Samurai o Geisha

Kendo

Kashima Jingu Hono Enbukai 鹿島神宮奉納演武会

Offerings to the Gods of Warrios at the Kashima Shrine Dojo. Kashimashinden Jikishinkageryu is a traditional school (koryū) of the Japanese martial art of swordsmanship (kenjutsu). Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū can be translated as the "divinely transmitted, honest reflection of the heart, school of Kashima."

Mugai Ryu

Shiai

Biblioteca mundial

Un regalo de El Bibliotecario (Más bien de la Unesco). Permite buscar textos, obras, mapas....en 12884 artículos o entradas sobre 193 países en el periodo comprendido entre 8000 aC y 2000 dC





Clica sobre el enlace https://www.wdl.org/es/ y disfruta

Las Hojas No Caen, Se Sueltan...

“Siempre me ha parecido espectacular la caída de una hoja. Ahora, sin embargo, me doy cuenta que ninguna hoja “se cae” sino que, llegado el escenario del otoño, inicia la danza maravillosa de soltarse. Cada hoja que se suelta es una invitación a nuestra predisposición al desprendimiento. Las hojas no caen, se desprenden en un gesto supremo de generosidad y profundo de sabiduría: La hoja que no se aferra a la rama y se lanza al vacío del aire, sabe del latido profundo de una vida que está siempre en  movimiento y en actitud de renovación. La hoja que se suelta comprende y acepta que el espacio vacío dejado por ella es la matriz generosa que albergará el brote de una nueva hoja.

La coreografía de las hojas soltándose y abandonándose a la sinfonía del viento, traza un indecible canto de libertad y supone una interpelación constante y contundente para todos y cada uno de los árboles humanos que somos nosotros. Cada hoja al aire me está susurrando al oído del alma ¡suéltate!, ¡entrégate!, ¡abandónate! Y ¡confía!

Cada hoja que se desata queda unida invisible y sutilmente a la brisa de su propia entrega y libertad. Con este gesto, la hoja realiza su más impresionante movimiento de creatividad, ya que con él está gestando el irrumpir de una próxima primavera.

Reconozco y confieso públicamente, ante este público de hoja moviéndose al compás del aire de la mañana, que soy un árbol al que le cuesta soltar muchas de sus hojas. Tengo miedo ante la incertidumbre del nuevo brote. Me siento tan cómodo y seguro con estas hojas predecibles, con estos hábitos perennes, con estas conductas fijadas, con estos pensamientos arraigados, con este entorno ya conocido….

Quiero, en este tiempo, sumarme a esa sabiduría, generosidad y belleza de las hojas que “se dejan caer”. Quiero lanzarme a este abismo otoñal que me sumerge en un auténtico espacio de fe y confianza, esplendidez y donación. Sé que cuando yo soy quien se suelta, desde su propia conciencia y libertad, el desprenderse de la rama es mucho menos doloroso y más hermoso. Sólo las hojas que se resisten, que niegan lo obvio, tendrán que ser arrancadas por un viento mucho más agresivo e impetuoso y caerán al suelo por el peso de su propio dolor”.

Tomado del libro LA SABIDURÍA DE VIVIR de José María Toro. 

Partes de la katana

Star Wars The force awakens. Evolution of the Lightsaber Duel

On December 15 2015  before the upcoming Star Wars: the Force Awakens movie. ESPN aired a special on Lightsaber duels, featuring Kendo and its influence on the Star Wars saga. 

Kendo - Shaping The Men

Interesante video para neófitos (y no tanto) de cómo se guarda el Men

KATADO 7DAN KATA “AGEHA”

KATADO 7DAN KATA "AGEHA" from Samurai Bushido Association on Vimeo.

Partes de la armadura de un Samurai

Samurai Weapons and Armour

Although the Katana, or “long sword”, is widely recognized as the archetypal Samurai weapon, this was not the only tool in their vast arsenal. Their weapons ranged from the usual swords and knives, to bows, staffs, chain weapons and even seemingly harmless items such as fans and hairpins.

