Skip to content

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.…

Nagase and Furuta 先生方 Japan Report Four 令和6年

From Bujinkan Santa Monica by Michael


Today I had class with Nagase and Furuta 先生方. I wake up early these days. So I made some coffee with an AeroPress in my hotel room. Then I went out to take a few street photographs. By the time I had to catch the train, I was ready for more coffee.

I installed myself at the lunch counter of a cafe. A handsome elderly woman sat next to me, drinking tea, and eating pasta. Her hair was pulled tight, and a jacket draped from her shoulders. I noted her posture with tucked elbows and a delicate use of the fork and spoon. Holding a proper teacup. I was no match for her.

Nagase and Furuta 先生方

I thought about her as I rode the train to go to Nagase Sensei’s class at the Bujinkan Honbu Dojo. I normally train with him at his own Dojo, but things are more convenient now with him having classes at the Honbu. When he arrived, I helped him unload his bags from the car.

Nagase Sensei started class with a 手解 tehodoki technique leading to both 武者捕 musha dori and 武双捕 musō dori. But these techniques were concealing a vise like 竹折り take ori against his chest. I was one of the first students he demonstrated on, and it was so intense that within the first five minutes of the class I was done. He already had me in survival mode.

He continued the chain of henka off of the original technique. He described it as doing Plan A, then if that didn’t work, he did Plan B. Then he added C and D… all the way to Plan G. The last one locked the Take Ori by wrapping it with his own belt! Nagase Sensei did these all sequentially, so the opponent experienced one type of pain, and then another… and the chain never broke. Until his opponent did.

From there he began to explore three points of control from Ichimonji no Kamae. He spoke of checking or stopping the next punch. He told us this was 三心 sanshin using 上段 Jōdan, 中段 Chūdan, and 下段 Gedan… which is also 天 Ten, 地 Chi, and 人 Jin. This all becomes an infinity of 八方 Happō. If you are a long time subscriber, you may have seen me cover this theory in more detail from my other classes with Nagase Sensei.

Next, Nagase demonstrated variation of tsuke iri with the hanbō. The emphasis was still on three points of control. The number three was also expressed as 無念無想の構 munen musō no kamae, 音無しの構 otonashi no kamae, and 型破の構 kata yaburi no kamae.

He extended this sanshin progression to the levels study within Bujinkan rank. From 五段 Godan you must develop your taijutsu. At 十段 Jūdan the study is mastery of bōjutsu. And then 十五段 Jūgodan must perfect kenjutsu.

I will add that not many people know that we have award levels after Jūgodan that lead up to Daishihan. I didn’t even know this until Soke gave me these awards and emphasized to me that they were to be given in order. Hatsumi Sensei has said the focus for us Daishihan is 無刀捕 mutō dori.

So Nagase Sensei finished with a kenjutsu variation on the take ori that we did earlier. I really enjoyed the class. Nagase makes me work hard as his uke. His class is one of the only sessions where I need to tap out a lot.  

Furuta Sensei

I stepped outside for fifteen minutes to eat an おにぎり onigiri and slam some green tea. Then it was time for class with Furuta Sensei. Furuta showed up in a great mood because he had just returned from antique shopping with Hatsumi Sensei. I was happy to hear this because Soke’s health has been up and down.

One of Soke’s favorite hobbies is shopping for antique weapons. So they went to lunch and He made Furuta Sensei buy a yari. I say “made” beause that is how Furuta described it. Hatsumi Sensei strongly recommends that Furuta buy things when they find unique weapons or artwork. Furuta said the yari didn’t even fit in his van, so he had to go back later to pick it up.

Furuta Sensei started class defending against a grab and punch. He leaned way back with his shoulder to evade. And just when the opponent adjusted to this, he would shift back the other direction and disappear. As the next Soke of 雲隠流 Kumogakure Ryū, this is an example of his approach to this school.

He applied a bunch of finger attacks to 急所 kyūsho on the opponent’s neck and face. Furuta Sensei then told us a story about Takamatsu Ōsensei who was attacked by a wild dog. Takamatsu stood his ground and with one finger gouged out the eye of the dog and it ran away.  

Furuta did these same movements with double knives. He combined it with the kyūsho control using the fingers. But he also added throwing the knives as a distraction or to cover distance.

I find these angled evasions with the sharp and low posture that Furuta Sensei uses to be fascinating. It is very unsettling and confusing as his opponent. My normal taijutsu isn’t anything like this. Which is great because it makes me stretch and learn outside my comfort zone.

