Skip to content

Bujinkan Daikomyosai Party and Training Themes from Japan

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

What are the current Bujinkan Themes?

For my second week of Japan training, I begin with a visit to 上野東照宮 Ueno Tōshōgū. This shrine was built in 1627, and enshrines Tokugawa Ieyasu. I have visited many times, but they did an extensive remodel a few years ago. This was my first time going beyond the 唐門 Karamon and into the grounds. The entire 本殿 Honden is covered in gold leaf and looks spectacular with the gingko leaves fluttering down around me.

Michael Glenn at 上野東照宮 Ueno Tōshōgū

Later that night, I arrived a bit early for Nagase Sensei’s class. He had moved the class time back 45 minutes so I took the opportunity to review my notes from the prior class. He has been working with 十方折衝 juppō sesshō and the directions for 天地人 Tenchijin and the sanshin within it.

He described many aspects of Tenchijin. He would control his opponent at three points, high, middle, and low. He told us the Ten direction is 天照大御神 Amaterasu ōmikami. The Chi direction is 国常立尊 Kunitokotachi no mikoto (that’s how people pronounce these kanji). And the Jin direction is the spirit across from you, or your opponent.

Nagase Sensei and Michael Glenn December 2022
 

He also emphasized these three points on the jutte: the tip; the pommel; and the hook. He told us that we have sanshin in our training development. Learn taijutsu up to godan, bōjutsu from godan until judan, and kenjutsu until 15th dan. Then after that is what Soke teaches with mutō dori.

The next morning I dressed up to go to the Daikomyosai party AKA Hatsumi Sensei’s birthday party. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Soke has had some health issues and everyone in Japan is taking precautions for the virus. There was a joke going around that we would all line up in the parking lot and Hatsumi Sensei would drive by and wave like the Queen.

Since the Bujinkan Honbu Dojo is still closed (as of December 2022), People ask me about class schedules and where is there training in Japan right now? They see my photos of my training at various dojos in Japan and they want me to give them the location and the schedule. That is not how it works. These are private classes and you have to be invited or ask permission.

Technically you even need permission and must be a “member” of the Bujinkan to train at the Honbu dojo. But in actual practice, anyone can drop by a class if it is on the schedule. But we all know each other, and strangers stick out…

For private dojos, every teacher is different and has different expectations, but it is customary to ask first. This is why it is so important to form good relationships with the teachers. Or if you are new to Japan, your own teacher should have these relationships so they can give you an introduction.

Back to training updates from Japan. The next morning, I went to Furuta Sensei’s dojo in 茨城県 Ibaraki-ken. He came to pick us up from the train station for a 25 minute drive to his house. It is a nice old Japanese house with a garden and an out building for a dojo. We trained for a morning session, then had lunch in his kitchen. Then we did an afternoon session.

Furuta Sensei's Dojo December 2022

It seemed like Furuta Sensei had three years (pandemic years) worth of teaching waiting to get out. He had so much to share. He told us that many martial arts in Japan are like 化石 kaseki, or fossils. They are being preserved but there is no life in them.

Furuta spoke about kata and densho. He said these are like samples of a dish. You can take a bite of something to taste it, but that is not a meal. He said that people who only do kata or densho are missing the meal. This is something I often say to my own students. The Bujinkan is not just kata or the densho, it is also the kuden and direct transmissions from teacher to student that are not on any menu.

Furuta Sensei said ここ当たり koko atari

During training, he had some peculiar angles for evasion. He also showed various places to strike kyusho as he said ここ当たり koko atari, meaning “hit here.” I found out later why things looked strange to me.

After training, he took us out to dinner to a local Soba shop. If you didn’t know, Furuta will be the next Soke of 雲隠流 Kumogakure Ryū. So over dinner he shared that his recent training used the strategies from this school. He would hide himself in the space with subtle angling of his body, just like mountain hiding it’s slopes in the clouds.

Now I realized why all of my classes with him felt different. He had been expressing ideas from Kumogakure Ryū and I didn’t know it. Based on this new insight, I had to go back and revise my notes from each training session with him!

