日本の武道・芸道を習う事を日本では「稽古(けいこ)する」と言い、

さらに、「昔の事を考え、今の有り様に照らし合わせる」という意味で

「稽古照今(けいこしょうこん)」という言葉があります。

「稽古」とは「真似」ではありません。

先人の作り上げた型を見習い、今の自分と融合させるのです。

この考えは職人にも当てはまります。

 

代々受け継がれてきた技術を習得し、

次に、どうすれば正確・素早く作れるかを毎日の仕事を通して考え作業します。

姿勢・力の入れ方・指の感覚・呼吸。

長年の経験から独自の型をつくりあげるのです。

それは理にかなった(合理的な)動きであり、だからこそ美しくあるのだと考えます。

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In Japan, we used the word keiko which means practicing budou (martial arts) and geidou (traditional performing arts). There is also an old saying keiko shokon which means to understand the present by thinking well about the past. However, keiko is not copying nor imitating. Instead, it refers to observing and learning the method/model developed by ancient experts, and then adding personal flavor to make it one's own. This can apply to artisans as well. What artisans do is to familiarize themselves with the skill that has been passed down through generations, and continue their diligent pursuit to achieve a more efficient and correct way by practice. Day by day, artisans try to find out the best formula to facilitate the working processes by adjusting their posture, sense of finger movements, breathing as well as the way to apply force on the object they are working on, etc., and eventually come to form their unique style after years of pursuits.

We can always see the wonderfulness in the hand movements, because they are nothing random but reasoned and rational.