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Column Tools
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joiseyshowaa/8108364648/
Golden sunrise atop Mt Minsi by joiseyshowaa
Some schools maintain that the eyes should be fixed on the enemy's long sword. Some schools fix the eyes on the hands. Some fix the eyes
on the face, and some fix the eyes on the feet, and so on. If you fix the eyes on these places your spirit can become confused and your
strategy thwarted.
In the Way of strategy, when you have fought many times you will easily be able to appraise the speed and position of the enemy's sword, and
having mastery of the Way you will see the weight of his spirit. In strategy, fixing the eyes means gazing at the man's heart.
Miyamoto Musashi, Book of Five Rings
This is my affliction
Eyes I shall not see again
Eyes of decision
Eyes I shall not see unless
At the door of death's other kingdom
T S Eliot, Eyes That Last I Saw In Tears
New eyes each year
Find old books here,
And new books,too,
Old eyes renew
Philip Larkin, New Eyes Each Year
The idea of the crimson foliage hit is to knock the opponent's sword down and take the sword over.
Miyamoto Musashi, Book of Five Rings
A short while ago I was looking through the Kokin Waka Shu and saw a verse that went:
I can see a thousand colors
Blowing in the wind.
Did the leaves of Autumn trees
Know they would fall?
I wrote this for people at the limits of their learning, and for those who aspire to this way.
Matsuura Seizan, Joseishi's Discussions on the Sword
Fixing one's eyes on the far mountains means to gaze far and wide. One exercise practised by samurai is to look at all faraway things as if
they were close and all close things as if they were far away. In this way, the entire field of any situation is surveyed as though one were
looking at mountains in the distance.
Takuan Soho, The Unfettered Mind
In the martial arts where do you look? Where do you fix your eyes?
I'll start with where not to look.
Don't look down. Everybody does at first.
Don't look at an attacker's weapon. If you look at it your mind will stop on the weapon.
Don't look at an attacker's hands. If you look at the attacker's hand or hands your mind will stop.
Don't look at your own hands. You know what your hands look like and feel like. You don't need to look at them.
Some martial arts teachers say don't look into an attacker's eyes. You could be overwhelmed. Or you could be sucked into a cycle of
aggression that could stop you thinking clearly.
So where to look? Other teachers say you should look into an attacker's eyes. Or you can look at an attacker's forehead. Or the gap between
the attacker's eyebrows. Or look at the face. Or the shoulders and head and face all together. But don't let your mind become fixed.
The best advice is do what your teacher says to do.
In the Japanese sword they say look at the far mountains. There is another phrase used in budo: a gaze like autumn leaves. Never fixed.
Open. Aware. Looking at everything. And nothing.
Niall
background links
http://allpoetry.com/poem/8453743-Ey...-by-T_S__Eliot
http://www.poetryconnection.net/poet...ip_Larkin/4795
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokin_Wakash%C5%AB
http://www.shidokanmontreal.ca/image...%20meaning.pdf
Simple and clear essay on eyes and a far away mountain by Santoso Hanitijo, Shidokan Kendo and Iaido Club, Montreal
http://www.shidokanmontreal.ca/readings.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/joiseyshowaa/8108364648/
photo: Golden sunrise atop Mt Minsi by joiseyshowaa
my blog on http://www.aikiweb.com/blogs/moon-in-the-water-19051/ aikiweb | my blog on http://mooninthewater.net/aikido wordpress
niall matthews 2012
Niall Matthews lives with his family in Japan. He teaches aikibudo and community self-defence courses and has taught budo for twenty-five
years. He was the senior deshi of Kinjo Asoh Sensei, 7 dan Aikikai. He was the exclusive uke of Sadateru Arikawa Sensei, 9 dan Aikikai, at
the hombu dojo in Tokyo for thirteen years until Arikawa Sensei's death in 2003. He has trained in several other martial arts to complement his
aikido training, including judo (he has 4 dan from the Kodokan in Tokyo), kenjutsu (for about ten years) and karate (for about three years). He
originally went to Japan as a staff member of the EU almost thirty years ago. He received 5 dan from Arikawa Sensei in 1995. This 5 dan is
the last aikido dan he will receive in his life. His dojo is called Aikibudo Kokkijuku . Arikawa Sensei personally gave him the
character for ki in kokki. It is the same character as teru in Sadateru - not the normal spelling of kokki . It means you make your life
shining and clear yourself.
#2
11-30-2012, 11:43 AM
Conrad Gus
Niall,
This is a nice summary of a tricky problem. I like the "mountains" bit at the end.
