Seminar - NinZine 3.0

Paris Taikai 2013

kumafrApril 25, 2013

Memories: picture taken during one of the first Shi Tennô seminar organized by Steve Byrne in 2001 in Trinity College in Dublin.

Watching the nice blue sky through the window, I began to think about the next Yûro Shitennô Paris Taikai next July in Paris.

This seminar have been going on for more than ten years and it has always been a pleasure to welcome you all in our dôjô.

Many of you are already familiar with this extraordinary seminar but I think it is time to explain its origin once again for those of you who aren’t.

Around the year 2003, I was on the phone with Pedro and we were speaking of the “good old days” when the Shi Tennô could meet twice a year for a joint seminar called “Shi Tennô Seminar” (see picture above). But at the turn of the century, these seminars were not organized anymore. Many reasons for that.

First of all, the financial risk of having the 4 Shi tennô for a two days seminar was too big. Second, since our beginning (the first Shi Tennô took place in 1993), many new high rank instructors arrived on the market and there were more seminars available. Today each weekend in a 500km radius, there are at least two or three seminars organized.

Also our personal seminars schedule being so full we had some difficulty putting up a common date together.

Over the phone, we decided to organize it ourselves and this is how the first Paris Taikai was created in 2003. It was such a success that I decided to continue organizing it year after year. This year is the 10th one!

But what is a Paris Taikai?

Until the year 2002, Hatsumi would come to Europe to give three days seminars, they were called Taikai. I attended over 30 Taikai since the first one organized by my friend Peter King. The Paris Taikai was meant to replace the absence of sensei in our countries.

When we decided to organize the Paris Taikai, Sensei approved the idea and called it: “Yûro Shi Tennô Taikai”. Yûro 融朗 means “brightness”but is also a pun with “europa” pronounced by Japanese “yuropa”. Basically this is the Taikai organized by the European Shi Tennô: Peter, Sven, Pedro, and me.

The Paris Taikai follows the same structure as the Taikai of the past where we used to train during three days. But this one is also different as we train in three different dôjô at the same time. Also the group of participants is divided into 4 groups: beginners, intermediates, advanced, shidôshi. We make sure that each group is about the same size.

The Bujinkan France teached in a facility that is made of three dôjô: 1 big dôjô (150 to 200 people) with mats and two smaller ones (around 60-80 m2), one with mats and one with wooden floor. Trainings are conducted in the three dôjô at the same time and each hour teachers and students are changing location.

Each hour one group is taught by one Shi Tennô in the two small dôjô, and two groups (always beginner-intermediate; or advanced-shidôshi) are taught by 2 Shi Tennô in the big dôjô. This is why whatever your technical level you will receive the teaching that you can understand. Many times when you are attending a seminar, the teacher has to teach a certain level. When he is teaching high level, beginners are lost, and conversely when he is teaching basics, the advanced practitioners are bored! This is not happening at the Paris Taikai.

This Taikai is also the chance to meet people from all over the world (there are around 15 to 20 countries attending) and to connect or reconnect with friends from everywhere.

When you register for the Taikai (which is limited to 150 participants) you get:

3 full days of training (10am-5pm)
3 meals regular or veggie (lunch time only)
Paris Taikai tee-shirt
Certificate of attendance
Goodbye drink on the last day
Free sleeping (Thursday to Monday) at the dôjô

Also do not forget that this event takes place right during the weekend of the French National day, and Paris is full of laughter, fireworks, drinking, dancing; and the weather is around 30° Celsius.

But if Paris is a nice city to visit in summer; if the techniques demonstrated are done by 4 of the more advanced students of Sensei; above all what you are getting out of such an event is hours of happiness and friendship, and for me this is the most important part of a Taikai. The techniques are always nice but the feeling of belonging to a community is even better. This seminar is Bujinkan at its best!

