#scottmrodell

[swordsmanbonsai]

Did a little fine wiring this past week on one of my “Snow Rose.” Experimenting with getting more depth of field with my cell phone camera. Tweaked in Pixelmator Pro. Better, but quite what I’d like. Happy with the direction this little trees is going though.

[steelandcotton]

Twilight Jianfa!

After training 3 days at Rodell Laoshi’s St. Paul Seminars, they wanted to test their sword skills. So out they went to the local plaza for some friendly bouting.

Seen on the left is Richard Son Su Meyer, director of Great River Taoist Center Twin Cities. And on the right is Quinatzin De La Torre. Both are long time students of Rodell Laoshi.

Note that both have years of experience in full contact swordplay and are able to control the power of their blows, even at full speed. Less experienced practitioners must don proper swordplay armor, particularly head and eye protection, when bouting.

[swordsmanbonsai]

LíngLóng Ponderosa Pine

淩龍黃松~

Having a bit of fun, experimenting with how the light plays on the pine and walls as it streams in during the early morning. 

Every morning is a bit different…

Let me know which you prefer? If there is one you like more than the other.

[swordsmanbonsai]

Rainy morning… my “Drooping Pine.” A little more work to do, but taking shape. Have to think of a more poetic name than drooping pine…

[swordsmanbonsai]

The Fudo Juniper that greets you as you enter the Bonsai Collection at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

[swordsmanbonsai]

A few more of the Trees lining the entrance way to Bonsai Exhibit at Hoshun-In in Kyoto.

[steelandcotton]

"Never give a sword to a man who cannot dance.” Or at least Confucius is reportedly said so, though this quote is more likely apocryphal than genuine. If he had did indeed written this, Confucius would have no doubt have been using it as a metaphor for not placing someone in a position they are not qualified to fill. If we take this idea literally, then Confucius probably would have actually meant dancing when asked whether or not to trust someone with a Jiàn. Though probably not the sort of dancing you are thinking of. Confucius lived during the later Zhou dynasty (ca. 551–479 BC). During his life, and in many dynasties to come, “Sword Dances” were performed as ritual. The term Jiànwǔ (劍舞, literally, sword dance) was also used to describe the forms used to train soldiers. Minority peoples also practiced war dances to prepare for combat. These ritual court and religious dances required a high degree of precision, flow, and intent. Which is to say nothing of good body mechanics. As do forms practiced by large numbers of men at arms at close quarters when drilling. It then follows that if one is unable to “dance” well with a sword in hand, then it is also unlikely that he’ll flow well in swordplay. Consider if one cannot flow deftly, without hesitation, from one movement to the next in sword forms, or hesitates, rather than moving seamlessly from deflection to cut as one intent, then how can one expect to “dance” smoothly, like a swimming dragon, following and fluidly countering when one’s duifang’s sends blows are raining down?

Lack of preparation in the form of forms (“dances”), training in the Basic Cuts, partner drills, and a methodical progression from fixed step to moving swordplay practice, often results in the sort of slapping together of blades during swordplay derided by past sword teachers. One example from the manual, Zǐwǔ Jiàn by Huáng Hànxūn, advises, “Don’t mutually strike (swords) together at the same time…” And the Yang Family Taijiquan Skill and Essential Points by Huang Yuanxiu records, “The sword is never easy to pass down. Straight forward and back is incomprehensible. If you fake it, cutting like a saber, the old immortal Sanfeng will laugh to death.”

From a modern point of view, if you can’t “dance,” you should at least be cautious about jumping right into swordplay. Dancers move with the rhythm and flow of the music, and with their partners. They intuit the flow and use movements they’ve practiced to follow that pattern. Sounds a good deal like swordplay. If one hasn’t yet learned to “dance” beautifully through the sword form with the same sort of focus and intent of the ancient sword dances, don’t expect to flow with the duifang’s cuts as they rain down, it could be fairly easy to fall into the error 

The fix is easy- Practice sword forms as if there’s a duifang there doing his best to cut you. Visual his movements and move with them. Train with a historically accurate sword to avoid misconceptions that arise from light weight, improperly balanced “weapons.”  Practice your form mindfully to perfection and you’ll see a difference in your swordplay.

