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Born to Fly: Japan Report One 令和7年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

I titled this post Born to Fly because I sometimes feel like I am compelled to fly to Japan. It feels like a second home. But I also benefit from all of the wonderful Bujinkan training, friends and teachers there.

This latest Japan Report video is accompanied by「Born to fly」from アキSONGBIRD. When I arrived in Noda-shi for a class with Furuta Sensei, I noticed some changes. I walked to my quick bird watching spot in さざんか公園. And I saw the pedestrian bridge over 県道3号 was closed for repair or demolition. Also the パチンコマルキン (pachinko Marukin) is no more.  

Class with Furuta Sensei

Furuta Sensei began with a type of 打払型 uchi harai gata. He struck the opponent in 朝霞 asagasumi. But there was a hidden, hooking finger strike down into the throat.

During this exchange he focused on changing levels. He used cross steps to enter and occupy space. And the “body lean” to occupy the gaps in the opponent’s kamae.

He had the attacker deliver a second punch. And Furuta Sensei used a cross step to hook and stretch the opponent out. It resulted in a 逆武者捕 gyaku musha dori and a locked shoulder. He told us not to take the arm, but take the space.

He opened more space by sweeping aside the second punch. He leaned out of range to sweep it aside, then leaned back into the gap that created. It was like he was hiding in the gaps in the opponent’s attack.


Furuta Sensei called these leans “taihenjutsu”. This means the art of changing the body. These body transformations allow for escapes and counters.

It also creates opportunity for 虚実 kyojitsu. He exposed his own 脇 waki to draw an attack. Then dropped his elbow to parry.

Furuta Sensei then changed to 半棒術 hanbōjutsu 基本 kihon. First with a kind of 四方捌き shihō sabaki. He told us to move our body while the stick stays put. He used the word 吊るす tsurusu, to describe the way the stick remains suspended in space.

Then you might release one end of the hanbō for a long range strike. He explored this against a sword. He used 3-4 strikes with 八文字振り hachimonji furi.

Next, he shared some similar ideas with the 六尺棒 rokushakubō. He had a fascinating way of palming the end of the bō to remain neutral and uncommitted. With this technique any strike became possible in the moment. I guess the stick was “Born to Fly” because he demoed 棒投 bō nage.

Another neutral position came when he put the bō in a floating 起て “tate” position. This preceded a downward strike like 面打 men uchi. But because of its zero quality, the bō could fall on any axis. This would be for deception or necessity if there were multiple opponents.

My latest Japan training trip was off to a great start. I always arrive with plans of things to do or see. And I even prepare questions I hope to ask the teachers. But my favorite experiences are the unplanned. And there were many which I will share in the next posts.

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Ittō-ryū Extra: Japan Report Twelve 令和6年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael


The days and nights have become cold and crisp out in Noda. The founder of Ittō-ryū was in my thoughts during my brisk walk to the Bujinkan Honbu dojo for a class with Sakasai-san. For now, I pulled my thin jacket tight around my shoulders.

There were only three of us in the dojo. Ueki-san, myself, and Rich from Florida. Sakasai said it would be his last class for the year and he would resume on the 19th of January. Despite this, tonight he covered a lot of ideas with us. 


He began with 一文字 ichimonji, 十文字 jūmonji, and 飛鳥 hichō. But he combined them all into one response to the opponent’s attack. Then he did something similar using 五行の型 gogyō no kata. The attack was two punches, and then he adapted chi, sui, ka, fu, and ku to break the opponent down little by little.

Next he used 生音 Seion to explore some very subtle angle shifts. No striking, and he did it without the 外掛け soto gake. He wanted us to throw through positioning alone. I found it very difficult because people don’t just fall over for no reason.

Next he went into a form from 義鑑流 Gikan Ryū that he called 差し手 sashite. He told us the secret was まあわい māwai. So we ended up in the same positioning as the previous throw from Seion. And then through subtle adjustments to the interval of our kamae, we could topple the opponent.

This next part left me scratching my head. He extended his 間 interval to the very edge of the attack, and then used one finger to to manipulate the punch. This was supposed to unbalance the opponent. Sakasai-san was successful against his uke, but the rest of us couldn’t reproduce the magic.

This was not a practical technique for a real fight. He even admitted that it was more of a training experiment. The point was positioning and how to affect balance. He said if you can do the light version, you can always add force.

Looking for the founder of 一刀流 Ittō-ryū

The next morning I went on a pilgrimage to the grave of 伊東 一刀斎 Itō Ittōsai. I had no idea where it was, just the general neighborhood. So, as usual, I played the dumb tourist and asked random monks at the shrine. I was at the wrong shrine, so the monk there walked me down the block to 天妙国寺Tenmyōkoku-ji next door.

The lady who worked in the shop there knew exactly what I was searching for. She walked me through the maze of the cemetery right to the grave marker. I imagine other budōka have needed this same guidance in the past.

Itō Ittōsai was the founder of 一刀流 Ittō-ryū. His style became the foundation for a lot of modern kenjutsu. The Ittō-ryū philosophy was one sword, one cut. It is a decisive cut that is both attack and defense. He fought and won at least 33 duels about which he said that his sword seemed to act with its own will.


As Ittōsai developed his thoughts on kenjustu, he described this idea as 夢想剣 musōken. It has a dream quality where the techniques come from the unconscious. They are spontaneous and the cuts happen from instinct or inspiration. Even though this was an Ittō-ryū idea, I feel like knowing the source of inspiration is also a hallmark of our Bujinkan.

