Judo in Arizona

"Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered. Those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus the wise win before the fight, while the ignorant fight to win." - O Sensei Ueshiba

This lady use to scare some of the men in the jujutsu
classes at the University of Wyoming with her
 powerful technique.

Many of us visualize judo as two sweaty people wearing heavy, white uniforms grabbing at each other’s uniform to foot sweep or throw in a dazzling display of the art. Judo reminded me of wrestling when I was young, but with different rules and a different uniform. It was suppose to be a self-defense, but I was a bit confused in my youth because it looked more like a sport or contest than self-defense.

Some judo was taught in the US military for combat even though that which was taught, had little practical application.


Judo (柔道) translates as ‘gentle way’. Based on history, judo is a relatively new martial art compared to most traditional arts and most varieties of judo are practiced as a combat sport: only a few traditional judo clubs focus on judo as self-defense (the way it was intended) rather than sport. And is a soft art? Far from it! It is brutal and requires incredible endurance.

Demonstration of yubi waza (thumb throw) on Brett Philbrick
at the University of Wyoming Campus Shorin-Ryu Karate club.

Judo had origins in Japan in the late 19th century. Its most distinctive characteristic is the majority of practitioners compete. Judo was introduced as an Olympic sport in Tokyo in 1964, and at that time, competitors were separated into 4 weight classes. The object of the contest was to throw, immobilize, subdue an opponent through grappling, or to force an opponent to submit by applying joint locks, or execute a choke restraint to get your opponent to submit.


Although most are familiar with throwing and grappling in judo; judo also includes self-defense applications such as hand strikes, kicks and even weapons. But the strikes in the sport are used only in kata and are not part of competition or randori (judo free sparing) which has a tendency to lessen the value of Judo as a self-defense. However, the practice of randori is beneficial in providing practitioners a method for building timing and reflexes and to teach to react to attacks, rather than think about the attack. If judo practitioners provided equal time to randori and self-defense applications, judo would be an excellent self-defense – but the majority of judo practitioners focus on competition and little time on self-defense.

As a young adult, the creator of judo, Jigoro Kano did not weigh more than a hundred pounds; thus he was bullied and decided to pursue jujutsu at the age of 17. At Tokyo Imperial University, he studied martial arts and literature and eventually received a referral to study Tenjin Shin'yō-Ryu: a jujutsu style that emphasized technique over formal exercise.

The early history of judo cannot be separated from its founder: Jigoro Kano (1860–1938). Kano was born into a well-to-do Japanese family: his father was a Shinto priest. Kano initiated a major reformation of jujutsu and included techniques that emphasized development of the body, mind and character. At 22, he began studying jujutsu at the Eisho-ji Buddhist temple in Kamakura. This became known as the Kodokan, or "place for teaching the way". Today, the Kodokan Institute for Judo is in Tokyo and is the official headquarters of the judo world that was established in 1882 by Kano.

The primary focus on Judo is throwing (nage-waza) and groundwork (ne-waza). Sparring in judo known as randori means ‘free practice’. Randori involves two practitioners who continuously attack one other with any judo throw or grappling technique in their arsenal. Striking techniques (atemi-waza) such as kicking and punching, along with knife and sword techniques are retained in judo kata but not in randori. For reasons of safety, chokeholds, joint locking and sacrifice techniques are subject to age and rank restrictions.



Kano saw jujutsu as a group of disconnected tricks and he wanted to connect these, eliminate useless techniques, and make his art flow like water. His reformation of jujutsu discarded techniques that relied solely on superior strength and adapted techniques that redirected an opponent's force to make use of superior leverage. Judo was originally called Kano Jiu-Jitsu and later called Kodokan Jiu-Do or simply Judo. The word ‘judo’ shares the same Chinese root ideogram as "jujutsu": "jū" (柔). This kanji refers to ‘gentle’, ‘soft’, or ‘supple’ depending on context. The use of jū is an explicit reference to the martial arts principle of the ‘soft method’, characterized by the indirect application of force to defeat an opponent. It is the principle of using an attacker’s strength against himself.

 The second Chinese character used for judo and jujutsu differ. In jujutsu (柔術), this means "art" or "science" of softness. In judo (柔道), it means ‘the way’, ‘road’ or ‘path’, which has philosophical overtones which was Kano’s intent. This is the same kanji also used to distinguish budō from bujutsu and karatedo from karatejutsu. Use of do was a deliberate departure from the ancient combat martial arts, whose sole purpose was for killing. Kano saw judo as a means for governing and improving oneself physically, mentally, emotionally and morally.



