Decoding Shuhari: A Journey from Mastery to Innovation

Shuhari, a concept rooted in Japanese martial arts, outlines the progression of learning to mastery. Interestingly, the term’s pronunciation hints at its Chinese origins: ‘Shu’ (守) represents adherence to fundamentals, ‘Ha’ (破) signifies breaking but not destroying old patterns, and ‘Ri’ (离/離) encourages departure from learned knowledge to foster innovation. The pinnacle is ‘Kokoro’, a Chinese term for heart (心), symbolizing a return to the source or origin.

Shuhari encapsulates our learning, evolution, and innovation processes, both in life and at work, particularly when practicing Agility. It’s a cycle of learning, breaking free, and eventually surpassing.

But where did Shuhari originate?

The concept traces back to the seventh century when Emperor Kotoku ascended the Japanese throne, ushering in a new era of civilization for the island nation. Across the sea, the prosperous Tang Chinese empire, akin to the Roman Empire in Europe, thrived. During his reign, Kotoku initiated several missions to the Tang capital, Chang’an, and instigated reforms that led Japan to learn from and emulate China’s finest aspects. Even today, the Japanese city of Nara (奈良) retains its design, modeled after Chang’an 1300 years ago. Music was a significant part of the Tang Empire, with songs typically composed of three parts:

a. Jo: The “Introduction” (序) unfolds and develops slowly, evolving into Shu, the stage of obeying fundamentals.

b. Ha: The drum’s beats are determined and played freely, with additional beats signifying “break”（破）- evolving into Ha, the stage of breaking old patterns.

c. Kyū: The inclusion of acceleration signifies “sudden”（急）- (离), which later evolved into Ri, the stage of departure.

The Shuhari concept provides a framework and language to understand how to approach learning a new skill. Initially, a variety of ideas may not be beneficial. Once you grasp the basics, you can experiment and integrate new thoughts or ideas. These experiments will lead you down new paths, and eventually, you’ll evolve beyond specific practices, transitioning from practicing agile to being agile.

Embracing new skills has always been a passion of mine, and learning to play the violin has been a long-standing dream. I’m thrilled to have finally found an optimal method to master it. This method isn’t confined to the realm of music; it beautifully intertwines with my existing pursuits like sketching, painting, product design, and problem-solving. So, let’s dive in without delay into this exhilarating journey of learning and discovery. This exploration promises to not only refine our skills but also deepen our understanding of the world around us. Imagine you’re learning to play the violin. In the beginning, you’re at the ‘Shu’ stage. You diligently follow your teacher’s instructions, practicing scales and simple melodies, adhering strictly to the sheet music. You’re learning the fundamentals and obeying the rules of music theory.

As you become more comfortable, you enter the ‘Ha’ stage. You start to experiment, perhaps improvising a little and adding your own flair to the pieces you play. You’re breaking from the strict patterns you learned initially, but not completely discarding them.

Finally, you reach the ‘Ri’ stage. You’re now composing your own music, creating something entirely new and unique. You’ve departed from what you initially learned, but your compositions are still grounded in the fundamentals you learned in the ‘Shu’ stage.

This progression from ‘Shu’ to ‘Ha’ to ‘Ri’ is similar to my own journey in the field of Agile practices. I started by learning the basics, then experimented and adapted those practices to better suit the needs of the teams I was working with, and finally, I was able to innovate and create new practices that were uniquely suited to my specific context.

Just like learning to play the violin, mastering Agile practices is a journey. It’s not about reaching a destination, but about continuous learning and improvement. And that’s the essence of Shuhari.