Why Traditional Japanese Jujutsu is the Best Choice for a Violent Attack
The core philosophy is survival, not winning a match. When a physical response is forced during a violent encounter, Traditional Japanese Jujutsu utilizes leverage, precise technique, and strategic efficiency, not brute strength. Its methodology is entirely focused on the principle of efficiency and survival in a no-rules environment.
The Immediate Response: Stopping the Encounter Standing
A core principle of TJJ is to ensure the confrontation is handled swiftly and effectively, before the combat can escalate to a dangerous ground scenario.
- Encounter Duration: The self-defense violent encounter starts immediately and is resolved within seconds. TJJ responds in a quick, effective fashion, neutralizing the threat long before hitting the ground.
- Ground Strategy: If the encounter requires a transition to the ground, TJJ training is solely focused on effective ground fighting to the extent necessary to safely get back to the feet and disengage from the threat.
The Comprehensive and Technical Approach
Traditional Japanese Jujutsu (TJJ) provides a sophisticated and technically versatile skillset that is rooted in battle-tested principles, not sport. It is designed to use minimal effort for maximum control.
- Precision Atemi & Incapacitation: A core concept of the art is the knowledge of anatomy and surgical striking precision. TJJ techniques master the quick response to attack vital, immediate areas (eyes, throat, groin) with devastating atemi, allowing the practitioner to instantly stun or incapacitate an aggressor.
- Integrated Threat Defense: TJJ is a complete fighting system that seamlessly integrates strikes, throws, and grappling. This provides a comprehensive skill base prepared to defend against the unpredictable reality of both armed and unarmed attacks, including the necessary tactics for defense against multiple attackers.
- Technical Versatility and Efficiency: TJJ's core philosophy is to use an opponent's force and momentum against them. It teaches a variety of joint locks and throws that swiftly break an aggressor's balance and create control. This technical finesse ensures the user can efficiently adapt to the situation with minimal wasted energy.
Superiority Over Sport Systems
TJJ's philosophical foundation is life preservation, which provides a critical advantage over modern sport-based systems.
- No-Rules Reality: Unlike controlled, rule-based systems (like BJJ), Traditional Japanese Jujutsu is built for the brutality of a real fight. It prepares a person to survive a life-or-death confrontation where an attacker will use weapons, biting, eye gouging, or involve multiple attackers.
- The Escape Mechanism: All control achieved in TJJ is immediately converted into a strategic disengagement. Once the aggressor is disabled or stunned, the ultimate goal is achieved: discretion and escape. This focus on immediate resolution makes it highly efficient for survival.
The Ultimate Goal: Safety and De-Escalation
TJJ philosophy extends beyond physical combat and teaches No Challenge, No resistance, No Injury. Sometimes the most effective response is a polite apology before it escalates into a dangerous conflict, allowing cooler heads to prevail. Physical techniques and tactics are a last resort, used only when a conflict is unavoidable.
💥 Take the Next Step: Experience the Difference
Mastery for Life!
If you are ready to master principles of leverage, precision, and efficiency that are proven in real-world violent encounters, we invite you to experience the difference firsthand.
➡️ Click Here to Schedule Your FREE Introductory Jujutsu Class
https://www.yoshitsune-jujutsu-kai.com/intro-class.html
The 5 Minds of the Japanese Martial Arts:
Shoshin, Zanshin, Mushin, Fudoshin, and Senshin - represent the core mental and spiritual states that a practitioner of Japanese Budo strives to achieve. They are not just for fighting; they are states of mind applicable to all aspects of life, rooted in Zen philosophy.
Collectively, they are often referred to as the Five Spirits of Budō (Itsutsu no Kokoro).
Here is a breakdown of each of the five martial arts minds:
The Five Spirits of Budō (Itsutsu no Kokoro)
1. Shoshin (初心) - Beginner's Mind
• Meaning: "Initial Mind" or "Beginner's Heart."
• Concept: This is the spirit of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions that a beginner possesses. A student with Shoshin is humble, ready to learn everything, and does not think they "know it all," even after achieving high ranks. It is the necessary state for continuous learning and growth.
• Application: In training, it means approaching every technique and lesson as if you were seeing it for the first time, ensuring your mind is never closed to new insights.
2. Zanshin (残心) - Lingering Mind
• Meaning: "Remaining Mind" or "Remaining Heart."
• Concept: This is a state of total, relaxed alertness and awareness that is maintained during and, crucially, after executing a technique or action. It is the practice of keeping your focus lingering to ensure all potential threats are neutralized.
• Application: After striking an opponent, the mind does not relax, but remains vigilant, scanning the environment for other threats or a counterattack. In daily life, it means maintaining awareness of your surroundings and not letting down your guard simply because a task seems "finished."
