Mushin Karate-do

Prologue

This electronic book is published to rededicate the honbu (home) dojo of the Mushin Karate-do.

Although the way of traditional karate has been practiced and taught in many physical spaces, the way of Mushin is a way that strives to have no walls.

From the beginning in 1969, the way has been practiced, explored and transmitted indoors and outdoors without being tethered to a place.

The first classes were held in the basement of the Congregational Church in the center of New Hartford Connecticut. They were organized by a local group of residents who sought to provide activities for local teenagers as part of a series of things they could do and learn. The organizers knew nothing of the traditional martial arts, but were fascinated by the practices they watched. They were also  taken  aback  by  the  teacher’s  use  of  the  building’s  supporting pillars being used as makiwara (punching posts) and the rhythmic kiai (shouts) of students during class and decided that a new location would be more appropriate.

Classes  were  moved  to  one  of  the  town’s  school’s  gymnasiums and have continued to be held there even as of this writing.

It  was  never  the  intent  to  “establish”  a  school  of  training  of  to  have it evolve into various locations and branches. Never-the-less, over the years of growth, classes were held, and student groups met, in churches, monasteries and seminaries, schools, colleges, and universities, outdoor venues, as extensions of adult and child municipal education programs, and virtually anywhere else they were solicited. Adaptive class were even held for specialized groups,  including  women’s  groups  and  both the visually and hearing impaired. It is believed that as part of college programs the practice was among the first accredited college course of its kind in the United States. Students have included everyone from the highly physically fit, to recovering stroke victims with very limited movement capability.

From the earliest days in the late 1960’s  to about 2001, more than 10,000 people of all ages had been trained and certified by the founder. Longevity is sometimes a good measure of quality, and the classes continue even to this day, mostly because the value has been placed on the mind, body, and spirit of the teachers and students, not because of an organization or place of practice.

The dojo without walls has no boundaries or constraints. It travels  with  you  and  is  always  available  as  the  “place”  the  way  is followed.

All traditional martial arts art are based upon disciplines that were rooted in the practical application of fighting arts, and further  subdivided  into  “stylistic  variations”  influenced      and  social factors, as well as preferences by their figureheads. As an example, Kenjutsu, the art of the sword, began as a practical training method into the use of the sword, and fragmented or splintered into various schools of the sword, like the Musashi school, based on the preferred stylistic techniques of the sword master Musashi. One unique attribute in the development of these disciplines and styles is the presence of a philosophical, and sometimes quasi religious base connected with the practice. Most often, this association has been with the practice of Zen Buddhism, but this should not be confused with religious practice in the formal and organized sense of church practice as we understand it in the western world.

In modern times, there is no practical application for any of these traditional arts. The best swordsman or archer is no match even for an old gun. The best karate technique is no match for a bomb.

So,  anyone  who  was  ever  asked,  “Why  do  you  wish  to  learn  this?”  and  responded  with  the  answer  “For  self-defense.”  had  to be made to understand the first lesson of Mushin-do.

Mushin-do is not self defense in the sense that its practice will protect you against any outside threat. The self defense of practice is an assist to help you defend against yourself, your most formidable, ever present friend and enemy.

Likewise, those who wish to train for the purpose of self discipline are wrongly purposed. If attending classes is about self  discipline  then  an  instructor’s  discipline  of  you  is  outside  of  “self”  discipline.    If  self  discipline  is  your  goal  then  you  only  need  your  “self”  to  implement  it.

Some have come because they think that the exercise is a good thing for them, and they strive to be healthy. Many great athletes have died young. There are no guarantees that any exercise will prolong your life, and in the end, we are all mortal, and at best, will succumb to age.

So, why bother? If the effort, the sweat and strain, will not protect you, temper your level of discipline, or make you immortal, what good is it?

The answers to this question are not the same for every person and will not be given here. They are given in the experience and the achievement of long time practitioners. It is not just the process of Mushin, but the product of Mushin, both inseparable and on close scrutiny, visible in those who have practiced it.

What  is  the  meaning  of  “Mushin”?

The  term  “mushin,”  which  is  rooted  in  zen scripture and practice has been defined and misdefined by many people in many ways. It is not our purpose to define it here, but simply give some insight as to what it is. Study the words of others on this subject, but remember the advice of the Chinese philosopher  Lao  Tzu,  “The  way  that can be named is not the eternal  way.”

Mushin is a state of mind central Japanese martial arts and Zen.  The  term  is  most  commonly  translated  as  “no  mind”  but  this literal translation is inadequate to hinting at understanding.

The kanji characters above used to express mushin are comprised of the first,  for  “emptiness,”  based  on  the  ideograph  for  a  farmer’s  field  that  is  fallow,  without  crop,  and  thereby empty, and the second, based on the ideograph for the heart

A better definition  would  be  “no  conscious  mind” rather than simply  “no  mind”  if  we  define  consciousness  as  the  dominant left brain hemisphere kind  of  “thinking.”    This  state  paves the way for a non-conceptual experience by allowing for greater and easier access to the right hemisphere of the brain (which is not conscious of itself). To put it another way mushin refers to the progressive disuse or quieting of the left hemisphere so that a more balance mind state can be achieved.

