HARAGEI/FUYUN

 by Phillip Starr

Haragei (腹芸) is a term that may be occasionally heard in connection with the Japanese martial arts but less so in the Chinese arts (in Chinese it is “fuyun”). It means “belly art” and in Japanese, it is sometimes used to denote a type of interpersonal communication that doesn't involve the spoken word; it is a non-verbal method of learning to “read” the other person's intent, which can be very useful in business dealings. However, in the practice of martial arts, it has another meaning.

In the verbage of the martial arts, haragei refers to the ability to sense, to feel danger before it arrives, even at a distance. It is a rare skill, even amongst masters...but it is very real. To the best of my knowledge, there are no specific training exercises for this skill; it comes only after a lot of arduous practice with a partner, experience, and time.

Stories abound about masters who possessed this rare skill. O-Sensei Uyeshiba (founder of modern aikido) was said to have it. On one occasion when he was travelling by train with three of his students, he refused to board one of the connecting trains because he could feel that further down the line, there was trouble. His students thought that he was just being something of an obstinate old man,,,until they learned that, indeed, there had been an accident further down the tracks (a train had been de-railed).

Haragei is much like the “8-directional zanshin”, which was/is spoken about by some well-known swordsmen of old Japan. The idea is that zanshin must be directed all around oneself, not just forward. Then threats may be more readily detected. It is thought that all things project ki (in Chinese, qi...life energy) constantly and this is particularly true of animals and humans. And, just as we project energy (like a sort of transmitter), it is possible that we can eventually learn to pick up these “signals” (like a receiving device). We know for a fact that the human brain (and the brains of all creatures who have them) continuously emit electrical charges. Therefore, is it not possible that our minds, which act as transmitters, can also be used as receivers?

Just HOW this may be achieved, I don't know. However, I do know that haragei exists.