My Sensei used to say that you only look at the person's eyes if you are absolutely sure that your will is going to be
dominant in the exchange. It's better not to take a chance.
He told the story of an ex-yakuza that he met. The fellow was reformed, but was full-on gangster with tattoos and
everything. He had left the yakuza and become a Christian. Apparently he was very relaxed and friendly.
Anyway, they were talking about this topic, and the man told Sensei that in the yakuza, they work very hard on their
"intimidating gaze". He volunteered to show Sensei what it looked like. According to Sensei, it was absolutely terrifying
- not just the face or the eyes, but the way it made him feel. The guy "turned it off" and laughed. According to the man
it takes a lot of practice in the mirror to learn how to do that.
I don't want to learn how to do it. I would rather stay calm and look at the mountains.
Offline
Conrad
#3
11-30-2012, 12:01 PM
sakumeikan
Quote:
Niall,
This is a nice summary of a tricky problem. I like the "mountains" bit at the end.
Offline
My Sensei used to say that you only look at the person's eyes if you are absolutely sure that your will is going to be
dominant in the exchange. It's better not to take a chance.
He told the story of an ex-yakuza that he met. The fellow was reformed, but was full-on gangster with tattoos and
everything. He had left the yakuza and become a Christian. Apparently he was very relaxed and friendly.
Anyway, they were talking about this topic, and the man told Sensei that in the yakuza, they work very hard on
their "intimidating gaze". He volunteered to show Sensei what it looked like. According to Sensei, it was absolutely
terrifying - not just the face or the eyes, but the way it made him feel. The guy "turned it off" and laughed.
According to the man it takes a lot of practice in the mirror to learn how to do that.
I don't want to learn how to do it. I would rather stay calm and look at the mountains.
Conrad
Dear Conrad,
I much prefer looking at old episodes of cowboys on the telly.As far as gazing intently at someone, this can and often
results in a confrontation.In general I like to have eyes / look that appears benevolent [and 99% ]of the time is a
benevelent gaze.It is only when the chips are down and the situation is serious do I become a little bit more
intimidating.I believe you can train to swich on and off how you project your demeanour.
I have met doormen , loan sharl enforcers in my day.Socially they were goodd guys, happy smiling eyes , quite
witty.Totally opposite when they put on their Mr Nasty hat.You knew when they were up for it ,and willing to exchange
blows.
I think a apparent pleasant manner can get you out of a sticky position, and if not thats too bad. Cheers, Joe
#4
11-30-2012, 12:59 PM
Conrad Gus
Quote:
Offline
Dear Conrad,
I much prefer looking at old episodes of cowboys on the telly.As far as gazing intently at someone, this can and
often results in a confrontation.In general I like to have eyes / look that appears benevolent [and 99% ]of the time
is a benevelent gaze.It is only when the chips are down and the situation is serious do I become a little bit more
intimidating.I believe you can train to swich on and off how you project your demeanour.
I have met doormen , loan sharl enforcers in my day.Socially they were goodd guys, happy smiling eyes , quite
witty.Totally opposite when they put on their Mr Nasty hat.You knew when they were up for it ,and willing to
exchange blows.
I think a apparent pleasant manner can get you out of a sticky position, and if not thats too bad. Cheers, Joe
Joe,
Good point. Nothing is going to be appropriate/effective 100% of the time, right?
Cheers,
Conrad
#5
11-30-2012, 06:27 PM
Tom Verhoeven
Hi Niall,
Thanks for this column - a very good read, great photo!
I cannot recall hearing the saying "gazing like autumn leaves" before. Is it from a particular author or belongs the
saying to a particular ryuha? How is it pronounced in Japanese?
And what does it mean? I like the image. But does it point to a man gazing upon autumn leaves - it is not the autumn
leaves that are gazing?
Offline
Thanks again,
Tom
#6
11-30-2012, 09:32 PM
Mario Tobias
Offline
#7
12-01-2012, 12:45 AM
R.A. Robertson
I tell my students to keep returning their gaze toward the horizon line. Sort of like "keeping one-point" for the attention.
"Looking" involves taking in the peripheral vision as well as the center of vision (which may or may not be the same
thing as "focus"). What would I have my students look at? Space. Emptiness. The openings and interstices and
opportunities.
Posts: 292
Offline
There is nothing even remotely mystical about this. You do it all the time when driving a car, or walking through
crowds. You take in all the obstacles, you see where the problems are, but you go in between, and that's what to look
for, and what to look at.
[Edit] Oh hey... check out Lynn Seiser's article this month. There ya go!
