The Hidden Role of Aesthetics in Martial Arts Training

Why do traditional dojos place so much importance on etiquette, simplicity, and attention to detail? 

Most people associate martial arts with physical skills. Yet traditional Japanese martial arts have always been about more than technique alone.

They developed within a culture that valued discipline, refinement, and an appreciation for how actions are performed, not just the results they produce. Understanding this cultural foundation can provide a deeper appreciation for the training itself.

More Than Physical Technique

When new students enter a traditional dojo, they’re introduced to practices that seem unrelated to self-defense on the surface.

• Bowing before entering the training floor. 
• Maintaining a clean uniform. 
• Showing respect toward instructors and fellow students. 
• Sitting quietly before class begins.

At first glance, these practices appear quite ceremonial and routine.

However, they reflect values that have long been woven into Japanese martial traditions, and they’re upheld by World Martial Arts Associations preserving traditional budo. Training isn’t simply about learning techniques. Practicing martial arts is about developing awareness, discipline, and respect.

How Culture Shapes the Dojo

Traditional Japanese martial arts did not develop in isolation.

They emerged within the same culture that produced the tea ceremony, calligraphy, flower arrangement, and other classical arts, many of which share common principles.

One of those principles is the idea that how something is done carries equal importance as the outcome. This is a common approach in Japanese martial arts. Students are encouraged to focus on details, practice with intention, and approach training with sincerity.

Wabi and the Practice of Simplicity

One of the aesthetic concepts of Japanese culture that explains this mindset is wabi.

Wabi values simplicity, authenticity, and an appreciation for what is genuine rather than excessive. This influence can be seen throughout traditional martial arts training, and at our World Martial Arts Association.

Many dojos maintain simple training environments, with few distractions and simple instruction. Techniques are practiced repeatedly until movements become natural. 

Rather than constantly searching for something new, students are encouraged to deepen their understanding of what they already practice.

Looking Beyond What Is Visible

As practitioners gain experience, they often discover that some of the most important lessons in martial arts are not physical. Practicing wabi helps place these lessons within a broader cultural context and deepens the understanding and appreciation for Japanese martial arts. 

Continue Exploring Traditional Martial Arts

Interested in learning more about the philosophy and traditions behind Japanese martial arts?

Our World Martial Arts Association offers educational resources that explore the history, culture, and principles that continue to shape traditional budo. 

Read our latest article, or contact SMAA to learn more.

Improve Your Posture in the Dojo with Seiza

Have you ever noticed that the quietest moment in a martial arts class often teaches the most?

Before the first throw. Before the first kata. Before a word is spoken, there is seiza.

Students lower themselves to the floor, spines rise, shoulders soften, and breathing settles. From the outside, this stance is one of waiting. For traditional martial artists, it’s discipline and respect. 

Stillness That Works

Seiza translates to "proper sitting." The posture demands that the hips stay settled, the spine extend upward, and the shoulders stay relaxed—all at once. It’s essential for any serious Martial Arts Organization rooted in traditional Japanese budo. 

Eyes hold a soft, alert focus: not darting, not blank. This is a physical expression of heijoshin—the composed, balanced mind that martial arts training works to build.

Seiza teaches you to stay still without fidgeting, endure minor discomfort without complaint, and approach training with sincerity. These are the foundational elements of traditional martial arts.  

What Seiza Actually Trains

The benefits translate directly to the dojo:

• Spinal alignment: Seiza aligns the spine and strengthens the lower back—structural qualities that show up in every technique.
• Deep breathing: The posture encourages slow, full, abdominal breath—the same breath you'll rely on under pressure.
• Mental presence: Seiza is a practice of mindfulness—leaving the noise of the day behind and entering the dojo with full attention. 
• Martial transitions: How you move into and out of seiza is a skill in itself. Senior practitioners lower straight down and rise in one smooth motion—no hands, no hesitation. 

More Than a Bow

In classical Japanese martial traditions, bowing from seiza is a deliberate act. It signals that the mind has quieted, that you are ready to train.

Some kata in classical sword and blade schools are performed entirely from seiza—a reminder that in an earlier era, defending yourself from the floor was a possibility. 

Bringing Seiza into Everyday Life

You don't need a dojo to practice seiza. Many experienced practitioners sit in it for a few minutes before meditation, after morning movement, or as a simple pause in the day.

