Jiun · 自運 · VD5B
Jiun (自運) is the calligrapher's word for writing from one's own invention. As a Shihan, Master Takase has a hand of her own, and these designs are that hand: she draws freely on the classic scripts to create exactly the look she wants.
正勝吾勝
masakatsu agatsu
True Victory is Victory Over Oneself
True victory is victory over oneself: the motto of aikido, and before that the name of a god in Japan's oldest chronicle.
Master Takase creates this beautiful scroll when your order is placed, personally preparing the ink and brushing your art, which proudly bears her signature and seal. This is an original work of art.
Description
True Victory is Victory Over Oneself[1] in Japanese is 正勝吾勝 which is read masakatsu agatsu
正勝吾勝 (masakatsu agatsu): true victory is victory over oneself.
正勝吾勝 sets two victories side by side and makes them one: the right kind of victory is the one you win over yourself. In aikido, to win is to defeat the contending mind in your own heart, and an art that contends with nothing is never defeated. What you win over is yours to name.
The phrase is composed of the kanji 正 (read masa) meaning "correct; true", 勝 (read katsu) meaning "victory", 吾 (read a) meaning "self" and 勝 (read gatsu) meaning "victory".
References:
[1] Translation by John Stevens, The Secrets of Aikido (Shambhala, 1995), p. 104.
The first four characters of the name of the eldest of the five sons born in the oath-contest between Amaterasu and Susanoo in the 古事記 of 712, where they preserve Susanoo's cry that he has won; Ueshiba Morihei 植芝盛平, the founder of aikido, made them the motto of his art and read into them that true victory is victory over oneself.
We want you to be as happy with the meaning as you are with Master Takase's art. To learn more, visit Philology of 正勝吾勝.
Delivery
Your scroll is brushed when you order it and completed within 1 to 3 business days. It ships by USPS Priority Mail from Master Takase's studio in Washington State, boxed and ready to hang, with a printed page giving the art's English, romaji and Japanese.
Sending it as a gift? Add your message at checkout and we will include it.
Shipping is calculated at checkout from your address; within the United States it is $13 to $23. We ship worldwide, and any import charges for your country are shown at checkout before you pay.
Every order is covered by our 30-day money-back guarantee. If your scroll arrives damaged, or we made an error, we replace it or refund you in full, including shipping. Refund policy
About Our Scrolls
Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase brushes your scroll by hand when you order it. Each scroll bears her red seal, 英利, and her signature.
The scrolls are 12 1/4" W × 43" H (31 × 109 cm), with woven damask borders and layered Japanese paper, designed to last generations. The scrolls themselves are made by a scroll maker in Gifu, Japan, and we have worked with them for over two decades.
Eri Takase was born and raised in Osaka, Japan, and holds the rank of Shihan, the highest rank in Japanese calligraphy, from the Bokuteki-kai and the Bunka-shodo. About Master Takase
