From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

My friend Philip Pihl wrote from Japan yesterday after class. Hatsumi Sensei expressed his mastery of Mutō Dori using the body, the sword, and the knife. Mutō Dori is still the major training point to learn and understand how to express it with our Taijutsu. We entered the realm of Mutō Dori two years ago in Japan. It looked like the next logical step in our progression on the path of Budō.

During this period, I attended many classes at the honbu. Each time I am puzzled by the simple complexity of Sensei’s movements. It was like he wasn’t there. The Uke seems to be fighting alone. Their attacks were the reason for their defeat. Back in 2017, Sōke introduced a more advanced version of Mutō Dori. Until then, we knew it as being the ability to fight weapons when unarmed. Sensei used two concepts to help us. They should make us able to put into motion, the type of movements Hatsumi is showing.

The first concept is Yokeru Janai (1), or “don’t avoid the attack.” And the second one is Tatakai Janai (2), or “don’t fight.” But it is easier said than done! And I’m still not sure if I can do it today, and there is a reason for that. These concepts are not logical with usual training (except if you are a bodyguard).

In a fight, you want to fight back, while avoiding the attacks of your opponent. Our Budō training has been training us like that for years. When an attack comes, we dodge the fist or the weapon and block it in some way. Then we counter-attack in the openings. With Mutō Dori, we have to do the opposite, that is why it is difficult.

Philip quoting Sensei, wrote: “do not evade. It is easy to kill and destroy, but control is more difficult.” We have been playing with the idea of “control” since last November, but somehow, it makes more sense today. This sentence gives a “way in.” We do not “evade the attack,” but we control the attacker before the attack arrives. I understand it as another manifestation of Yūgen no Sekai. (3)

We move in this invisible, and non manifested moment when Uke takes the decision to attack. During a millisecond, we can control the opponent only if we don’t try to avoid the Tsuki, and do not fight back.

Through my training with Sensei over the past 35 years, I see how he made us walk the path. First, as “ninja kids” with ninjutsu. Then to Budō with Budō Taijutsu. Then with Juppō Sesshō and Ninpō Taijutsu. And now with a smarter version of Mutō Dori.

I like to call it “Yokusei Jutsu” (4), or the technique of controlling Uke body and mind. The goal of the Bujinkan is not war but peace. If our actions can create a state of peace around us. If our presence and our attitude can prevent bad things from happening. Then I guess we have been training correctly.

“We don’t kill or destroy” the enemy; we simply control his actions. We are not warmongers, we are peacekeepers.

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1 避けるじゃ無い, Yokeru Janai; Don’t avoid the attack
2 戦いじゃ無い Tatakai Janai; don’t fight; don’t get into a conflict
3 幽玄の世界, Yūgen no Sekai. Yūgen is subtle grace, hidden beauty; mysterious profundity; elegant simplicity. Sekai is: the world, the universe, dimension
4 抑制, Yokusei; control; restraint; suppression; constraint; curtailment; inhibition; check; curb

Visit http://www.koimartialart.com the Bujinkan online streaming platform with 150Gb of videos!

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From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

When you go out for a trek in the mountains, you carry a backpack. Everything you might need during the long hours of walking is inside.

When you pack it, you select the content and organize it. You know precisely where every object is:
socks, clothes, sleeping bag, map, compass, knife, rope, gloves, rain jacket, torchlight, extra batteries, first-aid kit, food, water bottle, etc.
And often, you don’t use all the things you packed for your trek. You carry them in case you might need them

The Bujinkan program is like a backpack, except that often, your bag is half empty! It is half empty because you weren’t given a chance to know what to put into it. What you need is a set of necessary and useful techniques that you can adapt to any situation. This is what the tenchijin is about.

The Bujinkan comprises nine different Ryūha (1), which makes it quite complex to learn.
When you learn a single Ryū, the basics, the technical levels are all given in a somewhat logical system. You have a set of tools to help students to learn the correct way step by step. These tools are called scrolls.

