Seibukan Jujutsu Philosophy
Based on ancient tradition, Seibukan Jujutsu has been developed to meet the needs of the modern day warrior. The modern day warrior is a reflection of modern times, the global community that exists now and the inherent challenges we face in the integration of the various cultures forming this global community. The warrior is the reflection of the individual as well as the race.
Characteristics of the modern day warrior are many. The warrior’s power is based on a commitment to the principles of unity and compassion, not on fear and anger. Action to resolve conflict springs forth from love and, in this way, nurtures life.
The warrior’s role extends into taking responsibility in educating others to possibilities and actions in living a nonviolent life. There is a continual agreement with oneself to adhere to a life of peace.
The modern day warrior is moved to a path of personal growth, seeking self- realization through physical and spiritual action. Incorporated in this goal is the knowledge of non-attachment to results. The warrior knows the journey is the process, the actions taken are reflections of inner movement. The outcome is a by-product.
The new warrior is able to become angry or remain calm, hold his ground or go with the flow, doing so naturally, for the energy of aggression is transmuted and channeled into effortlessness, which is the essence of the practice of Seibukan Jujutsu.
In times of conflict, in polarizations of issues, the warrior may take sides, but chooses freely and consciously, aware of outcomes. In this way, the warrior does not blindly follow orders without understanding. The Seibukan student, as a warrior strives for right action, training his mind to penetrate the complexity of human behavior and thinking and to find moral action, whether on the mat, in the Dojo, in day-to-day issues or affairs facing humanity as a whole.
The Seibukan Jujutsu warrior is consciously working for self-mastery, autonomy and seeking right action. The warrior is actively aware of his own internal, self-created battles. He is creator of his own rules of behavior, knowing disciplines and traditional virtues and finding ways to balance himself. He seeks the solution, rather than focus on the problem.
The modern day warrior is constantly being tested in emotional, physical and spiritual conflicts. Because of this, he is willing to take risks. Being “out there”, he has been training in courage and can now reach the place of authenticity, the ability to be himself. The warrior is not afraid to assume consequences, whether for success or failure.
The warrior does not see failure as an end, but rather a reminder to get back on the path and keep going. To get back on the path requires looking at what doesn’t work, and finding what does. It is a time of feedback, reassessment and taking a new approach. There is no giving up. Learn ukemi (the art of falling) well, because achieving a goal requires getting up one more time.
In losing, the warrior takes death as a friend, for losing and death are inevitable. The warrior seeks to improve himself through mistakes, keeping an open mind, to see strengths and weaknesses, and not seeing himself as a victim or scapegoat. Therefore, violence is not spread.
Seibukan Jujutsu practitioners can experience no limitations by living the martial way. It offers students an opportunity to enhance what already exists in previous martial arts training and allows the student experiences in feeling confident, skillful and empowered. As a modern martial art system it allows the student to see strengths and weaknesses. Through the skills developed in this martial system the student experiences the self-protection aspect as well as its healing capabilities. Practitioners can grow and change as societies and cultures change. This system evolves to meet the constant changing needs of society.
The integration of the physical and mental aspects of Seibukan Jujutsu serves as a base for the student’s spiritual development. As students become more serious in their study of Seibukan Jujutsu, the philosophical background is applied and strengthened. For most practitioners, this philosophy has profound influence on their daily life.
There are three fundamental principles in Seibukan Jujutsu; Awareness, Assessment and Action. While the student will first be introduced to these in their martial arts context, with practice they will become tools for use in daily life.
Awareness pertains to being mentally and physically present in the moment. The aware person uses his knowledge and intuition to see and feel what is going on around him at all times. Recognizing a situation and accepting it for what it is (rather than what we might want it to be) demonstrates a high level of awareness. In self-protection and personal development, by accepting our skills and trusting our abilities, we can attain a heightened sensitivity, whether in a potential conflict situation or in daily life. Through awareness, we can make positive changes by recognizing our emotions, thoughts and behavior. Our thoughts and feelings can then lead us toward the next step in life. All the negative thinking, limiting beliefs and doubts we have about ourselves, which hold us back from reaching our goals and dreams, can be replaced with positive attitudes, true desires and constructive action. We can create a life of satisfaction, joy and freedom. Through awareness, we can take charge of our life, use our power, and be able to choose our path.
Assessment pertains to the process of gathering as much accurate information as possible about our surroundings and ourselves in a physically or emotionally demanding situation. In a self-protection encounter, being able to identify as much detail as possible: clothing, voice, armed or unarmed, numbers involved, barriers and openings, is vital. The more skillfully you can read a dangerous situation, the more assertive you can be in taking appropriate action. Gathering information about ourselves can be beneficial in the learning process of Seibukan Jujutsu and help clear the path and attain desired goals. Gains towards self-mastery can be accomplished through researching our history and ancestors, along with understanding our conditioning from family and society. In our system, students have many opportunities to monitor their progress before becoming black belt. As you evaluate yourself before a test or pre-test, you gain confidence and trust in the process. The combination of awareness and assessment leads to taking appropriate action.
Action is the result of making a decision to alter or accept a situation. Not done lightly, taking action requires trust, commitment and willingness. Taking action is a conscious act with complete awareness and all available information gathered to attain your true desires.
In Seibukan Jujutsu we use three forms of action to alter a situation; Prevention, Relaxation, and Safety.
Prevention means avoiding a physical confrontation whenever possible. In Seibukan Jujutsu, practitioners develop trust and confidence in their skills and therefore recognize they have a better than average chance of protecting themselves in a physical confrontation. This knowledge and trust makes it unnecessary for the practitioners to prove themselves. With clear awareness and quick, accurate assessment the student can easily walk away from a conflict feeling empowered and assertive, rather than feeling defeated or like a loser.
Relaxation means avoiding the use of force. Taking action with verbal communication can be a powerful decision in applying relaxation. If you are unable to retreat from the situation, verbal de-escalation is the next most appropriate action. In initiating verbal de-escalation, communicate clearly, use defusing techniques and listen actively. Maintain a safe position and a deep, calm but firm voice. During this stage it is important not to send messages that could be perceived as escalating behavior.
Safety means the confrontation became physical and the Seibukan Jujutsu student uses only what is necessary to control and subdue the attacker without unnecessary violence. To do this, the student must maintain awareness and continue assessing the situation. Whenever possible, call for help. In an emotional or verbal confrontation, express your truth, set your boundaries, and avoid judgment. “Safety” expresses the intention not to cause serious injury or death, but chances of these are possible. “Safety” is the intent, but not necessarily the outcome in a violent confrontation.
In the practice of Seibukan Jujutsu, we must keep in mind three elements for effective application of techniques: Distraction, Angles and Leverage.
Distraction takes the mind of the attacker to a place in his body, away from where the technique is to be applied. This can be done in a variety of ways: Strikes to vital points of the body, and affecting pressure point along any area of the 14 meridians (energy pathways) of the body. The next step is to find the Angle. In every technique there is a third point of triangulation, an area of weakness which, if used properly, will unbalance the attacker. The third element is Leverage. By finding the attacker’s center and aligning it with the third point of balance, leverage can be created to bring an attacker to the ground. Proper leverage is necessary for techniques to work effortlessly.
Seibukan Jujutsu offers practitioners opportunities to develop physical skills for effective self-defense, thereby increasing overall physical fitness, self-discipline, awareness and self-confidence. This system’s unique structure allows students to learn and progress at their own pace, maximizing their ability to absorb the knowledge and physical skills necessary to achieve their goals as martial artists. With consistency, perseverance and commitment to daily practice, practitioners can experience the unification of body, mind and spirit.
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