Saino Kon Ki
I have been reflecting on the 2009 Bujinkan Theme, Sainou Kon Ki. It is also expressed as Sainou Tamashii Utsuwa. I am writing to make some connections that we can use in our training and make it more applicable to our day to day lives, living Ninpo (which is kind of redundant) if you will. The translations I have seen from various Dai Shihan and watching Soke Hatsumi’s videos and reading his books that reference this speak to roughly three things:
Skill/Talent (Talent implies natural ability, something innate. Skill is learned or acquired and can be gained and lost)
Container or Capacity
Spirit or Soul/Essence
When we look at these components we can see how our skill in martial arts is variable. It can be gained or lost and is determined by our effort and ability to both know ourselves (Talent) and also work to grow our abilities. This can be with anything not just martial arts. We have to begin with awareness of where we are in order to grow and change. This takes a level of honesty many people struggle to acknowledge towards themselves because we at least in the USA live in a culture that encourages ego. This level of honesty, just to begin to identify where we are so we can move where we want to go, is difficult. So it all starts with honest self awareness. Skill is something we can acquired over time through 忍.
Both Talent and Skill determine our ability to impact an experience in life. It is what we are able to do to navigate a given moment. As Budoka, we can see this through how we can handle/deal with an attacker or opponent. You can even break this down into how we can navigate receiving an attack, as both tori and uke, In/Yo. So this goes back to the beginning and Taihenjutsu. In life, we can also see how we are able to work with and navigate other’s actions, communications, and expression of their own emotions. We can also deepen its meaning to how well we can navigate our emotions, thoughts, and intended actions and how those impact our own life and the lives of those around us. A question to ask ourselves is to see how well can we skillfully navigate the world around us through our actions and impact on ourselves first and then the external world second. How do you want to show up in your life, for the world?
Container or Capacity is the opposite of Talent/Skill. So again we see this as an aspect of In/Yo, Ura/Omote. This compnent is about how well we can “be” not just what we can “do”. This is about having “guts” as Soke Hatsumi has discussed in class. How much can we “endure”, be present with, without being moved off balance, because we are able to flow with Buffu Ikkan “The martial winds.” This is Fudo Shin, not being rigid or like a rock, but being open and allowing and present with difficulties and pleasantries, because both can be unbalancing. This allows us to make the correct decision in what to do, but this is determined by our Capacity and what we are able to “hold” without reacting. This is learning to respond instead. No response is a response, and it is an active and conscious choice.
The third component is Spirit or Soul. This is about putting our energy, and intentions into our being (Capacity) and doing (Talent/Skill) in our lives. If we are able to be fully in our presence and allow the intensity of our martial spirit to flow through everything we do, then we are learning to live like a Ninja. This is not easy and requires continuous training, shedding of ourselves, and endurance of pain (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual), to build our Saino Kon Ki. It is through training our Spirit grows and is fortified and centered. We have to build a place for it to live (Container) and know how to use it to bring balance into a space (Talent/Skill).
I amusingly typed Saino Kon Ki into Google translate and it read “this is the season.” I wonder if Soke Hatsumi also mean that this can all change and it is up to us to determine what season we are in within training and life.
Some musing to ponder. If you want to learn how to do this… get in the fucking dojo!
Ninpo Ik-kan!
-Kevin