This story was provided by BL in a recent comment. It’s a nice story that illustrates the importance of the mental aspect in IMA training. We should never let our physical training overshadow those other parts of training. Enjoy and thanks to BL.
The Assembly of the Cats
Once there was a sword master called Shoken, who lived in a house infested with a large rat. This rat was truly ferocious, and no matter how hard Shoken chased it with his bokuto he could not kill it.
Fortunately, one of Shoken’s neighbours was a cat breeder who specialised in training his cats to kill rats. Shoken asked if he might borrow a cat to catch the rat.
The cat trainer gave Shoken a viscous ginger alley cat, a real street fighter with sharp claws. But when the cat came to face the rat, the rat stood it’s ground and the cat was afraid. Shoken returned the cat to the cat master.
“Must be some rat,” said the breeder, and gave Shoken a lean black and white cat. “This cat has had years of training, and is highly skilled.” The second cat fought with the rat, but the rat was able to beat it easily.
Shoken went back to the cat breeder, and retuned with a jet black cat. The black cat had a very strong presence, projecting a quiet confidence. “This cat has mastered flawless technique, and has developed his mind through meditation. His zanshin is truly powerful. This cat will get the rat,” the master had said. But this cat also was defeated.
When Shoken returned to the cat master, the master said. “Very well, this time I will give you the master of the cats. This cat was old and grey, and did not look so impressive. Shoken took the cat home and brought it to face the rat.
The rat moved to attack the old cat, but the old cat sat quietly unconcerned. Suddenly the rat felt a slight tinge of fear. The rat hesitated, and suddenly the old cat reached out a claw and killed the rat with a single strike.
When Shoken brought the cat back to the breeder he asked him how it was that the old cat could kill the rat while the younger ones had such a hard time. “Come with me,” said the breeder, “I’m sure the cats will discuss this, and since cats know a great deal about martial arts I’m sure you will find their conversation interesting.” They listened in to the cats’ discussion.
The ginger cat stood up and said, “I am very tough.”
“Then why couldn’t you beat the rat? Because toughness is itself not enough. There will always be a tougher rat somewhere.” Said the old grey cat.
The black and white cat spoke. “I have had years of training and impeccable technique, why could I not beat the rat?” “Because, although your waza is brilliant, and although you have had many years in the dojo, this is not enough in a real fight.
“But I have perfected my body through training and my mind through meditation,” said the black cat, “I have flawless technique, and also have achieved enlightenment. Why did the rat defeat me?”
“Because, Kuroi-san, although your skill is indeed great, and you have both spiritual and physical power you are not without desire. When you faced the rat you had an object in your mind, you did not have mushin.
The rat sensed this, and his intuition was better than yours. Because you did not have mushin you were unable to harmonise your strength, your technique and you consciousness. I was able to use all these three elements naturally and unconsciously to defeat the rat. This is why I was successful.
“But I know of another cat, in a village not far from here. His fur is snow white with age, and he’s not very strong looking. He doesn’t eat meat, but lives on vegetables and rice gruel, although he is known to take a little sake occasionally.
He hasn’t caught a rat in years because the rats are all terrified of him! As soon as he walks into a house all the rats leave at once. Even in his sleep he chases away rats! We must all learn to be like him, beyond violence, beyond technique, beyond even the desire for skill.”
(Note that this is a variant on Neko no Myojutsu (The mysterious skill of the cat) written by Issai Chozan in 1727.
The original story focuses more on the mental and spiritual attributes of the ideal warrior. It has been translated into English By Karl Friday and can be found in Keiko Shokon (Dianne Skoss (ed.) Koryu Books, New Jersey 2002)
13 responses so far ↓
1 Ed // Jun 24, 2008 at 9:37 am
Interesting story (the original was slightly different, with more at the end (where Shoken asks the old cat about swordplay)). Apparently, “Neko no Myojutsu” was actually a secret manual (michuanshu) of the Ittoryu style of swordplay! Interesting format for that
2 Ed // Jun 24, 2008 at 9:40 am
(Also, the part where the final cat lived on vegetables, gruel, and sake seems to be a silly fantastical addition (unless they mean the salmon sake
).)