If it's uncomfortable at first, start shorter. A folded blanket under the ankles or a seiza bench can help while flexibility builds. The goal is awareness, not endurance. Bring your full attention to every moment you spend in it.

Explore Seiza and Traditional Budo with a Martial Arts Organization That Goes Deeper

Want to bring practices like seiza into a real, structured training environment?

As a Martial Arts Organization dedicated to the full depth of traditional Japanese budo, SMAA exists for one reason: to serve practitioners like you.

Membership connects you to a global community of dedicated martial artists, a recognized ranking, the quarterly SMAA Journal, and resources drawn from authentic practice.

Read more about seiza in our latest article, or contact us to see how SMAA can support your practice.

Unified Movement in Jujutsu and Judo: Shared Principles, Different Expressions

 Have you ever trained in jujutsu or judo and felt that the techniques made sense almost immediately?

 Have you noticed that balance, timing, and posture seem to matter more than strength, regardless of the rule set?

Many practitioners discover that jujutsu and judo, while outwardly different, are built on the same physical truths. This principle-based understanding is central to the teaching philosophy supported by the International Martial Arts Association, where martial arts are studied as interconnected systems rather than isolated styles.

Unified Movement in Jujutsu and Judo

At first glance, jujutsu and judo may appear distinct—one often associated with battlefield adaptability,
the other with sportive refinement. Yet both rely on identical foundational principles:

• Efficient posture and alignment
• The intelligent use of gravity and balance
• Redirection rather than force-on-force resistance

In both disciplines, success depends on how well the practitioner can express energy through structure, not muscular strength alone. A throw in judo and a takedown in jujutsu may differ in execution, but both emerge from the same capacity to feel, disrupt, and reorganize an opponent’s center.

This shared movement logic highlights why cross-training often feels natural rather than contradictory. The body recognizes familiar patterns even when the outward form changes. Learn more in our latest article.

Why Jujutsu and Judo Move the Same Way

When viewed through the lens of unified movement, jujutsu and judo reveal themselves as variations on a shared foundation. Both rely on posture, balance, and intelligent energy expression to create effective technique without unnecessary force. This is why skills transfer so naturally between the two disciplines—the body recognizes what is fundamentally correct.

Explore more educational articles and martial scholarship through the SMAA Library to better understand how foundational principles unite jujutsu, judo, and other traditional disciplines—and how this knowledge can elevate your own training. 

The Martial Artist as a Shapeshifter: One Body, Many Expressions

Have you ever noticed how training in one martial art seems to unlock understanding in another?

Do certain movements feel familiar—even when the techniques look completely different?

Many martial artists reach a point where they sense there’s something deeper connecting their training across disciplines. This idea sits at the heart of Martial Artists as Shapeshifters by Daniel Holland, and it reflects a core principle long supported by the International Martial Arts Association: true mastery comes from understanding movement, not memorizing techniques.

The Martial Artist as a Shapeshifter

In Martial Artists as Shapeshifters, Daniel Holland presents a compelling idea: martial arts are not 
simply collections of techniques, but systems of postural intelligence. Each art trains the body to express energy in specific, intentional ways—ways that can be adapted across contexts.

Rather than viewing jujutsu, judo, and iaido as isolated practices, Holland encourages us to see them as different expressions of the same underlying human mechanics. The martial artist becomes a “shapeshifter,” capable of reorganizing posture, balance, and intent to meet changing demands.

This perspective aligns strongly with the broader educational mission of the International Martial Arts Association, which emphasizes principle-based understanding over rigid stylistic boundaries. You can learn more about this in our latest article. 

Why Unified Movement Matters in Martial Arts Study

Seeing martial arts as systems of postural intelligence transforms how we train, learn, and evolve. When jujutsu, judo, and iaido are understood as different expressions of the same human mechanics, practitioners gain adaptability, insight, and longevity in their practice.

Explore more martial scholarship, historical perspectives, and movement-based insights through the SMAA Library, and continue developing as a martial artist who understands not just what to do—but why it works. Have questions? Reach out! 

The Budo Origin of Judo

Why is it inaccurate to classify Judo as a sport, rather than budo?