On the flight home from Narita to Los Angeles, I spent some time reflecting on Hatsumi Sensei’s birthday. The party was great fun for me. It had been 3 years since I had seen most of my friends here in Japan. Everyone was happy to let loose a little.

My friend from Senou Sensei’s dojo, Sasa, was entertaining our whole table. Sayaka, Ueki, and Hirotoshi kept things youthful and I enjoyed their wonderful smiles and energy. Nakagawa-san dressed up like some kind of scary geisha with unkempt nose hair and bad jokes.

Hatsumi Sensei and Michael Glenn Dec 2022

Hatsumi Sensei and Michael Glenn Dec 2022
 

The restaurant has two levels. Hatsumi Sensei sat downstairs and we took turns visiting with our birthday gifts to him. I made this trip to Japan in his honor and I felt lucky I was able to see him.

I made a video about all of this while I was in Japan that you can watch here: Japan Report December 2022 Part 3
…

Is the Bujinkan Honbu Dojo Open?

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

Who is teaching at the Bujinkan Honbu Dojo?

The Japan training schedule is irregular and I am following my instincts rather than any set schedule. Peter Crocoll shared a story about Hatsumi Sensei using instinct to buy an antique jūmonji yari based on a feeling.

Furuta Sensei invited me to his class. He picked us up from the train station and we went to a high school gymnasium. We warmed up with a bit of rolling, sanshin, and 骨指基本三法 kosshi kihon sanpō. Then he went into the kata 乱勝 Ranshō from Takagi Yoshin Ryū. He did a deep dive with many themes from Hatsumi Sensei.

The next day, I got up early to have coffee with my friend, Craig Olson. He told me some funny Nagato Sensei stories. He also told me that Furuta-san would be helping out at the Honbu office today.

This piqued my interest because I had a lot of ranks and paperwork to be approved and recorded. Many things have changed in the Bujinkan office, and I had a lot of questions. Craig suggested that it would be too busy and I should not go. But I risked it, and I was the only one there.

Niigata-san has done a tremendous job organizing the Honbu office and the record books. With his and Furuta-san’s help, I was able to get all of my paperwork submitted properly with all of the correct kanji, dates, and yen amounts.

While waiting for the ink to dry, I went to lunch at the old Coco’s in Noda. The restaurant updated with a computerized reservation and order system. It even had robotic servers to bring the food to your table.

Then I stopped by the old tabi shop. It was nice to see it still open. I didn’t know if the elderly couple that ran it would survive the lack of tourism for 3 years over the pandemic. But the old man was as helpful and friendly as ever.

My luck continued when Paul Masse invited us to a special class at the Honbu dojo. He organized this training and got permission a while ago, not realizing that it was on Soke’s birthday. Paul seemed to think that was a good omen.

Paul Masse shares a story at Bujinkan Honbu Dojo December 2022

The dojo has been mostly closed. The Japan training schedule has been empty. Niigata said that this class was the biggest one held at the Honbu in a long time. Paul didn’t teach so much as share. We were all nostalgic and traded Soke tips and tricks with each other. It was a really good feeling and I am grateful to Paul for organizing this opportunity.

Paul also invited us to his house to meet with 根岸流 Negishi-ryū Shihan Kurosawa-san. If you’ve followed my Japan reports from the past, you know that I’ve studied bo shuriken with Kurosawa before. His methods really improved my own understanding of shuriken use.

Kurosawa-san shares a variety of weapons

Paul served some 焼酎 Shōchū with 麦茶 mugicha. Kurosawa-san shared a variety of hidden weapons and bo shuriken from a few different schools. He even showed some modern shuriken with a hollow shaft for improved aerodynamics. He told us that Kan Sensei’s son, 菅 祐寿 Kan Hirotoshi, helped to design these shuriken.

根岸流 Negishi-ryū Shihan Kurosawa-san

Kurosawa shared 3 different shuriken styles: 直打法 Choku dahō; 反転 hanten; and shutō. He also spoke about 柄飛ばし tsuka tobashi, where your own sword leaps into your hand during a shuriken throw to deliver a quick cut. I can’t wait to practice this!

