More on the secret 5 of Budo

We say that Budo (Martial Ways) begins and ends with Rei (Etiquette). Etiquette begins and ends with the bow (The physical bow shows respect and humbleness). The bow begins and ends from our core (tanden).

The Tanden is the center of our universe. If you measure from head to toe...left to right...front and back... there is an intersection in the center of your body. The Tanden hangs from this intersection like a tear drop. In most of us this intersection is around 3-5 finger widths below our navel and 3-4 finger widths inside us.

So the Tanden should be number one, shouldn't it? But it's not. For one, how do you find this elusive Tanden? If you rest yourself quiet still, the Tanden becomes quite clear; but most of us don't rest actually quiet and still, even though this is our natural state. (please don't confuse 'natural' with common or average). Natural is our state when fear and greed are released. So we need a method to help us return to 'natural', sitting quiet and still do this, but for many of us when we do not sit quiet and still; we need something to lead us there. Breathing and relaxing have always been used to lead us to the Tanden and our natural state of being.

The other reason the Tanden is not nunber one is that we can live without it. I'm not sure I'd want to, but many people do. What can lead us to naturalness and that we can live without? Air. We must breathe. If we don't breathe we will die.

The secret 5 of budo:
1) Kokyu - Breathe
2) Yurumeru - Relax...let it go...release
3) Tanden - Center
4) Hone - Bone
5) Hari - Stretch