He finished class with kenjutsu from 棟水之構 Tōsui no Kamae vs a downward cut. Furuta Sensei dropped his body while his sword intercepted the cut. But he disappeared. He even dropped his own sword to disguise his escape. In that moment where he dropped away he controlled the opponent or took his weapon from him.

Finally it’s time for dinner. This is my chance to write my notes from all of this wonderful training I did with Nagase and Furuta 先生方. I will have another class with Furuta Sensei coming up in Japan Report Five 令和6年
…

BATON FIGHTING techniques with MATS HJELM

From Budoshop.se by BUDOSHOP.SE

BATON FIGHTING Techniques with Mats Hjelm. In April 2024, Mats Hjelm conducted an enlightening seminar on Jutte techniques in Helsinki, Finland, organized by Bujinkan Sakura Dojo. In this video, Mats Hjelm explores the art of Jutte-jutsu through the lens of Gyokkō-ryū Sanshin no Kata and Kukishin-ryū Jutte techniques. He demonstrates fundamental “Kōda” techniques, designed for countering both unarmed and armed opponents, alongside Kata specifically tailored for sword attacks. Additionally, Mats adapts ten techniques from Kodachijutsu for use with the Jutte. Highlights Include:
  • 5 Jutte techniques from Gyokkō-ryū (Sanshin no Kata)
  • 5 “Kōda” techniques for countering both unarmed and armed opponents
  • 7 Jutte techniques from Kukishin-ryū within the Bujinkan system
  • 10 Kodachi techniques from Kukishin-ryū within the Bujinkan system

Download BATON FIGHTING techniques with MATS HJELM

Experience the essence of Jutte-jutsu and its applications within the Bujinkan system, as demonstrated and explained by Mats Hjelm.

十手術 JUTTEJUTSU

Techniques shown on this video JUTTE SANSHIN NO KATA 5 techniques shown and explained JUTTE KIHON UGOKI Basic movement shown and explained JUTTE KIHON YŌHŌ (“KŌDA”) 5 basic techniques shown and explained JUTTE KATA 7 basic techniques shown and explained JUTTE (KODACHI KATA) 10 basic techniques shown and explained
78 Minutes, HD1920x1080, MP4, QuickTime Text, AAC, H.265. Download size 1.85Gb
Download Video $19.99
This video is from a Seminar in 2024. Recorded in Helsinki, Finland in April 6-7’th 2024. The seminar was organised by Bujinkan Sakura Dojo.

About the instructor

Mats Hjelm started training in Bujinkan for the first time around 1983. It wasn’t until 1986 when he had the opportunity to start training more seriously under a Shidōshi. He has taught at numerous seminars all around the world, gone to Japan 3-5 times every year. After he started training he never had a training break. He takes his budo training very seriously! If you want to sponsor a seminar or course, please don’t hesitate to contact him. For more information see his web site toryu.se or come and train with him at Kaigozan Dojo.…

Kihon Happo – Musha Dori (Udejime Ashiori Kata)

From YŪDANSHA NO AN'NAISHO by YŪDANSHA NO AN'NAISHO

Kihon Happo is the very foundation of Bujinkan Dojo Budo Taijutsu. Here is the seventh technique called Musha Dori (Ude Jime Ashi Ori Kata) from page 47 in the YUDANSHA book.…

SWORD FIGHTING fundamental postures with MATS HJELM

From Budoshop.se by BUDOSHOP.SE

SWORD FIGHTING fundamental postures with MATS HJELM. These “Kamae” is not simply a static posture you can learn from looking at a picture. Each Kamae is studied by practicing the whole movement. All Kamae have a complete technique from start to finish connected to it. The whole technique becomes the Kamae and help us understand the posture better. Hatsumi Sōke taught us these Kamae very often without telling us what it was. He often started the Sunday morning class by taking a sword and teach one of these Kamae without explaining the origins of the technique. I as most others (I think) thought he just did something random without deeper thought behind it. I soon found out that I was wrong, it was these Kamae he was showing us. It was Ninja Happo-biken from Togakure-ryu. This video covers Kamae no Kata, the postures and movements of traditional sword fighting techniques of Togakure-ryu.
Happō-biken, eight directional secret sword means: generating an infinite secret sword from the posture of divine mind – divine eyes (心身心眼 SHIN SHIN SHIN GAN). Masaaki Hatsumi

Download SWORD FIGHTING fundamental postures with MATS HJELM

On this video Mats show all 8 Sword postures and techniques from the Togakure-ryū in the Bujinkan system. These are the eight postures.