Samurai Weapons:

Katana (Long Sword): The definitive samurai weapon. The katana was central to the samurai’s arsenal and was treated with the utmost respect; some samurai went so far as to name their sword and treat it as if it were a living being.

Wakizashi (Side Sword): The secondary sword used by a samurai.
Tanto (Short Sword/Dagger): The smallest sword carried by the samurai, meant for close quarters combat. Also used in seppuku, the ritual suicide used to regain honor through death.

Yumi (Long Bow): A long bow used by the samurai, often on horseback.

Kama (Sickle): Originally intended for use as a farming tool, the samurai also employed the kama as a deadly weapon.

Bo, Hanbo, and Tanbo (Staff Weapons): The Bo is the longest staff used by the samurai, with the Hanbo being about half the length of a full-sized Bo. The Tanbo were shorter still and meant to be used as a pair.

Tessen (Iron Fan): The Tessen is a metal fan with razor sharp edges carried by the samurai wherever his other weapons were not allowed; in essence one of the first concealed weapons employed by the samurai class.

Kansashi (Pointed Hairpin): The Kansashi were hairpins mostly used by the women of the samurai class. They were easily concealed in a woman’s long hair but could be removed and the pointed ends used as a weapon in case of emergency.

Samurai Armor: Yoroi (Japanese Suit of Armor): The Yoroi was the Japanese suit of armor employed by the samurai to protect them in battle. Unlike the one or two piece suits used by knights in medieval Europe, the Yoroi consisted of many moving parts, allowing a wider range of movement with relative ease.
Taken from http://japaneseweapons.org/samurai/weapons-and-armor/ a post by Haddiqa Ismail - January 22, 2016

Romería sangrienta

Suerte que los decapitados van en ambulancia que si llegan a ir a pie seria tal cual The Walking Dead

Si es que son muy machos

Confusiones de país

Tanta historia con enviar la Brunete a Catalunya y luego vienen los libaneses a invadir Soria



A ver dónde fueron los bombardeos en Iraq o en Iran. Por Dios que se aclaren!

Ya le costaba morir con 103 años, ya

Consejos

Partes de la katana

Tsuba by Togyokusai Kiyotsugu

Fine art!

Definiciones informáticas

5 en raya

El espectáculo de los 5 planetas que se alinearán por primera vez en 10 años

Desde la madrugada de este miércoles será posible ver en el cielo un espectáculo astronómico que no ocurría desde hace una década. Los cinco planetas situados más cerca de la Tierra se alinearán simultáneamente entre el horizonte y la Luna.

Los planetas más fáciles de distinguir -por su brillo- serán Venus y Júpiter. Mercurio, en cambio, será el más difícil de ver porque se alineará muy pegado al horizonte, por lo que –por ejemplo- la bruma o la misma geografía podrían cubrirlo.

El orden en que en que los planetas aparecerán en el cielo no será el mismo que aprendimos en la escuela.  Júpiter será el primero en verse entrada la noche, seguido por Marte, Saturno y Venus algunas horas más tarde. Mercurio aparecerá poco antes del amanecer.

La línea que formarán los planetas seguirá de cerca la trayectoria del Sol a través del cielo.

¿Recomendaciones para ver la alineación planetaria? Si bien el fenómeno será visible desde el 20 de enero, entre el 27 de este mes y el 6 de febrero la Luna será una fantástica guía visual porque recorrerá el cielo pasando junto a cada uno de los planetas.

La observación será óptima si se hace con vista a un horizonte despejado y en un lugar alejado de la contaminación lumínica de la ciudad.

Los restantes planetas, Neptuno, Urano y Plutón sólo serán observables con telescopios profesionales.

La última alineación planetaria como ésta tuvo lugar entre diciembre y enero del 2005.  

