Innovative Budo - The Martial Way
Budo, translated as "Martial Way," is, and always has
been, about cultivating and harmonizing the mind/spirit,
body and breath to ever seek excellence and joy in every
aspect of life. The Martial Way is not about soldiering,
war, fighting, aggression, etc. Throughout history, those
who subscribed to the Martial Way also studied and fully
appreciated the finer arts, such as poetry, music, history,
calligraphy and phoilosophy... hence, the "Peaceful Warrior."
“A Peaceful Warrior must respond with his/her opponent, in the same way that the moon, reflected on a body of water, responds with the movements of the waves and current, neither swimming against them nor being carried away by them. A warrior must embrace his/her opponent, flow and adapt flexibly with the opponent’s mental and physical movements while neither resisting them nor allowing himself/herself to be dominated by them.”
- Axiom of the Moon on the Water - Sui Getsu Kai Aiki-Jujitsu - J.Martin Raine-Okubo & Orlando Aguilar, 1996In today’s society, few people follow a philosophy about how to live. The Martial Way, known as “Budo,” or “Way of the Warrior,” once a unique life philosophy followed only by the kizoku and warriors (e.g. Samurai of Japan or Hwarang of Korea) centuries ago, proved to be very practical and effective. Afterall, in battle, their lives depended on it. However, in peace time, it enriched one’s everyday experiences as well as sharpened ones ability to navigate through life and succeed in meeting and overcoming challenges.
Simply put, the Peaceful Warrior, equally adept, is trained and ready for anything and everything at all times.
The Peaceful Warrior is free to conduct his/her studies from a purely philosophical perspective. I want to emphasize that the “Martial Way” is not Buddhism, Taoism or any other Easter Religion, albeit, most Eastern Religions have strong philosophical foundations and began as philosophies, not methods of worship.
Is the "warrior" mind-set applicable today?
Absolutely! Even in peace time civilized societies, there is not a day that goes by where there is not some kind of challenge of some degree or another, anticipated or not, that we face. Are we, at all times, totally ready to meet this challenge with our best game?
The "warrior" mind-set will make you better at whatever path you choose to follow.
SGK follows the “Way of the Warrior.” Today’s Peaceful Warrior does not necessarily need to be verse in martial arts and battle strategy. But, they should still possess the same sharp resilient mind-set. Unlike the life-death battles where the ultimate goal was to achieve victory, today, a goal could be “harmony,” or to yield (seeming defeat) to gain leverage in a situation.
“Gaining enlightenment is like the moon reflecting in the water. The moon does not get wet, nor is the water disturbed. Although its light is extensive and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle. The whole moon and sky are reflected in a dewdrop in the grass.”
- Zen Poem - Dogen Zenji - thirteenth century
"The romantic image of the moon overlooking a body of water has been a favorite subject for artists, musicians, and writers because of its beauty, power and mystery. Each phase of the moon creates a certain energy; regulating the ocean’s tides and the natural menstrual cycles of women. We can look to the relationship between the moon and water as a perfect example of how to follow our own natural rhythms... using the strong energies to connect to our intentions and true desires."
-Axiom of the Water on the Moon - AED & CPR Training
- Tara Boles, CEO 2009 www.Multi-Hazard.org
Hatsu Un Jin Do
by G. Funakoshi
"Parting the Cloud, Seeking the Way"
Affinity Institute for Innovative Living
Budo - Martial Way