A simple example of the progression of the mushin state might be learning to ride a bicycle, or learning to write. In the first case we begin by having to focus on balance every moment so we do not fall. Eventually keeping balance becomes more natural and we do not consciously focus on it at all. When learning to write, we begin by learning the formation of the letters. There must be a focus on upper case and lower case to form words. This gives way to cursive formation to speed the process of expression. Eventually we don’t    have  to  “think”  about  the  formation  of  the  letters  and  words  we  simple  “write”  them  to  express  our  thought.    In  the  end stages of both these activities, and many more, we are operating  “without”  the  conscious  thought  that is present in the beginning stages.

Mushin, then, is the mind free and totally receptive, as is an empty container, not prefilled or preoccupied. we are still conscious; not of walking but of some other issue that Scientists have studied and can describe the different levels of brain wave activities, but as opposed to laboratory conditions, we all can recognize mental states we achieve when we are

“in  the  zone,”  when  time  is  suspended, and we are at our optimal levels in tune with everything around us. With practice this state is progressive, and with time, can become deeper and increasingly rewarding.

Mushin leads to the ability to achieve Zanshin, which in English  is  “perspicacity,”  the  ability  to  see  into  the  core,  unclouded perception, and that leads to Satori, enlightenment.

The monk Takuan Soho had this to say about mushin:

“The mind must always be in the state of 'flowing,' for when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind. In the case of the swordsman, it means death. When the swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent, or of himself, or of his enemy's sword movements. He just stands there with his sword which, forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dictates of the subconscious. The man has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the man's subconscious that strikes.”

You must develop your own definition and understanding of Mushin, Zanshin, and Satori through your chosen path of experience and exposure and through and endless journey on your own path. But it will help to walk that path with others who are at least a few steps ahead of you.

Foundations

Even though the practice of Mushin teaches that we are not to be defined by our past, and that we are actually encouraged to redefine, recreate, and perfect ourselves each day, the “genealogical  roots”  of  the  practice  may be useful in understanding it. Like practitioners of many other things, it is a synthesis of influences and elements that seem to fit together. It is, by nature, unfinished, shaped and reshaped by its time and its.

The  “birthplace”  of  its  formation  is  New  York  City,  among the most diverse, vibrant, and eclectic places in the world.

The founder was born and raised there, son of Sicilian Americans. His father was in the trucking business and had been an amateur boxer in his youth. As was the case with many such families in that era, children were expected to participate in the family business from an early age. As such, early playmates included an assortment of bent nosed, cauliflower-eared ex-pugs and rough and tumble truck drivers. Their lessons were useful because they served to make one “street-wise”  and  self-sufficient. Among them were someone who had actually risen high enough to fight for the middle weight  world  championship,  “Gabby”  Abruzzo.    His  lessons  and countless punches, feints, and tips led ultimately to lots of sidewalk victories in an environment where the only other

way to gain respect was to join one of the many emerging street gangs of the time.

A brief flirt with the Golden Gloves program, at the dismay of his father who had been down that path, in favor of staying in school, ended any real chance at boxing, but the technique learned early stuck forever.

During high school and college years two individuals began to reshape those early beginnings. The first was a classmate who had lived in Japan and there introduced to an art called “Judo.”    When  he  returned  to  the  U.S.  his  Japanese  teacher  was able to point him to a countryman who, now in New York, was able to help him continue lessons. This was the first exposure to any of the traditional arts, and although the founder never trained in Judo, the classmates exchanged mush about the respective interests, western boxing and Judo. Soon, Judo schools and combined Judo and Karate schools began to spring up in the city, many by Asian nationals, and others by U.S. servicemen who had served in Asia, and been exposed to and trained by teachers form Japan and Korea.

Based on the peaked interest in these arts caused by his classmate, the founder was able to find such a teacher in Manhattan’s Chinatown. His name was Peter Urban, and while in service in the Merchant Marine, he was able to train

in Japan with Gogen Yamaguchi, Grandmaster of a school called  “Goju  Kai.”    It  was  a  traditional  dojo  in  every  sense,  an  absolute mirror of what the Japanese students experienced. To understand this connection it is recommended that you read The Karate Dojo, by Urban if you can obtain a copy, and also to research Goju Kai, and the Grandmaster of this time period. Gogen Yamaguchi.

During study at Long Island University, the founder trained with Dr. Chee Changboh, a native born Korean who had lived in both China and Japan, and taught courses in Asian Culture and Comparative religion. He was also

accomplished in Iai, the art of the sword. He was, for all intents and purposes a Zen master who served to make the illusive subject understandable to western students. Later, the founder met Ko Maeda, a Buddhist nun who eventually trained him in both meditation and sumi-e, classical Japanese ink painting. These two individuals provided much

Yamaguchi (left) and Urban

appreciated perspectives not normally available to westerners in those days.

The Arts Expand in the West

The time in NYC was productive, fascinating, and provided a life experience difficult to duplicate anywhere else. My many training partners, the Chinatown

Dojo,  the  many  “empty  storefronts”  we  would  occupy,  protect,  and  train  in  when  we  couldn’t  afford  classes at the Goju school were priceless experiences.

We  were  also  exposed  to  the  “blossoming”   of Asian martial arts in America. Many from that  era  consider  events  like  Henry  Cho’s   All American Open Tae Kwon Do/Karate/Kung Fu Championship Tournament, which was first held in 1965 and ran consecutively every year thereafter for forty-two years. It became the longest-running national martial arts tournament in the United States -twenty three of the tournaments (from 1967 to 1989) were held in the world-famous Madison Square Garden Center.

