Kime

[Brandon]

Great examples, gar0u. I also own a copy of Mr. Morgan's Living the Martial Way. It is an absolutely excellent book. I can't believe I forgot to check it (again) for thoughts on kime.

[gar0u]

Rereading my post, I thought of another example of kime.

The "Hagakure" states that a samurai should be so determined, that even in death, they can commit one final act.  (Typically cutting down their opponent.)

And one more, albeit Western example of kime.  I believe it's from a coaches half-time speech, but I don't know who it's attributed to.  But it boils down to both teams want to win.  But wanting to win isn't enough.  It takes practice, skill, and ability to win.  The winner is usually the team that is better prepared.  All things being equal, the greater desire will push that team to victory, but a strong desire to win is not enough.

Not sure that makes sense, it correlated in my mind, but it's a Western team attitude towards winning, and most of our martial arts are Eastern, individual, and more about not loosing than winning.    Maybe it will generate some discussion...

[gar0u]

Kime is "spiritual focus."

"Kime is the most important element in the development of kiai and aiki.  Literally it is "focused life force."

Kime has physical, mental, and spiritual connotations.

Kime directs the warrior's mind during conflict, giving a tactical edge over the less refined fighter.

Kime fuses the warrior's will, giving them the kokoro (heart) to achieve the impossible, in combat, and in life.

The starting point for developing kime is practicing physical applications, by applying three principles in your training: 1. focus your entire being on achieving the objective, 2. master the spirit shout, and 3. focus your spirit through your eyes."

All of this is gisted from "Living the Martial Way" which is an incredible book by Forrest E. Morgan.  My copy is literally falling apart.  I read it cover to cover every year, and often refer to it directly to answer specific questions.

I can't recommend it enough.  Truly a book that belongs on every martial artist's bookshelf, and between their ears!

[Brandon]

Anybody have a really good translation of "Kime" or a good way of explaining it? I found myself at a little bit of a loss explaining it tonight. I think I said something along the lines of "use the same focus, power, and speed as though you were really applying your techniques."