Visiting this grave site is one of the ways I learn about history. And I am also paying tribute to the warriors who came before. In the Bujinkan, the connection down through the generations is what keeps our art a living practice. All of the warriors who came before… refining techniques, living and dying on the battlefield… passed on their skill to make the art that we study today.

The cemetery visit made me hungry, so I went to a つけそば処 tsukesoba shop. I ordered the スパイスカレー温つけ蕎麦。 It was spicy and delicious!

The lunch was fuel for another one of my 愚痴壺 Guchi tsubo rants. In one of my classes, we studied a kata that relies on your training partner to be alive. You do a technique that he tries to counter. And then the kata demands that you counter his counter.

This requires him to give a live attack and be active and responsive. Too many students in the Bujinkan don’t train this way. A lot of people when they are in the “uke” role are like zombie attackers. They throw one punch and fall asleep.

Some are completely passive and become like a wet noodle. Others will actively resist and try to defeat your practice out of fear of injury, or even worse, a spiteful ego. They fight you every step of the way, even though it is just resistance for the sake of it.

I often tell my students that 50% of your training is being an uke. What are you supposed to do during this half of your training? Learn how to be an uke, which means learning how to receive and be safe. But you’re also supposed to learn how to attack!

These attacks must be real. They must be effective. You should never sleepwalk through that 50% of your training.

After my rant, I made the wistful journey to Haneda airport. I am happy to return home to my family and my own dojo. But I always feel that I miss Japan before I’ve even left.

I learned a lot during my trip and had many wonderful experiences. I saw many friends from all over the world. I also shot a LOT of video that I will be editing for members of Rojodojo. If you’d like to support my work and my teaching, please join us there. 

 

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Good Gasshō: Japan Report Eleven 令和6年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael


Before I got to Gasshō, I began my morning commuting to 菊川駅 Kikukawa station. I was on my way to visit 井上刃物 Inoue Hamono. I had some questions to ask and maybe some items to purchase. 

At the shop they sell Japanese woodworking tools. Their business has been around since the Meiji era. It is currently run by third and fourth generation family members 井上 時 夫 Inoue Tokio, and 井上 真 俊 Inoue Masatoshi.

Some tools they sell include: 鉋 kan’na (planes); 彫刻鑿 chokoku nomi (carving chisels); 玄能 Gen’nō (hammers); 鋸 nokogiri (hand saws); and all variety of 刃物 hamono for specific use cases.

They even had 尺 shaku and 寸 sun measuring squares. They also displayed a collection of cute 源氏鶴亀 墨壺 genji tsurukame sumitsubo (turtle and crane ink pots). These are used like the chalk lines that I grew up using in construction to snap lines on lumber.

After running some more errands, I ended up walking to 両国駅 Ryōgoku Station. I caught the train from there all the way to Nodashi. It was time for class with Furuta Sensei.

Gasshō With Furuta Sensei

He started class with 天略宇宙合掌 Ten Ryaku Uchū Gasshō. It is a both kamae and a mudra. He went into the physical nature of the kamae first.

The drill he used came in three variations. First, as the attack comes in, you don’t move. You must have 不動心 fudōshin. Hold your ground and the shape of the kamae acts like a wedge to redirect the strike away from your center.

For the second he said we should “go.” Furuta Sensei likes to practice his English, so he said the first variation was “stay,” and second was “go”. In this case the Gasshō becomes a fist and strikes first.

In the third part of the drill, you open up your Gasshō to receive the attack. This is an example of 引力 inryoku that comes from 天地陰陽之構 Tenchi In’yō no Kamae.

This led into some philosophical discussion about Gasshō. The meaning of the mudra is quite deep. It includes all of the elements, yin and yang, and the whole universe in a praying posture. He even told us how to hold our hands for a kyojitsu that he described as a form of “dark energy”.

During a break, Furuta Sensei brought me over to the picture of Takamatsu Sensei hanging near the genkan. It is the photo where he holds the bō with a fierce expression. Furuta said that Hatsumi Sensei had written 天略宇宙合掌 Ten Ryaku Uchū Gasshō in the margins of the photograph.

He finished class with knife attack and defense. Using the same principles of Gasshō to defend and redirect. Or, you might draw your own blade to shield. Of course Furuta had many knives and threw them around the dojo.

If you were a bystander, watch out! He threw one at me and I managed to draw my own knife to deflect it and that made him happy. This is the joy of training with Furuta Sensei.

Hokusai

After class, I visited the 北斎美術館, Hokusai Museum. This museum opened in 2016 and I had it on my list every time I visited Japan. But I never could go because I didn’t want to miss anything at the dojo.

The museum was built on the site of the 津軽氏 Tsugaru family Daimyō residence from the Edo period. There is a story that Hokusai was commissioned to paint a folding screen with horses by the feudal lord. This prompted Hokusai to return to Sumida and finish out his days in Edo.

Hokusai was known for his woodblock and ukiyo-e prints, but he worked in many different styles and mediums during his life. He started as a young boy and produced tens of thousands of paintings. He had a remarkable ability to capture the essence of his subjects.

He is considered a master in all of the art world. During the period of “Japonsime” he was a great influence on European artists such as Van Gogh and Monet. Some of these artists borrowed or copied the style and technique of his ukiyo-e.

One of his most famous works is 神奈川沖浪裏, the great wave off Kanagawa. The wave is seen cresting in the foreground over Mt Fuji in the back. This image is one of the most famous in all of Japanese art, even into the modern day.

The museum building was designed by Kazuyo Sejima. The shape is five interlocking volumes clad with an aluminum facade. It has a similar presence in the neighborhood as the Disney Concert hall in Los Angeles where I live.

