Austere Training / Shugyo

[Dana Sheets]

The continued and constant study of Sanchin can easily be thought of as a form of "austere training." This concept, present in societies throughout history, is often associated with Chinese Buddhist practices as well as Japanese Zen practices.

In short this kind of training invites the practitioner to find their limit and then exceed it. It is a commitment of discipline, body, and time with main goal being to forge the spirit. "Spirit" in this sense embodies the concepts of tenacity, determination, focus, mind/over matter, and possibly enlightenment.

In contemporary US society this kind of practice is often thought of a "new-age" or "extreme." Friends of mine who have observed sanchin training often shake their heads at the ritualism of the tradition and are not clear how such training could be enjoyable.

Self-improvement is not always enjoyable. Sanchin training asks each person who undertakes its study to start a journey of personal exploration and self-discipline. It is not an effective method for everyone but for those have dedicated multiple years and hundreds upon thousands of hours - it is a method that continually challenges those who train.

Below are a couple of excerpts on austere training - mostly related to the Japanese and Korean traditions as they relate to martial arts. These concepts also apply because Kanbun Uechi studied in China at the very end of the Meiji era (which ended in 1912.) So it is very likely that Kanbun was knowledgeable of both Japanese and Chinese concepts of Buddhism and their practices.

*Note* If you have Japanese characters loaded onto your computer there are several in the excerpts below. If you don't you'll see some odd substitutes. I'm still looking for a few good online articles related to chinese practices.
Dana
___________________

source:
http://www.doshikai.org/newsletters/200 ... Shugyo.pdf

Shugyo (1)
Raymond Sosnowski

28 January 2000; 23 April 2002 (revised); 6 September 2003 (expanded)

The Japanese term “shugyo” is generally translated as “austere training,” and seems to originate with the training of the Samurai during the “Pax Tokugawa,” an unprecedented period of internal peace from the mid-1600’s through the mid-1800’s. The purpose of shugyo is to “forge the spirit,” remaking a practitioner’s character through hard physical and mental training. As the heirs of the feudal samurai, modern budo-ka, especially practitioners of Aikido, Iaido, Jodo, Kendo, and Kyudo, have shugyo built
into their training regime; for example, aikido-ka have randori (free-practice in arts like Aikido, Jujutsu and Judo, which can include multiple opponents), iaido-ka have the practice of “one-thousand cuts,”
kendo-ka have godo keiko, and all have gasshuku (long periods of intense training).

http://www.tsuki-kage.com/shugyo.html
May 10th, 1999 (last revised 7/23/2003)

"Weakening the physical senses by practicing austerities is one way to allow the spiritual senses to become stronger. Activities like Zazen, fasting, ascetic practices in the mountains, and so on exhaust the body and allow the spiritual senses to become more active."
Onisaburo Deguchi, Founder of Otomo Religion (Aikido Journal, Vol.25, No.1)

Shugyo (修行) may be defined literally as "conducting oneself in a way that inspires mastery". While the meaning of the kanji used in "shu" was originally translated as 'using a brush to strike away the dust that obscures the viewing of a persons original elegance', the combined kanji of "shu" and "gyo" (carrying out, walking along) is now generally translated as simply "severe or austere training". The kanji rendered for this version of "shugyo" is most commonly associated with Buddhist asceticism, and most notably, the "shugenja" (修験者, ascetic mountain-dwelling monks).

In addition to ascetic Buddhism, the act of shugyo can be applied to any serious endeavor or "michi" (path). For example, the term "musha shugyo" (武者 修行, an exponent of martial [arts] conducting themselves in a way that inspires mastery) refers to a "knight-errantry" tour, a practice of travelling around the country in order to train and test their martial skills that was followed by many serious budo-ka of pre-Meiji Japan (and to a lesser degree post-Meiji). The kanji used in the term "shushi" (修士, master) also combines the same shu character with the character for "man" (alternately read as "samurai"). The implication of this kanji combination is that the person, and perhaps only the person, that follows the way of austere training can obtain the skill level of a "master".

A related term worth mentioning is "kugyo" (苦行), which translates literally as "carrying on while suffering", and is understood functionally as referring to asceticism, penance, or mortification.

In centuries past, shugyo were periods of time where the adherent (usually certain types of monks or warriors) would submit themselves to extreme conditions - mentally, spiritually and physically, in order to achieve certain enhanced or enlightening experiences. This was viewed as an important forging process that, among other things, taught one what their actual limitations were; or more appropriately, what their lack of limitations were.

source:
http://www.hwarang.org/Ancienthistory.html

Who were the Hwarang?

By David Bannon, Ph.D.

You can still go there today. Nestled high in a wooden dale, remote and hidden on Tansok Mountain, lies the Korean temple Shinson, which means "Spirit of Supernatural Being." Outside of Kyongju, past the small village of Ujunggok, climb down to the stream and hike up through the pottery kilns of the village, following a trail to the right of the stream through a terraced rice field. Near several rock slides, the trail crosses the stream and begins a sharp ascent up the left slope. This path reaches a higher valley to the left of the main valley. Hike from the village over an hour, and like the Hwarang warriors of old, enter the grounds of Shinson temple (Shinson-sa), which gained fame during the Silla period when Kim Yushin used these mountain ridges as his training area for the Hwarang.

Historians have been fascinated by the Hwarang in recent years. While there is significant historical material concerning the Hwarang warriors as an institution, there are still considerable mystery and speculation as to their function. We don't know that generals from the Silla period - which took place from BC 57- 935 AD; Korean year Silla Founder King Hyok Gosoi 1 to Korean year Sill 56th King Kyongsun 9 - claimed early training with the Hwarang movement. Probably because of this, the Hwarang have become known as "Korean Silla knighthood," with the word hwarang often being translated as "flower knights," though it literally means "flower of manhood," or "flowering manhood."

