Kaze Uta Budo Kai Forum Archive

I would like to express my thanks to all of you who participated in this years kangeiko-- this is a physically and energetically challenging event but i am always gratified with the interesting results -- some of the inspirations for doing such a strange practice form came from my zen training and also from remembering the long lost clinic madness of yesteryear (the 80's) , (where the really crazy folks (KITTY, BRIAN, WILL , JIM , CHUCK, GEORGE, GREG, ETC....OH YEA ME TOO--on occasion) would randori all night if you let em --Henry would always be gentle in shutting it down so the rest could finally sleep on that squeeky mat), but probably the main inspiration comes from a a lesson KG gave many years ago about communicating with the subconscious-- he said that the the subconscious responds to change or difference-- sameness tends to put it to sleep and go on auto pilot-- but when difference occurs , it kindof wakes up and shifts gears-- over the years i have used that teaching by experimenting with my own response to altering the frame work of "standard practices" -- anything from changing the direction we face to do the walk, to varying the order of kata , to expanding and fooling around with ma-ai at different ranges (like we do in owaza and sankata)
Anyhow one of the neat things kangeiko does for me to to function as a re-framing of all my budo "standard practices" and i am always suprised at the creative and stimulating effects by merely taking simple -taken for granted- really basic stuff and applying a different mind set and awareness to them-- stuff like bowing, falling, stepping into range, making contact, quality of touch, eye contact,visceral awareness, movement and stillness all start getting really juicy to my subconscious and i get a fresh view and new appreciation for all the real wisdom embodied in the fundamental practices that make up our budo training. It becomes readily apparent that I am just beginning to appreciate the depth and profundity of our traditions and practices. Thanks be to all the line of teachers who kindly sent these arts our way. and thanks be to all the students who pick them up and send them on into the future.
The alternating schedule between the meditation and the budo activity, the function of silence, the interaction effects of zen, dance, chi gung and budo and just the basic relentlessness of the experience, all provide an amazing opportunity to wake up to the realities just under our noses but that tend to slip into invisibility because we "already know that" -- interesting how the function of "knowing" makes stuff disappear in a way. and how cool is it when it reappears and you get to see it like a beginner again
So thank you again --one and all -- your willingness to step out of the box of normality for an evening/morning really gives me alot to work with for the coming year. Happy Christmas-- nick