When a person is first awarded the rank of Shodan (1st
Degree Blackbelt) it is customary to say something... to make the
occassion more meaningful. One might not really care
for 'senseless routines'
unless they have some true significance (and I know that you sometimes
feel this way yourself), so I will try to keep these statements useful
to you. Benjamin, I wrote an address like this one for your brother Joseph, some number of years ago. You can find the first address here and the Second address here. You should probably give those some due consideration as well, since that might prove useful someday?
I know that, right now, you don't take some of this very seriously (and
I never said that you were wrong for taking this position, I never once
said that! We'll talk about it later in this address.) But someday it will matter more to you, Ben. You will come back
to this address when you are older, and maybe when you do, you will be
able to find what you are looking for?
This
address and the documents attached to it were
presented here following some rather standard customs. Again, it is
regard to the matter of holding Blackbelt Rank. In Japanese language
this is called: yūdansha,
a person who has been awarded a Blackbelt or it means a group of people
who all have blackbelt rank. The explanations I wrote here will
describe what all of it means to give you a point of easy quick
reference. I should also mention that there isn't much of
anything by way of unusual information contained in this adress, but
you would have to research things rather deeply to find all of it. The
subject is considered common but most people know very little and so
they completely misunderstand the ranks of blackbelt. We
go by our own rules and
customs about things... but most of it actually is the same anyway,
held in common with many
others who have similar practices. The form of Blackbelt issuance you
have received here is used
within
the Shinden
Yōshin Ryū and as a system it's called the Dankai Rank system and this
fact has some relevant
importance. One must also bear in mind that the more usual system is
the Dankyūsei style of Ranking system which differs from the Dankai
system in a number of ways. The two aren't quite the same
ranking system. Please excuse me for making
some usage of Japanese terminology in the
body of the address, but it's well known that Japanese is the
lingua-franka of Jujutsu. We do hold and understand that, in reality,
it's all universal and that Jujutsu is only the specific Japanese
incarnation of the body of knowledge that generally makes up the
subject of such things as unarmed combat
tactic. If we ignore the subject as grown men, we tend to pay for the
oversight when something happens. It's the difference between being
able to properly defend oneself and not being able to. Historically, the Japanese schools were understood to have maintained a codified form
of these arts descended from earlier generations (whereas others could
barely claim to have done so at all).
Below
this address are the links to your old and new Rank Certificates along
with the transcript documents that go with each rank.
THE WEYMOUTH SCHOOL OF DEFENSE
The older and more original
branches of our school, the Weymouth
School of Defense,
saw these Japanese hand to hand combat systems as a source of a much more
reliable methodology by which to protect themselves, or to survive
war-time. The Weymouth School of Defense is itself over 200 years old now, a fact that is even admitted to in some of the other branches of the Weymouth family in the United States,
although there is some slight disagreement from one branch to another
about the naming, contents and ensigns used within it (that would be
quite natural anyway, wouldn't it?) For most branches of the family, it
was a Post War School, it taught some of the elements of Hunting and
Soldiering (how to survive military service during war-time,
especially.) There are sections of it related to Naval service should
one find oneself on boats or ships. Our branch of the Weymouth
School of Defense is not different on any of these subjects (it's exists for the same reasons.) The School has
been known by other common names, most notably the Wymark School of
Defense which is quite often considered to be the original name of the school. As the Wymark School of Defense
it is about 325 years old and was sometimes called the Wymark School of Fencing or sometimes Wymark Method of Fencing, either way
it consisted of Saber and dagger work, Hand to hand combat (including
sword disarms used in traditional saberwork to steal the man's
sword away), Staff and Cane work, Long gun and Small arms, Campfire
methods and Trail blazing methods. It was rather famous, even if it was
a smaller school. Elements of the Wymark school show up in
other edifices, British, Canadian and American. They are sets of techniques or practices usually named the
"Wymark method". Our branch of the school is, of
course, called the Weymouth School of Defense but really doesn't differ from the Wymark School in any other signifcant way except for the usage of Shinden
Yōshin Ryū
Jujutsu techniques. Even the shield we use to represent the school is
almost the same exact same design, three stars surrounding two crossed
daggers. They say that there were a few different versions of this
shield, but really they all have three stars and two crossed blades.
