Bushido Code-The Warrior's Way of Life

When you go out your door, it is like seeing an enemy. Since you are a professional warrior and wear swords at your side, you should never forget the spirit of combat at any time. ¹

Not Forgetting Combat was mandatory for Samurai in feudal Japan for death was always on their minds; people today can benefit from the basic message of this code which is to always be prepared for threats and conflict. Samurai warriors were expected to anticipate an attack whether at home, while bathing and most importantly when answering the door. It was customary for warriors of all ranks to always wear a sword by their side; even in warrior houses. In reality, our modern day world is for the most part civil; however, people are still motivated by egos and driven by greed.

Violence is still prevalent today and those who are better prepared may increase their chances of survival. Combat is defined as a fight, struggle, or controversy, as between two persons, teams, or ideas. Though the Bushido translation applies to physical combat, people today encounter many types of conflict. Regular physical training, a heightened awareness, and educational resources help to increase a person’s self-confidence. Preparedness in all aspects of life can have a positive impact on the quality of life.

Not Forgetting Combat is a mindset that helps us to be the best we can physically and emotionally. It is a discipline that is an “ideal” and can be used as a guide to cope with conflicts in our life. We are all individuals who can benefit from self-development; however, we need to be aware of our personal limitations and consult with a physician before making any kind of drastic change. In fact, growth is not drastic and is a slow process that occurs over time. It is highly individualized!

Conflict in Today’s Society

Movies can lead to misconceptions about self-defense in an attempt to create drama. Characters are often times seen defending themselves against groups of thugs with weapons, or defending themselves against an attacker in an alley. While these situations do happen, there are many other forms of assault that can happen in places were we spend most of our time (like work and home). Assault can be in the form of a physical attack or in the form of verbal abuse or harassment.

Aggravated Assault is the most common violent crime today according to the US National Crime Prevention Council, and the threat of death or serious injury is substantially higher than other forms of assault. The media bombards us with the details of many violent crimes and just a quick search on the internet reveals that these crimes happen everywhere.

A person is guilty of aggravated assault if he or she attempts to cause serious bodily injury to another or causes such injury purposely, knowingly, or recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life; or attempts to cause or purposely or knowingly causes bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon.

Though aggravated assault is one of the most severe forms of assault, other types of conflict may be prevented or stopped by being better prepared. When someone attacks us verbally, we are often times caught by surprise and fear gets in the way of rational thought. By knowing more about human rights and seeking out adequate resources, people can prepare themselves to deal with these kinds of threats.

Violence and Harassment in the Workplace

Some employees endure physical and verbal assault in the workplace by other employees, customers, and patients (health care workers). The Federal Bureau of Investigation takes workplace violence seriously. Verbal assault may be unreported due to fears of job loss. Verbal abuse or assault can leave people feeling helpless and hopeless without the proper resources. Employers have a legal and ethical obligation to promote a work environment free from threats and violence…and employees have the right to expect a work environment that promotes safety from violence, threats and harassment.

Domestic Violence

Intimate partner violence (domestic violence) is a serious form of abuse that often times goes unreported because a controlling partner instills fear in another through manipulation. There are many resources for victims of domestic violence and a call for help is the first step—this takes courage.

An increase in self-confidence helps individuals to take back control of their lives. Low self-esteem, internal control, or assertiveness can cause people to fear conflict situations and become easy targets for more aggressive or manipulative people.  Even people with relatively good self-esteem can be manipulated when they run into someone extremely skilled at manipulation.  Developing your self-esteem, internal control, and assertiveness skills can make you much stronger in conflict situations or any situations involving differences of opinion.

Physical Training and Preparedness

“The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.”

^{An old Asian Proverb}

As an optimist, I like to think that our attitude has a huge impact on our life. I have learned that positive thoughts and actions seem to attract positive energy. On the other hand, as a martial artist I understand that when “your life is on the line, you want all your weapons to be of use”². Those who have experienced a threat first-hand, realize that safety awareness and knowledge of self-defense are forms of weaponry.

Some martial artist study with competition in mind and others train for self-defense. A student that is self-confident and mindful of “Not Forgetting Combat,” is prepared but reacts only when the situation demands a call for action. The main goal for training and preparedness is to increase confidence and stamina.

Other forms of fitness may also help to develop speed, agility and strength and should not be overlooked. Serious athletes prepare for games and events which can be a form of combat in sport.

