Toshitsugu Takamatsu Soke
"Moko no Tora – The Mongolian tiger"
The essence of all warrior arts and military strategies in self-defense
is stopping the danger. Ninjutsu symbolises the absolute concept of
self-defense, not only of the physical body, but also of the mind and
spirit. The ways of the Ninja are the ways of endurance, survival and
overcoming everything that could destroy a man. It's more then hitting
and cuting and in essence, deeper then simply outsmarting the enemy;
Ninjutsu is a way of adopting of everything we need while we are making
the world a better place to live in. The art of the Ninja is the art
of wining.
In the beginning stage of any martial or warrior art,
the right motivation is crucial. Without the proper state of mind, the
constant exposure to the fighting technics can bring to destruction
instead of self-development. This fact, we can say, is not different
in any other usefull practice in life that is brought to extreme.
The medical science is dedicated to improvement of health and to ease
the pain and suffering, but irregular use of drugs and the hilarity
of doctors skills can bring into a stage where the individuals health
is no longer in his or her control. Nutritional, well balanced diet
keeps a man alive, vital and healthy, but exadurating with the diet
or with eating and drinking or taking to much chemicals, is a sure way
to poison the body.
Goverments are founded to control harmonious interaction
in all aspects of society, but when rulers become greedy, hungry for
power, or simply because of lack of knowledge, the state is subdued
to unnecessary wars, riots or civil and economical chaos.
Religion when is based on faith developed through experience,
wide searching mind and relentless search for universal understanding,
inspires and conforts. Once religion loses its original focus, it becomes
a deadly thing which is used to decieve, control and defeat the people
throuh manipulation of their beliefs and fears.
It's the same thing with warrior arts. The arts of self-defence that
should bring the feeling of inner peace and safety for Budoka, are so
often developed without balance in personality and lead an inconsiderable
Budoka to distorted areas of unstoppable conflict and competition that
devours him eventually.
If a master of martial arts truly follows the essence
of Ninjutsu, without the influence and desires of the ego, the student
will eventually reach the realisation that the ultimate secret to become
invincible is – achieving "the mind and the eyes of heaven".
The fighter that wants to win has to be in harmony with the scheme of
totality and has to be guided with intiuitive knowledge of the play
of destiny. In harmony with anticipation of heaven and impartial justice
of nature and following the pure and clean heart full of trust into
the unpredicitable. The Ninja accepts the comprehension that will succesfully
guide him into battle when he has to defeat, when he has to manage and
when he has to hide from animosity. The vast space, beautiful in its
cold impersonal wholeness, contains everything that we call good or
bad, every answer to the paradoxes we see around us. By opening his
eyes and mind, the Ninja can answer following sensual ages and reasons
of the heaven, by changing as it is necessary, always adopting, so that
eventually for a Ninja there is no surprise.