Places are limited and pre-booking is going very fast this year so if you are interested to join us, please follow the link below:

http://www.budomart.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_PARIS_TAIKAI_36.html

And if you do not come some other Bujinkan member will be happy.

Rokkon Shojo!

Birthday Cake in Budapest: The Bujinkan Legacy

kumafrApril 23, 2013

From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr

When Balázs and Laszlo asked me to give a seminar covering the Bujinkan themes of the last twenty years (1993-2012) I accepted but I didn’t immediately understand the “why?”, and I must admit that I didn’t see who would be interested.

The day before traveling to Budapest I began to be concerned about the “how?”, and in a short mail, I told Balázs that I didn’t know if I could do it as suddenly Iunderstood the vast task it was. But eventually everything went fine and this is a seminar that I would like to repeat anytime. At first covering twenty different themes in two days made the seminar looking like some kind of food buffet where you are tasting many different dishes.

But those themes have been chosen wisely by sensei, and the benefits from previous themes are reused after. Each year adding its particularity, was nurturing the next one.

If we follow the themes chronologically we rapidly see a logic in the system. Bô calls for Yari and Yari for Naginata. This “Sanshin of long weapons” as Hatsumi sensei called them once, is the best introduction possible to enter Biken jutsu, and Biken to understand Jô jutsu. In fact before the Tsurugi and the Tachi I thought that Jô was the ultimate weapon!

This five year cycle (1993-1997) was followed by another five year cycle (1998-2002) focusing on the five different types of Taijutsu: Taihen jutsu, Daken Taijutsu, Koppô jutsu, Kosshi jutsu, Jû Taijutsu. During this period in order to illustrate these different Taijutsu, sensei used respectively the following schools: Shinden Fudô Ryû, Kukishin Ryû, Koto Ryû, Gyokko Ryû, Takagi Yôshin Ryû. Unfortunately very few people understood that the ryû that was taught was the omote and that the type of taijutsu taught through the school was the main thing.

These first ten themes (1993-2002) taught us the various sides if what sensei called “Budô Taijutsu”.
Once the foundation of Budô clearly established, sensei put “Ninpô Taijutsu” on top of it. This was the beginning of Juppô Sesshô. As he said to me once: “the five different styles of Taijutsu are the expression of Budô Taijutsu; but Juppô Sesshô is the expression of Ninpô Taijutsu”.

The next ten years (2003-2012) have been dedicated to Juppô Sesshô. We began with five years of “Omote” Juppô Sesshô (2003-2007), they were then followed by five years of “Ura” Juppô Sesshô (2008-2012). The Omote Juppô Sesshô was based on the body, the themes were: Sanjigen no Sekai, Yûgen no sekai, Kasumi no hô, Shizen, Kuki Taishô. We studied various weapons and schools during this cycle but only to put into evidence the concepts brought by sensei (kunai, shotô, biken, bô, yoroi etc).

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The Ura Juppô Sesshô is more about the soul, the mental side of the movements: Menkyo Kaiden, Saino konki, Rokkon shojo, Kihon Happô, Kaname. Once again we had to “listen” to sensei and understand the movement from the level of perception and not with our analytical mind and mechanical movements.

In fact it looks like a birthday cake with several levels. And in 2013, the Tachi hôken illustrated by the Tsurugi is like the candle on top of the cake. At the birthday party the cake is always good but what really matters in a birthday party, what is the most important thing is not the cake but the reason why people are gathered to eat it!

Thank you Balázs for giving me this opportunity, I learnt a lot and I hope that the participants felt richer after these two exhausting days*

*we had training from 10am to 6pm on both days which left more or less 40 minutes per year of training… that was intensive.

New DVD’s from the Sweden Tai Kai 2011

adminOctober 13, 2011

From 8þ Kabutoshimen by admin

Sveneric Bogsäter from Holland together with Rob Renner, Duncan Stewart and Steve Olsen from Japan was invited to teach at this Swedish Tai Kai organized by Mats Hjelm and Svenska Bujinkanförbundet. There was two DVD’s and two download videos released from this seminar. This Video is one part of this set.