12-01-2012, 05:40 AM
#8
Tom Verhoeven
Quote:
#9
12-01-2012, 05:57 AM
Mary Eastland
Thanks Niall:
I am grateful that I can see...I can see with my eyes closed when I am training. The eyes are only part of the story.
Dojo: Berkshire Hills Aikido
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,207
Offline
Mary Eastland
www.miron-enterprises.com/berkshirehillsaikido
#10
12-02-2012, 10:24 AM
SeiserL
I was heard that the eyes were not meant for looking, but for seeing.
Offline
#11
12-02-2012, 12:00 PM
Mario Tobias
Offline
#12
12-06-2012, 11:33 AM
niall
Offline
In my last blog post I gave a link to a cool nature column in the Daily Yomiuri that explains the science of the colours of
autumn leaves.
we can make our minds so like still water, and so live for a moment with a clearer, perhaps even with a fiercer life
w b yeats
aikiweb blog|wordpress blog
#13
12-12-2012, 05:13 PM
Tom Verhoeven
Quote:
Offline
Conrad the point about a dominating gaze is very important. But I think there is a difference. The practiced gaze of
a yakuza might be physically frightening. You can compare it to the fierce nio statues at the entrance to temples.
But the gaze of a master of martial arts is not just intimidating. It looks into your soul and lays it bare and ice cold.
Quote:
Tom I take it to mean looking at the leaves. But there can be layers of meaning. Old or new. Intended or
unintended.
I don't think the original phrase is linked to a particular ryuha.
In my last blog post I gave a link to a cool nature column in the Daily Yomiuri that explains the science of the
colours of autumn leaves
Niall,
Sort of similar to looking at a mountain in a distance - not looking at one leave in particular, but seeing them all . Or
perhaps looking at all the different shades of colour without focussing on one colour.
Thanks for the link with that nice nature column!
Tom
.
#14
12-13-2012, 09:54 AM
phitruong
Dojo: Charlotte Aikikai Agatsu Dojo
Join Date: Aug 2007
a few years back, i had a co-worker whose one eye looked in a different direction from the other eye. very
disconcerting in a conversation, because i didn't know if he looked at me or at someone else in the room. i have
always wondering what sort of view does that sort of person has? would other folks look strange to him? stranger, i
meant?
Posts: 1,803
Offline
"budo is putting on cold, wet, sweat stained gi with a smile and a snarl" - your truly
http://charlotteaikikai.org
AikiWeb Aikido Forums > Columns > Eyes in the Martial Arts
If you watch a fight spark up on the street or at your local watering hole, youll usually see two blokes staring each other down, focused intently on each others faces even after the first shove
until the aggressor launches his king hit. Even in martial arts schools, though, its unusual to be given any instruction on where to look and when in order to up your chances of surviving a
violent encounter. Here, Heian Ho Do Kai bujutsu instructor and biophysicist Sensei Simon Christie sheds some light on where to look and why.
Visual orientation during combat is a topic covered rarely, if at all, in most martial arts and fighting systems. A disregard for real combat dynamics and a lack of knowledge of our anatomical neural
pathways has led to most students being taught incorrectly or, worse still, being left to figure it out for themselves from movies or anecdotal misrepresentations. So what should you really be looking at
during combat?
Well, the answer is very simple: nothing! Okay, so the typical martial arts mysticism is actually true here look at nothing and see everything. But what does this really mean?
There are two distinct facts guiding where and how you should be looking. One is the physicality and psychology of where you centre your gaze during combat and the other is how you neurally tap into
and maximise your bodys basic reflex centres during combat.
First of all, lets look at why you dont want to look at anything well, sort of; you do want to look, but you need to switch off your focus and see reflexively, using your peripheral vision. As a rule, focal
vision is responsively slow and peripheral vision is reflexively fast. This is a simplification, of course, but the brain and its processes are incredibly complex, so lets keep it as simple as possible (no insult
intended to those of you who are doctorate-level neuroanatomists).
Your cerebral cortex (upper brain; the intellectual and reasoning centre) is actually a relatively slow and cumbersome processing unit. Focal vision, once interpreted by the visual cortex (part of the cerebral
cortex, but located within the occipital lobe toward the back of the brain) transfers information via two pathways the dorsal or ventral stream to various parts of the brain. On arrival of the signal, you
can think about what you have seen, make sense of it, reason over it, etc. Putting it bluntly, before you even get a chance to do any of this, you have most likely been smacked in the head twice.
Clearly, using our intellectual brain is far too slow for combat. But it is our midbrain or reptilian brain that picks up signals from our peripheral vision and triggers reflexive motor responses. For example,
you are walking through a park and the corner of your eye picks up something moving quickly in your direction it may be a leaf or a misguided ball and without thinking, you turn your head to
protect your face, and may even raise a defensive hand or duck. This is your midbrain reflexively responding; this is what we want in combat. It is more animalistic, does not require reasoning and while it
can be well controlled by an experienced martial artist, it is a far more effective and decisive way to deal with physical conflict.
So, how would it be if we could set up a simple motor program (a short series of planned biomechanical movements, like a slight head movement, hand cover and a counter punch as shown in sequence
two), load this into the midbrain, so to speak, and have it triggered by an opponents incoming punch? Well, that is what reality-based training will do. And when the above is understood, any student can
maximise the potential of this simple technique.
In short, practise turning your focal vision off but keep your mind highly focused and aware. Look through your opponent and allow your tuned peripheral vision to be on edge. In many cases, this alone
will unsettle an opponent. They will physically note that you are not looking at them but through them. Some will even recognise that you have switched off part of your brain and switched on something
more focused to the task at hand, and this alone can be extremely unnerving for them.
Our second point involves where we should be physically looking, and there are two parts to this component. The first part negates any emotional involvement with your opponent, and this second part
allows a clear and open view of your entire opponent. Following these rules will keep you from being distracted by insignificant displays while keeping the primary threat area within your more responsive
peripheral vision field, as well as maximising overall visual contact with the assailant and surroundings.
Your opponents face is the centre of their outward emotional expressions. You should not care, or be swayed, by their anger, aggression, etc. You do not want to engage them personally and you do not
want to be focused or fixated on such a highly expressive human feature as the eyes. Dehumanise your opponent they are simply an obstacle, a danger to you so you can act accordingly with a clear
and unaffected mind. Combat is not personal and should not be emotional before and after, quite possibly so, but once engaged, absolutely not. But do put this into perspective. I am talking about the
worst possible scenario: it is either them or you, a case of your life or theirs, or a situation where the safety of others or your family is at high risk.
Now lets look at the pure physical science. Start by looking at your opponents eyes can you clearly see their toes? Half of your central and wider peripheral vision is wasted above their head and you
really cant see much of their lower body. The feet can give you early warnings of not only when your opponent is attacking but also what he is attacking with. Kicks and other attacks can be initiated with
hip, knee and foot movements, so responding reflexively to these will give you far more time to defend, counter, slip or avoid. So do not look at your opponents eyes or face. Centralise your vision on
his body in a way that physically allows you to see all of him but also takes into account the ratio of threat (based on speed) of his hands versus his feet. This is typically on the centre of your opponents
chest, and the perception is that your focus is on the ground around six metres behind him; youre clearly not looking at him but able to see all of him. Your central and peripheral vision can then respond
quickly to his faster hand strikes, but you still have a clear view of his head and feet. Again, it really is simple but also very effective.
To summarise, we want to use our midbrain to respond reflexively; we dont want to use our focal vision. We want to be able to see all of our opponent physically and we dont want to be swayed or
http://www.blitzmag.net/training/others/563-training-your-eyes-for-combat-
headache symptoms through stimulation of pressure points. Photo Credit headache image by forca from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>
Pressure points are specific sensitive areas on the surface of the body. You can exploit a pressure point for many uses. Martial artists quickly disable attackers by using a simple but forced
push on a pressure point. Stimulation of pressure points also helps to relieve pain and assists in massage therapy.
Temples
Each side of your head has a small flat area between the ear and eye. The pressure points here are located approximately half an inch from the edge of the eyebrow. If you press these two
points on both sides of the head simultaneously while moving your fingers in circles, you may find some relief from headaches.
Dokko
The dokko is a specific point just behind each ear. According to Pressure Point Karate, the dokko is an effective target area in martial arts. The website Press the Point.com notes that this
point is also effective for gentle stimulation to relieve stress. The dokko is located where the jaw and skull meet. In most people, this point is just under the outer ledge of the earlobe at the
base of the ear.
Hichu
Both Pressure Point Karate and Press the Point.com note that the hichu pressure point is an important area for self-defense. The hichu is located where the neck and chest meet, just below
the Adam's apple. It is a vital point in the body, as the trachea passes just below this surface. A small amount of force to this area can be seriously debilitating.
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Kote
Near the inside of the elbow, where the skin creases on a bent arm, is the kote pressure point. You may gently press this point in a circular motion or strike it forcefully to inflict pain. Press
the Point.com notes that the kote has a tradition of use for reducing anger. Locating the kote is easier when you press hard and briefly to find the exact point that causes pain.
pressurepoints google.com