As much as I would like to accept poetic acclaim for coming up with the name, it's actually taken from a form of unarmed martial art that was popular with the Japanese Samurai, known as Jujutsu (柔術). The 'weeping willow' school emphasised free-flowing movements, which although appeared soft, generated great amounts of force.
In it's development, Aikido (会氣道), which I'll talk about at another time, was heavily influenced by Jujutsu. Like the Shidareyanagi School, the flexibility and sensitivity of the movements are essential in generating the appropriate energy to overcome the opponent.
In addition, the more I researched and thought about the tree, the more it seemed appropriate for the purpose of this site:
- The bark of the tree, is commonly known for its pain-relieving properties. Salicylic acid, is the main constituent of aspirin.
- In folklore, the weeping willow is associated with the feminine energy of the moon and water. It was used in rituals to invoke wisdom, intuition and dreams.
- In mythology the tree is associated with death and re-birth, due to the ability to easily regenerate from off-cuttings. A willow tree grew outside the cave where Zeus was born.
- In the 1800's, the weeping willow was often depicted on grave-stones. Although, this reflected the grief of the mourning families, it also symbolised the link between earth and heaven.
- In addition, my family home in Norwich has a large weeping willow tree which I use to climb when I was younger.
- Finally, the weeping willow can grow up to 6 to 8 feet in a year. I hope after reading this website we can all match this rate of development!
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