In a Ryū you have the Ten no Maki, the Ryū no Maki, the kotsu (or kurai dori), the taihenjutsu, the kamae, the densho (2), the e-densho, the kudensho, and the Juppō Sesshō. (3)(4) A Ryū details a specific approach to actual combat. But nine Ryū regroups several different methods to fight on the battlefield. They all have their specificity. That is why Hatsumi Sensei has regrouped them in a modern tool that he called the Tenchijin Ryaku no Maki. See the Tenchijin as the first level to get Hatsumi Sensei’s style of Budō. The nine Ryūha are the source for it, and also exercises to understand his way of training, his specific flow. (5)

The Tenchijin is your backpack, and you have to know it so well that you don’t think when you use it. It has to become second nature, like when you are riding a bike or swimming.

You have to use what naturally is in your backpack. To me, the Tenchijin is the expression of the “Hatsumi Ryū.” After reading this, ask yourself: “do I have a full backpack?”

Have a good trek!

Funny note: Did you know that Japanese call the ebooks, “densho”? (6)
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1 流派, Ryūha; school (e.g. of ikebana)

2 伝書, Densho; book or scroll that has been handed down through generations; a book of secrets. Depending on the Ryū, there are 3,5, 9, or more densho. They detail the Waza from the beginner to the advanced practitioner

3 I already explained this structure in a previous post on this blog. And what is the purpose of each scroll. But this is not the goal of this article

4 十方折衝, Juppō Sesshō can be understood as the essence of a system. For example, the Juppō Sesshō of Gyokko Ryū is the Sanshin no Kata. That is why it is so hard to master it.

5 流, Ryū; Way; style; manner​. Or school (of thought)​. Or flow; stream

6 電書, Densho; electronic book; e-book; ebook​…

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

Bujinkan will not survive, and it doesn’t matter. And here is why.

A few months ago, in Japan, I had the opportunity to speak with Hatsumi Sensei about the future of the Bujinkan. He said that he created the Bujinkan as a shell to gather everyone. To give us a chance to understand the powerful beauty of true Budō.

“After me,” he said, “my successor will name the Bujinkan shell the way he wants, and teach it the way he feels suits the art.” In the West, we are too much attached to the “form.” Instead, we must focus more on the “body flow.”

When you begin your martial arts journey, it is normal (better?) to start by respecting the forms. Then comes a moment where you have to let them go.

Forms are traps. As Sensei puts it, “if you use a Waza from any Ryū, it will get you killed, you have to adapt it to the situation.” A Waza is only a teaching tool to get new knowledge. A Waza is not a checklist of some sort but the visible result of a potential outcome. And only when you can adapt it to the terrain, the weather, and the opponent(s), can you use it. This is the essence of the Tenchijin.

When you grow up in Budō, you go through three phases of learning. The Japanese call it Shuhari (1), and it marks the path to follow. At the “Ri” level, you can express natural movement, not before. You have to get rid of the form. You have to forget everything and to “divorce” from your certitudes so that you can walk your own path.

But to forget, you must, first, learn the forms. It is not possible to overlook something you did not learn in the first place. Forgetting needs learning.

The forms found in the Ryūha are the scaffolding protecting your understanding. That allows your personal evolution in Budō. Without forms, your taijutsu will never grow, it is like a baobab in a small pot!

Budō takes a lot of time, you have to develop “Shintai” patience and train hard. (3) In the old days, young Samurai began preparing for battle around six-year-old. After the Genpuku, (4) the young Samurai could join the battlefield. They were fifteen to twenty-year-old. (5) At this young age, they had already train ten to fifteen years. Experience comes with time, and you cannot compress time.

The Japanese created a productive society able to create the warriors it required. From the Kamakura Jidai (1185) to the end of the Azuchi Momoyama Jidai (1600), Samurai rule the country. Through battles, they invent the Waza, test them, and transmit them to the next generation. We have many Ryūha in the Bujinkan today. That is because these techniques were battle-efficient and transmitted. Learning the correct form is essential.

Evolution requires an adaptation to adjust them to the modern world. And this is what Hatsumi Sensei is teaching us three times a week at Honbu. Contemporary martial arts, without knowledge from the past, stays at the Omote level. The Omote is not Budō. The Ura is what matters, Ura is to be able to use natural movement in any situation. With a lot of work, each one can do it.  

