Keiko and Kamiza

For the samurai keiko, or practice, would be first from his father,
then from others in the han, and perhaps then, if he had the time
and the inclination he would seek out a sensei, either individually,
or enrol in a dojo.

Central to the life of the dojo is the kamiza - the spirit corner -
one bows on entry, one bows on departure. it's the first and last
thing you do.

The kamiza of a dojo will reference the founder of the Ryu – a
portrait, some caligraphy, anything that recollects the founder,
or founding spirit, will suffice.

Whatever, the kamiza signifies the essence of what the ryu is about.

The sensei, that is the principal teacher, is the embodiment of that
which is presented by the kamiza. This does not mean the sensei
is a kami, a figure of divine reverence, but the meaning of sensei is
'one who is born before', the sensei is further along the road than
his disciple.

The stories of a disciple's devotion to his sensei are many and
legendary. Almost every ryu has some tale of such, and alongside
them are the tales of the rigours endured by the disciple along the
path at the hands of his master. Kil Bill II shows how this has
entered popular consciousness.

(Mention should also be made of the soke - the direct descendant of
the founder. The soke is not necessarily the senior instructor, but
the superior swordsman will show all due reverence towards his soke
out of respect.)

This relationship is founded on Shinto principle, of reverence
towards one's ancestor, be it by birth or by calling. It was later
developed by Shingon and Zen, then later again by Confucian and
Taoist principles, this last by which the Tokugawa bakafu managed to
build the cult of obligation and obedience with which to control the
fiercely independent samurai - a class marked by its vanity and its
pride.

Towards the end of the Sengoku Zen become the language of the
swordsman's development, even if the practice was founded in Shinto,
Shingon, etc. Dave Lowry, in Autumn Lightning, expresses it thus:

"Katsujinken, satsujinken (the sword that gives life, the sword that
destroys life) is an adage that has been brushed on inspirational
scrolls hung in Yagyu ryu dojo and on certificates and teaching
licenses awarded to its bugeisha.  It is found in the treatises
written by Munenori and others. More importantly than anywhere
else, katsujinken, satsujinken must be inscribed on the hearts of the
practitioners of the ryu. In a way, it is at the very core of what
the Yagyu tradition is all about."

It is these structures, I think, that largely precluded the mystique
of the sword as we westerners view it. The devotion to an object
simply does not fit the mindset. The object of mystery, and the
object of the swordsman's devotion, in any literature I have read,
is always the master, be he a distant founder or one's immediate
sensei.

Just some thoughts on recent discussions.

Thomas