“Learn without thinking,”

wasted work.

To think without studying, -

dangerous business."

Chinan Sanda (1842- 1925) 

Five instructions from Sensei UECHI Kanbun:

1. First, learn to relax with any movement, no tension. Tension mainly originates in the facial muscles and neck, and then moves on to the rest of the body. Relax your face and neck, which will allow you to get rid of tension in all your movements.
2. Choose a position for balance that does not require you to strain while remaining in that position. Keep your head straight, don't lean forward - think about keeping your face away from the wrestling area, but don't lean back. Maintain the feeling of concave chest and arched back, but with a straight spine.
3. Exercise every day. Flexibility is essential for learning relaxation. The muscles should be soft and well stretched.
4. When you punch, don't throw your hand or fist - just straighten your arm completely without pause or tension. Not slowly, with tension, but a natural jerk directed outward, without swinging and hesitation. This will increase the impact force. When you kick, imagine a whip. The movement is soft and natural. The foot hits strongly, then returns to the bent position on its own - no need strain or pull it away.
5. When you block, do not counter the force of the blow with a block, but deflect it gently or strike the attacking limb. Get out of the line of attack, wrap your arm and hand around your opponent's and jerk him off balance. This will open the enemy to your counterattack.

Components of training - 稽古【Keiko】

1. 準備運動 - Junbi Undo - Warm-up exercises.
2. 補助運動 - Hojo Undo - Auxiliary exercises.
3. 三戦 - Sanchin - Learning the Sanchin kata:
   1. 三戦の練習 - Sanchin no Renshuu - Performing the Sanchin kata;
   2. 三戦鍛え - Sanchin Kitae - Performing the Sanchin kata with verification.
4. 型 - Kata - Learning kata:
   1. 型の練習 - Kata no Renshuu - Execution of kata;
   2. 型の分解 - Kata no Bunkai - Analysis and practice of combat decoding of the kata.
5. 体鍛え - Tai Kitae - Body Tempering:
   1. 小手鍛え - Kote Kitae - “Padding” of the forearms;
   2. 下肢鍛え; 足鍛え - Kashi Kitae; Ashi Kitae - "Stuffing" of the legs;
   3. 肚鍛え - Hara Kitae - “Stuffing” the belly.
6. 中間補助運動 - Chukan Hojo Undo - Intermediate auxiliary exercises.
7. 約束組手 - Yakusoku Kumite - Stipulated duel.
8. 自由組手; 自由攻防 - Jiyu Kumite; Jiyu Kobo - Free/free duel; Free attacks and defenses.
9. 補強運動 - Hokyo Undo - Additional strengthening exercises.

TRAINING FEATURES

守破離 => 守破離 => 守破離

"Syu-Ha-Ri"

“Concept “S hu - H a - R” i", taken from calligraphy and transferred to Japanese martial arts.

Long and very accurate copying of a sample (in graphics - charter), then adding your own handwriting (half-chart) and, finally, discovering a new one, improvisation, breakthrough (cursive writing).

However, even at the last stage they write the same symbols (hieroglyphs, letters...) as at the first, and do not invent a new Chinese letter, it just becomes a living cursive handwriting.”

Today in karate there is an extremely fair concept of three stages of training:

• “Shu” - “following tradition” - means that you need to memorize everything exactly as the teacher shows. This requires many years of training, otherwise there will be no basis for moving to the next level.
  • In life, this is the stage of a child’s development when parents are indisputable authorities for him.
• “Ha” - “break with tradition” - means the opportunity to break the chains of tradition, try to improve the school’s technique, harmoniously incorporating into it the best techniques from other schools, which means the desire to find one’s own ways of development. Many people try to do this too early because they overestimate their capabilities.
  • In life, this is the stage of development of a young man when his parents are wrong about everything.
• “Ri” is to rise above everything that has been studied before, to find higher and more general principles, which means “to go your own way following the wisdom of tradition.”
  • In life, this is the stage of a man’s development when you realize that your parents are right, but you are already going your own way.

This means that the ultimate goal lies in completely free execution of movements, free from the shackles of standardization. But almost no one goes that far. Most students stop at the first stage of education without completing it.

Most students, due to their European mentality, cannot follow the path 守破離 - Shu-Ha-Ri (copying (exactly following tradition) - searching for one’s own (breaking with tradition) - following one’s own path with respect for the wisdom of tradition) and it’s not enough for them to copy themselves - they need a verbal explanation of the method. Hence, unfortunately, we have such a large amount of chatter and a small amount of actual work.

THE GOAL OF ASPIRATIONS IN BUDO

一米一汗

【 Hito Kome, Hito Ashi】

“a grain of rice is a drop of sweat”

A person who begins to practice martial arts is riddled with traditional prejudices. It will take a lot of time before he trustfully accepts the previously completely alien values ​​of BUDO. For a beginning student and even for an experienced student, the role of the teacher is to teach him various techniques and reveal their meaning. However, at first, students have difficulty understanding that practicing martial arts is not about mastering a set of techniques, but about finding a path - “BEFORE”, which leads far from everyday life. So far, all the students’ aspirations are aimed specifically at mastering individual techniques. When a teacher draws the student’s attention to some abstract, ideal values, the student often resists him, defending the infallibility of his own views.

The student needs to make some effort to look inside himself and resolve his own problems, which often prevent him from finding the true path. There is no need to debate what truth is and what lies are, but to carry out and perform the exercises. Some improve technical skills; others develop their personality. To understand this is the goal of aspirations in BUDO.

INTERNAL ESSENCE AND EXTERNAL APPEARANCE

By the expression “goal of aspiration,” the master understands not only the achievement of some kind of external success - many strive precisely for success, without thinking at all that they need to achieve righteousness (“sisei”), but also the acquisition of a special state of soul: internal dignity , which will manifest itself in any of their actions, in any action. Therefore, for a teacher, a person’s perception of the world, his inner essence, is more important than his actions, because he knows that erroneous actions violate the basic principles of life. BUDO classes clearly demonstrate this. A technique has not yet been invented that would allow a person to develop his technical skills, regardless of what is in his soul. The philosophy of BUDO teaches you to avoid war, because in combat conditions you cannot improve your skills. However, students cannot understand this most important principle for a long time.