The Bujinkan will not survive because it doesn’t have to survive. The Bujinkan is a tool designed to guide us towards the natural movement. We received, receive, and will continue to receive Sensei’s vision of Budō. His teachings will last long after we are all gone. They will nourish future generations of martial arts practitioners.

Transmitting the spirit is the key. Forms are only useful learning tools needed to become natural in the Dōjō, as well as in life. Sensei said to my old friend Pedro Fleitas that “to transmit what I have, I only need one student!” Try to be this “one student,” and stop wasting your time on social media. Keep training, and never give up.

Keep Going!

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1 守破離, Shuhari. The three stages of learning mastery: the fundamentals, breaking with tradition, parting with traditional wisdom

2 離, Ri; It has the meaning of divorce, separate from.

3 忍耐, Shintai; endurance; perseverance; patience

4 Genpuku: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genpuku

5 WWII cemeteries are full of very young soldiers. In the marine corps, 70% were 18 to 25-year-old, when they gave their real age as many lied on their birthdate. https://www.quora.com/How-old-were-the-soldiers-during-WW2#

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From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

Speaking with a friend today, I asked myself, why do people train? In the nineties, it was easy, the ninja boom made the dōjō growing fast. During this golden age, it was not rare to have 60 or 70 students per class. Today when we have 20 students attending, it is good. In the 90s’, many newcomers were there because it was trendy to do Ninjutsu. This is not the case anymore today. Today people want sport martial arts, not learning an art that is a thousand-year-old.

At the end of 2019, the attendance is so low that, sometimes, I am not sure if it is good to keep the dōjō running. In a regular class, only 6 to 10 students of all levels are attending. During the last Tenchijin seminar, in October, only seven students attended.

That is why I want to know, “why do you train?”

For me, training is a part of my life. It is some kind of life hygiene. Without teaching or training, something is missing. But if I understand why I train, I keep wondering why the students come to the Dōjō.

When you already have a black belt, or if you are a Shidōshi, I suppose that training is part of your life. But beginners stay long in the dark before discovering the beauty of our art. The learning process in the Bujinkan is slow. And it doesn’t answer the need for speedy knowledge by our younger practitioners. Young students need fast answers. Everything they do in life is fast and goes through the passive link they have with a smartphone. They have an attention default. They are unable to focus more than a few minutes!

This year, I was hoping to have a new bunch of beginners coming to the Dōjō. I was happy to see that two to four new students were popping up each class to try the Bujinkan arts. Usually, we seduce 4 out of 10 people. Not this year. To give them more chances to join, we let them try for three classes. And they attended the classes, for not coming back.

I analyzed this. I discarded the fact that teacher’s skills were not in cause. And I came up with a non-exhaustive list of the reasons preventing them from learning Bujinkan:

1. They are not used to pay for things, they want everything for free. This is what I call the “app syndrome”.

2. They are so used to zap from one thing to another that they are unable to focus. Young people are looking for instant gratification (1)

3. They “try” many arts to finally stay at home and play with their phones. That is because they are not used to being in charge of their lives.

4. They come to us because of video games where pain doesn’t exist, where you can revive yourself with a magic potion. And if you die, you start another game. There are no consequences for the actions they take.

5. If it is a movie that brings them in, then they are surprised not to learn how to fly or to become invisible!

6. The image of the ninja transmitted by the media is wrong. And this image breaks into a thousand pieces once they enter the Dōjō. They discover that to be good, you have to train a lot. And that goes against their ADD (2)

7. And finally, they find out that pain exists. What a surprise!

If you experience the same situation, with many tries and no inscriptions, feel better, you are not alone.

This year, I only have 16 registered students in my Dōjō, and I’m a Dai Shihan! But before the rank, I am a Bujinkan student; I follow Hatsumi Sensei’s Budō; therefore, I never give up, I keep going. And you should do the same.

Whatever level you have, I hope this article will motivate you to join and to train more often in your Dōjō. And always keep in mind the reasons why you train!

