Upon consideration for Sho-Dan, I would like to express my gratitude to the ninja lineage for compiling the information through the centuries, maintaining a practical art for the cultivation of the warrior spirit on its many different levels. This appreciation extends a great deal to my most recent personal lineage offering direct impact on modern budo and the battlefield arts. Those most recent are Moko No Tora Takamatsu sensei, Yoshikai Hatsumi sensei (who shares his birthday with me), An-Shu Hayes sensei, and Intoshi Isler sensei. Although, I have only met the latter two of the four, no fervor is relieved from that appreciation.
The positive difference To-Shin Do has made on my life resonates through the awareness of negativity through ignorance, greed, and anger. This awareness allows me to practice controlling my thoughts, words, and deeds by following the tenets of focused conviction in mindful action. To give a reason, I chose ninjutsu over other martial arts would thereby further display my ignorance because I believe ninjutsu chose me.
Martial arts are the canvas for warriors artistic expression and the protector of his/her spirit. The end state for the martial artist is to master their artistic expression by attaining the imminence of divinity. So mastery becomes the purpose for repetition. All the while, leadership, is the ever-developing attribute of the warrior. Thus, the warrior earns leadership through wisdom and wisdom through experience. In turn, experience offers stronger artistic expression, and the circle becomes an infinite process. To initiate this process a person must begin by maintaining the humility to understand the pitfalls of their ego and, as a result, they will carry the aura of someone wh...
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...generation of speed and power delivering the body’s movement to the warrior’s will.
The master on the battlefield, when engaged in violent conflict can discourage attackers without harm. Discouraging attackers without harm places opponents in a peculiar situation, one which facilitates manipulation toward favorable battlefield conditions. When manipulating the conditions on the battlefield to a more favorable situation, the master must keep the Code of Mindful Action foremost in thought. Following the tenets of the Code of Mindful Action will lay the groundwork for peace through the establishment of trust and respect, further creating an imperceptible beginning which develops a full process facilitating the perceptible beginning. This vantage allows the ninja to establish their own rules which, with properly focused intent, evolve into love resulting in harmony.
There have been countless books, lectures, and and trainings, and retreats constructed around the idea of cultivating leadership in an individual. However, cultivating individuals’ ability to follow great leadership has received far less attention. Who are these people leading if each person within an organization is being trained to be a leader? The word follower has negative connotations, evoking the images of a weak, uncreative, milquetoast personality. However, Jimmy Collins, in his book, “Creative Followership: In the Shadow of Greatness”, suggests that the ability to be led brings as much creativity, consciousness, and indeed leadership to an organization or team as the leader himself.
Hạnh, Nhất, and Arnold Kotler. Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” (BAM, 2010, p.20) These words were first written down over 2,400 years ago by a Chinese general named Sun Tzu in his famous military strategy treatise known today as The Art of War. These words, in fact the entire book, are just as valid today as they were during Sun Tzu’s lifetime. He was one of the first truly visionary and ethical military leaders in the world. Despite the fact that there is not much known about Sun Tzu today other than his writings, in this essay, I intend to extract his essence from his treatise to prove he was a visionary leader. I will then continue to prove he was also an ethical leader. Finally, I will finish by detailing how his seminal work has inspired me to self-reflect on how I can be a better visionary and ethical leader in the 21st Century Air Force. So, what exactly is a ‘visionary’ leader?
Conflict is constant. It is everywhere. It exists within one’s own mind, different desires fighting for dominance. It exists outside in nature, different animals fighting for the limited resources available, and it exists in human society, in the courts. It can occur subtly, making small changes that do not register consciously, and it can occur directly and violently, the use of pure strength, whether physical, social, economic, or academic, to assert dominance and achieve one’s goals; this is the use of force. Yet, with the use of force, the user of force is destined to be one day felled by it. “He who lives by the sword will die by the sword.”
In the modern day, a general Westerner usually pictures Buddhism as an idyllic peaceful religion that is withdrawn from society, but like all other religions Buddhism is interconnected within its own society. Buddhism also like many other religions, has an element of violence within itself and within different sects. Zen Buddhism specifically developed into a very violent religion during World War II and the wars that preceded it. Brian Daizen Victoria focuses on the militarization of Zen within his two works, Zen War Stories and Zen at War. Within Zen War Stories Victoria takes a retrospective look at stories from World War II and also talks with religious leaders after the demilitarization of Japan. Through this text Victoria brings attention to the aspects that lead to the militarization of Zen during the time frame. Through the story, “The Zen of Assassination” Victoria specifically focuses on how the ideals of Zen can be used to promote violence, and how the ideas of Zen can be used to deter blame for the faulty party. Through his other text, Zen at War Victoria examines the multiple elements which lead to a militaristic form of Buddhism. Those elements include but are not limited to nationalism, the idea of emptiness, and the bushidô code. Though Victoria does mention all the elements above and more, he pays specific attention to the interaction between Zen and the preexisting bushidô code, the samurai’s code of chivalry. Victoria’s arguments are controversial and have faced a great deal of criticism. One specific critic, Christopher Ives further delves into the analysis of the militarization of Zen through his article, “Wartime Nationalism and Peaceful Representation: Issues Surrounding the Multiple Zens of Modern Japan". ...