3. Mushin (無心) - No Mind
• Meaning: "Mind without Mind."
• Concept: A state where the mind is free from conscious thought, calculation, fear, anger, or ego. It is a state of total spontaneity where the body acts without the interference of deliberation. The technique is executed purely through instinct and muscle memory.
• Application: This is the "flow state" where the mind is not fixed on anything. In combat, you do not think about what your opponent will do; you simply react instantly and appropriately.
4. Fudoshin (不動心) - Immovable Mind
• Meaning: "Immovable Heart" or "Unshakable Resolve."
• Concept: A state of courage, composure, and mental stability that cannot be disturbed by internal thoughts (like fear or doubt) or external forces (like surprise, pain, or danger). It is firmness and resolve under extreme pressure.
• Application: In a difficult situation, your spirit remains calm, enabling you to retain composure, analyze the situation clearly, and act with decisive control. It is often described as "courage under fire."
5. Senshin (先心) - Enlightened Mind (or Purified Spirit)
• Meaning: "Purified Spirit" or "Preceding Heart."
• Concept: This is the highest level of the Budō mindset, achieved when the other four states are completely integrated. It is an enlightened attitude where the warrior's spirit is purified of ego, malice, and selfish desire. The heart perceives the interconnectedness and value of all life.
• Application: At this level, the martial artist's intention is pure. They hold all life sacred, use their skills only to protect, and strive to harmonize the world around them. It represents the ultimate fusion of martial skill and spiritual maturity.
The progression through these states is not always linear, but mastering each one is considered essential for transforming martial technique into a true spiritual discipline.
Here is how each of the five states is cultivated through the practice of the Traditional Japanese Sword such as Ryushin Shouchi Ryu
Achieving the Five Minds Through Sword Practice
1. Shoshin (初心) - Beginner's Mind
• How it's Achieved: The sword demands total respect and precision. When a student first holds a katana (or a bokken/wooden sword), they realize their life depends on executing simple tasks perfectly (like sheathing the sword without cutting themselves).
• The Practice: Every time a practitioner begins a kata or returns to a fundamental cut (suburi), they must let go of the idea that they already "know" it. An advanced student must train with the same humility, focus, and openness as a beginner, always seeking minor improvements in posture, grip, and breathing. This prevents complacency.
2. Mushin (無心) - No Mind
• How it's Achieved: Mushin is the result of thousands of hours of rigorous, repetitive practice where technique moves from the conscious mind to the unconscious muscle memory.
• The Practice (Iaido): In Iaido (drawing the sword from the scabbard), the sequence must be executed in a single, fluid moment. If the mind stops to think ("Did I draw too fast? Is my grip correct?"), the action is broken, and the practitioner would be killed in a real encounter. The mind is empty of thought, allowing the body to react instantly to the opponent's threat without hesitation or premeditation. The cut "just happens."
3. Zanshin (残心) - Lingering Mind
• How it's Achieved: Zanshin is trained by making the practitioner accountable for the entirety of the engagement, not just the strike itself.
• The Practice: After delivering the decisive strike, the swordsman does not relax, drop their guard, or allow their gaze to fall. Their attention lingers on the imaginary opponent (and the environment). They remain in the kamae (guard) while observing the opponent falling, ensuring there is no lingering threat or secondary attack, before slowly cleaning and resheathing the sword. This reinforces the necessity of total, continuous awareness.
4. Fudoshin (不動心) - Immovable Mind
• How it's Achieved: Fudoshin is trained by confronting and overcoming the four sicknesses of the mind (anger, doubt, fear, and surprise) in intense sparring.
• The Practice (Kumitachi): In partner practice, the opponent's intensity and sudden, powerful attacks are designed to cause the student to flinch or doubt their technique. The practice of standing one's ground against a strong incoming attack, committing fully to one's own strike, and not allowing fear or surprise at a sudden strike to shake one's composure builds Fudoshin—the unshakable resolve to remain calm under the greatest duress.
5. Senshin (先心) - Enlightened Mind (Purified Spirit)
• How it's Achieved: This is the lifetime goal, integrating the discipline of the sword into a compassionate life philosophy. It is achieved not through cutting, but through understanding the gravity of the sword's power.
• The Practice: The master understands that the ultimate purpose of the sword is not to destroy, but to save—either by ending a confrontation instantly or, ideally, by possessing such complete Fudoshin and control that the intent to fight is neutralized before a weapon is drawn. Senshin is the purified intention that holds all life sacred and uses the lethal training to foster peace and harmony in the world.