忍者八方秘剣構 NINJA HAPPO BIKEN KAMAE

NINJA SWORD FIGHTING And the essential postures and movements with MATS HJELM. Each technique is demonstrated and explained from different camera angles. The instructions are in English.
  1. 一之構　ICHI NO KAMAE
  2. 正眼之構 SEIGAN NO KAMAE
  3. 中段之構 CHŪDAN NO KAMAE
  4. 下段之構 GEDAN NO KAMAE
  5. 棟水之構 TŌSUI NO KAMAE
  6. 八相之構 HASSŌ NO KAMAE
  7. 霞之構　KASUMI NO KAMAE
  8. 刀匿礮姿 TŌTOKU HYŌSHI
SWORD FIGHTING fundamental postures with MATS HJELM
Download video $9.99
Click on the button above to buy the 40 minute video download HD1280x720, MP4, QuickTime Text, AAC, H.264. Download size 830Mb
This video is from a Seminar in 2021. Recorded in Sundbyberg, Stockholm in October 30’th 2021. The seminar was organised by Bujinkan Kaigozan Dojo.

About the instructor

Mats Hjelm started training in Bujinkan for the first time around 1983. It wasn’t until 1986 when he had the opportunity to start training more seriously under a Shidōshi. He has taught at numerous seminars all around the world, gone to Japan 3-5 times every year. After he started training he never had a training break. He takes his budo training very seriously! If you want to sponsor a seminar or course, please don’t hesitate to contact him. For more information see his web site kesshi.com or come and train with him at Kaigozan Dojo.…

SPEAR FIGHTING The essentials with MATS HJELM

From Budoshop.se by BUDOSHOP.SE

SPEAR FIGHTING The essentials with MATS HJELM. These spear techniques of Kukishin-ryu is a follow up on the old Sojutsu Kaisetsu Kata with Mats Hjelm released 16 years ago. This video covers Gokui Kata, the second level of traditional spear fighting techniques of Kukishin-ryu.

When one speaks of Gokui (essence), people get this sense of something mysterious, something really deep being there. And novelists also describe it this way. Gokui means something which that person can do well, his forte – that becomes the Gokui-gata. Warriors don’t ponder so deeply. “I’m good at this” – that what they go on. Just like in cooking: if it’s good, that’s fine. Like the expression “to cook the opponent” – Gokui is similar to that.

Masaaki Hatsumi on the Quest video SPD7006

Download SPEAR FIGHTING The essentials with MATS HJELM

On this video Mats show all 9 Yari techniques from the Gokui Kata of the nearly 700 year old school Kukishin-ryū in the Bujinkan system. These are the nine techniques.

極意型 GOKUI KATA

  1. 一文字 ICHIMONJI
  2. 菊水 KIKUSUI
  3. 巻蔦 KANCHŌ
  4. 鬼刺 KISASU
  5. 飛龍 HIRYŪ
  6. 突伏 TSUKI-BUSE
  7. 蔭蝶 KAGE-CHŌ
  8. 三ツ玉 SATSUGYAKU
  9. 七枚葉 KYOBA

Each technique is demonstrated and explained from different camera angles. The instructions are in English.

SPEAR FIGHTING The essentials with MATS HJELM
Download video $9.99

Click on the button above to buy the 27 minute video download

HD1280x720, MP4, QuickTime Text, AAC, H.264. Download size 368Mb

This video is from Kaigousuru 2020; this was the first Taikai after the last and the best Taikai in 2007. Recorded in Sundbyberg, Stockholm in September 26-27’th 2020. The seminar was organised by Bujinkan Kaigozan Dojo.

About the instructor

Mats Hjelm started training in Bujinkan for the first time around 1983. It wasn’t until 1986 when he had the opportunity to start training more seriously under a Shidōshi. He has taught at numerous seminars all around the world, gone to Japan 3-5 times every year. After he started training he never had a training break. He takes his budo training very seriously! If you want to sponsor a seminar or course, please don’t hesitate to contact him. For more information see his web site kesshi.com or come and train with him at Kaigozan Dojo.…

YUDANSHA BOOK by MATS HJELM

From YŪDANSHA NO AN'NAISHO by YŪDANSHA NO AN'NAISHO

武神館有段者の案内所
YUDANSHA – BUJINKAN BLACK BELT GUIDE

Prints in 3-5 business days
Click button below to order

English, Perfect-bound Paperback, 184 pages richly illustrated with pictures and illustrations. (32 483 Words, 145 533 Characters)

This book is a comprehensive guide to understand the Taijutsu of the Bujinkan system as taught by Masaaki Hatsumi Soke. We have this concept of Shu-Ha-Ri which is three major processes to learn Budo. First, we learn the fundamentals, then how to break them up. Then you transcend to a state where you are totally free without even thinking of what you are doing. Needless to say, you can’t get to the last stage without knowing the first stage well. It is said that you should study each level for at least 10 years. This book is all about the first stage we call Shu. It is further divided into three levels.

