Article: What's in a Name?, Part 2 by Michael J. Hacker

Discuss the article, "What's in a Name?, Part 2" by Michael J. Hacker here.

Article URL: http://www.aikiweb.com/columns/mhacker/2005_10.html

Wow! Great start...abrupt end. Wha' hoppened?

We got an engaging hook and then...a feedback solicitation.

I find myself fascinated by the etymologies and how the Jpn use their language. Mr. Hacker points out something useful that isn't immediately discernable from the terms we use; I was expecting, and certainly wanted, more than this mere introduction.

Thanks...er, anyway.

What Don said.

Don J. Modesto wrote: Wow! Great start...abrupt end. Wha' hoppened? We got an engaging hook and then...a feedback solicitation. I find myself fascinated by the etymologies and how the Jpn use their language. Mr. Hacker points out something useful that isn't immediately discernable from the terms we use; I was expecting, and certainly wanted, more than this mere introduction. Thanks...er, anyway.

Hello Don,

Well, I am not Mr Hacker, but here are a few supplementary tit-bits I have come across.

All the monolingual dictionaries and the largest bilingual dictionary I have at home here give the primary meaning of Žl•û as four directions and specify these as east, west, south, north (note the unusual order). This is then generalized to include all sides. There are some interesting examples.

1. Kono sanchou kara 20 kiro shihou ga miwataseru.
From the top of the mountain you can see 20 km in every dfirection.
2. Bakuon ga 5 kiro shihou ni watatte kikoeta.
The explosion could be heard 5 km away (i.e., in each direction).
3. Kono eki kara shihou ni senro ga nobite iru.
From this station lines radiate in all directions.
4. Teki ga shihou kara semeyoseru.
The enemy attacks from all directions.

Perhaps this last use is most relevant to the aikido technique. On the other hand, I have been present when the late Saito Morihiro Sensei demonstrated shiho-nage literally in four directions. He stood over the cross-lines where four tatami met and carefully placed his uke directly forwards, directly, backwards, directly to his left and directly to his right. Apart from showing us what the term meant, he explained the importance of control, of placing uke where he wanted and not where uke wanted to go.

In the Budo volume the Founder uses the term ˜Z•û roppou ( = six directions) to denote the basic kamae stance. This is given in the dictionary, but there are no examples of established Japanese usage.

Similarly with "happou ( = eight directions), though the primary meaning is given here as 'all directions' and there are one or two phrases, such as Happou te wo tsukusu ( = exhaust every possibility: leave no stone unturned) and Happou ni me wo kubaru ( = keep an eye on all quarters).

Best regards,

Peter A Goldsbury wrote: Hello Don, Well, I am not Mr Hacker, but here are a few supplementary tit-bits I have come across.

Thank you for taking time.

All the monolingual dictionaries and the largest bilingual dictionary I have at home here give the primary meaning of Žl•û as four directions and specify these as east, west, south, north (note the unusual order). This is then generalized to include all sides. There are some interesting examples....

Yes, very interesting. All the more so over and against Saito taking the term literally:

Perhaps this last use is most relevant to the aikido technique. On the other hand, I have been present when the late Saito Morihiro Sensei demonstrated shiho-nage literally in four directions. He stood over the cross-lines where four tatami met and carefully placed his uke directly forwards, directly, backwards, directly to his left and directly to his right. Apart from showing us what the term meant, he explained the importance of control, of placing uke where he wanted and not where uke wanted to go. In the Budo volume the Founder uses the term ˜Z•û roppou ( = six directions) to denote the basic kamae stance....Similarly with "happou ( = eight directions), though the primary meaning is given here as 'all directions' and there are one or two phrases, such as Happou te wo tsukusu ( = exhaust every possibility: leave no stone unturned) and Happou ni me wo kubaru ( = keep an eye on all quarters).

Much obliged.

"Abrupt end?" I think I covered what I wanted. I didn't go into exhaustive examples, but that's not really my intention.

My point in these articles is to catch your attention and invite you to dive in and investigate for yourself rather than to write an exhaustive treatise on the language.

I haven't received much (any, really) feedback or requests for subjects to cover (except from Jun), so I'm pretty much flying blindly here. If someone has questions or ideas that they'd like to see addressed, I'd be happy to take a shot at it. I'll also do my best to answer any questions that the other more-qualified individuals on this board haven't already covered.