Wrist restraint - any law enforcement agent would do well to train hard and constantly in jujutsu or judo. The public has a strange perception that jujutsu is not as violent as karate. But that's only because they have not seen the throws and restraints used by the greatest living martial artist - Dai Soke Sacharnoski. It is enough to put fear in any person. In this photo, Shihan Dai Kyle Gewecke of Gillette applies wrist restraint on Sensei Brett Philbrick of the Laramie Police Department during a police baton (kioga) clinic at the University of Wyoming.

Judo practitioners traditionally wear heavy, white uniforms called jūdōgi, or ‘judo uniform’. The jūdōgi was created by Kano in 1907 and similar uniforms were later adopted by many martial arts groups. The modern jūdōgi consists of white drawstring pants with a matching white jacket that is fastened by a belt (obi). The jacket is intended to withstand the stress of grappling, and as a result, it is much thicker than a karate uniform (karategi).

Most judo today is sport, thus in randori when an opponent successfully executes a chokehold or joint lock, the other will submit, or ‘tap out’. When this occurs the match is over, the tapping player has lost, and the chokehold or joint lock ceases. Judo is also a self-defense art and uses forms (kata) that are pre-arranged patterns of attack and defense, which in judo are practiced with a partner for the purpose of perfecting technique. Knowledge of various kata is a requirement for the attainment of a higher rank.

Randori assists in tuning reflexes and the ability to respond to attacks without thinking, making this a relatively effective method for self-defense practice. Many forms of jujutsu focused on individual techniques in self-defense applications that were choreographed without randori. But through time, most jujutsu styles have adopted randori into their training regimen.

 Seven judo kata are recognized by the Kodokan. In addition, there are a few kata not officially recognized but practiced by some Judo clubs.

 Grandmaster Soke Hausel applies te waza (hand technique) with foot choke on Shihan-Dai Kyle Gewecke (4th dan) from Gillette, Wyoming during a self-defense clinic at the University of Wyoming in Laramie (2004)

Joint locks (kansetsu-waza) are effective combat techniques because they enable a jūdōka to control an opponent through pain, or if necessary, to cause separation of the locked joint. Chokes and strangulations (shime-waza) enable the person applying the choke to force the adversary into unconsciousness. In competition, the jūdōka wins if his opponent submits or becomes unconscious. Rules in judo are intended to avoid injuries and ensure proper etiquette.

Applying wrist lock on Wade Stenger from
Albuquerque at University of Wyoming
class (about 1990).

Judo has three categories of points: ippon, waza-ari and yuko. An ippon means one point and wins a match. An ippon is awarded for (1) a throw that lands the opponent on their back in a controlled manner with speed and force; (2) for a mat hold down (or control) of sufficient duration (25 seconds); or (3) for opponent submission. A waza-ari is awarded for a throw that does not quite have enough power or control to be considered ippon; or for a hold of 20 seconds. A waza-ari is a half-point, and, if two are scored, they constitute the full point needed for a win. Yuko is a lower grade score, and is only considered as a tie-breaker; it is not cumulative with one another. Yuko points are scored for a 15-second hold down. If the person who secured the hold down already has a waza-ari, they only need to control a hold down for 20 seconds to score ippon by way of two waza-ari. Throws lacking the requirements of an ippon or a waza-ari might score a yuko.

Judo has formed the basis for military training around the world. The Japanese police have trained in judo since 1886, when judo (at the time known as Kano Jujitsu) defeated several established schools of jujitsu in a tournament.  Judo's lineage in traditional jujitsu combined with police and military applications, has resulted in kata specifically designed to teach technical principles for self-defense.



Soke Hausel instructs members of the military in self-defense.

  

 

Earning a Black Belt in Martial Arts in Arizona

Most novices and martial artists (deshi) in Arizona think of black belt (yudansha) as a symbol of the highest level of martial arts. But, it's simply another step some people reach in martial arts training in Arizona and only represents a beginning – meikyo okuden – of the entrance to the secrets of martial arts. For a martial arts instructor (budo sensei) it is a time of joy as we reward a martial artist for their commitment and accomplishments; but at the same time, it is a very sad time.  As instructors, this is also a time we say goodbye (sayonara) to many martial artists as we may never see them again.

