Reminiscences from the Journey to the doorstep of “Moku Roku”

By Jose

Wind-Storm Tradition, School of Aiki Jujutsu

India Chapter

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Storm Warning If there is one word that invokes the same threnody of emotions –from the childhood, through puberty and eventual adulthood, I think “Exams” qualify.

Besides physiological symptoms (cold sweat, tremors, fever, faint pulse, dizziness) exams also invoke a wide range of flight or fight symptoms from denial, to

betrayal to insecurity to existential vacumn. It does it all. You can imagine the mayhem in April 2016 when Sensei dropped a hint (we called it “disaster”, he

calls it a “hint”) that it was time for the next leap of faith: Belt Exams.

The first phase of the struggle was getting to the Oku Iri. The practice that follows this phase pushes the body through flows that challenge us both physically

and mentally. But make no mistake; this stage of the journey is extremely physical. It is about teaching the mind to master the body .To keep going, even

when there is nothing left to push. Inevitably we are posed with this question – are you able to continue? And there is the question within – what is next?

Before we knew it, four years had elapsed. It was natural for Sensei Ramesh, who had seen this in us, to pose us the next challenge – exams that would push us

to the doorstep of the Moku Roku. He decided to surprise us with the opportunity to actually go to the next level.

Here, is where exactly? And that’s how it started-with the immortal words of Sensei Chandan “Maga, yen Iruttho? “

“Son, what can we expect?” is a terrible transliteration mind you-but it kicked -off the sambar induced frenzy to put together the curriculum and anticipate

what the “Exam” was going to be like.

We had a rudimentary reference from the Oku Iri ( first Dan Black belt) days but then that was four years ago.

I remember making an attempt to build a matrix of all techniques. It started with 256 rows of techniques we learned at the Oku Iri plotted against 22 columns.

That was the two dimensional bit and then came the combinations and the layers.

Try putting this on paper: Uke (attacker) is fixed- Tori (the one showing the technique) is not. Both standing. Tori in Suwari Waza (seated/ or kneeling

position). Tori moves only on the right, Tori moves only on the left, Sen Zen No Sen ( duck and counter), Sen Sen no Sen ( attack before the attack), Weapon to

Weapon, Bare-Hand to Bare-Hand, Bare-Hand to Weapon and so forth ... Do you get the picture? The Uke has the freedom to Kick, Punch, resort to Body grabs

or a mix of these. For each element, we are looking at ten Tai Sabaki body positions. Add Atemi (striking techniques) with Keria ku (meridians/pressure or

meridian points) and that is another dimension in itself. If that’s not already a lot. After about five hundred seventy thousand such outcomes, I think I decided

to let it be. I had lost weight, my sanity, a significant amount of hair and was nowhere near even listing the curriculum. Truth be told, the vastness of the Aiki

Jujutsu Curriculum under the Wind –Storm tradition is staggering. I remember asking, if one lifetime was enough...and to learn how much.

The Wind Storm Tradition is a behemoth. I think it is alive and it chooses its disciples. We are testimony to that. It was amazing to look back and see for

ourselves how far we had come from where we had started just four years ago.

"The greatest glory in living lies in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

- Nelson Mandela

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MRF Nylogrip?

In Aiki Jujitsu, muscle memory is an important element. The only way to get there is through practice. No short cuts. It is practically impractical to remember

the entire syllabus; however, with muscle memory that comes from practice, it is possible to perform everything. Simple, effective. As you sow, so you reap.

Practice eliminates the need to constantly remember. We had learned to move in the Muruvi (turning oneself) form over the last few years and that was a

source of comfort. Turning oneself to face more than one opponent was very doable; we knew the foot work and took it for granted.

But what if the very floor was moved while you were walking?

This is what happened when Sensei introduced a variable into the method - the MRF (Moku Roku Format). For the lesser mortals, it’s where you demonstrate

the entire technique where the Uke is fixed and you are not. So the Uke does say 1 and 2 Kick/Punch while you counter it 1 to 10 with a Sen Zen No Sen /Go no

Sen ( or square on the hypotenuse of ( A+B) the whole cube minus the evolution of the Cro-Magnon man for all you care). This upset the entire balance of

things and was therefore a new beginning of sorts.

The MRF “Paddhathi” (format) became the watch word. We managed to come up with names for our techniques in Kannada: “Yesetha” (for Nage),”Ogeytha”

(washout -what happened to us) and “kunitha” (folk dance -what Sensei Ramesh thought we were doing). Jokes aside it was fun. Muruvi in the MRF, Weapons

in the MRF, and Suvari Waza in the MRF.

It was tiresome and it was an absolute drainer. But it was doing something to us for sure. That much was certain. We were changing in ways that we couldn’t

explain - but it was happening.

