Immersion into the interview with Hatsumi Sensei: The Succession

 Original Note: The following text is a translation from English to Spanish, done altruistically by Master Richard Atik, based on the original audiovisual material from the DVD NINPÔ NINPÕ DEN VOL. 2: Words on Budô. I have added my personal comments in bold.

The Geometry of Infinity and the Way of the Warrior

The analyzed fragment poses a fundamental question about the structure of knowledge in the art of combat and existence:

SUCCESSION

Quest (Q):

What is Happô?

The answer is not limited to a technical description of movements; it becomes an ontology of order, morality, and the expansion of consciousness through Budô. The master responds with the following exact words:

Hatsumi Sensei (HS):

In Budô there is not just one path, there are eight. It was said that Rome had eight roads, but in Budô there are eight. The eight paths are benevolence, justice, etiquette, wisdom, loyalty, fidelity, filial piety, and respect for elders. Within these eight are Kyōjitsu Tenkan¹ and skillful methods. In Buddhism, they are also called the Eight Noble Paths². I believe they form the eight cornerstones of life. There are eight paths in Budō, eight. That's more than Rome had. In my own paths as well, I have forged eight paths in the world.

Philosophical Exegesis of the Response

The Universality of the Number Eight: By invoking Rome and Buddhism, the master elevates Happō from a physical technique to a universal matrix. Eight ceases to be a number and becomes the representation of the total directions of space and human conduct.

The Fusion of Ethics and Strategy: By including benevolence and filial piety alongside Kyōjitsu Tenkan (the alternation between truth and falsehood), it is demonstrated that in the master's thinking, the individual's morality and their capacity for tactical survival are not separate disciplines, but rather a single manifestation of wisdom.

The Master's Transcendence: By stating that he "made eight paths in the world," the function of the philosopher of action is revealed: not only to interpret existing paths, but also to project a harmonious and ethical order for posterity.

Footnotes

¹ Meaning of Kyōjitsu (and its application in Kyōjitsu Tenkan):

The concept of Kyōjitsu (虚実) is literally translated as "falsehood and truth" or "emptiness and fullness." It is a Japanese strategic and metaphysical principle that teaches that reality and illusion are interconnected. In combat, the warrior uses deception (Kyo / falsehood or emptiness) to conceal their true intention (Jitsu / reality or fullness), thus manipulating the opponent's perception. The term Kyōjitsu Tenkan explicitly refers to the method of constantly alternating or exchanging these two dimensions to destabilize the opponent physically and mentally.

² The Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism:

Hatsumi Sensei draws a direct parallel with the eight paths proposed by the Buddha to transcend suffering and attain spiritual awakening. This path is strictly composed of the following eight interconnected practices, divided into three spheres of refinement:

I. Wisdom (Pāñā): 1. Right View or Understanding (Samma Ditthi) and 2. Right Intention or Thought (Samma Sankappa).

II. Ethical Conduct (Sila): 3. Right Speech (Samma Vaca), 4. Right Action (Samma Kammanta), and 5. Right Livelihood (Samma Ajiva).

III. Mental Discipline (Samadhi): 6. Right Effort (Samma Vayama), 7. Right Mindfulness (Samma Sati), and 8. Right Concentration (Samma Samadhi).