Buyu and the Dojo

"Budo has nothing to do with making friends.
Budo is a solitary thing. People confuse
friendship for budo."

I was sitting in the dojo one day, watching a demonstration. Suddenly, I became curious about what the grandmaster was doing. I turned around only to see him grinning and holding a sword inches from my head. His laughter, for a time, distracted me from the fact that I was dead. In hindsight, I shouldn't have been surprised. This is budo.

"A dojo is a place for confession."

The dojo can be many things to many people. For some, it is a social club. For others, it is an arena for competition. In some arts, the dojo is even seen as a place for business networking. Be that as it may, the grandmaster has said that above all, the dojo is a place for confession.

"A real dojo is wherever you are.”

Budo is a solitary pursuit. Though you may find yourself in the midst of seemingly likeminded people, their presence does not constitute a dojo. You must always remind yourself of what it is you are doing in front of your teacher. In a very real sense, the dojo is just you and him.

The deeper significance behind the term “dojo" is often lost. The word is generally translated to mean “training hall." However, the kanji characters that make up the word dojo literally read, "path-place.” Perhaps we are better off understanding the characters as "A place on a path." If the dojo is with us at all times, ought we not to consider then that perhaps we are the dojo?

If you look at budo as a means for coming to terms with your own innate brutality, then the dojo IS a place of healing. The grandmaster's admonishment to treat the dojo as a confessional is perfectly valid and appropriate. Budo (and budo is human) is made up of some nasty things and it is necessary to heal oneself of that nastiness. That means it is your responsibility to seek out the place of healing and it is your responsibility to do as the doctor instructs, not only in the hospital, but everyday, everywhere.

Buyu, our budo brothers and sisters, are people you train with. They are also our teachers. It is not uncommon for us to become very close and to develop strong bonds of trust. It is a wonderful thing. That does not mean that you won't have to kill them one day.

"The dojo is like a hospital. You're here to be fixed."

This is a necessary concept: When you train, it is kill or be killed.

You may be among friends, but not really. You have to think of your training partners and your teachers as killers. If you are enjoying class because you are spending time with friends, then you are missing something. Your training partner is trying to kill you. Your teacher is trying to kill you. It may be training, but if your mind isn't in the right place, then what are you learning? You have to believe that he is trying to kill you. (And if someone has accidentally left a real sword in the rack, he MAY kill you.) This is one of the “weird” parts or budo: we kill the ones we love (not physically, of course).

When class is over, you can be friends again, but its never really over. There is something else you need to consider: Every persons understanding or budo is his or hers alone. Even if you have trained together every step of the way, every budoka trains alone.

Your understanding or budo, as it comes to you from the Grandmaster, takes precedence over the opinions of friends.

"You have to be able to see things for yourself.
Not just believe what someone else has told you.”

Budo is an independent study. You will go through a stage where you may appear aloof and distant, with everyone around you being "wrong." It takes time to work through this phase. It also takes courage to be able to stand alone. To walk into the dojo supported by the opinions of your peers is one thing, but to walk into the dojo supported only by the lessons of your teacher is another. If you can do so, consider it a sign that you have been promoted.

“Painting is a faith, and it imposes the duty to
disregard public opinion:"—Vincent Van Gogh

It is hard to separate friendship from budo and many people become trapped in confusing the two. Those that can make the distinction are blessed in finding true friendship, but make no mistake: Budo is a very lonely road. You must persevere and continue on. Understanding budo is a terrifying thing, but it may eventually lead you to joy.

"You are alone in the dojo.”

Once, a young man invited a friend or his to help prepare for some demonstrations that were to be held at an upcoming festival. Making their way to a local field they began practicing. Hour upon hour the young man was helped by his friend in perfecting his part of the performance. Finally, satisfied with his work, the young man decided to go home. On the way home, he turned to his mend and said, "Oh, we forgot to practice your demonstration. his friend turned to him and said, "Yes, I know."

“You want to get together with good people and train.
This is important.”

Speed Bumps

They, whom they look up to,
Are standing in their way.

His chest sticking out, the young man walked up to the old man, and with a smirk greeted him, "Hello, long time no see. How have you been?” Before the old man could answer, the young man continued, "You don't have to answer. I'm younger than you." The old man looked at him for a moment, then looked away. The young man stepped in front of him and asked, "How are things with you?" And as before, the young man continued, "You don't have to answer. I'm younger than you." The old man turned away and then disappeared. Still smirking, the young man mumbled, "It doesn't matter, I'm younger than him.” As he walked off, he never noticed the old man resting on his shoulder.

"Be able to put your humanity aside and
become a monster if you need to.”

Two prisoners spent 10 years in the same cell. They became very close friends, sharing every thought. Eventually, one of the prisoners was informed that he was being released. His cell-mate screamed, "You can't go! I have 5 years left on my sentence!” His cellmate walked out the door.

“When it comes to art, more than having a teacher, you must be able to learn by yourself. In budo though, you need someone who has the experience of the feeling of killing. This is the difference between budo and other arts.”

“Sometimes you may have to sacrifice your partner to
win... Remember the Alamo.”

Shared Experiences

Private, solitary,
Unknowable.
This is the nature,
Of this art.

"Think of him not as your opponent, not male, not female, not even as an enemy. Don't have any personal relationship with the opponent at all. Just play with ‘it’ until the end.”