Shawn Havens has spent over 16 of his 32 years in the pursuit of martial arts knowledge. Now, you have to understand exactly what I mean by “pursuit”, especially in Mr. Havens’ case.

These days, the pursuit of martial arts knowledge for many means an hour of “Cardio-Karate” at the gym. Others take the extra step of trekking to the nearest Gimi Sum Do Training Hall/Gym/Juice Bar two or three hours out of the week in search of a workout, self-esteem (by way of a black belt guaranteed in 18 months: “Mark your calendars!”) and/or, regrettably, self-defense.

Even for people involved in the martial arts we (purport to) study, sometimes the pursuit causes them no greater effort than to put on their gi and black belt a few times a week, trot out the Shidoshi license they were granted years ago (which they haven’t felt the need to earn by training any time since), and instruct their students in their vision of the centuries-old martial arts they allege to have mastered in less than ten years.

For Mr. Havens, the pursuit of martial arts knowledge has meant sweat, self-sacrifice, and intense, consistent, constant study. As a teen, his pursuit took him across the country. As an adult, he has faced having to relearn many skills, unlearn many habits, and constantly reevaluate where he is and where he wants to go. Despite the turmoil that one would imagine having to start over might produce, he has demonstrated what “nin” actually means, and has gone on to become a very strong teacher and skilled practitioner. He is wholly committed to the Ryu-ha he is studying, and to the man who is willing to share with him everything he learned about those Ryu-ha in almost four decades of intense, consistent, daily study as Hatsumi-sensei’s most senior student: Lt. Col. Fumio Manaka, founder and Kancho (director) of the Jissen Kobudo Jinenkan. Unsui Sensei (as Mr. Manaka is also referred to) has awarded Mr. Havens the rank of sandan, as well as the honor and responsibility of being the first Jinenkan Dojo Cho in the world.

Mr. Havens is employed as a Paramedic by the Dayton Fire Department and heads the Jinenkan Dayton Dojo. He can be reached at WshawnH@aol.com; and jinenkan-dayton.com. The Jissen Kobudo Jinenkan Dojo Website can be found at: www.chiba-net.or.jp/~manaka/.

Training
Ura & Omote: Did you have any previous martial arts training experience when you began studying ninpo?
Shawn Havens: Yes, when I was about 11 or 12 I began taking Tae Kwon Do lessons in Florida. This lasted about one year.

U&O: What drew you to the martial arts?
SH: It’s hard to say specifically. I’ve always been interested in the martial arts and knew that it would be an important part of my life from a very young age. Maybe it was because I had two older brothers who smacked me around a lot.

U&O: How did you first hear about ninpo?
SH: I read an article in a martial arts magazine that was comparing styles, how each might handle the same situation. Then I purchased a book on Ninjutsu that was a combination of interviews with people who were claiming to be ninja in the US. It also had fictional stories about historic ninja and their deeds. After my interest was peaked, I began writing to Stephen K. Hayes about the possibility of training in Ohio.

U&O: How old were you when you began?
SH: I moved to Dayton as an emancipated minor to train in the late spring of 1982, when I was sixteen. It was just before Hatsumi Sensei’s first visit to the US.

U&O: What drew you to ninpo?
SH: Well to be honest, it just looked so cool. Climbing trees, stealth, fighting skills, swords... a teenager’s dream.

U&O: When you began training, what was your biggest obstacle?
SH: As for the actual study, just the fact that I didn’t know anything. I wanted to learn everything right away. I took time to find the right pace.

Seigi

Yuki

U&O: What is the most significant change you’ve noticed in yourself since beginning your study?
SH: I work everyday at applying seigi and yuki. “Seigi” means correct spirit and is often translated as “justice”. I think of it as having a just and righteous heart. “Yuki” means “bold spirit” and is often translated as “guts”. First I have to be thoughtful and wise to recognize what is right and fair. Then, I have to have the courage to do it. These are considered two of the primary traits of a Japanese martial artist.

U&O: Why did you choose to stick it out and continue training for as long as you have? What is it about your current training that keeps you going?
SH: I’ve never considered quitting. I enjoy it too much, especially now that I have such a wonderful teacher. My time training with him is always of benefit to me. I am well aware of how much I have yet to learn, and I trust him completely to teach me those things.