Henry Cho

Rhee, Norris, Lee, and Cho in front

This video is actual footage from the 1967 Tournament at the Garden. Although not of great quality, it is rare color footage which shows martial artists who were vying for their place in the sun. These include Tadashi Nakamura U.S. Branch Chief of the  Kyokushinkai  who  became  the  founder’s  earliest  mentor  in that style performing the kata called Kanku in traditional hakama, Ed Parker, Kenpo practitioner from Hawaii demonstrating and refereeing, Peter Urban. Goju Kai (Grandmaster Yamaguchi also demonstrated but was not captured on film, Chief Referee and performing hi famous “skeet  shoot”  board  break,  Korean Teacher Jhoon Rhee, West Coast participants Joe Lewis and Chuck Norris, a demonstration an actor who had lost a lead role in a new television  series  called  “Kung  Fu”  but  won  a  secondary  role  in  a  series  called  “The  Green  Hornet,”  and  many  others.

All of these people, and others, played key roles in the exposure and expansion of the Asian martial arts in America. It was easy for people to be enamored by the celebrity and reputation heaped upon them.

The truth, however, is important to understand.

The  “public”  martial  arts  persona  was,  and  to  some  extent  still is, quite different from the reality.

Here are a few points of truth, as lived by this writer:

None  of  these  tournaments  were  actually  “open,”  they  were  really  “invitational,”  and  the  invitations  were  carefully choreographed to enhance promotional opportunity.

The  tournaments  were  strictly  “non-contact.”    The  video  shows  Parker  “admonishing”  fighter  Joe  Lewis  for  contact, yet Lewis was allowed to continue to the final with Norris.

It became clear after several years of these, that the “business”  aspect of the martial arts, school franchise businesses, commercial endorsements, show business, and other lucrative opportunities were the driving force behind  the  “public”  performance.

And  finally,  it  is  important  to  understand  the  “myth”  building and busting. Bruce Lee never competed. His demonstration  consisted  of  many  “parlor  tricks,”  like  the  “one  inch  punch”  and  others.

I do not wish to diminish what these people contributed to the martial arts growth in the west. They got the attention of the general population, and that brought many people who would otherwise never taken a tradition class into the dojo. But it also bred an army of untrained, misled and a cadre of charlatans, many of whom continue to misrepresent the traditional arts today.

Moving North

In 1967 the founder moved from his birth city of roughly nine million people to take a job in a tiny Connecticut town with a population of barely 5000. It was a culture shock for all involved.    New  Hartford  didn’t  even  have  a  Chinese  restaurant  let alone a Karate dojo. Finding a place to train became an obsession. Finally the founder located a school that had been operating in New Britain Connecticut under the auspices of a Japanese organization called, in those days, the Kyokushin-kai. It was a legitimately certified branch school of the honbu dojo in Japan.

Although not a Goju school, this was not an unknown style. It’s  founder  Mas  Oyama  is  legendary.    Here  is  his  story  as  extracted from Wikipedia:

Oyama Early life

Oyama was born as Choi Young-Eui (최영의) in South Korea, during Japanese occupation. At a young age he was sent to Manchuria to live on his sister's farm. Oyama began studying martial arts at age 9 from a Korean seasonal worker who was working on the farm. His name was Lee and Oyama said he was his very first teacher. The story of the young Oyama's life has been sensationalized in

manga and movies so the line between fiction and fact has become obscure.

In March 1938, Oyama left for Japan following his brother who enrolled in the Yamanashi Aviation School Imperial Japanese Army aviation school. Sometime during his time in Japan, the then Choi Young-Eui chose his Japanese name, Oyama Masutatsu (大山 倍達), which is a transliteration of 'Baedal' (倍達) . 'Baedal' was an ancient Korean kingdom known in Japan during Oyama's time as "Ancient Joseon". 'Masutatsu' can also be pronounce 'baitatsu' in Japanese. Oyama was inspired to go to Japan by General Kanji Ishihara who was against the invasion of Asian neighbors (as a consequence, he was ostracized by higher ranks of the Japanese Army), to carve out his future in the heart of the Empire of Japan.

One story of Oyama's youth involves when Lee gave young Oyama a seed which he was to plant; when it sprouted, he was to jump over it one hundred times every day. As the seed grew and became a plant, Oyama later said, "I was able to jump between walls back and forth easily." The writer, Ikki Kajiwara and the publisher of the comics based the story on the life experience Oyama spoke to them about- thus the title became "Karate Baka Ichidai"(Karate Fanatic).

Oyama aspired to serve the Imperial Army during the war. He wrote a letter to the highest ranking officers with the blood from his fingers to apply for the Kamikaze pilot. Because it was the elite course he was rejected the first few times

because of his back ground however, later Oyama recalls, "After the general saw I wrote in my own blood he knew I was ready to serve. The next week I was supposed to leave as Kamikaze, never returning to my home country." However, on the day of his mission, his airplane malfunctioned.

He later said in an interview for TV program," I had breakfast with my comrades ready to serve our country. In the evening when I returned for supper, the chairs were empty. There were no words to describe what I felt but I know I was given a chance to do something." One of the last TV programs Oyama taped was for Fuji Network (Japan) for a program called, 'Itsu Mitemo Haranbanjyo' (Always Stormy and Full of Drama) .