In 1889, Dr. Kano Jigoro, founder of judo, said, "Judo is the study of techniques with which you may kill if you wish to kill, injure if you wish to injure, subdue if you wish to subdue, and, when attacked, defend yourself" (2). Judo was once widely considered a valid form of self-defense training. This is no longer true. Because it is sometimes thought of as an eccentric form of sport wrestling, many people do not take it seriously as a form of self-defense. This is especially true of the students of other budo. Yet Dr. Kano's statement makes it clear that he considered judo to be effective self-protection. Kano Sensei intended that randori (unrehearsed, free practice) be the primary training method followed closely by kata (rehearsed, formal exercises). Shiai (competition) was clearly last in his priorities (3).

We have defined the problem; now what do we do to solve it? I believe that judo is dynamic, versatile, and expansive enough to serve the needs and interests of all who practice it. I also feel the SMAA is an organization which can re-unite the various factions of judo.

Read more in our latest article.

Join an Authentic Japanese Martial Arts Organization

In the SMAA Judo Division, competition is an optional means of testing one's physical and technical skills and a method of bringing out the best in oneself. Participation in competition is not required.

To get more details about joining our traditional martial arts organization, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here.

Notes:

1. Modern Budo and Bujutsu; Donn Draeger; pg. 112.
2. Judo Formal Techniques; Draeger and Otaki; pg. 23.
3. Ibid., pgs. 23-31.

Judo: the Schism Between Sport and Budo

Is judo a sport or budo? 

The late Mr. Donn Draeger said, "Modern judo is commonly described as a sport, a fighting art, a spiritual discipline, a system of physical education and a recreational activity." Budo and sports have in common regular physical training in specific skills and routines. Sports are designed to provide physical fitness, entertainment and, through competition, the attainment of awards, monetary gain, and/or public acclaim. Budo has as its ultimate goal the perfection of the practitioner's moral and spiritual self.

Mr. Draeger goes on to point out that a true definition of judo is elusive because the narrow interests of a few have been allowed to dominate the scope of judo (1). When people decide to study budo they usually come with several goals in mind. They often want to learn self-defense skills foremost. There is also a desire to improve their health and physical fitness. Finally, there is the desire to improve their mind and spirit. Budo teaches discipline, respect, humility, dignity, and compassion.

There is a clear schism in judo between the sport enthusiasts and the traditionalists. Sport judo today is dedicated primarily to the development of contest champions. The overall goal of championship training produces a very steep pyramid structure to the judo population. Increasingly, only the strongest and most gifted athletes are engaged in regular competition to ascend to the pinnacle of victory. In the pragmatic training necessary for victory in this game, self-defense training and the development of spiritual growth is often neglected.

Read more in our latest article.

Join an Authentic Japanese Martial Arts Organization

In the SMAA Judo Division, competition is an optional means of testing one's physical and technical skills and a method of bringing out the best in oneself. Participation in competition is not required.

To get more details about joining our traditional martial arts organization, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here.

Notes:

1. Modern Budo and Bujutsu; Donn Draeger; pg. 112.

2. Judo Formal Techniques; Draeger and Otaki; pg. 23.

3. Ibid., pgs. 23-31.

Okinawa Te, the Empty-Handed Fighting System of Okinawa

Modern karate has a long and rich history. Have you heard of Okinawa te, and its role in modern karate?

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Okinawans had developed a system of unarmed combat called Okinawa te or tode. This art was supposedly enhanced by the influence of Chinese emissaries in the 17th century, who introduced kata, or “forms,” and other Chinese principles. 

Okinawa te is often described as having developed in three main areas around the towns of Naha, Tomari, and Shuri, and it was taught secretly for centuries, usually within families. We often associate different emphasis in internal, external, and linear techniques as being representative of the tode from these three areas. Over time, this art also came to be called karate-jutsu (“Chinese-hand art”).

Master Ohtsuka Hironori, who had studied Shindo Yoshin Ryu jujutsu from an early age, intentionally made his karate-do as Japanese as possible. He also discarded techniques that he felt were ineffective and added much of his jujutsu technique. Due to Master Ohtsuka's commitment and innovation of technique, Wado Ryu has rapidly become one of the most popular karate-do systems throughout the world, and its early acceptance of jiyu kumite has enabled it to be very successful in competition.

Learn more in our latest article.