They are almost always drawn in black and white, but when these shields
do have colouration, that would most usually denote a specific familial
sub-branch of the school (we aren't supposed to use it unless we came
from the sub-branch.) Please remember all of this.
It is, however, true that the adoption within the school, of Judo and
Jujutsu itself, was most originally from the schools of Kano Jujutsu
and early Kodokan Judo. They used it's wartime equivalent called 'Combat Judo' at the time of the
Great Wars (World War 1&2). Our branch, now fully separate and
distinct itself, had acquired the 'modern' Jujutsu school called Shinden Yōshin Ryū (or quite
commonly, just called Yōshin Ryū).
This was just a small Gendai
goshin-jujutsu school, that is to say, a school of modern self
defense arts. It was originally one of the British schools of Yōshin Ryū
that made it's way across the sea around the time of the Indo-Chinese
Wars. Of these early Anglo schools, there were, in fact, several of
them called Yōshin Ryū. They
resulted from the visitation of some certain of the Japanese Sensei
(to Britian and Western Europe, as well as in the Americas) from
between the years 1905 to 1935, and one can still find some few number
of historical references to their visitations during that time period.
Some of these British schools were based off of the well known Takagi schools and others were
based off of the Akiyama and the Miura Yōshin Ryū,
while still yet others (in and among the British) were an obvious cross
over of these schools all slung together (most probably created in Britain and Western Europe as a
hodge-podging of the different forms of Yōshin Ryū.) The Anglo Yoshin ryu
schools (about four kinds of them) came across the sea, around the time
of the beginning of World War I, and through the course of the
Indo-Chinese Wars... to land on the shores of New England
and then crept futher inland from there. That is in simple terms, the history of our school.
The Shodan 1st Degree Blackbelt that you have been awarded exists first and foremost within the Weymouth School of Defense, which I have explained in some minor detail. Beyond that, your Shodan Blackbelt also exists firmly in the world itself. Make no mistake here Benjamin, the unique nature of the Library Collection of Shihan Weymouth
is what it is. As an accomplishment, that Collection of translations
has very few rivals in the world at this point. You customarily
downplay your actual role in helping to create this Collection, and you
commonly state that, really, I just gave you credit that you didn't
actually deserve. Perhaps that is how you felt at the time, but either
way, it was a little over-modest of you to have said this. Did we not
sometimes discuss the subejct for hours at a time? Didn't you tell me
not to make this Collection if I couldn't really swing something of an
adequate translation, since this would lead to unnecessary
embarrassment? You ordered me not to! And of course, you were right
about that. When the European contributors gave us the payload of Tenjin Shinyō Ryū
and other school materials, then you came to undertsand that the
Collection you helped create had indeed gained some reasonable
acceptance (or they would never have given us so many valuable texts
and scrolls!) Your brother, Joseph, would have been more involved with
us than he was, but his
schedule and life style made that rather difficult for any of us to
enjoy. So chiefly, there was you and I. Any serious minded practitioner
and Blackbelt holder would indeed tell you that this accomplishment is
a qualifier all its own. Make no mistake Benjamin, the unique nature of the Library Collection of Shihan Weymouth
and your involvement with it well warrants the Rank you have been
awarded -- most other 1st degree blackbelts don't have any such an
accomplishment to boast of. Across most of North America and Europe,
within a number of years, many Blackbelt ranked men and women will have
acquired and consulted our translations while they were still a Green
belt! They will continue consulting our translations throughout much of
their life (and sometimes will be able to get their next Blackbelt rank
because of it). Our translations will be made avid usage of in many and
various clubs and dojos both in the Americas and in Europe. It is a
nice accomplishment for both of us, and a suitable accomplishment for the Weymouth School of Defense.
But you might want to think over what it all means, because there are
quite a few people who have heard of our Familial School and the
numbers of them will grow predictably over time.
OF MANY KINDS OF RANKS AND MANY KINDS OF CUSTOMS
It's
a common mistake to think that a 'black-belt' rank has a specific definition. This results from a
lack of familiarity with the subject. Pay attention and I will explain
the matter in some simple detail. There
are various kinds of 'black-belts', they are given for various
reasons and do not all mean the same thing. Some black-belts (Dankai
ranking system) are given strictly on the grounds of technical skill, having
learned to repeat rote sets of mechanical movements (techniques).
