by Adam Westphal
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| shishi-odoshi = deer scarer |
Any season is a beautiful time to visit the Japanese Gardens but summertime is especially nice. The warm weather, the lush greenery, and all the sounds that fill the natural space combine to make for a wonderful experience. Tucked away between what is called the Strolling Pond Garden and the Natural Garden is a curious device made of bamboo called a shishi-odoshi which translates as ‘deer-scarer’.
This dual-purpose fountain and animal chaser consists of a piece
of hollow bamboo resting with its heavy closed end against a rock. A pivot suspends its middle and the open end
points up towards the sky as water pours slowly and steadily into it. Filling up with water causes the center of
gravity to change, forcing the open end downward. This shift dumps its contents, forcing a
sudden reversal as the heavy end knocks back against the rock making a sharp
sound. The cycle repeats.
In many traditional Japanese arts, there is a concept called
jo-ha-kyu (序 破 急). The characters can translate in many
different ways. Jo is most commonly means ‘beginning’, ha when isolated can read ‘to break; to
ruin; to destroy’, and kyu reads as ‘rapid; urgent; quick’.
The term jo-ha-kyu
first appeared in writings around the 14th century by the renowned Zeami
Motokyo, creator of the Noh Theatre. Similar
to martial teachings, his writings were hidden away, shared only within
families of the Noh theatre, until they were discovered in a second hand
bookshop. He wrote, “Every phenomenon in
the universe develops itself through a certain progression. Even the cry of a bird and the noise of an
insect follow this progression. It is
called Jo, Ha, Kyu.”
This progression describes how a Noh actor should raise
their arm slowly, hold it momentarily suspended, and then quickly drop it. It also dictates the composition of the music,
progressing towards faster and more climactic tones. Even the acts of a Noh drama follow this form
towards climax. The bamboo shishi-odoshi fills slowly and just as
slowly starts to teeter. It reaches a
point where it suddenly purges itself of its water and rushes back to its
stationary position, punctuated with a loud noise.
In partner practice in aikido and iaido, there is a build-up of tension as the pair approaches each other, a sudden break in this tension as a technique is executed, and acceleration towards the end of the form. The solo practice of iaido kata lends itself well to the study of jo-ha-kyu. One can isolate movements without interference or distraction. At more advanced levels of practice an onlooker might be able to imagine an opponent being cut down by the strikes of the practitioner.
What forces work upon the pair or the shishi-odoshi? It is not simply the bamboo that makes the noise. Gravity, the water, and the positioning of the bamboo all play their part.
In partner practice in aikido and iaido, there is a build-up of tension as the pair approaches each other, a sudden break in this tension as a technique is executed, and acceleration towards the end of the form. The solo practice of iaido kata lends itself well to the study of jo-ha-kyu. One can isolate movements without interference or distraction. At more advanced levels of practice an onlooker might be able to imagine an opponent being cut down by the strikes of the practitioner.
What forces work upon the pair or the shishi-odoshi? It is not simply the bamboo that makes the noise. Gravity, the water, and the positioning of the bamboo all play their part.
How will your next practice begin? And how will it end?