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1. https://medium.com/@tedwgross/why-we-are-knowingly-raising-a-generation-with-attention-deficit-disorder-add-256d9a078fdb

2. ADD: Attention Deficit Disorder, check (1)

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From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

I recently covered the concept of “Mochikaeru” after a class by Nagato Sensei. (1)
But Mochikaeru has another meaning which is close to juggling. (2)

When you “transfer something from one hand to the other,” you are juggling. What is interesting is that it is not valid only in the physical world. You can also juggle with ideas and concepts. In fact, Kyojutsu is the art of juggling between truth and falsehood. Remember the difference between Kyojitsu and Kyojutsu. Kyojutsu is a technique using Kyojitsu techniques, i.e., using deception. (3) (4)

Sensei’s Budō is only about manipulating the space to deceive the attacker. I want to add that I see the Mutō Dori of 2019 as pure Kyojutsu. Sensei’s Budō keeps juggling with Uke’s perceptions and change his perception of reality. We offer Uke a “fake reality” to make him fall into the Kūkan. (5) You have to juggle between his reality and yours. To reach the “juggler state,” you have to train using Kyojitsu Konkō and mix up reality. (6) You have to force your reality into Uke’s appreciation of the situation. Some practitioners will develop the ability after many years. Some never reach this level. They will remain on the ground and never take off.

When I’m training at the Bujinkan Honbu, I often see two main types of students. The “Waza collectors” that have no Kankaku. And “Kankaku exclusives” with no knowledge of the Waza. Try not to belong to one of these two groups. Stay in the middle as if on a path with Waza on your left, and Kankaku on your right. The Monk Shinran and the Jōdo Shinshū speak about the Niga Byakudō, the “white path between two rivers.” (7)

In Nature, many caterpillars never get to become beautiful butterflies. It reminds me of one of my favorite book called “Illusions” by Richard Bach. Richard Bach is a famous American writer who wrote. He wrote, “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly. (8) (9)

Unfortunately, you cannot learn this “Kyojutsu / Mutō Dori” in a book. It has to go through a long process, and it is hard work. This is precisely why our Bujinkan system is an art and not a sport. A Japanese expression for that, it is: “虚実皮膜, Kyojitsu Himaku.” “The difference between truth and fiction in Art is very subtle; Art abides in a realm that is neither truth nor fiction.” (10)

Sensei often says that “anyone can replicate a Waza, but that his Art is difficult.” Let me take an example here. If you copy a painting by some famous painter, your copy will never “taste” the same as the original. Beyond technique, something extra exists, this is Kankaku, feeling. Only an artist can include that into his work. Sensei is a great artist, and an artist is not a regular person. He is someone who sees the world with a different set of senses. An artist always starts as an apprentice of the form and the technique. It is only when he can exceed his knowledge that he turns into an artist. The goal of Hatsumi Sensei is to turn us into artists to develop our vision of Budō. In the past, Sven, Peter, Pedro, and I had a similar understanding of the Bujinkan. Today, our perception of Taijutsu is different. Each time we meet is an excellent opportunity to learn from one another. Our unity is the glue of our differences.

If you want to move from the apprentice level to the artist level, you have to train with your heart and your spirit. This is why the Bujinkan arts are a “Kokoro no Budō” as stated by the late Takamatsu Sensei.

So study and learn the Mutō Dori based on Kyojitsu to get to your next level and turn yourself into an artist. This is a tough path, and many get lost. Deception and manipulation are applied to the opponent, not to you! Kyojutsu is only a technique to win over adversity, it is not an end in itself.

Use the tools of Gomakasu (11), but be a Komakasu, a barbarian artist to trust. (12)

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1 持ち帰る, Mochikaeru: to bring back; to carry home; to take out (e.g., food) / See one of my May posts written in Japan.

2 持ち替える, Mochikaeru: to change the way one holds something; to transfer something from one hand to the other

3 虚実, Kyojitsu: truth or falsehood

4 虚術, Kyojutsu: the technique of deception

5 空間, Kūkan: space; room; airspace; Space

6 虚実混交, Kyojitsu Konkō: a mishmash of truth and untruth; a mixture of fiction and fact

7 About Shinran: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinran.

About the Niga Byakudō, read https://nembutsu.info/blacker.htm. This is a long text, go straight to the end, you will find it in the 4th paragraph before the end

8 In “Illusions, the adventures of a reluctant Messiah, book by Richard Bach. https://www.amazon.com/Illusions-Adventures-Reluctant-Richard-Bach/dp/0440204887

9 Listen to the audiobook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WX8vp_nW0OU

10 虚実皮膜, Kyojitsu Himaku” means that “the difference between truth and fiction in Art is very subtle. So, Art abides in a realm that is neither truth nor fiction.”