Learn More about Martial Arts History at an International Martial Arts Association

If you’re looking for an international martial arts association dedicated to preserving the authentic Japanese arts, you’re in the right place!

SMAA offers certification in authentic aikido, iaido, judo, jujutsu, and karate-do. If you’re interested in becoming a member, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here. We would love to add you to our ranks!

Bite-Sized Intro to Karate History

What’s the origin of the word “karate?”

Modern karate-do has its beginnings so far in the past that its earliest history is lost. What we do know is that the roots of Wado Ryu come from the martial arts traditions of China, Okinawa, and Japan. Those elements came together in the last century due to the efforts of a most amazing Japanese martial artist named Ohtsuka Hironori Sensei, or as Westerners would say it, Hironori Ohtsuka.

Karate is a term, which originally meant, "T'anghand.” This is in reference to the T'ang Dynasty of China from which the Okinawans adapted many karate-do concepts. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Okinawans had developed a system of unarmed combat called Okinawa te or tode. This art was supposedly enhanced by the influence of Chinese emissaries in the 17th century, who introduced kata, or “forms,” and other Chinese principles. 

Learn more in our latest article.

Learn More about Martial Arts History at an International Martial Arts Association

If you’re looking for an international martial arts association dedicated to preserving the authentic Japanese arts, you’re in the right place!

SMAA offers certification in authentic aikido, iaido, judo, jujutsu, and karate-do. If you’re interested in becoming a member, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here. We would love to add you to our ranks!

Ask Your Sensei Questions - Part 2

Have you ever actually asked your Sensei a question during practice?

Sensei Dave Lowry explains why it’s beneficial to ask questions, for both the student AND the teacher: 

I have spent too many evenings with too many older Japanese budo sensei, sitting over sake or beer, listening to them moan about all the questions they wished they’d asked their teachers when they had the opportunity. The fact is, whether it is transmitted through some magical osmosis or through the asking and answering of ongoing and detailed questions, the finer points of a budo must be passed on some way. If you have access to that magic osmosis, have at it. If not, you’d better start asking questions. And your teacher better be honest and sincere enough to answer them when it is appropriate to do so. More so, he must be brutally honest and sincere in admitting when he doesn’t know the answer—and he should be eager to work to find it out by asking his own teachers or other senior practitioners.

Learn more in our latest article.

Join Like-Minded Artists at an International Martial Arts Association

If you’re looking for an international martial arts association dedicated to preserving the authentic Japanese arts, you’re in the right place!

SMAA offers certification in authentic aikido, iaido, judo, jujutsu, and karate-do. If you’re interested in becoming a member, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here. We would love to add you to our ranks!

Ask Your Sensei Questions - Part 1

Do you think about the “why” of each move when you practice your art? 

Sensei Dave Lowry from SMAA tells us why it’s important to ask questions and be curious about your art:

If you are a beginner, if you have perhaps six or seven years in training, “I’m doing it this way because my teacher told me to” is absolutely an acceptable answer. Students at this level do not need to know all or even many of the whys of their art. Indeed, “knowing” too much of these whys can actually be an impediment to training at their level. Knowing something intellectually and “knowing” it with your body, at an instinctive, somatic level, are two very different things in the budo. This is consistent with the thoughts of the neo-Confucian philosopher Wang Yang-Ming (In Japanese, he’s known as Oyomei), who said that “To know and not to act is not yet to know.” Few dojo inhabitants are more irritating than the beginner budoka who “understands” all the theories and can explain them in detail, but who can’t “do” squat.

If, however, you are a more senior student, at perhaps fourth or fifth dan, with maybe fifteen or twenty years of experience, then the reply that “I’m doing it this way because my teacher told me to” is, frankly, not an adequate one. Your answer should not be the same answer as that of the beginners.

Yes, I know. There are those who will sagely explain to you and me the very different Japanese way of teaching and learning. “You don’t ask questions in the dojo,” they say. You just watch and copy your teacher.

To some extent, this is true. But it is also true that Japanese students, at advanced levels, do ask questions. It is also true—and this is important— that non-Japanese students of the budo face different challenges in trying to master these arts. They do not share the culture of the Japanese budo. There is much that can be taken for granted in a Japanese dojo that cannot be assumed similarly in a Western dojo. Further, who is to say that the “Japanese” way of teaching is the best and only method of transmission? (Suffice it to say that when I insist there are too many “teachers” of budo out there who don’t have the qualifications to do so, I am by no means talking about just Westerners.)

