One of the more commonly known aspects of modern karate training is board breaking. Parents love seeing their children break their first board; adults also get a thrill from feeling the splinters fly after a properly executed strike or kick. There is as sense of power and accomplishment in splitting a piece of wood with your bare hands. Some avid practitioners mistake this ability with their own fighting prowess; "If I can break a board, I can break a bone." Well, not quite. That board is not moving and is held steady by either trusting hands or well placed spacers. It's an interesting skill, for sure, but remember there's a whole lot more to martial arts than creating firewood with your own skin and bone.
The practice of board breaking comes from tameshigiri, or "test cutting." In Japan's Edo period (17th century), the samurai started experimenting with various methods for testing the strength and precision of sword cuts. They used all kinds of implements, including captured enemies tied head-to-toe, belly up and arched over a small mound. The samurai would test their skills by slicing through the abdomen and spine, attempting to complete the cut without the blade touching the ground. Fortunately, modern swordsmen no longer use live subjects, but the centuries old cutting stand still remains. Essentially, it is a piece of mature bamboo wrapped in tatami (rice mats) that have gone through a process of soaking and drying to make them dense, yet flexible. It was believed that this combination of materials represented the average human neck, the bamboo taking the place of the spine.
From my own experience, I can tell you that just about anybody can break a simple pine board. More often than not, it's physics rather than phenomenon. Don't get me wrong, I have respect for someone who can punch a hole through a stack of wood. But attempting to take a real katana (Japanese sword) and slice through a tameshigiri stand is really hard. These cutting stands are expensive and I never pursued my sword skills enough to warrant attempting it. Even masters get their swords stuck some times. It is an exquisite combination of breathing, concentration and the correct angle and force to make a clean cut. It requires perfection gained through countless repetitions of slicing nothing but air.
Perfection of mind, body and spirit is the true nature of Japanese martial arts (budo). My students hear me say all the time, budo is self-perfection first, self-protection second. As corny as it may sound, it's not about the outcome, but the journey. The journey toward self-perfection is an ongoing struggle for the rest of your life. If you are a martial artist and reach the point where you are happy with your technique the way it is...well, you're not really a martial artist. There is always something to improve; kata, basic techniques, a throw, a grappling maneuver, etc. You should never be content with anything you do in your own training. Once that happens, you stop learning and you start "presiding." That's a dangerous place to be.
This kind of discipline finds its way into other aspects of your life; your job, physical fitness...and perhaps faith. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48 to "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." Christ is God's earthly model for us to follow. If you are struggling to know how to be the best human, look no further than Jesus. I believe this is one of the most important aspects of gospels. Not only do we get constant reminders of human failures, (all of the apostles had issues), but we also receive the peace of knowing that we can take those failures to the cross. Where God provided Noah and his family with an ark that safely drifted over unknown waters, He provides the faithful with the ark of the cross. Only one passenger for this boat; the only one who could steer it. Read the "red words" and you have an abundance of knowledge to navigate the waters between here and Heaven. Jesus is the model of perfection for us to follow. He is the ark for all mankind.
Just like martial arts, if you feel as though your soul is fine and doesn't need any more reps, e.g. prayer, actions, thoughts, etc., you run the risk of heading into deep waters without a sail or rudder. The way of perfection, be it martial arts or a faith, is constant struggle and countless reps. Get out of your warm bed or off the comfy couch and train your mind and body. Get on your knees and pray...and train your soul. Remember that even the masters had masters. Ours waits on the other side of this journey. So, let's all train hard. Let's all strive for perfection.
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
Dave Magliano
Tatsu Dojo
Jissenkan Budo
Dojo Cho
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