  • 天略の巻 TEN RYAKU NO MAKI (The scroll of Heaven)
  • 地略の巻 CHI RYAKU NO MAKI (The scroll of Earth)
  • 人略の巻 JIN RYAKU NO MAKI (The scroll of Man)

About the Author: Mats have been training Bujinkan Budo-taijutsu since the early 1980’s. He travelled all around the world to train and teach Bujinkan Budo-taijutsu. http://YudanshaBook.com

Print details: 8.26″ x 11.69″ (EU Standard A4), perfect binding, white interior paper (60# weight), black and white interior ink, white exterior paper (90# weight), full-color exterior ink.

BACKGROUNDThank you for your interest in Bujinkan Budō-taijutsu!

This is not a self-study course, it is really necessary for you to have a qualified instructor to help you. The purpose for this book is to be a tool to help your progress. You will learn names and principles here, and the correct movements from an instructor that can point out bad angles, distance, timing etcetera.

This is a collection of techniques I think black belts in the Bujinkan system should at least be familiar with, and teachers should know by heart.

The layout of the techniques here is from Ten-Chi-Jin Ryaku no Maki, Shidōshi scrolls. Togakure-ryū Ninpō-taijutsu, an out of print book, and numerous publications and videos by Hatsumi Sōke.

This is not an official Bujinkan guide line, book, study material or what you want to call it. It is something I worked on for 35 years and ongoing, it is my legacy to my students. If other teachers want to endorse it or follow it, thank you! If someone doesn’t agree, that’s fine to, by all means release your own better version. This was made to students and friends from many nationalities that bought my videos, attended my seminars and showed interest in my way of teaching over the years.

Mats Hjelm

This book has been an ongoing project by Mats Hjelm at Kaigozan Dojo for 35 years, now it is time to release it publicly in English as version 3.0.

…

The BKR Interview  –   Part 1

From Blog – Bujinkan Kokusai Renkoumyo 武神館國際連光明道場 by bkronline

Originally, this was going to be a short essay that was going to discuss different aspects of a long discussion I had with some Bujinkan practitioners some time ago. However, after spending several hours just talking about Budo and my experiences in Japan and China with these students, it became evident that a simple essay would not be enough. To this end, a magazine series detailing different aspects of the discussion, along with additional material concerning the Bujinkan Kokusai Renkoumyo (BKR), of which I created, seemed more appropriate. Hence, this series was born.
 