Learn more in our latest article.

Join Like-Minded Artists at an International Martial Arts Association

If you’re looking for an international martial arts association dedicated to preserving the authentic Japanese arts, you’re in the right place!

SMAA offers certification in authentic aikido, iaido, judo, jujutsu, and karate-do. If you’re interested in becoming a member, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here. We would love to add you to our ranks!

The Application of Riai

In our last blog, we talked about the meaning of riai. Now that we know what it means, what does it
look like in practice?

If you don’t understand the core principles behind the art, your techniques won’t look coherent. You’ll be doing something, but there won’t be a unity or cohesiveness. The techniques will look like disparate, unrelated actions. It will look choppity-chop.

So, if you were going to attack someone, what was the biggest worry? His sword hand, his right hand, would grab his sword and cut you in retaliation. Hence, you’d grab his right hand first, nullify it, and then punch him, kick him, slap him or dance with him. Whatever. Maybe, if you grabbed him with your left, you could draw out your own sword with your right hand. Just don’t give the guy a chance to draw his sword out.

The fear of the opponent drawing his sword out was why a lot of attacks in jujutsu begin with a wrist grab, and why it carried over into aikido. That’s what an attacker might do, way back in the old days.

Seen in that light, the reason why so many attacks by uke in aikido are those large, somewhat “unrealistic” swings with a knife-hand is that they replicate a sword attack.

The riai, therefore, can be superficial: it can mean, well, here’s the guy grabbing your hand. So you turn, twist his wrist and throw him. That’s what it means. Period. End of story.

Or you would have to dig deeper and deeper. WHY is uke going for your hand instead of trying to wrestle you down? Because in principle, in the old days, if his right hand was free, he’ll just take out his dagger or sword and stab you.

Just as kote gaeshi is a foundational technique in aikido, there are foundational techniques in other martial arts that, if properly understood, will enable an understanding in the riai not just of that technique, but of the entire curriculum.

Read more in our latest article.

Understand Riai, Get Certified in Martial Arts

If you’re committed to understanding the riai of your art, you can earn a martial arts certification at SMAA! To get started or ask questions, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here.

The Meaning of Riai

Have you heard the term “riai” in your martial art?

What does it mean?

My trusty Nelson kanji dictionary defines the two kanji that make up the word as meaning “reason,” or ri- (“principle”, “truth”) with “coming together, meeting, or harmonizing” (-ai). In other words, in budo, riai are the underlying principles behind a technique. That’s as simple an explanation as I can give, and in most cases, that’s enough. Riai, in a way, is similar to the word bandied about frequently in karate-do schools: bunkai (“analysis,” “reduction,” “parsing”). However, as the Nelson translated meanings make clear, they are somewhat different.

In any case, on a superficial level, riai is simply an explanation of the “meaning” of a technique, or waza.

Okay, Grasshopper, you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop right now, right? It can’t be as simple as all that.

So here it is: that definition of riai is good enough for most students. Certainly, for the average middle-class, suburban kid taking a “kurrottee” class in a shopping mall dojo, it’s plenty sufficient. We’re talking about students whose willingness to alter his/her mental, emotional, and spiritual attitudes to delve further into the culture and ethos of combative arts as precariously limited, after all. There’s nothing wrong with stopping there and letting them enjoy the experience, if that’s what the dojo is aiming for.

Read more in our latest article.

Understand Riai, Get Certified in Martial Arts

If you’re committed to understanding the riai of your art, you can earn a martial arts certification at SMAA! To get started or ask questions, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here.

The Land of the Living

What can you learn from watching your martial arts teacher?

Life is too short to aspire to mediocrity. It's better to shoot for the stars and only reach the moon. Nowhere is this truer than in the martial arts. To animate your martial arts with the spirit of greatness, choose the most profound role models you can find and follow them with an obsessive devotion. That's your best chance to receive the direct transmission of the deep spirit of your martial art. If and when you receive the direct transmission, keep in mind that it includes everything—the sounds in the room during your training sessions, the rare smile of your sensei, the warm air coming in through the windows, the pain of learning, the salty tears of exhaustion, the crushing pathos of washing your teacher's gravestone, and the incredible energy of great martial arts techniques executed with clarity, energy, and joy. The complexity and emotion of your martial arts should be very profound indeed.