"Planeta X": Encuentran evidencia del que sería el noveno planeta del Sistema Solar

Un planeta gigante hasta ahora desconocido, apodado "Planeta X", podría haber sido descubierto recorriendo los confines del Sistema Solar, anunciaron científicos estadounidenses el miércoles. El objeto "tiene una masa cerca de 10 veces mayor a la de la Tierra" y sigue "una órbita extravagante y enormemente alargada en el Sistema Solar distante", señala la investigación de CalTech University y divulgada en la publicación especializada Astronomical Journal. "De hecho, a este nuevo planeta le tomaría 10.000 a 20.000 años completar una órbita en torno al Sol". Los investigadores Konstantin Batygin y Mike Brown dicen que hallaron el planeta gracias al diseño por computador y simulaciones matemáticas, pero no han observado al objeto directamente. El cuerpo celestial tiene cerca de 5.000 veces la masa de Plutón, que en 2006 perdió la categoría de planeta y desde entonces es conocido como un "planeta enano" dentro del Sistema Solar.

Fuente: Emol.com - http://www.emol.com/noticias/Tecnologia/2016/01/20/784268/Planeta-X-Encuentran-evidencia-del-que-seria-el-noveno-planeta-del-Sistema-Solar.html

2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic

2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic trailer，500 people dancing in the sky.

Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About KENDO

Kendo is a modern Japanese Martial art which literally means “the way of the sword”. It has been formally introduced in the Philippines with the foundation of the Manila Kendo Club in the 90s. Though a popular sport which is being practiced around the world, a lot of misconceptions are still going around about the nature of this martial art. These misconceptions stem mainly from the portrayal of the Japanese art of sword fighting by various popular anime series. If you think Kendo is Samurai X, then you have to consider knowing these facts first before sporting yourself a shiny:

1. IT’S REALLY NOISY.

Do you remember martial arts fight scenes when the fighter shouts in his stance? Yes, that’s pretty much it. Kendo players scream at the top of their lungs or make bellowing sounds before or as they charge towards their opponent. This is called kiai. In Kendo, a loud and fierce kiai is equated to a player’s strong fighting power. The louder and fiercer, the better. Kiai is also one of the points being considered in a Kendo tournament. For this matter, Kendo is considered one of the noisiest martial arts. If you are looking for a Zen sport, Kendo is definitely not for you.

2. PREPARE TO GET BLISTERS.

Expect to get blisters on your soles– lots of it. The fundamental techniques and moves in this sport basically require good footwork. And the most basic stance involves a smooth, sliding footwork. You train and fight barefoot. So it is just natural to develop blisters on your soles as early as your first day of training. Accuracy and precision in charging stances are even attributed to excellent footwork. If, by the end of the day you have your soles some thick blisters, then you may actually be doing things right. That means your footwork is on the right track! As the sensei usually says (or screams), “Let them bleed!”

3. YES, YOU WILL CLEAN.

If at home you never even bothered to pick up the mop or broom for some domestic productivity, then it’s about time you learn your manners. The dojo is a revered place for training. And dojos should always be kept clean, whether before, during, or after the training.

So it is customary practice for each Kendo trainee to mop the floor the Japanese way, that is, body bent and head bowed with a wet rag on both hands while traversing back and forth the wide dojo floor – until it is squeaky clean. As with other martial arts, discipline is a core virtue.

4. IT IS PHYSICALLY INTENSE.

Prepare to sweat real hard. And get body aches. As with other martial arts, Kendo is physically demanding and involves strenuous physical activities. And as a fighting sport, be ready to get hurt. Even when you are already wearing your bogu (full body armor), there are a number of possibilities and chances for you to get hit hard with a shinai (bamboo sword) especially when a strike accidentally lands on an unprotected area of your body. Displeasing your sensei will also do you no good. Therefore, expect nothing less when practice sparring without an armor.

5. SENSEIS ARE AWESOME.

You will be training under the tutelage of world-renowned, elite senseis (masters). Although assistant instructors may be in the range of 3rd dan to 4th dan level, Kendo clubs are usually supervised and led by 6th to 8th dan Japanese senseis. There are only a few high-ranking Kendo practitioners in Japan and in the whole world. So senseis higher than 6th dan are really rare. Training under these highly respected senseis is truly an honor and a very rare opportunity.

