A rough English translation of the article in the magazine "The Hiden Budo & Bujutsu", October 2010: Special

issue The body/health-activating breathing and energy, which we learn from military arts The hidden purpose of martial breathing "Breathing technique" is one of the hidden purposes of Budo and it has been researched and put into practice since ancient times as a means showing the entrance to the mysterious profundity of Budo. [...] Chapter 1 Inaba Minoru Kashima Shinryu and ancient Shinto The breathing which acts as building the fundamentals of body and soul and which has manifested in Japanese Budo Master Inaba Minoru, former director of the Meiji Jingu Budojo "Shiseikan" is a Budo practitioner who transmits Kashima Shinryu Bujutsu as the last student of Kunii Zen'ya, a warrior said to have been "undefeated during his entire lifetime". He explains the importance of breathing as building the fundamentals of body and soul, which Budo aims at, and which are also bright in Shinto, the root of Japanese Budo. What is the deep and profound meaning of it (the breathing)? Bujutsu and breathing technique In Bujutsu, breathing has an important meaning. All people who train Bujutsu should know within their bodies that the movements, the changes of timing or rhythm, the power of techniques etc. are deeply linked to breathing. By using breathing freely, muscles and bones of limbs and trunk can be used minutely, and by using groups of muscles controlling breathing, it becomes possible to express greater power. Furthermore, by adjusting the breathing, the puls and the actions of inner organs, the nervous system including the brain, and the state of hormons, which all cannot be controlled consciously, can be influenced. This is not restricted to Bujutsu, but is a core technique also in Yoga and Qigong etc., and the connection between breathing and movement can even be called an important topic in modern sports. It is the key to controlling mind and body and to achieving great performance. I would like to think about "breathing" as a training method for acquiring full command of spirit and body. In Bujutsu training, the awareness and practical use of the Tanden is an important basis. In training, many schools emphasize the replenishment of the Tanden. They seek spirited movements and explosive power by calming awareness and breathing and filling the Tanden, which is in the centre of the body, with energy-power. Also in Chinese Bujutsu, the importance of being aware of the Tanden and calming energy in the Tanden is being transmitted as main point like in "Kichin Tanden" ("Calming energy in the Tanden"). But sufficient concentration on the Tanden cannot be nurtured simply by being aware of the lower abdomen and filling power into it. What is used here is the training with breathing technique. In his book "Aikido in Daily Life" (Rokugei Publishing House), Tohei Koichi (20 Jan 1920 - 19 May 2011), who learned Aikido from Ueshiba Morihei and Shin Shin Toitsudo from Nakamura Tenpu and founded Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido lists the Misogi breathing technique, the Aikido breathing technique and the breathless breathing technique as methods for unifying body and soul. He explains that among these three, the ones most applicable for beginners as methods of unifying body and soul are Misogi breathing technique and Aikido breathing technique, and that "the most effective one is the Misogi breathing technique". The outline of the Misogi breathing technique, as I have been demonstrated, is slowly breathing out through the mouth over dozens of seconds, finishing the full outbreath with "ha", closing the mouth, slowly breathing in through the nose towards the back of the head. Slowly breathing in over dozens of seconds, finally, after breathing in one whole breath, store it in the one point below the navel. After storing it for a while below the navel, start breathing out again. Repeat this breathing exercise. While the Misogi breathing technique is practiced between tens of minutes and one hour, the Aikido breathing technique is a short exercise, which takes a few minutes. Standing upright lower both hands, open the fingers, and while slowly standing up on your toes, breathe in. After breathing in sufficiently, clench both fists, extending them to the ground, and at the same time concentrate the energy in the one point below the navel. Next, while breathing out, open the fingers, and as if pushing towards the ground join the palms in front of the navel, then, while breathing out completely, clench fists, and put

