Iaido, an art of mind (by Jacques MARTIANO)

The following assertion is the very essence of Budo: «Budo starts with the Rei Gi and ends with the Rei Gi ».

How many times have I observed students who bow at the beginning of a lesson even though they have arrived late, or have missed the previous lesson, or with a dirty training kit etc…, without having apologised first to their teacher.
An attitude like this takes away the meaning of the Rei, or even conversely makes it more of an insult than a token of politeness.
In traditional practice this does not exist, since it is the Sensei’s responsibility to educate the deshi in his understanding of the Rei Gi, and then to perfectly educate him about the details of an Elysium Rei (l'Élysée). I always say that the Rei is the first technique to be studied when taking up a martial art. And just like the other techniques, progress is never ending.
A Rei performed incorrectly shows a lot about how the student practices and about the way the teacher teaches.
In the Rei, each person must therefore consider it to be his primary responsibility to show all the respect that he holds for his Sensei, his Senpai and every person that has enabled him to be where he is.
I recall a text that Sensei IKEDA Shigeo liked to recite and that perfectly expresses how the heart and soul of the person bowing must be:

« Daily practise on the state of the mind, the conscience, positive energy and determination is expressed by five key works:

Firstly «Yes»: having a pure state of mind and way of being that is willing and available for immediate action.
Firstly «Sorry»: having a state of mind and way of being that are ready to shamelessly recognise mistakes and apologise for them.
Firstly «Thanks to you»: having a state of mind and way of being whose modesty expresses gratitude towards others without whom we do not exist.
Firstly «I will do it»: having a state of mind and way of being that enables sacrifice and service to others.
Firstly «Thank you»: having a state of mind and way of being that enables gratitude and thanks»

Today, many sports are taught to a group, as if it were possible to transmit essential issues to the multiple components that make up a group, considered in a way as if it were a unique individual. In this way we favour moderate and purely technical attainment for all, to these sports from which the very aspects that made it interesting have been removed. This type of practice is also justified by its sought-after financial return. The student who receives this education merely receives a watered down part of it. The consequence of this type of practice is a high turn-over of students experienced by teachers who adopt this type of teaching. This is generally of no consequence since the student himself is after appearances, and spends much of his time shopping in multi-sport supermarkets available to the general public as long as you have the adequate funds.

Genuine transmission cannot be done like this. Only corrections given individually and adapted to each person can produce the expected results. Each individual is different, and the route to reach the summit must be chosen carefully at each stage of his progression. In this way, when the decision has been made to travel the road together, nobody is abandoned on the side.

The only thing expected of him in return and laid down in the «moral membership contract» is the commitment to progressing technically, morally and culturally, so that when the time is right, he may one day and under the same conditions transmit the education that he has received.

As is said in Japan, "When a Sensei has found his Deshi, he should thank the gods each day of his life".