Bun Bu Ichi

Bun Bu Ichi:

In the pure warrior the fine arts and the weapons arts are one and this concept is known as Bun, Bu Ichi. A warrior devoid of any social graces is not a pure warrior but a thug or barbarian. A socialite without martial abilities is either a dilettante, a sportsman, or a potential victim of the aforementioned thugs and barbarians. What about the person who seems to possess, at least superficially, all of these sporting, social, and martial attributes?

Let me give you an example. The other day at our first fencing class the instructor passed around his elegant Small Sword so that we could feel the balance, weight, and aliveness of a real fighting sword. When it found its way to the senior-most student, who has reputedly been trained by the best, she ran her fingers all up and down the blade and made a cute wincing gesture as she pointed out to the other students the obviously pointed tip. I was almost hoping for a Stephen King happening, where the sword would do something terribly diabolical, and that we would watch, in suitable horror, as the sword redressed this insult by severing multiple body parts or perform a grand disemboweling. Nothing personal mind you.

I thought to myself, "What’s wrong with this picture," although I said nothing about it. Several days later my daughter brought it up. She wondered why so many people who ought to know better still act like complete idiots around weapons. Sure it was "just" a small sword and we were in a class setting, not heures de combat, locked in a mortal struggle, but whatever happened to common sense, courtesy, and respect. I can only imagine the physical response a Japanese swordsman would offer if some idiot were to treat his katana in this way!

What made this little exhibition all the more disrespectful was that the instructor was at that moment trying to impress upon the group his feeling that swords are animate objects and possess a desire to join in the fray, to be used in combat or the duel. All I could think of was the movie a Knight’s Tale where the beautiful maiden refers to her knightly courtier as, "a boy on a horse with a stick." To which the indignant squire responds, "Hello, its called a lance!" I felt like telling this advanced student, "Hello, it’s a live blade." Therein is one of the main differences between warriors, socialites, and sporting people, knowing the difference between a piece of inanimate equipment and a "Live" object, and showing it the proper respect.

If a person in their fifties, a student of the sword arts, lacks this understanding, then how can we expect to find it or instill it in our youths? To this day I find it very difficult to abuse or disprespect a weapon, even a piece of junk, unless it is for a very good reason like destructive testing. Yet I have seen people take up a priceless knife or sword and treat it callously, indifferently, like it was a disposable commodity.