The black belt represents a quandary to the awarding martial arts instructor (sensei). What will be the path of this student in the upcoming days? Will they decide to end their path in martial arts? It is a real problem because most people quit at this point, yet they have only reached the beginning in their martial arts training.

In legitimate martial arts schools, one does not buy a black belt. However, there are many mall-type schools that require a contract guaranteeing a black belt rank at the end of the contract. In traditional martial arts, one must earn rank - not buy it. One of my students recently told a story about a student who signed up for karate. This student was surprised he could just buy a black belt (yudansha obi) at the local martial arts school. When he inquired about buying one, he was told that he would have to fight the head instructor. It sunk in - he would have to train like everyone else to be certified as a black belt.

The amount of time it takes to earn a black belt depends more on the individual. Some can earn the rank in 2 years, others could take as much as 5 years or more. So one must be dedicated. But not only is it a great workout, it also leads one to develop skills for self-defense and positive thinking.

Unfortunately, the shodan (1st degree black belt) certificate often comes with invisible “STOP” sign to signify the end of a person's martial arts training. But this is not what it is suppose to be, it is suppose to be the beginning.

Martial arts should be a lifetime investment. Even at the 3rd and 4th degree black belt level, one still has much to learn. When one reaches Shihan (master of martial arts) level at 5th and 6th degree, one becomes smart enough to recognize they have a lot to learn: at higher levels you start to grasp how much you don‟t know.

"There is no end to learning martial arts - only a beginning".

We all know someone who was awarded a black belt and we see them for one or two more classes before they disappear. For those of us in Arizona, we've seen too many examples. It's such a problem that I even know of one major martial arts association that now provides expiration dates on all black belt diplomas simply because they believe a person cannot be a black belt unless they are training and/or teaching. I don't believe this is the answer. The answer lies within.

Some estimates suggest handing out a black belt certificate ends a career of 50% of all martial artists – it's a disease. The cause of this I believe occurs when one sets a goal to “earn a black belt” . This is a ticking time bomb to end a martial arts career!

"There are many paths to the top of Mt Fuji, but it only has one summit"

As a youth, I was completely bored in school. So bored I accidentally stumbled on a method of affirmation and goal setting. I would stare out the classroom window all day and day-dreamed about doing things, being someone. As you can imagine, I ended up on the teacher's naughty list with grades reflecting a lack of interest. I would place myself in imaginary roles. It was the only way I could get through the suffering of boredom. By the time I got to high school, some of my daydreams began to lead me by the hand.



My 60s rock n' roll band

The Beatle's invaded America: I imagined myself in a popular rock n‟ roll band. Another week or another day, I was an astronomer investigating the universe. I signed up for karate lessons and while bored in school, I dreamed of being a martial arts instructor. In these dreams, I was a 3rd degree black belt (sandan) (this was because my first two instructors were sandans). In other day-dreams, I was a prospector who explored old mines and ghost towns. It was the typical dreams of many kids, but the difference - I was so bored that my dreams came back every day as an escape, and slowly developed into affirmations and life long goals without my realizing it. They gave me a direction.

Later in life, a friend lent me some tapes entitled “Investment in Excellence”. It was a self-help program for goal setting. What I had done throughout public school was exactly what this person was promoting as goal setting. I had set up positive affirmations of what I wanted to do and these affirmations and visions worked their way into my subconscious until they actually starting guiding me towards those goals. I had accomplished essentially everything I wanted to accomplish in life because of the day dreams.  I became a professional musician, an astronomer, a writer, a geologist, an artist, a public speaker and a martial arts instructor.

Teaching Karate at the University of Utah

Martial arts captured many day-dreams. I wanted to be like my instructors (3rd degree black belts/sensei). This is where I realized goal setting can limit accomplishments, so be careful of what you dream.

By placing a goal dreams of achieving a 3rd degree black belt, this provided a STOP sign that I could not get pass until I met a martial arts grandmaster while I was teaching at a university! I believe this is the problem for the majority of people who receive 1st degree black belts. Many set the goal of achieving a black belt. Once this is accomplished, they have made their goal and they done. So one must set a much higher goal - such as reaching the level of martial arts instructor or shihan (master instructor).



Karate at the University of New Mexico

After I was promoted to sandan in the '70s, I had little reason to achieve anything else in martial arts other than the dream of teaching martial arts. I taught martial arts at four universities, and it wasn't until I met this grandmaster (soke) in 1990 that I discovered I had attached a STOP sign to my goal. This martial arts instructor gave me new goals and when I was promoted to yondan (4th degree black belt) the flood gates opened. I had a new path.

