An interview with Michael Chikuzen Gould

How long have you been playing shakuhachi?


28 years.


How did you discover the shakuhachi?


I was living in Kyoto and saw a poster announcing a shakuhahci concert. I wasn't sure what it was but I had some time that day before work, and it was close by and starting soon so I went to check it out. I thought the guy on the poster was a samurai.


What aspects of the shakuhachi most appealed to you when you first discovered it?


The sound(s.


Who were your main influences and what style initially appealed to you most?


Someone introduced me to John Neptune's teacher, seeing that John had just left Kyoto and was fairly well known there since he did non traditional stuff that got a lot of attention. The person introducing me figured since I was a gaijin that I would fit in well at a dojo that was used to foreigners. While at the dojo I rummaged through stacks of LPs and listened with the headphones on for hours when others were having lessons. I didn't know who anyone was but I fell in love with Yokoyama Katsuya's stuff. A few months later, I was on vacation stateside and in a bookstore in Columbus, Ohio I found two old LPs of Watazumido. I didn't know anything about him either but listened to those scratchy records over and over till I went back to Japan a month later.


What teachers do you feel have had the biggest impact on your playing and conceptions of the flute?


Taniguchi Yoshinobu for his energy and spiritual approach, Yokoyama Katsuya for his musicianship and Watazumido for his relationship with nature.


When did you move to Japan and were you playing shakuhachi when you moved there?


I moved to Japan in 1980 and began studying in 1982.


Did you have experience any bias in being accepted into the shakuhachi culture in Japan?


I think I felt the "inside/outside" stuff DR. Riley Lee speaks of but not because I was a gaijin. I went to study with Yokoyama Sensei AFTER Taniguchi Sensei stopped playing for a while and I was perceived to be and made to be felt like an "outsider" and a "guest" for quite a while. Yokoyama Sensei knew about me as I had been to his father's house several times through Taniguchi Sensei's introduction. I had played with his father and also his mother way before I met him myself. So by the time I met him he had learned to think of me as Taniguchi Sensei's deshi. Some of that feeling never totally disappeared.


How long did you live in Japan?


18 long years.


What did you do to earn a living while in Japan and studying shakuhachi?


I first was employed in the overseas division of Yazaki Soogyo where I helped them with their foreign correspondence. After that I worked for a hugh publishing company in Osaka. After I married a Japanese national I began helping medical doctors with translations and speech writing.

How have your conceptions of the flute most changed now that you have so much more experience in the culture and the instrument?


My early conceptions were defintiely influenced through my teachers playing and also through many other aspects of Japanese culture. However, since leaving Japan they have been based largely on my experience of playing itself. One builds off of one's playing experiences and must continue to redefine and build from a self referential experience all the time.


When playing flutes do you have a preference for jiari or jinashi flutes?


I have Jinashi, jiari and a "little dab'l doya" jimori flutes. I don't like flutes with a lot of ji in them. Just enough to get the pitch and balance I guess.

What schools of music have you studied and play?


Mainly Yokoyama and Taniguchi style honkyoku. I have studied some Meian and some Tozan but don't consider myself steeped in their traditions at all. I play some of their songs but with my own style.


Do you have one style of music you tend to play more and why?


I love honkyoku the most, especially "nature based" honkyokyu. Those are songs derived from nature energy and not chanting. I like some of those too but not as much. I like more modern songs for koto and shakuhachi than I do traditional ensemble pieces, although there are some of that work for me too.


I developed a relationship with nature and music in my early years of life. I lived the first five years of my life on a farm with my grandparents and mother. I tagged around with my grandfather all day, "helping" him do the work of raising animals and growing food. Every sunday, after a hard week of work, he would pull out his guitar and a small amp and play and sing. He was from Texas and would play Texas blues and country music. He also played a blues harmonica. It was such a wonderful thing to be sitting at his feet and experiencing his music. He wasn't polished as he was self taught but it was 100% pure soul going into it. He had worked on oil rigs, and had been a conductor on the Union Pacific Railroad too. He depended on nobody and it seemed everyone depended on him in some manner. He built everything he needed and raised all the food we ate at home. That spirit of self dependance was strong in his music. Everyone in my family played music, sang or danced and most did a bit of all. My mother played piano and directed choir and my brother played blues guitar too, very well. My other brother was into musicals, which I hated. I'd run out of the house when he stared singing. Anyway, in my family I was the quiet one in the corner who didn't join in. I really liked to sit and absorb it, just listen and feel it though. In college I was introduced to Buddhism and began meditation. I initially went to Japan to learn more about Buddhism but then bumped into shakuhachi. Once I heard the shakuhachi, all of the things I loved in life came together at once. The breath, being able to be so directly involved with sound production, the focus on breath, nature, the quiet spaces, etc.


What school or schools have issued you a Shihan license and which teacher or teachers perspectively?


My licenses came from Taniguchi sensei.


How do you feel your teaching style is different than traditional teachers in Japan and how do you feel it benefits students over other more traditional teaching methods?


I teach a lot on skype so the methods have to be different from Japan, where you do more imitation in a non-verbal setting. I feel that a teacher should help students make “progress” with a combination of sharing insights they have but then also not simply spoon feeding everything. If enough insights are provided, the student will catch on little by little and become aware of the many perspectives that one can view this activity of “doing shakuhachi” from.


How long have you been teaching shakuhachi?


Full time for 14 years now and part time for 3 or 4 years before that.


Is there a more important question or questions you feel I missed in this interview that you would like to share?


There are so many perspectives with shakuhachi that I’m sure we could come up with several more chapters. Thanks for your time and effort in allowing me to be on your blog.


Thanks for your time in answering these questions and for sharing your valuable knowledge!

I asked Alcvin Ramos of Bamboo-In to participate in my Masters interview series some time ago. I just received the response and wanted to share it immediately.

-How long have you been playing the shakuhachi?
18 years.

-How did you discover the shakuhachi?

I first heard the sound of the shinobue played by Hiroyuki Koinuma in the film "Ran" by Akira Kurosawa when I was in high school. It was that sound that awakened in me something that seemed to be lying dormant. I rushed to the library to research all I could on Japanese bamboo flutes. As I read about the various bamboo flutes of Japan I came across the shakuhachi, for the first time. The pictures of these fascinating looking bamboo flutes and interesting history piqued my interest. Upon hearing the deep, husky tones of the flute on a CD by Goro Yamaguchi, I knew I was to learn this flute one day. The question was when? I knew of no teachers or connections to the shakuhachi world at that time, and thought how impossible it would be for me to play this most beautiful and amazing instrument. In university, one of my classmates had a shakuhachi and I tried it, but it was cracked so it couldn't make a sound. But the sheer beauty of the bamboo and it's simple design really impacted me deeply and I resolved to get to Japan somehow to learn this instrument. So before graduation I found a job in Japan teaching for the ministry of Education and that summer right after graduation I was on a plane to Japan to start my new life. The first thing I did when I arrived in my little town (Yanai-shi) in central Japan was to seek out a shakuhachi teacher which wasn't too difficult to find.