U&O: What do you find your biggest training obstacle is now?
SH: Having enough time to honor all the material Sensei is giving me to work on.

U&O: I understand that at some point you were accepted as a personal student by Manaka-sensei. When and how did this occur?
SH: I had, in my heart, been Unsui Sensei’s student for quite a long time, since around 1986. When I first saw him move I just knew that was it. His taijutsu was so clear, so clean. There is a beauty in the simplicity of his approach. To be good enough to accomplish safely in one movement what would take someone else three movements to do is a very high level of skill and takes a lot of practice. To make a technique look simple and easy when there are so many small things to be aware of and to do correctly is a true sign of mastery.

Anyway, when I first began patterning my training after him, he made it clear that he didn’t have a dojo or students. I accepted that I would have to be patient. He told me that someday he would retire and move to the U.S.. At that time, he said, he would probably have a dojo and students. I said to him that when that time came, I would be his first student.

In 1994 he came to my dojo to teach a seminar. I knew I would formally ask him to be my teacher at that time. I had all sorts of things in mind to say if he were to reply that it wasn’t time yet. When I asked, he simply said, “Of course.” I am very grateful for all the assistance and instruction he offers me.

U&O: Why did you choose to take that step?
SH: As I said, I had been doing everything I could to follow his lead for eight years by that time, so it was the natural next step for me. I had known for a long time that, if at all possible, it would eventually happen.

U&O: Are you able to go to Japan to train with Manaka-sensei often?
SH: Actually no. Sensei has been spending his vacation or holidays in the US every year since about 1986. There was only one time that I couldn’t train with him when he was in the States. In 1992, I was hired as a Paramedic by the Dayton Fire Department. I had no vacation accumulated and I was still on probation. I would have put my job at risk if I had attended his seminar. I almost went anyway.

U&O: Do you think it is important, for those who are able, to seek to train with Manaka-sensei?
SH: Of course, anyone that can live in Japan and study with him for an extended period of time should (in my opinion) do that. For myself, my time will come when he retires from the military and moves here. I will move to wherever he is and study under his guidance.

U&O: Will you maintain the Jinenkan Dayton Dojo?
SH: I have a strong group of students, several of whom will be able to maintain the Dojo, although it is possible that the location may change.

U&O: Do you have a daily training routine, i.e., techniques and/or skills you practice every day?
SH: If I am not at work, I try to get into the dojo for one or two hours. I practice some basic skills and currently I am concentrating on boujutsu. I can’t always make time to get into the dojo, so then I study Sensei’s articles and videotapes. If I am at work, I try to practice my awareness of potential dangers and modify my behavior to be both safe and to fulfill my obligation to my patients. This can be much more difficult than it sounds. I think people involved in EMS work or police work understand.

Mu

U&O: What’s the focus of your personal training right now? What are you working towards?
SH: Sensei has advised me to concentrate on developing the mental state of “Mu” (emptiness). I have only scratched the surface of this state. I can tell you, though, that when you stand beneath the opponent’s raised sword, there is no room for distracting thoughts or fear.

U&O: Of all your training experiences, which do you think has had the greatest impact on your personal development?
SH: Soon after Unsui Sensei began the Jinenkan, he came to Dayton and gave a private training session on the very basic skills just prior to his seminar. That’s when I realized that I knew nothing. I took off the black belt I had been wearing. I felt wonderful and terrible at the same time.

The Martial Arts Today
U&O: It seems that some of those that set themselves up as teachers and dojo business owners sometimes neglect their own training. What is your feeling about this situation?
SH: Of course that can be very true. It can be very difficult to be a teacher, often defeating for some. A Dojo Cho has to first honor his or her own direction and training. If you fail to lead your dojo by virtue of your own skills and knowledge, it will eventually defeat you, even if it is a financial success.

U&O: Do you believe “hard” training, i.e., training that involves a certain degree of discomfort or pain, is important? What do you think one can learn from training in this way?
SH: Actually, I don’t think of “hard training” as having that much to do with pain. The most difficult pain for many is that caused by the ego. For example, the pain and fear of looking bad in front of other students or of admitting to yourself and others that there are things you don’t know, skills you haven’t mastered and need to practice. This goes back to your earlier question on the difficulties of being a teacher. Everyone struggles with it though. If your heart is right, you can see that it is a wonderful and freeing thing to admit your weaknesses so that you can overcome them.

