Had a meeting of instructors, went over plans for the upcoming national tournament and other administrative things. Then Niina-gosoke spoke a bit about The Way Things Are:
I am the 16th Soke of Mugairyu Iaihyodo. I AM Mugairyu Iaihyodo. Hougyoku-kai, the organization, exists because I choose to let you study Mugairyu. Without me, it is nothing. This is not a democracy. If I say crows are white, they are white. You don't like it, you're free to study some other style. This is koryu budo.
That being said, we are a group of friends, students and teachers, come together around our mutual love and respect for budo. You have something to say, say it! That's why we have these meetings, that's why the Board of Hougyoku-kai decides the rules and regulations. That's why we drink, and eat, and practice together. If you have an opinion, a positive contribution to make, say it proudly so that we can all hear you. Maybe we'll use it, maybe we won't. The final decision, as regards Mugairyu Iaihyodo, rests with me. But I am open to hear what you have to say. And maybe you'll learn something.
However, do not cower in the shadows, hide behind anonymity on the Internet, and make negative comments, criticize what I say, what we do. That is cowardly, and it is the lowest form of human behavior.
We all have opinions, we come together and drink and we say things; alcohol loosens the tongue, and what is said over drinks is understood as such. But those opinions don't leave that table. Don't repeat what others said, don't discuss it with those who weren't there, don't spread gossip and rumors, under the cover of shadow, in calculated whispers.
I have been doing Mugairyu Iaihyodo for over 30 years. You think you know something? You know nothing! You think it's a big deal because you teach once a week, because you have 4dan? You teach because I say you can, you get promoted because I promote you. The promotion committee, the shihan instructors, they are irrelevant. I give promotions, ranks, and certificates, and I take them away.
Is this harsh? Cruel? Shooting your mouth off in the shadows, that is cruel and demeaning. You got a problem with me, or the way I run things? We can settle this. Get your sword. All I need is a wakizashi, a tanto even. Then you'll understand why I'm Soke. Nobody forces you to study Mugairyu Iaihyodo. You're free to leave whenever you want. This is the way it is, and if it's not what you want, you need to go do something else, because I won't change things for you.
With any large group of people, groups form. Factions, even. Some people congregate around a certain sensei. Some folks stick together. Some people just don't like each other. That's just the way people are; the larger the group, the less likely it is that we all get along. But know this: you are all, every one of you, under ME. I am watching, and I know what's going on. I know what the shihan are doing, I see the cliques, factions, groups, and friends. I don't care one bit, but if it's an attempt to undermine me, to undermine my authority, to undermine Mugairyu, I won't stand for it. I have 300 years of Mugairyu Iaihyodo supporting me.
Most people don't mean badly, they just get mad, or frustrated, and say things that maybe the regret. But those words persist, snowball, a small comment sets of a thunder of screaming...All I ask is, watch your tongue. As a practitioner of koryu budo, the rules are strict, but even as a modern citizen, as a fellow human being, you should watch what you say. If you have time to comment or complain, shut up and spend that time practicing. Your actions will always speak louder than words. This is how it is. Less flapping tongue, more swinging swords.
He also held up Sekido-san's
book of photography as an example of the great things that people can achieve when they just shut up and hunker down. Sekido-san spends months and years hanging out of chartered airplanes and driving around deserts taking amazing photographs of landscapes and horizons. Now he runs his own digital imaging licensing business.
After the meeting, Niina-gosoke, Sekido-san, Ohtsuka-san and I went to eat dinner. We decided to go to the 3000yen all-you-can-eat Korean BBC place, and spent the evening stuffing ourselves on BBC meat and talking about how great it will be when we get a honeybee dock; a place we can call 'home' and where we can practice 24-7. We're looking for a place, maybe an old factory or warehouse. The trick is getting a place with a high enough ceiling. Hope to find a place by the end of the year. Once we get a place, I'll be there every day!
Packy, his wife Kelly and friend Julie are in Japan for a couple weeks, so the old gang got together. Hugh and Mami's three-year old bundle of energy Toshiki was tearing up the street while Steve and Oide's two-year old Cain sat quietly playing with his toy cars. Hugh bought some land and is building a house for about 40 million yen. Which in my neighborhood wouldn't even get you a one-room condo. Ah, Tokyo.