If you would like to see this Bujinkan training video from Japan follow the link: Japan Report December 2022 Part 2
…

Bujinkan Training in Japan Update

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

 Which Dojo's are Open in Japan?

After three long years, I return for Bujinkan training in Japan. The world is different. Training in Japan is different.

Michael Glenn at the Bujinkan Honbu Dojo

I share my expectations and my actual experiences. I came here as a scouting trip. I wanted to see what changed and where the Bujinkan is going.

So far I’ve trained in three dojos. Nagase Sensei started my trip with quick, focused taijutsu.

Nagase Sensei with Michael Glenn November 2022

I visited my friend Sakai-san for training in Kasukabe.
Michael at 酒井一弘 Dojo Novemeber 2022

And Furuta Sensei invited me to his dojo.
Furuta Sensei and Michael Glenn November 2022

Luckily, I found more training than I anticipated. And I’m having a great time. I’m encouraged for the future. And this is only part one of my Bujinkan training in Japan report.

You can watch the video about my training in Japan here: Bujinkan Training in Japan November 2022
…

How Do I Prepare for a Bujinkan Class?

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

Leandro Erlich's "The Classroom" at 森美術館, photo by Michael Glenn
Michael in Leandro Erlich's "The Classroom" at 森美術館, photo Michael Glenn

I probably prepare more than most Bujinkan teachers. In fact, I spend 1-2 hours before every training session setting my lesson plan. But when Hatsumi Sensei made me a Daishihan, my prep changed.

I had 5 steps before there were two big changes. Step one was easy for me, but step seven I didn’t even know about until recently. Let’s talk about the easy change first. 

One: It starts with a Bujinkan theme

As you know, Soke used to set yearly themes for the whole Bujinkan to follow. This made it easy to decide what to study every class. For example, If the theme was Gyokko Ryū, we could study the techniques and strategies from that school.

But one Fall night in 2017 I showed up to the Bujinkan Honbu Dojo in Japan and change was in the air. Hatsumi Sensei’s wife was ill and Soke had made the difficult choice to move her into a care facility. He sat in front of the Kamidana and said a private prayer at his family shrine.

Then he began class talking about change. He told us,

We have lots of Daishihan around the world now. Being able to change is the way of living. Our Tradition continues because it changes. It’s the same feeling as mutōdori. People change as they get older. Now is the time for the Daishihan to take the Bujinkan into the future.

Little did I know I would feel that weight of taking the Bujinkan into the future in less than an hour.

It happened right after the break. Hatsumi Sensei sat on the floor as they cleared away his ink and brushes. Then he looked at some of the Daishihan and said, please nominate anyone you think is worthy to be a Daishihan. Two of them immediately pointed at me. 

I was relaxing on the mat behind Soke, so he turned quickly to see who they were pointing at. His face lit up when he saw me and said, “Ok!” I think he noticed my shocked expression because he smiled and quickly called Furuta-San over to talk to me.

Hatsumi Sensei Awards Bujinkan Daishihan to Michale Glenn
Senou Sensei reads Michael Glenn's Daishihan certificate. photo Peter Crocoll

In the following class on Sunday Hatsumi Sensei made the formal announcement and presented me with the certificate in front of the whole dojo. I bowed and then Soke said to everyone,

There is a time for these things and when the time is right they should be given.

He continued,

Next year is the start of a new Bujinkan. I started Togakure Ryū with Takamatsu Sensei in Showa 33 (1958). But I hadn’t been training long. But Takamatsu gave it to me to grow into it. Please think about these Daishihan not as coming from me, but from Kamisama. To make a community of great people. 

The rest of my trip was filled with thoughts of what did it all mean? One thing it meant when I got back home was that I still had to teach my classes. But Hatsumi Sensei was no longer setting clear themes for us to follow.

I decided it was my responsibility to set themes for my dojo. So far, this has been easy for me. I basically decide what subject I'd like to do a deep dive on and set the theme accordingly. My current theme is Juppō Sesshō and we are using a variety of weapons to explore this.