Socrates was our most quoted philosopher “All I know, is that I know nothing”. No amount of time was enough. No amount of practice was sufficient. It was all

about skill,grace of execution and Aiki in action. Streetfighting was for amateurs . Those days were evidently over. A new chapter had to be written.

Either you did it or someone would write it for you . It was as simple as that. What was unspoken was that if we chose not to push ourselves and move ahead,

we would be locked on to the existing view for ever.

New learning was for those who wanted a different view. And those who wanted that different view, needed to be physically and mentally prepared to prove

themselves worthy of a differernt view.

“Life at the white belt was simple. At the Oku Iri, it was complicated. The preparation for the

Moku Roku – absolute mayhem”

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Meikyo (The Shining Mirror)

Along the journey to enlightenment, one is bound to brush past references to the “mirror” or “still water”. The reference is not casual. Not a judgment but a

call to introspective action. It is an expression that describes what our mind needs to be. Progress, hinges on this state.

In a clean mirror, you see no dust, condensation or tarnish. These traits would otherwise influence the image being reflected. A mind clouded is limited. It is

not “what” it is clouded with, but “that” it is clouded. Other than the reflective surface itself, anything else that is on the mirror affects its ability to reflect.

When the mind is like the shining mirror, it reflects what is within and what is without. Imagine now, how clean a mirror needs to be in order to be called a

“shining mirror”.

When water is still and clear, it can reflect like a mirror. Still waters run deep.

When we were the Oku Iri, it was clearly different. Life, in contrast, was so much easier. Things were predictable. The aspiration was definitive: perfect the

Kansetsu Waza or get the follow up for the Ni-kyo right and so forth. Small bite sized pieces of predictability.

That was our own folly because we missed the forest for the trees.

You need to remember that at the level of the Oku Iri (first degree Black Belt), the syllabus is already extensive- covering more than Thirty Seven Thousand

expressions of the techniques.

I am suggesting that Atemi Jujitsu(with all its striking and parrying moves), Aiki Jujitsu with its Seigyo ( control), Nage(Throw),Otoshi ( sacrifice/drop) then the

same in Suwari Waza( seated/kneeling position) and using weapons as extensions ( Ken( Sword), Jo(short staff) Bo(long staff), Tanto(short knife)) is extensive .

Incredibly extensive.

The reality that was hard to accept was that from this point onwards, there were no exams. The certification process prescribed it -but there was a dimension

to it. Unlike conventional exams, this was not an “exam”, with an “exam paper”, with us demonstrating a few hundred punches and kicks and shouts . Having

someone to grade was the comfort Zone.

Learning slows or ceases in the comfort zone.

All of us knew that we were presenting our interpretation of what we had absorbed. There was a flow we needed to chose and then integrate that into the

presentation. We were presenters, we were evaluators, we were referees and we were also examinees. It was a test for us –we were testing ourselves.

If this were a medical exam, we were not working on a dummy patient with a toothache and answering through a Viva. We were performing brain surgery on a

live patient where a true measure of success was not that the operation was over –but if the patient lived to tell the tale.

“Keep yourself clean and bright. You are the windows through which you must view the world”

- Anonymous

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The days of the exams as we knew it, was over.

People might say there are only Twenty Six letters to the English alphabet .So it’s easy to learn and master. But tell that to the Nobel Prize winner for

Literature or the one who missed a Booker prize nomination.

For us at the Wind Storm tradition, I think we have crossed that line where Black Belts’ make claims like “I know Ten Katas” or “I can do five hundred Yoko

Geri’s” or “I can do two hundred Knuckle Push-ups” or “I can break hundred tiles in one minute”.

That stage is long long gone and lost its charm. These victories are small compared to what lies ahead.

The question to any Oku Iri is -what else? What is ahead? More kicks and punches or is there more to

learn? That’s what matters. With each additional degree of black, it is about the learning and not the extra

push- ups or kicks one can do.

Ill share an actual example of what happened on the mats: The Uke throws a Mawashi Geri (round house

kick) and a rapid Tsuki (punch). Some of the many choices include:

a) Using a blended 5/6 move and thereby side -stepping from the incursion

b) Using an entering 5/6 move - Boubi Suru, and converting that into an Empi Uchi into the sternum to

collapse the attack and shut down the next series of attacks altogether –maybe add a Tanto (short knife)

slice into the jugular while you are at it or an Irimi Nage

c) Continuing the orbit of entry -using Aiki, not Atemi, from a 5/6 move to re-direct the momentum of the

Mawashi Geri and then using a Tenken to the head

d) Or converting that into a Kokyu Nage..Or a Yama Arashi if you feel skilled enough?

The options keep increasing.

The beauty is that you had to decide among one of these inside three hundred milli seconds and then act,

without thinking. Not thinking and then doing – but doing perfected by countless sessions of practice.

