List of posts

January 19, 2023

Vali, Sugreeva, Rama, Dropping out, Takagi Yoshin Ryu and Kyojaku jugo Arubekarazu

Remember that part of the Ramayana where Rama has to shoot Vali from hiding, while the latter duels Sugreeva? This sequence brings so many thoughts, what an incredible archer Rama should have been, to be able to shoot one of the duelists, while the duelists did not position themselves in any predictable manner! Or was…
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January 5, 2023

The Way of the Beginner

Happy New Year everyone! Considering it is the beginning of a new year, this topic seemed natural. 🙂 How often do martial artists with some experience have trouble training with beginners? Fairly often, I would think. This is especially true as you cannot hurt them initially. Add to this the fact that one is probably…
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December 22, 2022

The Ashta Siddhi and Budo

The Ashta Siddhi are regarded with great reverence in Hindu culture. “Ashta” means eight, “Siddhi” is an ability or skill, but could also be termed as a power. Siddhi is something that is achieved through Saadhana, which is thorough and sustained practice. Many of the great Gods and Goddesses from Hindu scripture and the epics…
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December 8, 2022

The Purpose of a Sword

A sword is a weapon. It is often said that, of all historical weapons, the sword is the only one which is specifically designed to be used only against other humans. All other weapons also double up as tools. A knife, an axe, a spear, a staff, bow and arrows, all of these are tools,…
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November 24, 2022

“Saino Tamashii Utsuwa” and Shekhar Gupta’s Bell Curve theory of insurgent violence in India

Shekhar Gupta (currently the Editor-in-Chief at “The Print”), a very experienced and eminent (according to most) journalist of India has a theory regarding the lifecycle of violence due to insurgencies. He calls it the “Bell Curve theory”. This theory of his is a part of the inspiration behind this article. Of course, as the title…
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November 10, 2022

Ahimsa and the Martial Arts – Part 3

Indian Independence & the Revolutionary Movement – The Gift of Ukemi Artwork by Shushma N In the previous two write-ups in this series I have opined that Ahimsa is about not letting the opponent realize that he/she/they are being countered and making them retreat or just give up the fight/aggression that was initiated by the…
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October 27, 2022

Ahimsa and the Martial Arts – Part 2

Ahimsa & Indian Independence – Through the Eyes of Budo I have opined in the previous part of this series, that Ahimsa is a martial arts concept where “one does not trouble the opponent”. It is a way of saying do not use force against an opponent. This is especially true if the opponent is…
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October 13, 2022

Ahimsa and the Martial Arts – Part 1

AHIMSA – THE MARTIAL WAY This article will attempt to expound on why Ahimsa can be truly understood with the practice of the martial arts, specifically armed combat. It will attempt to analyze why Ahimsa has nothing to do with either a lack of violence or a lack of fighting (combat). This article will in…
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September 29, 2022

Expression through obstacles – An exploration of the “ART” in the Martial Arts

The martial arts are a passion for many. This passion is expressed in a multitude of ways; combat sports, gymnastics, dance & choreographed performances, weight training, obstacle races, through movies, TV & YouTube (watching, making videos), through books (reading, writing, fan fiction, narration), through video games, study of history, craftsmanship (smithy, engineering, cosplay) and of…
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