Two: Bujinkan students are the focus

When preparing to teach a Bujinkan class I must consider what my students need. I anticipate which students will be there that day and what I think will help them the most. Some are beginners, some are advanced and they all need different things from me.

Three: Review the Bujinkan 伝承 Denshō

Knowing the theme enables the next step where I review the 伝承 Denshō. I do this to get as close to the original forms and traditions as they were passed down to Hatsumi Sensei. This step is tricky, because translations and copies of the kata are not always accurate.

I use several trusted sources and compare and contrast them to get as close as I can to the “proper” form. I use multiple translations because each one has a different flavor depending on the pedigree of the translator. Then, I even do my own translation to confirm. This takes a long time.

Four: Hatsumi Sensei's Books

Next, I consult Hatsumi Sensei’s books. In a recent class about the use of jūji sabaki and the jūtte, I have 3 different books with 3 different approaches to the same kata. I compare them with the Denshō to try to get as close as possible to a “kihon” version of the kata.

In each book, the version of the kata that is shown will differ depending on the era the book was written. Or maybe Hatsumi Sensei had a specific focus for that book. I bring that all together with the next step.

Five: Hatsumi Sensei's Videos

After I get the steps down in my class notes, I watch Hatsumi Sensei’s videos. We are lucky that Soke has made a lot of videos. Over the years, I have made notes about where a kata appears in a video so I can fast forward to the exact moment it was shared. Again, the same kata will be presented differently depending on the era and the focus on the day the video was made.

Six: My Personal Bujinkan Training Notes

From here, I reflect on my own personal experience and training notes. In normal years, I would make 3 trips to Japan every year. This worked out to about 6 weeks of training with roughly 2-3 classes every day.

This means that there is a good chance I studied any particular kata with Soke or the Japanese Shihan in Japan. I made many detailed notebooks from these studies. Reviewing these notes will trigger a specific memory or insight that will change how I teach the class.

An idea of 以心伝心 Ishin Denshin

The final step is one that I only recently realized was an essential part of how I prepare for class. This is the idea of 以心伝心 ishin denshin, a direct heart to heart communication between teacher and student. I received this from Hatsumi Sensei.

And I feel like I just woke up to my responsibility as a Daishihan when I discovered this next step.

Seven: What would Soke do?

What is the best way for me to convey Soke’s feeling to my students? This is the final step of my preparation for Bujinkan training. When he awarded me the Daishihan certificate he said,

This year is the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Bujinkan dojo. During this time, there were a lot of people out there who don’t understand what real budo is. And teaching without knowing real budo. Recently, I have been teaching mutōdori and this is 上層部 Jōsō-bu, the highest echelon or essence of budo. Some people understand it and some don’t, but it’s very important.
Who can say they understand Hatsumi Sensei's movement? I don't make any claims. But what I can do is try to share the feeling I got from him. 

Like the time I tried to grab him and he disappeared. Or the time when he struck me with one finger, moving a bone behind my larynx and I was hoarse for a week. He thought that was quite amusing... Or another time when he threw me on the mats in Ayase and I blacked out. I came to with his face over mine, laughing again.

He gave me a feeling too when he made me a Daishihan. He told us,

It’s important to transmit these things by word of mouth and in person. The Daishihan can teach people how to live around the world. The gokui of mutōdori is really nothingness and very pure. I feel fortunate that I could teach people up to Daishihan level and they can now take over.

This is the future of the Bujinkan right in this room. 

I didn't know it that day, but his words still guide me many times a week as I go through these steps to prepare for class. I made a video about all of these steps called Bujinkan Kuden: How I Prepare for Class with the 十手 Jutte if your curiosity drives you to dive deeper.



 

 





…

Training From Inside a Bujinkan Dojo Membership Program

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

What can you learn from the Rojodojo membership program?

or, Why start an online membership?

I have been training all of my life. Started in 1985. Around that same time, I also got into film and video production. So when I began teaching Bujinkan and started my own dojo, It seemed like a natural thing to make training videos.