At the Taikai all instructors had three classes each, one class with the whole big group, one class with all Shidoshi (5′th dan and above), and one class with Mudansha & Yudansha (beginners up to fifth dan).

The instructions is all in ENGLISH. The DVD is Region Free and NTSC (US/Japan format, works on modern DVD players)

Available for 239.00 SEK at BUDOSHOP.SE

On this DVD – Sveneric Bogsäter & Rob Renner

This two hour DVD is packed with good demonstrations and instructions from Sveneric Bogsäter and Rob Renner. Sveneric had recently been in Japan, and Rob Renner has lived in Japan for many years, so what they taught was very much the feeling from Japan trainings with Hatsumi Soke and the Japanese Shihan.

Sveneric taught Kihon-happo variations against one or two opponents to the whole group. At the Shidoshi-class he taught Taijutsu and Hanbojutsu. At the Mudansha & Yudansha class he taught Taijutsu

Rob taught how to understand the distance and footwork with unarmed and with a Hanbo to the whole group. At the Shidoshi class he taught how to do the Kihon-happo techniques against someone who is resisting, directions, balance breaking and distance. Against one and several opponents. Rob’s Mudansha and Yudansha class is available on download file only (click here!).

Available for 239.00 SEK at BUDOSHOP.SE

On this DVD – Duncan Stewart & Steve Olsen

This two hour DVD is packed with good demonstrations and instructions from Duncan Stewart and Steve Olsen. Both Duncan and Steve has lived in Japan for many years, so what they taught was very much the feeling from Japan trainings with Hatsumi Soke and the Japanese Shihan.

Steve taught Taijutsu to the Shidoshi class and to the class with the whole big group. The Mudansha and Yudansha class is available only as download video (click here!).

Duncan taught drills how to learn the correct distance to the opponent, and Taijutsu techniques with or without small concealed weapons. To the whole big group he taught and demonstrated Taijutsu with devastating efficiency. Unfortunately there was no footage of his Mudansha and Yudansha class.

On This video – Steve Olsen

: 20 minutes, 243 Mb for $6.99
Only available as download

This video is 20 minute where Steve Olsen taught the Mudansha and Yudansha class (ranks below 5′th dan). He taught a little sword cutting technique but mostly Taijutsu.

On This video – Rob Renner

: 32 minutes, 388 Mb for $6.99
Only available as download

This video is 32 minute where Rob Renner taught the Mudansha and Yudansha class (ranks below 5′th dan). He taught footwork, distance, taijutsu and unarmed training drills that will make you understand the basics better.

The post New DVD’s from the Sweden Tai Kai 2011 appeared first on 8þ Kabutoshimen.…

Modern warrior coming to Stockholm in October

adminSeptember 25, 2011

From 8þ Kabutoshimen by admin

Dean with the Bufuikkan menkyo

There are many people in the Bujinkan who claim to teach reality based techniques without any real experience. There is however a few people that can do this, and do it very good. And one of the best one I know is my close and good friend Dean Rostohar Shihan from Croatia. With his experience from the civil war in former Yugoslavia, and as a former police officer he certainly knows what he is talking about.

Dean goes to Japan to train with Hatsumi Soke and the Shihan several times per year. He always train three trainings per day, to make out most of his time in Japan. Hatsumi Soke always put him up to teach about his experiences. When he was there earlier this month even more so, Soke used him as Uke often to teach the real feeling. Soke also awarded him with the Bufu-ikkan menkyo which he only give to his top students.

When Dean doesn’t go to Japan he practice in his own Dojo with over 100 students. He also attend many courses and seminars and further his studies in many areas with instructors outside the Bujinkan. He also practice shooting and military tactics with SPECWOG, and teach many seminars and courses.