Righteousness can be achieved only by striving for the ideal and being prepared to sacrifice oneself at any moment, and not at all by achieving any external success. Everyone can achieve success, but only a few are capable of sacrificing themselves. The master teaches, first of all, to find your inner essence; only then will a person be capable of some important actions. The master knows that even if you win the war, you will not win justice. If a student strives specifically for external success, he will not comprehend the PATH OF BUDO.

TRAINING PRACTICE – “KEIKO” OR “RENSHU”?

The concept of "keiko" (exercise; reflection) refers to the practice of exercises that not so much enhance technical skill as develop the personality of the martial arts practitioner. If a person does not reflect, he will not realize the essence of this practice (keiko). A true understanding of its essence and the ability, in a constant struggle with oneself, to realize the possibilities inherent in the exercise, are the foundations on which in the arts of BUDO the formation of the spirit and the ability to control one’s own energy are based (Chinese: “Qi”, Japanese: “Ki” )

The concept of "keiko" (稽古 ) in the arts of BUDO the concept of “renshu” (練習) is opposed), usually meaning "training". This is a practice that develops a person’s physical capabilities. In the teaching about the WAY, which is followed by people involved in the arts of BUDO, this concept is used only as one of the components of “keiko”, since the main focus here is on achieving internal balance and harmony, and vital energy helps to achieve such a state (Chinese: “Qi”) ", Japanese: "Ki").

So, the concept of “keiko” covers various elements of the teaching about the WAY, namely WADZA("technique"), CI(“energy”) and SYN("spirit"). The goal of the practice is to connect waza, ki and shin; if this can be achieved, a person will understand how to act. The result of such practice will be not so much the mastery of any martial art skill, but rather a genuine understanding of one’s own position in life. Until a person achieves inner harmony, he will not achieve noticeable success in BUDO. Thus, the path of BUDO is not only about athletic

The student must always be ready to comprehend the Path; he must do everything in order to be able to learn. This statement is extremely important, because a person is always inclined to believe that he knows everything in advance. Therefore, when studying BUDO, students are often ready to decide for themselves what is important to them in these classes, and what, in their opinion, is mere nonsense. They are ready to lose sight of everything that is incomprehensible to them and immediately forget it. Sometimes a lot of time will pass before they understand that the best way to study is to completely trust their teacher, his experience and knowledge, rather than arbitrarily judging everything.

Only then will the student truly be imbued with the spirit of BUDO when during classes he trusts not so much his own opinion as the experience of the teacher and completely relies on him. In the teaching about the WAY, there is no need to prove the truth or falsity of certain provisions, there is no place for disputes between the teacher and his students, there is no need to discuss whether certain exercises are necessary or not and whether they are structured correctly. Wherever the opposite happens, where students, not yet becoming true masters, already begin to judge everything, there is no place for a teacher. He can withdraw where there is no reverence, there is no BUDO.

To study in a DOJO means to be imbued with the very spirit of BUDO and strive to achieve mastery under the guidance of a TEACHER. However, until the master testifies that he himself has not become a real master, he has no right to interrupt his studies, no matter what level he has reached; otherwise he will have to subsequently start all over again.

There is no hierarchy among BUDO masters. Here we are talking about the understanding of the WAY itself, and not about the individual stages of achieving this understanding. Mastery begins when the understanding of the WAY comes. Only after this can the student independently continue to study the PATH.

Conventional or sports training methods do not help to understand the WAY. The traditional BUDO learning process is fundamentally different from any other educational processes, where the student tries to either gain new knowledge or master some skill. In BUDO, progress is achieved not in the process of learning itself, but as genuine human intimacy is established between master and student. It can arise only if the student himself is ready for it. If he avoids a trusting relationship with the teacher, then there will be none. When practicing BUDO, you must constantly think about your behavior, about your attitude towards life, otherwise you will not gain higher understanding.

Often students do not realize this and therefore persist in their delusions. For them, there are boundaries that they cannot cross, no matter how differently they explain it. However, in fact, it all comes down to one thing: they cannot overcome their “I”, and this prevents them from finding the true PATH; when they are faced with the need to rise above their selfishness, egocentrism, selfishness and self-confidence, it is easier for them to declare that they themselves are mistaken WAY than to admit that they persist in their errors. They can find a tolerable explanation for any failure, but this will not save them from repeating failures in the future. No matter how sophisticated logical reasoning such a person resorts to, the very logic of his thought is limited, because in front of him there is a barrier that he is not yet able to overcome and which hides the true state of affairs from him.

Syukhari(Kanji: 守破離 Hiragana: しゅはり) is a concept that comes from Japanese martial arts. It describes the stages of achieving mastery. Sometimes also used in relation to other Japanese arts, such as go.
Etymology:
The term "suhari" can be roughly translated as "first learn, then abandon, and finally transcend."
Xiu (守) - translated as “protection”, “obedience” and means traditional knowledge: learning the basics, basic techniques, commonplaces, acquiring heuristic knowledge.
Ha (破) - translated as “separation”, “detachment” and means a break with tradition: getting rid of illusions, revising the rules, critically understanding what has been learned.
Ri (離) - translated as “liberation”, “independence” and means a transition to a new state: the need for techniques and rules disappears, all movements become natural, without the need for forms, body and spirit become one

Aikido master Shihan Endo Seishiro gave the following definition of the concept of shuhari:
“It is known that in the process of learning or training, everyone goes through the stages of shu, ha and ri. The explanation for these stages is as follows.
At the shu stage, we repeat forms and cultivate the ability of the body to perceive the forms created by our predecessors. We stay true to form without deviating from it in any way. Later, at the ha stage, having cultivated the ability to adopt forms and movements, we introduce something new into them. During this process, forms may change and be discarded. Finally, at the ri stage, we finally move away from forms, open the way to creativity in technology and find ourselves in a place where we act in accordance with the desires of our mind/heart, freely, but without breaking the laws."