In 1963, Oyama wrote "What is Karate" which became a best seller in the US and sold million copies all over the world. It is still considered the "Bible of Karate" to this day. It was translated into Hungarian, French and English.

Post–World War II

In 1945 after the war ended, Oyama left the aviation school. He began "Eiwa Karate Research Center" in Suginami ward but closed it quickly because "I soon realized that I was an unwanted Korean. Nobody would rent me a room." He finally found a place to live at in Tokyo. This is where he met his future wife whose mother ran a dormitory for university students.

In 1946, Oyama enrolled in Waseda University School of Education to study sports science.

Wanting the best in instruction, he contacted the Shotokan dojo (Karate school) operated by Gigō  Funakoshi, the second son of karate master and Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi. He became a student, and began his lifelong career in Karate. Feeling like a foreigner in a strange land, he remained isolated and trained in solitude.

Oyama attended Takushoku University in Tokyo and was accepted as a student at the dojo of Gichin Funakoshi. He trained with Funakoshi for two years, then studied Gōjū-ryū karate for several years with "So Nei Chu" (소네이쥬, 1907–?), a senior student of the system's founder, Chojun Miyagi, and was eventually graded to 8th Dan in the system by Gogen Yamaguchi who at the time was the head of Goju-ryu in mainland Japan.

Korea had been officially annexed by Japan since 1910. During World War II (1939–1945) there was much unrest throughout Korea. As South Korea began to fight against North Korea over political ideology, Oyama became increasingly distressed. He recounts, "though I was born and bred in Korea, I had unconsciously made myself liberal; I felt repulsion against the strong feudal system of my fatherland, and that was one of the reasons which made me run away from home to Japan." He joined a Korean political organization in Japan to strive for the unification of Korea, but soon was being targeted and harassed by the Japanese police. He then consulted with a fellow Korean from the same native province, Mr. Neichu So, who was a Goju Karate expert.

Yamaguchi and Oyama

Around the time he also went around Tokyo getting in fights with the U.S. Military Police. He later reminisced those times in a television interview, "Itsumitemo Haran Banjyo" (Nihon Television), "I lost many friends during the war- the very morning of their departure as Kamikaze pilots, we had breakfast together and in the evening their seats were empty. After the war ended, I was angry- so I fought as many U.S. Military as I can, until my portrait was all over the police station." At this time, Mr. So suggested that Oyama retreat to a lone mountain for solace to train his mind and body. He set out to spend three years on Mt. Minobu in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. Oyama built a shack on the side of the mountain. One of his students named Yashiro accompanied him, but after the rigors of this isolated training, with no modern conveniences, the student snuck away one night, and left Oyama alone. With only monthly visits from a friend in the town of Tateyama in Chiba Prefecture, the loneliness and harsh training became grueling. Oyama began to doubt his decision, so he sent a letter to the man who suggested the retreat. Mr. So replied with encouragement to remain, and suggested that he shave off one eyebrow so that he would not be tempted to come out of the mountain and let anyone see him that way. Oyama remained on the mountain for fourteen months, and returned to Tokyo a much stronger and more fierce Karateka.

Oyama gave great credit to reading "The Book of Five Rings" by Miyamoto Musashi- a famous Japanese swordsman, to

change his life completely. He recounts this book as being his only reading material during his mountain training years.

He was forced to leave his mountain retreat after his sponsor had stopped supporting him. Months later, after he had won the Karate Section of Japanese National Martial Arts Championships, he was distraught that he had not reached his original goal to train in the mountains for three years, so he went into solitude again, this time on Mt. Kiyosumi in Chiba Prefecture, Japan and he trained there for 18 months.

Founds Kyokushin

In 1953 Oyama opened his own karate dojo, named Oyama Dojo, in Tokyo but continued to travel around Japan and the world giving martial arts demonstrations, including the fighting and killing of live bulls with his bare hands. His dojo was first located outside in an empty lot but eventually moved into a ballet school in 1956. Oyama's own curriculum soon developed a reputation as a tough, intense, hard hitting but practical style which was finally named Kyokushin, which means 'the search for the ultimate truth,' in a ceremony 1957. He also developed a reputation for being 'rough' with his students, often injuring them during training sessions. As the reputation of the dojo grew students were attracted to come to train there from inside and outside Japan and the number of students grew. Many of the eventual senior leaders of today's various Kyokushin based organizations began training in the style during this time. In 1964 Oyama moved the dojo into the building that would from then on serve as the

Kyokushin home dojo and world headquarters. In connection with this he also formally founded the 'International Karate Organization Kyokushin kaikan' (commonly abbreviated to IKO or IKOK) to organise the many schools that were by then teaching the kyokushin style. In the same year, his dojo received a challenge from Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) practitioners. Oyama, believing that no other style was comparable to his, accepted the challenge and sent three students (Kenji Kurosaki, Tadashi Nakamura, Noboru  Ōsawa)  to Thailand who won 2 of the 3 fights, thus redeeming the reputation of his karate style.