~Scott M. Rodell

[swordsmanbonsai]

During my visit to Japan this spring, I visited the new Bonsai Exhibit at Hoshun-In in Kyoto. No surprise that I took a lot of photos. Tumblr only allows me to share 10 at a time, so watch for installments over the next week. Here are the trees that line the walkway to the main exhibition area.

Enjoy…

[swordsmanbonsai]

Experimental Mimosa~

Little Mimosa Trees volunteer around the garden. They are not native, so they get pulled out. Last year I thought I might try one as a Bonsai/Penzai and potted up this one when it was about 3” tall. I let it grow without any wiring, pinching it back now and then. They really are strong growers, and this one would easily be three times its current height if I had not pinched it back repeatedly again this year.

As you can see, I’ve gotten some nice, twisty movement into the trunk. This is the third wiring this year. Given how fast they grow, Mimosa take the wired shape quickly, in just a few weeks. But they also have thin bark and scar easily. Considering how fast they grow, I’m fairly confident the scaring will fade. If not, I’ll open up the scares more to make them appear more natural and not stripes from the wire. 

Repeatedly pinching back the new growth eventually resulted in some ramification. That was something I had a question about. No doubt I will have to keep and eye on it and continue the pinching back to keep it from shooting up and force more ramification.

[swordsmanbonsai]

$12 and 24 Months…

Bonsai/Penzai need not be an expensive art. I purchased this Focus as a “Pre-bonsai” 2 years ago at a local nursery for just $12. (See other “Seaside Ficus” posts below for a look back where I started). I planted it over a coral stone I picked on the beach in Florida in an old pot I had hanging around. I lightly fertilized it every two weeks the first year with 3-3-3. In just two years just look how far it developed.

If you’re new to Bonsai, and especially if you haven’t an outdoor space to overwinter trees, all the Ficus species are a great choice to get started. 

[swordsmanbonsai]

Yamadori ~ Shaping the Trunk…

It came to me slowly, but found a nice line.

Collecting this White Pine, I had no image in my mind of where it would go. I do endeavor to listen to the tree when styling and find the shape it wants to bend into. Slowly one length at a time, working from the base upwards, I bent him this way and that, following movement that was there.

I’m please with where we have arrived thus far. I was not expecting to use the entire length of this pine, but there it is. I have a good sense of how I will create the apex, but I’ve already contorted him as much as I think I should for this season. I was advised to let it rest and recover from being collected and not work on styling until next year. Sound advice no doubt. But this might be the only new tree I work with this year, and it is hard to put the creative impulse on hold for a year.

[swordsmanbonsai]

Getting in a little spring wiring on my Ficus Bonsai. Developed good taper on this little tree. Need to spread some of the branches to achieve that old tree feeling.

[swordsmanbonsai]

Cascading Japanese Maple Bonsai~

A "small" gift from a friend in my local Bonsai Club. I shaped her last year, waiting to see where new branches will pop. Getting some nice ramification.

[swordsmanbonsai]

Koyasan’s Ancient Cedars~

For me, nature is my inspiration for Bonsai/Penzai. Visiting Koyasan, walking through the vast graveyard with its towering Cedar Trees, most certainly made an impression. There are few places where one can pause to marvel at 400 to 600 year old trees of any species. Koyasan is a rare place to enjoy such ancient trees and the blankets of moss covering nearly everything.

[swordsmanbonsai]

Twisted Maple in Winter~

I loved the curve and flow the branches, but bonsai/penzai are never finished. And those nice wavy limbs will elongate and the tree will lose its sense of balance with a couple of lanky branches shooting off. Clipping them should encourage ramifaction. The buds are healthy, so I expect a pair of branches to sprout from where I clipped them.

These are before and after pruning photos. In one a masked out the existing branch on the left. I will see how it grows out this spring and will likely clip off clean. This maple also straighten up a bit over winter. I’ll listen to the tree and not try to bend it further again. However, I will have to bring some of the branches down a bit to recapture the original feel.

I collected this tree from my backyard and have been growing it for two years.

[swordsmanbonsai]

Stone Lion Ficus Growing Out~

It’s been just over a year since I planted this Ficus (Banyan Tree) over the Stone Lion. It’s grown out quite a bit, so time for some wiring and a bit of pruning so it doesn’t over grow the statue.

I’ll keep an eye on the wire. Given how fast these Ficus can grow, it’s easy to get wire scarring.