In Mugai-ryū, “The Tradition of the Millipede” is an ancient catalogue of 40 indispensable recommendations of how to practice the swordmanship of this style. Below in the graphic is #1.
Another and better translation is
“In practice your heart and spirit should best be like a clear, pure spring water at its source, slim and straight, bubbly, in constant flow.”
Hamamoto Sensei explained that it is important to train every day, even if it is only 20 minutes. This is better than training once a week for 2 hours.
Even if it is only a narrow trickle, it flows steadily. Perhaps it may best be compared to a mountain stream that eventually thunders down, even if it starts at the source as a small clear and clean something. Other spring waters join in one by one ( = practice experience) and on their journey become a roaring, thundering river.
Can you push a river faster forward?
© 2015, Andreas Quast. All rights reserved.