scenes on your screen. I heartily recommend the DVDs, I am happily relieved to be able to report.

Here are a lot of my senior Black Belt students and SKH Quest licensed school leaders. Several folks came in before for my 9-9-’09 60th birthday party at the Dayton dojo and then we all got together for some high-level practice the Friday afternoon before our 29th annual Festival.

Some of these Black Belts have been training with me since the early 1980s. Some have traveled to Japan with me for training and visits to inspirational training halls and mountaintops and temples at the roots of our ninja warrior tradition.

Especially in this year of unprecedented financial devastation in the small businesses and lives of so many Americans (and world citizens), I emphasized a hearty salute to my Black Belt training partners for making it back to Ohio for our yearly gathering.

These are the ones who carry our To-Shin Do out to their communities to serve the call for heightened life mastery quality through martial arts training. These strong people saw the importance and beauty of the message I carried from what I studied with my teacher and my teacher’s teacher. Certainly they do not “have to” stay with me and my program; easier lessons and easier belts and easier trophy titles could certainly be had elsewhere. But they vowed not to take the cheap and easy route, and promised that no matter how difficult the lessons, they would persevere, they would prevail, they would master.

I am proud of my friends. You can see their schools listed on this web site under TRAIN WITH US.