I was surprised by an animatronic depiction of Hokusai in his studio. He is wrapped in a kotatsu and crouched over a painting on the tatami. His daughter assists him with the water and ink. This scene brought nostalgia of my many pleasant afternoons watching Hatsumi Sensei absorbed in his own painting.

I loved the interactive nature of the museum. You can flip through reproductions of his sketchbooks. Not only is the artistic technique incredible, but Hokusai depicted all aspects of Japanese life and culture from that era. It is a historic record of the dress, customs, and even weapons that can inform our study of the Bujinkan Martial arts.

Much Like Hatsumi Sensei, Hokusai always thought his next work would be better. I think every artist feels that. Hokusai wrote a Haiku just before his death,

人魂で
行く気散じや
夏野原
Even as a ghost
I shall lightly tread
the summer fields

Every visit to Japan feels like a gift. I learn so much in training and from the culture. I hope to tread lightly before my spirit reaches the summer fields. Up next, Japan Report Twelve 令和6年.

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棒手裏剣 Bō Shuriken Training in Japan Report Ten 令和6年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

A few Shuriken at Nagase Sensei's House

I woke up early because I had to ride four different trains to go to a 棒手裏剣 Bō Shuriken training session with 菅 祐寿 Kan Hirotoshi. If you haven’t met him, he is the son of Kan Sensei and has become an expert with shuriken. In fact, they were training for the 棒手裏剣競技世界大会 Bō Shuriken world championships, so I might learn something! 

Kan Hirotoshi interview about Bō Shuriken

During the practice session, I interviewed him with some basic questions.
Q: How did you get interested in shuriken?
A: While doing Bujinkan practice, the shuriken is included as part of the training.
Q: Why do you like shuriken so much?
A: It’s the result you get. You know whether it sticks or not, that result comes out, and that teaches you something very good.

Michael with 菅 祐寿 Kan Hirotoshi and new Shuriken friends

They were training in the basement of a building that was converted into a dojo. There were just 5 of us there but each person was working on their own throwing style. The type that Hiro was throwing were 火箸型 Hibashi-gata with a square shaft. But he also had some that he designed himself that are hexagonal.

In 2022, I went into some detail about this shuriken design. He told me some secrets about the design, but I promised not to reveal them. I asked him about the design,

Q: What inspired you to make this design?
A: Ah. Well, like I mentioned earlier, I wanted to lighten the back end a bit. But it was hard to shave it down, so I made a little hole… I wanted to make the weight at the back lighter, and also, in terms of balance, I felt that this part would be difficult to use if it was too thin.
Q: Do you still practice Bujinkan?
A: Yes, at the Tezuka-dojo
Q: Do you use shuriken with your taijutsu?
A: Well, you see, all the training is the same. That’s why we use shuriken in our taijutsu and use our taijutsu to throw shuriken.

This last question inspired him to demonstrate. He showed doing a normal sanshin tsuki, but the finish was with a shuriken throw. Then he did the same with Jūmonji. And he finished with all types of ukemi while throwing.

Q: What do you hope people take away from training with bō shuriken?
A: Well, I want people to enjoy it with a lighthearted feeling. Don’t give up right away if it becomes difficult… a little practice will surely bring results, so please keep practicing and enjoy it. And have fun if possible…

Hiro’s throws were light. Even when done from long distance across the dojo, the throws were light and on target. And then it was my turn to throw.

I tried the light feeling, but many of my shuriken hit flat and fell to the floor. Then I went to my normal power throws and they all stuck. One of the other students there also threw this way. They told me he was a student of Nagase Sensei, so that made sense.

My main goal for going was to make a connection with Kan and his training there. Hopefully in the future my students and I can visit. And I think he would like to encourage more Bujinkan students to join in.

We all went to lunch together. And then I had to catch four trains back to 千葉県 Chiba-ken. I didn’t want to be late for my class with Nagase Sensei. 

愚痴壺 Guchi tsubo rant

One time I asked one of my students to demonstrate a technique. He read 日撃 nichigeki from the text to demonstrate. He found the text confusing. This is common because the densho does not contain the full technique!

The full technique is densho PLUS kuden, or direct transmission from a teacher. This can only occur if the connection of our lineage is unbroken, from the founders of the art down to Soke Hatsumi, and then to the teachers who train with him. If your teacher does not train with Soke, you will probably be missing something!

I can always tell when I see videos or demonstrations from teachers who have not trained with Soke. Because they do the technique wrong. It is obvious they learned it from a video or from trying to decipher the text.

Bō Shuriken with Nagase Sensei

It had just started raining when I arrived at Nagase Sensei’s house. He had set up shuriken targets in the garage. The sound of the rain on the metal roof muffled the chunk and clanging sounds of the spikes of steel as we threw them.

The garage was small, but he had two shuriken targets set at one end. And he had two shelves full of shuriken. These were all varieties, different schools, types, and lengths. He even had random things like knives, tent spikes, and scissors.

There were about five or six of us there. Each student was working on their own skills. But many were exploring an underhanded 三心 sanshin style throw.

At first, I didn’t do that well. But Nagase Sensei began to give great instruction. It was about walking and throwing. People often start from a static position. But he said that was unrealistic. In actual combat you would already be moving. He said that in a real situation, you wouldn’t start by taking up kamae. It would just come out from the walk.

Watching him do this, and get in a rhythm with the walk, I was able to get in a rhythm myself. And I started to have success. The thunk sound of striking true is satisfying.

He showed us the way to release the shuriken from the palm using the word 滑らす suberasu. He demonstrated quarter spin and half spin. Then he showed overhand and underhand. He also did side release and no look versions from behind.

