COVID-19: Dojo Closed - Update
This week (April 30, 2020), Ohio announced its "Responsible Restart" Plan to begin reopening select businesses while maintaining isolation practices (social separation, facemasks, etc.) because of COVID-19. Unfortunately martial arts schools and gyms are not included in this phase of re-openings. The Dayton Bujinkan Dojo must remain closed until this changes.
Rest assured, when we receive official news from the State of Ohio and verification from the insurance company, we will reopen.
This can be frustrating. But we can find inspiration from a common Budo phrase: "nana korobi, ya oki." (七転び八起き) "Fall seven times, get up eight times."
Here's a photo from the 2013 Masaaki Hatsumi: Dojo Art book where Soke has drawn this expression for us. Next to his calligraphy, look at what Soke is doing to his uke in the picture. Some of us were there when these photos were taken. Soke was brutal. The opponent's yoroi (armor) meant nothing to him. The uke's head was nearly crushed. But at the end of it, the uke got back up. His fortitude was inspiring. A great example of 'nana korobi, ya oki'.
It may feel like we are still falling right now because of COVID-19, politics, economics, etc. And we probably still are. But we know what this feels like from our own training. At some point we will finish falling, dust ourselves off, and get back up. And from it we will (hopefully) have learned something new.
So for now, recognize the pattern and know that we will get back up and be training again soon.
Until then, keep practicing your San Shin no Kata...
