Raise the warrior’s banner

We do understand Aikido as a Japanese Martial Art which goes back all the way to the traditional Samurai training. Thanks to O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, and a handful of Masters, Aikido did spread across the globe and it is “available” as an Art of self-defense to all people…

Aikido comes down to us from a long line of Japanese tradition and it is literally passed from hand to hand in an unbroken Master-Apprentice circle. Therefore its principles and techniques are a structure which expresses itself through real “flesh, blood and bone”  It takes no genius to understand that this self-defense Art, has as origin Japan, but at the same time it is as universal just as the air we breathe. In order to learn it you only have to be human, that’s all it takes… Race, color, gender, age, or any other “separation” does not count. It is so much universal that if one day aliens would land on earth I am pretty sure that they will love the Art of Aikido as well. And if they had five legs and fourteen hands each, we would still find a way to perform a nice Nikyo variation somehow, all with a smile!

Although it will not seem so to the untrained eye at first, Japanese tradition in general, is as close as possible to being universal as a tradition could be. Among many cultures that I have met and have come under my attention the Japanese is by far the most simple, gentle and elegant. We could drive this into many texts of examples here, but… somehow I do that already, don’t I?! So, for the occasion, let’s take one which will be the closest to the spirit of this text, the Japanese way to salute.
It is a slight bow, from a secure distance, while keeping silent. No funny hand gestures, no physical intrusion of any kind, no direct eye contact, no announcements of any kind, and if they are, they are in a low voice. There will be only a small, slow bow from the waist, in a gesture of lowering yourself. Compare it, and tell me, in which culture could anything like this be misunderstood as disrespect of any sort. And this example of the Japanese salute is only the entrance to a culture, which is full of respect and honor, for anyone and anything…

Close to that, a little thing to amuse you. Just few days back I stumbled on a Facebook upload. It was a table with drawings of hand gestures, and underneath of each of them what those same gestures did mean in different countries. To make a long story short, those gestures if applied openly to all directions, they could start World War III all by themselves! They were from many different countries and I looked, in vain, for a Japanese one, but there simply was none… because there is none! The absence of gestures, loud voices, grimaces and any kind of extreme expressions were telling me the obvious. Probably this could, or could not, be the case of today’s Japan, and we ourselves are no Japanese either… but those who “read me” are usually committed to a specific discipline and training, aren’t you?!

It is a personal preference of mine to keep my highest respect for those Masters who choose and fathom into a culture which lies behind their Art. And it shows big-time in the rare cases when they do! In order not to
“Aikido you” every second step, let us have a look at another Art in order to make my example stick, because as you already suspect there will be a bottom line… at the bottom of this!
If one would like to really deepen into the Art of Yoga, it would be a wise choice to uncover everything that is/was topnotch from the culture in India… and I am not talking about “happy” tourist trips to the place and neither taking long swims at the river of Gangis. Between the cuisine and the clothing, the history and the philosophy, the music and the decoration, there is so much to be learned… and yes, why not, this can all start at the irrelevant neighborhood “yoga-fitness-studio”. A start in practice is always a start. No one needs for a beginning to practice with his highness the “Guru What’s His Name” And since we did mention Indian Yoga there is always the book of Kama Sutra! Practice makes perfect… in any field! And while you are at it, you might consider hanging above you… the flag of India!!! Don’t be alarmed, we just arrived to the bottom line I was telling you…

Let me guess! You didn’t like much the idea of the Indian flag fluttering above your Yoga space… Then why is it that this habit of national flags prevailed in the field of Martial Arts? …don’t tell me, I don’t wanna know, this was an academic question in order to make my point…

Yes, in the Marital Arts we have irrelevant nationalism invading our life… In fact we are surrounded, since the usual practice is to have one flag from the country of the Art’s origin and another of the country which is hosting. You ladies and gents are sitting in the middle of it…
To make my high peak for this text, it is totally absurd that communist China who has hunted down Shaolin priests and Kung-Fu Masters of all systems in an attempt of “cultural cleansing” has its flag raised at almost every Kwon (Chinese practicing hall).
Let us suppose we let this slide through by having the national flag of the the Martial Art’s country of origin… Why hang beside it our own?! This is not a parade is it?! Get real! We cannot give a Katana to someone and name him American Ninja as we cannot wear a kilt to a Japanese and name him a… Scotchman. And so goes with signs, flags, banners etc.

A Dojo can choose between a great number of flags (Furagu in Japanese) emblems, symbols and signs, which would truly represent it. For example the Martial Art itself, the Master/s that is closest to the particular Dojo, the name of the Dojo and the story behind it… just use your imagination.

One other fact is that most Traditional Martial Arts, Aikido being no exception, were shaped long before the appearance of their countries’ ethnic flag…

Okay, okay, I admit… I have personal reasons to detest a national flag in my Dojo and I will explain why.
I was born in Germany by a German mother, but by an Italian father. Despite being here and there and everywhere I live permanently in Greece… I have maintained two passports throughout my entire life and I don’t intend to let go any of them. What can I do… I love my… countries! So, what am I going to do in order to be fair? Hang a (deep breath please…) JapoGermanGreekItalianEuropianUnion flag?! And that’s not all, since I’m concerned about the fact that my ties with the US are becoming increasingly dangerous into becoming yet another citizenship… Oh my… what am I going to do?! Turn my Dojo into a flag store?!

I wasn’t born yesterday and I know the argument before it comes… And it is that you have seen national flags fluttering in the breeze in traditional Dojos of great Masters. Even at the early days Dojo of O’Sensei there is a huge Japanese flag at the kamiza which practically covers the entire wall. Aaaand what?! O’Sensei had also a poor Miso soup for dinner, what was yours?! A steak with French fries maybe?!

Most of the decoration in Dojos is done in a manner of copy-paste, there is seldom real consideration and character to them, and that is the plain truth… Those who take their Dojo’s construction, materials and appearance a step further than that, usually gain my attention,  admiration and I’m not hiding my enthusiasm either.

One should respect the individuality of his own Dojo… 

As we move towards the future we should consider a traditionalism which is not of any particular topic character. The only way in which we will not betray that which we feel as “Samurai past” or “Japanese tradition” can be concluded in one phrase which is as far as can be from any country’s flag…

“Be traditional to the core in the ways of practicing the Art
adopting a universal attitude that derives from it”

March 4, 2012