💥 Take the Next Step: Experience the Difference
Start your Journey towards Mastery for Life!
➡️ Click Here to Schedule Your FREE Introductory Sword Class
https://www.yoshitsune-jujutsu-kai.com/intro-class---iaijutsu.html
Shoshin, Zanshin, Mushin, Fudoshin, and Senshin - represent the core mental and spiritual states that a practitioner of Japanese Budo strives to achieve. They are not just for fighting; they are states of mind applicable to all aspects of life, rooted in Zen philosophy.
Collectively, they are often referred to as the Five Spirits of Budō (Itsutsu no Kokoro).
Here is a breakdown of each of the five martial arts minds:
The Five Spirits of Budō (Itsutsu no Kokoro)
1. Shoshin (初心) - Beginner's Mind
• Meaning: "Initial Mind" or "Beginner's Heart."
• Concept: This is the spirit of openness, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions that a beginner possesses. A student with Shoshin is humble, ready to learn everything, and does not think they "know it all," even after achieving high ranks. It is the necessary state for continuous learning and growth.
• Application: In training, it means approaching every technique and lesson as if you were seeing it for the first time, ensuring your mind is never closed to new insights.
2. Zanshin (残心) - Lingering Mind
• Meaning: "Remaining Mind" or "Remaining Heart."
• Concept: This is a state of total, relaxed alertness and awareness that is maintained during and, crucially, after executing a technique or action. It is the practice of keeping your focus lingering to ensure all potential threats are neutralized.
• Application: After striking an opponent, the mind does not relax, but remains vigilant, scanning the environment for other threats or a counterattack. In daily life, it means maintaining awareness of your surroundings and not letting down your guard simply because a task seems "finished."
3. Mushin (無心) - No Mind
• Meaning: "Mind without Mind."
• Concept: A state where the mind is free from conscious thought, calculation, fear, anger, or ego. It is a state of total spontaneity where the body acts without the interference of deliberation. The technique is executed purely through instinct and muscle memory.
• Application: This is the "flow state" where the mind is not fixed on anything. In combat, you do not think about what your opponent will do; you simply react instantly and appropriately.
4. Fudoshin (不動心) - Immovable Mind
• Meaning: "Immovable Heart" or "Unshakable Resolve."
• Concept: A state of courage, composure, and mental stability that cannot be disturbed by internal thoughts (like fear or doubt) or external forces (like surprise, pain, or danger). It is firmness and resolve under extreme pressure.
• Application: In a difficult situation, your spirit remains calm, enabling you to retain composure, analyze the situation clearly, and act with decisive control. It is often described as "courage under fire."
5. Senshin (先心) - Enlightened Mind (or Purified Spirit)
• Meaning: "Purified Spirit" or "Preceding Heart."
• Concept: This is the highest level of the Budō mindset, achieved when the other four states are completely integrated. It is an enlightened attitude where the warrior's spirit is purified of ego, malice, and selfish desire. The heart perceives the interconnectedness and value of all life.
• Application: At this level, the martial artist's intention is pure. They hold all life sacred, use their skills only to protect, and strive to harmonize the world around them. It represents the ultimate fusion of martial skill and spiritual maturity.
The progression through these states is not always linear, but mastering each one is considered essential for transforming martial technique into a true spiritual discipline.
Here is how each of the five states is cultivated through the practice of the Traditional Japanese Sword such as Ryushin Shouchi Ryu
Achieving the Five Minds Through Sword Practice
1. Shoshin (初心) - Beginner's Mind
• How it's Achieved: The sword demands total respect and precision. When a student first holds a katana (or a bokken/wooden sword), they realize their life depends on executing simple tasks perfectly (like sheathing the sword without cutting themselves).
• The Practice: Every time a practitioner begins a kata or returns to a fundamental cut (suburi), they must let go of the idea that they already "know" it. An advanced student must train with the same humility, focus, and openness as a beginner, always seeking minor improvements in posture, grip, and breathing. This prevents complacency.
2. Mushin (無心) - No Mind
• How it's Achieved: Mushin is the result of thousands of hours of rigorous, repetitive practice where technique moves from the conscious mind to the unconscious muscle memory.
• The Practice (Iaido): In Iaido (drawing the sword from the scabbard), the sequence must be executed in a single, fluid moment. If the mind stops to think ("Did I draw too fast? Is my grip correct?"), the action is broken, and the practitioner would be killed in a real encounter. The mind is empty of thought, allowing the body to react instantly to the opponent's threat without hesitation or premeditation. The cut "just happens."
3. Zanshin (残心) - Lingering Mind
• How it's Achieved: Zanshin is trained by making the practitioner accountable for the entirety of the engagement, not just the strike itself.