That’s the Flow. That is the dance of the wind storm tradition.

This is Oku Iri Level. Still basic stuff as far as the Wind Storm Tradition is concerned. Can you imagine what could be next? What expertise is demanded of a

Moku Roku? At this stage, it’s all about you. The opponent doesn’t matter. What they do or who they are, doesn’t matter.

I am reminded of the Salak Gulah fruit at Bali. It looks

like it’s made of snake skin, scaly brown and shiny, has

three pods that look like garlic, smells like jackfruit and

tastes like pineapple. Grows on a short palm- like tree.

You can try and compress the fruit dorsa-ventrally to no

effect. The resistance it offers to pressure is uncanny.

The skin is extremely tough. Try biting it through and

good luck with that. The irony –for all the toughness, all

you need to do, is pinch the ventral end of the fruit and it

peels like butter paper. That’s my point. It’s not about

strength against strength...its softness to strength and

once you know where to pick it, its putty in your hands.

Maybe Salak was designed with Aiki in mind.

“In a mirror, last place becomes first .Just depends on how you wish to look at it” - Debbie Skelly

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At the Oku Iri, it was the equivalent of learning alphabets and then putting them into simple words. Sentence formation, grammar and then building

compendiums - that’s another story in itself.

So four years into the Oku Iri, it is only natural, to forget that all that we learned in eight years , leading to the Oku Iri, was to spell. Simple words. That was our

own folly because we missed the forest for the trees.

The Moku Roku preparation came along and slapped the daylights out of us and made us focus clearly how lost one can get if one is not paying attention.

Sensei Ramesh felt that it was time to challenge the comfort zone and create the next level of Learning – the entry into the Moku Roku.

For those who were ready for the next stage.

The Wind–Storm Within July 2016.

The Dance began.

The prelims were an absolute wringer. 60 minutes of pandemonium in an hourglass.

Created purely for the experiential pathway that was looming ahead.

Think about it. 60 Minutes. 72 heartbeats a minute. 4320 beats. Fifty three thousand techniques to be

demonstrated. Do the math. Around 13 techniques to a heartbeat. Tell me, which martial art does this

to demonstrate what a miracle of engineering the body actually is and can be, when trained well?

This was a sample of what the Moku Roku can do!

Since we threw and got thrown as well, conserving energy was essential. There were controls and

throws of choice with a few mandatory ones, weapons and disarming - again within constraints –all this

with an Uke unfamiliar to us. It’s like life that throws us an occasional spanner to catch. Familiar in unfamiliar terrain.

We tend to be creatures of habit…and when the variables reach a crescendo, old habits come surging back. It was no different this time. In retrospect, when

we discussed our experiences, the gaps were glaring.

We were not here to compete with anyone but ourselves.

I saw only camaraderie and collaboration. No rivalry –what a blessing to be among such professionals.

Startlingly, we didn’t need Sensei Ramesh to tell us what needed to change. We could sense that ourselves. We were suddenly left holding the mirror.

Good move that was, Sensei. Good move.

“The successful person places more attention on doing the right thing rather than doing things right." - Peter Drucker

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August was a blur.

Kansetsu waza was folding into Ni-kyo, twisting into San-Kyo and Shime Waza was a natural choice. The discovery of how these body positions

tunneled into the energy center and blended into the skeletal system was a shocking discovery. It was about Aiki. Not using physical strength or

muscle power- that was for the lesser practitioners or amateurs.

If Kansetsu compressed air out of the lungs preventing inhalation, then Ni -kyo was locking up jaw muscles and San-kyo was shifting the spinal

column –Shime waza shut everything down. Total suppression of mind and body. Choking of one’s spirit and self esteem– to put it mildly. It

was happening right here.

The Oku Iri enveloped us in the kind of joy only a black belt certification could bring. It was a significant milestone and to many, a dream come true. The Moku

Roku exam was a mirror. The increasing awareness that this was nowhere even near the tip of the iceberg was looming across the horizon. Rotations were

becoming smaller and tighter. The extended Tai-Sabaki’s with the blocking or striking movements were getting closer to the center and not as exaggerated we

once thought was the way to go. Time was shrinking, distances were shrinking.

I remember asking Sensei Ramesh, if we couldn’t somehow learn this in reverse...and the truth was, you couldn’t know the path unless you walked the path.

In your face … Morpheus!!!

We were learning to merge into the opponent. Two centers becoming one. In physics, we talk of states of equilibrium. We experienced the interpretation of

those states, with our very own bodies in the flow of Aiki jujutsu. Using leverage for stability, while displacing centers of gravity resulting in imbalance for the

opponent – and then using gravity and momentum to initiate, maintain and complete the control.

In fluid mechanics we have a reference to a metacenter (the point of intersection of the vertical through the center of buoyancy of a floating body with the

vertical through the new center of buoyancy when the body is displaced). Sounds geeky right.

