Ever wonder why some Jodoners say Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo and others say Shinto Muso Ryu Jodo? Still others have returned to the name Shindo Muso Ryu Jojutsu.神道 夢想流 杖術1
Documents clearly show that Shimizu Sensei made a conscious effort after World War II to change the name “Jojutsu” to “Jodo” in order to capture the essence of training for self-improvement. The nuanced goals might’ve been amended but the actual martial system was not adjusted in any meaningful way as some would argue that the techniques were then watered down.
The Rembukan Dojo’s short decade long life was at an end due to a family tragedy of the owner of the property and friend of Shimizu Sensei. And although Shimizu Sensei had visited and approved of the Zoshyukan’s rented space, he never trained there succumbing to illness and death a short time later.
Shimizu Sensei did not pass away suddenly. Some of his five students that had received Menkyo Kaiden had come to visit him. He was cogent and alert. Here, stories and memories begin to defer but as best as this author can reasonably determine, this account seems to be the most agreed upon as of this writing; When asked who should take over the main duties of the dojo, Shimizu Sensei entrusted all of his Menkyo Kaiden to do the right thing. However these relationships were already fractured with petty grievances. One junior teacher, not yet a Menkyo at the time opened a dojo that was not completely embraced by Shimizu Sensei. The Menkyo Kaiden were fighting over control of everything from the dojo Kanban (billboard) to the ancient scrolls and records. Mr. Kaminoda, the youngest of the group and the secretary for the group wound up with most of the scrolls.
When class at the Zoshyukan started, the other senior Menkyo Kaiden were met and turned away at the door and thus began a new era of loosely related groups practicing Jodo in the Tokyo area. Mr. Kaminoda then took steps to copyright the name “Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo”. In Japanese fashion, no one pursued this action, protesting legally but the copyright issue was not well received by the other senior students of Shimizu Sensei.
Though no evidence has come to light that actions have ever been taken to litigate the unwarranted use of the name Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo, this author is in possession of several documents where Mr. Kaminoda implied that he would do so. Some of the Menkyo Kaiden found solutions in changing the annunciation of the name Shindo to Shinto which could be done without changing any meaning of the kanji for “shin” and “do”. Others found a solution in returning to the use of the word “Jojutsu” instead of “Jodo”
Adding to the controversies of the day, it was hoped that Mr. Otafuji of Kyushu, Shimizu Sensei’s friend, colleague and kohai (junior) would accept the “headmastership” and steward Jodo into the future. The problem was in counting the “generations” which is vague and contradictory by Japanese custom. As both Shimizu and Otafuji had the same teacher Shiraishi Hanjiro who was the 24th linear descendant, Otafuji Sensei had a right to claim that he was the 25th descendant. The problem was that this then ostensibly would’ve written Shimizu Sensei out of the history books so to speak. It could never be agreed that Otofuji Sensei, respectfully accept being the 26 lineal descendent in order to solve this issue.
Today though the wider body of Jodo practitioners meet to conduct business, factionalism continues to exist. Additionally there are technical differences found in waza between what has informally come to be known as “Northern Jo” and “Southern Jo” between Honshu and Kyushu though these geographical boundaries are not definitive.
1 Note: There is an interesting passage in Matsui Kenji’s monograph “The Hitory of Shindo Muso Ryu Jojutsu” presented to the International Hoplology Society about name changes in character (kanji) choices early on in the formation of the Ryu. Pp. 5-6 ©1993
T
he Rembukan Dojo continues to try and offer traditional budo within the context of Western culture. It is fair to say that Westerners and Japanese learn and process information differently coming from very different cultural backgrounds.
We will continue to practice Jo and Iai with a focus on the old ways, paying attention to the myriad little details that separate what we do from other traditions. Towards that end and with an eye on quality control, we will continue to demand the best efforts of our instructors and students. We are fortunate in that our teachers in Japan believe as we do in the importance of fundamentals and in reinforcing correct postures.
There will always be a value in having an umbrella organization whether it be the All Japan Kendo Renmei (AJKF) or a branch within another country. Finding a common denominator between the various viewpoints of many ryuha (schools) and teachers in order to promote unity and standardization however is not without its challenges. As of this writing, the Rembukan is not active with the AJKF and is debating the worth of becoming part of the AUSKF. Any member of the dojo is permitted to join the organization directly if interested for Jodo and Iaido.
I think we can all add discussion to the pros and cons of larger umbrella organizations and what is contributed to the perpetuation of good budo in another blog.
Through public and private dojo instruction, as well as world-class seminars by excellent teachers, we hope to help promote the legacy of good Japanese budo. We will remain vigilant to the pitfals as traditions do evolve with the insight that comes from training and devolve from unwitting changes that occur through incomplete training and the legacy of reinterpretation for political reasons. We do not place emphasis on ranks and demonstrations, preferring to focus on the development of skill sets without affectation.
There is reason for hope that these arts will survive the 21st century. However there are real issues, too, that must be acknowledged. Some folks today want to get licenses and develop skill sets without the blood, sweat, and tears required to gain mastery of these complex arts. Some, though sincere, can't invest the time required to fully understand these arts. Still others, are collectors interested in self aggrandizement as they have a need to teach and loudly self- promote themselves without regard to accuracy. The days of dueling are at an end and it is hard to know which information is good and which is not. This is a challenge for all of us.