The Investment in Excellence program was a method of goal setting I already had been following without realizing. Still, the program provided me a means to write down goals. When there were roadblocks I had no control over that forced me to re-evaluate some personal goals, such as my rock n' band falling apart, and later in life, working for a full-blown psychopath at the Wyoming Geological Survey. I had to change my goals (this was not easy), but I found new paths.

Is your martial arts path leading you to an open or a closed gate?

We can't always control our path, but we can create goals to help us find a path or a new path around a road block. You don't need to plan how to get to those goals, you just need to provide the point you are looking to reach and then just let your mind find the to that end point over time.

Visualize what you want to be and don't place limits. Write down your goals and revisit them often until your subconscious achieves them (it can take a year or a several years, but it will happen if you set the right positive goals).

As a martial artist, do not set a goal to achieve a black belt. If this is your goal and once achieved, your mind will think you are done. Instead visualize being a master instructor (shihan) or higher. Write down a positive affirmation such as “I am a shihan and 5th dan black belt and operate a very successful martial arts school”.

University of Wyoming Martial Arts, 1999.

Another goal you should set for yourself is to teach martial arts. You cannot even grasp martial arts until you teach them. This is a major step in martial arts education that requires one to be able to take apart techniques and understand them. It is a time of martial arts enlightenment.

Open a martial arts school. Unless you are a wizard at business, you might rent space at a local church, school, college, or gymnasium. I taught martial arts at four universities, but also taught at several gyms. Gyms are a good place to start, but there are many uncontrollable problems (as there are at universities and colleges). Most have little regard for martial arts programs and consider then very low priority. You will seldom get help from management unless the manager sees potential for bringing in new gym members. If you are at a university, you chances of survival can be good unless you find a director of martial arts clubs who loves being in control, or doesn't care about your program. No matter where you teach, it will take 4 to 5 years to build up a good group of students. After you have a place to teach, have liability insurance, and liability forms, start with 1 or 2 classes per week - don't feel let down when no one shows up – it happens. I tried teaching at Arizona State University, and found the bureaucracy was a roadblock, so I went out on my own.

When I first started teaching, there were nights that I was the only person. But it gave me personal time to train. I also trained where in gyms where there was high visibility as a way to advertise and resulted in potential students asking about martial arts. When I taught at the University of Wyoming a few years ago, I was able to build up the group to more than 150 members and received national and international awards. But this took 20 years. Offer to teach public self-defense seminars to get recognition (at a modest fee). Look for any reason to send out a press release on activities.

Build a website. Find other outlets, and don't give up. You can supplement your martial arts school with a wholesaler license from a martial arts supplies outlet. Nearly all are willing to give wholesaler discounts.

Be a dreamer!

Induction into another martial arts Hall of Fame

 

Makiwara - Build Your Own Martial Arts Training Equipment

In Arizona, many martial arts schools have heavy bags for striking. Heavy bags tend to respond to force in an unnatural way. They pivot along the axis attached to an overhead chain or rope, just exactly the opposite of striking a person whose feet would be on the ground and pivot along the axis attached to the earth. There are bags available that have water-filled bases that tend to correct this problem, but essentially every one we  tested were cheaply constructed with very thin padding. 

Okinawan karate-ka (karate practitioners) developed an excellent tool in place of a heavy bag that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. All you have to do is go to a local lumber or hardware store and buy a few materials to build one, dig a hole, and ‘walla’ – you’ll have a great striking surface known as a makiwara.

The makiwara can be constructed using a board about 10 feet long. However, the Arizona soils (if we can call them soil) are filled with so much clay, caliche and volcanic ash that they are very hard to dig in. So you can get away with an 8-foot board. In Wyoming, we used a 2 x 8 inch and 2 x 12 inch boards which do not have a lot of give. So in Arizona, we went for a thinner board  (1 x 8 inch) and was pleasantly surprised that the thinner board was much better because of  greater flexibility.

After you purchase the board, take your 8-foot board and dig a 3-foot hole. Go find two large rocks while resting from trying to break through the caliche layer. If you are in Colorado, Utah or Wyoming (or anywhere else in the US except maybe New Mexico), you might want a 10-foot board. In this case, plant it 5 feet deep. I’m not sure what to recommend in Alaska or Canada other than wait for summer before you plant your board. 

