Mokuso

[Catch 22]

What is the purpose of mokuso?

[Neil Gendzwill]

To make a transition from your everyday mind to your kendo mind. And to make your feet hurt.

[Phlebas]

" And to make your feet hurt." - Neil Gendzwill

heh heh heh... so that's what it's for. Now I _know_ I'm doing it right. :)

[mingshi]

Hmmmm I just wonder how long is the Mokuso period in other people's Dojo?

My own Dojo has it for quite long (which i sometimes find myself fallen asleep when the Senpai says "Mokuso Yame" :p). But when I visit other Dojo... They stop when I try to take my third breath...

So what is the norm? (Is there one and does that matter?)

[Inouye02]

about a minute, if you fell asleep in our dojo you feel a shinai on top of that atama breaking the chawan ..

[kendomushi]

We normally do this at the beginning and end of practice, so it is not only a transition to the state you want to be in for kendo but also from that state to reflection on practice and out to the real world again. Though I've been in a few dojo where they only do it at the end of keiko. In both cases it lasts about a minute.
I have one sensei who is very particular that you do not close your eyes, they are open just a hair and focused on a spot about 1 meter in front of you. He actually sometimes has walked around to check people and popped them with a shinai or pushed them over if they were did not see him there.
How about the rest of you?

[JSchmidt]

I usually use it to focus on the one or two things I want to work on that practice and as Neil said, transition from 'normal' life to kendo.
Currently got a minor knee problem that only shows up in seiza, so in the moment, I just want it to be over with ASAP!

Jakob

[Old Warrior]

In our dojang we only do "muk sang" at the end of class. The Master took the time on the first day to tell me how to breath (in through the nose out throught the mouth with the tongue on the roof). Actually, I try and think about nothing and just get my body relaxed. It's usually working overtime trying to cool me down after the head gear is removed. I do get one break for my advanced years - my knees can't take seiza, at all. So, I find the couple of minutes of meditation very relaxing.

[William Honda]

Catch 22,

Mokuso for me is to focus on breathing. Slow the heart rate down. As Kendomushi pointed out keep eyes open and looking (but semi seeing) 3 feet out. It usually is too short for my tastes.

I once sat for approximately 45 minutes in a modified lotus position, got into a "zone" and it felt like 5 minutes. I still "saw" - was still aware, but it was almost like being out of body. Obviously it was not in Kendo or my legs would have fallen off.

Good luck. I guess it is different for different people. Don't fall asleep!

[William Honda]

Also is a good time to work on ki. Pushing down on the hara - breath control.

[Kiki]

Ours lasts about 1 minute. There a couple of seniors who make it even shorter and one who makes it a lot longer. I never knew about the eyes being partially open.

I think about my breath and imagine a straight swing with each breath. Sometimes I focus on what I want to improve. Or both, if mokuso is long enough.

Our sensei do not walk around but I think they are starting to now that we have a lot of little kids. Some of them are pretty ill-mannered and think mokuso it time to jab their neighbors.
WHACK!

[Inouye02]

mr honda , I see you are feeling better today then last night, hope the room wasnt spinning when you went to sleep...hahahahahha

[iwatekenshi]

We close our eyes just a bit and focus on one point in front of you.

Kids jabbing away during mokuso? Typical American kids it only makes sense to put them in line. Japanese and American cultural differences are just amazing.

At a recent national seminar I went to, it seems like the going thought for mokuso is not saying "mokuso" but saying "seiza" to start meditation. All of the big godokeikokais including the All-Kanto Godokeikokai (Hachidan Hodai Madness!) start it that way. So things have changed a bit. Or local dojo has gone in that direction as well. I personally like saying mokuso, but oh well...No big freak'n deal.

[blur]

About a minute at the beginning and end of each practice.

I've always had my eyes completely shut, though :confused:

[JSchmidt]

"Kids jabbing away during mokuso? Typical American kids it only makes sense to put them in line."

Bah, I've seen Japanese kids do exactly the same.

Jakob

[Catch 22]

This is really great I did not want to ask because the question seemed stupid. but I can ask here without any reservations.

Thanks, I do not get it 100% but reading your posts helps. I must think about the kendo mind and the hara (Japanese English dictionary in order).

More stupid questions will be coming I’m sure. Bear with me.:)

[kendomushi]

Catch 22,

Specifically look for the ZNKR Japanese/English dictionary.
They have it listed on their web site.
http://www.kendo.or.jp/

[dorkusxmaximus]

I like mokuso because it helps me relax, but I dislike it how the sempais at my dojo makes us all do it for about a few seconds (that's not enough time to help a person relax). All I ask is for 3 good breaths, dabnabit.

[etherknot]

I like to think of mokuso as a chance to just drop everything that's been going on in your day and get everybody on a level playing field mentally.

I have noticed a length difference too. I am curious to know if any of you feel more relaxed and perform better when you have a longer moksuso period as opposed to the quickiemokuso ?


This weekend was lovely. I did open my eyes just a little bit. I was sitting directly across from an open door where a warm breeze came through but it looked interesting. The frame of the door was darker and the bright sun on the other side coming through and illuminating the door and the floor. Ahhh. Hard to explain but it was very relaxing :)

[Hyaku]

Originally posted by Catch 22
What is the purpose of mokuso?

Hello Catch

Mokuso is not a Kendo thing. Its done at school too. A short interval of meditation/contemplation to put your mind at peace for the task ahead.

Perhaps what is different is the fact that in Budo we do Mokuso after renshu too. To contemplate leaving our practice in the dojo.

Hyaku