These ranks serve no other purpose, an acknowledgment of the
performer's ability to rote repetition. Some
black-belts are given strictly on the grounds of technical skill of
quite a different sort, namely, knowledge of the technical content (within the
school or system attended.) These ranks
serve no other purpose, a recognition of the holder's knowledge of
technical content. Some
black-belt ranks are
not given
on the grounds of either technical knowledge or technical skill at all, and have nothing to do with
these subjects. They may be a form of an
academic
award, due to the function that the practitioner serves in the
school or system. Or they may have been given on the basis of having held (earlier) rank
for
an extended period of time. Some are given on account of long term
membership (with or without any earlier rank holdings) in a school or
system. Some
black-belt ranks are given on the
grounds of ability to teach others and
thus were intended to provide such instruction and ranks to others.
Some black-belt ranks are
not given for such
purposes at all, and their holders cannot
teach or rank others.
There are
many kinds of Black-belt ranks.
In
much the
same way, there are many different kinds of schools in which the
customs of giving a Blackbelt or similar demarcation of rank and skill
exists. Some schools do not issue rank of any kind. Some
schools don't
issue rank (of any kind) on any
other basis than for technical skill in rote repetition of a
large set number of techniques or skills. Some schools don't
issue rank on any other basis than
for technical knowledge. Usually it's technical knowledge of the curriculum of the school or system (and sometimes, they
must name and performed the techniques or skills as a set of rote movements, to demonstrate
recognition.) Some schools will issue
rank (of any kind, whether Lower ranks or Higher ranks on any available and reasonable basis that
is useful to the general cause. Some of
these schools
will issue such ranks as meet more than one of the above descriptions
of a Grant of Rank, since doing so will provide some proliferation
(differencing their assembly of
adepts, or, in the case of the fighting arts, such as black-belt ranks)
and so providing a useful pool of resources by which to carry out the
school or system. You should not need to be told that we are such a school. That is because one can accomplish more if you approach things that way, it is the wisdoem of our School in action. Our branch of the Weymouth School of Defense will issue and accept rank and title for any available and reasonable basis that
is useful to the general cause. But
this includes each and every other method of issuing rank as well, it
would, wouldn't it? Some of the other branches of the Weymouth School of Defense
do not issue ranks of any kind. Other branches accept what rank their
members may have been given, but the ranks are always issued by someone
else. To be quite clear about this, the ranks could be anything at all,
such as certifications gained through some kind of Technical school,
for example.
What
kind of Blackbelt Rank you have actually received here, Benjamin, is
largely up to you to decide. But do not cut yourself short, son, In a
school like our own, and through such
general practices, one can 'change gears' when done in a reasonable
fashion and so increase the usefulness of one's own rank and expertise.
It
may happen, over the years, that you do not feel worthy of the rank any more
and that it is or has become a bit hollow and meaningless. This
comes from the perception that it should
mean something,
at a basic level. Come back to this address on the subject, when you were first given the rank(s) and then you can find
meaning for it all again. What meaning, in the end, is up to you. But
the fact always remains that, like some few other schools or systems,
our school is known and understood to ascribe to the practice of
issuing (in a reasonable and cautious fashion) the Ranks on
any available and reasonable basis that is useful to the general cause.
In
the end, son, it really means that (even in the individual's case) the
rank is exactly the same way itself... as if it has been issued for your own
personal and due cause. If it does not first serve you yourself... then
in what way could it possibly serve the school or system itself at
all?? I assume you understand this, since it is an elementary concept.
