_In ancient times, Hawk feathers represented courage and
warrior families were fond of using them in their crests. So is it with our master's family. Long ago, they too were courageous and
well-known for their expert marksmanship. Depicted above, the
octagon gun barrel surrounding the Hawk feathers represents this
expertise, along with the crossed feathers signifying the cross-hairs of
a rifle. It’s meaning has also been interpreted in the following way:
“Even though a gun may be aimed at me, my courage will not be lost.”
As our circle gradually formed over the past decade, we have always
been in the shadow of the Red-Tailed Hawk - circling above us during
training and even perching just yards away observing. Given this great
gift, and the fact that the Myofuan Monsho consists of hawk feathers, it was with great honor that we took Takakage 鷹陰, Hawk Shadow, as the name of our branch dojo here in Massachusetts.
The Red-tailed Hawk: A Symbol of Two Worlds
_Men of antiquity said that nothing physically came about
without first coming from the world of spirit. And in many of the
Native cultures of North America, the East represents this place of
spirit and the power of inspiration...a place where the Creator’s energy
unities with our minds for the benefit of our communities.
The Red-tail is thought to be representative of that vision. Given this knowledge, it is the responsibility of the TakakageDojo to train competent persons of sound mind and body so that they may become true bugeisha, and follow the way of Nature, the way of the warrior, in which harmony is held sacred.
In
this way, the accomplished practitioner can serve others in his or her
community with their ability to discern truth from falsehood, like that
of the Red-tailed Hawk.