He showed some senban. He did this to emphasize that it is not a failure when the shuriken don’t stick in the target. Senban are not meant to stick, they are meant to distract your opponent so you can escape. bō shuriken function the same way. Nagase Sensei said, that if you hit them in the face with a metal spike, it will still cause damage.

He next focused on aim. You should be able to hit a specific target. He had us call out our targets: right and left; high; middle; and low. I tried this with the 逆打ち gyaku-uchi version (starting with my back to the target) and I hit every one! This made Nagase Sensei very happy. He said it was Nagase style!

During one moment, he used some shuriken that were nearly one 尺 shaku in length. They hit with such force, that they pierced the tatami target. He called me over to look behind where the spikes were poking through.

He finished by showing shuriken connected to sword drawing. Then he even threw the scissors and a tent spike. I told him he was a very dangerous man. He laughed and said, “dangerous man… I know!”

I feel very lucky that I was invited to this training. I think it happened naturally because of the relationship I have developed with him over the years. More Japan updates coming soon. 

 

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Kyoketsu Shōge: Japan Report Nine 令和6年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael


I didn’t have time for any tourist stuff today because I was doing three classes in a row. I only include two of them in the video so that it can be a reasonable length. First up was Nagase Sensei and he surprised us with 距跋渉毛 Kyoketsu Shōge.

I was really surprised that there were only three of us students in Nagase’s class. But he maintained a great spirit and we got to study obscure things that don’t often come up in Bujinkan training. He began with taijutsu against two punches, with a focus on control of the second punch. But then he transitioned quickly to 十手 jūtte and connected these techniques to using your tsuka for control. 

Nagase Sensei will check or stop the second attack. But he really is preventing any future attack. He will check the foot, check the other hand, or check the opponent’s weapon. He uses his own feet and hands to do this, but also his position.

Next, he focused on 隠剣術 onken jutsu. He explained to the translator that this was 隠す剣 kakusu ken, or hidden blade techniques. He focused on two special kamae for hiding blades. But if you have ever trained with him, you know he loves to use hidden shuriken.

距跋渉毛 Kyoketsu Shōge with Nagase Sensei

Since the dojo was empty we had the space to study 距跋渉毛 Kyoketsu Shōge. He began to teach 投げ縄術 nage nawa jutsu. I have done this plenty at home, but he shared some details that I had never heard before. He even took off his obi and showed us how we can solo train nage nawa! Nagase Sensei said that was our homework. I can’t wait to try that at home.

He showed us how to do the 振型 furi gata with rope and ring of the Kyoketsu Shōge using the proper grip. Then he taught us how to spin and pivot in all directions. And during the furi he held the blade in his left hand, and the coils of rope with only his little finger.

Nagase Sensei shot the iron ring out to strike the opponent. Then he whipped it back and caught it with his foot. I was very surprised when he used his foot to shoot it back out as the opponent tried to close distance. Then he looped the Kyoketsu Shōge around the attacker’s head and did a 頸投 kubi nage.

Noguchi Sensei does 人略の巻 jin ryaku no maki

After a coffee break, I returned to the dojo for class with Noguchi Sensei. I arrived early to meditate and work on my training notes. Yes, I still use pen and paper to write out the details of my training in Japan. I find this is good for my own memory because the act of writing makes me think about the training more deeply. A strange side effect of this is that I can remember the pages even without having to open the notebook!

Noguchi Sensei’s class was also on the small side, with about ten students. But he still gave us his full energy. He decided to teach from the 人略の巻 jin ryaku no maki.

I don’t know if it’s his knees or his hips, but something kept him from doing the 坐り型 suwari gata, so he did standing variations of 一撃 ichi geki, 抑込 osae komi, and 腕折 ude ori.

Next during 金縛 Kanashibari, he demonstrated an often overlooked, but critical aspect of this choke defense. This is known as 眼光⼀閃 gankō issen, which is sudden flash of the eyes to freeze the attacker. Hatsumi Sensei once told us,

The eyes emit 殺気 sakki. You’ve got to be able to stare him down. Looks very simple as a technique, but you’ve got to have a lot of spiritual power (精神 seishin) to carry it off.

He continued to say that it’s only once you can do things like this that you can do 不動金縛 Fudō Kanashibari. And it is the entrance into 遠当之術 tōate no jutsu. It is rare to train this type of kiai, so I appreciate Noguchi Sensei for that.

He continued to show very painful details for 天狗捕 Tengu Dori, 締脈 Ketsumyaku, 体締 Tai Jime, 地獄落 Jigoku Otoshi. These are battlefield techniques and my training partner and I took great care to not cause injury.

When he got to 虚倒 Kyotō, he showed a terrible henka driving the opponent’s knee straight down into the ground. He did this by first striking sai with his elbow. Then putting his own knee on the back of the opponent’s knee to drop to the ground. Devastating.

伏虎一 Huko ichi, and 伏虎二 Huko ni are variations of the same principle. You pummel the opponent with rapid strikes. One right up the middle to 鈴 suzu or 金的 kinteki. But the implication of the kata being named tiger is that you claw, rip, and tear. Not a fun feeling when Noguchi Sensei comes up from underneath like that.

I think we finished with 押虚 Ōgyaku, and 頭捕 Zu Dori. But that was my third class in a row so I was sore and sweaty. My head was swimming from all of the great details from each teacher.