-What aspects of the shakuhachi most appealed to you when you first discovered it?

First of all was sound....so organic and natural; peaceful yet wonderfully dynamic. Then the incredible simplicity of design which veils a profound complexity. Then the rich and fascinating history so intimately woven into Japanese culture, history, and spirituality. Irresistible to say the least!

-Who were your main influences and what style initially appealed to you most in the beginning?

In the beginning I didn't know anything so all styles appealed to me. When I started to listen to other players the ones that guided my desire to progress were Katsuya Yokoyama, Miyata Kohachiro, and Watazumi Doso.

-What teachers do you feel have had the biggest impact on your playing and conceptions of the flute?

Everyone! Each teacher encompasses all there is of each other in their own unique ways. But in a nutshell:

Katsuya Yokoyama for opening up my overall vision of limitless possibilities of the shakuhachi especially honkyoku; Marco Lienhardt for his Yamagoe; Kaoru Kakizakai (also for his Yamagoe) as well as Teruo Furuya for training me and giving me the tools to live as a shakuhachi player/teacher; Miyata Kohachiro for his Tsuru no Sugomori; Watazumi Doso for showing me how to be a shakuhachi (or more accurately a "hocchiku") warrior and the importance of being connected in body/mind/ spirit/nature with shakuhachi practice; Atsuya Okuda for teaching me another universe of jinashi sound and how incredibly, utterly beautiful and subtly complex it is once you throw away all your preconceptions; Yoshinobu Taniguchi for the passionate light of love on the Path of Bamboo; and many many more teachers and makers who have contributed profoundly to my life as a shakuhachi player. I still have much to learn on this road of bamboo.

-When did you decide to begin making shakuhachi and did you have any teachers initially?

I decided to embark on making shakuhachi in 1998. My first making teacher was Iccho Muramatsu in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Then Hoshi Bonchiku. Then Atsuya Okuda in jinashi style. Then Murai Eigoro. Then Kinya Sogawa. Then Shugetsu Yamaguchi. My interest is in making jinashi shakuahchi only.

-Who has been the biggest influence on your shakuhachi making?

They all have been equally inspirational.

-When did you decide to pursue both teaching and making as a full time venture?

In 2001 when I received my shihan license, I decided do shakuhachi as my life sustenance. I am not a full-time maker as teaching and performing take up most of my time.

-How long have you been running Bamboo-In now?

5 years.

-How have your conceptions of the flute most changed now that you have so much more experience in the culture and the instrument?

The beauty and depth of the shakuhachi is even more incredible now. I am constantly amazed. One of the great things Katsuya Yokoyama Sensei told me was that everyone creates their own shakuhachi world. For me connecting with other aspects of Japanese traditional arts and culture is part of enhancing the shakuhachi experience. Personally, my years of practice of the martial art of Aikido really enhanced my relationship to shakuhachi as the body-mind connection is the basis for all arts in Japan and the martial arts is great way to learn this deeply as well as how to relate properly to others in a learning situation. Many komuso were samurai and so understood and practiced martial ways. I also learned many excellent stretches and warm-ups that benefit shakuhachi playing.

I also studied tea ceremony for a few years which gave me a deep sense of the Japanese aesthetic and atmosphere. There is so much inspiration in the tea experience. How space is used in the construction of architecture; how to relate to other beings in a space in a beautiful way; appreciation of the details of art and the senses; all applicable to the shakuhachi experience. To play shakuhachi in a tea room/house after having tea is a perfect experience.

I continue to practice sitting meditation (zazen) in conjunction with shakuhachi practice. For example after 2 hours of sitting (interspersed with walking meditation) I play 30 minutes of honkyoku. Silent meditation really energizes my shakuhachi playing in general. Going out by the ocean and blowing RO for 1 hour is also a regular practice of mine. It does wonders for your overall sound.

I organize pilgrimages to Japan every few years to harvest bamboo for shakuhachi making and visit komuso temples to pay respect to the ancestors of shakuhachi and of course to take lessons with the masters and to experience the many joys of Japanese culture. I feel these are invaluable experiences for the shakuhachi student.

Everyone is unique and beautiful like each individual piece of bamboo. I consider it a miracle that I am doing what I am doing and am extremely happy. When I first started shakuhachi I told myself, if I ever learn how to play this instrument with even an acceptable amount of proficiency, my life would be complete and I can die happy. There are so many obstacles in learning shakuhachi from the financial, to cultural, to mental and physical. I've dealt with all of these to a considerable extent. But somehow I persevered because of my love of this instrument and have come this far. Hard to believe for me.

The shakuhachi has opened up worlds for me that is pure beauty and love. I still have lots to learn and feel like I have only scratched the surface of the shakuhachi experience.

-When making flutes do you have a preference for jiari or jinashi flutes and why?

Jinashi because this is what I choose to concentrate on.

-What schools of music have you studied and play?

As far as Japanese shakuhachi styles go: Tozan, Kinko, Dokyoku, Zensabo, Minyo. In the beginning, I mainly concentrated on traditional ensemble pieces. Then it was only koten honkyoku for many years. In other Japanese music, I also played taiko for a year in my early shakuhachi days, and actually came very close to applying for the Kodo apprenticeship program, but decided to focus on only shakuhachi. Later, I studied Satsuma Biwa and singing for one year while I was in Japan with Yukio Tanaka to get a deeper understanding of certain Japanese musical aesthetics. Then later when I felt I attained an acceptable level of technical skill and feel of the shakuhachi sound, I started doing improvisation more in a jazz and rock context then experimenting with playing with other traditions such as Indian, Celtic, African, Chinese, etc. Recently, the world of the Chinese guqin (7-sringed bridge-less zither) has opened up to me and I started studying and playing this most beautiful instrument. I consider this the stringed equivalent of the shakuhachi as there are many parallels in philosophy, aesthetics, music , and history. Very fascinating!

From an early age, I've always loved electronic ambient music (actually one of the big reasons I started playing shakuhachi was because I got the same feeling when I listened to deep space electronic ambient music!), so now I'm really immersing myself in playing shakuhachi in that sound world collaborating with various ambient atmospheric and live PA musicians and creating music in that genre.