Now that you have a hole for a makiwara, place the board to the appropriate depth and take two large football-sized rocks placing one in front of your board at the bottom of the hole. Now fill in the hole. When  it is nearly full, place the other rock on the opposite side ( back) and then cover it. The rocks will provide spring to the board. Now buy some hemp rope from a local hardware store and pick up some carpet pieces from you local carpet store for padding. We found hemp at Harbor Freight in Mesa. The hemp is great for training knuckles and the side of your hand.

Next, place pieces of carpet under the hemp to increase padding. When your knuckles get use to striking the hemp and board, you can remove some carpet pieces.

Ideally, you will want to practice tsuki, shuto, koko and empi uchi along with mae geri, maewashi geri, yoko geri, kozumi geri and other strikes and kicks. Now you have an excellent tool to supplement your karate training at home and drive your neighbors nuts (they’ll love peaking through their curtains and wondering what is wrong with you). At first, it will be difficult to hit the board with a lot of force with your bare knuckles; but after months of training, you will look forward to hitting the board. When the it finally breaks (the board, not your hand), buy another.

Aikido in Arizona

Te waza (hand throw) demonstrated by Soke Hausel at Casper,
Wyoming clinic.

Aikido is a Japanese martial art modified from jujutsu in the 20th century. Aikido (合気道) (the way of harmony) is a grappling art created by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) in Tokyo. According to Farkas and Corcoran (1983) the art was created in 1942; however, like any art, it is difficult to say exactly when it came about as martial arts are created over extended periods of time and constantly evolving. Frederic (1998) suggests aikido began its evolution in 1931 and its governing association dates to 1948. The name ‘aikido’ was officially registered with the Japanese Ministry of Education in 1942.

 The creator of aikido, Ueshiba was described as religious and nationalistic and created his art with religious and nationalistic overtones: he particularly avoided including any connection to kempo (Chinese hand) and other Chinese arts (Frederic, 1998) to be sure this was an indigenous Japanese art. At that time in history, nationalism in Japan was rampant.

 Ueshiba linked aikido to Zen and Shinto: national faiths of Japan (Farkas and Corcoran, 1983). He emphasized harmony between breath, spirit (ki), and body (tai) combined with nature while emphasizing harmony between mind (shin) and moral outlook (ri). In Zen, followers believe the center for meditation and power is the tanden, a point situated 1.5 inches above the navel. This point is emphasized as the source of power in aikido and is the point from which ki (spirit) is thought to originate.

Ueshiba began in Daito-Ryu Aiki JuJitsu and through time, named his new art Aikido. Today, more than 30 different sects of aikido exist. Aikido emphasized the philosophical aspect of martial art referred as ‘do’. ‘Do’ (pronounced like the female deer) means ‘way’ or ‘path’ to enlightenment. Many techniques (waza) in jujutsu and judo require close contact grappling; whereas Ueshiba avoided such techniques in favor of placing an attacker at a distance.

Ueshiba’s philosophy was to defend against an attack without causing great injury. To do this, aikido attempts to redirect an attack by blending the attacker’s movement and redirecting the attacker’s momentum against himself. This is done with entering and turning movements. Aikido uses many joint locks to manipulate an attacker while attempting to direct an attacker in the direction of the force generated by the attack. Joint locks are usually followed by throws. Aikido attempts to lead an attacker (uke) into a circular path so that the defender (tori) turns on an axis. The circular motion allows the defender to neutralize an aggressive action by gaining control of momentum (Westbrook and Ratti, 1970).

Like jujutsu, aikido starts with atemi. Atemi is a vital point strike used to disrupt the attacker’s balance and is very important, particularly in places like Arizona. This is because people in Arizona sweat. Its hard to believe, but very recent government-funded research identified Arizona as the place where people sweat the most in the US. Did we really need the government to spend our taxes to determine this piece of information?

 Following atemi, the defender uses evasive moments and body shifting (tai sabaki) to manipulate the attacker’s force so it can be used against the attacker who is redirected and thrown. Many techniques in aikido end with grappling to subdue the opponent.

 Most techniques in aikido are used to control (katame waza) or throw (nage waza). According to some sources, there are over 700 techniques that fall under these two categories and are derived from basic kata (forms) of aikido. Aikido kata consist of freeing oneself from basic grips or grabs (te hodoki), throwing, and immobilizing with use of pressure point attacks (kyusho) on joints (kamsetsu gaeshi). Aikido practitioners also use a limited number of weapons as part of training that include bo (6-foot staff), jo (4-foot staff) and yawara (short stick) (Frederic, 1998).

