AMATSU TATARA HIBUN
text by Hatsumi Sensei:
Maybe one can call this natural medicine, where one cures the sick using the truhful healing ways of Amatsu Tatara Hibun, and the truths of the human body and the natural world known as Hichi Buku Goshinjutsu. They have been transmitted within the Bujinkan since ancient times. The people of antiquity and Bushi experienced this need for survival, and understoud the natural, truthful methods of healing written down as a legaly in the Amatsu Tatara Hibun, and methods such a those in the preface to Hichi Buku Goshinjutsu : "These are excellent techniques to activate the body in all areas as desired, in company with spiritual changes in the practitioner and without using any medicines or appliances; to make the elements spread, remove all pathogens, and quickly let them recover".
Once when I was chatting with Takamatsu Sensei, it must be all of thirty years ago, he talked about radiation : "They say radiation affects the bones. Vinegar is probably agood way to counteract this. It is said that vinegar cause radiation to disappear. Ninja often used " Tsune no Mizu", maked by boiling a cloth in Umezu [apricot vinegar], right? I feel radiation might disappear quite well with white Umezu"........
PHILOSOPHY
Within Amatsu medicine, there is the recognition of two minds, one conscious and one unconscious, but these two consciousness’ are believed to reside both in the brain and in the physical. Initially the concept of consciousness residing in the body is somewhat bewildering to the western mind, but on close examination evidence exists to support this historical view.
For example, observe a depressed person and you will see someone with their head down, tense shoulders, altered breathing and lethargic movements, which must affect the Hara (centre of balance) which is clear evidence of the correlation of the mind and body.
Equally, if you look up at the ceiling it is difficult to think sad thoughts or if you look down at the floor it is difficult to think happy thoughts - try it! In Amatsu medicine emotional balance is dependent upon the balance of the Godai, and the balance of the emotions can be elicited by observations of a person’s posture and by nutritional evaluation.Often, more often than not, when a person experiences a trauma, from any of the Godai, there is a slowing down of the senses. In this state, the Idio motor response steps in to give us a greater awareness at that/those crucial moments.
Often, more often than not, when a person experiences a trauma, from any of the Godai, there is a slowing down of the senses. In this state, the Idio motor response steps in to give us a greater awareness at that/those crucial moments.
This allows us to flow with the trauma or to intervene. In martial arts this greater awareness is termed a zero state and is commonly known as a void or trance-like state. Modern-day fighter pilots whom have experienced "dog-fights" recall after the event "I was thinking of nothing - the time just disappeared". Whilst we may experience the zero state whilst driving along the motorway only to find that we have covered many miles and yet feel unaware at the time of driving.
More commonly a person experiences this slowing down of feeling when it is connected with the illicitation with the fight or flight reflex mechanism. Thus in this state with adrenaline flowing in our muscles, combined with the shock element, we commonly spasm up. The internal behaviour response is one of patterning towards spasm in fear, with possible physical pain and an altered visual field of images preceding the pain If we recall the events, we illicit the same non-verbal actions and pain memory.
These altered manifestations of internal conduct result in the body-mind reactions which normally incorporate idio-motor behaviours control and body-mind integration. Thus we have a tendency to avoid the zero state. The (habit patterned) kinetics associated with this eidetic memory/imagery would be one of moving into flexion or extension of the primary respiratory mechanism (cranial) which with a shock element, could increase the respiratory phase.
This kinetic and physiological positioning would obviously leave bones and joints in poor positioning of balanced retension, which would result in injury or strain beyond the elastic barrier limits of the connected muscle groups. These different manifestations of internal conduct result in the body-mind being slowed. Internal body reactions normally co-ordinate with the idio-motor behaviour and body-mind integration and all of the other reflexes spontaneously.
This therefore leaves a memory imprint on the muscles, that remains partially held by the reflex of the muscle in trauma. From a point of zero, the Amatsu practitioner utilises the idio-motor behaviour (as in the martial arts) through a person’s kinetic behaviour, with tissue trust and support to re-connect the conscious mind outside of the trauma. This is achieved by using the reciprocal action of ligaments around a joint, to take the body into a direction of least resistance, by stacking the ligaments up.
