Exclusively from Japan: following the samurai

After years of intense formation, part of the dream called Japan would materialize. I have the honor of representing the school Takeda Ryu from Romania to the demonstration of the anniversary of The temple of Burtokuden of the Kyoto imperial court. The demonstration is caused by The anniversary of Emperor Hirohito And even his Altete – Prinţul Higashi Fushimi Jigo He was present with other members of the Japanese Royal House. At the event, they participated Over 900 guests from Japan and all over the world.

In the week spent in the picturesque city of Kyoto-a and ancient capital of medieval Japan, I discover a possible existence of experts from the Takeda Ryu school that also practices, but who live with retired federations, too agglomerated rooms and simplified techniques to be accessible to the great masses of people, who live in the world, Samurai.

So I’m going Province Chiba, La Peste 800 km de Kyotowhere I have extremely vague information on the existence of a Buddhist priest, master of the Takeda school, student of the latest successor of the school – Ichio bothmore advanced colleague of Sensei NakamuraThe teacher of my teacher – Roland Marteaux, 8 and Aikijutsu).

I have the first problem when I reach what is called «village» in Japan. It is at least the size of Pitesti (only that there are no such high constructions) with 3 railway stations, so things seem complicated. After ensuring that it is the «village» I was looking for, I try to discover Machida Sensei – The name of the master, also at the Japanese police headquarters near the railway station. The 4-5 police officers, extremely kind, suddenly renounce any activity that tries to understand what I want. Only one spoke some English but their courtesy and the desire to help me is surprising.

I receive information on various schools of Judo, Karate, Aikido, even Naginata (Japanese Lancia) but nobody heard of the expert priest in the sword and Aikijutsu I’m looking for. I add it It’s a Sharingon Priest (form of Japanese esoteric Buddhism) but it seems that the police had not given the specifics of the 14 temples existing in the village …

Lightly disappointed, I’m going after 15 minutes but as soon as I see an tax station, I make new hopes. Maybe one of them knows something … when I was trying to formulate my best to say in Japanese, I realize that one of the police officers ran me, shouting «Gaijin San, Gaijin San!»

After a few km, according to the police instructions I discover a house on whose fence there were several wooden plates with ideograms, and one also wrote Ryu !!! I am so happy because I have already faced what was just a dream, Hope. But it’s just a first step. I immediately call the phone number there, present and surprising: I am invited to Dojo. Even that address lives, it seems, Machida Senseiin the era of 78 years That I will really meet!

I feel the luckiest man in the world and introduce myself again there at the moment. Sensei is waiting for me at the gate with a large smile, behind which it can be polite and in particular curiosity for the Gajin that comes from Europe for martial arts. We enter the extremely small courtyard and behind a huge tree I discover and the small temple that I could look for much and well because it is not seen from the street. I look for a look and a dojo that I do not find and I start to understand that Sensei had actually invited me to know me and not necessarily working. To a cup of Sen (cerely), I explain to him Machida SenseiBriefly my evolution as a martial arts practitioner, the interest in old schools, developed in truly warriors of medieval Japan, my beginnings to Takeda Ryu with Sensei Maroteauxstudent of Soke Nakamura.

Kancho Machida It is somehow surprised by the details on the old Japanese schools, but nothing can be read on the face. Listen to further. He tells me that he is aware of the excessive modernization of the Takeda school created by Nakamura sensei After his death Ichio both And then, after introducing the competitions, he made the decision to distance himself from the old group.

His wife brings us old photo albums where Kancho Machidaappears next to big names such as Ichio Oba, Takeda Tokimune, Gozo Shioda, Gogen Yamaguchi and other names included in the legend of martial arts. I deal with a complete master of the old generation of intervention, expert in 4 Schools of Sword (Jigen Ryu, Enhin Itto Ryu, Fudo Ikken Ryu AND Aizuden Mugai Ryu Kodachi – rarer short sword school), Baston – Yagyu Ryu Bojutsu And empty hand: Kaiden Shihan In AIKIJUTSU TAKEDA RYU and 7 Dan Shorin Ryu Karate.

Sensei Machida He even has records in Japan, like the fastest technique of Jutsu beat: Removal from the sheath, cut and reintroduction in the sheath – all under a second ! I notice a photo in which he had just cut a roller of 10 Japanese straws !!! He tells me, laughing – «Yes, but it’s 5 years ago when I was younger» Machida Sensei to the hospital for a hernia operation. All the time has been separated from A Sabie Kotoin his family of over 10 generations, estimated at Over 40,000 eurosbut certainly precious for Machida Sensei. Then he tells me The spirit of Katana always helps him.

Katana is not just a very hard weapon. It is an extremely intelligent and harmonious mixture of metals of different hardness. The blade is extremely hard, acute and the nucleus is a soft steel that can take on the shock of stronger weapons. The efficiency of a katana derives from the ability of those who use it must combine energy and fast movements with at least paradoxical relaxation. The body must be the same – You don’t have to train to always be hard, but the soft says Machida Sensei again. Suppless defeats hardness! It is the Taoist lesson declared by Milo Tzard 4000 years ago and extremely well understood by the Japanese in everything they do, from martial arts to a very competitive economy, the first that has currently announced that it came out of the global crisis!

I realize that we have an educated discussion in a traditional tea in Japan without Machida Sensei To effectively reach the topic of my training under his leadership. I ask him to accept me as a student, but he politely refuses to tell me that he does not have the best conditions for a stranger, but that he likes my passion and visit and recommends some official addresses in Tokyo. That’s exactly what I don’t want: the impersonal courses of an organization in which everything is a request and offer! I prefer the lack of apparent logic and the permanent challenges have led to an authentic human relationship – of the Master Disciple type. I just hope to make me understand, so I insist. His calm response is typical Japanese: we drink a tea and we will wait for his son Takeshi Machida, then ShihanMain instructor and successor, responsible for teaching techniques in beginners.

The delicate scent of Japanese green tea calms my mind; I understand that I had come to Japan in search of the old traditions of the samurai and I discovered people who make tradition through them, through their way of being! It is already an important lesson and so far it has earned it!

Deiber Cristian

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