According to Mitchell (1998) aikido lost much of its effectiveness through time. Genuine attacks were replaced by compliant attackers: a would-be attacker typically runs forward with arm held out until the defender employs a defense. This is followed by a symbolic strike or atemi. However, without a focused and powerful atemi, one learns to defend improperly. As a result, some aikido masters separated from the mainstream aikido association and attempted to develop more effective methods for self-defense. Tomiki aikido incorporated contests to try to improve reflexes, but this is something that was already part of many jujutsu and judo arts, where continuous defenses (randori) are performed non-stop. Another school, Yoshinkan aikido, focused on the importance of ki requiring their uke to attack with energy and force. As a result, Yoshinkan aikido has been used to train many Japanese law enforcement agents as it is thought that this emphasizes more realistic atemi.

 The atemi (or strike) in aikido is very important. If not practiced with focus and power, the practitioner will learn an incorrect response to an attack. An atemi can include shuto (open hand) strikes to the arm, teisho (palm strikes) to the chin, kozumi geri (kick) to the chest, etc.

 The traditional aikido dojo (place of the way) is simple. Floors are matted since practice involves throws and unlike judo and jujutsu, the aikidoka (practitioner) does not slap the mat (tatomi) when thrown, but rolls out of the fall (ukemi) similar to ninjutsu. To practice these types of break falls, aikidoka dive onto the floor extending one slightly curved arm forward while curving the spine to keep the head tucked in. As a student progresses, these dives become higher and higher and cover greater distances.

Aikido, like most Japanese martial arts, has a ranking system of colored belts (kyu) that vary from school to school. As one progresses, they may reach the upper levels of aikido or dan (black belt) ranks. Aikido practitioners typically wear a hakama (split skirt) with a gi jacket. Since aikido manipulates the joints, teaching this art to children should be avoided.

Exercises in aikido serve to loosen wrists and joints. During training, the wrists are seized and twisted and joint locks applied until the uke either slaps himself on the thigh as a sign that the tori should stop applying pressure, or until uke yells ma te. Through time, the wrists become supple. The more one practices, the less the wrist hurts. However, in the beginning, one can expect sensitive and swollen wrists.

Because aikido does not involve intense striking and kicking techniques such as karate, the public views this art as being less violent and is therefore a good art for many law enforcement agents. It also focuses on restraints, another important law enforcement application. There are several aikido schools in Arizona.

Shinto Gates and Martial Arts Schools

Recently, I was asked about decorative oriental gates known in Japanese as torii (pronounced 'tore' 'eeeeee'). These are often found in Japanese and Zen gardens around the Phoenix valley and it wasn't too long ago we saw a interesting torii at Home Depot made into a fountain with water that cascaded down from the cross bar. I love fountains and thought about buying one, but it was a little costly. 

Torii (鳥居) is a traditional Shinto gate, which in Japan, marks the approach of a Shintoshrine. Some are also found at Buddhist temples in Japan. The traditional torii has two upright supports with two crossbars on the top that are usually painted vermilion. Many have kanji (Japanese/Chinese characters) displays mounted on a plaque known as a gakuzuka between crossbars, while others have kanji displayed along vertical supports known as hashira.

Traditionally,torii are constructed from wood and gates are interpreted to mark the transition from the spiritual to the physical world. Shrines that are dedicated to a particular Shinto god known as Inari have many torii.

Torii are often donated by successful Japanese businessmen who give gratitude for their success. The origin of the word "torii" is unknown: one suggestion is the gate was designed for birds (tori) to rest upon, which is suggested in the kanji. For instance, part of the kanji used in torii contains a symbol for bird (鳥) (see the feet and wings of the bird in this symbol). The second kanji (居) in torii is possibly derived from 鶏居 meaning 'chicken perch'. This is because birds are considered messengers of gods in the Shinto religion.

A second thought is that toriiis derived from the term tōri-iru (通り入る) meaning pass through and enter. It is unknown whether torii are indigenous to Japan or if they were imported from some other country. If you are interested in building a torii in your Japanese garden, there are building plans available on the internet.

In some traditional martial arts schools (dojo), torii decorate walls or entrances to the dojo. These can be very attractive in a martial arts school.