Articles 
Jōdō – Self Reflection (Jōdō Jikai) by Nishioka Tsuneo
ISBN-88218-011-1 C0075 Published in 1989
Chapter - About the waza of Jō : The things you should note while practicing Jōdō
Let’s re-visit the words that Shimizu sensei told us a long time ago. The words were “You should not learn Otofuji sensei’s jō”. Not only were these words so easily misunderstood, but also I have come to realise acutely just how often people end up not fully understanding the real meaning of these words.
Shimizu sensei had come to understand that his way of using jō and sword was different from that of Otofuji sensei. I suspect that the reason behind Shimizu sensei’s words was his fear and concerns on the possibility that some unexperienced students who learn the two different ways, become confused, and start doubting that one of the ways must be wrong. I also suspect that he had concerns on the very common mistakes that are made by students, who do not follow one teacher. This is a serious and unavoidable problem when a multiple number of transmitters (denshō-sha) or teachers (shihan) exist.
I presume that the Sōke system, which attempts to limit number of their kata transmitters to one, and also the Isshi Sōden system, came about to prevent the serious problem mentioned above. However, this problem is something that we, the students, continue to encounter, and is not something that we can rely upon one particular system to resolve. The only way is to wait for our students’ intentions and minds to grow.
Students’ self-expressions and self-revelations that result from their enthusiasm towards their training become more apparent as their skills improve. Particularly those who establish their own dōjō at a young age, have their own students, and have become a ‘teacher’, fall into this difficult issue without knowing that is happening to them. Especially the systems that allow anyone who are above dan level to become ‘teachers’ is a harmful influence on the budō world. Those who do not understand the meaning of ‘shi (mentor)’ and who only have an understanding towards ‘sensei (teacher)’ tend to compare their skills with their teacher’s, and moreover, go to the extent of competing with their teacher. This way of teaching is not teaching the essence of budō and is merely a bad influence that relies on strength or power.
As a result, the more people’s skills improve, the more apparent their self-overestimation and haughtiness become, and the less humble they become. Those are the type of Budōka that I dislike the most.
I feel that this phenomenon is the biggest trap that people fall into when they fail to make an effort in improving the spirit side whilst their technical skills improve.
Shimizu sensei always said to me that “You must practice with me”, and took the role of motodachi and became a practice board. He never relaxed his seriousness even with beginners, needless to say he was far from being haughty and overbearing. From this seriousness while practicing, I feel that I have learned the most crucial thing that the katabudō teaches. This is such a hard thing to accomplish and is rarely seen not only in the context of jōdō but also in other circumstances. I have only seen this in Shimizu sensei and also in Otofuji sensei. They are totally opposite from those who are in the senior or motodachi position, and treat their opponents without respect, or those who show off their skills to their juniors.
There are also many people, who are in the role of shidachi, misunderstand the act by their seniors or motodachi, and try to show off and prove the level of their skills by treating their motodachi as their own practice board. Such behaviour is out of their boundary. This is not merely a problem in the method of practice, but it is a single biggest obstacle that a human being can face. Not limited to Jōdō, the difference in people’s minds and intentions when they practice with their seniors, and when they are in the senior position and practice with their junior students, is such an important concept and needs to be understood by all students. However, I am not yet confident enough to fully explain this to others. It is not a matter of whether one can make people understand this concept, but it is a hard question that each one of us must ask and find an answer ourselves. The quality of senior students also matters in this concept. In terms of Katageiko, this is an issue when teaching minds and intentions of senior and junior students. It is the single most important idea of kokoro which Katageiko can teach, however, I believe that it can not be taught in places where practice involves any concept of power, even a slightest amount of it.
I have my own reasons why I have become uninterested in the Aikido practice in recent time. While I have used words that might be easily misunderstood, I am not negating Aikido. I feel that I see less and less people who are capable of demonstrating the great attributes of Aikido, and I can not help but strongly feel that all the Japanese ways including Aikidō, Kendō, Iaidō and Jōdō, have started heading in a wrong way for some reason. I am certain that if I search hard enough I will find those who can demonstrate and make people feel all the wonderful things about Aiki, however, the words I said earlier express are the honest feeling that I have right at this moment.
The difference between those who have the minds and intentions but have not yet achieved the greatness, and those who have no intentions whatsoever, becomes apparent in day-to-day practice and movements. It is a scary thought that people who have an ability to observe can immediately spot this difference.
I deeply regret, for the sake of succeeding students, the fact that it took me so many years to truly understand the difference of roles and positions between uchidachi and shidachi. I feel that this concept also leads to the minds and intentions of motodachi and the one whom engages them in the context of Kendō.
There still remains some wonderfulness within the Jō. It is not just about skills or techniques (waza). However if it is taught in a wrong way, or is misunderstood or misinterpreted, it will be such a nuisance to students. Even worse some people have the wrong idea of ‘Shintōmusōryu Jōdō’, and still call it that, teaching nothing of the true Jōdō. This type of practice can be seen here and there amongst the students who have some experience. When this happens, the true path is not followed and in fact it creates a path that is totally opposite to what it is meant to be. In the true path, the better one’s skills become, the more humble the person becomes, whereas in the wrong path, the better one’s skills become, the more haughty and arrogant the person becomes. This wrong path is nothing but a harmful influence on Bujutsu. When this happens, one must question himself as to what he did wrong in his teaching.