In the adult the sacrum is firmly fixed in position in relationship to its weight-bearing surfaces in approximation with the two iliac bones. This weight-bearing pivot allows the respiratory movements of flexion and extension, where the apex of the sacrum moves caudel and anterior on inspiration, and cephalad and posterior on exhalation. The sacrum can become stresssed because of its position at the body’s centre of gravity by forces from many directions as the sacrum follows adaptively the head in its control of the spinal mechanics. The weight-bearing mechanism will try to adapt to any stresses on the respiratory boot mechanism and will even assume the burden of motion in an attempt to protect respiratory alignment.
If the stress is too great for this adaptive mechanism then the pivotal relationship between the ilium and sacrum will become compromised into lesion; this is commonly termed a side slip or tear separation of the sacro-iliac joint, which is a lesion of movement, not fixation. This condition then leads to poor shock absorption of the lumbar vertibrae (discs) with poor nourishment and the increase of toxic substances causing pathological changes. The Hara is the body’s centre of gravity and the sacred area through which all interchanges take place; only when the Hara is in balance can the rest of the body be balanced and in a harmonious interplay.
According the the "Law of the Flexible Rod", three curves are stronger than a straight line. "The resistance of a curved column is directly proportional to the square of the numbers of curvatures plus one." Therefore the spine with its curves is ten times stronger than a straight line. The spine is capable of side-bending, forward-bending, backward-bending and rotation. According to the laws governing flexible rods, "every side bend must cause an element of rotation and every rotation must cause an element of side bending".
GENEOLOGY
The Hi Chi Bu Ku Goshin Jutsu Ryu is the tradition of the secret flower opening school for defence of the spirit and the self . Central to this ryu/tradition is the ’Amatsu Tatara ’ which means ’sky harbour’ (divine residence/god’s port) of martial arts ,medicine ,philosophy , strategy and religion . The earliest records of this tradition existed some 2000 to 2500 years ago in central Japan . Around this period in Japanese history a group of Malays (tibetan , chinese border people ) fleeing from their country , arrived in Japan .
Initally they were suspected of being an invasion force and consequently were attacked by local military personnel . Fleeing through Japan they were eventually captured and tried for treason , through dialogue they later won a reprieve and were re settled in Japan.
This group of people brought with them customs ,practices , religion , martial skills ,writing and medical knowledge that were slowly integrated into Japanese society .As such , the Hi Chi Bu Ku Goshin Ryu could be said to have originated in Japan but from different people of different lands . The original scrolls are a mixture of what appears to be Sanskrit mixed with old Chinese/Japanese kana.
Borne of a need to survive injury even in ardous conditions or in times of conflict the practitioners of Hichi Bu Ku Goshin Jutsu found ways to adapt their knowledge of the bodies flow of ki. It allowed them to further their ability to work effectively and conquer supossedly great feats of strength and endurance whilst making the tasks look easy: In understanding the way a person moves , and ways of conserving energy and utilising natural human dynamics methods of leverage were employed for everyday tasks like farming and foraging at the same time carrying heavier loads for longer distances.
The mysteries of the world like the pyramids and mayan cities are now being unravelled as we search further into ourselves as an adaptive species more so than the suspicion of extra terrestrial involvement.Having unfertile un arable land to turn into farm land, and having to be prepared for possible defence of their meagre lands these people were knowledgible , flexible and fit so as to be able to be viewed as competent opponents.
Out of these skills and being versed in the ways of strategy some clans fine honed their skills and experience specifically for protective tasks.So contrary to popular hollywood belief the Ninja clans were a peaceful people who chose to live in harmony with nature and use natural defences to their advantage .
These times were also times of great change in Japan , many regions experienced wars between rival shoguns and sometimes clans were called on to protect themselves or others in other conflicts . Being respected as Knowledgible strategists and a martial people the myths proliferated due to lack of understanding .Over the last 700 yrs ,the Hi Chi Bu KU Goshin Jutsu Ryu , With it’s Amatsu Tatara , gave rise to many Martial traditions that still exist to this day .
These include the Kukishinden Ryu ,a bushi (warrior tradition) that still utilises large battlefield weapons, similar to the Chinese weapons .The Gikan Ryu , that utilises cross stepping and locking techniques similar to Chin Na , the Gyokku Ryu , which utilies Chinese postures and the Koto Ryu which also utilises cross stepping movements . These four traditions can be traced directly to Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi of Noda city Japan . Also the 34th Grandmaster of the Togakure ryu Ninjutsu .
Posts
