Mission!: Takagi Yoshin Ryu

Takagi Yoshin Ryu is a very powerful system focused on joint manipulations and prevention of escape from techniques by other martial artists. 

Mission; Locate, research, and redistribute information based on the art of Takagi Yoshin Ryu here for discussion so that we may confirm or deny information, and learn as much as possible. You can find things such as what weapons did they utilize, philosophies, it's origins, just stay open minded and begin looking.

Things to keep in mind;

1) Don't be afraid if you may have something wrong, something is better than nothing and we will do our best to confirm or discuss it so we may grow and learn from it. You also learn more when you do something wrong than if you do it right.

2) Don't just copy and paste, write it in your own words so that yo have the opportunity to digest what you read and so that the information is passed in a manner that we may relate to. You can still source and such, just use it as an opportunity to learn.

3) Have fun and don't stress out about it. The Field of Kusa is a place to grow and prosper with information. You can just begin typing, you're bound to get better at it as you begin exchanging information with people who are already good at it. Just try. 

Open Your Eyes and the Benefits of Doing It.

When I say open your eyes, I don't mean for you to blatantly stare with your eyes almost popping out of your head. I mean to take in as much information as you can to see what the world really is and then step back to really see what's in front of you. To know that each molecule in something cannot be destroyed or created tells you alone that it has existed since the beginning of time it b itself has a whole story of history that it has experienced and so does everything else that you see. Once you can see like that you can tend to take appreciation into the things that surround you and to notice the small things, which make you more aware of your environment and in tune with nature. This will give you a new perspective on things and realize the importance of even small things and give you the ability to learn something new within every experience because nothing will always be exactly the same.

Within this picture what do you see? A forest filled with snow, or a story?

You can see that the location is down a hill and that there are trees that seem for the majority relatively young and some small undergrowth, which means that the plants in that area have been there for maybe 10 or so years besides the bigger trees which you know have been there longer, you can take samples to find out, but that and the structures in the back tell me that people probably use this area.

You can also tell the direction that the wind was blowing the snow if you see how it resides on the tree trunks. You can tell where the sun may be strongest during the day due to how the plants have adapted to grow and absorb their efficient amounts of sunlight. The list goes on.

You can use these clues and such to realize what is around you and the natural flow of things, then finally hone in on what is abnormal to this flow. Broken branches, compacted snow, parts of the snow on the tree trunks knocked loose and so on. These signs can give you the ability to track. It can also give you the ability to stay hidden, by knowing the natural flow around you. You can learn to blend with it and minimize the amount that you would normally disturb.

So Open Your Eyes, and see what's around you acknowledge it, and absorb it, and blend with it, but most of all appreciate it.

Ice in the eyes of Kusa

Okay guys well winter is doing it's thing and making it cold and constantly below freezing now, yet there hasn't been that much of an accumulation of snow, but there is Ice! Ice can be a great hazard, if you don't know how to handle it that is or even utilize it for your benefit. First of all be sure that you are comfortable with your rolls and break falls they will save you on and off the ice :) . Second, wear some shoes that have traction. I like to get in the mind frame that you should always be able to react whether it be fight or run in what you're wearing at all times that way when the time comes you're set.

As shinobi though we want to use the ice to our advantage;
For ice to happen you need water and a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.
So to know where ice may occur you have to know factors that can affect temperature and the amount of water in an area.

Some of those factors being;
1) Elevation, because it gets cooler as you go higher, hence the ice on the tops of mountains and so forth.
2) Wind, there is wind chill due to winds coming from the north where the isn't as much absorption of heat from the sun because of the axis it rotates on can be very cold and aid in the cooling of temperature arrival of ice. There is also the situation as on bridges where there are winds traveling over and under the bridge cooling it from multiple sides and allowing ice to form on it earlier than on other parts of roads and such.
3) Exposure to the Sun, I believe this is very important because you can then be aware of areas that are shadowed over the course of a day and if you ever needed to use it for a strategic advantage you now have known spots where you could lure pursuers or an attacker to escape or use as a way to enhance your abilities.
4) Surface type, ice will form on some spots faster than others because some surfaces will give off heat absorbed from the Sun for a while after it has set and others have been bouncing back the rays all day and haven't absorbed a thing. Dark colored objects absorb the most heat whereas light objects actually reflect them, you can learn more about this as it is an objects albedo. Some objects may also absorb the water instead of allowing it to settle at the surface and form ice. With this knowledge you an plan routes based on types of surfaces and lighting to minimize your chances of slipping or risking injuries on a mission.

Uses;
1) You can use it to prolong the amount of time before food spoils.
2) A way to cover area without leaving tracks, but if you break it you defeat the point.
3) You can apply it to injuries to soothe pain and help swelling go down.
4) If thick enough and at the edge of a river you are trying to cross you can cut a section from it and use it as a raft to get to the other side. (Military FM 21-76 Survival Manual)
5) Utilize it's reflection from the sun as metsubushi
The list goes on :)

Some tips;
1) Train on it! If you become familiarize yourself with it then you will be less afraid.
2) Learn the attributes of ice, it is a tool and readily available.
3) Learn to find out how deep ice is
4) Know what to do in case you were to fall in ice and make it so that you don't freeze.
  Hint: C.O.L.D. -Cover, Overevertion, Layers, Dry -Check it out give some feedback
5) Actually try this stuff don't just read it!

