Persistence and Dreams

Friday Knight News

"Do nothing which is of no use." Miyamoto Musashi

A great thing about persistence is that even if the door doesn't open right away you can still follow your dream, but you might have to try another door or two. The art of self-defense was what drew me into the martial arts initially. Well, that and the intriguing methods of mental discipline that was involved with the study. In my youth what impressed me the most about martial arts used to be the physical and mental discipline that went into making your body a weapon. There are definite advantages to this method of training (body as a weapon), albeit there are some draw backs too.

The first being as we age our bodies do not spring back from injury as quickly. The second is likened unto the first as it becomes unmanageable time wise to be able to train enough to maintain, let alone improve upon, strength, speed, and flexibility to keep up with the youth. If you persist in training with the same methods you did in your youth. That is why there are age divisions as well as weight divisions in sporting styles of martial arts. However, on the street there are no such divisions. So it becomes necessary for us to reexamine both our training and our paradigm of strategy to keep realistic self-defense skills throughout our life.



I started out learning kempo jutsu which was also sometimes called karate jujutsu and then went on to explore other martial arts. I recognize that all schools eventually are influenced by other schools, but as I got caught up in the American mishmash of blended systems, I couldn't draw a lineage to my art to save my life. The important thing about a lineage is being able to trace back to where your skills had life and death level combat verification. But having the ability to shut an attack down immediately on your own is even more important. This is why to me swordsmanship and blade skills are the heart of the hand-to-hand martial arts, even if your body is not the weapon it once was.

I might have followed the study of kendo or gumdo or even western fencing if not for the self-defense aspect of it. I wanted an art and practice that was all-inclusive. That is what drove my study and training for years and even decades. Still, the sword was near and dear to me and I trained for years in a vast amount of systems under a host of instructors. Each time I was taught a kata that related to the blade arts I included it in my practice. Eventually, after years of analyzing to see if the kata held up to scrutiny of older battle tested kata I kept them, the others that didn't were deleted. The kata that remained in my arsenal mirrored closely to several older kata and furthermore they could be categorized and linked to correspond with the principles of the styles that I had already studied.


(Merritt Stevens, Sensei) 

In Japan martial arts are passed down from teacher to student by direct transmission. As my introduction into the way of the swords was done by piecemeal, I was out of luck. Most notably I was impressed by aiki arts as they seemed to me to have all aspects of the mind, body, and blade teaching that I sought. I was pleased to train with my instructor, Tom Manson, as his system had been tested in law enforcement, on the streets, and in the prison system. His teacher, Merritt Stevens, had been influenced by his study of Tomiki Aikido and Hakkyo Ryu. Tom told me that Stevens, Sensei had been taught by Tomiki Kenji, among others noteworthy Japanese masters.

While Tomiki, Sensei who had studied under Kano Jigoro, Sensei and Ueshibia Morihei, Sensei. Ueshiba, Sensei had studied with Takeda Sokaku, Sensei. As a side note that connects to me later on is about Yoshida Kotaro, Sensei who had been influenced some by Takeda Sokaku, Sensei at some level. Yoshida, Sensei also taught his family art (Yanagi Ryu.), to his son Yoshida Kenji, Sensei. Yoshida Kenji, Sensei taught and passed his art on to Don Angier, Sensei.

 
(Tom Manson, Sensei)

My instructor had introduced me to Tony Annesi, Sensei who was the first person that I met that could turn anything into what I considered aiki. Up to this point, aiki was a kind of hit and miss thing that happened with some techniques but only when the planets were aliened. Tony Annesi, Sensei made me aware of Don Angier, Sensei, the Soke of Yanagi Ryu, (side note connection from before coming up soon). I spent years reading and studying trying to unravel the concepts of the Yanagi Ryu that Don Angier had passed along to Tony Annesi, Sensei. My interest in Yanagi Ryu also made me aware of one of Don Angier, Sensei, senior students named James Williams. Meanwhile life setbacks persisted and prevented my training in Yanagi Ryu. I continued to train under  Manson, Sensei the most open and giving instructor that I have ever come across and I gained his approval over the years.


(My wife Patricia, Tony Annesi, Sensei & me)

It seems that Angier, Sensei did not want formal teaching of Yanagi ryu outside of his Hombu dojo. As Williams, Sensei desired to pass along the knowledge he had received they mutually decided on the name Nami Ryu for James Williams' style. Nami Ryu means wave style in recognition that all energy travels in waves. Through the understanding of wave harmonics Nami Ryu displays it soft power and combat effective aiki, and amazing sword work, I might add, James Williams' art has passed the scrutiny of combat effectiveness. Williams, Sensei has also studied with Okamoto Seigo, Sensei. Okamoto Seigo, Sensei, had an impact on his understanding and application of aiki jujutsu and he also has studies with Kuroda Tetsuzan, Sensei. Kuroda Tetsuzan, Sensei is a phenomenal martial artist and swordsman. James Williams, Sensei is also certified to teach Systema by Mikahil Ryabko and Vladimir Vasiliev. All of these influences have to my understanding some bearing on Williams, Sensei and his Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho.


(James Williams, Sensei)

Over the past few years I have been extremely pleased to have gotten to work with James Williams, Sensei and some of his instructors and other students from his system. I can say that his teaching, encouragement, and insights have helped improve my practice immensely. As I continue to train making my inchworm like progress, I am pleased to endorse his great seminars, and DVD's, not that he needs my endorsement. He also has more schools opening up to teach his system of strategy known as Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho. I don't believe in coincidence and although it took persistence and many years to make the connection with Nami Ryu it is what it is. Williams, Sensei has helped define and take me further along the path of my aiki dreams and a deeper understanding of the sword.
      
"Study strategy over the years and achieve the spirit of the warrior. Today is victory over yourself of yesterday; tomorrow is your victory over lesser men." Miyamoto Musashi 

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