At the shu stage, the student is also instructed to unquestioningly follow the instructions of only one teacher. He is not yet ready to explore and compare different paths.
Visually, the principle of suhari can be represented in the form of concentric circles, where the circle symbolizing the shu stage is placed inside the ha circle, and both of them are placed inside the ri circle. Basic techniques and knowledge do not change when moving from circle to circle.

Story:
The concept of shuhari was first introduced by Fuhaku Kawakami in the art of the tea ceremony in the form of the principle of “jo-ha-kyu” (Japanese 序破急 jo ha-kyu - introduction, turning point, suddenness). This is a traditional Japanese model of sequencing, which means that any movement or effort should begin gradually, develop quickly, and end unexpectedly. It is used in martial arts (Kendo, Iaido), Japanese theater (Kabuki, Noh, Joruri), Japanese tea ceremony, and the literary genres of renga and renku.
Later, Zeami Motokiyo, an actor and playwright of the Noh theater, applied this principle to the dance, giving it the name shuhari. Under the same name, this principle later became part of the philosophy of Aikido. Shuhari is also an element of the philosophy of Shorinji Kenpo.

Written based on materials from

“In a person’s life there are stages of comprehension of teaching. At the first stage, a person learns, but this does not lead to anything, and therefore he considers himself and others inexperienced. Such a person is useless. In the second stage he is also useless, but he is aware of his own imperfections and sees the imperfections of others. In the third stage, he is proud of his abilities, rejoices in the praise of other people, and regrets the shortcomings of his friends. Such a person can already be useful. At the highest stage, a person looks as if he knows nothing.”

Xiu - involves strict adherence to the rules and instructions of the teacher. The student’s task is to concentrate on the action and hone its execution. Through repeated repetition, he masters all the rules and techniques. When this happens, the Xiu level has been reached. Training moves to the next stage.
Ha - at this stage the student stops blindly following all the rules. He thinks about his actions, changes the rules, tries to break them, builds a new system of his own rules. He also learns new techniques from other teachers.
Ri - at this stage the task is to free yourself from the rules, to move into a new dimension (Tao), where there are no rules, but the natural course of things. When the body is finally freed from all rules, the Ri level is reached and the Shu phase begins in a new dimension.
The English version of the wiki has a more extensive explanation.

Here is another interpretation that describes the dangers of these three stages.

There are three stages in any teaching.
- Non-critical. In order to assimilate any teaching at the level of knowledge, it is necessary to approach it uncritically, with complete trust. Become his sincere fan. Get the moral right to retell it. Anyone who misses the first stage becomes a dropout. Anyone who gets stuck on it becomes a zombie.
- Constructive-critical. In order to assimilate a teaching at the level of understanding, it is necessary to approach it constructively and critically with the desire to improve it, improve it, eliminate its internal contradictions and inconsistencies with the facts, and give it harmony and beauty. The one who skips this stage becomes a defector, and the one who gets stuck at it becomes an eternal student.
- Destructive-critical. In order to assimilate the teaching at the level of overcoming it, it is necessary to discover its limits, its limitations and inability for further development without radical restructuring. To destroy to the ground and identify suitable elements for building a different, more perfect teaching. Anyone who starts from this stage, skipping the first and second, becomes ignorant. The one who does not miss any of the three stages, who goes through them consistently and without guile, becomes a successor.

And here's more on this topic in Hagakure, about the usefulness of a person at every stage.
“In a person’s life there are stages of comprehension of teaching. At the first stage, a person learns, but this does not lead to anything, and therefore he considers himself and others inexperienced. Such a person is useless. In the second stage he is also useless, but he is aware of his own imperfections and sees the imperfections of others. In the third stage, he is proud of his abilities, rejoices in the praise of other people, and regrets the shortcomings of his friends. Such a person can already be useful. At the highest stage, a person looks as if he knows nothing.”
These are the general steps. But there is also one more stage that is more important than all the others. At this stage, a person comprehends the infinity of improvement on the Path and never considers that he has arrived. He knows exactly his shortcomings and never thinks that he has succeeded. He is devoid of pride, and thanks to his humility he comprehends the Path to the end. Master Yagyu is said to have once remarked, “I don’t know how to defeat others; I know how to conquer myself."
Study hard all your life. Every day become more skilled than you were the day before, and the next day more skilled than you were today. Improvement has no end.
From NLP

Four stages of learning: 1. Unconscious ignorance 2. Conscious ignorance 3. Conscious knowledge 4. Unconscious knowledge.

Another article on this topic.

The author of this article is Yukiyoshi Takamura

Note.Sensei Takamura and wrote this article as part of the Shindo Yoshin Ryu Instructor's Manual. Although written specifically for instructors, there is so much value in this article that we decided to make it accessible to everyone.

The concept of su-ha-ri literally means mastering a kata, moving away from a kata, and abandoning a kata. Training in classical Japan always pursued precisely these goals and took place within the framework of this particular educational process. This unique approach to learning existed in Japan for many centuries and became the means by which many traditions of old Japanese knowledge were preserved, including such diverse fields as martial arts, flower arranging, theater, poetry, fine arts, sculpture and weaving. Although the concept of su-ha-ri was so successful that it survives to this day, new approaches to teaching and learning are now changing this old Japanese method of passing on knowledge. Whether the traditional arts of Japan and the purposes they serve will be successfully transmitted to the new generation depends entirely on modern teachers and their wisdom regarding the strengths and problems inherent in the concept of su-ha-ri. In this article I will discuss su-ha-ri and the unique applications of this concept to the proud tradition of the Takamura-ha school of martial arts of Shindo Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu.

Soden: entry level training.
Su(mastering kata)

Kata, or form, is the core of teaching in traditional Japanese knowledge schools. This is the most visual representation of the school's knowledge, embodied in seemingly simple concepts or sequences of movements. Since kata is quite easy to master, it is often mistakenly believed that kata is the most important aspect in determining a student's ability or level of advancement. In fact, if kata is taught correctly, then they do contain similar information in the form of ura, that is, in a hidden form, but this information lies deeper than the surface (omote) of ordinary observation.