-Do you have one style of music you tend to play more?

It depends on the situation. But mostly Dokyoku as that is what I mainly teach. In the last several years, I have been experimenting with playing new music with taiko and percussion players, fusion rock bands, and ambient electronic music. I enjoy playing with other instrumentalists from different musical traditions from all around the world. I recently was introduced to humpback whale music by one of my musical collaborators who is a leading authority on the subject and have been fascinated by their songs and find that shakuhachi can play whale music very well!

-As I understand it you have earned your Dai Shihan license recently with Taniguchi. Did he also award you your Shihan license?

No. My Shihan license was from Kaoru Kakizakai and Katsuya Yokoyama. Interestingly, I didn't receive a shakuhachi "geimei" artist name from them. Although I didn't study with Taniguchi Sensei for an extended amount of time, he granted me an honorary Dai Shihan title as he felt I deserved it based on his assessment of my skill in playing shakuhachi during our lessons together. I didn't expect that actually. I was ready to study 10 or 20 or more years with him until that time, but he said I was ready. So I accepted it. The name he gave me is 'Ryu Zen" which means "Dragon Meditation".

-Do you teach online or in person more than the other?

Mostly online now.

-Your website says you offer lessons via Skype. Do you feel Skype is an equally effective tool for teaching shakuhachi?

To an extent. Person to person is the BEST way to learn of course. Through internet, you can't hear and feel the real sound of the shakuahchi and you can't interact with the student and the flutes so closely. So you do your best with the limitations. But it is quite effective despite the limitations.

-If there was one piece of advice you could share with someone aspiring to become the best player they could be, what would it be?

Study with a good teacher consistently learning everything you can from them. Practice long hours. Go to Japan if you can and feel the culture and atmosphere. Learn about the whole process of shakuhachi from harvesting to making, to playing so that you can be intimate with the whole experience of shakuhachi. Connect with nature and your environment; know yourself and your limitations and accept everything in the moment and try to improve daily. And don't forget the feeling you first got when your heart first heard the shakuhachi!

-Thanks for taking the time to thoughtfully fill out the questions and thank you for all you do for the shakuhachi community!

It is my pleasure!

Thanks to Alcvin Ramos again for the time he took to complete this. Stay tuned for more.

I asked Brian Tairaku Ritchie to participate in an interview and he was kind enough to do so. Her are his insights and answers. Thanks Brian!

• How long have you been playing shakuhachi?

I started playing shakuhachi in 1996 right after moving to New York City.

• How did you first become exposed to the shakuhachi?

The first time I encountered a shakuhachi was in my teen years when Ensemble Nipponia played in Milwaukee but it didn't make much of an impression on me. Second time was in Japan Town San Francisco, where I saw one in a shop and tried to play it. I was impressed by the fact that I couldn't get a sound because I am a natural multi-instrumentalist and this failure baffled me. The third time was at at flute conference in Times Square NYC and that was the time I got a sound and bought one. Luckily for me James Nyoraku heard he trying out the flute and handed me his business card.

• What aspects of the shakuhachi most appealed to you when you discovered it?

I was attracted to the simplicity of it, and the fact that it was portable and could be played solo. I was intrigued by the association with zen, because I was practicing zazen and thought a musical meditation practice might suit me better. And then the sound of it got me because of its hypnotic nature.

• What teachers do you feel have had the biggest impact on your playing and conceptions of the flute?

James Nyoraku Schlefer had a great influence upon me because he's the guy who actually taught me how to play. So he's number one. After that I have taken the most lessons with Yodo Kurahashi II and learned a tremendous amount from him not only about playing but also his humorous and insightful anecdotes. John Singer has had a huge influence on me not only from studying Kinko music with him but also because he is the most knowledgeable person in the West (and more knowledgeable than most Japanese players) about flutes. I took quite a few lessons from Ronnie Seldin, he's quite a devoted shakuhachi person. Marco Leinhard and Michael Chikuzen Gould are other people I've studied a bit with, and then a lot of the people who visited the festivals or NYC for workshops.

• What schools of music have you studied and play?

I am licensed to teach Jin Nyodo style which is a great place to be because that encompasses Kinko honkyoku and gaikyoku, Nezasaha, Myoan and some minyo and gagaku pieces. It's a well rounded repertoire. I've also picked up pieces here and there from other Myoan schools, Yokoyama style and some others. I also play jazz, blues, rock and other songs on the shakuhachi but that's stuff I developed on my own.

• Do you have one style of music you tend to play more?

I have been playing a lot of the simpler Myoan honkyoku lately because my main practice takes place in my teahouse, Chado-The Way of Tea. It suits the ambiance. And I do a fair bit of improvisation, usually on jazz tunes or minyo themes.

• How have your conceptions of the flute most changed now that you have so much more experience in the culture and the instrument?

When I started I was a fundamentalist. I only played traditional Japanese music. Gradually I was asked to do crossover stuff in Western music and because of my previous musical experience that was easy. Once that door opened I started to see the possibilities with that and developed many of my own concepts along those lines which are embodied in my CD's. But honkyoku is still my first love and that's what I spend most of my time on.

• As I understand it you have earned your Jun Shihan license. What school or schools have issued you a Jun Shihan license?

By the time you publish this I'll be a Shihan. Kurahashi Sensei offered me one a long time ago but gave me the option of waiting until he changed his name to Kurahashi Yodo II which happens in a few days. I received my Jun Shihan from James Nyoraku Schlefer and the calligraphy was done by Kurahashi Sensei. James, Ronnie and Yoshio got together and came up with my name "Tairaku". This is related to the Jin Nyodo style.

• Do you teach very often? If so do you find you do more in person lessons or online?

I teach only face to face. I have some students, but unfortunately I have yet to develop any students to advanced levels because since I started teaching I haven't stayed in one place long enough.

• As I understand it you have a rather large shakuhachi collection. When did you begin seriously collecting shakuhachi?

I have a pretty serious collection of shakuhachi but that's not because I'm a collector. A collector would just stick to one type or maker or some other systematic plan. I just bought a lot of flutes I like to play. None of them were purchased because of they are collectable. I have a collection of notation, woodblock prints, tengai, komuso garb, books, CD's and other shakuhachi memorabilia.

• Is there one particular type of shakuhachi you prefer over another when you are looking for a flute to add to the collection?