In the Master's Handbook (a
Study Manual that I wrote for you and your brother called the Shinden Yōshin Ryū Denshō Bungaku),
there is some measurable volume of
assistance for you there, should it become an issue of
technical knowledge. There is also the WSD Handbook for Basic Self Defense that should be consulted as well. And regarding technical knowledge when handling
the techniques of Jujutsu, please also remember that we have very
specific definitions and customs for the common practices called "Kata
and Randori training". This subject wasn't very well covered in
any of the other writings I left for you and your brother. They way
that we define "Kata and Randori training", Kata (形) are predetermined sets of movements, a stylised fighting technique that consist of either Sanbon kumite gata three (3) predetermined movements, or sometimes Gohon kumite gata five (5) predetermined movements. When (wooden) swords or other weapons are involved, these are instead to be called Sanbon kumitachi gata and Gohon kumitachi gata, respectively. The name for them changes slightly when weapons are involved. The Randori (乱取) techniques start out as Kata patterns themselves, which are then subjected to free form pattern adaptation and this process is sometimes called Jiyu gata no sabaki (自由形の捌き) "manipulation of free formed patterns". The predetermined set of movements that constitutes the Kata is changed in a specific and controlled fashion. Creating one variation after another of the same Kata pattern, and these are called Jiyu henka (自由変化) "Free form variation". To explain how these techniques are to be named, I will use the example of the technique Katate Hodoki (片手解) "Freeing One Hand" from the Kihon gata Basic techniques of the school. Katate Hodoki -- Jiyu Henka Ichi (片手解 - 自由変化1)
through whatever number of adapted techniques created through the
Randori practice. Otherwise, when one knows the name of the manuever in
Japanese, one could use that as well, observe: Katate Hodoki -- Jiyu Henka Ichi: Oyayubi Kujiki (片手解 - 自由変化1 : 親指挫き) "Freeing One Hand - Adaptation One: Wrenching the thumb away".
FINALLY ON THE
MATTER OF MEMBERSHIP
This
is to
have a place or
position of belonging. You are, for example, a member of our School,
small as it may be. Once given a Blackbelt rank, you have been afforded
true membership and that is part of its natural meaning. FAnd so, for
these purposes: one should seek membership in another suitable
Martial Arts related society, association or
federation. A cquiring membership in something. Register your rank with
them. There are a variety of
associations and organizations to join. And although you are currently
to low ranked to have any reason to worry about it, there are also the
more important subjects like gaining a Charter License for the School
(we already have one, it is displayed with some of your certifiactes.)
There are a variety of membership types
available. Comradery and social interaction, if one desires it.
Involvement leads to acquisition of experience and (increased) skills
of proficiency which leads to recognition and reward. Not belonging is
incorrect. Authenticity and genuineness are always couched in
associative interactions. Inauthentic and ingenuine articles tend to be
validated by associative belonging. Cross-membership increases
authenticity and genuineness by exposure to others and by relevant
increase of experience and skills of proficiency which leads to further
recognition and reward. Several types of organizations and associations
and several types of available cross membership. Sometimes some forms
of membership are not voluntary (conscription into military service,
public schooling, some forms of public citizenship.) Knowing when the
involuntary membership and its responsibilities are genuine and legal,
knowing when they are not, but there's nothing you can (legally) do
about it. Knowing how to make even involuntary membership and its
responsibilities work for you and how to gain benefit therefrom. You
are already encountering it, you might as well profit from it!! In the
end, everything comes down to the subject of helping yourself in life.
ON THE
MATTER OF HELPING YOURSELF IN DAILY LIFE
Helping
oneself in daily life is the primary objective for any true artifice,
isn't it? Approach yourself as a separate and distinct party and help
yourself out in life. If you don't help yourself out in daily life
who will? Approaching it as a detached third party often helps. Also
having basic knowledge of things helps. The following sub-items are
relative to such as this basic knowledge and, believe it or not, they
are all traditional items in the Japanese martial arts.
THE FOUR INEVITABLES
Many
traditional philosophies and religions teach that there are four (4)
inevitables in life: Birth, Old Age, Sickness, and Death. Inevitable.
You were born, you are here and that is a fact. A fact you had better
do something about. Your children will be born, and you had better do
something about that to get ready for them and to provide necessary
support for them. Inevitable.
You will grow sick from time to time and you must be prepared to accept
and deal with this fact of reality. Likewise your family members, mate
and children. Inevitable. Old age will come upon you and upon your parents: you must accept and be ready for these occurrences. Inevitable.
Something may happen and because of it you could die. This could occur
sooner or later. If you are foolish, very likely sooner than later.