After formally establishing Kyokushin-kai, Oyama directed the organization through a period of expansion. Oyama and his staff of hand-picked instructors displayed great ability in marketing the style and gaining new members. Oyama would choose an instructor to open a dojo in another town or city in Japan. The instructor would move to that town and usually demonstrate his karate skills in public places, such as at the civic gymnasium, the local police gym (where many judo students would practice), a local park, or conduct martial arts demonstrations at local festivals or school events. In this way, the instructor would soon gain a few students for his new dojo. After that, word of mouth would spread through the local area until the dojo had a dedicated core of students. Oyama also sent instructors to other countries such as the United States, Netherlands, England, Australia and Brazil to spread Kyokushin in the same way. Oyama also promoted Kyokushin by holding The All-Japan Full Contact Karate Open

Championships every year and World Full Contact Karate Open Championships once every four years in which anyone could enter from any style.

As a side note: Oyama also took up Judo so that he would have an understanding of the art's ground techniques. Masahiko Kimura Judo Legend then introduced Oyama to the Sone Dojo in Nakano, Tokyo, where he trained regularly for four years, eventually gaining his 4th Dan in this discipline.

As with all accounts of the masters of this era, this wiki account is somewhat jaded. Many have suggested that Oyama’s  first  mountain  retreat  was  really  spurred  to  avoid  prosecution for attacks on occupation forces. There iis no doubt that Oyama was one of the toughest, most knowledgeable, and imposing figures of this era. He built the largest network of schools (169 countries) with the best quality control of instruction anywhere, and was uncompromising in his dedication to the tradition while innovative in refining and developing the art.

Changing Styles

Acceptance into the Kyokushin school was not a simple matter of  “signing  up.”    It  took  more  than  three  months  to  gain  an  “interview”  and  even  more  time  to  be  tested  for  acceptance.    As was the practice in those days all new students, regardless of  prior  experience  were  expected  to  “start  at  the  bottom.”    It  proved to be worth it, not only in terms of humility, but in terms of unlearning and relearning the improvements Oyama

had made in the technical aspects of the art, and fusing what had been learned in the philosophical realm. Within two arduous years the opportunity to test for yudansha was offered, accepted, and executed. Presiding over the test were Tadashi Nakamura, and the newly arrived Shigeru Oyama, fresh from his third consecutive All Japan Open Kyokushin Tournament win. After a grueling six hours I was dismissed, and six months later notified that I had passed and asked to return to the Brooklyn dojo for a meeting. I was asked to pledge to participate in advanced training under Nakamura and S. Oyama (who by then had established a dojo in White Plains, NY,) and also to consider building a Kyokushin Branch in Northwest Connecticut. It was that request that spawned the beginnings of the New Hartford Karate Club and the satellite programs that were implemented in the area. When the New Britain finally closed, the New Hartford dojo and satellite classes were for a time the only Kyokushin branch available.

Continued advanced training and promotion, training mission participation led by Mas Oyama, knock down tournament participation, demonstrations, and continued association with

the Kyokushin filled the next years. It was not an easy time, as the demands in all areas grew increasingly difficult.

Masutatsu Oyama

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql99zLrU1wQ

These photos taken in those days. While Mas Oyama was here on a training mission we (above) depart the White Plains dojo after holding a training and promotion session for students in the New York Metropolitan  Area.    Above  are  Maureen  Braizil,  women’s  National  Champion,  Shigeru  Oyama  and Tadashi Nakamura my main mentors and teachers, and of course Mas Oyama.

Also pictured here, on the left is my training partner and Karate brother, Michael Gigliotti. His father established owned and ran the New Britain Kyokushin Dojo and he was the youngest of all US black belts ever to have been promoted. He also did his part to promote the art, appearing on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson at the age of 12, to demonstrate Karate. A gifted athlete and close friend, my journey would have been impossible without his support.

The association with the Kyokushin ended in 1975. The organization had grown massive and the demands were high. We had always been expected to send $15/month as dues for each  student  we  trained.    That  was  a  real  “stretch”  because  all  the classes and satellites we held were non-profit. We always kept  a  “donations”  tin  can  but  never  quite  filled  enough.    We  also thought it best to make donations to people and organizations in need, local EMT and first providers, volunteers, and those we were aware were facing hardship. There was pressure for monetary support. Additionally, there were practices to intimidate and undermine any competitive schools.    We  were  asked  to  make  “visits.”  challenge  and  

Here, as part of the obligation and “giri”  (duty)  the  entourage  provides  security for the master

embarrass others, and convince students to come to our schools. And there were strong pressures for us to produce knock down champions within our schools, so that Kyokushin would be dominant in local, state, region, and national championships. The competitive aspects at this level ruled out the housewife, the blind or deaf or disabled as students who could otherwise benefit from a broadened approach which we preferred.

For  a  while,  admittedly,  it  was  an  exciting  “wild  west”  atmosphere.    But  that  wore  thin,  and  “zanshin”  told  us  it  was  not the right attitude.

In 1975 things came to a head and we informed our students that we would no longer be affiliated with the Kyokushin. Surprisingly, they were not upset and convinced us that we had  been  the  buffer  between  this  large  organization’s  negatives and what they felt they had received through our training.

Amazingly, the justification for this separation came later, when both Shigeru Oyama and Tadashi Nakamura also split from the Kyokushin to form their styles, Seido Jukyu and US Oyama respectively.

