Budo (1979) - full transcript

(dark, enigmatic music)

(rustling)

(clanking)

(gurgling)

(squishing)

(swooshing)

(upbeat, rhythmic music)

(grunting)

(clanking, yelling)

(harmonic, enigmatic music)

(hooves rattling)



- [Voiceover] This is Yabusame.

The traditional
samurai art of archery

from the back of
a running horse.

(shattering)

(clopping)

(neighing)

The samurai warriors
of ancient Japan

lived with a philosophy unique
in the annals of mankind.

It was to pledge
their very lives

as an act of loyalty
to their lord.

To sacrifice one's life for
his master was for the samurai,

the most glorious death.

And so they lived each day

with a constant desire
for beauty in death.



(yelling)

(clopping, clanking)

(shouting)

(conch blaring)

This philosophy that
a samurai warrior

should live to die gloriously,

penetrated into the lives
of the common people.

It is through this philosophy,
this spirit of the Japanese

that budo, the
martial arts of Japan,

including kendo,
karatedo, judo and aikido,

had been handed
down to this day.

(plopping)

(mysterious, raw music)

(clattering)

(grunting)

The Japanese sword is
the symbol of budo.

And the cutting edge of its
blade is said to be sharper

than that of any
other in the world.

(light, mysterious music)

(birds chirping)

(clanking)

(grunting)

This is one of the basic
patterns of fencing

in the ancient Shinkage
school of kendo.

The object is to avoid
the opponent's sword

and to reply instantly
to his blows.

As real swords are used,

great skill is required
as the least mistake

means certain death.

(yelling)

The belief of the samurai,

that he should know how
to handle the sword,

to have spiritual power

and be fearless in the
face of death in battle,

has been handed down to this day

through this type
of special training.

Training which must be
continued day after day.

(grunting)

The mission of the samurai

was to defend their
lords from attack.

To provide constant readiness

against wars and insurrections.

They were called to ever improve

their minds and sword skill.

(light, enigmatic music)

Japan is blessed with the
four beautiful seasons,

spring, summer,
autumn and winter.

The variety of
which gives various

influences upon the human mind.

Through this benevolent
gift of nature,

the Japanese have been
inviewed with a spirit of budo.

(clank)

(grunting)

As only the warrior class were

privileged to use the sword,

the less fortunate had to devise

other means of
defending themselves

from the violence of the sword.

(wind howling)

The master demonstrates the
use of the tatami tempe.

It is made of deer skin and
it is elastic enough to absorb

even the sharpness of
the Japanese sword.

(thunderous music)

Tonpa, made from the hard
wood of the oak tree,

allows one to
shield himself from

the cutting power of the sword.

While at the same time,
it has the unseen power

of killing one's opponent
with a single blow.

(yelling)

The Japanese sword
is a fearsome weapon

which can kill in a moment.

Thus it was that those
without the sword

required devices and means

with which to cope
with the deadly blade.

(thundering)

This weapon is called Nichogama.

Consisting of two sickles,

a farming implement which
may be found anywhere.

(grunting)

(rhythmic, mysterious music)

Defeat, in the face
of the Japanese sword

meant certain death.

As the only means
of defending oneself

against the sword when
it resorted to violence,

was to beat down the opponent.

It was therefore vital

that one had to train
himself severely

to master techniques
surpassing the samurai.

(clanking)

(grunting)

(whooshing)

This is the nunchaku,

made famous throughout the world

by the dragon, Bruce Lee.

It was devised out
of an unsophisticated
farming implement

used to crush beans.

(clinking)

(shattering)

(yelling)

Thus, the common man developed

various weapons in
response to the need

to protect himself from
the violence of the sword.

(fluid, ethereal music)

(clanking)

The term karate,

literally means, empty handed.

In reality, it is the human body

which has been converted
into a lethal weapon.

(thumping)

Through cruel physical training,

and with it the cultivation
of a dauntless spirit,

so that one can stand any pain,

the entire body is converted
into a steel weapon.

(shouting)

(thwacking)

(rhythmic beats)

(smashing, yelling)

(shouting)

(thwacking)

(thumping)

One who has mastered karate,

can knock down an opponent
with but a single blow.

The process to
attain this mastery

is long and tedious.

There is no other
means but patience

and super human effort.

