SHU, HA, RI

by Phillip Starr

“Shu, Ha, Ri”....words sometimes heard in the practice of Japanese swordsmanship but their meaning can be easily applied to any martial discipline, regardless of its place of origin. These terms represent the three main stages of development.

SHU (守) means to protect or obey. It is traditional wisdom; learning the fundamentals and basic techniques. This is where we all must begin. Getting through this stage takes time and a great deal of practice. The movements must be trained thoroughly so they come second-nature and are fully “internalized” so that you no longer have to “think” about how to do them correctly.

In the Chinese stage of progression, this is known as EARTH (地 , di). It is the stage of learning the fundamentals. There are no short-cuts; this stage can't be completed in just a few weeks or months. It's more than just learning the basics and remembering them. They must be learned thoroughly in minute detail so that they are absolutely correct every time you practice them.

HA (破) means “to detach, digress.” In China, it is referred to as the stage of HUMAN (人 , ren). In this advanced stage, we may make innovations but they must be grounded in the foundation we built in the previous stage. Some people have interpreted this stage as breaking with tradition and tossing away that which we struggled to learn earlier. This is grossly incorrect.

It means that we so internalize the techniques and forms that we perform them in perfect accordance with our own bodies and minds. This doesn't infer that we necessarily find a “new” way of doing them; our bodies have adapted to them and they have become a part of our natural being. There is no longer any thought of “I am doing this technique/form”; the technique/form just does itself.

RI (離), known as TIAN (天 , Heaven) in Chinese arts, means “to leave, separate.” You no longer think in terms of techniques and you act in accordance with what your mind desires; unhindered, while not overstepping laws/principles. To reach this stage requires many years of arduous practice.

The problem is that many practitioners, anxious to explore their own creativity and “do it their way” often assume that they have reached the limits of the first two stages after a rather short time and believe that they can then “have it their way.” This is where we see “freestyle forms” and eclectic martial disciplines sprout up... There are many who push against the edges of the envelope, chomping at the bit to break free of the restraints of tradition and they often decide much too early that they're ready to sprout their own wings and “be free.” The first indication that they are far from ready is that their desire to “break free” exists at all.

There are reasons for tradition. Adhering to many of them can be tiresome and frustrating but they're not there just as a matter of exotic, Asian decoration. They often serve as the “shells” of the eggs within which we develop. The shell should not be broken too early...