11 誤魔化す, Gomakasu: to deceive; to falsify; to misrepresent; to cheat; to swindle; to tamper; to juggle; to manipulate

12 胡任す Ko Makasu: a barbarian to entrust…

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

When I studied for an MBA at CSUC back in 1981, my 11 pm routine was to watch SNL. (1) And I remember a sketch with John Belushi disguised as a bee, and grading a student with a “Bee +.” (2) Well, today at Honbu, I had my Bee+ moment.

Today was my last class for this trip. It is always sad, but back home, I will the time to digest the new feelings acquired here during these two weeks.

I had my “B+” moment for two reasons.
First, Sensei used me as Uke, and I could “feel” what he was doing to me. Actually, I should say, “what he was not doing to me.” It was weird. There was nothing, and I kept losing my balance. I had to give one Tsuki, and he responded with several light touches that made my body react. There was no pain and no strength. I had the feeling that the points of contact he was offering vanished when I tried to support my body weight. His touches were light as feathers, and I could hardly feel them.

Second, these touches were like a bee pollinating from flower to flower. Hardly touching them. I remembered the Japanese saying that Sensei uses: “Amo Isshun no Tamamushi.” (3) “If you trap a bee in your hands, it cannot sting.”

I felt trapped like the bee. Hatsumi Sensei’s touches were like flowers. Each time I tried to recover my balance, my support (his hand or finger) was gone. The many information Sensei was giving by touching me, prevented me from moving. I was controlled by nothingness. Between contact, there were “air pockets” like in Ishitobashi, the skipping stones. (4)

The quality of his footwork, his nonchalance, and the softness are extraordinary. It is only when you have the chance to be Uke and to experience it, that you understand the exceptional level of Sensei’s Budō.

Hatsumi Sensei’s Budō is fantastic, and I am happy our paths crossed back in 1987, and to have followed him since then. (5) The person I am today is his doing, and the result of his singular vision of Budō.

The Bujinkan is nothing without him. And for over a half century, he is transmitting his understanding on the mats. He is making us not “Bujin,” but “Bujin,” better human beings. (6)(7)

In fact, today was not a “Bee +,” but a triple AAA!

Thank you, Sensei, for your patience.

Epilogue:
I told Sensei that for professional reasons, I might not be able to come to Japan before April next year. Holding my hand and looking me in the eyes, he said: “Get back!”

Side note:
My friend Leandro from Seinin Dōjō in São Paulo asked me this week about the origin of the Sakki test. As I had no clue, I asked Sensei. The Sakki test is not from any system in the Bujinkan. Takamatsu sensei invented it. I thought you would be happy to know it.

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1 SNL is the acronym of the “Saturday Night Live” show (Europeans don’t know it). In 1981, the main actors were: John Belushi, Dan Akroyd, Gilda Radner, Chevy Chase.
2 You can find a few sketches of the late John Belushi on Youtube.
3 中一瞬 の 吉丁虫, Amo Isshun no Tamamushi: 中 amo: center, inside, during. 一瞬 isshun: one moment. 吉丁虫 tamamushi: jewel beetle or bee
4 石飛ばし, Ishitobashi: skipping stones (on a body of water); skimming stones​
5 I began training Bujinkan in June 1984 with Sylvain Guintard. And we attended the first European Taikai organized in 1987 in London by my friend Peter King. And again in 1988 in Stockholm in a Taikai organized by Sveneric Bogsater. Then Pedro brought me with him to Japan at the beginning of the nineties. Since then, I visited Sensei about 70 times in Japan. A successful Life is the result of the people you meet on your path. Thank you, Sylvain, Peter, Sven, Pedro, and Sensei for helping me to be the man I am today.
6 武人, Bujin: a military man
7 武神, Bujin: divine warrior

PARIS TAIKAI 2019 – JULY 12th TO 14th
WITH PETER KING – SVENERIC BOGSATER – ARNAUD COUSERGUE …

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

During the break, I asked Sensei for calligraphy to use it as a logo for the Paris Taikai next July.