Right at the end of class, after we vacuumed and cleaned the dojo, Noguchi Sensei awarded a menkyo. I won’t say who he gave it to because it’s not for me to announce that. But I’m not sure I’ve ever witnessed Noguchi Sensei giving menkyo before. Maybe it signals more signs of change going forward in the Bujinkan.…

Behind the Black Gate: Japan Report Eight 令和6年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

 

黒門 Kuromon: the Black Gate

This morning I made my way into Tokyo to visit the 黒門 kuromon, or black gate. This was one of the few structures from 寛永寺 Kan’ei-ji that survived the battle of Ueno (上野戦争, Ueno Sensō). During the Boshin War (戊辰戦争, Boshin Sensō), and the gate marked the spot where the 彰義隊 Shōgitai lost a decisive battle against the Imperial troops.

Today it is riddled with bullet holes and cannon scars. The Shōgitai were the last of the Tokugawa Samurai. They had swords, arrows, and spears. But they were no match for the 官軍 kangun, the Imperial army led by 西郷 隆盛 Saigō Takamori, who used Snider rifles and Armstrong Cannons.

黒門の半分見へて春の雨
the Black Gate
is only half visible –
rain in spring
〜Kobayashi Issa, 1805

My visit to the black gate was marked by the gentle fall of Ginkgo leaves. A quiet peaceful morning helped me reflect on such a fierce battle. Maybe one of the reasons I am allowed to be here was because of this war which led to the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration.

After my morning field trip on Japanese history, I caught the train to the Bujinkan Honbu Dojo for a class with Nagato Sensei. On my way to the station, I randomly saw my new friend Natalie from Córdoba, Argentina. She was quite emotional after visiting the 子育ての銀杏 Kosodate no ichō Ginkgo tree nearby. I was caught off guard by the emotion she expressed but I was happy to see her.

Training with Nagato Sensei

Later when I arrived at the dojo, she and I were training partners. That’s when I found out it was her birthday! I speak Spanish so we had a great time training and sharing in Nagato’s class.

Nagato asked someone to demo, then he riffed off of that. He received the attack then passed it from one side to the other while striking with his elbows. Then he finished with 外掛け soto gake or various foot sweeps.

Then Nagato Sensei shifted to sword against sword. He started by saying that this was 神傳不動流 Shinden Fudō Ryū and there were no kamae. It was all from 自然の構 Shizen no kamae. So the cut would come in and he smacked it aside with his own blade to thrust in.

He called this all 無刀捕 mutōdori. Even though it was sword on sword, he still called it that. Then for emphasis, he dropped his own weapon and did pure mutōdori. Catching the mune and leveraging the opponent’s sword like a hanbō to turn it back into him.

During break he told us a story about a piece of wood that is displayed under the kamidana in the Bujinkan Honbu dojo. He said that back in the old days, everywhere was a dojo and training could happen at any time or place. One time it was during a walk with Hatsumi Sensei.

Nagato said that they passed by Atago shrine. There had beeen a large ginkgo tree there that had been struck and destroyed by lightning. Soke told Nagato to go and take the 中心 chūshin, the heart, the center, or essence of the tree. So Nagato Sensei ripped out a piece of wood from the heart of the tree. That wood is now part of the spirit of our Honbu dojo.

Here is another one of my 愚痴壺 Guchi tsubo rants. A lot of modern martial arts are infected by sports. The goals and training methods of sport are different. While the goals of our training are the survival of real combat.

We don’t train for tap outs or submissions. We don’t seek to win matches or score points. Our goal is not to be seen to begin with. Or maybe we escape. Or we even kill if absolutely necessary.

This kind of training is deadly and very different from sport. Many dojos who don’t have good teachers or are purely commercial get lost in sport training. Those people have lost their way. Sport training takes you down the wrong path.

During the break, someone asked Nagato Sensei about the old style training that seemed “harder” or more “violent.” Nagato Sensei didn’t answer the question directly. He said this was 矛盾 mujun, or a contradiction.

Nagato told us that in the old days, if someone killed your father, you were supposed to 仇討ち ada uchi, seeking revenge. He told us they gave out licenses for these revenge killings. I asked him if you could get one of these at the post office, and he laughed. He said you got the permission from your lord. Nagato told us that if you did not seek revenge, your family would come to ruin.

After break, Nagato did an evasion against two punches. It ended with a very light touch control on the outside of the opponent’s shoulder. Then he would redirect down to the attacker’s feet to throw using their own attack.

I still have a long day ahead of me. I will be training in three classes and late into the evening. You can follow my updates in Japan Report Nine 令和6年…

Behind the Black Gate: Japan Report Eight 令和6年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

 

黒門 Kuromon: the Black Gate

This morning I made my way into Tokyo to visit the 黒門 kuromon, or black gate. This was one of the few structures from 寛永寺 Kan’ei-ji that survived the battle of Ueno (上野戦争, Ueno Sensō). During the Boshin War (戊辰戦争, Boshin Sensō), and the gate marked the spot where the 彰義隊 Shōgitai lost a decisive battle against the Imperial troops.

Today it is riddled with bullet holes and cannon scars. The Shōgitai were the last of the Tokugawa Samurai. They had swords, arrows, and spears. But they were no match for the 官軍 kangun, the Imperial army led by 西郷 隆盛 Saigō Takamori, who used Snider rifles and Armstrong Cannons.

黒門の半分見へて春の雨
the Black Gate
is only half visible –
rain in spring
〜Kobayashi Issa, 1805

My visit to the black gate was marked by the gentle fall of Ginkgo leaves. A quiet peaceful morning helped me reflect on such a fierce battle. Maybe one of the reasons I am allowed to be here was because of this war which led to the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the beginning of the Meiji Restoration.