I assumed I would put them out as DVDs. I even made some with chapters, extras (remember those?) and gave them out. But, this was the era of Netflix and streaming video. Many people were abandoning DVDs and VHS was already a dinosaur.

Then my next thought was how can I stream these training videos? I put a few on youtube, a few on amazon, and I quickly realized it was a full time job. Between the teaching of classes, the video production, post production, streaming setup… And the equipment wasn’t free either.

I knew I had a few friends from my mailing list and from social media who might be interested. So I set up the streaming on my new website Rojodojo.com and I began to tell everyone about it:

Here was the #1 post Introducing Rojodojo

What were the Initial Results?

I was very nervous about the launch. I am not a natural salesperson. I just love to train, and to share that. But I felt weird charging for it. Even though my students pay me for my classes, and I pay my own teachers for their classes. I was not good about asking for money.

So Rojodojo started out kind of weak. I only got a few signups. Not even enough to cover the web hosting bill.

I even received a bunch of blow back from my current followers. People unsubscribed or unfollowed me. Some even wrote me to complain that who did I think I was to charge for videos?

Should I quit? Or Double Down?

I decided to focus on the trailblazers who did sign up. Instead of 1,000 true fans, maybe I had 10… But I was so thankful.

I immediately wrote some amateur Japanese calligraphy to mail to them. And then I got to work. Training, writing, and making videos.

Then, every month, more people came on board. And they kept their memberships going month after month. That means if I get 2 people in one month paying $30 each, and 3 people sign up the next month, now I have $150 every month.

It's not a lot, but it arrives every month... like rocket fuel to share and teach everything I have learned about the Bujinkan during my 35+ years of training.

I was surprised at how we grew. New members continued to join even though I am terrible about offering memberships to people. Did I mention I was a bad salesperson? 

You can see the growth has been up and down, but steady. I removed the Y-axis numbers because of my tendency towards privacy. That way no one will criticize the amount of support.

A few years into this I wonder why I ever doubted myself. Because a few things became real:

Memberships give me permission to do things I wouldn’t otherwise do on my own

Membership allows me to run experiments and explore. I can focus on very small details like the meaning one of our Kuji, Bujinkan Kuden: 妙剣 Myōken and 突き構え Tsukigamae Which is a fringe topic that only hard-core Bujinkan students would care about.

Or, I can run multi-part series like the 12 episodes of 義鑑流 Gikan-Ryū as taught by Noguchi Sensei. This project was very membership driven. It would never have happened without members supporting it.

Now people from everywhere in the world can study with me. Video classes reach many more students than I ever could in my home dojo. My own students even get recognized whenever they go to Japan or attend seminars (they are the real stars of my videos).

When the pandemic happened and our dojo had to close for a year and a half (California wasn’t playing), I was lucky that my members stayed on. They supported me even when I only made improvised videos and explored odd topics for solo training.

My current pledge for members of Rojodojo

I create for the whole Bujinkan community. My goal for Rojodojo is a continuous and rigorous production of training projects. Because I want to share the martial art I love so much.

Some may not want my approach, or some may be too busy building their own empires to learn from me. But there are many strong students and teachers who have the curiosity and drive to learn.

I will share for them. In every way possible. For the true Ninjas.

If you want in, then join us: Rojodojo Invitation



…

How to Practice the Fake Kick of 指拍 Shihaku

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

How to Practice the Fake Kick of 指拍 Shihaku
Real or fake kick?
The other night in my dojo we were practicing fake kicks during the kata 指拍 Shihaku. It is a challenge to practice a fake kick. Here I will give you a method to make your fakes seem real.

How do you trick someone into believing something that isn’t real? You act as if it is real. Or even better, make it real.

This is how I often explain kyojitsu to my students. 虚 kyo means fake, and 実 jitsu means reality. For kyojitsu to work it has to be both real and fake at the same time.

Shihaku has a kick that is kyojitsu. But remember kyojitsu only works if it can be either 虚 kyo or 実 jitsu. Too many people only practice the kyo part of kyojitsu. 