It may not be easy to find such incredible role models or to recognize them when you do meet them. One way to hone your skill at discerning greatness is to get in front of it and pay close attention. Make every effort to find it, and when you do, study wholeheartedly with those who exemplify it.

That's it. Thinking back on your training, will you be able to say, "I truly did everything I could to give myself a chance at greatness?”

Read more in our latest article.

Start Your Path to Greatness at a National Karate Association

Ready to set your 2025 martial arts goals?

SMAA is a national karate association, but we offer more than just karate! As part of SMAA, you can also learn aikido, iaido, judo, and jujutsu. To take the first step on your martial arts journey, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here.

Missing from Our Lives

When you practice a kata, are you going through the motions, or are you putting your spirit into it?

The extraordinary musician, the exemplary painter, the best writer, the gifted singer, and the exceptional martial artist share a unique sort of magic. There's a depth to their performances that only a keen eye can see, only a sharp ear can hear. Their notes are not just notes, their brush strokes are not just brush strokes, their words are not just words, their voices are not just voices, and their kata are not just kata. Instead, they're a deep expression of a collection of meaningful experiences, distilled through countless hours of practice and years of reflection.

If you watch, read, or listen carefully enough, you can sense the depth of their technique. If you're lucky enough to have seen their teachers or role models, you'll also be able to see echoes of their predecessors in their art. That's an extraordinary expression of love... granting immortality to an artist by ensuring that his or her art is preserved in your body, mind, and spirit. The level of your tribute corresponds to how well you internalize the nuance of his technique and how well you understand and give life to the principles he held dear.

Lightweight players dominate today’s martial arts world. By that I don't mean people who are small in physical stature. Instead, I mean people who are small in character, technique, and aspirations. Consider carefully the school you plan to attend. Is the approach all about rank? Does the curriculum change frequently... is it more focused on variation than on depth? Are the lead instructors out of shape, mean spirited, or simply poor technicians?

Read more in our latest article.

Start Your Path to Greatness at a National Karate Association

Ready to set your 2025 martial arts goals?

SMAA is a national karate association, but we offer more than just karate! As part of SMAA, you can also learn aikido, iaido, judo, and jujutsu. To take the first step on your martial arts journey, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here.

Recognizing Nippon Jujutsu

How do you know you’re learning authentic jujutsu?

"I'm certain my teacher is showing us real Japanese-style jujutsu (or kenjutsu, bojutsu, etc.). Some of his movements are identical to the ones I've seen in samurai movies from Japan."

I’ve heard this before as well. So have Steve Fabian Sensei, Ohsaki Jun Sensei, Kevin Heard Sensei, Wayne Muromoto Sensei, and other longtime Nippon jujutsu teachers at SMAA. Speaking for myself, I’m sympathetic to anyone’s desire to have faith in their sensei, but this kind of statement reveals a huge lack of knowledge concerning Japanese martial arts in general.

Samurai movies are not usually produced by martial arts experts. Their goal isn’t educational, but aimed at entertainment, and real koryu bujutsu is often deceptively simple. It doesn’t necessarily look good on film. Those aren’t real swords in Seven Samurai, and while sometimes real martial artists are consulted in movie-making, their goal is still to entertain more than to recreate.

Explaining how to recognize authentic Nihon jujutsu, beyond asking for proof of certification from valid groups, is a huge subject. Fabian Sensei, a Director for the SMAA Jujutsu Division and seventh dan, did a fine job of addressing this for our journal. You can find his article here.

Read more in our latest article.

Learn More at an International Martial Arts Association

Are you researching a specific ryu, a particular dojo, or jujutsu in general? You can send your questions to leaders in the SMAA Jujutsu Division; we’ll be happy to help! For other questions about our international martial arts association, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here.

*Pictured in this blog: Stephen Fabian Sensei, Director of Traditional Jujutsu.

Categories of Classic Jujutsu

Did you know that there are different types of classic jujutsu?

In general, jujutsu during the Edo period was practiced by bushi, ashigaru (“foot soldiers”), torikata (“medieval police”), and civilians. In genuinely old systems it considered the fact that the bushi might be wearing armor and facing a similarly clad opponent, both of whom had to be able to fall safely as well as perform other actions while wearing two swords. The wearing of arms and armor limited how one could grapple and fall as well as the techniques that could be used.