3 Dave Chesser // Jun 24, 2008 at 9:41 am
Ed,
I also see it as proof that the Japanese have some things to say about IMA training. We often ignore them but their writings and styles can inform our practices.
4 Meow // Jun 24, 2008 at 2:51 pm
i see it more as a story illustrating the necessity of all aspects in ones practice
5 Joseph T. Oliva Arriola // Jun 25, 2008 at 12:09 am
A lifetime
When a very famous author was in his twenties he took it upon himself to cross the seas on a cruise to Europe. He had the great fortune to encounter a publisher from a “big house”.
“Sir…what advice might you have for me. I hope to one day write the great american novel.
“Young man…my advice is that you wait until you are at least 45 before you write your book.
“That’s a long time to wait,” replied the young man.
“Well…by then you will have something significant to say.” replied the publisher.
Today, I seem to encounter more and more young people (and unfortunately older people who are influenced by “instant gratification”) that want to go to seminars where they will be given the “answers to everything”.
Perhaps, “sound bites” and “google bytes” are training us to believe that “knowledge is at our fingertips”. Perhaps, this is true. The transportation of data is now at lightening speed. But, there is no doubt in my mind that knowledge does not necessarily produce wisdom.
As such, I prefer the martial artist who intertwines his life experiences with his years on the mat. Anybody can get on the internet and parrot words such as “blending, koryu, internal energy, jin, jing etc etc. But, reciting definitions at lightening speed is a world away from the “utility” in actual combat (physical, intellectual and spiritual).
By the way the famous author took the advice of the well known publisher. The “old cats” are so cool they kill rats with/without the use of their claws.
Sincerely
JosephT. Oliva Arriola
6 Graham // Jun 25, 2008 at 7:29 pm
That was a very long and very dull story.
Can anyone tell me what the point was? (for the benefit of all the stupid people like myself, who may not get it
)
G
7 neijia // Jun 25, 2008 at 9:46 pm
take a little sake
8 Josealb // Jun 25, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Hey Joseph, you rang a bell with your comment regarding knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is just knowing, while wisdom is actually doing…so while knowledge can provide great insight on something, you have to actually do to really own the understanding of it.
I would turn down the sake…it will only make a blunt knife blunter.
BTW, very cool blog Dave.
9 Joseph T. Oliva Arriola // Jun 26, 2008 at 12:17 am
Josealb,
Fortunately, we have many more “lifetimes” to get it right.
But, when more of us start to see it in each other…just maybe…we might be learning something.
10 Yuri Snisarenko // Jun 26, 2008 at 1:38 pm
“Can anyone tell me what the point was?”
The point is probably that there is no any point in it :)))
11 Yuri Snisarenko // Jun 26, 2008 at 1:58 pm
In other words for the last cat it was beside the point how to catch rats… :)))
12 lzy // Jun 27, 2008 at 1:48 pm
i like this story. It should be scripted into Kungfu Panda.
13 graculus // Jun 27, 2008 at 4:11 pm
So what was the point?
My thoughts…
The original from which this version was derived is much clearer (translations vary, and though I haven’t read Friday’s, he is well respected in the world of traditional Japanese martial arts).
I have read it myself, in fact, (the Japanese is comparatively easy). It is clearly a teaching text (although I wasn’t aware it was connected with the Itto ryu), and the writer knew what he was talking about. The division in approaches of the three cats in the original is much more relevant to practitioners of internal martial arts, and even Graham might find it interesting. Rather than ‘tough’, ‘flawless technique’ etc. it deals with the shortcomings of (external?)technique and technique collectors; ki and aggressive intent; and yielding and blending…
Opposed to these, it illustrates the importance of the class of ‘techniques’ (for want of a better word) that go by various names such as mu-kei (shapeless), shin-po or nen-po (mental or para-psychological techniques). Of course, it doesn’t explain how to develop those techniques, but it does give an impressionistic view of what it is like to perform them. Someone who has been taught or practiced or got frustrated trying to learn these kinds of techniques will probably recognize them. Each different style would have had its own particular flavour, but there certainly seems to be a commonality across styles.
It also illustrates a difference in the Japanese and Chinese approaches to internal training - as I see it, the Chinese approach tends to be more ‘explained’…it builds up step by step; the Japanese approach is more intuitive - you get it, or you don’t.
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