• The Practice: After delivering the decisive strike, the swordsman does not relax, drop their guard, or allow their gaze to fall. Their attention lingers on the imaginary opponent (and the environment). They remain in the kamae (guard) while observing the opponent falling, ensuring there is no lingering threat or secondary attack, before slowly cleaning and resheathing the sword. This reinforces the necessity of total, continuous awareness.
4. Fudoshin (不動心) - Immovable Mind
• How it's Achieved: Fudoshin is trained by confronting and overcoming the four sicknesses of the mind (anger, doubt, fear, and surprise) in intense sparring.
• The Practice (Kumitachi): In partner practice, the opponent's intensity and sudden, powerful attacks are designed to cause the student to flinch or doubt their technique. The practice of standing one's ground against a strong incoming attack, committing fully to one's own strike, and not allowing fear or surprise at a sudden strike to shake one's composure builds Fudoshin—the unshakable resolve to remain calm under the greatest duress.
5. Senshin (先心) - Enlightened Mind (Purified Spirit)
• How it's Achieved: This is the lifetime goal, integrating the discipline of the sword into a compassionate life philosophy. It is achieved not through cutting, but through understanding the gravity of the sword's power.
• The Practice: The master understands that the ultimate purpose of the sword is not to destroy, but to save—either by ending a confrontation instantly or, ideally, by possessing such complete Fudoshin and control that the intent to fight is neutralized before a weapon is drawn. Senshin is the purified intention that holds all life sacred and uses the lethal training to foster peace and harmony in the world.
💥 Take the Next Step: Experience the Difference
Start your Journey towards Mastery for Life!
➡️ Click Here to Schedule Your FREE Introductory Sword Class
https://www.yoshitsune-jujutsu-kai.com/intro-class---iaijutsu.html
Battle Tested Survival - The Hakko Ryu Way
The Art of the Mind: Why Hakko-ryu Jujutsu is the Ultimate, Minimal-Effort Survival System
For the professional adult, self defense is not about winning a a fight, it is about survival and escape. It requires a philosophy that prioritizes intellect and efficiency over ego and brute strength. This is the foundation of Hakko Ryu Jujutsu. Our curriculum is built on battle tested techniques capable of defending against armed or unarmed attacks, but taught under a unique, mature philosophy. We train to master the most efficient defense: the one that ensures your safety with minimal or zero physical effort.
The Hakko Ryu Advantage: Efficiency and Longevity
The core of our instruction is built upon the three tenets of Hakko-ryu, which make this system perfectly suited for the serious, mature student seeking lifelong skill and practical defense:
Battle Tested Skill for Threats
Unlike sport systems, our techniques have been proven in real-world contexts and are designed for the most violent scenarios.
The Superior Choice of the Mature Adult
Hakko-ryu Jujutsu is the ideal system for the professional because it respects your intellect, physical limits, and primary goal of survival. We train you to use your brain, not your adrenaline, as your primary weapon.
Take the Next Step: Experience the Difference
Mastery for Life!
If you are ready to master principles of leverage, precision, and efficiency that are proven in real-world violent encounters, we invite you to experience Hakko Ryu Jujutsu first hand.
➡️ Click Here to Schedule Your FREE Introductory Class
https://www.yoshitsune-jujutsu-kai.com/intro-class.html
The Art of the Mind: Why Hakko-ryu Jujutsu is the Ultimate, Minimal-Effort Survival System
For the professional adult, self defense is not about winning a a fight, it is about survival and escape. It requires a philosophy that prioritizes intellect and efficiency over ego and brute strength. This is the foundation of Hakko Ryu Jujutsu. Our curriculum is built on battle tested techniques capable of defending against armed or unarmed attacks, but taught under a unique, mature philosophy. We train to master the most efficient defense: the one that ensures your safety with minimal or zero physical effort.
The Hakko Ryu Advantage: Efficiency and Longevity
The core of our instruction is built upon the three tenets of Hakko-ryu, which make this system perfectly suited for the serious, mature student seeking lifelong skill and practical defense:
- No Challenge: Self-defense begins with controlling the situation, not escalating it. We train the maturity and mental discipline to use verbal de-escalation—even a polite apology—as the first, lowest-effort technique to terminate a confrontation before it goes physical.
- No Resistance: Our techniques are battle-tested and lethal, but they rely entirely on leverage, pain compliance, and manipulation, not strength. This is the definition of minimal physical effort, ensuring that a smaller or older practitioner can neutralize a larger, aggressive threat.
- No Injury: The goal is to survive, not injure yourself. By mastering precise, small-movement techniques, you learn to control and disable an attacker only long enough to create a window of escape, preserving your health and ensuring your long-term safety.
