“There is a sushi chef in Japan who has made maybe the same forty cuts of sushi for seventy years and he’s still trying to get it right. There is a guy in Spain who does nothing but grill stuff and that’s where all of the chefs want to eat. Very straightforward, very soulful food that’s do devoid of bullshit. No tricks.“
Fads and trends come and go. New tricks and new technology come in and out of favor. Rising stars gain the public’s attention and affection. Beneath all of this, however, behind the scenes and away from the spotlight, remains a constant, unwavering truth. The refined basics, the fundamental skills and techniques of any creative endeavor, never go out of style. They are the basics, they are the fundamentals, because they work, because they are true.
When you experience this truth, whether it be in food, music, art, or in martial arts, it is undeniable, eye opening, soul satisfying. It is life altering. This is Holistic Budo.
“As in life, so too it is in budo. As in budo, so too it is in life.”
-Robert Van Valkenburgh is co-founder of Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu