The World of Craziness

Translated from Hiden no Togakure Ryu Ninpo by Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi

People who are studying martial arts are apt to think that they are rightly
human; that they have a right philosophy and that they are acting and behaving
correctly. But what do other people think?
One day I was watching a talk show with a martial art novelist on TV. The
novelist, who didn't look like he really knew about the martial arts, looked so
weak, but was talking as if he had been a great sword man. These modern day
novelists become great swordsmen all too quickly. I don't know if they have a
problem, or if the problem is with the mass media.
Novelists who are not studying or training in the martial arts can't talk about
the way of the martial arts or movements of the martial arts. But some of them
even interrupt the professionals who are studying or training in the martial arts.
I call these kind of novelists megalomaniacs. I wonder why the mass media lets
these amateur critics be sensei of certain arts. This is a crazy world.
I have heard that the writers, researchers, stunt men, and martial artists
disputed over the mutodori scenes in the N.H.K. TV series "Haru no Saka Michi".
To me, you have to risk your life to do muto dori against a real sword. There is a
poem which describes the will and heart of muto:
Hell lies under the sword which is brandished,
just step in, and there will be heaven.
When you face the sword, you need guts. The person who can't get true guts
normally gets fake guts, (craziness) by using liquor or drugs. I once had a talk
with one martial artist: "Hatsumi-san, I have met many sensei, but a lot of
martial artists are nervous." "You mean persecution mania or being sensitive to
winning or losing?" "Yes." "When I see my teacher, Takamatsu Sensei, I can
tell that the martial art allergy, thinking too much, will be dull if you train
enough. He says it is senility, but he is quite well and very strong."
There are times when a martial artist can become crazy, such as
megalomania, inferiority complex, persecution mania, and too sensitive
(chusatsu moso), which makes you think somebody is trying to attack you. For
example, if you become a megalomaniac, you think you are strong, a hero.
Inferiority complex, which you could get if you keep losing, can make you think
you are not good at all, or that you don't have the talent to be a martial artist.
Persecution mania makes you think that your opponent looks stronger.
Chusatsu moso makes you think that somebody is trying to attack you because
you have a lot of weak points. This is one of the mental diseases which
everyone will have if they are in the process of training. Only an individual who
is in the "World of Craziness" and can get out can become a master.

It is said that the sword saint learned zen a long time ago. But there was a
dark period of Zen in the history of Japan. The priest Ikkyu lived during that
period with the spirit of rejection called himself "Fukyo" (crazy). You can
interpret craziness and courage as the same thing. One day, Shogun Ashikaga
visited Ikkyu to reform the bad customs. Other priests started to shake and
worry because of the presence of the Shogun, but Ikkyu took off his hat and
stood up on a place higher than the Shogun, and was about to give his hat to
him. One of the Shogun's followers was very upset and put his hand on the
handle of his sword, ready to draw when he thought he better not cause
bloodshed before the Buddhist altar. Instead he reached out his hand to receive
the hat for the Shogun. Ikkyu then said: "I can't give this hat to a follower like
you. I will only give it directly to the Shogun." This is an example of courage
with humor.
There are many forms of the Kyo (craziness). The form of split: changes of
techniques or martial art to find a good teacher. The form of depressive: a
person who smiles (gets gratification) after attacking someone. The form of
diversion: the person who attacks the opponent's territory by himself. The form
of alcoholic: a person who can't hold the sword without liquor, etc. Anyone who
becomes crazy of the craziness and then returns back to the normal state will
become a true expert.
I tell my students that if they can do mental
concentration, become a kind of schizophrenic or split personality, or they can't
detect the existence of the opponents in every direction.
There is an tendency for modern martial artists not to do training by
themselves. I used to train by myself. When my teacher was not there, I found
out the secret by myself. I stayed in the mountains and trained with trees, wild
animals, and nature. I trained using taihenjutsu against trees. When I trained
against wild animals, I read their minds first and then punched or kicked them. I
practiced throwing techniques against a big bull. I trained against the changes
of nature, and learned to foresee them and take advantage of the changes.
But its better being with your teacher. But if your teacher is not good, you
learn only the shape, and you end up with puppet martial arts. By the way, the
book called A LAISSEZ-FAIRE POLICY, a bestseller, should be welcomed because
this policy can give you great creativity. If I have a student who doesn't learn,
but enjoys the martial arts, I leave him alone. I don't say anything and I don't
even train him. But if he still likes martial arts, he trains by himself and starts to
learn something. If you teach him too much, it sometimes doesn't work. Oh
Yomei foreknew that people were coming to him by Do In Jutsu, technique of
leading, conducting, but he thought that teaching this to people didn't do any
good for them, and he stopped teaching. If you do too much, its no good. It is
the same for the martial arts. I don't teach real advanced techniques unless
they are to advanced students. The secret is not the number of techniques.
A laissez-faire policy is the method which was born from the realization of
"nothing". Modern society, which seeks only the method which is born from
"something", makes useless people. Sometimes I tell my students who are still
in high school: "I don't like the way you study because you don't have a goal. I

will teach you. First, fall in love with Ninpo. Falling in love will give birth to
everything. If you fall in love, you can train by yourself. From there, you start
studying everything." A lot of foreigners come to me, so I naturally started
studying foreign languages.
History of martial arts, thoughts, religion,
philosophy, foreign language, psychology, chemistry, physics, etc. You start
studying by yourself. So it is not important whether you are good or bad at
something, as in budo, or how many techniques you were taught or know, but its
more valuable to learn the truth of the game by self training. "Life is self
training." This is the axiom I tell myself and my students. Of course it is most
important to have attentiveness. Attentiveness lets you have a manner to train
in order not to get into trouble.