Last Updated on Saturday, 02 January 2010 21:55 Thursday, 02 December 2004 09:08

Just as Zen Do Kai's crosses are its symbols; the Red Dragon is its icon; the katas are its theoretical methodologies for the protection of self; and its technique - the best of everything in progression; Senjo is the philosophy by which its practitioners abide (though careful note must be made here that whilst Senjo was proactively taught and studied in ZDK particularly during the 80's, less is known of it today and therefore, this section of the Firestorm web site essentially pays homage to the history of Senjo in ZDK).

Senjo is a Japanese term that when translated means 'battlefield strategy.' Coincidently, Senjo is also an anagram for the 'Jones' family name. So what is Senjo and what does it look like? Senjo is a combination of concepts, brought together from various sources. Such concepts are blended together to raise the Zen Do Kai practitioner's awareness of body, mind and spirit (known as the trinity) and to better equip the individual to achieve success in the physical world. The Senjo concepts are graphically portrayed in a geometric diagram connected by straight lines. The concepts include Japanese ceremony, the Bushido Code, colour psychology, energy theory, spirit (soul) manifestation, and strategic wisdom. All concepts are very deep and it takes much time and study to even begin to understand the way each concept is linked and even more time to draw conclusions about and solutions from the fabric of these as they are woven into Senjo. Consequently, it is impossible to cover in any great depth here, enough for the reader to confidently go away armed with sufficient strategies to deal with all that one encounters.

Senjo is so much more than just learning a set of rules and idly living by them. It facilitates a varied or altered view of one's place in the world and therefore acts as a guide to conscience and ultimately the subconscience, thus transcending the individual to higher, more enhanced levels of thinking, thereby equipping him or her with space to move, within which potential can be enhanced in a new quest for 'perfection.' In Zen Do Kai, it is understood that upon attainment of the coveted Black Belt, the practitioner will never be the same person again. It is at this point that new black belt recipients are 'Welcomed to Senjo.' It is then expected that the new black belts study the Senjo philosophy indepth, live by its wisdom and learn via its guidance. Such study will continue for the remainder of their lives.

The reference to 'Battlefield Strategy' may conjure images of the theatre of war. Whilst this is not the intention of Senjo, its graphical portrayal does emphasise the protection of Shogun (or the warlord or leader) and also bares resemblance to the battle squares formed by armies during the Napoleonic Wars and battle lines similar to those used, for example, in the American Civil War. Senjo pertains more to the battlefield of the individual and personal confrontation with the physical world and the strategies that may be invoked to deal with this. The Zen Do Kai practitioner gains an acute awareness of the competitive nature of and struggle in living, both through physical training and the study of Senjo. Senjo serves here to reinforce the physical skills, confidence and self esteem acquired through the practitioner's continued physical training, by providing insight and wisdom to overcome adversaries in the business of living and to understand allies and enablers and their positions and importance in the achievement of the practitioner's objectives. A Zen Do Kai Black Belt with a comprehensive understanding of the Senjo philosophy is a very well prepared individual indeed.

The broad components of Senjo are introduced in this dialogue. It is emphasised that this is merely a touching of the surface, though it should point one in the right direction. It would take at least a volume to properly impart a good general understanding of Senjo and its respective components and then it would take several more volumes to elaborate upon each major component properly. It is arguable though that after acquiring a solid, broad knowledge of the components of Senjo, determining appropriate solutions to life's perplexities will come from the mind rather than volumes of text. This is the key to Senjo in that it ultimately rests in one's subconscience (exactly as do the Katas) where it can be intrinsically called into consciousness wherever and whenever it may be needed. Thus it becomes the perfect accompaniment to the physical defence of self.

"So it is said that if you know others and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know others but know yourself, you win one and lose one; if you do not know others and do not know yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle." - Sun Tsu - The Art of War.