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Bujinkan on Television

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Mats "Toryu" Hjelm

Dimitri, Duncan, Daniel on TV
Since I live and train in Los Angeles area, I receive many invitations to appear on TV shows.  Some of these are big popular shows on major network television.  The producers usually call or e-mail me and say that they are doing a show on the topic of Ninjas, and they want to find a gang of black clad people to do some crazy ninja flips while spewing throwing stars around the studio.  I always decline their exploitation.

There is something very important to understand about Bujinkan in the media.  The media almost always present something fake.  They do this because their goal is to sell advertising, not to inform anyone about anything real.  What sells more ads, the cartoon, movie flash of Ninja that people want and expect to see, or real training?  We have to admit, VERY few people are interested in real training.  But a lot of people love NINJA!

I have worked in film, television and the entertainment business for much of my life and I know this fact first hand.  Every show I have ever worked on that uses "real" people for part of its content, chews them up and spits them out.  They are rarely allowed to present their truth.  Where I live, with Hollywood Boulevard 10 minutes from where I train,  that showbiz mentality is just part of the fabric of life.  Most people here have come to expect the falsity of it.

So when any Bujinkan member somehow gets invited (or coerced) onto television, they should expect this repackaging of themselves to sell ads.  If you expect it and you go there to do your best to represent your art, you may sneak some reality in, but don't be disappointed if it makes you look silly.  Because it inevitably will.

Hatsumi Sensei has become very media Savvy in all his years of dealing with them.  He seems to know and accept the reality the media offer.  And by knowing this, he can choose to participate or not.  When he does, he takes full advantage of the opportunity.

My friend Duncan Stewart was on Japanese Asahi TV recently and he says this about the experience:
I knew that whatever I did, it would be difficult to give a good example.  This was because we were at the mercy of the Director and the editorial department, not to mention my own nerves. Also, the television show we were to be on was a very light hearted “variety show” aimed a comedic entertainment.  Regardless, I took the opportunity to learn first hand what Soke often talks about in regards to public demonstrations for the mass media...

Soke advised me on this type of thing before I went to the studio. However, like most things in life, you never understand the words of wisdom you receive from your teachers/parents until you experience them directly.
So I applaud Duncan for his transparency and willingness to jump into the fire of TV.  He looked great, and obviously is learning much more than combat skills from Hatsumi Sensei.

The "Ninjas" in the first part of the segment are not Bujinkan nor affiliated with Duncan.


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Weapon Malfunctions Can Turn Into Tactical Failure

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Mats "Toryu" Hjelm

Don't malfunction yourself.
What if your gun jams, or you sword breaks, or even worse, you have a complete tactical failure?  The first two are are easy problems, the third is more difficult, but can be dealt with naturally.  Let's consider all three in turn.

If you have any firearms training at all, you already know that you should train for malfunctions.  A malfunction in this case is confined to the weapon or the ammunition itself.  It is a malfunction of the tool you are using.  A stove-pipe, a misfeed, or the worst, a broken firing pin - are all situations that must be trained for.  One common malfunction that we don't even consider as a malfunction is running out of ammo.  Why is this not a malfunction?  The weapon is essentially useless.  We don't see it as a malfunction because this is something that we very naturally expect to happen.  We train to reload.  You should train for those other malfunctions just as you train to reload smoothly and with as little interruption to your defense as possible.

And of course this training must include making a hasty tactical withdrawal (retreat)!

On several occasions I have been training with Hatsumi Sensei and he has used two swords that have red saya.  These swords never draw properly.  He at first blamed it on them being new.  But I saw this occur again years later.  Maybe the saya have a poor fit or something.  The cool thing was, that he didn't let the malfunction slow him down at all.  He made use of the half drawn sword.  In one case he said, 
"It's OK if the sword doesn't draw.  What's important is this aspect of the sword not drawing.  You can't have the idea that the sword is always going to draw.  You must have the expectation that the sword won't always draw."

So lets consider tactical failure.  Whether with a gun, a sword, or with your tactics, use yourself in a way that you don't become an obstacle.  Don't malfunction yourself.

Don't get caught up in the malfunction so that you yourself malfunction.  The failure will spread like a virus.  Soke went on to say something simple yet profound about using weapons,
"All these things are connected and you have to have this connection within the weapon."

So if you want to overcome tactical failure, there is a natural solution to the problem.  If you understand Sensei's kuden up to this point, you will know that having a natural posture and natural heart is the secret. Soke refers to his teacher Takamatsu Sensei who said that nature lies in a sincere spirit.  And that nature will bring about the destruction of your opponent.

If this doesn't help you, remember this is kuden.  It is something I've learned and experienced directly from Soke and my teachers.  You need to find a teacher to experience it from.  You can't learn it by reading about it.


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Happo Tenchi: Ten Directions of Truth

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Mats "Toryu" Hjelm

Photo by ePi.Longo
In all ten directions of the universe,
there is only one truth.
When we see clearly, the great teachings are the same.
What can ever be lost?  What can be attained?
If we attain something, it was there from the beginning of time.
If we lose something, it is hiding somewhere near us.
Look: this ball in my pocket:
can you see how priceless it is?
Ryōkan Taigu (良寛大愚)


There is nothing wise I can add to the beautiful poetry above.  Just that, I find my inspiration from many sources.  I am constantly amazed at how these inspirations in martial arts and life mirror each other.
Who has heard Hatsumi Sensei utter similar ideas?


Ryōkan Taigu (良寛大愚)  1758-1831, Japanese Zen Master, hermit, calligrapher, and poet; his name means "Goodly Tolerance."  Another Buddhist name that he took for himself means "Great Fool."  Ryokan is one of the most beloved figures in Japanese Literature, and is especially known for his kindness and his love of children and animals; he even used to take the lice out of his robe, sun them on a piece of paper on the veranda, then carefully put them back into his robe.  He used to smile continually, and people he visited felt "as if spring had come on a dark winter's day." 

His most famous haiku was written after a thief had broken into his hut and stolen his few simple possessions:
The thief left it behind:
the moon
at my window. 


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