We agreed to form a new organization headed not by a single individual but by the committee of yudansha (black belt holders) that had come up through the system. By

decentralizing the power we felt there was some safety. We agreed to a dojo that had no walls and changed the approach to students so that all were welcomed and encouraged to benefit. We remained non-profit and benevolent. Virtually nothing was changed in terms of the technical content, although there were changes in emphasis. Students were no longer  considered  “expendable”  in  terms  of  their  ability  to  get  through a class, and we think the overall program became much more student focused and much less glory focused.

The  classes  were  run  under  a  “club”  format.    The  club  had  an  elected president who was not the chief instructor and it voted on changes to eliminate the centralized power so evident  in  other  styles.    It  used  a  “coffee  can”  accounting  system, so that instead of fees and dues being sent to some large organization in a foreign land, they were donations of any (or no) amount, put in a coffee can available for every class. Whatever was collected went to pay for equipment, building expenses, certificate printing and other essential “operational”  costs.    Whatever  was  leftover  was  donated,  always in cash, mostly by the founder anonymously to people or  groups  in  need,  but  sometimes  in  the  club’s  name  to  emergency responders and other public service groups. Thus the  practice  of  Mushin  was  “non-profit”  so  that  every  attempt  was made to keep it pure.

New Recognition

The word spread, and before long this low profile group attracted some attention from across the ocean and we were approached  by  one  of  Japan’s  most  traditional  and  prestigious  martial arts organizations, which was then, and continues to be now, made up of some of the national treasures of Japanese Budo (Gogen Yamaguchi was one of the founders).

Founded in 1952, the Kokusai Budo-in, International Martial Arts Federation, is dedicated to providing access to archives of historical information and sources of traditional instruction, as well as the promotion of friendship and cooperation among leaders and enthusiasts of the Japanese martial arts. With its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, IMAF has established branches in 17 countries, with members throughout the world. IMAF is comprised of the following divisions: Judo, Kendo, Karate-do, Aikido, Iaido, Nihon Ju-jutsu and Kobudo. All martial arts enthusiasts who are in accord with the objectives of the International Martial Arts Federation are welcomed and can apply for membership. As an international certification headquarters for the martial arts, IMAF commends meritorious individuals by granting degrees, grades and awards. The Federation sponsors regular

exhibitions, tournaments and publishes pertinent information concerning Japanese Martial Arts. Among the objectives of IMAF are the expansion of interest in Japanese Martial Arts, the establishment of communication, friendship, understanding and harmony among member chapters, the development of the minds and bodies of members and the promotion of global understanding and personal growth.

This invitation was a great honor, and made available the credibility and certification students might want beyond any local instruction. Further, the IMAF awarded the founder a Regional Director position for the Northeast US as an addition honor and recognition of the depth of Karate-do his experience exhibited and documented.

Modern Times

With  Mas  Oyama’s  death,  there  was  a  massive  fight  for  a  takeover of the organization, including a legal battle led by his daughter. Ultimately the organization was taken over by his lead honbu instructor, whose name is Matsui, but there remain many other groups  claiming  his  “throne.”    Those  who  

left the Kyokushin before his death remained apart and above this battle.

Mushin Karate Do is not static, it is dynamic. Like most all things in the universe the only constant is change. What you may understand yesterday may not be the same tomorrow.

If you are lucky enough to have wide exposure to even one of the  “pillars”  of  Karate,  say  kata,  over  time and practice your own kata through that time, you will see something interesting. The performance changes with the time, the practitioner, the depth of understanding and the interpretation.

The Ten Pillars of Mushin

1. Zazen and Kinkin- still and moving meditation 2. Calisthenics and stretching - endurance and strength and

flexibility building www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmcZPPIYGic&feature=related

3. Kihon Waza - Essential Techniques Kihon  are  the  “alphabet”  of  karate

4. Oi-Tsuki - Lunge techniques - Kihon in motion

Oi-Tsuki are  the  “words”  of  karate

5. Kata – basic and advance forms Kata  are  the  “sentences”  of  karate

As part of the foundation of Kyokushin, Oyama took the traditional kata of Shotokan and Goju adapting them. These carry over into the kata of Mushin.

There are some excellent web depictions of these forms available for your study. Remember that all forms are dynamic, and change somewhat with practitioner and time.

"Basic Forms"

Taikyoku 1-3

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOEgRrWZh48

Pinan 1-5

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rock1v3ywcM&noredirect=1

Pinan sono ichi ura ( a derivative form)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mBM9EHQnkc

"Advanced Forms"

Sanchin

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KprSXB25BDA

Seinchin

www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHUon0-bfP8

Tensho

www.youtube.com/watch?v=czJnxjixF-w

Tsuki no

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rOr84IIIJ0 Ichi Ura

Kanku

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cK0SwUSfQ0

Yantsu

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYFP3vZK_jc

Gekisai dai

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNOYqXKNITI

Gekisai sho

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXwWRqFiTfY

Seipai

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gx6aTtJkxdY

Garyu

www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1EBueJPDCw

Sushiho

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw2ENWVD1Jg

Bassai dai

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IObsNTWlG5Y

The quantity of what you know is not as important as the quality of what you know. One form is sufficient to teach you everything.