It's very subjective. I just play the flute and if I love it (and I can afford it) I'll consider buying it. I tend to like large bore flutes preferably with a wide diameter and large holes. This is because of the fact that I'm a big guy. But if the tone is engrossing and complex I can admire any flute. Usually if I play a flute and it causes a tingling sensation in my head like being hit with an acupuncture needle I'll take a closer look at the shakuhachi. I'm more interested in the energy transfer of a flute than in normal musical concerns. I consider them vectors for energy.

• If you were to choose one flute in your collection you are really fond of which one would it be and why?

I have a delicious jinashi 1.8 by Okubo Kodo. Kodo was a Kinko maker who made normal two piece jiari Kinko flutes early in his career. Then he was influenced by Watazumi to make jinashi Myoan flutes later in his career. This is of the latter type. I can really get lost in the tone of this flute. It is unique in my collection in that every note has a perfect tone. Usually shakuhachi have some notes that speak better than the others. I also love it because it fits very well in my hands. Honorable mention to an old Myoan 2.0, my favorite Taimu, a 2.3 called "Frankenschwantz", a 2.0 wide bore by Gudo Ishibashi and a 3.0 Taimu which is the most powerful very long flute I've found.

• You were instrumental in the development of the Taimu flute along with Ken Lacosse of Mujitsu flutes. How did you and Ken get the idea to try and push the limits of the bore and how do you feel it has affected the shakuhachi world?

Ken made a one octave extremely wide bore flute from scrap bamboo from a hardware store in Japan Town. I told him, "I find otsu on this very appealing. Unfortunate that it goes haywire in kan." He said that was physics. But then John Singer brought a 2.0 from Gudo Ishibashi which was very wide bore but still played well. So we knew it was possible. Ken started experimenting with pushing the limits and coping with the tuning issues inherent in the huge bores. I gave him input on some flutes, particularly the first batch of Taimu. He does all the work, I just tell him what I like and don't like and what needs to be improved on a given flute. I don't know what impact Taimu has had on the shakuhachi world but I've heard from individual players that they've been a revelation to them. I think in the future Ken will be respected and Taimu flutes will be collector's items. They are works of art.

• Do you find you play the Taimu flute now more than a standard bore flute?

I play Taimu flutes every day but I still play a lot of somewhat more conventional dimension flutes. Very few of my flutes are really conventional in the sense of commercial jiari flutes for shinkyoku. I always start out my playing day with Taimu because it's a workout and then go back and forth. Most of my other flutes are vintage Myoan and Kinko from the late 1800's or early 1900's or else they're by Ishibashi Gudo.

• You are renowned for your mastery of the bass guitar and having laid the groundwork for folk punk music with your band the Violent Femmes. Have you ever incorporated the shakuhachi into shows you have done with the Violent Femmes?

Sure, I've played it on several VF recordings and also used it live quite a bit. As a result I've been able to expose large audiences to honkyoku. I blew "Sashi" for 30,000 people at Meriweather Post in Maryland. And there were a few other times when the acoustics were good that I was able to do it for 2 or 3000 people without the aid of a microphone.

• You have another band called the “Shakuhachi Club” which has branches all over the world including NYC, Pisa, Milwaukee, San Francisco, Reykjavik and Tasmania. Did you plan to create the different shakuhachi clubs or did it just happen?

Playing jazz and improvised music on shakuhachi is not a commercial touring proposition, so I pick up musicians wherever I go to to regional gigs. I have a lot of great musicians as friends. I give them the charts, rehearse a few times and off we go.

• Do you try to play different types of music depending on which club you are with?

The themes we explore are fairly simple, being either jazz, blues, honkyoku, minyo or my own originals. Usually I give them the melody and a rough idea of the chords if there are any. The rest is up to the interpretation of the musicians. This means that each lineup of the band sounds very different than the others, even if the material is the same. I like it because I get a thrill from hearing what the other musicians do. I don't have a rigid idea of how the songs must sound.

• In recent years you have moved to Australia. Do you find there is a large shakuhachi community in Australia?

There is a very high level of awareness of shakuhachi in Australia, mostly due to the profile raising work of Riley Lee. He has done so many performances around Australia that most educated music listeners have had an encounter with the shakuhachi. This situation does not exist anywhere else in the West. There are a bunch of other shakuhachi players in Australia but I haven't had much opportunity to interact with them because I'm in Tasmania. However Anne Norman is coming here next week to play at Chado.

• Besides co creating the Taimu with Ken Lacosse you also co created the shakuhachi forum that has grown to become one of the best shakuhachi resources on the net with Ken Lacosse. How much of a challenge has it been to find the time and patience to manage that along with all your other projects?

It's not very time consuming editorially, but Ken has his hands full with the technical side. We created a lot of different categories on the forum so that people could look up the information they are interested in. So the archives are full of a lot of good stuff but you have to wade through other off topic things and misinformation to get to it. Sometimes we have troublemakers on the forum. We just try to keep an eye on it and put out the little brush fires that occur when there are people interacting with one another. We are aware that almost by definition Westerners who gravitate towards shakuhachi or Asian thought might be a bit weird and cause problems, because they have the fervor of the converted. We try to be tolerant but once in a while someone pushes our buttons, usually by abusing the hospitality. That's when we have to remind people it's like coming over to our house for a BBQ. Be nice. But I really like the people on the forum and enjoy hearing their opinions. Once and a while Ken and I worry that we've created a monster but then someone publishes a great post and it makes everything worthwhile. It's really only as good as the participants so anyone who doesn't like what goes on there is free to change the tone by contributing something intelligent.

• Is there any advice you can offer to those who are new to shakuhachi and want to get off on the right track?

The most important thing at first is to find a good teacher and practice what they give you for many hours a day. That's a simple agenda. People get caught up in a lot of theorizing and mysticism, but the important thing is to put in the time and effort to learn the instrument. After you know how to play you can try to develop your own conception or go in different directions of your own choosing.

Kohl over at the Shakuhachi Forum was good enough to post this article from Kurahashi Yodo. I am sharing it here for those who might have missed it.

The Heart of Bamboo

By Kurahashi Yodo

Translated by Ingrid Seldin

The essence of bamboo is firmness; by means of this firmness, virtue is established.

The character of bamboo is honesty; by means of this honesty, fortune is established.

The heart of bamboo is hollow; by means of this emptiness, the path is maintained.

The joints of bamboo are fidelity; by means of this fidelity, ambition is established.