He made up “Ninkū,” a pun with the word “Ninku,” but written with “Kū.” instead of “Ku.” If “Ninku” exists, and means “endurance.” (1) “Ninkū with a long “ū” doesn’t. It was made by Sensei, associating “Shinobi” and “Kū.” (2) (3) He replaced “endurance” by “stealthy emptiness.” And it is like what Sensei is showing in class. His movements are so empty that Uke falls into the void.

The Mutō Dori of 2019 is now dealing with a lack of presence. There is nothing to see and nothing to feel. The control of the attacker results of a lack of control. In a recent post, I introduced you to Mutōsei, “uncontrolled.” (4) To me, Ninkū is precisely this feeling. Sensei controls you without control. As if he was able to express the emptiness itself.

Like many high-level feelings, it is difficult to express it with words even if you had the chance to feel it from Sōke. Buddhism, says that you can share Satori, only with those who experienced it. I guess this is the same. (5)

If you watch Sensei from the outside, it looks like magic. This is why he asks his Uke to explain their feeling after the technique.

Ninku, (1) also means Stoicism, it also seems correct. To succeed in Budō, you have to endure a lot of pain and disillusions. The training is about endurance. It has no end. We begin to practice one day for the wrong reasons, and we stay without knowing exactly why. This is pure Stoicism.

Noguchi sensei told me once that in the old days Sensei was quite brutal. He was so violent in training that the wooden floor under the mats would sometimes break! When it happened, they would stop the practice, get the tools, repair it, and go back to train. Sensei repeats that he doesn’t teach us. But it seems that this “non-teaching” of him, started a long time ago. Noguchi sensei said that Sōke used them as Guinea pigs. Sensei wanted to learn the techniques he was receiving from Takamatsu sensei by mail. (6)
Noguchi sensei admitted that twice he nearly quit unable to see the need for so much pain.

When you see how good he is today, I guess that staying in the Bujinkan was the right decision. He “endured” the pain to become one of the best teachers of the Bujinkan. And the same applies to the first generation of Sensei’s students.

We can now see more with clarity that Ninku is the Omote, and Ninkū is the Ura. I will share this new feeling in my next seminars, and at the Paris Taikai in July.

Sōke said recently that it takes 10 years of hard training, passing through a lot of hardship to study basics. So how many years do we need to get to Ninku and Ninkū?

We have to be resilient and cultivate our patience!

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1 忍苦, Ninku: endurance; Stoicism
2 忍び, Shinobi: stealth, traveling incognito, ninjutsu, ninja, sneak theft; sneak thief, tolerance
3 空, Kū: empty air; sky, Shunya (emptiness, the lack of an immutable intrinsic nature within any phenomenon). Meaninglessness, void (one of the five elements)
4 無統制, Mutōsei: uncontrolled
5 悟り, Satori: enlightenment; spiritual awakening; understanding, comprehension
6 Sensei was visiting Takamatsu Sensei every two months (and not every two weeks as the legend says). He had the scrolls with him. Between visits, Takamatsu was sending two letters per week with many technical details.

PARIS TAIKAI REGISTRATION…

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

Disclaimer: The class was so dense that this article might be a little too long. Sorry about that.

A class with Sōke these days is a succession of many moments. Relying on the Dai Shihan to show the techniques, he gives his advice from his chair. He only shows when a move requires his expertise.

Also, he often begins the class by showing the new swords he bought for his museum. He recently did a sword exhibition in Noda to explain to the public, the 200 blades he already has.

Friday night he displayed à few interesting Tantō that he got. Some of them had a Kozuka inserted in the scabbard. It was a first for me. (1)

Each time Sōke tells of being aware of the danger of live weapons. And shows the correct way to pass or receive a naked sword from hand to hand. Not aware of the distance, there is a danger to be cut or killed. The translators sometimes get too close to him, and some nearly got cut. When you receive a naked sword from someone, you have to be close enough to take it, but far enough not to be cut.