After my morning field trip on Japanese history, I caught the train to the Bujinkan Honbu Dojo for a class with Nagato Sensei. On my way to the station, I randomly saw my new friend Natalie from Córdoba, Argentina. She was quite emotional after visiting the 子育ての銀杏 Kosodate no ichō Ginkgo tree nearby. I was caught off guard by the emotion she expressed but I was happy to see her.

Training with Nagato Sensei

Later when I arrived at the dojo, she and I were training partners. That’s when I found out it was her birthday! I speak Spanish so we had a great time training and sharing in Nagato’s class.

Nagato asked someone to demo, then he riffed off of that. He received the attack then passed it from one side to the other while striking with his elbows. Then he finished with 外掛け soto gake or various foot sweeps.

Then Nagato Sensei shifted to sword against sword. He started by saying that this was 神傳不動流 Shinden Fudō Ryū and there were no kamae. It was all from 自然の構 Shizen no kamae. So the cut would come in and he smacked it aside with his own blade to thrust in.

He called this all 無刀捕 mutōdori. Even though it was sword on sword, he still called it that. Then for emphasis, he dropped his own weapon and did pure mutōdori. Catching the mune and leveraging the opponent’s sword like a hanbō to turn it back into him.

During break he told us a story about a piece of wood that is displayed under the kamidana in the Bujinkan Honbu dojo. He said that back in the old days, everywhere was a dojo and training could happen at any time or place. One time it was during a walk with Hatsumi Sensei.

Nagato said that they passed by Atago shrine. There had beeen a large ginkgo tree there that had been struck and destroyed by lightning. Soke told Nagato to go and take the 中心 chūshin, the heart, the center, or essence of the tree. So Nagato Sensei ripped out a piece of wood from the heart of the tree. That wood is now part of the spirit of our Honbu dojo.

Here is another one of my 愚痴壺 Guchi tsubo rants. A lot of modern martial arts are infected by sports. The goals and training methods of sport are different. While the goals of our training are the survival of real combat.

We don’t train for tap outs or submissions. We don’t seek to win matches or score points. Our goal is not to be seen to begin with. Or maybe we escape. Or we even kill if absolutely necessary.

This kind of training is deadly and very different from sport. Many dojos who don’t have good teachers or are purely commercial get lost in sport training. Those people have lost their way. Sport training takes you down the wrong path.

During the break, someone asked Nagato Sensei about the old style training that seemed “harder” or more “violent.” Nagato Sensei didn’t answer the question directly. He said this was 矛盾 mujun, or a contradiction.

Nagato told us that in the old days, if someone killed your father, you were supposed to 仇討ち ada uchi, seeking revenge. He told us they gave out licenses for these revenge killings. I asked him if you could get one of these at the post office, and he laughed. He said you got the permission from your lord. Nagato told us that if you did not seek revenge, your family would come to ruin.

After break, Nagato did an evasion against two punches. It ended with a very light touch control on the outside of the opponent’s shoulder. Then he would redirect down to the attacker’s feet to throw using their own attack.

I still have a long day ahead of me. I will be training in three classes and late into the evening. You can follow my updates in Japan Report Nine 令和6年…

Ride the Tiger: Japan Report Seven 令和6年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael

Michael tries cola flavor Ninja gummies, a gift from 中川将志 Nakagawa Shōshi

I went out to do some laundry and grocery shopping before training. Along the way, I stopped in at the bookstore to find some inspiration from Hatsumi Sensei’s painting. As I flipped through the pages, my eyes settled on a painting of 毘沙門天 Bishamonten riding a tiger.

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Hatsumi Sensei gave the painting the title of 坂上 田村麻呂 Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. This historic figure was one of the first Shōgun in Japan. Legends around him grew over the centuries and he was considered an avatar of Bishamonten, a god of war, and warrior king.

Hatsumi Sensei wrote some poetry from 虎倒流 Kotō Ryū on the painting. Soke said that when he visited Takamatsu Sensei, Takamatsu recited this poetry to him. The poem extols the virtues of a figure like Sakanoue, but I suspect Takamatsu Sensei was also honoring Hatsumi as his student. 

Tiger Messenger 

Tiger at 善國寺 Zenkoku-j, photo by Michael Glenn

The tiger symbolism reminded me of my visit to 善國寺 Zenkoku-ji which enshrines a famous statue of Bishamonten. One may view the statue on the day of the tiger. Based on the Chinese zodiac, this day is considered lucky. The tiger is Bishamonten’s messenger, appearing “in the Year, Month, Day, and Hour of the Tiger.” There is a saying “Travel a thousand miles and return a thousand miles” making this a day when “what goes out surely comes back,” meaning what you give you also receive.

I remember visiting Hatsumi Sensei’s garden where he showed us statues of the seven lucky gods. The Bishamonten statue in his garden may be the 多聞天 Tamonten portrayal, which means “listening to many teachings.” And I did listen intently during these visits with Soke.

愚痴壺 Guchi tsubo rant

Michael shouts into the 愚痴壺 Guchi tsubo, complaint pot

Later, while I was waiting for the train to the Bujinkan Honbu dojo, I recorded one of my 愚痴壺 Guchi tsubo rants. I noted how everyone fills your head when you start training. Violence from your own past, victories and defeats, friends and bullies—are all there in your head to influence your training.

Other people’s opinions and criticisms may affect how you train. But worst of all are your own ideas of what training should be. All of these things are there taking up space in your head.

Any ideas about martial arts crowd your thoughts. Ideas from movies, from sports martial arts, and from things you’ve read or seen online—these all fill you up and make it difficult to learn anything new. They cloud your judgement about what martial arts should be.