Threats occur and that is a fact of life: you must be prepared to
handle it. Inevitable. If you
do not prepare yourself and your life for such occurrences, if you do
not attend upon your children and their lives: injury and death can
occur all too easily. It's a daunting thought, isn't it? Why do you
think Budō exists at all? Because some warrior got the shit scared out
of him thousands of years ago, damned near died, and surviving it said
to himself: That can't happen again, it almost killed me! I better get
ready for that sort of thing if it ever happens again... and so they
formulated the fighting arts. It was: inevitable. But fighting
techniques won't help your daily life out very much, and so having
learned to seek out techniques and methods, they sought out what would.
Life ways, education, personal management skills, conduct of personal
affairs became an art. That is the source of the material I have been
quoting in this address, son!
UNEASE ABOUT ONE'S LIFE
The objective is to help
oneself in daily life, now and in the future. But one primary obstacle
encountered is often what the Japanese call seikatsu fuan, being concerned about one's life and future. Fear and worry can be inevitable.
But they help to fuel one's resolve and can propel you into reasonable
action. Reasonable fears about one's life should be taken seriously but
unreasonable fears should not be ignored either. Be afraid for your
life, be very afraid. Be worried about your affairs also. But in such a
fashion as resolves the need for such concerns. Budō is all about
prevention of danger, and ultimately this entails alleviation of
concerns. Concerns are a symptom of potential threat or danger: Budō is
all about prevention of danger, thus tolerating that which produces
such concerns is antithetical. Concerns are a symptom of potential
threat or danger: Budō is, by nature, all about prevention of danger.
When encountering unease about one's
life, act to alleviate the unease. Act to prevent further unease. Budō
is all about prevention of danger. Worry is most commonly an emotional
reaction to a perceived threat or danger, whether real or imagined,
whether immediate or up-coming. Alleviate the circumstances of danger,
preferably before danger occurs. It is antithetical to B not to do so.
LONG LIFE AND HAPPINESS
The
objective is to help oneself in daily life, but the overall goal is to
enjoy long life and happiness. How you conduct yourself now may
determine what kind of 'long' and 'happy' life you will be living in
the future. Consider where you would be, right now, if you had set
aside a modest savings for yourself six years ago? Or otherwise, what
could you have done, starting six years ago, that would have made a
difference in your living circumstances right now? How will you think
and feel six years from this date, after not having made arrangements?
How will you feel in 25 years, not having arranged things for yourself?
The point is that the only way to enjoy a long and happy life is to
have arranged one for yourself. True wisdom: arrange for your sons and
daughters, while they are still small children you will not be sorry.
VALUING ONE'S PERSON AND LIFE
This final
conclusion is that it comes down to holding one's life dear and
conducting oneself so as to protect it from harm and looking after
one's health and happiness. One certainly must never conduct themself
in a fashion that leads to harm or injury this would be quite
antithetical. Budō is all about prevention of danger and the management
of circumstances, it is not tolerable to conduct oneself in a self
injurious fashion, nor to misconduct oneself towards one's woman or
children. Perhaps an enemy or opponent might try to inflict bodily harm
or personal injury upon us but we aren't supposed to do that shit to
ourselves!! This is very much the heart of the subject when it comes
down to 'valuing oneself and one's life', as far as the matters go in
general. There is additionally such concerns as: Health methods and
Eating habits that go hand in hand with them. There are the affairs of
one's Household to consider and adhere to, in the preservation of life
and happiness. Thereafter one needs to consider the probability of
injury and potential medical treatment (whether injury from having been
attacked or from accidental causes.) Knowing how to preserve your own
life and health, as well as that of your woman and children. Properly
valuing one's life includes proper concern and consideration for one's
livelihood and businesses, personal, household and familial affairs.
One will not have a pleasant go of it if one does not show proper
concern for livelihood and relevant affairs. What good is it to display
concern over life and limb but yet to ignore and show disdain for one's
own affairs and businesses?
Finally, and
in conclusion, now that I have frustrated
you with a rather long winded discourse (which, by the way, is a rather
traditional dialogue and will prove rather handy)...
congradulation on the award of Blackbelt.
Your Father,
Logan Weymouth
Shihan
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