Today, how does anyone sift through the noise to determine a proper dojo and more importantly a proper teacher for instruction? There are no simple answers but real budo is gained through transmission. There are no shortcuts and training is dispassionately if brutally honest as you get only those dividends that are proportionate to the effort exerted.
Video, Utube, and books do not transmit budo which is experiential. Knowing a teacher or visiting Japan for a couple of weeks doesn't offer very much in the way of true experience other than having a nice adventure and a story to tell. Nor does a short trip to an "exotic" destination or a weekend seminar with a teacher make you a direct student let alone a qualified teacher.
Not all experts, even those that sprinkle language in their instruction like salt and pepper are actually competent teachers either. Conversely not all competent teachers agree on the dojo culture and curriculum that should be imposed within a particular art. The days of controlling curriculum have disappeared forever.
Ranks don't mean very much today either. The makimono system and dan gradings had a value of sorts but are so easily corrupted that not all licenses reflect comparable skills. I honestly know some rokudan that have opinions that I respect more than those of some hachidan hanshi that grace the mat with their brilliance. Sadly the same can be said for some menkyo license holders too.
Certainly a new student should ask how the teacher came to know and understand what is being taught. The new student should also closely watch the culture of the dojo and determine if it is something credible. By the same token, the prospective student has some obligations too. Interests aside, time has to be invested in the dojo. Time is not measured in days, weeks or months but in many years. The student should know that there is nothing fancy as training means many repetitions of doing the same thing over and over until perfected. Entering a dojo with less than sincere effort as well as family support robs the teacher and other students of the time spent in developing someone that ultimately is a poor investment in the dojo overall.
The dojo should be many things; a place that is austere for training, inviting for celebration, clean always, and most importantly a place for making and learning from mistakes.
I didn't really know or appreciate all of these things when I first went to work on building a dojo. I didn't know that it would take on a life of its' own and become almost like a living organism. I understood but not as deeply as I should've that some students and my family would grow deep personal and long lasting attachments. Nor did I realize that like budo itself, once started, it can not be ended.
If I venture a guess about the future it is this: There will always be folks interested in Japanese martial traditions. Lives will get busier and larger groups will get noisier and more and more folks will learn something that is remotely akin to classical budo while sincerely thinking that they've studied the real thing. Similarly others will create obstacles and invent things claiming falsely that they are traditional as a way to embellish what they offer much like light attracts moths. More like the cracks in the sidewalk where small grasses being to grow, real budo will hold on tenaciously without compromise for those willing to look closely. This is not a bad thing as something worth having is worth working for. It is almost a guarantee that anything that comes to easily usually is too easy for a reason.
Donn’s official bio in part reads as follows: “…regular officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, is a research historian, author, and lecturer on Asian martial disciplines, in which he holds a large number of expert ranks and teaching licenses.” Donn also continued to try and create publications that had a broad public appeal for folks interested in budo from both an academic and practitioner’s vantage point. Donn resurrected Sir Richard Burton’s classification for the study of Hopology, the impact of martial arts on culture and truly dedicated his life to this pursuit. Today, his efforts still have a profound bearing on many of the folks that he intersected with.
Donn lived all over Asia and hobnobbed with some of the greatest martial artists of his day earning their respect and often gaining access to the intricacies of their own martial systems.
Perhaps one day an authoritative book about this man will be published. I liked in particular what Mr. Ellis Amdur, an accomplished martial artist in his own right, had to say in a post a few years back, to paraphrase: “…he was a man’s man and when he placed his hands upon you he could gauge your worth…”
Known for his Judo and introducing weight training to the Kodokan, his excellent books and a few duds too, Donn was formidable and yet had a marvelous sense of humor. I hope to write some of my own memories about Donn and that others that knew him might contribute so that a compendium might be developed.
I would also caution that today I observe two sad trends. The first is that some folks think that by going to a grave site or commemorating training to his spirit that they are honoring the man or in some way profiting from Donn Draeger. Nothing could be further from the truth. Donn made it very clear to me and to others that once he was gone he wanted to be left alone. He had no way to anticipate the internet but he did understand the aspects of Western culture that seemed to promote charlatans and glory seekers. A good portion of his life was spent getting oddball letter requests from all over the world. My personal favorite was a story he told about getting a letter from "the last American ninja" and requesting information on which pocket he should hold his shuriken. True story - honest!
The other trend is a betrayal of sorts. Although Donn himself would never want to be elevated to some supernatural status, he had a great passion for practicing what worked and he wanted to test everything. There are those today that have carried on additional research and have drawn some conclusions that are inconsistent with his own. Sometimes, carelessly perhaps, they've grown dismissive of Donn's extraordinary work. I hope that any growth in knowledge is not used to dismiss all of the fine work that Donn did. He lived in a time when his experiences could not be duplicated today and as several of my budo seniors like to say.... "he has probably forgotten more than I'll ever know...".