When looking at much of the world’s ethical views and morals today, many of its standards can draw back to that of the samurai. This warrior class of Feudal Japan contributed greatly to the development of social values that people today constantly follow. It is important to look to past events and cultures to enrich the future and the ideals of the samurai are ones that better people in self fulfilling ways. Whether it be to instill positive values to children or applied to become successful in the “real world”, the virtues and morals set forth by the samurai are invaluable teachings that will influence society for many years to come.
Before earning my black belt, I never saw myself as someone who could accomplish great things. I always undermined myself by not using my full potential. I rarely tried to prove myself correct when someone else shot down my statement because I did not know I had the tenacity to take action.
The wars, the victories, the defeats and deaths arose from the warrior’s duty to the Buddhist Law. These warriors lived their duty and this is reflected through the tales that illustrate actions that include loyalty and respect towards other warriors.
“To conquer frustration, one must remain intensely focused on the outcome, not the obstacles.” I still remember this quote from Within I Rise by T.F. Hodge because this specific quote has helped me through my long and winding journey toward the black-belt. It started with my friend in fifth grade showing me what he learned in karate class the day before, and me asking my mother if I could join. My brother and I went to our first class and I instantly fell in love with the sparring, grappling, fighting combinations, self-defense, and of course, learning to use nunchucks. It was not long before I had my eye on the black-belt, but there were many obstacles ahead. Less than one percent of all students at my karate school end up getting to
When one is exercising the model conjointly with effectual leadership practices, then leadership rises amongst the individual and their team. When one practices leadership in disconnect with the leadership practices mentioned in Lencioni’s novel, examples of failure are provided in the text to illustrate how to evade becoming an ineffectual practitioner of leadership. Even though the model provides a framework for leadership, the leadership model outlined in Lencioni’s novel are appropriate for aspirant educational
In Hagakure, a great emphasis is placed on the samurai ideology surrounding death. The samurai should live his life as though his body has already passed, and through this “he gains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling”. This detachment is of fundamental importance to the samurai, and this relationship with death is influenced heavily by Buddhism. Zen Buddhism influenced the samurai by lending him his unique respect for life and death. A samurai knows that dying is just another part of life, and worrying about it is pointless. This lack of fear is bred into the samurai from birth, and stays with them for their entire lives. Whatever the daimyo tells a samurai to do, he will do regardless of personal risk. By detaching himself from the thought of risk or of danger or death, and of the worry of morality, the samurai is able to remain more loyal to the daimyo. Complete loyalty is only possible through detachment from personal risk, morality, and thought.
Leadership is a quality which cannot be acquired by any person from the other but it can be acquired by self-determination of a person. Leadership can best be called the personality of the very highest ability-whether in ruling, thinking, imagining, innovation, warring, or religious influencing. Leadership is practiced not so much in words a it is in attitude and in actions. Their actions leave a long lasting memory in the line of history and lead up to may events that occur today. To be a leader one will need many qualities. Leaders have a purpose and strategies to accomplish that purpose. They are driven and motivated. In the end they should be able to attain good results. These innate talents help to make up a leader that will succeed and be efficient in carrying out tasks. But, the purpose of this paper is determine what truly makes a leader successful. A successful leader should be considered more on their impact rather than their accomplishments of their organizations alone for they are not sufficient in determining the key to their success .
One of the most fundamental philosophies of the samurai is that of detachment from the self. This detachment allows for a freedom from fear, which is essential to the samurai warriors. In the opening of Hagakure, Tsunetomo states that “the Way of the Samurai is found in death”. These rank among the greatest and most well known phrases in Japanese history, and in fact in the history of the world. Death is not to be feared by the samurai, it is to be embraced. The relationship between the samurai and his master is of the utmost importance, and only through detachment can the samurai fully and properly serve his master. These are two core, fundamental philosophies of bushido, and both can are reminiscent of similar ideologies in Buddhism, and Confucianism.
Thus we understand that the right way of defeating an opponent is by awakening a sense of shame within him. This will not only attain justice, but also helps him to recognize his faults and to rectify them. As a result we will be creating a beloved community.
Leaders can have a powerful impact on the futures of many, and the way in which one approaches leadership is paramount to the type of impact one will have. Continual growth in the areas of knowledge I have and seek to acquire, as well as recognizing my leadership style and utilizing my personal strengths to the fullest, is vital to the successful implementation of my personal philosophy of leadership.