Massugu

This expression, 真直 (Massugu), is one of my favorites in Japanese.  It is used to indicate "straight" when giving directions, but taken alone, the characters mean "true" and "direct".  When saying this about a person's character, 正直 (Shojiki) is used with the same the implication and it is usually meant as a compliment.

All too often, we have a way of complicating things.  We choose the indirect route, the long way round, or the compromise.  We fail to express ourselves openly, leaving others to guess at our intentions or desires.  We shy away from the tasks at hand, procrastinating until the result becomes unavoidable.  Our inertia gets the better of us. We over-analyze and fail to take action.

Directness is a vital element of success.  It puts pressure on action; on DELIVERY.  It forces us to get moving and keep moving.  It denies distraction and helps simplify.  Whether on or off the mats, the decisiveness connected with being direct is a powerful tool when we master it.

It can be very hard to do or say the right thing at the right time.  It requires a certain confidence and courage to stand up and deliver your own opinion, especially when it may be unpopular.  Sometimes we may imagine that bluntness will be poorly received, when in fact, telling the truth directly is often refreshing and genuine for everyone involved.

In his "Book of Five Rings", Miyamoto Musashi writes "In the strategy of my school, keep your mind and body straight and make your opponent go through contortions and twist about.  The essence is to defeat him when, in his mind, he is pivoting and twisting.  You should examine this well."  Of course, he means to keep your balance and structure, while taking it away from your opponent - the essence of all martial arts.  In daily life, too, it is important to keep balance and not be drawn into "pivoting and twisting" despite other people around us doing so.  There is a lot of value in practicing directness.

In the end it is the training, daily training, which creates our own habits and, ultimately, our own reality.

Keep going. Directly.