Their fake fails because no one would fall for it. So it must be real. Just not necessarily delivered.

This means that if the opponent doesn’t react to your fake, then make it real. And you kick him hard! If he’s not buying what you’re selling, then kick his ass with it.

So when does does the fake become real? Where does that change occur? Hatsumi Sensei demonstrated this on me when he called it 虚実皮膜 kyojitsu himaku.

The way I learned this kick from Hatsumi Sensei was quite interesting. He took it to that in between place of kyojitsu by making the kick 探り saguri geri. Here The kick becomes more of a searching, feeling out, or testing the waters.

But Soke is really probing the opponent’s state of mind. Will he fall for it? Think of a calm mind like the surface of a quiet lake. Then look for the ripples caused by your (fake) kick.

It is like dipping your toe into a pool to see if the water is cold. Is that a kick? The water surface may be broken and disturbed. Our opponent's kamae is also broken and disturbed this way by saguri geri.

I love this in practice because I can often make my opponents fall over without even hitting them. It is because I am striking their mind and spirit. If that fails for some reason, I have the backup of a real kick to the balls and a punch to the gut. I am happy with either outcome!

If you want more of these training tips from me, then please join my newsletter here: Rojodojo
…

3 Tips for 大外掛 Ōsoto Gake You Should Start Using Now

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

3 Tips for 大外掛 Ōsoto Gake You Should Start Using Now
Bujinkan Honbu Masks, photo from same day by Michael Glenn

Tonight in my class we studied 夢落 yume otoshi. The last time I did this in Japan, Hatsumi Sensei gave us some insights that I want to share with you. He began by telling us 空間で嚮導 Kūkan de kyōdō, or lead the opponent in the kukan.

That was when I should have changed into a new gi. Because it was like a new life for an old ninja. I had a breakthrough for my understanding of taijutsu. But my day leading up to that experience gave no warning it would be special.

I trained for about 6 weeks in Japan every year. So not every day could be amazing. This particular Friday was cold, wet, and boring. I had only errands to keep me entertained before Hatsumi Sensei’s class.

Even my lunch was uninspired. I hunkered down at the low budget family restaurant, Saizeriya in Nagareyama. I only wanted to get out of the cold rain for a bit and work on my training notes in a quiet booth.

Christmas music was already playing, but the holiday decor was only half done. There was a lone Christmas tree surrounded by traffic cones for some arcane reason known only to the カラーコーン fairies. I watched a broken, discarded umbrella blow across the plaza and crash into the soggy tree.

Lucky for me Soke had changed the start time of his classes to 6pm. His 米寿 beiju (88th birthday) was in a couple of weeks. And preparations were underway for his party.

It took almost his entire class to clear my head. I was training with an XXL guy from Finland and he didn’t allow any technique to be done easy. I was beginning to feel like that broken umbrella at the train station.

Then, Hatsumi Sensei showed how to do the 大外掛 Ōsoto gake from yume otoshi. It was only a couple of minutes until the end of training. But he made some wonderful points:

  • First, he said our foot placement was too wide. We should only allow enough space for the knee to come through. 
  • Second, Get the 姿勢 shisei, or posture right by expanding the chest and keeping the head up. 
  • And Third,「頭の向きは投げる方向」Where you look is where you will throw. But the ura side of this is getting the opponent to look in a direction so he throws himself!

Then Soke told us,

空間で嚮導 Kūkan de kyōdō, lead the opponent in the kukan.  You must study something beyond waza, beyond technique. Transcend waza. Without avoiding you move like this. Step slowly, then hold it like this. Let’s try that… that will be the end.
Now here I am two years later sharing these same tips with my students. I do my best to remember the feeling from Soke that night. I would like to take them in a time machine so we could all eat lunch at the Saizeriya and go to Hatsumi Sensei’s class together. But time travel is only in my head training with my memories.

…

Our 初稽古 Hatsugeiko: First Bujinkan Training for 2022

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

五條天神社で、お焚き上げ otakiage preparations at Gojoten jinja. photo Michael Glenn

Happy new year! This year makes more than 35 years in the Bujinkan for me. I am humbled by the many gifts training has given me during all these years. But I still feel excited for what the future holds. 

