What is seishin tanren?
How is kata geiko related to seishin tanren?
Seishin tanren means “to forge the spirit,” meaning that martial artists must have a focused mind and be calm under pressure. This comes from samurai training.
Traditional Japanese martial arts, as opposed to some martial sports, are concerned with living and dying, in that the samurai had to face the reality of death more than most people. In this respect, martial arts that evolved from samurai practices are similar to religion, which also deals with death.
Kata means “form,” as in the formal practice of prearranged techniques. It is universally used in traditional Japanese martial arts as a key method of training the mind and body.
To carry out kata geiko techniques in real combat, seishin tanren is needed. Without this capacity for calmness under pressure, no martial arts technique will work. The martial artist will freeze.
Read more about kata geiko and seishin tanren!
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The Shudokan Martial Arts Association promotes training based around the two central pillars of classical Japanese martial arts: kata geiko and seishin tanren. The use of handed-down kata helps our members, regardless of division, to forge their spirits to face the stress of combat and the uncertainties of life. In this way, folks in the SMAA learn to protect themselves, and live well, while they develop the spiritual strength needed to make a positive contribution to their communities and the world as a whole.
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