6. KENDO KNOWS NO AGE.

If you think that only teens and young adults are into Kendo, then think again. Or better yet, go to a Kendo dojo and see for yourself. Kendo practitioners have ages ranging from 6 to 65 years old, male and female. So you need not be shocked if training with you are the kids next door and your friend’s grandpa. But as commonly observed, a good percentage of Kendo practitioners belong to the older age groups, an indication of the sport’s health and physical benefits.

7. RANKING EXAMS ARE TOUGH.

Yes, even in martial arts you will take exams. And they are never easy. Aside from the rigorous routine physical training, you will need to pass several exams to be allowed to wear the revered bogu and be authorized to join sparring sessions and tournaments. From then on, you will also need to pass the subsequent ranking exams to be promoted to higher kyu and dan ranks.

8. YOU FIGHT INTERNATIONAL.

Most Kendo clubs are members of the International Kendo Federation (IKF) and are regularly invited to Kendo tournaments outside the country. These tournaments are usually the highlight of the year for Kendo clubs and their members. International championships are held all over the world. In Asia, championships are usually held in Hong Kong and Singapore and are participated by most Asian countries. In these tournaments, you will witness the best teams fight, and win the coveted cup.

9. IT’S AN INVESTMENT.

Not all martial arts are created equal, especially when it comes to investments. Unlike other martial arts, Kendo is a fighting sport which requires accessories and protective armor. And these are a bit pricey. This is primarily because the accessories, the uniform, and the complete set of protective gear are made from special raw materials and are usually directly purchased from Japan. So if you are a Kendoka-wannabe, just a friendly tip – prepare to invest.

10. YOU ARE NOT SAMURAI X.

Though majority of younger Kendo club members’ reason for joining is the anime series Samurai X, it is with utmost apologies to say that being a Kendoka doesn’t make you Kenshin Himura. You won’t fly and learn the Hitten Mitsurugi technique. Though Samurai X is a personal favorite and has truly been a great inspiration to many, there is more to Kendo than the idea of it. Kendo is a special martial art which teaches one on the right way of the sword, as well as the core discipline, form, art, and life that comes with it. Kendo is a way of life.

Posted by CYRUS CATIMBANG at  NOV 18, 2015 in TOP SHIZ

柳生心眼流兵法 yagyu shingan-ryu hyoho

Awesome video. Interesting to see the gesturing- You can observe a lot of practice went into this. Very poised, disciplined and most of all with grace.

Traditional Budo. The Samurai spirit

Sensibilidad a flor de piel

Cesar y Pedro Mariano - Piano y Voz - "Se Eu Quiser Falar Com Deus"

Paisajes detenidos en el tiempo

Imágenes del distintos parajes al final de la Segunda Guerra Mundial y en la actualidad. Una vez vista la foto antigua, chica sobre ella y te lleva a la actualidad, volviendo a clicar regresas al pasado.

http://interactive.guim.co.uk/embed/2014/apr/image-opacity-slider-master/index.html?ww2-dday

Belleza y simplicidad

La esencia de la simplicidad es belleza
La esencia de la belleza es simplicidad

Photo by CCB

Poderes...

Huelgan comentarios

Reflexión sobre 5 judíos que cambiaron el mundo

Cinco judíos que cambiaron el mundo:
Moisés cuando dijo: La ley lo es todo
Jesús cuando dijo: El amor lo es todo
Marx cuando dijo: El capital lo es todo
Freud cuando dijo: El sexo lo es todo

...

Luego vino Einstein y lo mandó todo al carajo cuando dijo:
Todo es relativo

Incansable

Quién es más rápido?

How Do Martial Arts Classes Help Children with Autism

The relationship between martial arts and autism has been getting a lot of attention in the past decade. With a constant search for effective therapies and activities for autistic children, the martial arts have begun to establish themselves as a positive aid in the lives of autistic kids. Many studies have shown what we, as martial artists, have known for a while. A 2010 study by the University of Wisconsin found that martial arts and autism go well together; autistic children were a lot more social with their peers,  their physical coordination improved, as did their self-esteem.