power into the one point below the navel and push down towards the ground again. One might think that as breathing techniques, both of them have had an awareness of the Tanden below the navel, but while the Misogi breathing technique has a stronger characteristic as cure, the Aikido breathing technique can within short time create awareness of the Tanden below the navel and replenish the "one point below the navel". Moreover, the breathless breathing technique, said to be "not meant for beginners" is a breathing technique carried out breathing in and out quietly without making any noise, not even being aware of the breathing, forgetting oneself and becoming one with heaven and earth. In the breathing techniques of Qigong and Zen, breathing techniques called the breathing of literary arts, the breathing of military arts, and the breathing of the womb, are handed down, and there are also training methods adjusting the energy circulation to the breathing, called the small and the large full circle. The literary breathing is a method carried out quietly without awareness of the breathing, the military breathing is carried out with awareness of the breathing. The womb breathing is a method of carrying out breathing with the whole body like an unborn baby, forgetting about breathig altogether, and it is also called innate breathing techique. The first two are breathing of military arts, the breathless breathing technique may be close to the womb breathing. The connection between methods of self-development and Bujutsu In Qigong and Zen, looking at the contents of meditations, extremely detailled contents are handed down concerning breathing techniques. However, in the tradition of old-style Bujutsu, there is actually not much that can convey a detailled system concerning breathing techniques. In Chinese Bujutsu, Tai Chi Chuan, which incorporated and systematized the "Tao Yin breathing technique", which is one of the Qigong techniques, explains the connection with the breathing, but often a part of a Qigong technique is incorporated as an accompanying practice technique. In Japan's traditional Bujutsu, too, detailled descriptions about breathing techniques are hardly seen in the traditional texts handed down in the various schools. However, as the Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido incorporated the Qigong technique "unification technique for body and shoul", there may be many examples of incorporating the breathing techniques as accompanying practice techniques from Zen, meditation techniques or health techniques. During the Edo period, it was common that masters of martial arts engaged in the practice of Zen or Mikyo (Esoteric Buddhism); it can be easily imagined that, in this context, they trained breathing techniques such as Susokukan (breathing meditation counting breaths) or Ajikan (meditation contemplating the letter "a"). Among the examples dating from the closing days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, it is widely known that Shirai Toru (1783-1843) from Ittoryu learned the spiritual alchemy of Zen monk Hakuin (1686-1768). In the Meiji era, health techniques stressing breathing, such as Hida Harumitsu's (also Hida Harumichi 1883-1956) Hidashiki Kyokenjutsu ("Hida techniques for robust health"), Okada Torajiro's (1872-1920) Seizaho ("quiet sitting technique"), Nakamura Tenpu's (1876-1968) Shin Shin Toitsu Ho ("the method of mind and body unification"), Fujita Reisai's (1868-1957) Fujitashiki Sokushin Chowado ("Fujita way of harmonizing breathing and mind"), Futaki Kenzo's (1873-1966) Futakishiki Fukushiki Kokyuho ("Futaki abdominal breathing technique"), and Kawai Kiyomaru's (1848-1917) Kawaishiki Mubyo Choseiho ("Kawaai method for long life without diseases") etc., are presented in great numbers and gain a lot of followers. Also, their health techniques, which can be called a new development, are deeply connected with the Budo from the Meiji period onwards, and exert large influence as breathing techniques. Breathing and fighting screams; the "slow and quick" of rhythm and timing In the breathing technique, which is deeply linked to Bujutsu, descriptions are found; but opening the traditional scripts of old Budo schools, what can be seen especially in swordwork schools, are descriptions about fighting screams and timing, rhythm. Regarding fighting screams, there is a description about the meaning and the mood of various fighting screams as "Kenjutsu Seika no Maki" ("volume of vocal expressions in swordwork") in the book "Kashima Shintoryu Heiho Jikansho" ("contemplation about martial strategies of the swordwork school of Kashima"). In this traditional script, the sounds of the fighting screams "i", "ya", "ha", "to" and "e" are listed and for each of them, the speaking mood and the connection between technique and scream are stated: " When we pronounce 'i', it is a sound rising upwards from below oneself. When we pronounce 'ya', it is a sound extending from oneself across to someone else. When we pronounce 'ha', it is a sound occurring within oneself. When we pronounce 'to', it is a sound halting oneself. When we pronounce 'e', it is a sound drawing something something into and storing it inside oneself." As a

