Samurai Armor – Fun and Functional
I'm back from both Christmas and the bubonic plague. It's amazing how quickly some of these flu viruses can spread, and how effective they are at putting people out of commission.
Anyway, overlooking those details I'd rather not relive, I'd like to share a piece of my Christmas spoils with you. Check this out:
Pardon the weird angle, I was trying to avoid glare. This is an excellent art print of a classical Samurai that I received. It's about the size of a normal poster, but came framed and ready to go. I was very pleased! This is a great look at real Samurai garb in action, as opposed to resting idly in a museum somewhere.
The development of Samurai armor is very interesting and demonstrates great battlefield ingenuity. This complex weaving of chords, iron plates, and fibers creates a durable yet flexible protective shell. Furthermore, the development of arts such as Jujitsu, Aikido, and Judo were all born from the Samurai and were utilized against opponents wearing this exact kind of protection!
But why does Samurai armor look so much different than the war-gear of other countries? Most predominently it's due to the focus of speed and flexibility over raw protection. While a European Knight would be able to withstand blows and deliver punishing, pulverizing strikes with his broadsword, Samurai were more interested in quick killing blows with katana or spear. They would use accurate and evasive tactics throughout the battlefield, foregoing the protection of platemail in favor of maneuverability.
Furthermore, the armor of a Samurai was indicative of a great many things on the battlefield (not just how many hits he could take). A warrior's clan, status, and military propensity could all be determined by his protective gear. Each clan had their own Gusoku-shi, or armor makers, who would design armor specifically for each Samurai (no walmart brand available at that time).
Furthermore, time and necessity changed the design of Samurai armor. In the picture above we see a very functional, battle-ready suit. This is quite unlike the decorative, Tokugawa-era pieces that rest in many showcases.
As times became more peaceful and Samurai more irrelevant, armor became more ornamental and therefore functioned better as display.
Samurai armor has many many pieces, and every minute detail is important (for example: the way you laced your armor would be indicative of your rank and status), but essentially there are six main components: chest protector (yoroi), helmet (kabuto), mask (ho-ate), sleeves (kote), shin gaurds (sune-ate), and loin gaurd (koshi-ate...also known as the most important piece).
High ranking officers would ride into battle mounted, wearing extremely elaborate suits of armor and demonizing masks, displaying their prowess and clan identity. Warring samurai, like the one in my poster above, stuck to what was functional.
Scary!
Samurai armor and culture is extraordinarly complex, and not a single knot goes without deep contemplation. Although we only scratched the surface, we did learn a little about the individual featured in my picture above. Hopefully he'll serve as a reminder to me that there is still much to learn, and more budo spirit to be attained!
Sueyoshi – Cart Ride with a Kobudo Master
Karate-Do: My Way of Life by Funakoshi Gichin is a small book packed with extremely valuable anecdotes. Funakoshi's stories grant us a peek into an Okinawa that is mostly lost to antiquity.
One story that strikes me as particularly interesting is entitled "A Humble Man" (pg. 62 if you're reading along ;- )
The Story...
In his daily travels, Funakoshi made it a habit to walk to-and-from the school where he taught. One day, when returning home from a teachers meeting that had run late into the night, Funakoshi decided to hire a jinriksha driver. Jinriksha, also known as rickshaw, is a two wheel cart pulled by a single "driver".
As Funakoshi explains, "to while away the time, I began a conversation with the jinriksha man and found, rather to my surprise, that he gave extremely short answers to my questions. Usually jinriksha men are as loquacious [1 point for the translator] as barbers. Further, his tone of voice was extremely polite and his language was that of a well-educated man."
Funakoshi decided to uncover the identity of this mysterious man, who hid deftly underneath a wide brimmed hat. His plan was to stop the ride and relieve himself, and at some point grab a glance at his driver's face. His attempt failed. They began walking further down the path, the driver keeping a pace behind at all times. Funakoshi then attempted one decisive action to discover the man's identity -
"Suddenly, at a bend in the road, I wheeled around and grabbed a shaft of the jinriksha and at the same time tried to get a glimpse of [the driver's] features. However, quick as I was, the man was even quicker, as he pulled his hat down deep over his face. So quick, indeed, was his reaction that I was now perfectly convinced he could not be an ordinary jinriksha driver."
Through his calculated observations, Funakoshi was able to determine that the man was one Mr. Sueyoshi, a renowned and respected kobudo exponent (especially known for his bojitsu). He then learned that, even though coming from a well established family, Sueyoshi had fallen on hard times and needed money to pay for medicine for his ill wife. In order to accomplish this, Sueyoshi became a jinricksha man at night, using the darkness to conceal his identity and therefore save himself from disgrace.
