Haragei
Encyclopedia : H : HA : HAR : Haragei
| Haragei | |
|---|---|
| Japanese Name | |
| Japanese | 腹芸 |
| Kana spelling | Hiragana: はらげい Katakana: ハラゲイ |
| Kunrei-shiki | Haragei |
| Nihon-shiki | Haragei |
Haragei is sometimes called "emotional communication."
Matsumoto gives the following dictionary definition: 1) The verbal or physical action one employs to influence others by the potency of rich experience and boldness; 2) The act of dealing with people or situations through ritual formalities and accumulated experience.
Hara & Ki
The Bushi of Feudal Japan were trained and conditioned to weild their weapons with deadly accuracy and precision. They dedicated their lives to honing their skills with the sword. But the skills that manifest themselves on the exterior of a warrior, his techniques, were not the only skills that he sought to perfect. The greatest Sensei would have taught that "no method, whatever its apparent merit, had any real value unless it helped develop a man's character which would make him master of his weapon and thus truly powerful in its use." (Ratti & Westbrook, 376)
Many teachers adopted ancient theories of enlightenment. Concepts that were developed by those theories were accepted by and adapted to fit the particular requirements of the bujin. Two of these concepts became cornerstones of all teaching, from the most basic to the most advanced training in every form of bujutsu: the concept of the "Centre", Hara (often referred to as Tanden) and the concept of an internal flowing energy, Ki (from the Chinese, Qi).
Hara
Taken from Wiki Article for Tanden:
"Hara literally means simply "belly". In Chinese and Japanese tradition, the hara is considered the seat of one's spiritual energy (qi). A master of calligraphy, swordsmanship, tea ceremony, martial arts or the like is said to be "acting from the hara". Zen teachers often instruct their students to center their mind in their hara to anchor themselves, aiding the control of thoughts and emotions. Acting from the hara is related to the state of samadhi."
It is in the hara that the soul of a man resides, according to many eastern cultures.
Ki
Ki has been referred to by many as "intrinsic energy". It is an invisible energy force present inside the body. According to many Eastern cultures, ki is the life-energy, or "breath of life" that is found in all living organisms. Many martial arts focus on channelling one's ki to attack an opponent, or capturing an opponent's ki to redirect his attack, or to counter-attack.
Applications in Martial Arts
Haragei and the idea of centralization are viewed as extremely important in almost all martial arts. In Aikido, for example, large amounts of time are devoted to breathing techniques and physical exercises designed to strengthen the Hara, and keep an individual centralized, because with centralization comes the balance that is necessary to gain control over an opponent who is waivering.
References
"The Unspoken Way -- HARAGEI: Silence in Japanese Business and Society" by Michihiro Matsumoto, published by Kodansha. (ISBN 0870118897)
"Secrets of the Samurai: A Survey of the Martial Arts of feudal Japan" by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, published by Castle Books. (ISBN 0785810730)
"The Japanese Cult of Tranquility" by Karlfried Graf von Durckheim, published by Rider & Co., London
"The Fighting Spirit of Japan" by E.J. Harrison, published by Sterling Publishing Co., New York
"Zen and Japanese Culture" by Daisetz Suzuki, published by Pantheon Books, New York
External links
- [Haragei - The Sixth Sense] article from the Hawaii Reporter
- [Haragei] another article regarding the social communication aspect of haragei
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