Although adequate training and preparation can help a martial artist defend themselves in physical combat, a true martial artist understands it’s better to try and steer clear of dangerous situations. They avoid a fight, don’t enter into a potentially dangerous situation, and maintain a high sense of awareness of their surroundings.

Safety Tips:

We recommend seeking the advice of a physician first before changing or starting a new fitness program!

Visit selfdefenseforher.com, a website offering basic self-defense techniques. Though the blog addresses women’s self defense, the tips can apply to men as well. A few of the general safety tips are listed below. Thanks to my former Tae Kwon Do instructor Mr. Carlos Mercado for sending me the following information! You can visit his website @ www.MartialArtsKia.com

General Safety Tips

For more safety tips and resources visit www.selfdefenseforher.com

• If you see or sense problems on your way, just change your route and prepare to run or defend yourself.
• Do not wear conspicuous jewelry when you are walking on the streets alone.
• Do not hitchhike, use buses or taxis instead.
• Do not act or look like an easy target – look confident!
• Most “fights” are won before they start. Aggressors will back down if you maintain eye contact and are not intimidated by them.

1. Kim, Tae Yun. Seven Steps to Inner Power. San Rafael, CA: New World Library, 1991. Print. Pg 30.
2. Scott Wilson, William. Miyamoto Musashi: The Book of Five Rings. td. Japan: Kodansha International Ltd., 2002. Print. Pg. 50

 

Life is a toll road and everyone pays the toll in one way or another.  What this means is, in life, everything you do has its price.  Every action or choice you make throughout your existence has consequences or results that have a direct impact on who you are and the outcome of your life. The choices you make determine how you pay the toll on the road of life.

 Let me give you a few examples.

 Two Types of Lifestyle Choices and How Each Pays the Toll

 The “Couch Potato”

 Take the stereotypical “couch potato.” This person has a sedentary job, comes home with fast food, and watches the television until it’s time to go to bed. They’re overweight, get no exercise and they have no motivation, drive or ambition.

 This type of person pays their toll in several ways:

1. They squander their time. The time we’re allotted to spend on this earth is finite. We cannot buy, barter or steal any more time. Once it is used, we can’t get it back. The best we can do is to make the most of every moment. The couch potato wastes all of their time, never realizing its true value.
2. In addition, the person that lives this type of lifestyle pays the toll through poor heath. As I mentioned in my previous post, The Warrior’s Way of Life, one in three Americans are obese. Another study by the National Institute of Health shows that 65% of adults in this country are obese. The list of associated health risks with obesity is long and many of them are life threatening. According to the CDC, an estimated 300,000 premature deaths a year can be attributed to obesity. Some of the risks of obesity are listed below. Click on this link to Anne Collins’ website for more details on these health risks:
   •     Heart Disease
   •     Stroke
   •     Type 2 Diabetes
   •     Cancer
   •     Fatty Liver Disease
   •     Chronic Venous Insufficiency
   •     Deep Vein Thrombosis
   •     Arthritis
   •     Increased Health Risks for Expectant Mother and Baby
   •     Gallbladder Diseas
   •     Premature Death
3. Low self esteem and depression are another way that this type of person can pay the toll. American society places a high emphasis on physical appearance. Many obese people feel isolated and have a more difficult time advancing in their careers. Scientists have also found that excessive weight causes a chemical and hormonal imbalance that can lead to depression.

 The “Go-Getter”

 Now let’s look at the individual at the other end of the spectrum. The Stereotypical “go-getter”. This person typically is physically fit, has a high paying job or owns a successful business, drives a nice car and owns a big house. Most people believe that this type of person is “living the life” and typically has everything handed to them on a silver platter. They don’t believe that this person has ever paid a toll in their life.

 Let me show you how they do:

1. Just like the couch potato, the go-getter also pays the toll with their time. However, they use their time very differently than the couch potato. The go-getter invests their time into education and personal development. This person is generally the “A” student in school, they went to an Ivy League or tier one college, and continue to read, improve and educate themselves after college. Many work 12-15 hours per day! They are usually out of bed by 5:00 a.m. to workout because it’s the only time that fits their busy schedule.
2. Another way the go-getter pays the toll is through hard work and self discipline. They are continually setting goals and taking action to achieve them. They generally have the endurance to persevere where most would give up and quit. As their name suggests, the go-getter realizes that success is never given away, it is earned. Instead of waiting for good things in life to come to them, they go out and get them.