The tall noble bamboo is the sole material from which the shakuhachi is made. When the pure qualities of the bamboo become infused with the breath of a living soul, Heaven and Earth become one, and a tone rich in the essence of nature flows forth. When I was young, I was fascinated by the sound of the shakuhachi and the image of the notes drifting out from a hut deep in a pine forest on a quiet moonlit night. Completely enthralled by that quality of tone, when each note seems to directly touch the heart, and wanting somehow to capture that for my own. I soon became intensely absorbed in study. After a time, when I had proudly begun to obtain a slight degree of skill, a small recital of teachers and older students was held. An unknown player, who had happened to drop by the recital hall quite unexpectedly, was invited at the last minute to play a piece. In an almost desultory frame of mind, I leisurely waited to hear how he would play, having not the slightest expectation or anticipation.

In the next instant I was jolted awake by an intense shock of excitement—a shattering blow that pierced through to the very core of my being. With superior transcendence of pitch and rhythm, with a tremendous, frightening strength, with the driving force of a cascading waterfall—it was as if I had been ushered into a fascinating enchanted land by the devilish melody. Like thunder out of a clear blue sky, my pride at my small prowess was struck down. My blood recoiled, its current reversed back on itself, and in this fearful condition my whole body froze as if turned to stone. Immobilized by blank amazement, I reached the highest peaks of excitement and stimulation. I had the sensation of looking up from below to see a towering precipice that had risen before my very eyes. Is it possible that sound waves created by only one shakuhachi could produce such a deep impression of shock on a listener? In that one instant, by that precarious chance encounter, I had met the man who was to be my teacher for life: the late Jin Nyodo—and not only that, were it not for this occasion I might never have heard honkyoku.

Honkyoku is Zen-oriented shakuhachi music which exists on quite a different plane from the average music performed at concerts. The name itself refers to that music which is the original or true path of the shakuhachi. The shakuhachi was in fact used as a tool for enlightenment and for a deep examination of the self or ego—the Zen phrase for this is “To see your true self.” Thus, another name for these special pieces is “Original Self music.” Classical honkyoku refers to the music used in Zen training by the Fuke sect, which employed the shakuhachi as a means through which to become a bodhisattva. Were such a goal to be reached, the music would become a vehicle for the propagation of the divine miracles of Kannon, the Goddess of Compassion, and thus assure the ultimate salvation of all living beings.

So, the sound which had taken me so firmly in its grip, was actually tempting me to enter the path and become a bodhisattva. In fact, it is still constantly reverberating inside me and flowing through my veins. Even to this day it has yet to fade or diminish. With all of my strength, I am seeking bodhisattvahood, and the struggle to reach the state of enlightenment has become my life’s daily bread. To aim for a distant mountain summit, when you are only seeing it from so utterly far away and wanting to reach it, seems like such a hopeless task. But by taking only one step forward—even at such a slow pace, provided that you throw your whole self into that step—you discover a special sensation, a slight feeling or hint of Sanmai [literally “three tastes,” a state in meditation where one is totally absorbed in concentration, outside things forgotten, and the whole body may become tingling or numb.]

The history of Zen Shakuhachi dates back over 700 years ago, to the monk Hotto Kokuji, who was the founder of the Kokokuji Temple in Kishu, and brought back the suizen [“blowing Zen” as opposed to “sitting Zen”] piece called “Kyorei” from China. It was from this point on that the shakuhachi became the special meditation tool of the Fuke Sect, and this can be considered the origin of the modern shakuhachi. In the early seventeenth century, an edict was issued stating: “In the matter of the Zen sect known as Fuke, it shall henceforth be the refuge and facility of the samurai, and the ronin shall therein find protection and a way of life…” Thus, the Fuke Sect became the special home of the troublesome ronin, masterless samurai, who had the chance to trade in their swords for a shakuhachi and follow the way of bamboo, which was at least as equally noble a pursuit as the way of the sword. Those ronin became komuso, or wandering shakuhachi-playing monks who wore a concealing basket over their heads. The komuso came to function as a spy network for the shogunate, which is why the fortunes of the Fuke Sect suffered a complete reversal when the government changed: in the fourth year of the Meiji era [1871], the Fuke sect was abolished by ministerial proclamation and all its temples were abandoned.

At the time, commoners, or those who were not Fuke priests, were forbidden to play the shakuhachi, and so the tradition of shakuhachi almost died out. Because there was no successor to the tradition, it seems probable to me that many famous pieces of shakuhachi music were irretrievably lost in this period. But, near the end of the nineteenth century, the shakuhachi experienced a revival and became a concert instrument.

The present age is one in which our very human nature has come to be denied or disregarded. It seems that, without the least opposition, the natural world is being destroyed and the spirit of man is being needlessly and senselessly destroyed. Well, in times of this sort, it happens that people desiring to master classical shakuhachi music are on the increase. What can this mean? There is even a kind of longing among the young people from foreign countries, who, cherishing their hopes, come all the way to Japan to frequent the dojo. Sitting for long hours in the correct posture while the sweat is pouring down; trying to endure the agony and not pay it any attention; bringing all one’s efforts to bear in patient concentration on this uncomfortable instrument; filling it with all of one’s breath; and somehow in the process, trying to reach a state of perfect freedom and release. What could possibly tempt these shakuhachi players into following such a course? Is it fascination with the vision of the solitary shakuhachi player entering a state of oneness or fusion with the universe, or perhaps the desire to extend oneself to the ultimate limits of one’s breath? In this era of the denial of humanity, it is said that we have to go back to the sensual experiences of the body as our starting point.

However you look at it, I think, it is the shakuhachi—that instrument which consists of nothing more than a stick of bamboo—that can surely satisfy restless spirits. To the question: “What sort of person are you, really, inside and what lies concealed there?”—the shakuhachi will undoubtedly supply an answer. Kurahashi Yodo was a Grand Master of the shakuhachi and has received many honorifics and prizes. He lived in Kyoto, Japan and China.

If you are here you almost certainly visit The Shakuhachi Forum. If you don't or you missed the post, there is a great interview with Katsuya Yokoyama from Mejiro-Japan out right now. I will mirror it here. Please feel free to download it and enjoy the read.

I recently asked Justin Senryu to do an interview for the blog. He is the maker of my main 1.8 flute that I study with daily. After spending so much time with this great flute, I wanted to find out more about the person behind it. I received his replies to my questions today and wanted to share them with you here. I hope you enjoy them.

An interview with Justin Senryu
by Brian Purdy

-How long have you been playing shakuhachi?

About 4 years.

-How did you discover the shakuhachi?

My brother had an LP of Yamaguchi Goro's honkyoku. That was the first time I heard the shakuhachi. Something about it, the tone colour I think, captivated me and remained with me until about a year later when I saw the instrument for the first time while I was living in India. I had previously stayed in Thailand training in meditation in the monasteries there, and during that time I had experiences which connected me to bamboo, giving me a feeling of appreciation and wonder. So, finally seeing the beauty of the instrument whose sound had left such an impression on me, this wonderful natural bamboo, doubly impressed me.