Read more at  http://www.championsway.com/academy/how-do-martial-arts-classes-help-children-with-autism/

Samurai Mind Body Awareness, Balance, Posture James Williams Sensei Nami ryu

Classical Samurai military arts are quite different from most modern derivations. Many of the things that make up these differences are very subtle. This video is from a weekend seminar that I taught at the River of Life Dojo in Fort Washington, PA. There is much here to learn, contemplate, and understand. It is not just valuable for your martial arts practice it is valuable for your life.

Sucker Punch. Escena de lucha vs samurais

Ninja Assassin - Training scene

Al alcance de pocos lechones...El moño samurai

宝蔵院流槍術、Hozoin-ryū, Empieza el Keiko!

Tactical Hand Signals

What should be your behavior in The Dojo?

A dojo is a place (jo) to practice the way (do) of martial arts. It is a space that allows us to set aside the stresses and concerns from the rest of our lives and to focus on our training. Please bring a heightened degree of awareness and respect with you into the dojo.

Some guidelines for ideal behaviour in the dojo are:

a) Always maintain an attitude of respect, compassion and thoughtfulness towards your training partners. Regardless of your level of experience, remember that there are important lessons to be learned from people who are senior and junior to you. If you maintain this attitude, aikido can be a safe and enjoyable practice for women and men of all ages and levels of physical strength

b) Please remove your shoes before entering the dojo and leave them on the racks outside the door. Also, please remove your hat before entering the dojo.

c) When entering or leaving the dojo, please give a standing bow towards the shomen (the front of the dojo). When stepping on or off the mat, it is also customary to kneel and bow towards the shaman.

d) Please make a habit of arriving to class on time. If you need to arrive late, bow to the shomen then sit in quietly in seiza (kneeling) at the side of the mat until the instructor invites you to join the class.

e) For the safety of yourself and others, please make a habit of keeping your fingernails and toenails trimmed, and keeping long hair tied back. Also, please remove all jewelry prior to practice.

f) Please do not bring food or drink into the dojo.

g) Do not leave anything behind that you brought into the dojo. If you see items that have been left by other users of our space, please take the initiative to help clean up. We should always leave the dojo at least as clean as when we enter it.

h) In training, it is customary for the more experienced partner to take the first turn as nage (the one who throws or executes the technique), while the less experienced partner acts as uke (the one who attacks or is thrown).

i) When the teacher is demonstrating or talking, sit quietly in seiza (kneeling) or cross-legged. Please do not lean against the wall or sit with your back turned on the shomen. When the teacher has finished demonstrating it is customary to bow.

j) Please keep talking during practice to a minimum.

k) If somebody new enters the dojo, they should be welcomed by a senior student, so that the instructor can maintain their focus on the class.

More in: http://japaneseweapons.org/lifestyle/what-should-be-your-behavior-in-the-dojo/

Cómo mejorar la realización de las katas

Tecnificación con shinai

Yaki-Ire - How a Tanto Blade is Born

Yaki-Ire - How a Tanto Blade is Born from Crossed Heart Forge on Vimeo.

Process of Clay Tempering a Tanto Blade (crew: me and a camera on a tripod)

Once the steel is shaped as much as possible in its softer state, it is coated with a thin layer of clay along the edge and a thicker layer on the body and spine. During the hardening process, the split second difference in cooling time caused by the clay layer creates two different hardness areas in the same piece of steel. The edge cools faster and forms a very hard steel structure called martensite while the body cools slower and forms a very tough steel structure made of ferrite and pearlite. The boundary between these two areas is called hamon and is commonly seen as a frosted wavy line down the length of a polished sword blade.