Our 初稽古 Hatsugeiko, or the first training of the new year, was a bit different this year. For one, we actually trained on January 1, 2022. This is a holiday for most people, but many of us choose the dojo for holidays anyway! I know many of you have used your vacation time to train in Japan. 

And second, I have reached that point in life where many important teachers and students that I trained with are no longer training at all. Some have died, some have quit training. Either way, I made my hatsugeiko in their honor. 

For our first training of the year, I put a strong focus on kihon. It was cold, so I didn’t have to convince anyone to warm up. We all trained hard and got sweaty. 

We warmed up with ukemi and taihenjutsu including: 前方廻転 zenpō kaiten; 後方廻転 kōhō kaiten; 側方廻転 sokuhō kaiten; 前方蛙廻転 zenpō kaeru kaiten; 後方蛙廻転 kōhō kaeru kaiten; 横転 ōten; and 無手横転 mute ōten. Then we did 初心五型 shoshin gokei, 基本八法 Kihon Happō and even found time for bōjutsu basics. 

The first training of the new year sets the tone for the rest of the year. It is important to approach it with sincerity and a focus that will bring you the results that you want from your training. As I told my students, I am not teaching you. I can show you things and act as an example of where you can go. But in the dojo and in life you are all teaching yourselves. 

Next, we continued our study of 投型 nage kata from last year with 逆投 Gyaku Nage. I worked off of my notes from my studies with Oguri Sensei in Japan. We must keep his taijutsu and training spirit alive even in 2022! I spent some time demonstrating important details for using a makikomi in this waza. Hatsumi Sensei gave us this advice,

Everyone moves with their head, but you have to move with your center here. 伸ばす nobasu, stretch him out then enter from the side.

It is interesting to move with your own center this way. Not ducking under. Not lifting the opponent’s arm. But changing your center to shape the kukan.

For me, Bujinkan training is a central part of my entire life. Maybe it is for you too. Maybe we can move with our center into the new year. This is a way to shape the future from a strong foundation.…

空打ち Karauchi: Striking Emptiness

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

Michael Glenn Strikes Emptiness

Last night in my class one student said, “This is pretty basic.” I did a double take and said, “Really? You think so?” I told him that the kata was more advanced than it appeared.

We were studying 一文字 Ichimonji. This is a 無刀捕 mutōdori kata from 高木揚心流 Takagi Yoshin Ryū. And it does look simple. But mutōdori has so many levels.

One morning when Hatsumi Sensei taught this kata he said, 

You make him cut the air. This is mutōdori, like he’s practicing by himself and striking emptiness.

The question I posed to my students last night was, “How?” How do you get your opponent, ostensibly a competent swordsman, to just cut the air and miss you completely?

As an answer, I gave them three insights into advanced mutōdori that I received from Soke. If you are interested, I share these kind of tips for anyone who joins my mailing list, which you can do here: eepurl.com/d0w_r

First, give the enemy what he wants. He is seeking violence and destruction. Let him have it.

Offer him a target. If you try to evade, then you always take away the target. He will then try to reacquire a target. But it may not be one that you are prepared to defend. Give him what he wants, then let him strike emptiness.

In another class I had with Hatsumi Sensei, he did a mutōdori against Oguri Sensei. Soke asked Oguri to describe the feeling. He said he couldn’t get any clear focus on the target for his cut. He said he felt his own kamae collapse.

In response, Hatsumi Sensei said that this is not the movement of sport martial arts. It is a level above that. For Ninjutsu, Soke told us that techniques become “透明 tōmei,” or transparent.

Transparent technique means you have something that cannot be seen or countered. I suggested that my students not plan or decide on a technique before executing it. If you don’t know what technique you will do, your opponent cannot know either. It is difficult for your opponent to counter a technique that doesn’t yet exist.

He will strike blindly at emptiness...  At transparency...  At a Ninja who cannot be seen.