My friend whose shakuhachi it was, then explained to me how this instrument was that of wandering Buddhist monks, who would travel across Japan, homeless and on a perpetual pilgrimage through the valleys and forests. My friend was a great story teller. Like any great story teller, the line between fact and fiction was a grey but pleasant one. Anyway, I felt a lot of resonance with this story, as I myself was quite fitting to that description. It was not for several more years that I started studying shakuhachi, but it was from this time that I carried the intention to learn.

-What aspects of the shakuhachi most appealed to you when you first discovered it?

I think this is mostly answered above. The decisive factor really was the nature of the music. I had dedicated myself to spiritual practice, and in our tradition music played very little part. Before I met my master I had spent a lot of time singing and playing devotional music in India. For me this is a very fulfilling activity. There is no audience. We are all devotees, whether brahmin, beggar, priest, mother or child. And all celebrating God. Together. For me this is the best kind of music.

My master was Buddhist, and our training is generally neither social nor creative, as such. For me it is the best training, and is very efficient for transforming the mind. So much of my time was spent alone, at times I would go to study or attend teachings, and rarely in other activities. However, as the years went by, I realised that I missed the creativity of the devotional singing and music making I used to do with my Hindu brothers and sisters, which had now become only a rare treat. There seems to be a creative fire in me, and the most healthy thing seemed to be to allow that, and even nurture it.

I realised I wanted to study an instrument deeply. And shakuhachi seemed to be the most suitable instrument for me, having a music which is designed on a non-egotistical basis. Much music is based on "self" expression. As with devotional music, the shakuhachi honkyoku is also a kind of "self-less" expression. Whether or not that is actualized or not is, of course, up to the individual. But as a basis, this gives a very good foundation for the music, and makes it very suitable for a potentially spiritual practice. Also technically, I find that shakuhachi honkyoku requires both strong concentration and relaxation. This is precisely the combination of elements required in meditation. This is an important reason as to why or how shakuhachi honkyoku is complimentary to meditation practice. I say complimentary, because I believe it cannot be a replacement for meditation practice.

-Who were your main influences and what style initially appealed to you most in the beginning?

In answer to the question of main influences, and your next question of teachers' impact, certainly my Buddhist master has been my main influence and guiding force. This provides the meaning and basis of my music.

In terms of styles - when I started studying, I had no idea about the different styles and genres. I never asked my teacher, Michael Coxall of Kinko-ryu Chikumeisha, to teach me anything in particular. I just asked to study, and learned anything he would teach me. Perhaps this is from my Buddhist training, for which we generally do not ask to be taught this or that. It is the teacher who knows what the student should be taught. All I knew was that I wanted to study, and Michael was an excellant teacher.

After several months of study, I borrowed some CDs from Michael. I had already been studying the different genres Michael teaches, of Sankyoku, honkyoku and shinkyoku. But the CDs gave me a chance to hear a wider variety of music. The music I most loved from that, was the honkyoku of Yokoyama Katsuya's school. It was then that I realised I would have to go to Japan to learn more about the shakuhachi world.

-What teachers do you feel have had the biggest impact on your playing and conceptions of the flute?

I have really appreciated all of the teachers who have taught me. I have studied a variety of styles, so each teacher has made a big impact for me on each of their respective styles. Furuya Teruo has a great understanding of music, and outstanding mastery of technique. He has been a great influence on me as one of my main teachers. Yokoyama Katsuya of course has been a great influence for me, both through Furuya Teruo (his student) and directly while studying with him. Both of these teachers have not only been my guide for their repertoire but also for deepening my understanding of music in general.

Araki Kodo V, another of my main teachers, has a very different style and approach to Yokoyama and Furuya. His is the oldest tradition of Kinko-ryu honkyoku and sankyoku, and also for me the most refined and fitting to my tastes. But his influence has also extended to my whole approach to the instrument, especially in his mastery of tone colour. It was for this reason that Yokoyama encouraged me to study with him.

With Kurahashi Yoshio I studied about 20 pieces, 12 of which were honkyoku. Although it was early in my shakuhachi studies, this gave me an appreciation for and inquisitiveness towards the older roots of the honkyoku repertoire, and simpler ways of playing. This has led me to researching further into the history of the music, and so has had a continuing influence.

Fujiyoshi Etsuzan has been a great influence both through his vast repertoire and wealth of knowledge, really broadening my understanding of the historical developments of shakuhachi music, and encouraging my passion and love for study and research both in playing and in terms of history. Again, his approach is different from my other teachers which helps to broaden my understanding and playing ability further.

Iwata Ritsuen has been another important teacher for me, as one of the very few masters of Seien-ryu. The honkyoku of this school are the original Fudaiji honkyoku. These honkyoku have become some of the most popular honkyoku today through Higuchi Taizan, who arranged them into new versions and included them as the basis for his school, Taizan-ha, also known as Myoan-ryu or Meian-ryu. From there they also spread across Japan. Jin Nyodo also studied these pieces and made his own arrangements so they also exist in his school. To study them in the original Seien-ryu style from which they came has been very valuable for me, both for playing them in that older style, and also to deepen my understanding of the arrangements of these pieces which I have already studied from the other lineages.

These have been the main influences on my playing. Concerning my "conceptions of the flute", to this I would also add that studying from books and shakuhachi experts has been very important for me. Some of my friends here in Japan have spend up to 60 years or more studying shakuhachi playing and history. They have been an invaluable source of knowledge. And, sharing the passion and love for the instrument is also what brings this aspect alive and makes it so enjoyable.

-When did you decide to begin making shakuhachi and did you have any teachers initially?

Actually the first shakuhachi I made was before my first lesson. I needed a shakuhachi to start studying, so I made one. I had lived in China for a year and while I was there I studied xiao, which shares a common ancestor with shakuhachi. I studied using a professionally made xiao, and had made a couple from plastic for fun. So making a plastic shakuhachi was not so difficult. It was in tune and worked fine for my first months of lessons until I had the chance to buy a professional shakuhachi, which my teacher bought for me on one of his trips to Japan.

On my first trip to Japan I learned some basics of shakuhachi making. After I returned to England, I realised that the only way I could really continue my studies of honkyoku and shakuhachi making was to return to Japan.

-Who has been the biggest influence on your shakuhachi making?