If a student does not devote himself entirely to mastery of the omote level of kata, he is doomed to forever remain a beginner, unable to advance to the true depths of knowledge that are hidden from him in the form of ura. In order to truly experience su and master a kata, the student must subject himself and his ego to mastering a seemingly random set of exercises that are repeated over and over again. Very often this initial level - the soden level - is intended to challenge the student's ability to concentrate and his desire to learn. In addition, in some strict traditions the purpose of kata is to create physical discomfort. Overcoming physical discomfort in these types of kata is the first level of training to mentally concentrate exclusively on one task. As the student progresses in learning the various katas, he begins to encounter various manifestations of stressful situations or situations that try to distract his attention. As these challenges increase, the student learns to respond to information and stress in increasingly effective ways. After some time, neuromuscular reactions begin to occur on an intuitive level and are no longer controlled by the student at a conscious level. When this level of kata is mastered and performed satisfactorily, the student is considered to have reached the first level of training. In subsequent training, he will have to master more complex kata, which will become even more varied tests for him, but now the mental methodology of training will begin to work - and the first goal of kata training is considered achieved

Learning difficulties at the soden level.
At this level the kata can be learned independently. In the end, it is simply repetition of physical exercises that, by overcoming yourself and following instructions, allow you to gain personal experience. This may seem like an exaggeration, but anyone who knows the basic kata can take on students to train them at the first level of training. Some students are even able to reach this level with guidance, such as books. However, this approach puts the student in a dangerous situation, especially when mastering kata that must be performed in pairs. Great difficulties are caused by the lack of scrupulous attention of the teacher to the correct external form and proper timing. To put it simply, the teaching ability of low-level instructors suffers from the fact that their own training is itself quite mediocre. Because of this, they teach the wrong skills to their students and they have to relearn them later. This is not only potentially dangerous - it can discourage the student from learning altogether. Such training led to the fact that many excellent promising students, having received such experience, abandoned their studies and dropped out of training. Careful instruction, even at the most basic level of kata training, is absolutely essential. Basic skills are the core of the correct execution of all actions and should not be underestimated.

Chuden: intermediate level of training.
“Su” is amazing on a level.

At the wonderful level, learning kata includes a new element. This element is application, or bunkai. The student is shown the deeper reasons for the need to master the kata and the structure of the kata. The scenario in which the kata is performed is also studied and evaluated. However, this study and evaluation is limited to pure performance of the kata without any variations. Only through such a rigorous regimen of teaching a kata can its applicability be demonstrated to the student at a level that the student is capable of comprehending. In the process of teaching, the teacher helps the student begin to understand the essence of ura - those aspects that are hidden beneath the surface of the purely physical form. For some students this becomes a revelation, for others it was already obvious at some point. In either case, the teacher must accurately present the basic concepts at a more abstract level than before. This allows us to chart the path to the next concept of su-ha-ri.

Ha(departure from kata).

In the traditional Japanese concept, su-ha-ri ha is the first hint of allowing the student to be creative. This happens the first time he performs henka waza, or variations. These are called "deviations from an existing form within a form" or "orthodox variations that adhere to the rigid form of the main kata." It is now that the student is directed to monitor any reaction to failure to perform the kata in its pure form. In this situation, particularly careful instruction is required from the teacher, since excessive deviation from the basic form will lead to sloppiness in the execution of the technique or even its complete distortion, and blind adherence to rigid boundaries can destroy the talent of intuitive understanding of what lies below the surface. The goal now is to stimulate this talent, but this experience of creativity must be carefully regulated by the boundaries of the main kata. A kata must remain recognizable as a kata. If a kata deviates too much from the standard, it ceases to be related to the original one and becomes a different expression of the technique. At this level of training it is essential to avoid such deviations.

Ha, that's amazing.

When a student discovers the boundaries within a major kata, he begins to see that his learning opportunities are virtually endless. His skills are now increasing in leaps and bounds, something he had not experienced in the past. At this stage, the best students demonstrate their potential for the first time. The concepts and forms of ryu are combined in a way that stimulates the student's mind. He now appreciates the kata more fully and understands the wisdom of the technique that lies within them. Therefore, many teachers believe that this period in the progress of students is the most fruitful, and the results of the teacher’s work are fully manifested.

Difficulties in learning at the wonderful level.

At this stage, one should firmly adhere to the root concepts of the tradition. Deviation from the concepts that define the art allows the student to progress in directions not intended by the founder of the art. In order for the ryu to continue to maintain its identity and its core, it must stay strictly within the boundaries of the kata. Exceeding certain limits at this stage can be disastrous for the student, and the possibility of achieving his highest potential can be compromised. At this stage of teaching, teachers often fall into the trap of moving away from rigid structures. They misjudge the student's progress and believe that their level of understanding is much higher than what is actually achieved. At this intermediate stage of training, the student's intelligence and technical skills must be constantly tested. Sometimes overzealous students try to go too far, too fast. This tendency must be avoided or it will hinder further advancement and learning.

Joden: advanced level of training.
Ri(refusal of kata)

Some students of modern martial arts feel that kata and su-ha-ri are too restrictive and old-fashioned. In fact, this position is flawed because it misinterprets the purpose of the kata. Like many armchair specialists, such people have not received proper training in kata beyond the joden level and make judgments about things that they lack the qualifications to understand. Like many observers who do not have the experience of truly in-depth study, they view kata as an art in itself, rather than as a complex teaching tool that lies merely on the surface of the very core concepts of the art being studied. Kata “is” art - in a flawed interpretation. This is the same as thinking that a dictionary gives a complete picture of a language. Unfortunately, many of the older martial arts traditions in Japan unwittingly contribute to this distorted understanding by overemphasizing the role of kata. Very often in such schools, important root elements and knowledge were lost in ancient times, and what remains is omote, or the upper shell of the kata. Since such schools have nothing left except kata, they often bury their mokuroku (technical arsenal) a second time, presenting kata as the primary driving force of ryu. When this happens, the school inevitably degenerates into a state of simplified dance in which ura and kata applications become secondary goals. These traditions are completely dead. They resemble skeletons that try to pretend that they are the whole person.

