Haragei

Haragei (Japanese: 腹芸, literally: " ") is a Japanese word referring to the art of exuding one's personal energy, ki (Chinese qi) primarily from the hara, at base of the abdomen, three finger widths below and two finger widths behind the navel.

Haragei is sometimes called "emotional communication."

Matsumoto gives the following dictionary definition:1) The verbal or physical action one employs to influence others by the potency of rich experience and boldness;2) The act of dealing with people or situations through ritual formalities and accumulated experience.

Hara & Ki

The "bushi" of Feudal Japan were trained and conditioned to wield their weapons with deadly accuracy and precision. They dedicated their lives to honing their skills with the sword. But the skills that manifest themselves on the exterior of a warrior, his techniques, were not the only skills that he sought to perfect. The greatest "sensei" would have taught that "no method, whatever its apparent merit, had any real value unless it helped develop a man's character which would make him master of his weapon and thus truly powerful in its use." (Ratti & Westbrook, 376)

Many teachers adopted ancient theories of enlightenment. Concepts that were developed by those theories were accepted by and adapted to fit the particular requirements of the "bujin". Two of these concepts became cornerstones of all teaching, from the most basic to the most advanced training in every form of "bujutsu": the concept of the "Centre", Hara (often referred to as "tanden") and the concept of an internal flowing energy, "ki" (from the Chinese, "qi").

Hara

See Tanden:

"Hara literally means simply "belly". In Chinese and Japanese tradition, the hara is considered the seat of one's spiritual energy (qi). A master of calligraphy, swordsmanship, tea ceremony, martial arts or the like is said to be "acting from the hara". Zen teachers often instruct their students to center their mind in their hara to anchor themselves, aiding the control of thoughts and emotions. Acting from the hara is related to the state of samadhi."

It is in the hara that the soul of a man resides, according to many eastern cultures.

Ki

"Ki" has been referred to by many as "intrinsic energy". It is an invisible energy force present inside the body. According to many Eastern cultures, ki is the life-energy, or "breath of life" that is found in all living organisms. Many martial arts focus on channelling one's ki to attack an opponent, or capturing an opponent's ki to redirect his attack, or to counter-attack.

Applications in Martial Arts

Haragei and the idea of centralization are viewed as extremely important in almost all martial arts. In Aikido, jujutsu, and Judo, for example, large amounts of time are devoted to breathing techniques and physical exercises designed to strengthen the Hara, and allow an individual to be centralized. In fact, most techniques in these forms of budo require centralization to perform and especially to master.

Applications in Daily Life

Haragei is also practiced in everyday situations, especially in business, by the people of Japan. Haragei, in this sense, is cooperating with a group without doubting the plan or asking why--for the sake of harmony. It is to suppress/punish the dissent of individuals for the goal of group harmony. This sense of the word 'haragei' might be translated as "groupthink" or "harmony of opinions".

References

"The Unspoken Way -- HARAGEI: Silence in Japanese Business and Society" by Michihiro Matsumoto, published by Kodansha. (ISBN 0-87011-889-7)

"Secrets of the Samurai: A Survey of the Martial Arts of feudal Japan" by Oscar Ratti and Adele Westbrook, published by Castle Books. (ISBN 0-7858-1073-0)

"The Japanese Cult of Tranquility" by Karlfried Graf von Durckheim, published by Rider & Co., London

"The Fighting Spirit of Japan" by E.J. Harrison, published by Sterling Publishing Co., New York

"Zen and Japanese Culture" by Daisetz Suzuki, published by Pantheon Books, New York

External links

* [http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?53a1056e-2ed6-4565-b9e6-f18f041eca32 Haragei - The Sixth Sense] article from the Hawaii Reporter
* [http://members.aol.com/sokogakuen/haragei.html/ Haragei] another article regarding the social communication aspect of haragei