All Is Already There!

During Paul’s calligraphy session mid-class, he wrote “Tōgi ku ni tamotarete iru” the way Hatsumi Sensei wrote it in the past. (1) 

Imagine a world where every possible outcome, every attack, every event—already exists, shimmering just beneath the surface of the present moment. That is not just the stuff of science fiction or mystical poetry; it’s a concept deeply embedded in Japanese thought and, surprisingly, echoed in modern psychology.

As I couldn’t find the same kanji, I used the romaji instead of the beautiful calligraphy. The sentence became 透義句に保たれている (Tōgi ku ni tamotarete iru). 

Paul, after reading it, said three things: 
a) The AI explanation is excellent.
b) The characters are not so great.
c) It is better to use Sensei’s characters. (2)

The calligraphy suggests that all meanings, actions, and events are “preserved” or “maintained” within the same space and time. Imagine a pond: every ripple, every reflection, every possibility is already there, waiting to be seen from the right angle. Like every ancient culture, the Japanese language conveys not only meaning but also a distinct way of perceiving the world.  That is not just “linguistic artistry”; it has roots within the fabric of Japanese spirituality. All religions know that and teach it. Whether it is Buddhism, Shintō, or Zen, all things are interconnected at some level. Visible or invisible. (3)

So, if everything is interconnected, then it makes sense that when you are facing Sensei, you get the feeling that “he knows” what you will do next. In a way, he is cheating! 

Surprisingly, this ancient wisdom, or its modern application in budō, finds a contemporary echo in Malcolm Gladwell’s book, “Blink.” Gladwell explores the phenomenon of “thin-slicing” – our ability to make split-second decisions based on seemingly minimal information. Experts, he argues, don’t consciously analyse every detail; instead, they tap into a vast reservoir of experience and intuition, arriving at the correct answer almost instantly. (4)

Think of an art expert who knows a painting is a forgery at first glance, a martial artist watching a fake movement, or a firefighter who senses a building is about to collapse without knowing why. In these moments, all possibilities and outcomes are, in a sense, “already available.” The expert doesn’t calculate; he accesses what’s already there, much like the master who responds to an attack without thinking. This ability to read “between the lines” of reality is what makes the difference between a good Budōka and an excellent one.

What unites these perspectives is a profound trust in the fullness of the present moment. Whether through the lens of Japanese spirituality or the science of intuition, mastery is not about controlling every variable or predicting every outcome. It’s about recognising that, beneath the surface, all possibilities already exist. The art is to access them. That was the theme in 2004 when Hatsumi Sensei taught us Yūgen no Sekai to “see the dimension of the non-manifested”. (5)

Next time you find yourself hesitating, caught between choices, remember: the answer may already be within you or in the Kūkan around you, preserved in the infinite potential of now. 

Read the air, trust your intuitions, develop your Budō skills and be happy. 

Because all is there already!

Personal note: Thank you, Paul, for your help and the class. To all Bujinkan members, when in Japan, come and train with him as he has great taijutsu and a deep understanding of Sensei’s philosophy.

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1. The computer gave me 透義句に保たれている (Tōgi ku ni tamotarete iru), but the picture is the real calligraphy by Paul, copying Sensei’s choice of kanji.
2. Paul told me that Hatsumi Sensei often uses kanji that the majority of Japanese people rarely understand. On that subject, check his latest YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAV1wN7Nzvk
3. a) Buddhism: the concept of 縁起 (Engi, or Dependent Origination) teaches that nothing exists in isolation. Every event is the result of countless interwoven causes and conditions. The present moment, then, is not just a fleeting second; it’s the culmination of all that has come before and the seed of all that will come after.
4. b) Shintō: Japan’s indigenous spirituality speaks of 結び (Musubi), the sacred force that binds all things together. In this view, the universe is a living web where past, present, and future are not separate threads but a single, ever-unfolding tapestry.
5. c) Zen Buddhism takes this even further with the idea of 一如 (Ichinyo, Non-Duality). Here, the boundaries between time and space dissolve. In deep meditation, practitioners experience the “eternal now”—a state where all outcomes are already present, and the mind is free to move without hesitation.
7. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. A must-read! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blink:_The_Power_of_Thinking_Without_Thinking
8. Yūgen no Sekai, 幽玄の世界, the dimension of things that are there, invisible and not manifested yet. Hatsumi Sensei also referred to it as “the dimension of ghosts”. But I prefer this quote by Sensei: “Ninpō is the art of rendering the invisible visible”.

PS: Don’t forget to register for the Paris Nagato Taikai at the end of the year. That is an opportunity to train with a great teacher. https://facebook.com/events/s/nagato-taikai-paris/1682157225737627/

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