matter of course, fighting screams are accompanied by breathing, therefore the requirements of fighting screams and the requirements of breathing overlap. For example, it is conveyed that as a "important point about the 'e'-voice", "you should emit the voice from the chest, empty the five internal organs (liver, lungs, heart, kidneys and spleen), rush the energy upwards, invigorate the point below the navel, and watch carefully the position of the viscera". It is very interesting that it is pointed out how to arrange the awareness of the interior of the body when expressing the fighting scream"ei". What is seen frequently together with the fighting screams in the traditional scripts of the Budo schools are descriptions about rhythm and timing. In the book "Gorin no Sho" ("The Book of Five Rings") by Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) of Niten Ichiryu ("the school of the strategy of two heavens as one"), there are descriptions of "in-one timing when hitting an opponent" and "hip timing of two"; also in the book "Heiho Kadensho" ("The Hereditary Book on the Art of War") by Yagyu Munenori (1571-1646) of Yagyu Shinkageryu there are descriptions of "the timing of three" and "the large-small timing and the small-large timing". What gives rise to such rhythm and timing is again the body that is controlled by breathing; there are even cases calling rhythm or timing itself "breathing". Read the opponent's breathing in order to adapt the rhythm to it; disturb the opponent by accellerating or stopping the breathing in order to get out of his rhythm. That which gives birth to rhythm and timing and regulates them is again the breathing; here the connection between the breathing and the skillful techniques of Bujutu can be observed. The "importance of breathing" as heard from master Inaba Minoru I managed to hear the story about Budo and breathing from Inaba Minoru, former director of Meiji Jingu Shiseikan. He was so kind to give explanations about the connection between breathing and Budo and between the techniques of Kashima Shinryu and breathing, while demonstrating techniques. "Breathing is very important, so I end up thinking about how to explain it and how to handle it. When you look into the book 'Researching Japanese Budo--Developing the Fundamentals of Mind and Body' (published by Meiji Jingu Budojo Shiseikan), which I wrote 20 years ago, it says 'when training military arts, a gap appears between willpower and breathing'. In the book 'Nihon Kendoshi' ('History of the Japanese way of the sword') by Yamada Jirokichi (1863-1931) he quotes the sentence 'the warriors of the warring states did not need to know things like martial arts' from the book 'Koyo Gunkan' and discusses what swordwork training was useful for. He concludes that the use is 'to avoid shortness of breath on the battlefield'." Why is avoiding shortness of breath so important? For the warriors on the battlefield, arranging their "breathing" is tied together with the determination of life or death. "Breathing affects the 'total body power'. Considering 'Iki (breath)' as included in the 'Ki (will)' of Kiryoku (willpower), Bu'jutsu' can be described in only one word as 'nurturing the Kiryoku (willpower)' of being in the battlefield.", Inaba states as author ("Researching Japanese Budo", p.28). "Furthermore, changing the angle/perspective, within the importance of breathing, there is a thing called 'flexible body', I think. By continuing training and piling up fatigue, strength is trapped in the neck, the shoulders and the chest. When strength is trapped in the shoulders or the chest, they become stiff, and also the sword does not move any longer, and the flexible techniques do not work well. Here, I think it is important how to get rid off the strength trapped in shoulders and chest, and how to cope with the opponent's strength." In oder to use this stiffened body in a flexible way, it is important to concentrate on the awareness towards the breathing technique and the Tanden. "Bujutsu is fighting, battling, therefore, the area of shoulders and chest stiffens no matter what, and it even happens that flexibility is lost and the body is damaged. In former times, Bujutsu was a technique for fighting, not a method for health, therefore, this may have been inevitable. However, today's Bujutsu is a fighting method and at the same time it must also be a method for health. So, it becomes healthy by deepening the breathing power and getting rid of stiffness by means of opening the chest while breathing in and dropping the centre of gravity into the lower abdomen while breathing out. I believe that such a direction of training is necessary for today's Bujutsu." The techniques of Kashima Shinryu which the concentration on breathing gives birth to Next, I heard about the connection between the techniques of Kashima Shinryu and breathing. In Kashima Shinryu, a technique has been handed down of winning without fighting, ie. by cleansing away the opponent's maliciousness by demonstrating martial dignity with the Kesagiri, a diagonal cut originating in the "Harai no Tachi" ("purification cuts with the sword"). It is believed that, in a

