| It's said that the roots of many of the Martial Arts is in | | | | defending themselves from unfriendly outsiders, it is |
| India, with Buddhist monks. While many sources give | | | | also likely that they also wished to prepare themselves |
| conflicting data, it's known that in Japan, the only places | | | | for the demands of their daily lives - lives which |
| that were large enough to allow for indoor training | | | | required that they sat unmoving for hours while in deep |
| during inclement weather, were the huge Buddhist | | | | meditative practice. The Martial arts they practiced |
| temples. In fact, much of what is done in Martial Arts | | | | were a great means of physical exercise while still |
| schools with a Japanese background comes from, and | | | | being based heavily on their philosophical beliefs of |
| can be traced back to this connection. | | | | peace through "understanding conflict." |
| For example, white uniforms were the attire of | | | | Zen, the most popular form of Buddhist thought known |
| Japanese Buddhist monks and lay-people alike. The | | | | today, is directly related to the cross-cultural |
| kyu and dan "class" and "level" grade rankings were | | | | interchange between Martial Arts and the many |
| originally developed for and used as markers for how | | | | philosophical systems that came together as these |
| much a monk had learned and progressed through his | | | | teachings travelled from India, across the Himalayas, |
| training. And, much of the etiquette within dojos "training | | | | through China and into Japan. Ironically, many |
| halls") is identical to those used in these same temples | | | | Westerners have no idea that Zen is a form of |
| to show respect to all that has gone before me and to | | | | Buddhist study and practice, nor is it usually seen as |
| all that I aspire to become. In fact, the Japanese kanji | | | | much more than "seated meditation" to most martial |
| characters used to write the word 'dojo' actually refer | | | | artists - both teachers and students. |
| to "a place where enlightenment takes place." | | | | Japanese Zen Master Taisen Deshimaru often wrote |
| Now, before you run out and scream about quitting for | | | | about Zen and the principles of Bushido, or "the way |
| fear of being converted to Buddhism, Hinduism, or | | | | of the warrior," which grew, in part, out of Buddhist |
| some other 'foreign', sacrilegious cult - don't panic. | | | | thought. |
| Buddhism, while often practiced like many conventional | | | | The principles of: |
| Western religions, is not really a religion at all - at least | | | | Gi: Having the right decision, right attitude, the truth |
| not the way most people define or practice a | | | | Yu: Bravery tinged with heroism |
| so-called 'religion'. | | | | Jin: Universal love; compassion |
| As developed by the founder Siddhartha Gautoma, | | | | Rei: Right action; courtesy |
| refered to as the Buddha ("one who is awake"), and | | | | Makoto: Utter sincerity; truthfulness |
| fine-tuned over the past two and a half - plus | | | | Meiyo: Honor; high ethical character |
| centuries, Buddhism is a philosophy of personal | | | | Chugo: Devotion; loyaltywere the common ground |
| development whereby the practitioner works to | | | | between the monk and the warrior. In fact, there is no |
| understand his or her true nature and the immutable | | | | difference between the two. |
| laws of the universe that govern the world and | | | | Deshimaru emphasized that the learning and practice |
| everything in it. It is not at all a belief system as are | | | | of these principles is a lifelong process, and needs to |
| many religions today, but instead relies on the student | | | | take place "...in the body, through the unconscious." The |
| coming to an intimate understanding of reality and truth | | | | ancient tradition of the Martial Arts is an internal |
| through direct, personal experience. | | | | process, a gradual connection with one's own |
| One of the monks credited with developing martial | | | | deep-seated intuition. Deshimaru explains: "In the spirit |
| Arts in the Buddhist temples of the time was known | | | | of Zen . . .everyday life becomes a contest. There |
| as Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen. This new training | | | | must be an awareness at every moment: getting up in |
| was readily adopted by the monks for many reasons. | | | | the morning, working, eating, going to bed. That is the |
| And while the monks may have been interested in | | | | place for the mastery of self. |