"Ri" - what is it?

It is difficult to explain what ri is, since it is not studied as much as people come to it. This is the kind of performance that simply comes after the levels of su and ha have become an integral part of the one who worked them. This is the mastery of kata to such an extent that the outer shell of the kata ceases to exist. All that remains is the underlying truth. This is the form in which the form is not conscious. This is an intuitive execution of the technique, as effective as the form before it, but completely spontaneous. A technique that is freed from the limitations that result from the process of conscious comprehension truly becomes a vase of meditation in motion. For one who has achieved ri, observation becomes his own expression of reality. The mind becomes capable of operating at a much higher level than was previously possible. To the casual observer, it appears that the one performing the technique is almost clairvoyant, able to anticipate events and forestall attacks before they even occur. In reality, the observer is confused by the inertia of his own thinking. When the level of ri is reached, the time between observation and the corresponding reaction is reduced so much that it is practically not perceived. This is "ki". This is "mushin". This is "yu". It's all of this together. This is a manifestation of the highest level of military skill. This is what we call "wa" in Takamura Ryu.

The level of technical performance inherent in ri is beyond the capabilities of many students of the art. Most people are simply not capable of achieving this, this advanced level of expression of the school's capabilities. However, often those who never reach this level of technical mastery become excellent teachers, able to take a student to the edge of mastery even if they themselves cannot make the leap to intuitive performance - ri. Some observers are reluctant to acknowledge this restriction, which prevents everyone from entering the elite. This kind of thinking seems strange to me. I would like to remind such observers that not all human beings have the innate ability to achieve mastery in their chosen field. As human beings, we are all endowed with certain talents and shortcomings. It is these individual abilities and shortcomings that make us humans different and unique creatures. To try to deny this truth is to try to deny the existence of that which constitutes our individuality. With this in mind, it is necessary to be humble and remember that achieving mastery in one area does not guarantee having even an average level of ability in another. Likewise, mastery of technical performance does not always guarantee mastery of teaching.

Difficulties in learning at joden level and above.

When a student has consistently mastered the level of ri, he has mastered all the technical knowledge that the sensei can teach him directly. The process of mentoring and teaching must now change. The teacher must also allow the nature of the connection between himself and the student to change. From this point on, the student fully carries the traditions of the school and is bound by a keppon (blood oath), which means control of his ego and recognition by the student of the fact that without his teacher and his school he would never be able to realize his potential as a student. He must firmly know that all that he possesses is due to the devotion of his teacher to his work of teaching, as his teacher, in turn, owes to his teacher. His behavior should reflect that he is forever indebted to his school and should always be modest in the presence of the teacher. Likewise, the teacher must allow the student to exercise independence and be able to express himself in ways that he was not previously allowed. More like a leader and a person showing the way, a teacher with a joyful heart should stand next to his student. He too must be humble and aware of his responsibility to the school and continue to live up to the principles and standards he taught to his student. His learning task is completed. Now he is not a father, but a grandfather.

Unfortunately, it is precisely at this time - the time when a school needs a teacher most - that many fail to cope with their task. Instead of demonstrating self-confidence and pride in the accomplishments of their students, they fall prey to vanity and lack of spirit. This is because they assume that this is the end of the respect that the disciples had for them - an end that in reality does not exist. Often this problem manifests itself in the fact that the teacher tries to restore such a connection between the teacher and the student, which does not allow the student to realize his mature leadership position within the school. Some teachers perceive deviations from their own path as students rejecting what they have been taught. Although in order for a student to achieve a higher level of self-expression within the school, some knowledge does have to be rejected. Some teachers are reluctant to acknowledge that deviations from their teaching at this level are actually a manifestation of the student's individuality, maturity and confidence. This confidence - and this must not be forgotten - was conveyed to the student by the teacher as part of the agreement between student and teacher. The teacher must remember his responsibilities and treat the student as a member of the school. He must humble his heart and remember the time when he himself was a disciple. He must do this in order to continue to be an effective leader on the Path.

Conclusion: white becomes black and then white again.
This is a call to every member of the school to know their responsibilities and regularly look into the mirror of the kamidan (home altar) - into the mirror that reflects the pure truth. And humbly ask the kami to help him look into his own heart and its motives critically, to hear the quiet voice that can become a harbinger of vanity and the search for profit. Only through the path of truth can teacher and student go through the process of su-ha-ri, fulfill their duties responsibly and pass on knowledge and wisdom to the followers of the school.

Features of traditional training

In traditional bu-jutsu training there are three levels called Soo Ha Ri .

In Japan, the concept of "Su Ha Ri" is used not only to describe the overall evolutionary progress towards the study of martial arts, but also as the entire life cycle of the student-teacher relationship.

"Su"- hieroglyph "to protect, to protect" implies strict adherence to tradition, exact reproduction of the taught technique. This stage is often called the “collar” stage.

The hieroglyph "Su" has two meanings: "to protect, to guard." This double meaning describes the relationship between student and teacher in the early stages of martial arts training, which can be compared to the relationship between parents and their children. The student must absorb everything that his teacher shares with him, must strive for knowledge and be ready to accept any comments and constructive criticism. The teacher should look after the student in the sense of looking out for his interests, caring for him and encouraging his progress, much as a parent looks after his child while he is growing. "Su" emphasizes learning the fundamentals in an uncompromising manner, so that the student gains a strong foundation for subsequent stages of training, and that all students perform the technique in the same way, although personality traits, body structure, age and abilities vary.