Araki Chikuo (Araki Kodo II). His shakuhachi have been my favourite to play. I have learned several styles of shakuhachi making from teachers living today, and all of these have helped me a lot. Each maker has different ideas and techniques, and different areas of expertise. But the shakuhachi which have most impressed me have been some rare shakuahchi from older makers, and so I have directed much of my efforts to the study of these older instruments. Good old shakuhachi are very rare, as many (most actually) old instruments are quite bad. But some of the older shakuhachi made by master makers are really outstanding, and quite different from modern shakuhachi. As I said my favourite maker is Araki Chikuo, but other outstanding makers who have influenced me are some of Chikuo's students such as his son Araki Kodo III and Miura Kindo, and older makers such as Hisamatsu Fuyo and other such Kinko-ryu makers, and also makers of other lineages such as Kokyo for old Myoan-ji style, Murase Chikuo for Fudaiji style and others.

-When did you decide to move to Japan and pursue both playing and making as a full time venture?

I started studying in England, and came to Japan to see what was here. I wanted to have a wide view of what the shakuhachi world was. When I returned to England, it didn't take long until I realised I had to come back to Japan to study what I wanted to learn. That was one year since I had started learning.

My original intention was not to live in Japan. I had not even thought of that an option. Japan is an expensive country to stay in. My intention was really to study as intensively as possible for a number of months, and just see how things went. As things turned out, I never had to leave, and have been continuing my studies ever since, as well as now working as a shakuhachi maker and teacher here.

-Did you have experience any bias in being accepted into the shakuhachi culture in Japan?

In the beginning, no not at all. People here are generally very nice, especially shakuhachi people. Only occasionally I have had some troubles. One is that it is not usual for Japanese students to study with more than one teacher. And often, if someone does go to another teacher, first they leave the other teacher and are basically cut off from that school. It is not always like that. But, generally, you only have one teacher. This applies not only to shakuhachi but to Japanese arts in general. Being a foreigner gives you more freedom in this respect and you can be given more freedom, which is lucky, although when you actually live here rather than just visit, you are expected to follow the Japanese way more.

As I have studied with a number of teachers, this has sometimes caused some friction. Some people really think that is bad, and wrong. The irony of it is that many of the most famous teachers, including most of my teachers, have studied with a number of different teachers themselves. Yokoyama Katsuya for example studied with his father and Fukuda Rando, and also with Watazumi who was from a very different lineage. Watazumi studied with a number of different teachers also. Jin Nyodo studied with shakuhachi players all across Japan. And so on. (For more details see the lineage charts on my website which give some of these details and which I intend to update with more info soon). Also, during the Edo period komuso would travel across Japan and sharing honkyoku on the road was common. It was quite different from the strict world which developed after that period.

So it is important to remember that the culture is different here, and one should always ask permission from ones teacher before studying with another teacher. My teachers are all very open, and have been encouraging towards my studies of different schools. I feel uncomfortable and sad when other students and even some friends view this as "wrong", but there is no way I can see it as wrong when I have the full consent ad encouragement of my teachers, and when I consider the reality of the history of honkyoku lineages where it was common to learn from many teachers.

Another problem is jealousy. Most people are very supportive and encouraging, and glad of what I have learned. Also being a foreigner can make them feel proud, proud that the shakuhachi brings interest from foreign countries. But, occasionally one may encounter jealousy, if someone feels uncomfortable with a newcomer whom they perceive to be good but also young, and on top of that a foreigner. I have to say though that this has been very rare in an otherwise very friendly environment. I have experienced more hostility in the foreign shakuhachi community. Perhaps because it is a smaller community, some people occasionally feel threatened if you know things they don't or if they feel you are invading their speciality, even if that is not your intention. On the whole though I find shakuhachi people everywhere to be a very nice and welcoming group of people.

-How long have you lived in Japan now?

About 3 years.

-How have your conceptions of the flute most changed now that you have so much more experience in the culture and the instrument?

I don't think being in the actual culture is very important for shakuhachi study. There are good teachers abroad such as your own teacher Michael Gould who teaches in the traditional way. I don't think there is any added bonus in being in Japan simply for normal Japanese culture. However, I have chosen to study some particular parts of Japanese culture while I have been here, which I do think have helped me. I studied Satsuma biwa, for which I also had to sing. Satsuma Biwa was played by samurai in Kyushu during the Edo period. Apart from my love of biwa music, I also felt that this would help me in my understanding of some of the auditory environment of the komuso, who were also samurai, and therefore people of both the same class and time as the Satsuma biwa players.

I also studied Kyudo. Though I have not had the opportunity to study in depth, this gave me a deeper understanding of posture and the physiological side of Japanese arts. This side was also very strictly taught by my biwa teacher. This has been useful for shakuhachi.

Other than this of course being here has been invaluable for the teachers, experts and instruments here. One excellant source of information is Riley Lee's thesis. This is a wealth of information. Riley himself has also helped me a lot with his shining example of playing and scholarship, and kind encouragement. John Singer is another who has not only mastered the shakuhachi but also has a wealth of knowledge. So there are excellant teachers and resources overseas. But I do feel very grateful for being here in Japan. Each time I study a new piece, or hear a new story, it's like another piece of the puzzle being filled in. I also feel that as I learn more, in terms of both history and playing, it enriches everything I have already learned. One example of this is where one honkyoku has been learned by someone two or three hundred years ago and then incorporated into their lineage, and passed down through time in both lineages and perhaps branching off to another, two more even. For me these are then all parts of one whole. It's like a whole picture starts to build up, and slowly get clearer and more intriguing.

My understanding of what is a "good shakuhachi" has also taken a lot of time, and I continue to learn. This has been made possible with the help of people here in Japan sharing their knowledge and opinions with me, and from playing many shakuhachi, sometimes travelling across the country to visit important historic instruments. This has been invaluable for my shakuhachi making and also historical understanding of shakuhachi.

-When making flutes do you have a preference for jiari or jinashi flutes?

I love both jiari and jinashi. Personally I usually play jinashi, but not exclusively. Both are a joy to make and to play, and it really depends on what sound I want to make for that particular moment. Also both jiari and jinashi have a great variety. So I make for myself in a variety of different styles of shakuhachi to suit the different music I like to play. Similarly this variety can suit the varying demands of my customers.

-Do you find that most of your flutes tend to be more suited toward one school or another?

This again comes down largely to personal taste. Even within one school, individual players have individual tastes. However, there are some general tenancies. Yokoyama Katsuya's school of honkyoku (sometimes known in the foreign community as "dokyoku") has very specific techniques which are very demanding on shakuhachi. These are generally impossible to play correctly on old style shakuhachi, and indeed on many modern shakuhachi. So these shakuhachi must be specially made to play this repertoire. That is my main special consideration for Yokoyama's school.

