08/10/2008 In Experiments / Ideas, Knowledge Base by andy
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Note: This article actually got published prematurely a couple of days ago. It was not finished, and what follows is significantly different. If you read this article within the last week, please skim over it again and check out the changes. Thanks.
The gojokun (or five guiding principles) is the set of statements that forms the heart of Taido ’s philosophy. Since it is prescriptive rather than descriptive, the gojokun acts as a sort of mission statement for Taido. Though it gives us a few ideals to shoot for, it doesn’t offer much in the way of practical guidance.
Through the years, several several people have tried their hands and coming up with a suitable English version. I will discuss a few of them and present my own thoughts on what the gojokun says, what it means, and what we should do about it. With any luck, this article will get to the point of what can be a very frustrating mission statement.
07/10/2008 In Taido/Blog by andy
First, I want to echo this site’s disclaimer and reiterate that Taido/Blog is a personal project - one person’s attempt at making real, usable information available for English-speaking Taido students. Sometimes, I am wrong, and I rely on comments and emails from better-informed Tadioka to help keep me on track.
Most of those comments and emails have been very positive and express support for this project. A few have expressed dissatisfaction. Regardless, I have never prevented even a marginally relevant comment from posting - even the ones that were deliberately insulting or mean-spirited. I plan to continue just this way.
My Biggest Fan
Earlier this week, someone attempted to post the following comment to one of the least important pages on Taido/Blog:
18/09/2008 In Event Log by andy
Every year, the Japan Taido Association hosts four national tournaments, one each for children, students, and adults, and the all-Japan championship. The Shakaijin Taikai is a tournament for “members of society,” which can be taken to mean adults. Basically, it excludes children and undergrads, but anyone else is free to compete. This year’s event included men and women from their early twenties to late sixties.
The Other National Tournament
If the national championship is the most objectively important tournament, the shakaijin has taken on a subjective importance as an unofficial warmup for the all-Japan. Until a few years ago, the Shakaijin was a pretty relaxed affair, with a relatively small number of participants. Recently, it has grown in popularity, and this year, over 150 people joined the competition. Black belt Men’s jissen was especially competitive, with almost seventy entrants.