"Ha"- hieroglyph "break, break, break a rule" implies complete adaptation in understanding the basic techniques, a transition to variable practice (henka), internal awareness of the most important components of the style (literally “a flash of consciousness or internal insight”)

“Ha” is another concept with a corresponding double meaning - “to break, break, break a rule.” Having gone through a significant stage of training when the student comes to “inner insight,” he begins to free himself from the “collar” in two directions. In terms of technique, the student overcomes the fundamentals and begins to apply the principles acquired through the development of basic techniques in a new, more free and creative manner (Henka waza). The student's individuality begins to show in the way he performs the technique. At a deeper level, he also becomes liberated from blindly following the teacher’s instructions, he begins to reflect (doubt, ask questions) and discover new things more through his own experience. This stage can be frustrating for the teacher, as the student's own path of discovery leads to countless questions that begin with the words "Why...". At the Ha level, the relationship between teacher and student resembles the relationship between a parent and his adult child; the teacher is a master of the art, and the student can now become an instructor for others.

"Ri“- the hieroglyph “to separate, release” implies independence and freedom when, having received knowledge, you move away from it on the basis of what you have comprehended yourself, through the unity of Shin (kokoro) - spirit, Gi (waza) - technology and Tai - body.

"Ri" is the stage at which the student, now of high rank, moves away from his mentor, having absorbed everything that could be received from him, but this does not mean that there is no longer a connection between the student and the teacher. In fact, everything should be just the opposite, the bond between them should be stronger than ever, almost like between a parent and his adult son or daughter, who now have children of their own.

Although the student is now completely independent, he retains the wisdom and patient guidance of his teacher, so that their relationship is enriched by the experiences they share. But now the student develops and learns more through his own exploration rather than through receiving instructions, and can give vent to his own creative impulses. The student's technique now bears the imprint of his individuality and character. "Ri" also has a double meaning, the second meaning being "to release". As the student strives for inner independence from the teacher, the mentor, in turn, must let the student go.

"Su", "Ha", "Ri" is not a linear progression. It's more like concentric circles, so "Su" is present in "Ha" and both are present in "Ri". Thus, the basics remain the same, only their application and the gentleness of their execution changes as the student progresses in his training and his personality begins to get a taste for the technique being performed. In a similar way, the student and the teacher are always connected by close relationships and knowledge, culture, experience and tradition.

Ideally, “Su”, “Ha”, “Ri” should be expressed in the fact that the student will surpass his mentor, both in knowledge and skill. This is the source of the development of art as such. If the student never surpasses his mentor, then the art will, at best, stagnate. If the student's ability never reaches the master's ability, the art will begin to fade. If the student can assimilate all that his mentor gives him, and then achieve an even higher level of skill, the art will increasingly improve and prosper.

In Ryu there is the following systematization for training: Shoden, Chuden, Joden, Okuden. However, passing the levels “Su”, “Ha”, “Ri” based on the technical techniques being studied depends only on you, and is not transmitted to you by others.

In ancient times, a Bujin (warrior) achieved the level of "Ri" in battles by risking his life.

Bujutsu is a technique of fighting for one's life.

Ryu is not a sport or a game in which there are rules and dangerous techniques are prohibited. It is not easy to restrain an attacker without causing him pain.

Do not slander others or feel contempt for them.

Eizan (mountain) is high, and Kamogawa (river) is respected, although it is lower.

Other Ryukha (ancient ryu) have their own individual, inherent qualities that have their own advantages. Thus, denigration of other schools is extreme rudeness, baseness and a manifestation of one’s own vanity and arrogance.

Trust is a source of strength and harmony. It is important to value honor, trusting your mentor, trusting yourself. Don't lose self-respect, don't break trust, don't let vanity develop into arrogance.

From Ryukh's training manual.

Technologies are fundamentally changing the global economy and penetrating many areas of business. Factory automation, big data and artificial intelligence are providing companies with impressive results. But today the speed of bringing a product to market is of great importance - it is important not only to come up with an idea, but also to implement it in a short time. Developers of products and services have to reckon with a changing environment: if a project takes a long time to complete, it may no longer be needed by the customer. Today, in many industries, spending a year or more to implement an idea is an unaffordable luxury.

The adaptive model, or agile, helps solve these problems (see article). She suggests that people need to be pulled out of isolated departments and into self-managing, customer-focused teams. The model was initially used in IT companies, and then in other industries, where market conditions or customer requirements may change during the process of creating a product and, accordingly, flexibility is required. The agile philosophy is expressed in four values ​​and twelve principles, which are outlined in the Agile Manifesto for Software Development.

In Russia, agile (in particular, the scrum methodology) began to be actively used 5-6 years ago. There are successful examples of implementation, and even more companies are at the beginning of the journey. But many are still wondering how best to move.

The traditional approach is to thoroughly prepare for the use of Scrum, invite consultants, and train staff through trainings. This is what Raiffeisenbank did, for example (as of September 1, 2017, it ranks 13th in Russia by assets). This is a costly path, but it provides the necessary basis for transformation. Another approach is when a company acts intuitively, but ultimately comes to the same organizational principles that were formulated by the authors of the adaptive model. This is the practice of the largest online retailer in Russia, Wildberries (the company’s turnover in 2016, according to Data Insight and Ruwards, amounted to 45.6 billion rubles). In both cases, you can get a tangible result. The main thing is that the changes are really ripe and top management becomes their driving force.

First experiments

The Raiffeisenbank team went through three stages of immersion in agile. It all started in 2012 as an experiment in the IT department. “Until now, programmers worked on a waterfall basis, but we wanted to speed up development. And they invited the author of the book “Kanban. “An alternative path to agile” by David Anderson,” says Sergei Shcherbinin, head of the department of strategic management, organization and control of IT at Raiffeisenbank. But the improvements were local: one development team began to work more predictably, and that’s all.

After some time, they decided to carry out the experiment at a new level - they hired consultants working according to the Scrum methodology, and then invited teams to join the project if they wished. At this stage, I had to break through the skepticism of the employees. “The developers are meticulous people, they wanted it to be proven to them with numbers that the new work system is more effective than the previous one,” recalls Shcherbinin. - But the trick is that no one can prove it mathematically. There are good cases, but other companies operate in different conditions. Conclusion - you have to try it for yourself.”

At that time, about 30 IT teams of the bank were engaged in product development, of which 7 were involved in the project. But the results were still not impressive. The team that developed the front office system (which employs bank employees in branches) was able to speed up the release process by about half. But the rest of the participants slipped into a cargo cult. “People just formally went to meetings. Developers did not understand or accept the idea of ​​agile. As well as business units,” says Sergey Shcherbinin.

