May 30, 2015Knowledge when fighting

It was an encounter with a book I found when I dropped in a secondhand bookstore.

I wanted to know the origins of Japanese culture (including Okinawan and Okinawan culture), so I was interested in “Kojiki” and have read its modern language translations and then personal books of its new interpretations. However I cannot understand world of a mythological age at all. I had the thoughts that local lore and legends are not just speculations or imaginations, and “truth” based on historical facts should be seen in an intended expression concretely even if there is an historical background and the author's intentions written in it.

An ancient writing “Hotsuma Tsutae” has cleared such vague doubts. Although it is the writings which is difficult to understand, it is “Hotsuma Story, God and Orochi (A giant snake)” (written by Rei Torii, published by Shinsensha) that is easy to understand as a story.

“Hotsuma” means “real” and “honma (real)”, and “tsutae” means “tell”. It was written in ancient characters which had been used before Kanji (Chinese characters) entered from China, having a style of Waka made of five-and-seven syllable meter with whole book, which is an ancient writing compiled by Tsuruginotomi-Ootataneko of Miwa line in the age of Emperor Kageyuki (according to Nihon Shoki, 12th generation, reigned for 60 years). They say its contents are missing from “Kojiki'' and “Nihonshoki'', and it has contents that are indispensable to deeply understand Japanese culture, such as word spirit, Waka, medical art, morals, annual events, fortune telling, horseback riding, the origin of the shrines, the origin of the place name, the ancient festival, the laws of the universe, etc. If you are interested, I recommend you to read it through.

Now, the ancient times might be a time of constant fighting. Hatare's Demon Army that uses spirits of animals has sprung up in countries, which have descended into chaos by breaking down of their legal systems one after another. It is said that the character of Hatare Demon Army is twisted, it is extremely sharp in thinking, cheats people manipulating the spirits of animals, and competes for superiority with magic as it is very haughty and suffers from being burned by its own flames three times a day. In response to such a threatening movement, leading vassals gathered around Amatel and form God Army to “defeat Hatare!” in Takamanohara in Hidakami (Tohoku). Followings are the knowledges that Kasanaki who plays the role of purification ceremony raised when fighting.

  1. 1: Be unselfish
  2. 2: Manifest the shape of God with a merciful heart
  3. 3: Keep the center of your heart straightforward and communicate with the gods in the heavens.
  4. 4: Try to finish without incident. Then you can feel the spiritual presence of a mysterious day.
  5. 5: A softened heart. Softness is exactly the greatest means.

The writer suddenly turned his mind to the basic form of Goju Ryu Karate-do when he read the five articles of “Knowledge of Battle”.

The knowledge of 1 to 3 leads to “Sanchin”, and 4 and 5 lead to “Tensho”. In addition, the last instructions of the founder, Chojun Miyazaki passed by my mind, which is “not be hit by people and not hit people, finishing without incident.” It is a strict and modest phrase unique to the founder who mastered the essence of the power of Goju Ryu thoroughly.

Even so, no matter how the times change, every world has an existence like the Hatare Magic Army. Originally, people were born pure and innocent ... (Mutan)