Sutemi

In order to fully understand the concepts that fall under sutemi we must first delve far into Japan’s warring past into the times of the development of the Samurai, where the true roots of Budo began and the concepts of sutemi were one of the principle beliefs. To the samurai, sutemi stood for the willingness to sacrifice even one’s own life in order to achieve victory. These fierce warriors marched into battle prepared to die a glorious death on the battlefield, for the sole purpose of total conquest for those that were to follow. For dying on the battlefield in the name of your clan was one of the most honorable attributes that a warrior and his family could attain.

Today, as we look into the past of these great Japanese warriors of the time, we consider their mannerisms barbaric and absurd, but little does the general public understand that these concepts of sutemi still remain for the practitioners of the Budo way of life. As mentioned in the previous sections, Budo is a living art. And, just as Budo has evolved with the times through war and peace, so has its concepts. Therefore, sutemi is still very much a part of daily life, existing less at times in its physical form like that of the past, but more in its mental state where it can be more appropriately applied to modern day life.

When adapting the concepts of sutemi into everyday life, one must first analyze them self and identify with a logical goal for their future. This goal set forth by them should be clearly understood and all possible benefits and repercussions examined in detail, such as the great warriors of past who decided to sacrifice their lives on the battlefield for the honor of their people. After careful and logical examination one can start to apply sutemi to their life, the willingness to sacrifice anything including oneself to accomplish his or her goal for the purpose of being prosperous and successful in life and for the purpose of ones own state of mind. The constant struggle is for the ultimate accomplishment in which lies that of inner peace within ones mind and body. It is for this reason that the Budo practitioner must fully understand the set goal, if one is to dedicate and sacrifice everything they have and do to accomplish it. A weak goal with potential mediocre results and a 50- 50 probability of becoming reality after careful analysis will be severely detrimental to one’s own mind and body if finally turn in a negative direction.

It is for this reason that sutemi must be considered carefully when finally applied to daily life. As at times it may take an entire life time of dedication and self sacrifice to accomplish the largest of goals, and if taken in the wrong direction by the practitioner, he or she may find them self with nothing to vouch for, and a wasted life.

It is through close comparisons, such as these, explained to us by the teachings of the great Budo masters that one can start to make to connection between past and present, at times pushing to light such concepts as sutemi to help guide us through the walks of life. The teachings of Budo also demonstrate to us, that much like sutemi, if abused will in turn destroy the abuser, and if willingly understood will push the enlightened student to great heights.

Understanding Japanese Swordsmanship

Throughout the years many students have approached me asking which art best clearly conveys the philosophies and practical applications of Japanese swordsmanship- Kendo or Iaido? My answer to them is this; in my opinion the practitioner must delve into the study of both arts in order to receive a better understanding of Japanese swordsmanship as a whole. We must first remember that Kendo comes from Kenjutsu in which the fight starts with blades drawn, while Iaido originates from Battojutsu and focuses on the process of drawing and cutting, therefore making the practice methods of these two arts very different. Questions is how do these methods differ and how do they benefit each other.

In making this analysis, the first obvious difference is the equipment utilized for the practice of these two arts. In kendo, bogu (armor), and shiani (bamboo sword) are used for the primary practice of this art which basically entails sparring, or Ji- Keiko. Which means that the practitioner may never come into actual contact with a katana, raising the question; if you never handle a sword then how would you understand how to use it? In contrary to Kendo, Iaido utilizes the katana for its general practice, which consists of kata, a series of prearranged techniques. The question raised in this case would be; how will the practitioner ever develop a sense of timing and distance if never confronted with an opponent?

Over the decades Kendo has become watered down, and emphasis placed more on the sport of Kendo rather than the origins of Kendo, despite the efforts of the All Japan Kendo Federation. This emphasis eliminates the necessity to develop proper cutting technique and focuses more on how to score a point. It is fact that the methods used to cut in Kendo would be ineffective in battle and would not even deliver a finishing blow onto the opponent. Usually the term cutting the opponent is replaced with striking or hitting the opponent, once again eliminating the true nature of Kendo’s martial background. Of course if the practitioner is destined never to handle a sword, only a bamboo representation of a sword, focus was certain to change from martial to sport. The benefit Kendo has to offer, however, which is not available to Iaido practitioners, is the interaction with an opponent, which brings about an understanding of distance, tactics, and timing, which is essential for combat in swordsmanship.

Iaido, on the other hand, does not provide the opportunity to confront an opponent in an open match, which eliminates all the positive aspects Kendo has to offer and only leaves the practitioner with the theories presented in kata. However, Iaido does offer a clear understand of proper cutting technique and proficiency in the manipulation of the katana, an essential component of swordsmanship. It is fact that the cutting method in Iaido is lethal as proven through tameshigiri, test cutting.

In conclusion, in order to receive a complete understanding of Japanese swordsmanship, a practitioner would need to practice Kendo in order to understand the vital elements and practical application of distance as well as timing, and practice Iaido for an understanding of actual sword mechanics and manipulation along with proper cutting methods. In my opinion, it is impossible to fully comprehend one without the other.