My experience in the Bujinkan
 
I am often asked, “How long have you been studying Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu?”. My answer is complex because in the early days of the art in the USA there were not many schools or teachers. I first met our 34th Grandmaster Hatsumi Sensei in 1986 at the World Ninja Summit in Ohio. But for about two years before that, I was training with a man I will call JK. He was a Kyu a ranked student under Stephen K. Hayes when I first met him in 1984. By the time I had met Hatsumi Sensei, JK had earned his Shodan or “black belt” but he soon stopped his training shortly afterward for personal reasons.
 So another friend of mine, Chris Nardi, and I continued the local group in the Albany NY area until I left for Japan to go to University and continue my training with Hatsumi
Soke. As JK had stopped training and teaching, from 1986 onward I also trained with Jack Hoban, BudMalmstrom and Stephen K. Hayes. It was always seminar training events only; I was not a member of their dojos.
The only person I trained with regularly from 1986 to 1989 was Jack Hoban, and
that was on a monthly basis in neighboring New Jersey. I pretty much got my driver’s license as soon as I turned 16 just so I could drive the trip myself from NY to NJ and back, and not rely on others. Then, at the 1989 Tai Kai, I met Hatsumi Sensei for the second time, and I really began to take my training much more seriously.
This is also when I met the well-known American instructor, RalphSevere. I started flying down to Dallas Texas to train with Ralph, and my group and I brought him up to NY a couple of times for seminars as well. So that’s how it started for me, and how I moved to Japan in 1991 after my first trip in 1990.
What is the Bujinkan Kokusai Renkoumyo?
It is not really different at all. The BKR is simply an association of teachers who all train under the same syllabus up to the 4th Dan, after that the student becomes a student of the headmaster inJapan under the guidance of their BKR instructor. The only real difference between us and your average Bujinkan Dojo is that we strongly encourage cross training with other systems and allow students to compete in various types of tournaments should they decide to do so. This is about the only thing different about my organization. We are a subset to the mainstream Bujinkan.
The training is not really different than training in with a Shihan in Japan, it’s basically the same, other than that I heavily incorporate the attitude, training techniques and fighting spirit that I received from my competition coach, Enson Inoue. I do make the training more “hard”– I like to make the training a physical workout. In my opinion, the BKR is like training the old way, before the way it is now. Hatsumi Sensei has often said that to get to his level, you have to train the way he did when he was younger. I also include a lot of Kosen Judo and MMA training as I feel they are great companions to our “Bujinkan skill set.”
If you look at the old purple Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu Book by Hatsumi Sensei, (handing it to one of the students to look at) at the beginning of the book he writes about proper diet, which Sensei takes very seriously. He discusses stretching, which you rarely see anybody does properly anymore. There are many dojos that don’t even stretch at the beginning of class. Sadly, they feel it is a “waste of dojo time”. So with the BKR, I try to cover all of this old material. I try to instill the basics.
This old book of sensei is said to be the required material up through the rank of Godan or the 5th-degree black belt (flipping through the pages of the book). I incorporate all of this, such as the Junan Taiso, which in some ways is very much like yoga. None of the stretchings is quick or fast, it is all slow and relaxed. As I mentioned above, another difference between my dojo and some Bujinkan dojo is the inclusion of contact sparring and competition in the 1960’s & 1970’s.
Hatsumi, Sensei incorporated sparring in the Bujinkan dojo training, it was called
yakusoku randori-geiko.
Anthony Netzler, my first roommate in Japan, and I had the chance to do this kind of training with Hatsumi Sensei in the park on many occasions. We were allowed to freely attack at Sensei it bonded us to him in a way. I strongly feel that this should be part of the training that I pass on to my students.”
  
Now that he is older, he does not do this so much anymore. Us few Tokyo and
 Noda-City residents at that time were very lucky, for by the time I arrived in Japan,
Sensei was already slowing down with this type of training. It usually happened spontaneously when we would help with walks with the dogs he had at the time. We would pass a park or an empty field and he would tie the dogs up and just start throwing us around. If it wasn’t for Anthony, I never would have had these opportunities. He always had a special relationship with Sensei and he got my foot in the door with him very early. I am ever grateful.
As for competition in the BKR, we consider it tradition…, Takamatsu Sensei
(our 33rd Grandmaster or Soke) was well known in the Japanese Martial Arts community in pre-WW2 Shanghai China as the “Moko no Tora” or the Mongolian Tiger. It is said he had over 100 competitive matches and never lost. Hatsumi Sensei was a competitive Judo player as well and has stated that his training in competitive Judo is what made him so strong and get him to the level of even being introduced to Takamatsu Soke.
Therefore, in the BKR the opportunity for competition is there for those who wish to pursue it with a Bujinkan heart. There is resistance training and controlled sparring in all BKR session to develop each student’s ability to apply the techniques in actual situations. But there is no requirement to compete.
In my own opinion and experience, a lot of people who train in the Bujinkan may train for a year or two and earn their black belt. The problem is that they do not even know the Kihon Happo1 properly. They don’t know what a proper omote gyaku is. They don’t really know what they should know. This is mainly because of Hatsumi Sensei judges a person’s rank based on “heart” and“feeling”, which is fine, that’s great.  But… if you get your Sandan in Bujinkan, then you should know that, “
Sensei sees in me that I am worth aSandan……someday.” They have to admit to themselves that they don’t know the techniques properly yet.  
In this case, Hatsumi Sensei says to go back and find a Shihan that will teach you because he is no longer teaching the basics and that’s what the BKR is really for. There are many 15th Danin the Bujinkan, but some have only been training for five or so years. It because Sensei sees in their heart that they are good people and he gives them these ranks prematurely because of their good heart. But their skill in Taijutsu
is still lacking. 
I am not Hatsumi Sensei and do not grade based on heart or feeling. If I give a student a BKR Shodan, that person will know everything that is required in the
Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki2, which Sensei wrote for Shodan.
They will know the material, they can do the material, and they can apply the material. That’s all it really is. It’s no different than what Sensei has taught me in my
over 15 years in Japan.” When I first went to Japan after high school in 1990, there were only a few hundred Godan in the world. Within 20 years, there were several thousand. Who knows how many there are now. Let’s just say Sensei has definitely sped up the process. 
Sensei always says that he is not really teaching, that he doesn’t like to teach, and doesn’t want to teach. He says these things about himself and then he says that Takamatsu Sensei was the same way. He says that for a person to learn this art, they have to steal it from him. You have to watch him, pick it up, go home, and practice it. He
won’t teach it to you, you have to figure it out yourself. That’s why I wrote the article jibun denarai (to learn on your own). I interviewed [Hatsumi] Sensei for that article.”
I do believe that it was different back in the early days. The original students are like family to Hatsumi Sensei, he loves them as his own.
So, I believe he taught them all with lots of love and care. Then it was time for him to continue with his job and grow the organization into the international group it has become. From that point on everyone needed to see the Shihan to learn the basics…
 but we had to go to Soke to learn the art. This may be a difficult thing to understand for some beginners.  In the BKR we also train with weapons quite frequently and I am often asked what I think is the correct phase to incorporate weapons into training. Once a student has learned how to do ukemi, shoshin or gogyo, and the Kihon Happo – 
 or once they get to a basic level, they should start right away with
bokken, and hanbo, and things like that.