Sōke teaches us these things because he doesn’t want the Bujinkan Dai Shihan, to look stupid. He said that people training Kendō or other martial arts don’t know the dangers of live weapons. Because they lack awareness. The Japanese wars created our systems on the battlefield, not during peacetime in a Dōjō. (2)

We did some Waza with the Daishō, and Sensei stopped the class to teach us how to wear them. That was interesting as many practitioners do not have a clue there is a proper way of doing things. One thing to keep in mind is that our fighting systems originate from the military. In the military, they keep everything that works fine. They reject what doesn’t. Each time your teacher asks for a precise movement, try to understand the reason to do it that way. When you know the hidden reasons to do things, your Taijutsu improves. Nothing we do is by chance, there is always a reason behind.

How to wear the Daishō? (3) First, insert your thumb into the Obi and put the Kodachi, then put the Katana in this order. (4) Sōke asked us to train this to master it. He said the Dai Shihan, should have real blades to get better the essence of Mutō Dori. (5) We have to understand what is fake and what is real. He added that Takamatsu Sensei always showed him the practical aspects of Budō. The Bujinkan is not Gendai Budō, we don’t do sport. (6)

Sensei moved back to Taijutsu. After the technique, his Uke explained that he was so focused on the pain on his finger, that he didn’t see the rest. This is “Mienai.” Sensei was using his other hand to take Uke’s balance. (7) Mutō dori uses Kakushi waza whenever possible. (8) Uke can see is not what matters.

Against a knife attack, Sensei stopped the attacker and began to speak to us. Uke lost his concentration, and Sōoke peeled the knife from his grip. This is Metsubushi. (9) We use Metsubushi to confuse the opponent and are not limited to Ninja blinding powder. It can be physical or by talking. If you speak, Uke cannot avoid listening to you.

In unarmed combat, we rely too much on the hands. Sōke said that “Sebone,” the backbone, is what does the action. He asked us to try it and insisted on keeping a relaxed body and on keeping the legs unlocked. (10)

In the end, Sensei said that now the Daishihan are in charge. And if they don’t understand it is ok. Because when you get the movement by yourself, you are your own teacher. Let the action be, and do not overthink everything.

Ethics is the backbone of our soul, this is “Kikotsu.” (11) But when you only rely on physicality, you are not a Bujin but another “Kikotsu,” an eccentric. (12)

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1 Kozuka: This small knife was usually hidden in the Saya of a Katana, close to the Tsuba.
2 War Time vs. Peacetime: The Bujinkan systems are born during wartime (12th to 17th century). One exception is the Takagi Yōshin Ryū, formalized in the 18th century.
3 大小, Daishō: matched pair of long and short swords
4 The original Obi were larger and longer. Because of the length, there were at least three layers of belt. First, you put he Kodachi between the first layer close to the body and the second layer. Then you slide the Katana between the second and the third layer. This is a way to protect the lacquer on the Saya. This keeps the blade sealed in the scabbard and avoid humidity to damage the sword.
5 I have been using a real Katana for more than 30 years. I cut myself as expected. But when you have à real blade, you stop moving like they do in B movies. Never underestimate the danger of using a real weapon. The same goes for firearms and swords.
6 現代, nowadays; modern era; modern times; present-day.
現代武道, Gendai Budō: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gendai_bud%C5%8D
7 見えない技, Mienai Waza: Invisible technique (that Uke cannot see)
8 隠し技, Kakushi Waza: Technique for hiding; concealing; being hidden; being concealed​
9 目潰し, Metsubushi: sand, ash, etc., thrown in the eyes to blind someone. Throwing something at someone’s eyes to blind them​. Poking someone’s eyes during a fight to blind them. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metsubushi
10 背骨, Sebone: spine; backbone; spinal column
11 気骨, Kikotsu: (moral) backbone; spirit; soul; grit​
12 奇骨, Kikotsu: eccentric

PARIS TAIKAI 2019 CLICK HERE …

From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

I am not very fond of spiders, but I like Nagato sensei’s Taijutsu.

Nagato sensei is the master of Mochikaeru, (1) Whatever you do, traps you as if in a giant spiderweb.