When the clay is fully dry, a charcoal fire is used to heat the steel slowly and evenly, taking care not to overheat any part of it. First the spine is heated to bring the whole blade to just below temperature, and then it is flipped over to focus heat on the edge. When the entire edge is at the correct temperature, it is plunged into a hot water bath, edge down, and held until cool (yaki-ire). The hardness is checked with a file and the process repeated if necessary. After hardening, the clay is removed and the steel is heated slightly again to remove some of the internal stresses (yaki-modoshi). Once this process is finished, and if the steel survives, the blade is ready for Togi, hand polishing.

more: islandblacksmith.ca/process/yaki-ire-clay-tempering/

Sekiguti-ryu battojutsu Toshiyasu Yamada school

Partes del Bokken

Putin shows off his judo skills with team Russia in Sochi

 Russian President Vladimir Putin showed off his legendary judo skills as he sparred with the Russian national team and its head coach Ezio Gamba. Putin, a black belt in the sport, was taking part in a session in the southern city of Sochi on Friday. Whether the presidents of Spain speak languages other than Spanish and play sports other than mus we would look more favored.

Samurai Facts vs. Samurai Myths and Legends

From the medieval epics of Akira Kurosawa to the space operas of George Lucas, the samurai have long inspired us with stories of their legendary swords and superhuman skills. Nowadays, when we think of samurai, we imagine invincible warriors like Miyamoto Musashi nimbly wielding super-sharp swords, slicing through ninjas and catching blades with their bare hands.

But how much of that is actually true? To test these myths, we asked Samurai Swordsmanship authors Masayuki Shimabukuro and Carl E. Long to answer the most common questions we receive about Japanese swords.

Samurai Myth No. 1: A good samurai sword will slice through a silk scarf that’s dropped on the blade.

Samurai Fact: The katana and other Japanese swords are designed to slice objects as the blade is pulled across the target. If an object is simply dropped on the blade, it’s very unlikely that any slicing action will occur. That’s why so many exhibitions that involve walking on swords are possible. As long as there’s no sliding action, the blade rarely cuts. If a scarf is allowed to slide across the edge, the material could be cut. This myth has been carried over from a story about a Damascus blade owned by Saladin.

Samurai Myth No. 2: A katana can chop a regular sword in half.
Samurai Fact: Any steel sword can break if it’s struck at the wrong angle. Chopping one in half, however, is highly unlikely.

Samurai Myth No. 3: In battle, Japanese swordsmen would use the edge of the blade to block their enemy’s attacks.
Samurai Fact: The edge of the blade was often used to block an opponent’s attack. However, most swordsmen would fend off an attack by launching a pre-emptive strike or receiving the attack on the side of the blade. This was preferable to blocking with the ha(cutting edge).

Samurai Myth No. 4: It’s possible to stop a downward sword strike by trapping the blade between your palms.
Samurai Fact: This is highly implausible and definitely not recommended.

Samurai Myth No. 5: Thinking that it’s better to lose an arm than lose his life, a samurai was taught to block a downward slash with his forearm held overhead at a 45-degree angle.
Samurai Fact: A katana or tachi is quite capable of slicing through an arm in a single stroke. At that time in history, losing an arm usually meant death.

Samurai Myth No. 6: In ancient Japan, samurai often fought against ninja.
Samurai Fact: This is more myth and legend than fact.

Samurai Myth No. 7: A samurai wasn’t allowed to place his sword back into its scabbard without first drawing blood.
Samurai Fact: Not true.

Samurai Myth No. 8: The steel in some swords is composed of thousands of folded layers.
Samurai Fact: Each time the sword smith folds the steel, the layers are multiplied. It’s not uncommon to have as many as 32,000 layers.

Samurai Myth No. 9: The bo hi (often translated as “blood groove”) is designed to channel blood out of the opponent’s body.
Samurai Fact: This is a common misconception. The bo hi is designed to lighten the blade while maintaining a large degree of structural integrity. It was sometimes used to hide flaws in a defective blade.

Samurai Myth No. 10: Thousands of samurai swords were thrown into the ocean when Japan surrendered to the United States at the end of World War II.
Samurai Fact: Many blades were destroyed by Allied forces at the end of the war. Some of them may have been cast into the sea from aboard ships, as were many other weapons.