Again you guys are welcome to add what you can to help the knowledge on the topics we cover grow and expand, as the mission in the field of the Kusa is to grow and absorb as much as we can to make us better warriors and people.

Just a Heads Up! Devil's Walkingstick (Aralia spinosa)!!!!

This item I have come across one too many times during night hiking, and it can cause immense pain if you grab onto it or run into it and even worse if you try to climb it. It is known as Devil's Walkingstick (Aralia spinosa), it has thorns that go around in circles every few increments. It is found in the North-East areas in the deciduous forests so it can blend in sometime with other saplings until you hit it haha. 

This plant just takes a bit of imagination to think of uses for it and such. 

First off all this plant can be planted around your house or in areas that you would like to prevent burglars or trespassers of entry because as stated before this plant makes it's point. The plant can also cause irritations or rashes to some people.

Here are some of my ideas;

It could also be used for survival animal traps to pin the animal for retrieval.

You could cut the tree into sections and use for caltrops.

You could even strategically plant it in the perimeters of your property to make it so that people would stray from even the general direction of your facilities.

It would provide a good place of concealment and function as a deterrent for someone that you may be hiding from.

You could also shave off some of the spikes and utilize it as a metsubushi

This is only the Tip of the Devil's Walkingstick, there's plenty more that can be done.

*Important note: this plant is not to be consumed because many of it's parts are poisonous unless properly cooked, so it's best not to try.

Now's your turn to shed some light in the field of the kusa; like what areas that it may like to grow in in the forest such as in lighting or soil and other details?

Ninyaku （ににゃく）;Hey Guys! A Great Note For Outdoorsmen!! (Poison Ivy)

First of all Poison Ivy is a plant that is very common to many areas. It is heaviest in areas of forest where there is a sharp edge, which means people have severely disrupted that area of the forest and on the edge of the forest before it reaches where people disturbed it by clearing a trail or something of the sort is where it tends to be a lot. It has 3 leaves of green, leaves of 3 let it be, and those three leaves have an oil on it that when introduced to the skin can cause severe rashes that are itchy and annoying. It can also come in the form known as Monkey's Tail because it tends to be a vine that creeps up trees and has tons of attachments to the tree and when the leaves drop off during fall it resembles the tail of a monkey.

So how do we fight it? Well of course you can go to the local pharmacy and buy ointments and such to aid in removing the itching sensation and helping the blisters dissipate, but how can we handle this on the front lines in the woods? I have two answers!

1) This is my favorite and most convenient method! Mud and dirt, apply mud to the point of contact and the mud will help absorb and dry the oils from the skin as it dries out, and with it being cool it helps relieve the itch. I have personally been exposed to poison ivy in the form of monkey's tail on multiple occasions out in the forests at night and when I apply dirt from a few inches deep in the soil once I noticed I made contact it prevented a breakout from even happening. 

2) The second way that I know I've been told at my job at a Nature Center multiple times but have yet to try it. This method is to utilize a counter plant known as Jewelweed. 

Jewelweed is a plant with slightly round rigged edges and is very common at the banks of creeks, I have been told the best way to identify is to take a leaf and put it under the water and as light hits the leaf it will sparkle. To utlize the jewel weed to counter poison ivy though you take a stem and cut it open and apply the juices from it to the affected area, and the juices from crunched leaves. Jewelweed can help other small things too such as bug bites and cuts and such. 

If you have more information that you would like to share remember you are in the field of the Kusa we are waiting for more.

Yatagarasu （やたがらす）

Yatagarasu, the three legged raven of Japanese folklore. Many people know of it, but it also holds history of the shinobi within it. Yatagarasu can be seen as one of the 1st shinobi symbols in history, where he was recorded to have flown down to help Emperor Jinmu in his time of need as a guide to help him travel from Kumano to Yoshino. On his trip he was encountered, and from the sky came a blinding light in the shape of a kite that took place upon his bow and blinded his enemies, and led to his victory and eventual titling as Emperor. 

Yatagarasu was also a symbol said to be sent from the Sun Godess Amaterasu （あまてらす）and the interesting fact that connects Yatagarasu to the arrival of a blinding light from the skies, to me links those two together well. 

There is also the fact that Yatagarasu is a raven which is a highly intelligent animal and very similar to that of the Tengu. Tengu were said to have given rise to the ninja. 

There is much interconnection, tell me can you add on to it and help brighten the light in this field of Kusa?

1st Mission!: Kusarigama （くさりがま）

The mission is as follows, I would like everyone to do a tad bit of research and tell some facts about the history and use of the weapon known as the Kusarigama. This should be interesting for the 1st Mission. I will also go on my own search and add some extra information here and there to get you guys sparked to add on. So, Gambate desu! (Do your best!)

The Field of Kusa

The reason that this name has been chosen for this blog is because the term Kusa （くさ） is a term that was once applied to those that are commonly referred to today as Shinobi a.k.a. NInja, which one who gathers information. The term means grass, and implied that someone was hiding in the grass and has been trained since a young age to be in a place when needed. With this being said I want this to grow into a field of Kusa so that we can all gather our information together and allow each other to learn and grow.

Please by all means Comment, Comment, Comment! This is how the Kusa shall grow.