From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr
Visit the page HERE
… Read More
Author: kumafr
Basics & Fundamentals (part 1)
From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr
The Ten Chi Jin from 1987
During my last seminar in Chemnitz, I was asked to explain to the group the Bujinkan system. It was a discovery for many students so I decided to share here in this blog the importance of the Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki.
The first thing you have to get clearly is that the Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki is the best system ever created to give a martial artist a chance to develop his creativity. This is the kaitatsu explained by sensei recently.
Too often the Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki is underestimated by the teacher more inclined to dwell on the rich legacy of the nine schools. This is a major mistake as without the Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki no student can really grasp the essence of sensei’s teachings.
.
.
What is the Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki?
It is a program put out by sensei in the eighties as a common basic program for the beginners. The first “official” edition was published in Japanese back in 1983 under the title “Togakure Ryû Ninpô Taijutsu”. Divided into three parts which are Ten, Chi, and Jin, it presented in a certain order the elemental bricks necessary to study the nine schools and their specificities. After a few years of practice, it had been reviewed and modified to be even more practical. In 1987, we received from Japan, the first English version of this new system. The majority of the techniques were the same, but the repartition had been changed to facilitate the learning. The first published versions of this new Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki (TCJ2) were done in 1991 by Pedro Fleitas in Spanish and by Mariette Van der Vliet in English. The French Protek was published by me in 1998. An adapted version in German by Steffen Frohlich was also released during the same period. Many other incomplete and transformed versions were published subsequently.
To be continued…
… Read More
Update on death & Toda
From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr
r
Takamatsu sensei doing Take Ori
In one of my previous posts I quoted Hatsumi sensei saying that a true master should be able to “laugh while facing the ennemy”.
This is quite similar to what Toda Shinryûken Masamitsu, Takamatsu sensei grandfather (or uncle*) once told him:
“Never talk about knowledge as you could lose it,
Confront a defeat with a smile even if you are closely facing it,
And even when you are faced with certain
death, die laughing!”
This year’s theme is Rokkon Shôjô so keep smiling whatever hardship you are confronted with.
* All Bujinkan books keep repeating that Toda sensei was Takamatsu sensei‘s grandfather but recently one Japanese shihan during class said that actually Toda sensei was Takamatsu‘s uncle not grandfather…
To a Westerner the sounds for ojiisan (grandfather) are very much similar to ojisan (uncle). Sorrymasen. 
… Read More
Chemnitz seminar 1st & 2nd May
From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr
Seminar Arnaud 01 & 02.05.2010
Seminar Reminder:
Rokkon Shôjô & Tachi Kumiuchi seminar in Chemnitz (Germany) with Arnaud Cousergue, May 1st & 2nd, 2010.
I will summarize in Chemnitz the last input that we got recently from Japan during the seminar. Tachi is not katana.
I hope to see you there.
Be happy !
… Read More
Photon & Stardust: the Spirit of Movement
From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr
the essence of movement
Once again I would like to review a metaphore used by sensei not long ago. He spoke about “photon & stardust” to me, it is the best way to explain how things should happen in the dôjô.
From our perspective, a photon is invisible. Stardust in space is also invisiable to us. A photon is moving at the speed of light in space and stardust is moving also at a permanent speed. Now until they meet there is o way for you to see them. When they collide a spark of light is created. This spark is the movement/technique. Both the photon and the stardust become visible when the spark of light appears. Before the collision they “are non existent” (to our senses), after they are not existent any more. When you fight your opponent what happens is identical.
In ”l‘esprit du geste“* this is what I tried to explain. There is no thinking process, no intention, only a spark of light. In a fight, there is no technique there is only an opportunity of possibility. It is only a probability of occurrence. Adapt!
Chi does not think
Sui does not think
Ka does not think
Fû does not think
Kû does not think
So why do you think? the sixth element shiki (consciousness) appears, it is not the product of the analytical brain. It is given as everything in Nature, natural movement is only that.
*the book is now translated into English and soon available.
… Read More