Читать книгу Martial Arts Training in Japan. A Guide for Westerners онлайн

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Don’t dismiss these arts as being unfitting to the training of a budoka, a student/practitioner of the warrior way. The mental tension created in the warfare of the go board can be exhausting. For me, the practice of the tea ceremony was the most mentally and physically draining art I practiced while in Japan. The very precise kata (prearranged form) of the tea ceremony, its slow and measured pace, the ritual requirements of guest and host, both at the physical and verbal level, would leave me exhausted. This reveals more about me during the time I was in Japan than the tea ceremony itself. I would have preferred practicing karatedo kihon waza (basic technique) in full kiai mode than spending the same two hours under the intense scrutiny of the tea sensei. The power and elegance of karatedo gave me energy, while the precision and dignity of tea took it from me.

That experience taught me something about myself as a budoka. When I could disengage my logical mind from the acts of my body, the training would produce energy as a by-product of practice. Practicing basic karatedo techniques leaves one no time or energy to think. But with the tea ceremony, I was trying to make my body act with the precision required while my mind was full of “Remember to do this and not that ” and “Let’s see, do I rotate the bowl three times or two times before sipping,” and “I hope I’m not making too much of a fool of myself.” Another way to put it is that until you can see the relatedness between the tea ceremony or a game of go and the martial art you practice, you are not practicing your martial art at a very high level.