I wondered too- in Aiki Jujitsu, where is the fluid?, where is the vertical? and what center of buoyancy? Suddenly, when I was being spun in mid air, it all made

sense. So did the sound of me thudding onto the mats. Examine Koshi Nage ( hip throw) , Tenchi Nage ( heaven and earth throw ) or the deadliest of them all-

the Yama Arashi , the signature move of the Wind Storm tradition and then a lot of body engineering just clicks into place.

Then there is the Suwari Waza. Shifting from the standing to seated position was deadly because it meant real-time change in centers of gravity which would

trigger displacement vectors and guided wave –patterns. The smart aspect of all these – you don’t need brute strength to effect

damage. The body position itself forced the opponent into reactions.

We were learning to merge into the opponent. Two centers becoming one.

Irimi Nage, the entering throw continued to be elusive and now in four flavors. Soft, hard, extra tough, ballistic.

Nine and Ten Tai Sabaki’s seemed to have everything that one to eight could do. Everything was important, nothing was important.

Yama Arashi was the plateau. The road ahead looked never ending.

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Engines are important. But will the engine do what a rudder was supposed to do?

Muscles were necessary, but smoothness of entry and controlling the tailbone was more necessary than ever before. Tail bone you might ask? We

can only sigh in response…because there is only so much one can explain. You’ve got to experience it to even begin to comprehend. For all the advances in

language, have you tried to describe the flavor of salt in a way someone could “get it”?

While all we could see was the flurry of hands and legs and hakama’s swirling, we knew these were distractions, created to divert attention from where the

actual technique was flowing.

What on earth was happening? It was amazing then, it is amazing now.

I think the exams and the preparation to the main event created perspective. It created stillness. What could one do, than to remain still and speechless in the

face of overwhelming beauty and purity of technique, artistic in every move and exploding with energy in every breath?

Ironically, once committed to muscle memory, through practice and perfect practice alone…it is not as invincible as it seems. Like a force field that you can slip

through, if you knew the field’s harmonic frequency.

Plane geometry was over. Three dimensional spatial orientations were in.

Archimedes made sense -angles, placement and shifting of weights to extend or multiply momentum were visible in action. Torque had

new meaning, and application was a new world of discovery waiting to happen.

First, second and third order levers not just engineering concepts anymore – we could use the same principles on the mats. Flemings

Right and Left hand rules – not just for Generators and Motors –we saw the application through body mechanics too. Each Nage, Otoshi,

Seigyo had a specific well defined Tai Sabaki that was essential to work. Of course you could give it brute strength and get away with

that. But that is just not efficient. Efficiency is about Aiki, no – effectiveness is about using Aiki. Using muscle power was for amateurs.

You have probably heard about taking energy from an isolated /contained system to result in cooling. Refrigerators do that. Could you imagine learning

“entropy” and “internal energy” management through what is supposedly a martial art? I couldn’t believe it too. Imagine converting the lung itself into an

adiabatic containment chamber? Converting bones and joints into interlocking pistons that increased, decreased or displaced energy?

Thermodynamics? The effect of full inhalation on the body or bodies in motion and the effect of rapid or forced exhalation on acceleration, movement along a

curve and ultimately as energy conversion in Aiki Jujutsu. Incredible right? It was right here, on the mats.

Take Irimi Nage for example. The entering throw. Straight line incursion into the line of attack. If done well, the entire energy expended by the attacker gets

re-directed back into their center of gravity. The result? It’s like you walked, ran or drove into a brick wall. I have seen Irimi’s that throw someone from Four

Feet to Ten feet away. That’s Fluid dynamics –when you take an incompressible liquid and exert a force on it. What if Aiki behaved like a fluid –so has both

particle like (solid matter) and Wave Like (fluid) behaviors? Was this a new approach to quantum physics? Using bodies in motion.

"The man who gives up accomplishes nothing and is only a hindrance. The man who does not give up can move mountains"

- Ernest Hello

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I remember “feeling” the Tenchi Nage the heaven and earth throw.

It induces vertigo, shuts down the contribution of the three semi-circular bones of the inner ear and the forces the body into rigidity. Where there is no sense

of up or down, the gravity assisted landing with full body weight- deadly to an untrained mind.

In Kaiten Nage, the cartwheel throw or even Kote Gaeshi, the wrist bone reversal, the fluid shift in body position actually re-aligned the common center of

gravity to either induce a couple (rotatory movement) or a swirling vertical throw.

We were drawling planes of separation in mid air, to assess the angle of attack and projecting where our center of gravity needs to be, to complete the

technique. All this in milliseconds.

How about altering spinal curvature to specifically affect internal organs? Healing or destruction? You could see it all in action.