Striking techniques were less common (to protect the hands and feet from being injured when hitting armor), and if they did exist, were sometimes done using the butt end of weapons. Joint locking techniques needed to consider where different pieces of armor came together, and in this sense, they had something in common with cutting with a sword. So, if you visit a dojo claiming to teach a version of really ancient jujutsu try to visualize the techniques you see in the context of two people wearing arms and armor. If you can’t see how the techniques could be done under these circumstances, you might want to ask the teacher about this.

Read more in our latest article.

Learn More at an International Martial Arts Association

Are you researching a specific ryu, a particular dojo, or jujutsu in general? You can send your questions to leaders in the SMAA Jujutsu Division; we’ll be happy to help! For other questions about our international martial arts association, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here.

*Pictured in this blog: Stephen Fabian Sensei, Director of Traditional Jujutsu.

Embracing the Beginner's Mind

Why is it important to approach martial arts with a beginner’s mind?

"Empty Your Cup" is a martial arts aphorism that virtually every student has heard. It refers to the idea that students should put aside their own thoughts and opinions and diligently try to do exactly as their instructor asks them to do. Whether one studies aikido, karate-do, jujutsu, or kendo, the requirement is the same: diligently and enthusiastically perform the techniques of your martial art, over and over, trying to match all the checkpoints provided by your teacher. The idea is that you should adopt a beginner's attitude, rather than an expert's, even if you are very accomplished. If you do so, you will find that your understanding and ability improve at a remarkable pace.

Outside the dojo, the attributes of a good martial artist—confidence, open-mindedness, positive attitude, and awareness—are tools for success. In life, as in the dojo, we keep what we embrace and lose what we reject. A human being with a big heart has room for many wonderful things!

Earn Your Martial Arts Certification at SMAA

Our dojo offers five unique divisions of authentic Japanese martial arts: aikido, iaido, judo, jujutsu, and karate-do. If you’re looking to earn a martial arts certification in any of these, SMAA is for you! To get started, call 734-720-0330 or submit a contact form here. We look forward to nurturing your Beginner’s Mind!

Things to Keep in Mind When Beginning a New Martial Art

Are you ready to start learning a new martial art?

Previous training in a martial art can impede your ability to perform the checkpoints of your new art. In fact, it's more than your mind that keeps you from doing your new art correctly; if you've studied another martial art, the chances are good that you learned things in a different way. The old movements are programmed into your nervous system and can take time to unlearn. By staying relaxed, focusing on the relationship between the technique and the principle that makes it work, and trying to work slowly and systematically, you can dramatically decrease the time it takes to unlearn the old and learn the new.

Inner dialog is another impediment to effective learning. Most of us have a sort of continuous conversation with ourselves, in which we constantly analyze, compare, discriminate, and predict. In situations where intellectual analysis is required, this dialog can be beneficial. However, when learning a physical skill, the dialog can actually impair our ability to experience the techniques in all their fullness. Martial arts are physical skills, and if our complete attention is focused on the moment, we are much more likely to absorb the subtle aspects of the techniques. Learning to quiet the mind is essential on the way to becoming an advanced martial artist.

Ego is one of the biggest hurdles to learning new skills, especially for those who have studied other arts previously. It's common for martial arts students to strongly identify with the system they've studied, and when they are offered new ways to accomplish martial arts goals, those new ways can seem strange or threatening. It's normal to experience a defensive reaction when asked to try something different, but the accomplished practitioner will learn that the reaction need not be acted upon. Instead, one can recognize that the reaction is a product of "self," a body of reflexive thoughts and feelings that may not actually represent who we are, and move through it toward the desired technique. Recognizing that learning to do things in new ways does not threaten who we are is an enormous step in becoming accomplished martial artists.

Earn Your Martial Arts Certification at SMAA

Our dojo offers five unique divisions of authentic Japanese martial arts: aikido, iaido, judo, jujutsu, and karate-do. If you’re looking to earn a martial arts certification in any of these, SMAA is for you! To get started, call 734-720-0330 or submit a contact form here. We look forward to nurturing your Beginner’s Mind!

Wayne Muromoto: Who, What, and Why

How does your personality impact your martial arts practice?