(low whooshing)

(clattering)

No amount of training
can be said to be enough.

It must continue without end,

with greater endeavor.

(grunting)

(clattering)

(low whooshing)

His hands strengthened
and steeled

through severe practice can
cut as a sharp edge knife.

Once he concentrates his full

mental powers on a given target,

his hand shows
its true strength.

(clinking)

(dark, enigmatic music)

(yelling, thumping)

The fascination of judo,

lies in that a person of
a weaker physical strength

can defeat an opponent
of a larger build.

Judo is a simple hand to
hand fighting technique,

devised by the unarmed for the
purpose of self protection.

The main character of judo
is to throw an opponent

and to make him unconscious

by pressing tightly on his neck.

To master such
techniques is not easy.

(grunting)

(chanting in a foreign language)

It goes without saying

that the indispensable
factor in judo

is the training of the body.

Yet that is not enough.

It is vital that the
mind is adaptable

for the training of the body.

(grunting, yelling)

(scraping)

Both pain and agony
to the body and mind

are basic to the
training in budo.

Discouragement only means
the defeat of the mind.

One does not quickly
learn that judo teaches

only through pain and effort.

(upbeat, rhythmic music)

(grunting)

(thumping)

(chattering in a
foreign language)

(grunting, thumping)

Otosu or fall, is
a term used in judo

which means to make one's
opponent unconscious.

Should one lose
consciousness through

an opponent's momentary
violent pressure to the neck,

choking him,

he will die if left alone.

The student of judo
strives to improve

both his mind and body,

constantly aware that his
very life is in the balance.

(groaning)

(chattering in a
foreign language)

To attain the black
belt is but a symbol

of having passed
the first chapter

of the philosophy of budo.

If one becomes self conceited
about his black belt,

he will in no time be defeated
by one greater than he.

(chanting in a foreign language)

(shouting)

(dark, rhythmic music)

Judo has been officially adopted
as an entry in the Olympics

and has today become
an international sport.

It must be emphasized
that to win

one must learn not only
the principles of the art

but the formation of the mind.

(wind howling)

This is naginata.

It is a weapon with
which the opponent

is literally swept away.

(grunting)

(chiming)

Naginata is another
form of budo,

being peculiar to
the Japanese women.

(mysterious, harmonic music)

(whooshing)

(chanting in a foreign language)

Naginata is a weapon used in

cavalry battles in
the middle ages.

Some four centuries ago,

it became the principal weapon

of the women of
a samurai family.

To this day women continue
to train in the art.

(grunting)

The polishing of
the training hall

is but another way to
purify and strengthen

the mind of the trainee.

The women brandish naginata

in their pursuit of
spiritual beauty.

Rather than physical strength.

(yelling)

(harmonic, mysterious music)

(clanking)

(yelling)

It is the desire of every
woman to be beautiful.

In naginata, the
essence of beauty

is not merely in appearence

but in the harmony of
sensitivity and reason.

(thwacking, shouting)

(light, harmonic music)

(yelling)

While resembling a dance,

these are but the basic
movements used in aikido.

(thumping)

(grunting)

(dark, harmonic music)

Aikido is the art
of self defense.

That is to defend
oneself from attack,

without attacking his opponent.

The principal of
aikido is to utilize

the opponent's own strength
to one's advantage.

That is to throw him quite
naturally and rationally.

Avoid a falling rock.

Run in a premonition of danger.

Never act recklessly.

Water flows to lower places.

This is the essence of aikido,

explains this old
master of the art.

(thumping)

(grunting)

(thudding)

(whooshing, bubbling)

(conch blaring)

(singing in a foreign language)

(crackling)

(drums beating)

Since ancient times,

the Japanese have been
fond of festivals.

The people living their
lives in the bounty of nature

have always believed in the
invincibility of the spirit.

The festivals are ritual
ceremonies of the people

worshiping the
deities of nature.

The spirit gives both
intelligence and courage

and it is the spirit
to which the trainees

of budo entrust their minds.

The fear of death
lies vanquished

in the face of the
strength of the mind.

This is a ritual enabling
those who believe in the gods

to have spiritual power,

to walk with bare feet
over burning coal.

(chanting in a foreign language)

(thumping)

Sumo, another form of budo
is very popular to this day.

