Interview w Bruce Bookman

It's been a few years since I posted here but I thought some might find this of interest.

Recently I had a chance to sit down and chat with my friend Bruce Bookman (Aikido 6th dan and founder of Tenzan Aikido, BJJ black belt).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff8lwtH1Jck

Hope you like it!

I liked it.

I totally agree with his views on Aiki.

Particularly the part where it is not the same thing as fudoshin.

Cliff Judge wrote: I totally agree with his views on Aiki. Particularly the part where it is not the same thing as fudoshin.

He didn't really discuss fudoshin in much depth - but if you're referring to the e-Budo thread then I think that you're confused, nobody there said that Aiki was the same as fudoshin.

Best,

Chris

Of course he didn't discuss it in depth. It was entirely beside the point he was making.

I really liked this interview and hope I can be somewhere near where Bookman Sensei is when I am his age.

Cliff Judge wrote: Of course he didn't discuss it in depth. It was entirely beside the point he was making. I really liked this interview and hope I can be somewhere near where Bookman Sensei is when I am his age.

It was - and it shows that he has only a rudimentary understanding of the concept - if you take his statement at face value, it's hard to tell because he spent so little time at it. In any case, I'm still confused about your reference to Aiki.

Best,

Chris

Well I don't want both of us to be confused about a thing today, so luckily I already transcribed a great quote from the interview.

The thing about Aikido, is you get right on the center line, and you expose your heart. You become vulnerable. And at that moment, its very disarming. ..that type of sincerity, that attacker has to wait for a minute and go, 'uh, I don't know where to put this guy.' And that's the moment where there's the opening, for some kind of a resolution."

That just really resonates with me as the essence of Aiki. Just getting into the middle of it and being open, making a connection, and turning a conflict into a harmonious interaction.

It was really nice to hear from a teacher who practices BJJ and other stuff, and is known for his practical approach to Aikido, that the spirit is really the most important part of it.

Cliff Judge wrote: Well I don't want both of us to be confused about a thing today, so luckily I already transcribed a great quote from the interview. That just really resonates with me as the essence of Aiki. Just getting into the middle of it and being open, making a connection, and turning a conflict into a harmonious interaction. It was really nice to hear from a teacher who practices BJJ and other stuff, and is known for his practical approach to Aikido, that the spirit is really the most important part of it.

There's nothing wrong with the quote itself, but he doesn't say that it's Aiki and he doesn't really relate it to fudo-shin.

Best,

Chris

Christopher Li wrote: There's nothing wrong with the quote itself, but he doesn't say that it's Aiki and he doesn't really relate it to fudo-shin. Best, Chris

He in fact summarily waves away the idea that fudoshin has any relation to what he is talking about.

My quotes leads with "The thing about Aikido..." so to me, he is talking about Aiki.

Do you have any thoughts about the interview, Chris?

Cliff Judge wrote: He in fact summarily waves away the idea that fudoshin has any relation to what he is talking about. My quotes leads with "The thing about Aikido..." so to me, he is talking about Aiki. Do you have any thoughts about the interview, Chris?

Well, he's talking about sincerity and then he says that fudoshin doesn't have anything to do with that, he never mentions Aiki. Then he goes on to demonstrate that he doesn't really know much about the concept of fudoshin. Other than that it was fine, but I think that his knowledge of Morihei Ueshiba's deeper concepts (at least as briefly discussed here) are not very deep.

Again, I'm not sure why you think that means anything unless you're referring to the e-Budo thread (which also never equated fudoshin and Aiki).

Best,

Chris

Cool! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

I like this interview (which is aimed at students of BJJ, not aikido).

I like Bookman's answers, especially to why he has studied aikido for so long and to why he studies BJJ. His answers to both: "because I just love it," which is the best reason to study any martial art.

As to what Chris is talking about, Jake asked: "To put it in Japanese terms, are you talking about fudoshin, immovable mind, when someone's going to attack you, you're rock solid?" and Bookman answered "Not at all" and talked about how you must remain fluid. I had the feeling that Bookman was reacting, not to "fudoshin," but to "you're rock solid."

Dan Rubin wrote: As to what Chris is talking about, Jake asked: "To put it in Japanese terms, are you talking about fudoshin, immovable mind, when someone's going to attack you, you're rock solid?" and Bookman answered "Not at all" and talked about how you must remain fluid. I had the feeling that Bookman was reacting, not to "fudoshin," but to "you're rock solid."

That's quite possible - I'm just saying that in context with "fudoshin" it doesn't really make sense unless one is misunderstanding "fudoshin".

Best,

Chris

Enjoy it thoroughly. Thanks for the post.