As to the physical pain, of course there is going to be some of that! As time passes, it tends to register more as discomfort. Mainly it is important to avoid injury. We all have to work at knowing our skills and those of our training partners so that injury is avoided. A good way to do this is to begin by training slowly, communicating to your partner as you progress from discomfort to pain and have a sense of when injury is likely to occur. By practicing this way, both of you can understand how the technique actually works, where and how it becomes dangerous, and what the ukemi needs to be while keeping training safe.

Most of the time, however, training is a lot of fun and pain or discomfort are really not overriding issues.

U&O: One of the recent trends in martial arts in general is the proliferation of instructional books and videos. What do you think about the use of such materials?
SH: The primary element to your training is to have an excellent teacher and to honor what you are taught by that person. Practice it as carefully as you can. Practice it until you can’t stand up anymore. Videotapes, books, and articles can be a very beneficial adjunct, but they are never primary. If they are all you have, however, it’s better than nothing. Every situation is different.

U&O: What do you think about attempts to “modernize” or “Westernize” this art?
SH: The essential teachings are not about Eastern or Western styles or about traditional or modern approaches. They are well above such concerns. The Ryu-ha were written by Budo masters to give sincere students a guide for the shortest possible route from novice to expert. It is expected that once you are an expert, you will think of what you have learned in new ways and begin to apply it to modern times or your particular situation. Of course, you have to master these skills first, then expand and rethink what you have mastered, based on the lessons the Ryu-ha contain. After those two steps are accomplished, you are free to invent. This process takes an entire lifetime; it is not something you can accomplish in only a few years.

It’s a matter of honestly recognizing where you are in that process. If teachers change the meaning or lessons of the Ryu-ha before they are experts, then what they teach comes only from them and their ideas. In this case, they are no longer studying this art. Their teachings should be given a different name.

Shu

The first stage of training is called “Shu”, which means “to preserve and follow” the teachings of the Ryu-ha. You could think of preserving these teachings for yourself and your students, as well as preserving them from yourself and your students. When you interpret prematurely, you turn your back on the lineage and so for you, it dies. Therefore, we all must preserve them from our natural tendency to question the applicability of the lineages before we truly understand them.

I’ve given deep thought to the idea of “Shu” because it is the stage of training I am currently in.

Jissen Kobudo Jinenkan
U&O: What do you see as being the purpose of the Jissen Kobudo Jinenkan?
SH: In my mind, the sole purpose of the organization is to facilitate training with Unsui Sensei.

U&O: One general impression of the Jinenkan and its purpose is that it was, at least in part, created to disseminate the teachings of the individual ryu-ha in a more “conventional” manner, i.e., in a manner more in keeping with the way koryu bujutsu [“classical martial arts traditions”, one general name for the Japanese martial arts originating prior to 1868 - Ed. Note] are taught in Japan. Do you see this as part of the Jinenkan’s purpose?
SH: Actually, I would prefer to hear Sensei answer that question. Sensei teaches according to the tenets of each Ryu-ha. He passes the knowledge on in a very clear and thorough manner. Each Ryu-ha has its own characteristics; ideas that guide the kamae, the level of the kata (shoden, chuden, okuden, etc.), and each kata in particular. Without these ideas, my practice would be about hollow techniques. By honoring these aspects of the Ryu-ha Sensei teaches, we each have a fair and equal chance of truly understanding what we are studying.

These guiding ideas are natural, that is, they are forever. When you practice kihon, you learn what you need in order to perform henka. When you practice Happobiken, you can understand firearms. I guess what I’m saying is that the advancement of time and weaponry make careful study of the ideas behind each Ryu-ha all the more important to understand correctly. These ideas will guide you through any changes. If you study without really trying to understand the Ryu-ha, then it is like making it up as you go along.

