Managing Chaos
A lesson from the Kyoketsu Shoge
The first time I encountered the kyoketsu shoge, it felt like I had stepped into a world of complete chaos.
The kyoketsu shoge is a multi-purpose weapon with a length of rope that extends anywhere from 10-18 feet. At both ends, a double blade and a metal ring add short-range efficacy.
What sets this weapon apart is its fluidity. Unlike rigid swords or staffs, fluid weapons like the kyoketsu shoge are comprised of materials like rope, fabric, or chains, making it a weapon without a fixed form.
Okay, so back to my first lesson - which was overwhelming to say the least.
Using a length of rope and the weighted ring on one side, I began swinging the weight vertically in a circular motion and then launching it - stopping the weight if needed by pulling back on the excess rope. It was a dizzying endeavor, but with time, it became somewhat comfortable. I could pivot and turn, shifting the weight's direction at will.
When we moved on to partner techniques, I could feel my mind melting within the first five minutes. My sparring partner wielded a wooden sword, and I was tasked with hurling the weight at his chest, threading it through the gap between his arms. My challenge was to seamlessly control the slack in the rope with my body movements, essentially immobilizing my opponent while negating his sword strikes with the hooked blade and launching my own counterattacks with the weighted ring.
"Oh my god." I laughed. "It's too much to think about."
My movements were awkward, and I repeatedly got entangled in the rope. The weight smacked my ankle, and at times, it veered off course, nearly striking my head. Thankfully, we had replaced the traditional metal ring with dog toys wrapped in duct tape for safety.
Gradually, I began to grasp the complexities of this unique weapon—just barely. After a few clumsy attempts, I turned to my sensei with a perplexed expression and asked, "How do you manage all this? It feels like you're in the midst of chaos. It just seems so random."
His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as he responded, "Yes! It IS chaos."
He went on to explain a profound truth: you cannot entirely control the kyoketsu shoge. It follows the laws of physics, and although you generate the intial momentum, the outcome of how a technique might end is too complex to try to predict. There IS an element of randomness to where it lands and the options it offers. Your mind has to remain open and flexible so you can see the opportunities as they arise.
"Okay. But what are you thinking of when you're using the weapon? Can you plan out what will happen?" I asked.
My sensei, a master of spontaneity, answered, "I have no idea exactly what will happen. I only know that I am not tangled."
I stood there with no further questions or words. It was evident that mastering this weapon would require time and patience.
Despite the initial chaos and frustration of my first encounter with the kyoketsu shoge, I gleaned a profound lesson from this mind-bending exercise.
In life, it's impossible to predict extremely complex or chaotic outcomes. Our lives can be thrown into chaos by unexpected events, sickness, financial instability, and many more factors than we can imagine. And if, during those times, we were to try and chase down every individual outcome and try to control each one, we would get ourselves inadvertently tangled and off track.
Instead, what this confounding weapon taught me was the importance of keeping it simple. Get through the next rotation. Don’t get hit by the weight. Be aware of your hands and feet. Remember you have other tools. And it seemed if I could just focus on the basics, I would survive. And naturally, thanks to the chaotic environment created by the weapon itself, the enemy would fall.
What I was reminded of while training with the kyoketsu shoge is that the only thing we can do in chaos is remain balanced, untangled, and resilient amidst the unpredictability.
By understanding our position, having competence of our tools, and a sensitivity for the shifting forces around us, we can harness just enough control within the chaos to get through our challenges without being overtaken by them.
For those who are curious, here is a somewhat dramatized demo of a practitioner using the Kyoketsu Shoge:
Sounds like a perfect example of high consequence flow arts. Like juggling, poi or hooping with very sharp teeth. During my time studying martial arts in China, I fondly recall a fellow student attempting to learn the meteor hammer -- essentially a metal ball on a length of string/chain/rope.
Much appreciated for writing about your experience. Those kinds of weapons seemed so daunting to me to even begin considering actually learning ha!
Fascinating Leslie. The life parallels you've highlighted resonate, but I feel like I'd hurt myself quicker with that thing in my hands than I would my real life. : )