If you keep training, all of these people and voices start leaving, one by one. Then you are left with only yourself. And if you are lucky, even you leave. When you reach that state of “zero,” that’s when martial arts can really begin.

Training with Noguchi Sensei 

Noguchi Sensei demos on my friend Oliver Martin
When I arrived at the dojo, it was a warm day and I quickly broke a sweat. Noguchi Sensei came up to me at one point and asked if it was too hot in here. I said yes and he went to turn on the air conditioners.

Noguchi was doing 九鬼神流打拳体術 Kukishin Ryū Dakentaijutsu. But everything was not as it seemed. He showed grappling techniques as strikes. And striking techniques became throws. At one point he bit one of his attackers and said, “you have to go from being a human to become an animal!”

There was a moment when I noticed his opponents were yelping in pain for no obvious reason. Noguchi Sensei came close to show me that he was wearing 角隠指釧 kakuin yubi, horned or spiked rings. In this class I really felt Noguchi Sensei’s Dakentaijutsu expression of Kukishin Ryū. 

Every class begins a new dream of progress. I pack my gi and head to the dojo. See you soon with Japan Report Eight 令和6年 …

Snake Hollow: Japan Report Six 令和6年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael


This morning in Japan, I got up early to visit 蛇窪神社 Hebikubo Jinja. “Snake Hollow” shrine was founded during the Kamakura period in 1323. The white snake has a close association with Benzaiten, and symbolizes living a life with a pure heart and dedicated to kindness. Since 2025 is the year of the snake, I thought it would be nice to pay my respects.

I started by taking advantage of the 撫で白蛇 Nade Shirohebi. I’ll let you translate that one! But this feature of the snake hollow shrine was supposed to bring good fortune and health, so I held my wife in my thoughts since she has been struggling lately.

Then I visited the 銭回し Zeni Mawashi and 銭洗い所 Zeni Arai-sho. This is where you bless your money and wash it to purify. The mawashi helps to circulate wealth more freely among people. And the washing cleanses in case there were any ill gotten gains. I guess it is a sort of spiritual money laundering!

Of course I brought my 集印帳 shūin-chō and received a nice stamp for the year of the snake. Then I donated to snake hollow shrine in exchange for some 御守 omamori. I like to bring these home for my students to help connect them to Japan and share whatever blessings I’ve found there.

Rant at Snake Hollow 

At snake hollow, I stumbled across something that was new to me, a 愚痴壺 Guchi tsubo, which is a complaint pot. You lift the lid and complain into the hole of the jar about whatever troubles you may have. Then close the lid, leaving them in the jar. Of course I had a lot to yell into the jar. 

BEGIN RANT: The ego in in martial artists! I meet students who come to class, and when presented with a technique, they decide that it won’t work. They decide that there is something wrong with the technique, or even the teacher. Even though the reality is they can’t do it properly.

This always makes me wonder, why are they there? Why did they come to the class? Obviously not to learn.

They say things like, “That would never work on the street.” Or, the teacher will demonstrate, and the student does something completely different because they decided the technique is bad. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy because they never learn how to do what is being taught. So of course it won’t work. These students have trapped themselves with their own opinions.

What is an alternative? As Hatsumi Sensei says, “Play!” If you watch baby animals “play” fight, that is not real combat. But they are preparing for real life and death situations. Or you can train like musicians who “play” and instrument and improv with other musicians.

These Bujinkan methods are the opposite in attitude of those self-appointed “serious” martial artists. You know the kind who train formal and stiff and think they know everything. They think everything should be dressed up as “real” so they can win in the ring or survive on the street. But they do not understand that their pretend “reality” training is a trap they put themselves in.

I feel like a playful attitude will help you survive. This is what Soke has always said. And it is a key to training honestly. END RANT 

Training with 中川将志 Nakagawa Shōshi

Later that night, I went to Nakagawa’s class. I’ve known him for many years and used to partner up with him in Hatsumi Sensei’s classes. Lately, I’ve also trained with him in Furuta’s dojo. So I was looking forward to his perspective.

I just explained to him what his tshirt meant
The class was small with maybe only eight students. His style of teaching reminds me of Furuta Sensei. Lots of humor, but he also embodies the 雲隠流 Kumogakure Ryū body angling that I have been studying with Furuta. This is great for me, because it is not a style that I come by naturally. It gives me a lot to work on.

This feels like exploring new ground. It is very easy as a student to fall back on what you know. Then when something is not working you can use tricks that you’ve developed over the years. But the point of going to class is to learn something new.

He seemed really excited to be teaching. He kept going and going with no breaks. After two and a half hours he finally noticed the clock.

I really appreciate his love and enthusiasm for training. Some teachers kind of “phone it in” and just do the bare minimum. I won’t say who, but maybe you’ve been to one of their classes. It seems like they just show up to collect money.

But with only eight students, Nakagawa-san was very engaged. It’s great to see that kind of energy and spirit for sharing. Any student or teacher would do well to emulate his attitude in the dojo. 

 

…

The Dainichi Effect: Japan Report Five 令和6年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael


The Dainichi effect happened around midday, but first this morning I went to the 大江戸骨董市 Oedo Antique Market with Peter Crocoll. This market is quite large with many collectibles, art, and weapons. Many people bought and even wore vintage clothing. Peter found a book of 春画 shunga full of erotic woodblock prints as an amusing gift for one of his students back home.

From there we made a visit to 美術刀剣松本 Bijutsu Tōken Matsumoto. Peter brought another tsuka from home to be wrapped and restored. You may remember my trip last year when he had his first tsukamaki from Matsumoto. While we were there, a koshirae for a dagger caught his eye. The fittings had a rare decorative 海老鞘 ebisaya and Peter couldn’t resist adding it to his collection.

