Ushiro Karate aims for "Winning without Fighting" -- to realize"Protecting and caring the people"

The situation in the world today has become extremely severe. The wars in Russia and Ukraine, which have gone against the times, have led to massacre. People die by being shot and they shoot back. People are killing each other.

In the U.S., there have been a series of mass shootings. Recently, a school shooting occurred at an elementary school and many children were killed. Many people have called for stricter gun control. However, on the other hand, the former president insists that teachers should be allowed to carry guns as a countermeasure. This is a strange logic, no matter from which angle you think about it. Why would such a statement come out?

Behind all these, there is a desire to win the election by leveraging the National Rifle Association , and a desire on the part of the National Rifle Association to oppose gun control. In other words, it is "selfishness". As a result, many children and people have been killed.

In order to get rid of such "selfishness," we need to think and act from a larger perspective. This is the very meaning of our existence as human beings. Where did we come from?

We humans are the creation of the earth. However, the current human society is heading toward destruction. The adverse effects of the war that Russia has started are spreading to the whole world, even indirectly, and causing great misfortune to many people in real life. Add to that, the recent abnormal weather conditions, natural disasters, and earthquakes are all the result of human factors.

From the perspective of our "Mother Earth," it is unlikely that the earth created human beings with the intention of such destructive characteristics. We human beings are supposed to evolve with the times. Evolution means that humans should be happy with coexisting and co-prosperity under the universe. There were many wars in the past. Japan, in particular, went through the experience of atomic bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing hundreds of thousands of people. And yet the same thing is happening again and again in the world. This is proof of how much human beings have deteriorated, especially the personalities of those at the top. I believe that everyone fears that this situation will further accelerate in the future.

In such a situation, there are concrete practices that can shape a hopeful future. It is "Muto-ryu," a way of practicing swordsmanship, which enabled "Win without fighting" in Japan from the Warring States Period to the Edo Period.

Muto means that one does not carry a sword. But still empowered to fight someone with a sword and win. To defeat an opponent without a sword means to strike the opponent's mind/heart (Kokoro) with your own mind/heart (Kokoro). This is the very stage of "Winning without fighting," and its essence is the energy called Ki.

This specific art of defeating your opponent while not holding a weapon is something that can be applied now and in the future.

For that, it is important to raise "new buds" which are children. Learning how to live, think and live are very important for them. To do so, adults must first change. The current mainstream of conflict must change to harmony. This is the spirit of caring for others. Adults must also practice and change to this mindset, and pass it on to their children. "Muto-ryu" of the Edo era that teaches "winning without fighting," is a wonderful practical philosophy that will lead the world to a hopeful future.

There is a famous word from Edo period haiku poet Matsuo Basho, "Fueki-Ryuko". Fueki is the essence that does not change and Ryuko refers to the reality of change in the course of time. While adapting to changes in reality, it is important to have an " eternal unchanging truth" at the root of such changes. That is the mind/heart (Kokoro). It is the unchanging philosophy and practice of "making people happy". However, without actual practice, this becomes a mere spiritual word.

That practice is not conflict or battle, but "the power to protect" and "the art of protecting". What does it mean to protect? If you have an opponent to fight, and he seems stronger than you, you may feel scared and frightened. But if there is a family member you love beside you, and they are about to be beaten, then neither skill nor fear will matter. You would try desperately to protect them. That is what "protecting" means. Therefore, a person who has something to protect is strong.

That transcends the self, and the dimension that transcends the self is Ki. It is important that such Ki precedes and is supported by concrete actions, in other words, "the art of protecting". It is not about beating the opponent, but about acquiring the skills to protect what is important. The more people you have to protect and love, the stronger you become.

This is the best way to reach the state of "winning without fighting" and the best way to grasp "Ki". That is what Ushiro Karate is all about.

In Ushiro karate, you seize the opponent at the end with a throw to finish. Because if this was a sword, it would cut the opponent. Therefore, instead of striking the opponent as a counterattack, you throw the opponent. At that time, the power of the fist of the person who has the technique to throw the opponent is actually very powerful. While having the power of the strike, you can throw the opponent without striking. As one becomes more proficient, one's Ki will flow to the person who is thrown, and that person can throw another person. In other words, Ki will be circulating. Ushiro karate is the practice of creating and nurturing such a cycle.

Turning a counterattack against an attack into a throw.