6. Gohon and Sanbon Gumite - Five and Three step

prearranged sparring Here are some examples of three step practice- www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMduKv8pi4g

7. Ippon Gumite - One Step prearranged sparring 8. Jihon Gumite - Freestyle sparring

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujMgPDUGYUs&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLAEBED67540CD5F59

Kumite  is  the  “book”  of  karate

9. Tameshi Wari – “Special”  Techniques www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQtAhszDIAY

10. Historical significance and future development of the art

If we were to use the criteria of youth, healthy strong bodies, and the unquestionable authority of the teachers, then Mushin would only be of value to a small number of people for a limited time. We like to think it is more than that.

Over the years we have seen both an ebb and flow in interest level in the martial arts, as well as an emphasis and de-emphasis of various styles and arts. In America, most of these changes can be linked to media. If a popular film is released that  has  “Kung  Fu”  as a central element people would flock to classes in Chinese style schools. Today the rage is MMA, mixed martial arts, or some derivative, and it has been spurred by television coverage. The popularity of this kind of thing is often exceptional, and as is the case with MMA, even has superseded audiences and participants beyond western boxing. The full contact nature, including grappling has shown its appeal to wide audiences. But this is not for everyone and the longevity of the effects of training and participating in cage fighting, with no apparent philosophic underpinnings cannot qualify it as a traditional martial art.

Peter Urban had an interesting label for students who ran from style to style, teacher to teacher, and school to school in hope that the latest and greatest would fulfill whatever internal  needs  they  had.    He  called  them,  “dojo  bums.”

The Training Hall Oath (Dojo Kun)

1. We will train our hearts and bodies for a firm, unshaken spirit. 2. We will pursue the true meaning of the martial way so that, in time, our senses may be alert. 3. With true vigor, we will seek to cultivate a spirit of self-denial. 4. We will observe the rules of courtesy, respect our superiors, and refrain from violence. 5. We will follow our religious principles and never forget the true virtue of humility. 6. We will look upwards to wisdom and strength, not seeking other desires. 7. All our lives, through the discipline of karate, we will seek to fulfill the true meaning of the way.

The  meaning  of  “Osu”

In Mushin Karate  Do  every  question  is  answered  with  “osu.”    Every greeting is Osu. Every instruction or question in class, is answered by "Osu" instead of "yes" or "I understand". When practicing jiyu kumite (free fighting) in class and your

opponent lands a good, hard technique, you say "Osu" to acknowledge your opponent's skill. As a measure of respect, knockdown fighters at a tournament bow and say "Osu" to the front, to the referee and to each other, before and after the fight.

Osu is a combination of the words: Oshi which means "Push", and Shinobu which means "to Endure". It means patience,

determination, appreciation, respect and perseverance.

In order to develop a strong body and strong spirit it is necessary to undergo rigorous training.

Good training should be very demanding. You push yourself until you think you've reached your limit and then your instructor pushes you further. First your body wants to stop, to give up, but your mind keeps pushing you. Then your mind wants to stop, but your spirit keeps you going. When you reach this point you must fight yourself and your weakness and you must win. To do this you must endure the pain, you must learn to persevere, but above all you must learn to be patient. That is Osu!

Karate is not learned overnight. It takes years to properly learn the fundamentals. The basic techniques are performed thousands of times (ren ma – "always polishing") until they are done by reflex or instinct, without conscious thought

(mushin). It's easy to get frustrated by doing the same thing over and over again, especially when progress seems to be slow. To overcome that frustration and continue training takes patience and determination. That is Osu.

The reason you subject yourself to hard training is because you care about yourself, and to care about yourself is to respect yourself. This self respect evolves and expands to become respect for your instructor and fellow students. When you enter the dojo you bow and say "Osu" . This means you respect your dojo and the time you spend training there. This feeling of respect is OSU!

During training you push yourself as hard as possible because you respect yourself. When you finish you bow to your instructor and fellow students and say "Osu" once more. You do this out of appreciation. This feeling of appreciation is OSU.

Thus OSU is a very important word in your training because it signifies patience, respect and appreciation. That is why we always use the word OSU; to remind ourselves of these indispensable qualities.

The spirit of Osu as described by Shihan Cameron Quinn of Australia in his book The Budo Karate of Mas Oyama:

"There is a saying in Japan, "Ishi no ue ni sannen." Translated, it means "Three years on a rock." This saying symbolizes the

need to persevere at all times. It is one of the most important philosophies in Kyokushin karate.

Kyokushin is an art offering many things according to the immediate and long term aims of the trainee. Ultimately, one realizes that transcending the kicks, the punches, and the kata, there is a special spirit in the heart of the participants. It teaches them to face the demands of daily life with a mature and enduring attitude. A budo-ka is not easily shaken by the blows of adversity, realizing that for a person to draw near to their true potential, a never-say-die spirit of perseverance is required.

This strength of character develops in hard training and is known as “osu no seishin” (the spirit of Osu). The word Osu comes from oshi shinobu, which means "to persevere whilst being pushed". It implies a willingness to push oneself to the limits of endurance, to persevere under any kind of pressure.

The single word Osu captures most accurately the ultimate in what the art of karate, particularly Kyokushin, has to offer. One who is truly able to manifest the spirit of Osu in every word, thought, and action may be regarded as wise and brave. Training should first and foremost be approached in the spirit of Osu. One's daily life, and the responsibilities it holds, would be more completely lived if addressed in the spirit of Osu.

