The following is part of an interview I conducted with Hatsumi Sensei for
the BKR's upcoming book. He asked that I get this message out to as many
people as possible and I feel the internet is the best way I can do this
outside from my own dojo.

I translated this very literally so please excuse the flow of the Eng-
lish. I tried to keep the manner in which Sensei speaks as best as I
could.

Sean Askew

04-27-2001 09:09 PM



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Jibun De Narai, a message from the Soke
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Life and death are connected. Like In-Yo ( Yin & Yang ). This is my tea-
ching theme for the year. Like a magnet and metal, life and death are at-
tracted to each other, always getting closer.

If you are born and given a life, death is inevitable. When death comes
do not be surprised or shaken. Get on the rhythm of life. Get in balance
with it.

This is the theme of the year.

That is why I tell my students it does not matter how skilled one becomes
in martial arts or even Ninjutsu for that matter, If one can not attain
this balance or rhythm.

This is the basis for the Kihon Happo! Not the forms. If you keep practi-
cing the form it does not produce any real results. Always doing the
forms is a childish way to practice. There are even times when the form
can be what gets you killed.

Often I hear my students argue over topics like "the correctness of this
form" or "this posture should be this way" and such. True battle or real
fights are never correct. In form or spirit. It is not about that.

If you think the opponent is strong you will naturally go and get some-
thing such as a rifle and "boom"!!! Right? Very simple isn't it?

This type of common sense or "obvious ways" are important. This is why I
teach my students;

Jiyu-ni, atarimae-ni
Jibun de narai, jibun de ikiro!

Freely, common sensically,
Learn on your own, live on your own!

Even though I have many students, I do not need them. But they still come
to see me right? Because I teach them how to teach themselves. This is
why they come to me. But this is very different from just making up
Ryu-Ha and such. This is the real path I teach.

All around me I have many strong friends from many countries. Most of
them are people who had to survive wars in their own homelands. They are
all the real thing. Real warriors. We understand each other on a certain
level. My training with Takamatsu Sensei has made me aware of these types
of people. It is like we are our own species. Even you Sean, you had to
fight for your own survival on several occasions, right? Even stabbed
from behind. You had courage and a keen mind to help you survive. But
your poor opponent! Ha ha ha!!!!

Bad guys are always planning something devious. They are "big-idea" peo-
ple. Always coming up with some kind of con.

But it is important to develop the mind to withstand these types of peo-
ple, learn to perceive them. My way is to never think about anything at
all. You know me, I am usually not really thinking about any one thing in
particular. It is just a matter of "keep going". This is the best way to
guide your students. This is the way it is when you train with me.

When my senior Japanese students make mistakes and go astray I get on
them and scold them. It is the same with all my students all over the
world. I have no borders. I do not hold anything back from the non-Japan-
ese. I do everything on a man to man basis. This is the way it has always
been.

If I do not teach this way my students may be killed when the time comes.
It would be very sad for me. This is why I do not teach in a strange and
unnatural manner. I teach people to teach themselves. Freely.

Masaaki Hatsumi
Bujinkan Dojo Soke