However, the company saw that agile had a positive impact on employee engagement. Working according to the scrum method, people did not write better code, but they realized the goal - what and why they were doing. For example, the team that dealt with ruble payments realized that they were not just developing forms with fields, but were fulfilling certain requirements of the Central Bank. And that banks are fighting for the speed of payments, that is, the team’s work will help Raiffeisenbank overtake its competitors. This approach inspires more than just drawing shapes; people try to make fewer mistakes.

A new stage of agile implementation at Raiffeisenbank began in 2016. The board set a goal to significantly expand the customer base, and Chairman of the Board Sergei Monin proposed a solution - to become an agile organization. He was, in particular, inspired by the successes of Spotify and ING Bank, which the press wrote about. An agile organization can bring banking products to market faster, which is critical to building a competitive advantage. In addition, this will affect the growth of NPS (Net Promoter Score, consumer loyalty index), which reflects the quality of service.

This time, the bank decided that not only the IT department, but also business representatives would participate in the project. We selected five teams that were involved in card processing, mortgages and the bank website, and made them cross-functional - they also included product experts, designers, and marketers. For the first time, a product owner appeared in the teams - a customer from a business who is responsible for the profit and loss of the project.

According to the Scrum methodology, all team members should sit together. Some of the programmers are remote employees from Omsk, this did not concern them, but persuading the rest to change their workplace was not easy. Business representatives initially refused to leave their ninth floor and move to the developers on the fifth - they say, there are more offices upstairs and a better view from the window. But when the move took place, it was a real discovery for everyone that work issues could be resolved quickly, without tedious correspondence.

A new productivity record was set by the team that restarted the mortgage pipeline (IT technologies that ensure the bank issues mortgage loans) - it issued the first working product two months later. This is a significant achievement, because previously programmers on the same IT platform developed automotive and consumer pipelines, but the speed left much to be desired. They carried out the car loan project for two and a half years, but when the release was ready, a crisis occurred and the issuance of car loans had to be curtailed. And the consumer lending pipeline was prepared for a year and then thoroughly refined.

Now the implementation of agile at the bank is on the rise - at first, five more teams participating in the project were joined, and today there are 17 of them. They decided not to expand the list of participants for now, because it is necessary to seriously analyze the results of the work. Some teams have seriously increased the speed of bringing products to market (mortgage, website, ruble payments, etc.), but for some participants the speed of work has slowed down.

Understanding and Immersion

Analyzing the reasons for the failures of 2012-2015, Sergei Shcherbinin came to the conclusion that enthusiasm will not get you far: people needed to be thoroughly trained. He adopted the Japanese teaching principle of Shu Ha Ri. The “Xu” stage implies strict adherence to the rules; at the “Ha” stage it is already possible to deviate from the canons. Finally, at the Ri stage, the student becomes a master and can improvise. “Russian companies in 90% of cases start with “Ri” and try to come up with something of their own. We also immediately moved to the third stage, it was a mistake,” says Shcherbinin.

At first, the bank thought that it was enough to select 3-4 smart employees from each team, send them to study the Scrum methodology, and then they would be able to pass on the knowledge to their colleagues. But the approach didn't work. IT managers are not teachers and cannot explain things like professional trainers. And most importantly, information is distorted during transmission. It is much more useful to train the entire team, and from one provider, otherwise you will have to waste time agreeing on terms and concepts. In 2016, all project participants, including the board of Raiffeisenbank, went to study Scrum.

After switching to a new system, disappointment often arises - the quality and speed of work may drop as people leave their comfort zone. Introverted developers now have to interact with other people, and this unsettles them. Also, teams working according to the Scrum methodology plan their workload independently, but not everyone succeeds. At Raiffeisenbank, some teams set themselves too many tasks, but did not complete even half of them. “We need to treat this normally - teams will find their productivity in 3-4 months,” says Sergei Shcherbinin.

Finally, new dedicated roles appear on the team. Firstly, the Scrum Master (a kind of facilitator). Companies often assign product managers or team leaders to this role. But Raiffeisenbank understood: it is better if the Scrum master is not related to IT - he should show empathy, not leadership qualities, not lead, but give advice. It’s easier to find people from outside with a suitable psychotype and train them. As a result, psychology graduates were hired, and now the bank has almost 25 trained Scrum Masters.

Secondly, the teams now have a product owner who understands how to develop it. He does not set tasks, but sets priorities, and the team decides how best to complete the work. Essentially, this is an entrepreneur, but there are few such people, and you can’t hire them from the outside. The product owner should not delegate work to subordinates - as the experience of Raiffeisenbank has shown, this reduces the efficiency of development.

The bank's board discusses the progress of the project every two to three weeks, and there are already ideas on how to develop agile further. For example, in large companies a financial plan is usually adopted for a year. But it would be nice to make budgeting more flexible to adapt to changing conditions. This task will have to be solved in the next 3-5 years.

Natural selection

“We never turned to consultants or studied the agile methodology. But the format of work that we have come to is fully consistent with the agile manifesto,” says CIO of Wildberries Andrey Revyashko.

Until recently, the Wildberries IT department worked as a single window service - tasks that came from customers were put in a queue. 120 employees worked on the website, developed a mobile application, a CRM system, a supplier portal, etc. The flow of tasks increased, so someone’s interests inevitably suffered. There were several managers between the customer and the direct executors; it could take a month to clarify the technical specifications and correspondence. To smooth out conflicts, the company recruited analysts who understood business problems and could reformulate requirements for programmers. But a bottleneck effect arose and the process began to slow down even more.

Work was also hampered by “empty” tasks. Customers could give a task without really considering its prospects. As a result, as Andrey Revyashko says, if the project succeeded, the laurels went to the customer, and if not, the bumps fell on the programmers.

The finance department had conflicts with developers more often than others, and in 2015 they got together to sort things out. We decided that if financiers are not satisfied with the speed of completing tasks, let 10 1C programmers work directly under them. The programmers were not happy about this, and the manager had to convince everyone. But three people soon left.

