The Philosophy Found Within Shogerijutsu

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If you were to seriously study any martial art it is inevitable that such a study will include the development of a philosophical background. It is also inevitable that as you develop further into the art, the interrelationship between the physical and mental aspects of the art will also developed and strengthened. The result can be a philosophy of life in which your martial art training serves as a key ingredient. Such is the case with Shogerijutsu. There is a philosophy that goes with the knowledge, and there is a close relationship between the physical and mental aspects of the art with the resulting philosophy having a profound influence on your daily life. This is the point where Shogerijutsu meets Shintaido, a level I myself am still trying to achieve. It is then that Shogerijutsu becomes something more than just Karate, it becomes an external manifestation of all the internal principles that make us who we are as Martial Artists. At that point it is no longer a Karate-Do, rather it is represented by the concept of the "Way of the Complete Body" or Shintaido. This is the point in someone's training when they have achieved the ability to feel, understand, and move the chi in their body, and use that same energy to balance conflict. Such a person will be at harmony in such a way, that there movements are an expression of the balance of Yin and Yang. So when someone says they practice Shintaido, then they are a representation of the Internal Karate Arts. A rare thing indeed. I truly feel, that it is possible, that I can teach what becomes Shintaido, that vehicle being Shogerijutsu Karate-Do. For Shintaido is a result of the proper time and devotion given to the Internal aspects of this Art. Morever, Shintaido is the result of truly expressing yourself as a complete Martial Artist. Something no one can teach you how to do.

Since Shogerijutsu can function separately without the highest achievement of Internal methods, it is considered to have a mixed philosophy of both External and Internal. I feel that the lower level Aikido practitioners are also primarily Externalists, and that only at the highest levels is one considered to be an Internalist. This is so, since it too can function without the Internal aspects as a base style of self-defense. However, in the case of Chinese Internal Arts, I feel that the path is meant to be Internal the entire way. Shogerijutsu strives to do this as well, as does Aikido(and others if they are out there), but since it has a base of External rather than Internal, this makes all the difference, however minute or small that it may be. That is my take on the subject, and I feel it is good enough for now, as I expect it to perhaps change it over time as do all things.

Much of the following is common knowledge or ideas that I have found out there in the cyber world, or in the literature I have read, and have since merged the concepts into something that matches who I am, and the principles that I strive to learn and teach.

There are a number of factors that affect a student's philosophical growth in Shogerijutsu. The first factor is the destructive potential of Shogerijutsu techniques from a purely physical viewpoint. A skilled practitioner can control his attacker's chi energy. If a person commits himself to a course of action he is committing his chi; his chi is directed toward that end. The skilled practitioner can control that energy. As a student becomes more knowledgeable in the use of nerves and pressure points he will also develop the ability to create and control pain without doing any real harm to his assailant as in Taiji Boxing. Combine both of these elements with the ability to create real pain and disabling injuries with the destructive Hand and Low-Foot strikes, Basic Takedown Throws, and the "Not so prevalent in Traditional Karate-Do or TKD" Elbow and Knee strikes(all of which are found in Shogerijutsu), and you can recognize the potential control and havoc that a skilled student can deliver to an attacker.

Because of this destructive potential, Shogerijutsu places a strong emphasis on the concept of non-violence. Violence in this sense is any action that is not based on survival tactics, and is projected in a such a manner that causes mental or physical harm upon another person for no other reason than of performing the violent act itself. In Shogerijutsu, a physical confrontation should be avoided whenever possible. There are two additional reasons that support this concept of non-violence. First, as the Shogerijutsu student is confident of their skill he recognizes that he/she has a better than average chance of defending himself successfully. Thus it is unnecessary to prove he/she can if such a confrontation can be avoided. Second, a physical confrontation indicated that all rational means of resolving the problem have failed.

A second factor that will affect philosophic growth is the knowledge that can be obtained by studying this or any art. It is an infinite mental process. Once the student masters basic techniques and the ability to integrate them - the result is greater confidence. The ability to control one's one chi and an attacker's chi is a third element affecting growth. To control one's own chi the student must be relaxed. Learned techniques should flow from the center of the body automatically and spontaneously. This explains the Shintaido level of Shogerijutsu, and indeed the best way to learn of chi is to take lessons in one or more of the Traditional Internal Chinese Arts such as Tai Chi Ch'uan/Taijiquan/Hsing-I, Baguazhang, or some similar internal style. Thus expanding your learning in the Martial Arts that much more.

Fourth, an understanding of the circle theory can be profound importance. At this point the circle theory will be stated simply: everything moves in a circular motion. For every action there is an appropriate consequence suitable to the motion. This theory, with respect to the physical aspect of the art, will be almost completely molded into your philosophy by the Dan level.

The last major factor affecting the philosophical growth of the student is the circumstances under which the art is learned. If the student is taught Shogerijutsu solely as a means of self-defense, than that is all that this student will learn. If the student learns Shogerijutsu as part of a personal journey - As I mean for it to be - he/she can gain that much more. You can look at the art as an art form rather than solely as a means of self-defense. You can see why techniques are done as they are and what makes them work. Rather than just learning techniques, you can learn to understand them. If you can understand them, you can adapt them to different situations and integrate basic moves with one another, knowing in advance what the consequences will be. The process can be related directly to daily life. This is what makes it an individual experience.

Learning the art also involves developing a great deal of patience. Techniques are not learned and then put aside. They are constantly reviewed, improved upon, modified, and perfected. A good instructor will strive to train his students psychologically as well as physically. In order to combine the individual experience into the improvement process, I feel that it is up to the student to respectfully work with the teacher to mark such improvements on technique. The higher in rank you became the more disciplined the atmosphere of training will become. To persist in your studies should be your goal. A wise person learns something new everyday and makes the learning process a part of their life.

The philosophy of Shogerijutsu as an art is based on the concept of continuity and my understanding of fluidity. Within the teachings of Shogerijutsu there is the concept of the continuous flow of things (energy in a sense); by extending one's own chi one can control the chi of others and by controlling the other person's chi it is possible to control that person. As techniques must be modified to meet different situations, so must we be able to change to meet new situations successfully. This is both the core of Shogerijutsu Karate-Do, and that of the highest Internal level of the Art, Shintaido.

By understanding Shogerijutsu - the art and its concepts - it is possible to recognize that you can have greater control of your environment while accepting it at the same time. By studying the art you can develop a better understanding of the limits of your environment, yourself, and others. This is particularly true if you become an instructor. I generally teach so that others may teach. Knowledge knows little resistance if it is shared with those that are hungry for it and have none. As a teacher, students will come to you as clay, each one with a different malleability. You can do a great deal with your students if you nurture, mold, push, and recognize them. You can help them recognize their own potential.

With time and training a student will develop a feeling of self-confidence combines with humbleness; it is not necessary to always prove oneself. You can be patient, accepting, and understanding of others - these are key virtues to optimal growth. You will also develop greater self-control, recognizing that you can control your environment through confidence and an understanding of your abilities. All of this can give the serious student a positive outlook on life. These things are part of the visualization process. Shogerijutsu can be learned as an art in all of its facets. It can give the student an understanding of what life is and how to be an active participant in it. The Shogerijutsu Manual, in Word97 Format can be viewed/downloaded by clicking here, as it shows more detail regarding the general techniques and philosophy a student would learn while practicing Shogerijutsu-Karate-Do.