In the latest Journal of Asian Martial Arts (Volume 13, Number 2) there is a book review written by Noah Nunberg J.D. of the book, Ki and the Way of the Martial Arts by Kenji Tokitsu. According to the review, the book describes how Tokitsu developed Jisei Budo and, "in doing so, reveals the important workings and goals of the internal world of martial arts,..."
What caught my eye in the review were the definitions of rentan and zazen:
Rentan involves concentrating one's entire mind and energy on crushing the enemy. ... Zazen training utlizes pure meditation to expand ki as far as possible beyone oneself.
I wonder if Shintaido kata contain elements of both. For example, it seems that both are included in a daijodan cut. In the beginning, we open up in "Ah". This would seem to be a zazen movement as we are trying to open up and include everything. But once we reach tenso and begin to cut down, it seems like a rentan action since the mind and energy are focused into the cut.
I wonder if there are more places in Shintaido's various kata: open-hand, karate, boh where these elements both exist.
I wonder if there is a natural changing between both states within kata.
Posted by rob at July 29, 2004 05:13 PM