We must pay attention to the fact that haughtiness and arrogance can, without doubt, come across in people’s various behaviours and also in the words that people use. We have known that “correcting mind (kokoro)” is the idea, which we must remember at all time. At some point in time, when people forget about this idea, the haughtiness and arrogance become apparent as a result, and this scares me.
The seishin of Jō does not expect nor allow people to have that type of mind and behaviour. While the minds and intentions when following a mentor (shi) is such an important idea and is definitely required in today’s society, the task of keeping this idea alive and providing opportunities for people to be exposed to the idea is not as easy to do as it was in the old days.
I feel that it is my duty to re-visit the roles of uchidachi, shidachi and motodachi, and pass my thoughts on that to others.
Original copyright ©1989 Niskioka Tsuneo. English Translation ©2006 Jojutsu.com. No unauthorised reproduction.
Further selected excerpts from: Jōdō – Self Reflection (Jōdō Jikai) by Nishioka Tsuneo
Chapter - About the transmission of Jō : The things I have started to consider when issuing the shomokuroku
…… I have come to realise that issuing it (shomokuroku) has nothing to do with whether that person has achieved a certain level of qualification or not. Please do not misunderstand this important point.
It (issuing a mokuroku) is an expression of the will of the predecessors to transmit “their hopes for the future”, and it is still in the middle of the path and we all need to help each other and strengthen and deepen the notion along the way. As I noted previously, we are not issuing a type of qualification to the receiver, therefore, having it (a mokuroku) does not have any impact on anyone whatsoever. The receivers will not be distinguished from others because of it. It does not have any power to restrict the receivers either. This is how I have come to understand it.
I know well that when it comes to the mokuroku, there have always been some people who attempt to associate power with it. However, I firmly believe that it (the mokuroku) is not originally a representation of power. It is just easier for ordinary people to be convinced that it is a symbol of power.
Original copyright ©1989 Niskioka Tsuneo. English Translation ©2006 Jojutsu.com. No unauthorised reproduction. Translator's note: In Shintōmusōryū it’s a common Western misconception to refer to and/or promote a shomokuroku/gomokuroku as a qualification, title or teaching license. Please note that there is only one "teaching license" in Shintōmusōryū i.e. a Menkyo.
Chapter - About the transmission of Jō : Learning the objects without shapes (mukei)
In order to learn a thing which has no shape, people have no choice but to learn it through something with an actual shape. By doing that, we will understand that what we pursue, in the end, is the Seishin which does not have any shape. .....
…. That Seishin is what I really want to transmit by teaching the Kata. However, one must be fully aware that there is absolutely no other way but to learn and acquire this by oneself. Self-awareness is the only way, and nothing else. ……
Loyalty and thought both appear in the form (kata) of sincerity (magokoro), but if you try to adhere to the actual form itself, you will then fail to grasp the essence of it. One must know that what he or she should ultimately achieve out of all the kata that are learnt is only one thing. How one understands that one thing is up to his or her intentions (kokorogake) and it can not be taught. No matter how hard I try to teach this, I feel that I simply can’t. Once this is understood, one will know that the kata can change in thousand different ways and can continue to change infinitely.
When it comes to the concept of rei, the same thing can be said. If you learn the form (kata) of rei but don’t understand the seishin of it, then you fail to understand the true meaning of rei. That is because the true rei has no shape. ……
When one starts off doing physical katageiko, at some point in time he or she realises that what is pursued is seishin and that it is the Japanese Seishin. Then one becomes capable of looking at the katageiko from that new perspective, and eventually starts understanding how one can interpret the kata and can make the kata his or her own.
I have realised that the person who truly made me understand the Seishin of Bu was, after all, Shimizu-sensei, and I also realised that Otofuji-sensei understood that. Because of this, I became confident in saying that Shimizu-sensei’s Jō and that of Otofuji-sensei are not different at all. ………
Original copyright ©1989 Niskioka Tsuneo. English Translation ©2006 Jojutsu.com. No unauthorised reproduction. Translator's note: when referring to the Jo of Shimizu and Otofuji Sensei being not different at all, Nishioka Sensei is commenting on Seishin or the essence of their Jo. Also in another chapter Nishioka Sensei states that it is the duty of a Menkyokaidensha to transmit to his successors the Bu no Seishin through the form of Bujutsu as a medium and that transmission confirmation is implemented by issuing a Menkyo.
Chapter - About the transmission of Jō : What is Shintōmusōryū jō?
I am not sure about the other Ryū, but when it comes to Shintōmusōryū jō, I have my own interpretation and the following idea of what it is – it is the Jō and Sword that are transmitted from a master teacher (Shihan) who is personally responsible for his student, and it can’t exist without the Menkyo.
….. It is my understanding that Shintōmusōryū jō has absolutely nothing to do with the level of dan or titles. Whether you are good at it or not so good at it does not matter. Even for those who have gomokuroku, it is my understanding that if they do not have a Menkyo as their opponent, then they are not allowed to do any Embu in the name of Shintōmusōryū jō. It is a little harsh to say it in this way, but I believe this is the way it is. In other words this is the view that the Shintōmusōryū jō can not exist without Menkyo. ………
Original copyright ©1989 Niskioka Tsuneo. English Translation ©2006 Jojutsu.com. No unauthorised reproduction.
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Uchidachi & Shidachi by Nishioka Tsuneo - Click Here
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