There are usually a couple of questions I ask potential students within the first month of training, or even before they begin training. I usually don’t ask it in so blunt a manner, but they are usually some form of “Who are you, what do you do, and why do you want to train with us?”

There are several reasons why I ask these questions, some obvious, and perhaps some not so apparent at first. Obviously, I want to get some idea of who you are. My club is so small that any new person will alter the group dynamics substantially, and so I want to know from the start what you are like, where you are coming from, and what kind of prior knowledge (and stereotypes) you are bringing to the training.

Who are you? What do you do? In America, we tend to categorize people based a lot on their occupation. It’s not that I’m a social snob. You don’t need to have a white-collar job. But if you are an adult, don’t have a job, and are mooching off someone else, I’m going to wonder if you can afford to help pay the monthly dues that covers our dojo rental fees. Also, what does that say about your ability to stick things out, to work hard at a concerted, extended effort?

What prior martial arts background do you have? Some martial arts will complement what we do. Some will only hinder you learning our own style, so I will have prior knowledge of what I need to be aware of. Perhaps your experiences and mindset are not the proper fit for what we do. I sometimes suggest other martial arts schools that prospective students might enjoy more than ours. We’re not the answer to everyone’s quest for the martial arts that suit their purposes.

Why do you want to train in our dojo? There’s actually no pat and simple answer for this. Of course, if you say something like “Because I need to fight the ninjas that are coming out of the walls in my padded room,” I may ask that you focus on taking your medication regularly instead of learning how to fight invisible ninja.

Ready to Start Earning Your Martial Arts Rank Certficate?

If you have the who, what, and why, we want to have you at SMAA!

At our dojo, you have your choice of five different divisions of Japanese martial arts. To start your journey towards an official martial arts rank certificate, call 734-720-0330 or submit a contact form here!

Wayne Muromoto: Why Practice Martial Arts?

Why do you want to practice martial arts?

When I thought about it, even I have a hard time establishing my reasons for doing budo in a set of short, simple sentences. So why even ask when I can’t answer my own question succinctly? And why ask the other questions if the case is that more often than not, I allow students to train, usually regardless of their social status or occupation?

The reason that’s not so apparent is that in the asking, I’m not just recording the quantitative answers: what your job is, what prior training you’ve done, why you want to train (even if you struggle on that last answer). I’m looking at your answers in a qualitative way. How are you answering the questions? What kind of emotional and personality traits are you exhibiting when you talk about yourself, past teachers, past training? Are you SAYING all the right words, but are your mannerisms and body language in opposition to the words coming out of your mouth? Then there’s something not quite right with what you’re saying.

Two people can say the same things, but how they say it and their body language may tell me totally different things about those two.

“Oh, I trained/am still training in X martial arts, but I’m really not that good at it…” That’s the usual way people will talk about their martial arts experience. There’s humble, though, and there’s false humility. One person can smile self-deprecatingly, shake his head, and the entire body language will show humility and a willingness to learn something new. Another person, like a short-term student I encountered some months ago, said the right words, but he puffed out his chest, stuck his chin out and looked down his nose when he said it, as if his words were saying, “I’m humble and willing to learn,” but his body was saying “But I’m a badass!” He didn’t last all that long. His cup was too full, and he had a hard time adjusting to our training. Moreover, he didn’t think anything about showing up with patches up and down his training outfit promoting his other martial arts style. And he wasn’t a badass. He was just bad.

In a way, talking to prospective new students is like speed dating. How do you get a handle on this new person in only a few minutes, who might barge into your life and stick around every training session, three hours a week, week in and week out, through a cursory interview? You can end a speed date right away if your creep-o-meter senses that the potential partner is a jerk. But a jerk in the dojo may hang around for a long time. 

And if you are that new student, are you self-aware enough to know what kind of impression you are conveying to other people, not just in the dojo, but also in the rest of your life? Is that impression positive or negative? Are your words saying one thing, but is your body language giving away your true nature, and is that nature something you actually like or is it time for a change in attitude?

Ready to Start Earning Your Martial Arts Rank Certficate?

If you have the who, what, and why, we want to have you at SMAA!

At our dojo, you have your choice of five different divisions of Japanese martial arts. To start your journey towards an official martial arts rank certificate, call 734-720-0330 or submit a contact form here!