Karate and Ki-The Origin of Ki-The Depth of Thought

Kenji Ushiro was born on January 15, 1949 in Kobayashi City, Miyazaki Prefecture. In 1967, he entered Miyazaki University and became a member of the Karate club. Afer graduation, Ushiro moved to Osaka and there had an opportunity to practice a traditional form of Okinawan karate. He began to have

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doubts about the competitive karate he had practiced up until then and started training directly under Nikichi Zaha Sensei. Since then, he has devoted himself to the study of Zaha Karate. He is 7th dan and Kyoshi of Iaido, of the All-Japan Kendo Federation, and also 8th dan and Kyoshi of Shindo-ryu Karate-do. In 1986, Ushiro became Head of the Technoloical Research Institute of Yoshimura Denki Corporation. In 1991, he served as the company's Managing Director. Ushiro became President of Tokei Electrical Engineering Corporation in 1996 and, in 1997, was appointed President of Kaga Components Corporation. In 2004, he formed the UK Jissen Juku which he currently heads. (UK stands for Ushiro Karate and Universal Karate).

Contents

Part I The depth of thought and ki
Chapter 1 Fact, reality, truth
A. Learning from traditional culture
Science and taditional culture
Form adnd no-form cultures
The invisible techniques
How to look
'See' before you see
Truth is the body supported by the mind
The violinist, Mr. Narimichi Kawabata
Understanding through the body
B. Learning from kata
Putting oneself into kata
Understanding and realization from kata practice
Through kata practice, create a body that does not run away, a mind that does not betray you
Basics and application
The allure of kata
C. The essence of martial arts
Harmonizing with strong attacks
Learning from sword practice without guards
Freedom that is backed up by confidence
Learning from sensing and feeing
The real wave moves people
By recreating it
The proper direction of budo
The origin fo budo
D. Karate and ki
'Ki' that changes bare hands to real blades
Muscle training that stops the flow of ki
Powering up to a differet level through kata, breathing and consciousness
The depth of thought is the basis of everything
E. See what your eyes cannot see
'Body-mind' is ahead
Progress-Continuation is power (practice makes perfect)
Controlling the distance (Ma)
The importance of ki
Connecting with the opponent = Entering the opponent
Kime (decisiveness)
Apply and keep budo alive beyond time
Chapter 2 Ki, the core principle of Ushiro-ryu
The depth of thought-The method of acquiring high-level skill in martial arts
First core principle of Ushiro-ryu-Change that comes from form, breathing and consciousness (practice)
Second core principle of Ushiro-ryu-Unified body and partial body
Third core principle of Ushiro-ryu-Ki and energy
The depth of thought and ki
The revolution in training methodology
First supplement to the core principles of Ushiro-ryu-The worlds of consciousness and unconsciousness
Second supplement to the core principles of Ushiro-ryu-The ordinary and the extraordinary
Third supplement to the core principles of Ushiro-ryu-The law of barrels and Shu, Ha, Ri
The importance of verification
Part II Ki behind skills and techniques
1 Shugyo
There is no progress in self satisfaction
The importance of a calm mind and natural stance in every situation
What is important is the years spent in shugyo (committed pratice) and not simply the years that have passed
There is no way you can say, 'is this okay?'
Enlightenment is at 'that very moment'
To maintain the status quo is to step backward
'Can or cannot do' this is the essence and severity of inheriting
You have to keep a clear mind towards your master at all times
Create a process for immediate ability
Turth is the foundation
Budo is over if someone praises it
You must direct your practice to control the very moment of you opponent's intention
To say 'I understand' at your level means that you are not understanding it.
2 The real martial arts-Ki
You can tell if someone can use their kata just by looking
Open you heart and free your body
Make a wooden sword like a real sword by extending Ki
Become the nail that sticks out and gets hammered in
Martial arts is about grasping peace through fighting
Create a body that will not betray you
Do not win by competing, win through karate
Learning to 'move forward'
The uncionscious world of pre-0.5 seconds
It is necessary to have an intensity and aura that makes it impossible for your opponent to enter
60 billion cells will start to work with your Ki
The first priority in martial arts is 'enter your opponent'
You block the attack because you are afraid
If you keep seeking depth and height
The importance of realizing whether or not there is techinque
Martial arts have real value when you can use them in sparring
3 Ushiro-ryu viewpoint and thought
'Staignt ahead' creates hara
You cannot lie once you enter your oppoinent
Do not forget anger
The depth of your thought creates existence form nothingness
Fortify from the inside not the outside
Create 'a world of no compromise'
Through kata, notice your flaws, adjust your bad habits, and show your grace and pride
Know the essence of culture
The proper behavior and mind of a referee
The importane of real belief in yourself
It is Ki that moves people and gives them hope and courage
Offense is the best defense
Get the 'Emptiness' of 'form is emptiness'
The importance of self reformation
Create people who act
You have to change people who change
The ultimate goal of martial arts' shugyo (committed practice) is kakugo (resolve). This is the spirit of not starting war, and the commitment not to let others start one.
Do not look for answers, look for depth
Become someone who does not make excuses
The depth of thought is 'the knowledge of no-knowledge?
Bringing 'the depth of thought' to society

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