The philosophy becomes the physical

We learned an awful lot in our short time in Japan. But such is the nature of this Budo, nothing is held back, all is freely given, so long as we are prepared to embrace it.

The Bujinkan is a physical philosophy. Physical training is geared toward eventual realization of the art's philosophy of Ninpo - no easy task, which is why we are continually told to train and 'keep going,' train and 'keep going.'

We can see the Shitenno moving toward this concept of the, 'floating world,' the illogical logic of experiencing and communicating the highest levels of this Budo. The Taijutsu of the Shitenno and some Shihan is definable: they are always in positions of safety, have no openings, their movements cautious, precise, clinical. For them, the kukan is a shield as impenetrable as any made of iron. But as wonderfully able as they are, they have not travelled so far ahead as to be absent from our vision or comprehension.

But Soke's Budo is another matter. Having travelled beyond the horizon and out of sight, his movement is illusory, becoming whatever we believe it to be. Soke's Taijutsu is not that of his Shitenno and Shihan, it is not cautious and clinical, it is brazen, with openings one would think could be exploited, but cannot be. His precision lies in the formation of opportunity; the creation of boundless good luck.

He does not try to use the kukan as shield anymore, it is automatically so for him. He has penetrated an opening of his opponent and wrapped himself in the very intention that seeks to harm him. This kukan that is now his shield is inside the mind, spirit, and will of the opponent. Soke has flipped the physical philosophy all of us have been training, and for him the philosophy itself has become the physical.

Just like the Shinobi of feudal Japan, whose legend tells of changing the course of history through their application of pure intention alone, there is now no separation between Soke's will and his actions. He moves where he wishes, when and how, seeing through the challenge of each moment, making it inseparable with overcoming it.

I have to laugh as I write this, because as I try to define Soke's Taijutsu, I become just another of the long list of those who seek to categorize him (even the uncategorizable is a categorization). The mere fact that each of us sees something different when we try to comprehend Soke's Taijutsu, leads me to understand just how powerful it actually is; having been "defined" by so many for so many years is evidence of its enigma.

Perhaps Soke's power to challenge what we believe to be the truth is a clue to the essence of his own ability. Isn't it funny that, just like training, there are no real answers here for us, only what we can discover for ourselves.