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

by Vangi Cathcart
(guest blogger)

There is a legend claiming that the Samurai warriors practiced calligraphy daily in order to develop their skills in swordsmanship. This art form requires discipline, strength, focus and awareness—skills necessary for a warrior. Calligraphy was taught and practiced by Asian youths in their early years. Calligraphy can be compared with our alphabet. However, the characters represent pictures, whereas our letters form words that are combined into sentences. The Asian fine art of Sumi-e developed over the years from calligraphy and is seen hear in my paintings.

Calligraphy is a disciplined practice and many rules need to be observed to create the exact stroke. To begin, one needs to have the

proper supplies, called the Four Treasures; the brush, the stick and stone (to make ink) and rice paper. A skill is developed in obtaining the proper moisture of ink and water on rice paper to paint a character. When applying the ink to the paper the whole arm is used in making a stroke. There are many styles of calligraphy that have come through the ages. Both calligraphy and Sumi-e are disciplines that involve much practice to create the exact replica of a style or subject being painted. In addition the artist needs to get in touch with their chi energy (universal energy) to produce the feeling in a finished artwork.

No longer depended on to protect the clan after the dissolution of the fifes in Japan, Samurai warriors learned to transfer their skills from fighting into creating beautiful works of art. Using their calligraphy strokes they made paintings from their natural surroundings. Flowers, animals and beautiful landscapes were some of their favored subjects.

My personal interest in ink painting evolved from living and teaching a holistic life style—I believe to be a warrior’s way. My belief and experience is that practicing an art form like Sumi-e contributes to a healthy body, mind and spirit. As a mental health practitioner, I have learned and teach others that we are co-creators with the universe. Focusing on creativity keeps our mental attitudes and emotions healthy, and nature’s beauty is a wonderful way to express this co-creation.

Vangi’s Sumi-e Art

Vangi Cathcart is an artist and holistic health practitioner. Her work has been selected and displayed at various art shows throughout the country and some of her paintings are for sale. For more information about her work or if you would like to purchase her art, please submit your request for information in the Contact Us page.

Get Organized and Create More Quality Time

 Do you find yourself feeling tense and anxious for no apparent reason? I made a commitment to myself several years ago to try and determine what was causing me stress, and I finally realized that I was feeling chaos from my external environment. Imagine-my external world was causing my internal world to be confusing and chaotic. There’s an interesting connection between having a clean, uncluttered living space and having more clarity and focus mentally. There is a profound psychological thread that binds all areas of your existence into one distinctive unit. A messy house trashed with useless clutter is an abstract representation of many lives – also muddled with unnecessary debris that needs to be regrouped, set aside, hidden out of sight or, better yet, disposed of completely. Wasted thoughts, wasted energy and wasted time all add up to wasted money.

Create Harmony in Your Living Space

 Part of the Zen philosophy includes letting go of materialism and not being attached to things, and to focus on self-reliance. The Book of the Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi talks about “The Way of Walking Alone”, and lists several steps to maintain this perspective including “not carrying antiques handed down from generation to generation”. Though I love history and do enjoy hanging on to memorabilia, additional clutter was taking up to much of my space and time.

When it comes to getting organized, we’re our own worst enemies. We keep things because we persuade ourselves we’ll need them—even if we haven’t used them in five years and don’t quite know where we’ve put them. There seems to be a security factor in just knowing they’re around… somewhere.

What a great metaphor this is for mental hoarding. We hang on to habits we learn from our parents and grandparents, and much of our negative self-talk is learned from internalizing the comments of other people in our life. Certainly, it’s important to honor your parents and feel a sense of pride in your roots but self-reliance means we must become independent and confident with ourselves and what we represent. Security is not found in a dusty wooden chest tucked away in the corner of the attic, harmony is found when the chest is emptied of it’s contents and the air can flow freely through the inside of the box. By cleaning our external world of junk, we are able to cleanse our internal world (meaning our cluttered minds) and let go of the mental junk.  In any event, the day I decided to get rid of my “stuff” was an experience that I’ll never forget.

Japanese Clean

I’ve always been drawn toward Japanese culture because if it’s simplicity. The Japanese home is spacious and simple with objects and furniture that have a purpose rather than cluttering space. There’s a focus on balancing Yin and Yang, which is something we should pay careful attention to in all aspects of our lives. To learn more about Japanese living and interior design, check out Wade Robbins Ezine article. Japanese style home décor seems to incorporate a few artistic accents and is much more spacious than American style homes. Americans seem to havean attachment to memorabilia and collectibles to a point that we save way too much. It’s important to understand systems for maintaining cleanliness like the 5S system. The 5s philosophy focuses on effective workplace organization and standardized work procedures. It is based on five Japanese words that begin with S.There’s no reason why this workspace system can’t be applied to our living space at home. The Japanese words and there English versions include, Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Set in Order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardize), and Shitsuki (Sustain).

The 5S system helped me to maintain an organized clutter free home and consequently develop a freer more focused mind.

 

A spacious and clean home is not only visually aesthetic but also translates to a harmonious mind and spirit.

 

Begin to Simplify Your Life

Exercise: Clean your Home to a Level of  Japanese Clean

Start with one room and in one section at a time, so you don’t become overwhelmed. For instance, the top of a bureau or a closet are a great starting point. Take a large trash bag and fill the bag with anything that you have not used in more than six months. Survey the surface areas for memorabilia that’s taking up too much space. Is the closet filled with boxes that you haven’t opened for over a year? Do you know what’s in the boxes? Have you missed anything or did you forget you owned these items? Do you have a pile of old shoes you’ll never were again sitting in the dark corner of the closet?

Pick-up one item or piece of clothing from your closet and ask yourself if you really need this object to make you feel good. Does it have a purpose? I made a conscious effort to try and keep things that only have a purpose.  When our space is open and free of material objects that have no purpose or true meaning, we have fewer distractions and find a renewed energy.

 

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.

 

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