When they were all seated in a row for final dispatch, Sakon turned to the youngest and said- “Go thou first, for I wish to be sure that thou doest it right.” Upon the little one’s replying that, as he had never seen seppuku (disembowelment) performed, he would like to see his brothers do it, and then he could follow them. The older brothers smiled between their tears:-“Well said, little fellow. So canst thou well boast of being our father’s child.” When they had placed him between them, Sakon thrust the dagger into the left side of his abdomen and said-“Look, brother! Dost thou understand now? Only, don't push the dagger too far, lest thou fall back. Lean forward, rather, and keep thy knees well composed.” Naiki did likewise and said to the boy-“Keep thine eyes open, or else thou mayst look like a dying woman. If thy dagger feels anything within and thy strength fails, take courage and double thine effort to cut across.” The child looked from one to the other, and when both had expired, he calmly half-denuded himself and followed the example set him on either side.
From Dr. Inazo Nitobe’s Bushido, The Soul of Japan
This, the true story of Sakon, Naiki, and eight-year-old Hachimaro, was passed down to us by a 17th-century Japanese physician who attended and witnessed the disembowelment. What has always impressed me most about this event was the stoic way in which the youngest brother, Hachimaro, was able to overcome what must have been both intense fear and pain in order to perform the supreme act expected of him by his family and society.
Pain can be the frequent companion of anyone who trains seriously in the martial arts. Broken bones, blisters, bruises, sprains and torn ligaments and muscles can become all too familiar. Since they can greatly affect one's performance and even their continued training, the ability to overcome fear and pain is an important skill, which I’ll be delving into in coming posts.
No comments:
Post a Comment