It is a scruple match
in the wrestlers

bump violently at each other

until one is forced
out of the ring.

(grunting)

(speaking in a foreign language)

Centuries old, sumo is the
national sport of Japan today.

It can be said that the
momentary power that is exerted

at the instant of collision

is far stronger than any other
similar fight in the world.

Constantly improving
both their techniques

and mental powers,

the sumo wrestlers
undergo severe training,

even to the point of cruelty.

Yet this severity
is indispensable

in the accomplishment of budo.

(chanting in a foreign language)

(thwacking)

(speaking in a foreign language)

(slapping)

(screaming)

(dark, rhythmic music)

(yelling)

(grunting)

(whooshing)

While children desire
to become strong

and continue their
rigorous training,

they dream of achieving
super human powers.

Their purity of
mind and intention

permit them to accurately
learn the various techniques.

As long as they're
successors as these,

the art of budo will be
handed down through the ages.

(yelling, clanking)

(light, harmonic music)

Dreams of young
boys are infinite.

The new dawn rises on
yet another tomorrow.

(boing)

The master demonstrates
the patterns of karate.

Every muscle, every
fiber of his body

acts in perfect
unison with his mind.

(huffing, sniffing)

A pattern means the basic
actions of offence and defense.

Actual fights are applications
of such basic actions.

(shouting)

To strike first brings
certain victory.

This is an all important
lesson of budo.

With its principal
being the destruction

of an opponent with one blow,

karate is no exception
from this rule.

It is therefore that
the training must
be extremely severe.

(grunting)

(enigmatic, raw music)

(sniffing, huffing)

To defend oneself from the enemy

one's internal
organs and muscles

are stiffened in a moment

by controlling one's breathing.

In the next instant,
he can act defensively

through the momentary power.

The secret lies in the fact that

one's entire body
becomes a weapon.

(upbeat, rhythmic music)

(grunting)

(clanking)

(grunting, thwacking)

(whooshing)

Karate training can be
both severe and cruel.

Yet a sword can take away
a life with one swing.

In order to be
victorious over the sword

karate trainees must
plunge themselves

into the cruel practices,

which at times seem
thoughtless and reckless.

Only in this way can they
truly learn for themselves.

(grunting)

(dark, enigmatic music)

The clouds in the sky,

the minute grain of sand.

Man, the animals,

the weeds, the trees,

all are endowed with life.

The small and the large.

The weak and the strong.

This is the law of nature.

The weak must defend
itself from the strong.

The basic precept of karate

has been derived from
this desperation,

this self defense.

To defeat with empty
hands an armed opponent,

much like the weak animal in
a moment of reflex action,

provides the finest protection.

(grunting)

(enigmatic, piercing music)

(grunting)

(dark, ominous music)

(grunting, yelling)

(whooshing)

(shouting)

The sea of Japan in mid winter

reaches below freezing point.

The trainees
struggle with nature.

(grunting, yelling)

(raw, piercing music)

This pattern in karate is
called the White Crane.

Devised from the
delicate movements

of the great winged creature.

(cranes squawking)

(birds chirping)

(yelling, clanking)

(clattering)

(grunting, swooshing)

(birds whistling)

The time honored
scuffle arts of Japan

were developed to overcome
opponents with swords.

The natural enemy
therefore was the sword.

And the samurai who
used these swords.

Although the Japanese
sword is synonymous

with the soul of the samurai,

it became a source
of great fear.

One that changed
both human character

and social situation.

(thwacking, yelling)

(low, thumping muisc)

(grunting)

When one has a weapon,

it is easy to delude himself

into believing that he is
better than his opponent.

To be a samurai,

means to avoid this self conceit

and to constantly train
oneself to face death.

While they fight freely
with wooden swords

should one of them
forget to hold back,

just before making a hit,

the other would be
maimed for life.

(yelling)

(grunting)

(shouting)

(raw, mysterious music)

(grunting, clapping)

The Japanese sword was
designed as a weapon to kill.

Yet the Japanese sword was at
the same time a work of art.

And so it was that
the user could become

either a good man or a villain,

of his own choosing.

The training teaches
one how to live

and how to die.

