O'Sensei Ngo Dong, Cuong Nhu Founder. Saginaw 1991 (Part 1)

O'Sensei's introductory comments on the higher purposes of martial arts training, as well as testing instruction on use of one's hips and center both in martial arts and also in meditation. The video and especially audio quality are poor, but we are very lucky to have these moments of O'Sensei captured. Below, I have tried to render as accurately as possible a transcription of his words that day.

Video by Sensei Trish Kosholleck
From September 6th, 1991, Saginaw Michigan.

Transcript:

“We see each other maybe once, or at most, twice a year. And I know that in isolation, some places, like various parts of Michigan, then somehow you have kind of a handicap because of less exposure, with other big, large cities and schools, and I understand that the most important is spirit. Techniques is not as important as spirit.

“From the spirit is the light to guide you in the darkness. And therefore, if you don’t have the light to guide you in your way of teaching, in your way of sharing your knowledge with people, all techniques doesn’t count [for] anything. It’s like you have all kinds of weapons but you don’t know how to use what you could use – it’s useless.

“Because most important is your set[ting] a good example in sharing with your students, have a good attitude, have the right perspective on how to use martial arts, to guide all of us, you and your students, to have a good life, and lead the fullest life, it’s most important. As a fighter, as a teacher, as a leader – we lead ourselves by good example; that’s very important.
“As we need a lot of heart, guts, and a lot of light in your mind, in your thinking, in your way of feeling. What I want you to do is show your information, your power, mental power, physical power, exude through your kata, or all your behavior, your conduct, throughout all Cuong Nhu you grow from.”

[Transition - comments after watching Sensei Terry Keller perform Kanku Dai]

“Slow down. Ok, now I need you to do...when punching, blocking, use full body, hips. And the kick, you can kick higher – let’s see side kick. Side Kick. Yeah! Stronger, faster, Hei! Yeah. More hips! Side kick. Yeah! Left! Yeah.Thrust more, kick. Hei! Yeah! Do almost like back kick! Hei! Yeah! Front kick. Hei! Yeah, higher! Go! Yeah! Hei! Middle! That’s what I want you to do. Perform your best. See? Do what is going to maximize yourself! Punching, blocking, whole hips! Feel the hips! Hit with the hips! Punch with the hips. Block with the hips. With boom! Then feel the whole body. This generates the ki. Everything hits, boom! See, you’re nailed - to the floor. Everything feels the hips when that hits. Balanced at the top, flow to...nail this one, this stance, nailed to the floor, and huh! Punch with the whole hips here. That’s what I want you to do the second time. Feel the hips. Do everything with the hips, and...meditate with the hips also! Punch with the hips! Block with the hips, kick with the hips! Meditate with hips.
“Have I told you why to meditate with the hips? No? Okay, why? Really, you don’t meditate with your mind, your brain?”

[A student replies: “Because when you use your hips, you have more power.”]

“Okay, that’s about physically. But I said meditation with the hips; it means you center at the hara. Meditate...if you meditate with your mind, you will be very biased. In the way of thinking because of your social background, educational background, religious background. Everything you see, [is] what you get used to. So that your adjustment for...for the blind person...is something that you already have some way of thinking [about]. And therefore, your hips, your hara, here. When you meditate here, you forget yourself. You are egoless, you are selfless, and from there you will be like a...this one I have to tell you, that a meditation is what?

“A soul searching. Understand: who are you? What are you? Really, you mess up because you don’t know who you really are.

“For example, you’re talking about...now I want to...to have describe [a description of] the whole dojo here. This is a bias. I have a picture of you, take it, boom, here. Oh, this is bad. I don’t like it, this one. I’m biased right here, right? Over here this is [bad I don’t want to have it]...wrong! You have to take a picture of the truth of every piece of each here, all of everything in [the] boundary. I have a whole picture, and then I can have judgement about this room. Right?

“If you can see this one here, and oh, I say, okay, I’m having to go through some place. This one is work[ing] out very, very good; and this one here because of a lot of falling, or whatever every tiny thing is, you get [it] into the picture.

“And therefore, when I am no more myself, I have to first get the truth from the other. I blank out; no more of mind, here. No more me. Everything is blank.

“Get all the truth, one by one, and go and analyze.”