After a few months, it became clear that the new format had caught on. Programmers communicated directly with the customer, and intermediate links in the form of project managers and analysts became unnecessary. The financiers listened to the programmers' recommendations and took full responsibility for the projects.

As a result, the company decided to reformat the IT department and transfer all software developers to specialized departments (call center, logistics service, supplier relations department, etc.). In fact, each business department received its own IT department, or IT special forces, as it was called in Wildberries. We had to part with the most quarrelsome programmers (seven people).

One of the new managers hired at Wildberries accidentally turned out to be a scrum specialist; he told his colleagues about the methodology, introduced them to some procedures, etc. In particular, the company began to use visualization of results. “In the center of our office there are two large monitors, which indicate the tasks of all departments - who is doing what, what has already been done, what has not yet been done,” says Andrey Revyashko. Today, 20 development teams are capable of solving about 1,500 tasks per month with a completion period of up to three days, as well as about 850 tasks with a completion period of up to 14 days.

Andrey Revyashko sees the following advantages in the new work system.

• “Empty” tasks have disappeared. If a new project doesn’t take off for some reason, no one shifts responsibility to anyone else.
• Mutual understanding has improved. After IT specialists were dispersed into different departments, people realized that they were working on the same team. Programmers no longer just do what they are told, but are responsible for part of the overall project and offer solutions themselves.
• The speed of development has noticeably increased. The implementation of projects that can bring additional profit is not delayed. “Pilots” launch quickly, and if the result is satisfactory, they modify it a little.
• There are practically no situations when programmers bring a product to the final stage, and then are ordered to redo everything. There have been such cases before, and they always demotivated employees.

Here is one example of accelerated development. Wildberries has several distribution centers in different cities, and the company has set a task: a client who visits the site needs to be shown an assortment that can be delivered to him the very next day from the nearest warehouse. The task is not easy, given the number of requests to the site, especially since it is necessary to coordinate the work of several data centers, calculate the balances in warehouses and resolve logistics issues. Businessmen and programmers sat at night. The pilot was made in a month, and then it took a month and a half to bring it to fruition.

Almost as quickly, the Wildberries website launched accepting online payments. Card systems have serious security requirements - the description takes up an entire Talmud. In addition, certification is paid, so it is important to pass the audit the first time. “We spent 2-3 months developing the payment gateway and received a certificate of conformity. In the previous format of work, everything would probably have dragged on for a year or more,” says Andrey Revyashko.

However, the new Wildberries system also has disadvantages.

• The number of developers increased from 120 to 200 people. True, the number of tasks has also increased as the business grows. The company had to recruit and train interns.

• It is important for IT professionals to communicate not only with the business, but also with each other, otherwise each team will reinvent the wheel. There were times when several departments tried to do the same functionality at the same time.

Despite the fact that Wildberries is quite happy with the new format of work for programmers, the company has opened a vacancy and is now looking for a professional who knows the Scrum methodology. It's time to learn agile in more depth.

Assessing the overall effect of the implementation of the adaptive model, we can conclude that the result cannot be directly assessed in money. The main benefits that a company can gain are speed of development, customer satisfaction and employee engagement.

Sukhari or Rusks(守破離) is a Japanese concept of teaching various techniques (usually martial arts). Includes 3 stages of training:

• Xiu- involves strict adherence to the rules and instructions of the teacher. The student’s task is to concentrate on the action and hone its execution. Through repeated repetition, he masters all the rules and techniques. When this happens, the Xiu level has been reached. Training moves to the next stage.
• Ha- at this stage the student stops blindly following all the rules. He thinks about his actions, changes the rules, tries to break them, builds a new system of his own rules. He also learns new techniques from other teachers.
• Ri- at this stage the task is to free yourself from the rules, to move into a new dimension (Tao), where there are no rules, but the natural course of things. When the body is finally freed from all rules, the Ri level is reached and the Shu phase begins in a new dimension.

There are three stages in any teaching.
- Non-critical. In order to assimilate any teaching at the level of knowledge, it is necessary to approach it uncritically, with complete trust. Become his sincere fan. Get the moral right to retell it. Anyone who skips the first stage becomes dropout. Anyone who gets stuck on it becomes zombie.
- Constructive-critical. In order to assimilate a teaching at the level of understanding, it is necessary to approach it constructively and critically with the desire to improve it, improve it, eliminate its internal contradictions and inconsistencies with the facts, and give it harmony and beauty. Anyone who skips this stage becomes defector, and the one who gets stuck on it - eternal student.
- Destructive-critical. In order to assimilate the teaching at the level of overcoming it, it is necessary to discover its limits, its limitations and inability for further development without radical restructuring. To destroy to the ground and identify suitable elements for building a different, more perfect teaching. Anyone who starts from this stage, skipping the first and second, becomes ignorant. Anyone who does not miss any of the three stages, who goes through them consistently and without guile, becomes successor.

And here's more on this topic in Hagakure, about the usefulness of a person at every stage.

“In a person’s life there are stages of comprehension of teaching. At the first stage, a person learns, but this does not lead to anything, and therefore he considers himself and others inexperienced. Such a person is useless. In the second stage he is also useless, but he is aware of his own imperfections and sees the imperfections of others. In the third stage, he is proud of his abilities, rejoices in the praise of other people, and regrets the shortcomings of his friends. Such a person can already be useful. At the highest stage, a person looks as if he knows nothing.”

These are the general steps. But there is also one more stage that is more important than all the others. At this stage, a person comprehends the infinity of improvement on the Path and never considers that he has arrived. He knows exactly his shortcomings and never thinks that he has succeeded. He is devoid of pride, and thanks to his humility he comprehends the Path to the end. Master Yagyu is said to have once remarked, “I don’t know how to defeat others; I know how to conquer myself."

Study hard all your life. Every day become more skilled than you were the day before, and the next day more skilled than you were today. Improvement has no end.

Four stages of learning: 1. Unconscious ignorance 2. Conscious ignorance 3. Conscious knowledge 4. Unconscious knowledge

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