(rustling, snapping)

(yelling)

(clanking)

(dark, drum heavy music)

(thwacking, grunting)

(mysterious, harmonic music)

(rustling)

The samurai lived to
die a beautiful death.

In this life philosophy
of the samurai,

lies the typical mind
of the Japanese man.

He seeks out the truth
through the sword,

the soul of the
samurai and cultivates

his heart to be as
sharp as the blade.

(scrunching)

These are the stocks
of the rise plant.

The staple food of the Japanese.

They are bundled together
and dipped in water

for three days.

On the fourth day
they are taken out

and dried in the shade.

The bundle has become softened

to the same stiffness
of the human neck.

That it can be cut with a sword

means that the human neck
also can be similarly cut.

(grunting, thwacking)

(dark, enigmatic music)

(grunting)

There is no end to the
perfection of swordsmanship.

The swordsman is often racked
by solitude and mental agony.

But there is no escape
from constant practice.

(ominous, riveting music)

(thwacking, grunting)

The sword easily cuts
through the stiff bamboo,

which clearly implies that
the sword can just as easily

cut through human bone.

(yelling)

What urges him to
practice kendo?

Not even he himself
knows the answer.

He only knows that life
itself is a constant struggle.

His desire is only to live
life purely and with sharpness,

like that of the sword.

(primal, drum heavy music)

(chattering in a
foreign language)

(booming)

(whistling)

By his very nature, man
indulges in pleasure.

Yet these same pleasures can
help one forget the agony

that goes into the
training of budo.

Such a sway of mind
is not permitted

to the trainee of budo.

Enjoyment of
pleasures only means

the negligence of practice.

One must remember contantly

that budo is a
struggle with the mind.

Budo teaches that all
comes from self control.

(grunting)

(whooshing)

(light, enigmatic music)

When the agony of the
mind is not relieved,

they turn to the
teachings of zen Buddhism.

But zen too like
budo is limitless.

One should aim at
perfecting his ability

to face pain, suffering,

anguish and the
disappointments of life.

Thus he will attain inner peace.

Zen has neither a
philosophy nor an ideology.

Through rigorous
ascetic training,

one can hope to
achieve enlightenment.

Here one is freely beaten,

in order that he might rid
himself of self deception

and see clearly the
merciful love of the Buddha.

(thumping)

(smacking)

Although one may try
to calm his mind,

it does not come easily.

He can not attain mu,
the state of nothingness.

There is no way to perfection

but through patience and effort.

(shouting)

(thwacking, yelling)

(enigmatic, piercing music)

The Japanese sword shows
its fearsome characterstics

hidden in the blade,

only in the hands of the user.

The sword can cut a man's neck

in just 100th of a second.

(grunting, clanking)

This is the shocking
100th of a second.

(piercing, raw music)

(clanking)

The Japanese sword is born
of the incandescent flame.

It has been endowed
with life to kill.

Its blade holds the power that

manipulates the
destinies of men.

The swords smith
earnestly strives

towards the sharpness
of the blade,

while at the same
time with a prayer

that his sword
will live in peace,

without the shedding
of human blood.

(thumping)

(dark, harmonic music)

(thwacking)

By instinct, man
attaches himself to life

when faced between
life and death.

Should he adhere to live,

he betrays his desire
to die a glorious death.

The mystical sword
watches life in silence.

In Japan there is a maxim,

that the life of a human being
is the length of the sword.

The swords smith engraves
the knots of life.

(grunting)

(fizzing)

(scraping)

(plopping)

(dark, enigmatic music)

Time changes a human life.

A certain swordsman
having mastered the art

without losing his life,
for half a lifetime,

learned in time that he
should never draw the sword.

Not being cut by an opponent

and not cutting another.

Defeating the enemy,
winning over his own mind.

Such is the spirit of
the Japanese sword.

He has understood the truth.

(riveting, rhythmic music)

Only when his mind accepts

the inevitability of
death at any moment,

can one truly understand

that the swords
should never be drawn.

Through the severity and
cruelty of the training,

one arrives at
the truth of budo.

To live life in peace,
without violence.

It is only at the instant
separating life from death,

that the spirit of budo
becomes crystal clear.

(yelling)

(swishing, grunting)

As long as the universal
trues of heaven,

the earth and man remain,

the spirit of budo shall endure.

(riveting, harmonic music)