Modern martial artists should be wary of such simplistic interpretations, though, for the Hwarang movement has no similarities to the knights of medieval Europe. Some believe that Hwarang-do and Japanese Bushido are similar way of warriorship, but the Hwarang movement pre-dates Bushido, and did not gain the political influence of the Samurai class. Silla youth did not remain Hwarang for life, as did the Samurai, and were not born into the class and its privileges. Instead, Koreans and practitioners of Korean martial arts may take special pride in the heritage of the Hwarang movement - a unique spiritual and physical training that has never been duplicated in Korea or anywhere else in the world.

Hwarang Beginnings

The Hwarang were a group of aristocratic young men who gathered to study, play and learn the arts of war. Though the Hwarang were not a part of the regular army, their military spirit, their sense of loyalty to king and nation, and their bravery on the battlefield contributed greatly to the power of the Silla army.

It should be noted the Hwarang-do was a philosophical and religious code followed by valiant warriors - not a fighting style or combat technique in itself. Generally, King Chinhung (534-576; 24th Silla King, reigned 540-576) is acknowledged to have organized Hwarang-do as a philosophical study in the 37th year of his reign. The Hwarang spread their influence throughout the Korean pennisula and excelled in archery - mounted and unmounted. Though they practiced fencing, no set fencing or unarmed combat styles developed from the Hwarang warriors. Instead, they focused on studying Chinese classics and military strategies, as well as the fighting arts, and in July and August, an annual national festival was conducted for the Hwarang to demonstrate martial skills.

But it was in their devotion to furthering the unity and well-being of the nation as a whole that the Hwarang played their most important role. They went in groups to the mountains - for physical training, to enjoy the beauties of nature, and to make their peace with the Spirit of the Mountain. They were highly literate, and they composed ritual songs and performed ritual dances whose purpose was to pray for the country's welfare. They also involved themselves directly in intellectual and political affairs.

The Hwarang movement appeared to be a type of schooling for the sons of Silla's aristocrats; however, there are cases of sons of low ranking parents belonging to this elite group. The movement was certainly royally supported as kings themselves served as Hwarang before taking their responsibilities on the throne.

The Hwarang movement was a Korean warrior corps that adhered to strict philosophical and moral codes. Most of the great military leaders of the Silla Dynasty had been Hwarang. Their exploits were recorded in The Records of the Hwarang (Hwarang Segi) by the Eighth Century scholar Kim Tae-mun. Although this book has not survived, passages and synopses were recorded by Kim Pu-sik (1075-1151), the Koryo historian said to have compiled the History of the Three Kingdoms (Samguk Sagi) in 1145.

[maxwell ainley]

Hi Dana ,
The three to four year sanchin provides everything that a student would receive at that level by way of shugo .it was in our system at that level for multi reasons .
tomorrow I will devote 8hrs to sanchin as a extreme top up shugo ,I will start things at 6.30 with a fast walk with the dogs for 1hr then 4 hr in the dojo with a 20 min break for a light nutrious drink .then back again for the remaining 4 hrs.
max.

[maxwell ainley]

Due to our life we can't always devote extended periods of time to shugo activity .As Dana points out sanchin done over ex no of years is a shugo ,but sometimes its on our terms ,and this involves less time on sanchin than a weekend short burst ,or a full week intensive program will provide .
The difficulty in carring out either of these programs ;is the abilty to have the will to do it ,I would propose that the all uechi students test themselves periodically within those types of frameworks .
The three year sanchin is a very difficult shugo to carry out ,its difficulty lays in the fact that the other two programs are short in duration ,and you can go back to your normal [normal activities yet taking great value to further propel these more normal yearly activities .
With the three to four year sanchin there is no were to return ,shugo three year sanchin is daily ,the only ways out are to either pack it in or integrate it with other subject study ,this will provide types of instant relief from this intense shugo type sanchin .
The will is paramount in these shugo activities .

Yesterday; the will of the body was stretched ,the will of the mind too ,and the will of spirit .

[Dana Sheets]

Glad you made it through your day Max. Doesn't sound like it was easy - which is as it should be. Perhaps others (myself included) will find the time to try a similar day of training.

cheers,
Dana

[cxt]

Don't know if it helps but we do a gasshuku once a year.
4 stright days of pretty non-stop training.

[maxwell ainley]

cxt, yes it does help ,if you feel inclined please tell us about the gasshuku.

max.

[cxt]

Usually do it the last week of May or June, we rent a camp, usually a YMCA camp out in the sticks.

Practice starts about 6:AM, warm ups, some simple drills, calistenic's, some running, some work on the makiwara.
Lasts till about 8:00.

(digging the pits is part of the warm-up on the first day.)

Light breakfast around 8:00, then a hard workout (drills, two man work, bunkai, sparring, etc) from about 8:30 till around 12:30 break for Lunch, then another 4 hours hours of training.

Dinner, then various workshops, discussions groups, etc, depending on how evil the folks running it feel there is sometimes a night workout. ( very little warning given on that one)

Kinda goes like that for 4 days, only real difference is that the last day includes a formal testing (only time/place folks can test for certain ranks) and a round robin sparring tournament--no awards of trophies for the sparring, just one of the activities.

Biggest part of the duties of the upper ranks is making sure that everyone gets plenty of water, food and rest.
Number of medical doc's in our group

(used to find that comforting, now I wonder why we need so many )

Still not sure that really fits topic of Shugyu or not. Just what we do.

[maxwell ainley]

cxt,Thanks.

Yes it is of a shugo character,its more intensive ,take that experience back to your normal routines , great stuff.

max.