I finished our class with a third suggestion for mutōdori. It is related to 扞技扼 kangiyaku, a kiai which can be verbalized or expressed silently. This kiai calls the opponent to cut.

Hatsumi Sensei did it while holding a kodachi. His opponent tried to cut, but then he collapsed. Soke didn’t even need to hit him. He said,

Give the opponent the feeling to cut. Draw him in. Then your movement will disappear. Disappear from the opponent's perception.

We make him cut emptiness. 

When we finished class, the student who thought the kata looked simple now had a big smile. I could see that he was inspired by these ideas that I shared from my own experience with Hatsumi Sensei. I hope he can carry this forward in his own training and share it with future generations.

…

What Did Hatsumi Sensei Say Four Times in the First Four Minutes of Training?

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

聖観世音菩薩立像 on top of 万人塚 Banninzuka. photo Michael Glenn
In December, during a Friday night class at the Bujinkan Honbu Dojo, Hatsumi Sensei repeated a word four times in the first four minutes of class. In fact, he said it both as a statement and a question as if we just didn’t get it. ゆっくりかな。 Yukkuri, kana?

First, he had Nagase Sensei stab at him and he said,
We’re not studying the form, we’re studying muto dori. ゆっくり。 (Yukkuri)
ゆっくり Yukkuri got translated as, “Go slowly or take your time.” But those words in English don’t capture the full idea.

A moment later Soke repeated,
The feeling is very important. ゆっくり。(Yukkuri). You can create this lock here on the elbow. Take the knife. It has to be connected like this. This kind of feeling is important. ゆっくりと。(Yukkuri to)
My training partner stabbed at me and I tried to use the feeling that Soke had just shared. But I saw Soke glance at me and he interrupted the entire class again to demonstrate,
This feeling. ゆっくりかな。
This was said like a question, "Yukkuri, kana?"

Well, I did wonder. The translation was to go slowly. But in the first four minutes of class Soke had used three or four different ukes and did several henka, all while stressing the importance of yukkuri. Not very slow at all.

Up until that moment, I had a slow day. I visited a memorial for the 明暦の大火 Meireki no taika,  also known as the Furisode fire.  Which was rumored to start from the burning of a teenager's cursed kimono.

Here I said a prayer at the 万人塚 Banninzuka. This mound of a million souls was set up by the Shogun to bury the many nameless victims of that great fire that killed more than 100,000 people. The gravesite is still a burial place for anyone who has no relatives to look after their funeral.

On the way to the dojo, I bought a coffee at the konbini in the train station. The store clerk was a middle aged man wearing a Santa hat. He asked if I needed a bag. I replied, シールでいいです。 He made a goofy smile as he stuck a piece of tape on the can.

Japanese is full of little phrases that have different meanings in context. Yukkuri is one that you will hear often in Hatsumi Sensei’s class. It can mean to move slowly. But a more subtle meaning is to move at your own pace, in a relaxed way.

You don’t want your opponent to set the tempo of the fight. One time Soke told us,
You don't have to move fast. Slowly, slowly… like a snake that is hunting its prey. You wrap him up with your own body.
And another time Tezuka-san stabbed and Soke faded back. He said,
Yukkuri. Keep it connected. With this feeling, you become almost like a (妖怪 youkai) spirit or a monster.
When you are able to move at your on pace, in this leisurely way, you draw power from all around. Hatsumi Sensei said that we Daishihan are always taking the Godan test. We must have this connection of the air and of the wind, a connection of the kukan. It is the same idea whether giving or taking the Godan test, where a kind of Divine connection is important.

That is where the power comes from.

Next to the 万人塚 Banninzuka where I said my prayer earlier in the day, there is another mound. It is called 力塚 Chikarazuka, a power mound. It was built as a memorial to past Sumo wrestlers. Now the young ones pray there to draw upon the power of their elders.

I didn’t pray there, because I draw power from Soke and my teachers at the Honbu dojo. We are lucky to have this living art that is not buried in mounds and monuments. I will continue to train Yukkuri, at ease and with my own pace.…