ANN ARBOR, Mich. - iSportsWire -- Have you ever tried Japanese calligraphy?

Did you know that practicing calligraphy can actually help with your martial arts?

Even in Japan, few fully grasp the connection between budo and shodo or how Japanese brush writing can be used as an exceptionally effective form of supplemental training for the budoka. This holds true despite the fact that many past masters of the martial arts were also masters of shodo. Well-known martial artists such as Miyamoto Musashi; aikido's founder, Ueshiba Morihei Sensei; judo's founder, Kano Jigoro Sensei; and Muto Ryu kenjutsu's founder, Yamaoka Tesshu Sensei are all held in equally high regard as calligraphers.

Like budo, shodo is ultimately a means of cultivating the personality by developing positive subconscious habits. Martial arts author Michel Random wrote, "It is said that internal serenity drives the brush. The brush in effect interprets the deepest part of the subconscious. The 'wisdom of the eye' is what relates the characters to each other as though assembling the movable and the immutable, the ego to the 10,000 things in the universe, the present to the timeless."

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A PERFECT UNION OF MIND AND BODY

Shodo requires a balanced use of the mind and body as well as a state of mental and physical integration. As many novices in the martial arts have discovered, it's sometimes difficult to make the mind and body work as a unit. To simply paint a straight line can be a surprising challenge, one that can be accomplished only through a coordination of one's faculties. In Japanese painting and calligraphy, a strongly concentrated mind must control the brush, and a relaxed body must allow the brush to act as an exact reflection of the mind's movement. Shodo, just as much as budo, demands this coordination.

Read the full article on SMAA's website: https://www.smaa-hq.com/articles/article/budo-a...

Interested in Training with an International Martial Arts Association?

As part of the Shudokan Martial Arts Association, you can learn karate, aikido, iaido, judo, and jujutsu. If you're ready to shine in your art at an international martial arts association, call (734) 720-0330 or submit a contact form here: https://www.smaa-hq.com/contact

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About Shudokan Martial Arts Association: SMAA was founded in January 1994 by a group of martial artists concerned with promoting and safeguarding Nihon budo and koryu bujutsu—the traditional martial arts and ways of Japan. SMAA is a non-profit that aims keep the spirit of traditional budo alive in the West. Anyone can become a member, even if you aren't a martial artist, and SMAA members are from multiple countries across the globe. For more information, visit https://www.smaa-hq.com/about