U&O: What is expected of Jinenkan members? What do you see as being their responsibility to the dojo and organization?
SH: My suggestion to Jinenkan members is to honor and preserve that which they have been taught by Unsui Sensei and to make every effort to train under his direct guidance whenever possible. Dojo members should also have confidence in their instructors, train regularly, and seek to make improvements. Also, maintain good relations with people who have chosen different paths. Remember: there is a difference between exchanging ideas in an open and thoughtful way and becoming argumentative. Choosing your own path doesn’t mean becoming blind to the world around you or being reckless in your behavior.

Teaching
U&O: What is the focus of your teaching activities right now?
SH: To simultaneously maintain and improve my students’ basics and to teach what I am given by Sensei as accurately as I possibly can.

U&O: In the Jinenkan Dayton Dojo, do you actively practice or encourage the practice of some type of meditation method?
SH: Sensei gave me a couple of meditation methods that he feels are important. I passed these along to the students to practice at home. It is not necessary to do them in the dojo. You could call the understanding of the ideas and feelings behind the kamae and kata a kind of meditation. We practice these regularly in class.

U&O: I’ve noticed that you seem to have stepped up your seminar activity this year. Is there a particular reason for that?
SH: Mainly just because people are very interested in the Jinenkan and are requesting my instruction more now.

U&O: What is the basis of the Jinenkan Dayton Dojo curriculum?
SH: The basics are the lineages of Jinen Ryu, Gyokko Ryu, Koto Ryu, Togakure Ryu, Kukishin Ryu, Takagi Yoshin Ryu, and Shindenfudo Ryu. Every class begins with the Gogyo no kata, followed by the kihon happo, and then kata in taijutsu and/or weapons, as well as ukemi practice, henka or kaeshi waza. In the intermediate class we practice randori as well.

U&O: You emphasize the “basics” in your training. Can you explain what this kind of training entails?
SH: It all begins with being able to understand and perform an essential skill repeatedly in the correct way. Basics are the building blocks of this art. Without knowing how to do them correctly, we cannot be confident with any of our movements in training. They are not simply warm-ups at the beginning of class or the techniques that you learn when you first begin training; they are the entire structure upon which training is built. You are teaching your body how to be correct, strong, and stable in its most fundamental movements. Therefore, we should practice them consistently and in a concentrated manner if we want to progress in our training.

So, first we begin with learning the physical movement of the basic form, its purpose and meaning. If you perform each piece of the basic thoughtfully and carefully, you will learn that they have distinct purposes and lessons that can be applied within every other technique in training. Each time you perform the basics, think about the utility of your movement, why the scrolls tell you to move a certain way, how to make sure that you are strong at any given moment.

From there, you can move on to understanding the flow and timing of the technique: How to vary it according to the changes or resistance your opponent gives you, how to perform the basic idea of the skills spontaneously, how to counter the techniques if they were applied to you.

Really training in the basics covers a rather large number of types of practice, not simply the kihon waza and ukemi. Sometimes it is misunderstood that learning to vary the techniques means you have entered the second stage of training called “Ha” (To vary the form). But this is not the case. Learning to vary the basics is still well within the first stage (“Shu”) of training. It’s a part of knowing the basics forward and backward.

U&O: What is the core lesson, if you could name one, that you want your students to learn?
SH: To honor the path they have chosen, while keeping their eyes and mind wide open.

U&O: What are your personal hopes for the future of the Jinenkan in America?
SH: That the organization grows slowly and steadily, as it already is. That everyone within it appreciates what they are being offered with the same sincerity with which it is being offered.

Jinenkan Dayton Dojo Information and Schedule
Class Schedule:
Mondays: Intermediate Class 7-9 PM (By invitation only, please contact Dojo Cho Shawn Havens)
Wednesdays: Open to all levels 7-9 PM
Thursdays: Open to all levels 7-9 PM

Upcoming Seminars FALL SEMINAR WITH MANAKA SENSEI
October 3-5 - Kukishin Ryu Kodachi and Togakure Ryu Biken
Holiday Inn Conference Center-Fairborn, Dayton, OH
Contact Dojo Cho Shawn Havens for more information and to register

Eric Baluja is a student of Shidoshi-ho Hannibal Serrano at Hô Shin Dojo in New York City. He thanks Mr. Havens for his willingness to be pestered and enduring his ignorance. Eric, still working at not sucking, can be reached at ceb@nyc.dol-esa.gov, hoshin.dojo@usa.net, and http://www.tappedin.com/hoshin.