In October 29-30′th I’m organizing a seminar with him in Stockholm. I can’t emphasize enough how important a seminar like this is for everyone training in the Bujinkan system. Especially if you want to learn self defense and tactics how to defend yourself against a knife or pistol. Running backwards on a flat floor in the dojo all the time until the opponent overextend himself and fall down is fine, but how reality based is the training, really? Your instructor may say this is reality, and then do something pretty stupid and cover it up with a henka and flow so that you don’t see how stupid the first response really was. OK, sorry! The word “stupid” might be a strong word, I know there is good teachers out there, but far from all. Being “stupid” is also a learning process that we all need to go through, but staying on the stupid level is just stupid .

I know there is many seminars all the time, and find the time and money to all is difficult. All I ask of you is to ask yourself what do you want from the training? If you think it is fun as it is in your dojo and you don’t care much about reality then fine, good luck! If you on the other hand think that being able to defend yourself is important, then you should really try to attend this seminar (or any other Seminar with Dean)! I promise it will be very eye opening, and you will see your training with different eyes.

Both knife and pistol is very scary weapons, defending against them is very difficult. But it is possible if you also know how to use them as weapons. If you don’t know how to use the weapons properly how can you say that you know how to defend yourself against them.

Dean Rostohar together with Noguchi Shihan, Hatsumi Soke and Kan Shihan.

This is the feeling Hatsumi Soke teach in Honbu dojo all the time. All instructors take what they want and do what ever they feel like for various reasons. By Hatsumi Soke using Dean in Honbu dojo so much, and constantly ask him to teach and explain in front of him, as well as being his Uke must mean that Hatsumi Soke appreciate what Dean is doing. I think also that Hatsumi Soke is learning from Dean as he watches.

So with this I really recommend you to come to this seminar! The web site is in Swedish, but there is translation buttons on top of the web site. If you have problem with the language, you can always contact me, I know the translator is not always 100% correct.

Remember to sign up, because the places is very limited!

The post Modern warrior coming to Stockholm in October appeared first on 8þ Kabutoshimen.…

YSTT Update Jun 2011

kumafrJune 8, 2011

From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr

In exactly 30 days the Yûro Shi Tenno Taikai of Paris begins!

This year has passed so fast that I am amazed that this is already the time for this major seminar. The Paris Taikai has evolved a lot since its creation back in 2007.

This is a very special seminar that was designed to give a chance to get the « Taikai feeling » of the old days to the newcomers to the bujinkan and a sense of « the good ol’days » to the old bujinkan members.

This seminar is special for many reasons:

First, this is the only remaining seminar where the « Shi tenno » are teaching together. Since 1993 Sven, Peter, Pedro & Arnaud have been teaching together in Spain, France, England, Ireland etc…

Second, the four friends are used to teach together which gives a kind of « family feeling » to this event;

Third, this is a 3 days seminar like the taikai of the past when Hatsumi sensei was travelling the world to spread his teaching;

Fourth, the group of participants is divided into four groups by technical level. This means that a beginner will receive a class that he or she can understand; but also that a high rank student (judan and above) will also get something to improve his or her understanding;

Fifth, each day is divided into small training sessions of about 1 hour where each group has the chance to train with each one of the shihan in a private class;

Sixth, the 3 training halls (mats or wooden floor) allow each one to spend a full day of training in different environment;

Seventh, the free t-shirt, the hot meals, the free lodging (during, before or after the event), makes it a big opportunity to exchange with the many practitioners from all Europe but also to take the chance to visit Paris;

Eighth, the final party at the end of the third day is always a good moment before going back home and parting from 150 new friends coming from 15 to 18 countries.

The YSTT is a very good opportunity to meet your buyu from Europe, to exchange, train, and learn a lot of things in a very friendly environment.

This year, this is the 27th year of my bujinkan training. SO I decided that each participant that is booked online will receive a FREE 2 months unlimited access to our online streaming website displaying more than 600 bujinkan techniques.

Thank you for your support!

A. Cousergue
Bujinkan Shihan