Regarding his unlikely driver, Funakoshi had this to say:
"Had [Sueyoshi] desired fame and fortune, he could certainly have acquired it, but possibly at the expense of engaging in work that he would have felt to be beneath his dignity. In this he was...every inch a samurai."
Thoughts...
When examining the exchange between these two masters, it is evident the role respect and dignity played in their day to day lives. In Okinawa, like in many Asian cultures, the reputation of family plays an extremely important role. Sueyoshi's unwillingness to show his face was an effort to leave the image of his family fully intact without "sullying" it by being acknowledged as a "lowly" rickshaw driver.
Funakoshi, despite being taken by curiosity, kept himself completely composed while attempting to catch a look at his mysterious driver. Once the identity was revealed, both men showed respect by walking side by side as opposed to one in front of the other, or one riding in the cart.
It's also interesting to note how much information the men were able to gather on each other simply by monitoring movements during a mundane activity like a cart ride. Sueyoshi's martial arts prowess, and even identity became evident simply by detecting his mannerisms. This speaks both to the mental and physical enhancement martial arts study can provide over time.
Funakoshi's statement about Sueyoshi not taking work "beneath his dignity" is very telling of the weight Sueyoshi placed on his art. Sueyoshi, rather than sell out and market his bojitsu to become rich, eeked out a living at night performing duties that were very much beneath his status.
The Paradox...
I admire Sueyoshi's commitment to maintaining his art and not watering it down for public consumption. By taking the path of Koryu ("old style" method of martial arts transmission utilized heavily by the Samurai) he certainly maintained a high level of quality in his kobudo.
Koryu arts were, by nature, closed communities filled with secrecy and tradition. The main purpose of this was to maintain battlefield effectiveness. The true goal of Koryu was to kill opponents. The "do" aspects (mental and spiritual growth) were secondary. If a ryu or art like Sueyoshi's bojitsu was to retain its complete effectiveness, he would have to keep his student body very low and the transmission of his concepts secret.
On the other end of the spectrum is Funakoshi, whom I also admire. Through his efforts to spread karatedo, more and more people became aware of the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of karate training. Truly, if it weren't for him and others like him, the martial arts wouldn't be what they are today. My own knowledge of the arts (as limited as it is) stems back to individuals like Seikichi Odo who allowed gaijin (outsiders) to study.
The One Conclusion I Will Make...
I don't have any particular answers when it comes to the paradox of Funakoshi and Sueyoshi. They both had equally good justification for their actions. But what I will say is this - it's astonishing what a four page anecdote can reveal, both about the men involved and us as practitioners.
This story made a personal impact on me because Sueyoshi No Kun is a kata I practice in my style of kobudo (we actually break it up into two kata, Sueyoshi Ichi and Ni). Where once I saw these kata as mechanical movements devised by some shadow of the past, I can now perceive the man behind their creation. I can sense his motivation to save an ailing wife and observe his behavior as he followed the martial way.
Stories such as this invite us to study our arts deeply. By imagining humid rains, dark nights, and pebbled studded causeways, we can place ourselves in the shoes of our martial arts forefathers and imagine what they were thinking while perfecting their art. We can then place ourselves back in our own shoes and think about our day-to-day tribulations and what might cause us to train differently.
While some folk might feel burdened by tradition, I believe it can be endlessly fascinating, and when taken in the right context, can help free us to express ourselves.
Interview: George Alexander, 10th Dan Shorin Ryu (Part 1)
I recently had the opportunity to chat with George Alexander Sensei. I've trained with Alexander Sensei just a few times in the past, but his enthusiasm for the martial arts is something that has always stuck with me. He is a true investigator and teacher, and thanks to his efforts, much has been revealed and preserved regarding classical martial arts that might have been lost otherwise.
Alexander Sensei's main style is Matsumura Shorin Ryu Karate and Kobudo (Okinawan weapons art), in which he is ranked 10th Dan, Hanshi. He also holds 10th Dan in Shorinji Ryu Jujitsu and 7th Dan in Kendo.
Alexander Sensei is responsible for some of the most important books in publication regarding Okinawa, including Okinawa: Island of Karate, and Bubishi: Martial Art Spirit. These books are often found in 'must read' lists for karate practitioners.
