“Because our clan is involved in the martial arts, I have spoken this conjunction with them; but it should not be restricted to martial arts alone. All ways are like this.

In the martial arts it is a sickness if you do not leave the mind of the martial arts behind. In archery it is a sickness if you do not leave the mind of archery behind. If you will only use your ordinary mind and take up the sword or draw the bow, archery will not be difficult and the sword will be used with freedom.

Not being surprised by anything, the ordinary mind will be good for everything. If you lose your ordinary mind, your voice will shake no matter what you are trying to say. If you lose your ordinary mind, your hand will shake when you try to write something in front of others. The ordinary mind is in leaving nothing whatsoever in your breast, lightly tossing off all traces, and leaving the breast empty. This is the ordinary mind” – Yagyu Munenori, The Life-Giving Sword

NOTES: Ordinary mind = no mind no thought, it is free slowing and unrestricted. Mind = preoccupied thought of everything except the here and now, it is distracting and impeding.

In this there are many lessons to learn that apply to all things in life. This is the void it is the emptiness that allows us to reach our highest potential. Being a martial artist and a fighter I can tell you that there are plenty of people that like to hang there hats on achievements, trophies, belt colors and pieces of paper framed on the wall. These things mean nothing when it comes down to the real deal. For those that have achieved a level of confidence and skill there is no thought or talk needed to express their skill, it shows in their actions and movements. The more you think and talk about it the more you become a fake. It is in the doing that we truly excel in our skills. One does not need to talk or think about what we are doing, if you do think to much it will be an affliction of the mind that will distract from the performance of the body. The same is for archery and all ways. If you empty the mind and understand the void you will move without thinking and this movement will be free and natural. For those still caught in the mind you will do things in impeded ways and others will notice this. One does not think martial arts, one does not think the arrow from the bow we do martial arts and do archery. It is the absence of thought that allows to tap into the void allowing us to have pure movements and accurate arrows. To much talk, discussion and analyzing places one in the line with the posers, the want-to-be’s. Those that know the way do and those that do not talk and think. Empty the mind and just do.

The last paragraph of the quote tells us that those of us that are I the mind will be easily recognized by others. As Munenori mentions “Our voices and hands will shake when in front of others”. This is not to be taken literally it means that there will be subtle nuances and clues that others will see that will give away the pretenders, those not living in reality or those that live in a dream world in their own minds. One can only pretend for so long before others will take note of their mind state and lack of ordinary mind. Those moving with ordinary minds move with a grace and fluidity, those in the mind move clumsy and unbalanced. This applies to all ways. The tree does not think itself into the sunlight or think itself to grow, it just does, the bird does not think of how to fly or think how to land on a branch it just does. Those of us that know the ordinary mind can see those that are caught in the mind and in a fight it is those in the mind that will find it difficult to adapt to the constant dynamic change of circumstances in a fight. We either are or we are not and eventually the void will exploit own weaknesses of the mind and open them up for others to see.

I will use stalking in the woods as an example.

When one moves in nature and out of context with the nature surrounding them they will stand out like a sore thumb. If you understand the way and clear the mind, when you become one with your environment and you move in concert with the nature around us you will move with fluidity and grace and seem virtually invisible in the wilderness, just like the deer walking in the woods. Thinking and analyzing takes us out of context reality and the present and this will show in all that we do. When we are accomplished in our ordinary minds and our abilities others will see this and understand. If you understand this then you know, if you do not understand this then we will know. A kick is just a kick; a punch is just a punch, and a block just a block.

Good Stalking
GhostDog