There was physics, there was medicine. There was pain, there was healing. You could convert the

body into a circuit board and play with Keria Ku (pressure points/nodes) and short circuit movement

and propulsion through specific Atemi directed at these Nodes. Using Centripetal and Centrifugal

forces, although across short arcs, were explosive and deadly in their application. Ask those who

experienced Yama Arashi or the Tenchi Nage in action to know it is like.

Magellan must have felt this, when he went around the world, came back to the point he started

and then to go around the world again and everything looked and felt new.

Go No Sen, Sen Sen No Sen, Sen Zen No Sen were not just body movements or fancy Japanese terms

–the philosophy and spirituality of their essence were emerging.

And then it was gone.

The instant we saw it and decided to analyze, it was gone. Lost in the mayhem of analytical thinking.

Like fleeting glimpses over misted mirrors.

The wind Storm within was surging.

Where was the calm at the eye of the storm?

“The trouble with doing something right the first time is that nobody appreciates how difficult it was”

- Walt West

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The Final Countdown The kick -off happened on 14

th Aug, a day before the country’s independence day, lasted through a couple of riots attributed to a water-sharing crisis between

two states and ended on 2nd

Oct –the birthday of the Mahatma Gandhi . How incredible is that in it? Nothing could stop this tidal wave.

The first to start-off and the last to conclude, usually get to bear the brunt of the experience. Lucky are the ones in the middle – they get the song and dance.

The one, who probably gets the cardboard from the cake, is the examiner.

Well, I won’t hide the fact that when we conduct exams for our juniors, we do have challenges of our own. Some of the distinguished symptoms are -squirming

in our seats, a general malaise in making eye contact, maintaining composure and all the time wondering – “who taught these folks”. All the roads lead to

Rome, of course. Now you magnify that experience a million times and you would get to imagine what Sensei Ramesh had to endure watch us perform.

I won’t go into the details of the exam itself. Except that it covered the entire syllabus – all five million and seven hundred something flavors condensed into

combinations that tested what we know, or didn’t know yet.

It’s like describing what happens with eyesight. A beam of light travelling at 3 X 108 meters a second from the sun reflects of

an object, passes through the conjunctiva, through the aqueous humor, through the lens, gets adapted by the iris, through the

vitreous humor and gets focused as a signal at a specific point the on the retina. This signal then travels at 500 kilometers a

second to the brain through the optic nerve by firing off chemical synapses, gets processed miraculously at the visual cortex

into a cognitive outcome….and all that we notice, is someone across the room and say “Hello, there you are”! How’s that for

starters. Maybe you are rolling your eyes...or maybe you are amazed. You’ve got to experience it to know what the experience

was like, on the inside. So much more than meets the eye.

Everything is in your control, and everything is not. For me, personally, I thought the exams were:

- Absolutely unpredictable. None of us had the same set of possibilities. Sensei Chandan can bear testimony to the fact

because he made copious notes of everything asked and his was entirely different

- Not an exam. It was an introspective journey. You are the observer. You are being observed

- Uninterrupted. I remember we had an exam even on the day a curfew was imposed in the city over a cross border

water sharing issue. That didn’t stop the exams from happening

- A test of mind, body and spirit

- A session in human anatomy and skeletal structure and a session in bio engineering and vector mechanics

- An expression of what Aiki is for oneself .A mirror to show us where we stand and what we need to do

- A map to the future we carve for ourselves …and above all, a blessing to experience, an absolute thrill to watch,

participate and demonstrate

For me, Time stood still. The Clock was gone. Only the Compass remained. …remains.

This is the tip of the Iceberg. The Journey has just begun.

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“Threading the needle”

Without form, communication stops.

Without form, you have everybody burbling on to themselves, whenever and however,

things that no one else can understand and rightly, no one else is interested in.

– Gerhard Richter

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Introspection

This journey from the Oku Iri all the way to the doorway of the Moku Roku meant different things for different people.

Sensei Unnikrishnan: “The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in war”

Life in Aiki was black and white, linear and not difficult to follow. It was only as we approached the Moku Roku exams that I realized that

what I was exposed to was only the beginning of our actual journey into Aiki Jujutsu. While mentally I was not expecting a great jump in my

learning curve, it was an exciting journey nevertheless. The Moku Roku Level helps me realize that there is plenty more ahead to learn and

for someone who wants to make Aiki Jujutsu a part of his life, this is a step in the right direction. At my age, I tend to treat exams as “oh, one

more?” All it requires is a mental adjustment to commit. I am fully aware of the hard work needed to reach that level. Keeping myself fit

without Injuries and building up stamina were two significant priorities in addition to practicing every day. I am injury prone and needed to

remember that.

The exam was a test of mental alertness, knowledge, lateral thinking, stamina and finding alternate solutions. I learnt that regular and

diligent practice is important. Practices of forms, combinations are essential.