Battle Tested Skill for Threats
Unlike sport systems, our techniques have been proven in real-world contexts and are designed for the most violent scenarios.
- Comprehensive Threat Defense: From the very beginning, our curriculum trains techniques capable of defending against both armed and unarmed attacks. This comprehensive readiness ensures you are prepared for the unpredictable nature of a true combat situation.
- Precision Atemi & Incapacitation: A core concept of the art is the knowledge of anatomy and surgical striking precision. We master techniques for attacking vital points on the meridians to instantly stun and incapacitate an aggressor.
- Joint Manipulation & Total Control: We utilize Hakko-Ryu's unique throwing and joint lock techniques to swiftly disable an attacker. These specialized methods target nerves and joints, allowing for total control without requiring damaging strength or brute force.
- The Escape Mechanism: We use battle-tested techniques to instantly break an aggressor's balance and create control. This control is immediately converted into a strategic disengagement—the moment the aggressor is stunned or disabled, the ultimate goal is achieved: discretion and escape.
The Superior Choice of the Mature Adult
Hakko-ryu Jujutsu is the ideal system for the professional because it respects your intellect, physical limits, and primary goal of survival. We train you to use your brain, not your adrenaline, as your primary weapon.
Take the Next Step: Experience the Difference
Mastery for Life!
If you are ready to master principles of leverage, precision, and efficiency that are proven in real-world violent encounters, we invite you to experience Hakko Ryu Jujutsu first hand.
➡️ Click Here to Schedule Your FREE Introductory Class
https://www.yoshitsune-jujutsu-kai.com/intro-class.html
Unfinished Business
It’s official, I made the trip to the Hakko Ryu Jujutsu Hombu (Headquarters) in Omiya, Japan for my Shihan (Master Teacher) training and certification with Okuyama Sensei, the current Headmaster. The Okuden training (transmission of advanced principles) was much more than I expected and the Shihan initiation ceremony was full of formal etiquette and was a humbling experience.
It’s official, I made the trip to the Hakko Ryu Jujutsu Hombu (Headquarters) in Omiya, Japan for my Shihan (Master Teacher) training and certification with Okuyama Sensei, the current Headmaster. The Okuden training (transmission of advanced principles) was much more than I expected and the Shihan initiation ceremony was full of formal etiquette and was a humbling experience.
Yahagi Sensei, Headmaster of Ryushin Shouchi Ryu
We had an opportunity to train with our Ryushin Shouchi teacher, Yahagi Sensei while in Tokyo, Japan. As always, Shihan shared valuable insights, answered our many technical questions and helped us with an advanced series of kumitachi kata called “Nana Uchi Furikakae”. He makes it look so easy.
We had an opportunity to train with our Ryushin Shouchi teacher, Yahagi Sensei while in Tokyo, Japan. As always, Shihan shared valuable insights, answered our many technical questions and helped us with an advanced series of kumitachi kata called “Nana Uchi Furikakae”. He makes it look so easy.
Japanese Jujutsu Demonstration
Japanese Jujutsu Demonstration
Japanese Jujutsu Demonstration
Time to celebrate
We had the opportunity to train with and to celebrate our Iai teacher’s 80th birthday. We demonstrated Hepi Ryu Hanbo Kata, Yoshitsune and Hakko Ryu Jujutsu kata and Ryushin Shouchi Ryu Kumitachi and Kata in his honor. And of course Phil Sensei regailed us with some important sword technique details and some Hiden Bunkai within several sword kata. Sensei never disappoints.
Afterwards we had an opportunity to celebrate at his favorite NJ restaurant, Cafe Bella. We raised a glass, sang and eat a delicious birthday cake.
Happy Birthday Sensei. You are loved, respected and appreciated.
We had the opportunity to train with and to celebrate our Iai teacher’s 80th birthday. We demonstrated Hepi Ryu Hanbo Kata, Yoshitsune and Hakko Ryu Jujutsu kata and Ryushin Shouchi Ryu Kumitachi and Kata in his honor. And of course Phil Sensei regailed us with some important sword technique details and some Hiden Bunkai within several sword kata. Sensei never disappoints.
Afterwards we had an opportunity to celebrate at his favorite NJ restaurant, Cafe Bella. We raised a glass, sang and eat a delicious birthday cake.
Happy Birthday Sensei. You are loved, respected and appreciated.
It seems like a lifetime ago when I started this journey.
Ryushin Shouchi Ryu Iaijutsu Seminar with Yahagi Sensei
If you have questions, call Jesus Bonilla: 971-708-4744