technique, which controls the opponent's power and technique when crossing swords, the breathing and the body momentum in the moment of initiating the sword movement and in the moment of crossing swords have a great meaning. "In Kashima Shinryu, there is a teaching named the fivefold laws, representing the basic principles of Budo called attack and defense in one, origination and manifestation in one, Yin and Yang (male and female principle) in one, motion and stillness in one, and emptiness and substance in one; here, too, the breathing has an important meaning. For example, emptiness and substance in one means tempting the opponent, but in this invitation there is emptiness and substance: If the opponent does not take the bait, it (one's own sword) becomes as it is a sword of substance and cuts him; if the opponent takes the bait and strikes, it (one's one sword) becomes a sword of emptiness, changes direction and wins. In Yin and Yang in one, it is taught to 'protect one's body by standing the sword up with the Yin hand, ie. the left hand' not with the Yang hand when having lost one's posture due to being deceived by the opponent. Standing the sword up with the Yang (right) hand, on the contrary, would case a delay and would pull the body backwards. Kunii Sensei said: 'stand it up with the inner hand, that is with the wife's hand!' Origination and manifestation in one means that when people want to attack, they show the beginning of their intention and hit. However, by showing the beginning of their intention, they fall a bit behind; therefore, the start and the manifestation of the intention should become one, it is taught. In the case of attack and defense in one, you destroy the opponent's sword and keep your own sword alive by using an oblique sword position. However, when in that moment you are tricked by the opponent and cannot cross swords with him, your sword ends up drifting along. In such a moment, it is important whether you can protect your body by returning to your previous position immediately. When you continue training, you think that the opponent might cheat, so you watch the opponent and end up stopping (your movement). Thus, hesitation comes into the cuts, and it does not become a sword of attack and defense in one. Hit with the attitude that it is ok to be tricked, and even if tricked, return the sword immediately and get ready again. This is also breathing." He was so kind to show me real techniques and breathing. With the concentration of the breathing into one moment he destroys the opponent's sword, and with a tiny deviation of breathing the rhythm of the sword cuts is broken and he gains the victory. What influences the rhythm is not only the breathing, but if the breathing does not fit, it is impossible to use the rhythm freely. Such breathing and rhythm, the accuracy of swordwork can be felt. In the body techniques, which I was shown next, he was so kind to teach the importance of a flexible body created by the breathing. "By training the breathing, first of all, weird strains disappear. That is called knowing the timing and knowing the distance, right? For example, when a hand or the chest is grabbed in a body technique, oneself also stiffens up immediately, and strength comes in, and the timing gets dislodged. But by breathing out a little bit in the moment of being grabbed and by thus refraining from stiffening the strength but taking out a bit of the strength, one becomes able to move freely. By training breathing, it is possible to develop a body which does not go against force in body techniques, either. Laozi and others say 'maintain flexibility'. Maintaining flexibily is powerful, he says. Refraining from stiffening and maintaining flexibility whatever happens, that is training, and here lies the art of flexibility, I believe. [Develop] a flexible body without any stiffness. I think this should be good as a body development that concentrates the power in one point when it comes to the crunch. Especially in today's times, it is easy to stiffen up and to harden the body. Therefore, maintain flexibility, adjust the breathing to it and thus preserve health. I believe that this is a good direction for contemporary Bujutsu." The flexibility which the breathing creates, the concentration in the Tanden, the accuracy of timing, and the cure and development of mind and body. When thinking about the role they play in Bujutsu, there is no doubt that the importance of the breathing in Bujutsu becomes automatically visible.