For jiari I favour the tone colour of traditional Araki-ha instruments, and so I make in this style, whether the instrument will be for Yokoyama's school or Araki's. Tone colour is a very personal choice. Yokoyama's school have always been using Kinko-ryu shakuhachi, and for me Araki-ha shakuhachi are some of the best of these. My main "guide" in shakuhachi making is that I should make what I like. At one stage I was questioning this, and wondering if I should think more about what customers would like. It was my teacher Furuya who strongly encouraged me to follow what I like, and I have taken his advice to heart. The result is an instrument which is suitable for both Kinko-ryu and Yokoyama's school, the benefit of each giving no detraction from the other. The other schools which I have studied can equally be played well on these instruments. Tozan is a school which I have not studied, and I have no idea whether or not this type of shakuhachi is suitable.

For jinashi, there is much variety. The longer shakuhachi for example, while suitable for Yokoyama's school and other honkyoku schools, would usually not be used for Kinko-ryu which generally does not use longer than 2.0. Then, some shakuhachi I make in Kansai style which require a gentle breath. The tone of this music is quite different from Yokoyama's school, and is favoured by many Myoan players. Many players from Yokoyama's school would find such instruments unsuitable due to the difference in playing style they require. And where Myoan players may find Myoan and Yokoyama styled jinashi suitable, Tani-ha players have their special demands, which Myoan players may find suitable but not all Yokoyama school players.

Some people require shakuhachi with older tunings, and I myself prefer these for certain styles of playing. Most notably "chi" will be much sharper than the modern tuning. Although with much practice it is sometimes possible to control the pitch of these instruments for modern-tuned playing, most people will be unable to do so. In that case these instruments would be unsuitable for playing modern-tuned music, which includes honkyoku as it is usually played today.

So, while there is cross-over between the different styles of music the instruments are suited to, it is important to consider what repertoires will be played, and what kind of sound or special requirements the customer wants from their instrument.

-What schools of music have you studied and play?

Concerning post-Edo period music, I have studied Fukuda Rando's music and some shinkyoku and gendaikyoku, but I rarely play that.

I study and play sankyoku. Incidentally although sankyoku was officially not allowed for shakuhachi before the Meiji period, Kinko-ryu has a long history of shakuhachi playing in sankyoku reaching back well into the Edo period.

Honkyoku has been my main study. Yokoyama's school is the only one whose repertoire of honkyoku I studied in its entirety. My studies of other schools is ongoing and so far includes:

Kinko-ryu Araki-ha: 25 pieces (there are about 36 in total)
Jin Nyodo lineage: 12 pieces
Seien-ryu: 9 pieces (there are 11 in total)
Kimpu-ryu (Nezasa-ha): not including versions in Yokoyama's or Jin's schools, 4 more. (There are 10 in total).
Taizan-ha: not including versions in Seien-ryu, Yokoyama's or Jin's schools, 3 more
Shimpo-ryu: 2 (there are 60 in total)
Other: 6

There are some other pieces which I have taught myself from recordings, such as some of the pieces which Watazumi played (some of which he may have created himself). Although I enjoy these, in Japan great importance is put on learning the pieces directly from a teacher, and teaching oneself is not viewed as having "learned" a piece. Genuine lineage is vital, and is the only accepted way for a piece to be transmitted. Although it seemed to me possible to study from recordings, I experience again and again the irreplaceability of studying directly with teachers There are so many points which I cannot grasp by myself and could never guess, even with a careful ear. With a teacher, we learn the vital points of the pieces, what can be changed, what cannot be, what is the special character of each phrase and technique. For one's own taste of music, that may not be necessary, but for the genuine transmission of the music as it is embodied by the lineage, the personal teacher-student relationship is vital.

Concerning what I play, most usually I play honkyoku. Of the honkyoku I play it varies with what I am focusing on at the time. These days usually Yokoyama's school, Kinko-ryu and Seien-ryu, next Taizan-ha and then about equal measures of the rest.

-Do you have one style of music you tend to play more?

It used to be Yokoyama's school as that was my main school, but now as I mentioned above, I am giving equal time also to Kinko-ryu and Seien-ryu.

-As I understand it you have earned your Shihan license. What school or schools have issued you a Shihan license?

My Shihan was given to me by my teachers Furuya Teruo and Yokoyama Katsuya. Yokoyama also gave me my professional name as a shakuhachi maker, Senryu (which translates as "Dragon of the spring", "spring" as in source of water).

-Do you teach very often in Japan or online?

I have been very busy with shakuhachi making and my own studies, as well as other projects and work for my teachers such as publishing the Kinko-ryu honkyoku notation written by Araki Kodo II, which will be ready soon. So I have not had much time to devote to teaching, though I do have a number of students both here in Japan and abroad. I will be coming to Europe to teach next year.

I noticed pictures of you practicing Kyūdō online. Do you feel there is a connection between playing shakuhachi and practicing Kyūdō?

I studied Tai Chi Chuan quite deeply in England and Hong Kong, so it was natural for me to take the opportunity of studying Kyudo here in Japan which has always attracted me, and also bujutsu. I spoke above about the connection for me in terms of posture, and how to hold ones body in what after all is a samurai art (shakuhachi). Further than that, there is a more direct connection. According to my teacher's teacher's teacher, Miyagawa Nyozan, shakuhachi is "teki zen ken". In this case teki (flute) means shakuhachi, and ken (sword) means martial arts. Zen is meditation. "Shakuhachi" should be, or genuinely includes, all 3 of these trainings. This seems to have been the way of the komuso. They were all samurai, and were trained in various martial arts. It seems that they continued that training after joining the Fuke sect. I do not know the details of this, although it would be fascinating to know, such as, did they train together, or individually? Anyway it was suggested to me that there was no specific art that they trained in, but that they trained in whatever martial arts they had trained in before becoming komuso.

Watazumi was devoted to his martial training excercises with stick. Apparently sometimes when expected to play shakuhachi to a paying audience, he would simply do stick exercises, and claim it was the same thing (to the distress of the organisers). Nishimura Koku was another noted martial artist. Nyozan's student Takahashi Kuzan taught not only shakuhachi, but also zen and martial arts. However, such teaching nowadays is rare and shakuhachi has been almost entirely separated from these other two branches.

Thanks so much to Justin for taking the time to answer these questions and sharing his insights.
You can find Justin's site and more information on him at his website: http://justinshakuhachi.googlepages.com/