Insist on Going Beyond 'Shu'

Very recently I had read an excerpt of the Book "Judge's Eye View" in which senior iaido instructor, Ishido Shizufumi, illustrated that the function of the All Japan Federation's (AJKF) mission is to ensure the beginner and intermediate iaido student remain faithful to the 'shu' aspect of personal development. The iaido curriculum of the All Japan Kendo Federation, purposefully designed as a system of 'toho' or sword fundamentals, was meant to teach aspects of sword and body control so as to aid in developing solid understanding of the basics through a largely unchanging curriculum.

How then is the eager student expected to penetrate beyond 'shu', or first of three phases where the beginner and intermediate student strives to accurately replicate a static curriculum taught by their instructor -- to arrive at a point where the seeming material limitations in said curriculum becomes the catalyst for questions, experimentation and perhaps change?

While I believe the ability to do so exists in the AJKF's twelve forms, I am convinced that the greatest share of the conscientious student's conditions for progress beyond 'shu' may be found in the traditional forms of their respective koryu. To that end, the message I would like to communicate to an eager student is to make effort to fully understand their teacher's style of koryu, practice diligently, and aim to eventually develop one's own personal style based on their analysis of what they have learned.

In striving to do so, I do not find it unreasonable to say that this process of going beyond 'shu' should begin at yondan, start to take shape at godan and perhaps conclude at rokudan. Beyond rokudan, one's personal style should then continue to take shape and settle into both an internal and externally harmonious personal expression embodying one's full character.

(Michael will be competing in the 5-Dan division)