The texts accompanying the photographs: Page 10: The breathing technique "Chinkon" ("Calming the soul") in Shinto practice The breathing technique of "Furitama, Chinkon" ("shaking the soul, calming the soul"). Put your hands together, left hand below, right hand on top, and shake them up and down in a circular motion in front of your lower abdomen. He (Inaba sensei) kindly introduced me also to the breathing practice of the Misogi rites in Shinto. Drop your energy into the Tanden below the navel, stay relaxed, drop your upper body forwards and

breathe out. Lift your upper body up again while opening and stretching out both hands, breathe in as if absorbing the entire energy of heaven and earth into yourself, put your hands together above your head, stop your breath, bring both hands down to your lower abdomen quietly, and calm the energy into the Tanden below the navel. Dangle both hands down as they are, return to photograph number 02, and repeat. When you get used to this exercise, there will be a feeling of energy going around in the body centre Page 11: Kashima Shinryu Kenjutsu: Kihondachi "Kuraidachi" In this sword technique, which is the fifth technique of the Kihondachi of Kashima Shinryu swordswork, you start from a low sword position, destroy at a breath the opponent's cut in a diagonal receiving manner, stay like that and control the centre line, thus you gain the victory. This truly trains the unification of mind, technique and body in the moment and in the breath, an intense training which forms the foundation of similar schools. Here, the control of the breathing, which has been unified in one moment with the rhythm of the opponent's cut, is indispensable, and the development of a mind and body, which does not allow the body position of attack and defense in one to collapse, is included. Kashima Shinryu Kenjutsu: Uradachi "Mikirikenchutai" In this sword technique, in response to the opponent's strike, you align your breathing and cut down his left wrist, but in that moment he takes it (the left wrist) away and tries to cut down onto you with his right hand. Swiftly push the Yin hand ("shaddow hand"), that is the left hand, forwards, step half a step forwards with your right foot, put your sword tip into the centre line, and thus stop the opponent, this is the hidden purpose of Yin and Yang in one. A mind and body which circulates energy through the entire body and which does not show any openings, makes this possible. Page 12: Kashima Shinryu Kenjutsu: Jissenkumitachi "Sokuidachi-Hayanukifudoken" When the opponent aimes at your upper arm and comes in to cut you diagonally, cut down (photographs 01 to 03). However, the opponent, too, has perfected his breathing, swiftly returns his sword, which had been cut down, and pushes in (04). Destroy his momentum, enter towards his chest, and in addition completely crush his whole body (05 to 07); this is a typical technique of Jissendachi, which manifests the true worth of Kashima Shinryu. Cut down the sword, which comes down from Kami Hasso ("upper position") to cut the left side of your trunk, with a sticking cut, carry it into Tsubazeri ("fighting guards"), enter deeply towards his chest flexibly turning your wrist as if swallowing his energy, and crush him taking his centre in one motion ("finishing in one breath"), making him unable to move. This breathing is truly natural; and the pushing opponent is crushed without feeling any resistance, as if he fell into a pitfall. Especially this breathing of the "flexible body", which leads to the hidden purpose of sword and flexibility in one, is also called the essential point of the full moon technique. The Mugamae ("no posture") of Kuni Zen'ya, who handed down Kashima Shinryu and who explained the essence of military arts as "the spirit of magnanimous acceptance". Page 13: Kashima Shinryu "Reiki no Ho" ("spirit technique") Reiki no Ho is a characteristic of Kashima Shinryu and is an exercise similar to the breathing technique of Aikido (also called "Aikiage" in the body techniques of the Aiki lineage). This is a standing version of Reiki no Ho, taking one hand. This is one method of training: In the moment of being grabbed, grasp the opponent's collapse produced by your own relaxation, lift your hand up at a breath and shake him off with a cut with your hand like a sword. By means of the practice of Reiki no Ho, the quality of the body is improved and genuine techniques are born.