Sensei Sridhar: “A black belt actually is just the beginning and not the end”

During the process of getting the Oku Iri, I realized that the actual journey of Aiki had started. Though I have been practicing some form of

martial art, I felt for the first time that the black belt was not the end. But still his "barthe" rings in head and am waiting for the day when he

will say "banthu".

Sensei Ajay Dave: “One must not be fixated with 8 blocks against 8 types of punches but move”

After the black belt, the idea was to perform techniques with more proficiency and learn new variations along with weapons. The Moku

Roku preparation introduced the idea and to be able to do techniques irrespective of the attack.

My initial reaction to the test announcement was disbelief since I do not think that I have become vastly better that what I already was

.It was a challenge. There was one difference during the test. From the yellow belt to the black belt, when I felt tired during the exam,

the thought would cross my mind that if Sensei were to terminate the test now and asks me to get lost, I would gladly do it.

This never crossed my mind in the Moku Roku Exams, irrespective of how I did the technique or how tired I was.

Two major challenges I faced was to improve my stamina and to get my basics right. I did realize that no amount of exercise can prepare

you for the actual test in terms of stamina.

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Sensei Nagarajan: “I learned that I never had to give up or never give in”

The Aiki Journey at the Oku Iri was a dream come true.

When I look back today I wonder if I actually did it, through all the sweat, pain and smiles. The Moku Roku is a lot of hard work –it makes

me realize what I am capable of. I was anxious when the exams were announced, but I was equally determined to face it. I needed to

improve stamina, concentration and technique and Sensei was constantly urging us to practice.

The exam in itself had a lot of surprises.

When the going got tough, only the tough kept going. I learned to always challenge the limits I had set for myself and to have faith in

myself.

Sensei Mohan Kumar: “The battle is within you to continue training and constantly improve”

For me, it was a very important milestone, the start of a journey that made me appreciate what Aiki Jujutsu is about. I now realize that Aiki

jujutsu is a way of life and every training session that I attend, I learn more and more about myself. Many people who have not reached

Black-belt level don’t realize that a Black-belt is only the beginning of a learning cycle and your technique and understanding of this ancient

martial art.

I made it a point to train regularly with my class .The way of harmony with the spirit is critical. Initially the student is learning how to use

the weapon in the most impactful way, with the ultimate goal of becoming one with the weapon and maximizing its kinetic force.The solo

forms with which we begin are used to learn the basics of fluid weight-shifting with a step and staying balanced throughout the move — if

your own balance is compromised, you cannot affect your partner’s in the way you need to. These concepts can be used in a variety of

situations where a shifting of weight or evasion can simultaneously set up a technique and break the opponent’s balance. Learning to

maintain your own balance in movement and better understand how it is compromised is important.

Sensei Sunder Velu : “The lesson – to unlearn what I had already learnt”

The first thing I did after my Oku Iri was to start teaching fresh minds. To teach is to also learn and improve. My classes were

conducted at Westchester County, New York and at my Home in Bangalore.

The Moku Roku, for me represents the entire Aiki Jujutsu Syllabus with multiple dimensions, depth and extension added to the Oku

Iri. Form and continuation of each technique is ingrained. The Journey towards the Moku Roku was completely different from that

when I was preparing for the Oku Iri. When the exams were announced, I was both shocked and mystified almost like discovering the

unknown, unlearning what I had already learnt. I needed to improve variations for techniques which I prepared extensively for, with

other senseis.

The Main exam tested me in everything I knew -techniques, controls, throws and most importantly endurance

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Sensei Vijay Yogimath: “You don't realize something unless you experience it, by yourself - no matter how much someone insists on it”

After the Oku Iri, years just flew by. The core of the syllabus involved committing to a tai-sabaki and be able to finish any technique. The

Moku Roku in Aiki Jujutsu means a great deal to me, especially under the current system. It's a distinction and a huge responsibility on

one's shoulders. You represent the system - it's an honor and a burden at the same time. Your techniques are to reflect the beauty &

efficiency of the system. The pattern of the exams was exhaustive and tough. The sheer thought of to be able to complete the exams itself

was daunting. Stamina and endurance were my biggest focus area. I realized first hand as to how important it is. The exam itself was an

experience to remember for a long time. To be able to present your techniques, to be able to control the pace of the exams, to be able to

understand your Uke's and adapt- something designed for you to realize what it takes to be a Moku Roku - to be consistent and

composed under all circumstances - energetic, tired, exhausted, angry and still be able to think rationally. And it was a mirror to oneself -

to make a note of areas to improve on - techniques, composure etc.

I realized that the opponent is always better than oneself. There are always new things to learn, things to

correct, things to get better at.

Sensei ChandanKumar: “Prioritize what matters and then flow with it ..”