For those studying Jodo in Tokyo when Shimizu Sensei died a diasporic event took place. In-fighting and petty politics between Shimizu's senior students created factions. Westerners had to make painful choices as to which dojo and teacher they would associate with.
Two of us, my sempai (senior in Jodo) Bruce Brown and I chose Kaminoda Sensei and his colleague Osato Sensei. We continued to train at the Zoshyukan, a rented space across the way from where Shimizu Sensei had lived. The dojo space had a very nice feeling to it, even for a contemporary structure.
Perhaps naively we hoped that a reconciliation of sorts could be forged and the contentious atmosphere between rival teachers would abate. Although "blessed" by Shimizu Sensei before his death, the Zoshyukan never replaced the Rembukan as a home dojo for Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo in the Tokyo/Kanto area. Efforts to do so were blocked by Kaminoda Sensei.
The Zoshyukan never replaced the Rembukan as a home dojo for Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo in the Tokyo/Kanto area.
Eventually I would serve as Kaminoda Sensei's first and only North American "Shibucho". Mr. Kaminoda didn't like to travel abroad and down deep he shared an opinion that many Japanese have that Westerners could never truly get budo. This is despite the fact that Draeger was his brother deshi under Shimizu Sensei. Despite a 25 year hiatus, Mr. Kaminoda came to visit my dojo at my invitation each year from 1994 thru 2000. Today there are those that say that they are his direct students or that Kaminoda S. came to the U.S.A. of his own volition. This is false.
Times change. Adapting to economic pressures within Japan many dojo have decided upon adjusting standards and redefining themselves as "Sports Clubs" in an effort to attract and retain new students. Coupled with a relaxation of the criteria for granting makimono, classical scrolls in order to increase revenue and an increased emphasis on revenue-earning "events" the atmosphere of the dojo and the nature of the folks studying changed too. The breakdown of the makimono (classical grading) system and the rise of umbrella organizations such as the Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei (Now AJKF) have altered the face of modern budo. Some changes can be embraced and depending upon your view, some changes are sad.
Although we at the Rembukan understand these developments, it would not be in keeping with our stated goals to accept these kinds of changes here. Suffice it to say that despite our best efforts to communicate our concerns over some of the decisions made at the Zoshyukan, I decided to resign as "Shibucho". Kaminoda Sensei and I have a relationship spanning many decades. I first met him in 1974. This history can never be ignored though there are those who would love to rewrite it to their purposes. Today we are not actively involved with the Nihon Jodokai.
Despite my own long tenure and personal relationships with my Jo seniors and dojomates I invited our entire dojo membership to discuss and contribute to the direction our dojo should take henceforth. After all the decision would have a profound effect upon them as well. In short, my decision to withdraw was not made lightly or out of a private grievance. The vote was unanimously made after ten of our number went to Japan in November, 2007 to train and to determine whether any positive way forward could be made that reconciled our own dojo goals with those of the Nihon Jodokai. After this protracted effort to find solutions to changes beyond our control, the membership determined that it was in our best interest to stand away from the current affairs of the Zoshyukan and the Nihon Jodokai.
There is a silent rule within older traditions that the "dirty laundry" is not aired in public. I hope that I've drawn the line ethically with my statements. Let me simply say that anyone who shared the mat with Shimizu Sensei sensed a level of commitment to "do it right and devoid of the pursuit of self-aggrandizement. For me as an impressionable young man, these are the experiences for which I am most grateful. They were life changing.
Growing up in the Midwest I visited every dojo (all three (1-Judo, 1-Judo & Jujutsu, 1 Karate and Judo) in a city with over 1 million inhabitants and selected the karate dojo. They really didn't do judo. I studied "Kempo-Goju" karate, a made-up compilation though I didn't know it at the time.
In college and while teaching karate I met a judoka and policeman named Bruce Brown. He introduced me to Jodo, Tomiki Aikido, Iaido as well as Masaki Ryu. I began studying Jodo and Iai in earnest in 1974.Life and career have been kind to me. It has allowed me continued access to my teachers in Japan and the opportunity for ongoing training.
Today I reside near Annapolis, Maryland with my wife Yuri and our two children. Well, as of this update, we start anew as "empty-nesters".
As the senior instructor of the Beikoku Rembukan Dojo I guess I can now claim that I've been studying budo for almost 50 years. I've been fortunate in studying under some of the 20th century's most wonderful sensei (teachers) including: Shimizu, Draeger, Kuroda, Nagamoto, Kaminoda, Tomiki, Oba, Ohtsuka, Suzuki, and Yonemoto to name a few.
I hope to dust off some of the photos from the 70's and 80's and add them to a gallery within this web site... It's on theperpetual to do list along with hundreds of films.
In studying with people of the caliber of Shimizu, Nagamoto, Tomiki and Draeger Sensei my thoughts have been shaped in countless little ways. Those of us who trained at the original Rembukan Dojo were embued with Shimizu Sensei's sense of mission. He had a strong desire to promote Jodo throughout the world without losing the heart of what Jodo is.
I hope that our dojo represents and promotes this same spirit and that in some small ways we are contributing in a positive way to the development of good budo.
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