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Jujutsu


“Kihaku (spirit)… the nurturing of human independence, responsibility, and inquiry… courage and the cultivation of vitality.”
--Nobiyoshi Higashi, Kokushi-ryu Jujutsu. 1995.

ISASALANG tuwing umaga ang magkabilang bisig sa pakikipagkaramusa—karamusa translates as “empty warrior”—sa biyas ng kawayan sa aming halamanan… katumbas ng higit sandosenang yakap sa paslit upang siya’y busugin sa tibay, husay, kalusugan ng katawan at isipan.

Idagdag pa ang tahasang pagpapahalaga sa katuturan ng jujutsu— ju connotes explosive pliancy of growing bamboo. The playful daily drill imparts such pliancy, the explosives pile up refusing fuses. Uh, weapons of mass destruction have taken a bad rap these days.

Aba’y hindi lang sa bisperas ng bagong taon naghahanda ng kawayang kanyon. Taimtim kasi ang kimkim na putok sa buho—masuyong magkasiping doon sina Malakas at Maganda… pero hindi lang ito lamat sa nilimot na alamat… mahahasa ang mga bisig at kamay sa mga galaw na hindi lang maganda, malakas pa.

Gumagaya lang naman sa gawi ng mga hinahangaan kong henyo sa paghahalaman at masinop na pamumuhay, sina Luther Burbank at George Washington Carver. Kung nagawa nila, magagawa rin ng iba.

It takes a sincere heart to open up lines of communication with plants. Ganoon ang tagubilin nina Burbank at Carver. At kapag taos-puso ang pakikipag-ugnayan sa kanila, lubusang ibubunyag ng alinman, anumang halaman ang samut-saring lihim na kaalaman. Na talagang pakikinabangan.

Sounds silly to be having an earnest interface with plants… aah, “silly” is from selig, a German word for “blessed, sacred, holy…”

Mauungkat pa ang iginiit ni Stephen Harrod Buhner sa kanyang aklat—The Lost Language of Plants—na hindi lang sa dilig nasasabik ang mga halaman. Uhaw din sila na makipagtalastasan sa tao. They have so much to share. We have so much to learn.

Hindi pa man nakakausap, tinukoy ni Buhner na abala na rin ang mga alagang halaman na magpagaling sa mga karamdaman ng kanilang tagapangalaga… it will beggar a physician to practice where tree orchards thrive, ayon nga sa salawikaing Español.

Matindi kasing magtustos sa tibay ng katawan ang dalisay na hangin na sumasalin hanggang sa himaymay ng laman.

Matindi ring magpagaling ng samut-saring sakit ang mycelial network na pinalalaganap sa lupa na binihisan ng mga nalagas, nabulok na tangkay at dahon ng halaman…

Masaya talagang ikaramusa ang kamay at bisig sa mga biyas ng kawayan. Mararamdaman sa laman ang unti-unti, banayad na pagsalin ng kung anumang taglay ng kawayan… makikiliti, mapapangiti sa daloy ng malamyos na apoy-kuryente.

Taimtim ang kasiyahan ng kawayan. At masuyo ang alimpuyo sa igkas ng kanyang lakas.

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