I enjoyed the journey after the Oku Iri , it had its share of challenges. It didn’t stop me though. The Moku Roku exams invoked the

same feelings in me as my High School exams and I remember telling myself “ Happy Birthday”.

Managing time, the eternal work-life balance , making time for the other sport I pursue were challenges that needs to pay attention

to.

Sensei Umesh B P: “If we don’t know something, we need to start learning and stay with it”

The journey after my Oku Iri was pleasant. I learned a lot of new techniques, corrected basics and it helped gain more confidence and

eagerness to learn. The Moku Roku is one more mile stone on this long journey that awaits me. When the exams were announced, there

were three things I needed to do –something that Sensei also said –Practice, Practice, and Practice.

For me the exams were about stamina, perfection in presentation and execution of techniques. It helped build Self-Confidence and

knowing where I stood. Since none of the exams were alike, expecting surprises was normal.

In the longer run you can master anything irrespective of its difficulties, provided you stick to it. This makes the difference.

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Sensei Jose : “What more could I ask of life?”

Ive always been fascinated by the wind storm tradition since I saw the demo in 1996. The Oku Iri was surreal. I felt like a child in a science

museum.So much to learn, so little time. The journey has only gotten increasingly challenging and equally enthralling. Exams are like

relatives . Good to have around ,but you don’t really need them. When the exams were announced, I was as excited as a sloth on ice. In a

way am glad it happened. It was like taking control of a fighter aircraft, nosediving at Mach 3, a thousand feet off the ground and not

knowing which way was upwards.In itself the exam was mentally and physically challenging. I like what the Moku Roku symbolizes. A

disciple of something incredible .The wind storm tradition brings together for me –science, freedom,beauty and adventure. There is an

incredible amount of Human Physiology & Anatomy,Physics(Potential and Kinetic energies,Cantilevers and Fulcrum points,transfer of

momentum and energy in three dimensional space), Geometry (angles,arcs, curvature,heights and distances).Each Nage, Otoshi, Seigyo

and Tai Sabaki in itself represent energy efficient placements in fluid space.No matter how trapped one is in a lock or hold or choke-there

is an escape, there is a counter and it begins again.Thats freedom. Not just being able to liberate onself from captivity, but in knowing

that one cannot be caged in the first place.Each move of the body is a work of art. The hard Atemi folding into the soft Aiki is the dance.

I see the same dance in particle physics . There is beauty everywhere. Each class is a new beginning and at the end of each session, you

discover something new about yourself.

Reflections

“If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe”- Carl Sagan

It was for the first time in known history ever since Aiki Jujutsu , under the Wind Storm tradition started being taught outside Japan, that Ten Oku Iri’s were

appearing for the Moku Roku Exams within the same batch.

The ego does needs its share of tending to.

It is unprecedented. A grand vision in itself .I am not superstitious, but there is something about the number 10.You have the One and the Zero together.

Something and nothing symbolically aligned. Now you see it, now you don’t. Probably the most sought after jersey number in modern sports.

Here we were making history of sorts.

All credit goes to Sensei Sastri for carrying the Spark of Aiki Jujutsu under the Wind- Storm Tradition to this part of the blue planet and Sensei Ramesh for

nurturing that spark into a Blaze.

It was Sen –Sen No Sen, all the way!

With great power, comes great responsibility

- Spiderman , the Movie

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Behind every exam is a flabbergasted teacher, a harried examiner, an aggrieved student and the spectator who rather not make any comment. This was no

different. I did ask Sensei Ramesh (who boldly faced us in the exams and survived to tell the tale) what his Journey was, herding our unruly lot along. Here is

what he had to say.

The Teacher’s Journey

Sensei Ramesh: “We all need to move on”

The Moku Roku, in technical terms, is a senior instructor of the art. The individual has experienced one cycle of the art

and is a step before the full license of the Menkyo. The Moku Roku in our system can recognize the subtle forms and

expressions of other martial arts and is technically proficient to explain what the technique aims to achieve. The

syllabus is very demanding and the Moku Roku is at the level of the grandmaster in other arts. My personal journey was

very enjoyable. I surprised myself that I could achieve it.

It is important for me and I enjoy sharing my knowledge of Aiki Jujutsu. I was the youngest Moku Roku and the

Youngest Menkyo as well. I had experienced the journey and I wanted the next generation to ‘touch” that Level too. The

journey is a physical journey as the body needs to be trained to sustain this long. The challenge I see is also to do with

lifestyles of people as the demands on them are different and making time to practice, strengthen and train the body

needs effort. When people touch a rank they tend to believe that they have arrived. But they need to grow from there

or get stuck at that level. We had 29 Oku Iri’s. Each of them is different. Mind, Education, experience background and then there are changes

as well. It was a challenge for me to study their progress and ensure I myself don’t lose touch or track. I needed to sustain it. I am glad that I

got my bunch of ten Spartans who were at the level needed to grow to the next level.