Even for the beginner, who is conscious of his lack of training and does not necessarily want to face the demand of training, it is enough merely being aware that through perseverance and the will to continue, there comes great physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional gains. All that is needed is that special determination."

OSU!

Endings and Beginnings

In 1999 the founder again relocated, making it impossible to continue direct instruction in Connecticut and leaving the main classes to his leading students. During the next few years he lived in a mountaintop area once part of the Edison Iron Mine complex, now part of a large Audubon Game reserve and dotted with mountain lakes. It was an idea place to work and train because of its natural setting, a far cry from the city ,  and  reminiscent  of  Oyama’s  own  pilgrimage  into  the  mountains. But during this time training became physically taxing beyond what is normal. After nearly five years, first of ignoring the problems, then through a series of specialists, missed diagnosis, and incorrect treatment.

It was finally discovered that he had contracted a fairly rare disease called myasthenia gravis, that it had caused a large tumor to be formed on the thymus, and that the tumor had progressed to point of being invasive to both the heart and lungs.    It  wasn’t  just  getting  older  that  was  causing  difficulties,  the disease affects the communication of muscles and nerves, causes quick fatigue, and in his case difficulty breathing. This was a life changer, and although not necessarily fatal, in his case without the surgery that followed and intervening treatment, it could easily have been the end. The active days of Karate practice and participation were over, and eventually he moved back to Connecticut where the medical treatment was  more  readily  available,  only  “consulting”  to  anyone  who  sought out his experience and advice with regard to their own instruction. Thanks to the internet, and sites like www.allexperts.com/user.cgi?m=4&expID=52516&catID=332

he developed a large following of people who sought him out for answers to their questions.

Cross Certification and Honorary Degrees

The first black belt, shodan rank, is not the mark of an expert. It is the recognition of acceptance as a lifetime student by someone who is qualified to confer that honor upon you.

Within the Mushin system, there is only one way to attain that honor, and that is to attend classes under a certified instructor,  working  one’s  way  through  the  lower  ranks.    For  most people, this takes about two years.

With the onset of the connection with the IMAF, however, a new aspect of this traditional grading system began to be implemented.    It  is  called  “cross  certification.”    This  works  through a network of certified higher ranking IMAF members who act on a worldwide regional basis and examine and review requests by martial artists for rank certification. The applicant, upon making rank certification request is required to document his or her martial arts participation, and may be asked to provide video or photographic documentation as well. After review and approval, a Mushin Certificate of rank is  issued  in  the  applicant’s  name.    More  details  and  individual  considerations will be addressed via email requests.

Additionally, as has been the case for many years, honorary degrees can be issued to people who not martial artists but who are recognized for some extraordinary ( or even very ordinary) life attribute(s) by at least one nominating individual. Some of these have been quite serious, while others, a bit more frivolous (an honorary

Shigeru Oyama awards Ronald Reagan an honorary black belt.

black belt awarded to a dentist by one of his patients), but all are the positive recognition of one person by another. Email requests for these are also accepted if sent by the nominating individual.

Certification of black belt ranks are also available from the founder  through  the  student’s  teacher. See the email address at the end of this document for information.

Precepts

The first time we do something we have what the masters call the  “beginners  mind.”

The second time we do something we are on our way to forming a habit.

By the third time we do something we are forming the foundations of a tradition.

This  is  the  most  import  time  to  recover  your  beginner’s  mind

You must live in the real world. With practice, you may reach some level of Mushin meditating in some quiet place. Mushin in a state of movement or in the chaos of everyday life is the mark of real strength.

Zen, Ken, Ichi – Mind, Fist (body), One- the singularity of thought and action. Stay healthy, but remember it is natural for your body to decline, so never neglect the care of your mind and spirit.

In the absence of a trusted master make experience your master. But beware, this master may deceive you.

Chinese proverb: If you wish to learn something new, walk the path you walked yesterday.

Zen masters often say you should walk in the world as if you left no footprints on a snowy path. Perhaps your footprints should contain even more snow than when you stepped in them as you move on?

Learning the way of Mushin is not additive. You do not progress by learning more and more. You progress by letting go more and more. Mushin is subtractive.

The techniques known as tameshi-wari (breaking or special techniques) have long been part of traditional training. Equally, or perhaps more important, are what you can

demonstrate that you have created to balance what you can destroy.

There are things in life worth fighting for and protecting. You need to judge what these are for yourself, but you should never fight from a state of anger. Whenever you decide to fight resolve to fight to win!

You may come to believe in your own immortality, but the real state of things is impermanence. Study the individuals, societies, organizations, civilizations, and worlds, that once were, and no longer are if you doubt this. Doing so will help you live in the moment.

Does it make any sense whatsoever, that you live in an age of nuclear  weapons  and  practice    “stone  age”  methods  of  kicking  and  punching?    Certainly  not  for  “self  defense”  or  for  that  matter  any  other  “logical” reason. So then, why do you train?

Contact the founder through your instructor, www.allexperts.com/user.cgi?m=4&expID=52516&catID=332

or via email at doctordotcalm@att.net

This document is freely available to anyone who has interest.You may distribute this document in any way,

Stone Breaking

electronic or paper based, to anyone you wish, but may not charge beyond what it costs you to duplicate it.

Osu!

Some of the advanced students  with  the  founder  in  the  late  1990’s and below, at a reunion class in 2012