Oni no Asobi Gokoro or "playful heart of the demon." One of the consistent themes that I've seen in the bujinkan is this element of PLAY. Some of the best training has been very painful and dangerous, but it is often accompanied by laughter from both the Uke and Tori. In my opinion when we laugh and play like demons our taijutsu is given life, our flavor and art.  
 
Oni kara Hotoke or "Demons turning into Buddhas". There is a saying about the three poisons of Buddhism, delusion, attachment and hatred. In some Japanese artwork Oni are depicted with a broken horn. The horns are the manifestation of these three poisons and by breaking their horn they are attempting to rid themselves of this and walk the right path. So by breaking the demons horn through laughter you can become enlightened. Loosing your attachments and moving with nature is reminiscent of becoming zero, ne? 

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The theme for this year will be Playful heart of the demon, turning demons into Buddhas through laughter. Sometimes through our training we can inevitably focus on solely technical or serious aspects and forget the "art" in the martial art. Let's all have a great time and enjoy our 15th  Taikai!

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"Hai, Play!"  - Soke