The Dainichi Effect

Later, seeking some inspiration, I returned to ponder the copy of Dojo Giga at the bookstore. When I randomly opened the pages, it fell open to Hatsumi Sensei’s painting of 大日如来 Dainichi Nyorai. Dainichi represents the center, and is the sun Buddha in Japanese esoteric Buddhism such as 密教 Mikkyō. 

Depictions of Dainichi often show the hand gesture or mudra of 六大 rokudai. Each finger is part of the 五大 godai: chi, sui, ka, fu, and ku. They enclose the sixth element, 識 shiki, which is consciousness.

In the text of the painting, Soke wrote the name of 運慶 Unkei (1148-1224)​, who was a famous sculptor among the warrior class during the Kamakura era. Soke did this because in the year he painted, a new sculpture of Dainichi had been discovered and attributed to Unkei. Hatsumi Sensei’s painting was influenced by this discovery. This sculpture sold at Christie’s Auction house for an unprecedented $14,377,000 US dollars. 

Hatsumi Sensei’s Dainichi painting hangs in the Bujinkan honbu dojo

Hatsumi Sensei’s Dainichi painting is currently hanging in the Bujinkan Honbu Dojo. The text on the painting is a sort of memorial. It has the posthumous Buddhist names of both Takamatsu Sensei and Hatsumi Sensei. I first learned of these names some years ago when I climbed a ladder to help install shelves for the gold 位牌 ihai, which are Buddhist mortuary tablet​s displaying the names above the Kamidana.

I have an emotional memory related to Dainichi in the Dojo. It was the day Hatsumi Sensei had to move his wife into a care home. They had been married for many decades and Soke provided care for her in recent years. But he couldn’t manage it anymore.

When he entered the Dojo, he skipped his usual, jovial conversation, and walked straight to the altar of Dainichi under the Kamidana. He sat with his back to all of us and spent many minutes in private prayer. Afterwards, he began to quietly describe some items,

I bought that green tengu when Takamatsu Sensei passed away. At the end of 42 years, I got the one below it here. And here is Dainichi Nyorai. I was born in the year of Dainichi. At this 50 year anniversary maybe it’s some kind of divine message that these things come. This 50 year anniversary just came very suddenly, and next year with this completion of mutō dori, everyone will become a Daishihan and start teaching for themselves. That’s why all of the Daishihan should become friends and have a close community.

While Hatsumi Sensei was talking, I sat maybe a meter behind on his right side. I listened carefully since his back was to me. All of the sudden he asked the entire room who should be the next Daishihan. Several people pointed at me. Hatsumi Sensei turned to see who they were pointing at and he instantly agreed, exclaiming “Ok, ok!”

Senou Sensei reads Michael Glenn's Daishihan for presentation by Hatsumi Sensei

The very next class he called me up to the front of the Dojo to sit before him. Senou Sensei read the new certificate and passed it to Soke, who then bestowed it on me. I bowed and everyone applauded. Hatsumi Sensei said, “There is a time for these things and when the time is right they should be given.” That this happened on the same day Hatsumi Sensei experienced a very personal life change makes me very humble and reflective. Maybe this is the Dainichi effect.

Training with Furuta Sensei

After these moments of reflection, I went to class with Furuta Sensei. Of course he gave me a ride from the train station. Training was in the school gymnasium, which is very large and has nice mats set up for Jūdō.

During the drive, he explained that he had just come from a meeting with Hatsumi Sensei and all of the new Soke. He wanted to share details, but I think he felt he couldn’t tell us everything. But he did share a few things.

He said that there was a new website (bujinkanhombuoffice.com) in the works for the Bujinkan. It will have official rules and rank order forms in an effort to streamline this process. There is also a new Daishihan lapel pin if you feel like showing off. Furuta Sensei also said that for someone to be recommended for Daishihan, they need letters from at least 3 current Daishihan.

Furuta started class with Ukemi, Sanshin, and Kihon Happō to warm up. He began to focus on the details of the 表逆 omote gyaku. He used some of his characteristic 雲隠流 Kumogakure Ryū angles. He showed this against a resisting opponent. Whereupon he emphasized how even one finger can break the resistance like a “push button.”

Furuta Sensei explains details of Oni Kudaki

Pushing the button transitions into 裏逆 ura gyaku. And even further into 手枕 temakura, which he also showed as 袖枕 sode-makura. Then the last henka was 鬼砕 oni kudaki.

He changed to 半棒術 hanbōjutsu against a knife stab. He grew very energetic during this portion of the class. I think the Starbucks caught up with him. He yelled, jumped, and charged at opponents using very big swings of 八文字振りhachimonji furi. It was very funny and we had a lot of laughter. He described this energetic feeling as 気魄 kihaku, which is a fighting spirit.

Furuta Sensei next gave us a lesson about making mistakes. When you try to hit 小手 kote with only the tip or edge of the hanbō, you might miss. This is very natural. But you don’t want this mistake to be your defeat. Instead, you embrace the mistake and turn it into something useful. 

Furuta Sensei uses a Hanbo against two knives

He said that people don’t train for mistakes. They try to do perfect technique (which is impossible), but we should train for mistakes instead. Because we will always make some. Real combat is a clumsy, chaotic affair, so we should train for that reality. As Furuta Sensei said in his blunt English, “Mistake is good.”

The class had a lot of laughter and a good feeling. I think that is really the spirit that Hatsumi Sensei has given us. People try to be so serious, but training with a good heart and lots of laughter is best.…