For me it’s a huge win because we have never had Ten Moku Roku’s appearing for exams at one go in the last twenty three years. Some Oku

Iris’ have not been able to transform themselves and enhance their techniques. It is not about attending my class. It is about the effort one

takes to keep oneself upgraded. Perhaps they would know that if they had persisted and continued, they might have grown too. It’s their

choice and they need to decide.I have had my share of obstacles too, both personally and professionally. I decided to bend otherwise. Aiki

gives me immense satisfaction. The exam is a test of the martial artist, understanding the situation and executing physically and mentally no

matter what the circumstances are. People say age plays a factor. That is true to a certain extent. It’s up to the individual to challenge all

types of limitations. The basics are always the foundation and one needs to be strong both in awareness and execution. There is always a constraint in

remembering - the mind remembers and the body needs to coordinate it. Both aspects need to be aligned. It is a choice and one needs to prepare the mind and

body to work and multitask together. There is no right or wrong. Just techniques that are appropriate to the situation.

My Sensei told me when I became a Menkyo that I was no longer his student but his colleague. This was a source of joy and surprise for me. That’s the day, 3rd

Jan 2009 that I decided that I too am going to prepare my students to the level when they are my colleagues. I mean it when I say “You started today, I started

yesterday”. I finally got the opportunity after a long wait to get Ten Oku Iri’s under one roof. I was able to maintain a record of who is at what level and where

they needed specific attention. There is much I want to share. Aiki Jujutsu in our system is deadly and extensive. I want my students to experience this at a

deeper level. My expectation of the team is to continue to stay focused, practice and help the next generation learn and grow to their levels. If I can do it, then

so can you”

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Transcendence 27

th Nov 2016. 7:30 AM IST. History in the making.

The convocation ceremony was held to felicitate the new Moku Roku’s of the India Chapter

of the Wind -Storm Tradition.

Ten from Twenty Nine Oku Iri’s went on to become Moku Roku’s.

Unprecedented.

It’s important to remember that this was the first time Moku Roku Grading Exams had

being held in India after a fourteen year period. The last one was conducted by Kaiden

Srinivasan Sastri himself when he was in India in 2002. This was truly a dawn of sorts .

Kaiden Srinivasan Sastri and Mrs. Claire Sastri joined us over video from Phoenix and we

assembled at the Honbu Dojo of the India Chapter from Malleswaram, Bangalore - the very

place that saw the establishment of the Wind –Storm tradition in India. Technology helped bridge time and geographies.

The excitement was palpable, across continents and across oceans. What a blessing and honor for us to receive the honor of the Moku Roku from Sensei Sastri:

The Mentor who brought this ancient art across the oceans and Sensei Ramesh: the disciple who dedicated his life for nurturing the

Art.

Imagine what it was like for Sensei Sastri to see his vision bear fruit –and how .

We began the ceremony at 7:30 AM IST , with Sensei Ramesh sharing his experience to set the

context . Sensei Sastri walked down memory lane briefly . Time stood still.

As each certificate was being presented , Sensei Ramesh introduced each of us as we took a bow . It

was surreal to experience the recreation of a legacy that has passed on for a couple of thousand

years . A moment of pride and a moment of humility to be part of something larger than life.

Still feels surreal. What a spectacular way, to finish one leg of the Journey!

What a beautiful Journey it has been.

“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge but rather a lack of Will”

– Vince Lombardi

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Looking Glass

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In retrospect, I think 2016 was a great year.

Find Purpose, and the means shall follow said the mahatma. That was so true. I think once we put our mind to it, taught the body how to flow, the rest

happened. I remember Sensei Ramesh telling me how; he didn’t pay much attention to ranks and certificates but focused on learning each technique well

enough to be able to show how it’s done right. The act of repeated “doing” paved the way for his personal achievements in Aiki Jujutsu under the Wind –

Storm Tradition. Something that no one has achieved before.

As we approach the end of this year, I am grateful to Kaiden Srinivasan Sastri, Menkyo Kaiden Ramesh, and my fellow Senseis for a spectacular Aiki Journey in

2016.

To you, who are reading this article, if I have piqued your curiosity just about enough to experience this incredible art of Aiki Jujitsu under the Wind-Storm

tradition, it is a step forward. There is more to it than meets the eye.

At the Arches… It is done.

The next phase of the journey has begun. What it holds for us –

everything we want it to be

What would it need from us, in return?

The mats whisper … everything you can give!

The Wind Storm tradition is within.

It is Dawn. The next journey has begun.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep

–and miles to go before I sleep - Robert Frost

Best wishes for a spectacular 2017 and the adventures ahead.

“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people those who let it

happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened