"One Zen custom used by classical warriors and adopted by the exponents of the classical budo forms is "musha-shugyo", a kind of "austere training in warriorship." Musha-shugyo requires the trainee to travel in monklike fashion, living simply and exposing himself to natural hardships in the course of travel. At the same time this voluntary pattern of life involves him in training sessions in as many different dojos as he can enter. Musha-shugyo is indispensable to the trainee at the jutsu level of skill and is a path of rugged endeavor that is prerequisite for mastery of the Way."
- Donn Draeger (1922-1982), in "Classical Budo"
Today I leave to make the 4 hour drive from my home in Troy, Michigan up to the University of Guelph just south of Toronto. I will stay the night at a hotel, then in the morning head to the Univeristy's Athletic Center to train with their Iaido club, the Sei Do Kai. They are preparing for their Yudansha Shinsa (Black-belt ranking exams) that are taking place next weekend and are as such holding a 7 hour marathon training session in order to hone their skills. I was graciously invited to attend this training.
Making this trip to the Sei Do Kai has been a goal of mine for almost a decade, one to be honest I never thought that I would have the opportunity or resources to realize. But with the loving support of my family, and the inspiration of my fellow members of the Tengukenkai, I am making it happen.
The analogy of the Budo, or Martial Ways as being a path is a particularly literal one for me today. I will be traveling hundreds of miles today and tomorrow in order to train with some very devoted fellow practitioners of Japanese swordsmanship.
I am very excited to learn all that I can. My cup is empty and waiting to be filled.
Making this trip to the Sei Do Kai has been a goal of mine for almost a decade, one to be honest I never thought that I would have the opportunity or resources to realize. But with the loving support of my family, and the inspiration of my fellow members of the Tengukenkai, I am making it happen.
The analogy of the Budo, or Martial Ways as being a path is a particularly literal one for me today. I will be traveling hundreds of miles today and tomorrow in order to train with some very devoted fellow practitioners of Japanese swordsmanship.
I am very excited to learn all that I can. My cup is empty and waiting to be filled.
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