 You Can Choose How to Pay the Toll

 Both of the individuals in these examples have paid the toll in very different ways. The couch potato may have benefited from relaxation early on but was forced to pay the toll after with the price of poor health, low self esteem and an uneventful life. The second paid the toll up front through hard work and discipline and enjoyed success, health and prosperity later. Nevertheless, both paid the toll.

 “Life is a toll road and everyone pays the toll. However, you can choose how to you would like to pay!”

 Personal Action Exercises

• Take a look everyday at the choices you make in life. Decide if this is how you want to pays your toll. If it isn’t, resolve to make the necessary changes to pay the toll on your terms.
• From this day forward, decide exactly what it is you want from your life. Write down your goals and dreams and then decide how much they’re worth to you to achieve them. Then decide how you’ll pay the toll to get them.

 

If you liked this blog post, please leave a comment. Thank you.

“…To taste life in every breath, every cup of tea…

…That is the way of the warrior. That is Bushido.”

-Katsumodo

From The Last Samurai

What Does it Mean to Be a Warrior?

To be a warrior- broadly defined is someone engaged in struggle or conflict or someone seen as a champion.  In this time in our society, many people are experiencing some sort of difficulty or conflict. When Donald Trump can’t get a loan from a bank, times are tough all around! Unemployment increased significantly in 2009, we heard about the suffering housing market including information like  1 in 4 homes face foreclosure. Depending on who did the polling, 50 to 80% of Americans feel that they have an unhealthy level of stress. Let’s face it, in today’s society many of us are warriors in a survival mode and we need to become the champions of our own lives. We need to support one another through tough times and take action toward a better future.

Not only is life tough for many economically and financially, but as a nation we are unhealthier than we’ve been in decades. A University of Michigan study found that only three percent of Americans maintain a healthy lifestyle. The federal government has released a study saying 34% of Americans are obese. Not just overweight, but obese! That translates to more that one in three people. Other countries face similar problems but there are many cultures that promote healthier lifestyles and have a much lower rate of obesity and health conditions.  They must be doing something right!

Japan is on the list of one of the world’s healthiest countries.  Diets rich in fish, rice, and seaweed have long kept heart disease and cancer in Japan in check. Various fitness crazes and government-sponsored pre-work workouts have helped generations of Japanese maintain trim physiques, and today’s tech junkies have a little help of their own: Japan’s largest mobile telephone carrier just unveiled a “Fitness Phone” that measures daily activity.

Today’s society has become dependent on technology including spending hours passively watching the television or playing video games. Many children spend an unhealthy amount of time mesmerized by these forms of technology, because parents are too busy working long hours to make ends meet while trying to keep-up with household demands. We are a population of consumers, controlled by large corporations and made to feel that the only way we can find satisfaction in our lives is by spending our hard earned money buying more things. We have allowed our economy to become so unbalanced that we have to bail out “Too Big to Fail” corporations that have built empires on a house of cards. We’ve witnessed these companies paying out huge bonuses with no accountability.

What is happening to our integrity, honor and our honesty? What happened to the time when people stood up for values with valor and courage? When the right thing was to take responsibility for our actions.

-This brings me to why we have decided to write about this topic-

What is a “The Warrior’s Way of Life”?

The Warrior’s Way of Life is based on the Japanese code of conduct known as Bushido, which translated means, “Way of the Warrior”. It is the set of principles, practices, and values of the Samurai of feudal Japan.

Seven key virtues outlined the Bushido Code:

1. 1. “Gi” -Integrity
   2. “Yu” -Valor and Courage
   3. “Jin” -Compassion
   4. “Rei” -Respect
   5. “Makoto” -Honesty and Sincerity
   6. “Meiyo” -Honor
   7. “Chungi” -Duty and Loyalty

These virtues guided the warriors through all aspects of their lives. The Samurai believed that living the Bushido was the highest form of existence– path to living properly.

By applying this code to our daily lives, Jillian and I have found clarity of purpose, a newfound love for life, peace of mind, reduced stress and the inner strength to face and overcome many of the challenges that are a natural part of life.

Topics Covered in this Blog

• The Bushido Code
• Zen and Meditation
• Universal Energy
• Health, Weight, Diet and Fitness
• The Martial Arts
• Yoga
• Reiki

Jillian and I would like to welcome you to The Warrior’s Way of Life blog. We would greatly appreciate your opinion and feedback and welcome guest authors, poets or bloggers that feel strongly about contributing to this site, including book recommendations and or healthy recipes to share. A monthly newsletter will be distributed to subscribers, and we look forward to your participation. Please feel free to leave a comment or ask questions.

Thank you–Marcus