Kouun Ryusui — Floating Clouds, Flowing Water 行雲流水

Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 [pronounced “koo-oon ree-you-swee”] raises two important concepts: the cultivation of a perspective in which we are unaffected by strife; and an appreciation for a flowing, natural movement on and off the dojo floor.

Clouds Float, Water Flows

If you’ve ever watched clouds floating in the sky, or water freely flowing in a river or stream, then you’ve seen the essence of Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水.

In fact, quite literally Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 means “floating clouds, flowing water” and it tries to capture the notion that no matter what happens, we should strive to be unaffected by the chaos around us and not bound to the whims and machinations of those in our world.

Clouds float effortlessly, unhindered by events around them. Yes, they change direction based on air currents, but they do so gracefully, all the while keeping their identity as clouds. Water flows down a river, never stopping – even though there may be boulders in the riverbed that the water flows around. Clouds float, water flows – no matter how the environment changes.

Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 teaches us to create mental and spiritual “shock absorbers” that absorb the distractions, disharmony, and general chaos of the world. Rather than being isolated, karateka with Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 remain connected and in harmony with the larger world around them, but they remain unaffected by the pushing and pulling of competing demands for time, energy, and attention from those things that compete with their focus.

Practicing Effortlessness

There is more to Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 than a mental attitude. We can also model our movement and physical action after those self-same floating clouds and flowing water.

Have you ever had one of those days that seems to go effortlessly from task to task, accomplishing much and feeling incredibly productive? This is what Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 can look and feel like.

Even on the dojo floor, we sometimes feel this same effortlessness as we move through kata. This feeling – and appearance – of effortlessness, however, requires a great deal of training and hard work to accomplish.

In effect, effortlessness requires much effort.

But despite the effort required, it is worth that effort to cultivate a feeling of moving and acting with a seamless transition from movement to movement, action to action. If we can remove the "friction" in our day, we not only increase our actual efficiency, we also increase our ability to do more complex tasks and accomplish bigger goals.

Maintaining and Protecting Identity

A karateka with Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 is very grounded in his or her purpose, and perhaps more importantly, in his or her identity. As a result, a profound inner peace develops, is maintained, and is protected from external distractions.

To practice Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 is difficult, and in many ways, takes much experience. In fact, the very act of practicing Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 builds valuable experience, and done correctly, the strength of one’s Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 should increase over time.

Much in the same way that the rush of water flowing as part of a bigger river grows more powerful, our own Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 grows stronger and more confident as we experience the act of maintaining our impervious Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水.

Kouun Ryusui 行雲流水 is self-reinforcing. Practice it, and it grows stronger.

Editor's Note: This lecture was first delivered by Sensei at the Goju Karate dojo in San Rafael, California on 4 June 2012, and then again at the Goju Karate dojo in New York City on 21 August 2024.