There is no real “rank” point where it starts. With the BKR, there are no formal requirements for weapons until after Shodan. Sword kata, bo-kata,
etc. are in the ranks above Shodan. We train with weapons at every level, but it is not a required item on the syllabus until after Shodan.
In 2001 Hatsumi Sensei knew I had made the decision to move back home to the USA for a few years before returning to Japan, and we had discussed my training because of this. He said that I should go and teach the Ju-Godan the basics! That’s how the BKR got started. He endorsed my syllabus because he wanted me to teach. 
Sensei wants the world to know that he gives rank out based on heart, and nobility. The BKR is more about the ability. I don’t have the eyes to see everyone’s heart that’s what Hatsumi Sensei does. Once I got the feeling that I was going to be leaving Japan, I started to put together all of my notes – I have tons and tons of notes from the day I started training in Japan until the day I left – so I started to organize things together, making sure that I knew the Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki, and to make sure everything else that all of the teachers had taught me was together. My goal was not to create an organization where you pay money or anything like that, I don’t charge a fee to become
a member, there is no such thing.
When this magazine comes out, there will be a fee for that, but there is no fee to be a member. If you are a Sandan in the Bujinkan, and you want to have the BKR certification, there is no charge for the certification.
You just have to pass the tests.

1. The kihon happo, or “infinite basics”, along with the movements of the San Shin no Kata, are considered the basic techniques and movements of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu.

2. The Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki, or “The Outline Scrolls of Heaven, Earth, & Man”, is considered the first training curriculum Hatsumi Sensei prepared for his students.

Let’s know in the comments. Please, if like what we are doing, click “Like,” “Fellow”, give us “Feedback” “comments,“ and get a notification about a new post.

…

MUDANSHA BOOK by MATS HJELM

From YŪDANSHA NO AN'NAISHO by YŪDANSHA NO AN'NAISHO

武神館無段者の案内所
MUDANSHA – BEGINNERS GUIDE TO BUJINKAN

List Price: $14.99
Introduction Price: $11.99
You Save: $3.0 ( 20% )
Prints in 3-5 business days

English, Perfect-bound Paperback, 96 pages richly illustrated with pictures and illustrations.

This book is a guide for beginners in the Bujinkan Dojo. Everything about the rules and expectations of you as a pratctitioner, etiquette and traditions as well as the most fundamental techniques in our beautiful art.

  • 天略の巻 TEN RYAKU NO MAKI (The scroll of Heaven)
    Here we learn to move the body naturally and effectively. Essentially how to become a good Uke (receiver of techniques). When Hatsumi Soke’s own teacher Takamatsu Sensei started training over 120 years ago as a young boy he was thrown around the Dojo by the seniors for a year before he was taught any techniques. This gave him a good foundation for the next level.

About the Author: Mats have been training Bujinkan Budo-taijutsu since the early 1980’s. He travelled all around the world to train and teach Bujinkan Budo-taijutsu. http://YudanshaBook.com

Print details: 6″ x 9″, perfect binding, white interior paper (60# weight), black and white interior ink, white exterior paper (90# weight), full-color exterior ink.…