Along with his written work, Alexander Sensei has spearheaded Yamazato Videos. Realizing that learning martial arts is done mostly through watching, Alexander Sensei was one of the earliest instructors to embrace this new technology and provide both enlightening and rare knowledge in his video tapes. Since its inception, Yamazato has grown to cover a myriad of styles and concepts, competing with 'big boys' like Panther Productions and Asian World of Martial Arts.
Alexander Sensei is a whirlwind of martial arts accomplishment, and I was fortunate enough to steal some of his time in order to ask questions both about his background, and his take on some commonly debated martial arts concepts. Enjoy!
***
MA: Alexander Sensei, thank you for sitting down with me! I'd like to start off at the beginning - how did you get your start in the martial arts and what was the whole "scene" like at that time?
GA: Well I started when I was a kid. My dad had been in the army airforce and was teaching something they called combat judo. And at that time (late 50s, early 60s or so) there was no karate around. I was intrigued by judo initially, and ultimately, I joined the military myself [united states marine corp 1964].
Shortly into my military career, I started studying Shorin Ryu at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. I did that until 1967 when I was transferred to Okinawa.
MA: Is that when you started studying with Yuichi Kuda, who you cite as your primary Sensei in Shorin Ryu?
GA: Actually No. I didn't study with Kuda Sensei until later. I spent a good many years studying with different Sensei on the island. Two you may have heard of are Eizo Shimabukuro and Fusei Kise.
MA: It must have been neat on the island where so many outstanding instructors were accessible. When did you ultimately decide to "settle in" with Kuda Sensei?
GA: I spent a good 20 years in training before that. I think up until 1984...or 85. So before that I was learning a lot about Shorin Ryu, Shotokan, Goju Ryu, and Kyokushinkai.
MA: I was hoping you could give me a flavor of what training was like at that point. Do you find that the older training style is reflected in the modern U.S., or were things a bit different?
GA: I think the 70's were kind of a "macho" era. There were no kids in karate...or very few. It was a lot of young men with a lot of testosterone, so it was kind of a knock-em-around environment. Then the 80s were more like the decade of Karate Kid with Mr. Miyagi and wax-on-wax-off. Much more contemplative. Then the 90s were more about sport karate, and we saw the emergence of a lot of federations. Now it seems we have come full circle, in a sense, where we have MMA. These are individuals who are interested in combining all kinds of styles together, which I think is a bit more like what the original instructors had intended. Of course, MMA is still very heavy sport oriented, as was the influence of the 90s.
MA: Do you think the development of mixed martial arts is healthy for martial arts as a whole?
GA: I don't know if I would qualify it as healthy or not. It's the way of the world. You can't stop change. The world, and the things in it, are dynamic and they're bound to change. So I always like to use the old Matsumura saying: "change with the times." Sokon Matsumura, a fountainhead of Okinawa Karate wisdom, said that to one of his students when he was in his 80s. He wrote him a letter containing that message.
Of course, that doesn't mean give up whatever martial art you're doing and do MMA. And actually, too much of going with trends has resulted in some of the factionalizing that we see today. Every decade seems to have a trend (like ninja in the 80s), and clearly MMA is this decades hot trend. It's important to decide whether you want to pursue a martial art or martial sport.
MA: The previous head of Okinawa Kenpo, Seikichi Odo, was known to be a collector when it came to Kobudo. Did you receive all of your Kobudo training with Kuda Sensei, or did you have to do some collecting of your own?
GA: It's true, a lot of the early Kobudo practitioners were collectors. Kenwa Mabuni, he was certainly a collector. Shinken Taira - he went around the island collecting and codifying 40 or so different weapons kata into a system. Certainly Odo Sensei as well.
It was no different for me. I learned some here and some there, but then established myself in Kuda Sensei's kobudo program. And really, I think you learn that way because no one person has it all. You have to interact with different sensei to get different knowledge. This is also one area where I learned from master Kise.
MA: Switching gears just a bit, could you explain what Shorinji Ryu Jujitsu is?
GA: Ohh sure. Shorinji Ryu Jujitsu traces its roots to Japan, but I trained under Hanshi Ken Penland. The style, more or less, came from Albert C. Church. There are 20 two-man kata, which are training drills in jujitsu technique. But ultimately, it shares the same principles as most jujitsu styles (a wrist lock is a wrist lock, an armbar is an armbar).
MA: So you trained with Penland Sensei in Jujitsu, but you also were both students of Yuichi Kuda?
GA: That's right. We tapped into each others experience very often.
MA: One of the things you are best known for is your experience in Hakatsuru White Crane Kenpo. Could you discuss a little bit about what this is, and why you've dug so hard to uncover and preserve the principles of hakatsuru?
Click here to continue to Part 2