Mochikaeru is his particular way to let you in his sphere of movement and to give back pain in exchange. Using his mastery of distance, he puts you off balance. When you think you have him, you end up “glued” into his spiderweb. All his body is playing against you: hands, elbows, legs, eyes. In fact, his entire body is scrutinizing you. Spiders have six eyes, and sometimes I guess him too. When you are Nagato sensei’s Uke, don’t forget his body is his eyes.

Apart from Taijutsu, he also speaks a lot during the long breaks. This Mondō is a special moment of questions and answers. When you ask anything, he will give his take on the problem you are having. It is also a sweet moment where he tells us many details about Sōke and their life before the Bujinkan went worldwide. Being 72-year-old, he is one of the key witnesses of the rise of the Bujinkan. Of how a small dōjō of eight mats, with about a dozen “meat-bags” became this sizeable international organization. (3) (4) (5)

In a recent Mondō, Nagato sensei that the Bujinkan is “blood, sweat and tears” until fifteenth Dan. After that, it is more about being happy. What is difficult is to train alternating hard and soft movements. This balance between hard and soft is challenging to do when you are Uke.

He also said that with age, we have to train softer. The goal of the Bujinkan is to be happy, not to destroy yourself. I can remember the training in the 90s’, and I assure you that Sōke is much softer than before. Life is about permanent change and adaptation.

Nagato sensei said that Sensei evolved a lot because he has been changing all the time. As a result, he is not changing but evolving. Sensei is like the reflection of the moon on the river; always different but always the same. As Thich Nhat Hanh puts it, “The river must be calm to reflect the full moon. (6)

Permanent changes in Sōke’s Budō makes it challenging to follow his steps. We have to catch his tail and go where he is going, letting him lead the way. Nagato sensei added that “Catching and keeping the horse’s tail is easy. But Sōke is a dragon, so it is more difficult to stay attached to the tail.”

In Taijutsu and in life, you achieve happiness and success through changes. And Mochikaeru is part of it.

My best student told me once, “The Bujinkan is like a country led by a recognized leader. The goal is to learn to be happy, and permanent change is giving us this freedom.”

Be Mochikaeru, a “dōjō frog” willing to become a prince of Budō. (7)

Change and be happy!

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1 持ち帰る, Mochikaeru: to bring back; to carry home; to take out (e.g., food)​
2 問答, Mondō: questions and answers; dialogue​
3 Noguchi sensei said that at the beginning training was in Sensei’s clinic, a room with only 8 mats. They emptied it before class, and they had to avoid tripping on a 1-step platform on the side.
4 The first group was: Ishizuka, Tanemura, Manaka, Muramatsu, Kobayashi, Nagato, Oguri, Senō, Noguchi.
5 Meatbags: Each time you speak with the Japanese Dai Shihan, they say that Sensei was using them as “meat-bags.” He was not even trying to teach. He was working to understand the techniques. And it was excruciating. Noguchi sensei said that young Hatsumi weighted over 100 kg, was very bulky, and powerful.
6 Thich Nhat Hanh
7 モチ蛙, Mochikaeru: motivation of the frog (to become a prince of Budō).

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From Shiro Kuma by kumablog

With Noguchi sensei tonight we covered the second level of Kukishin Daken Taijutsu. Each Waza was enriched (twisted) to meet his own interpretation and the depth of his taijutsu.

At some point during class, he positioned his right leg between Uke’s legs to do a basic Koshinage. While placing his leg, he said “kick,” but he didn’t do a kick, he put his thigh there. (1)
Later, he trapped his Uke was kneeling to the ground, and he captured Uke’s head between his knees, saying “happa.” (2) At another moment, he did a half Oni Kudaki and called it “Musha Dori.” (3)

In these three occurrences, the words he used didn’t seem correct. But they are. It is just that we limit their definition. The Japanese language, like Chinese or Korean processes the information by images. A word in Asia is not “definite,” it is a concept, a general idea evolving with the situation. In the West, our words have a precise definition, limiting their power. Not in the East. These languages do not see the world in the same we do.

Let’s review now what Noguchi sensei said during class.

Kick: This is our definition of Keri. But in fact, it means an “action of the leg.” The kick is one possibility amongst many. In the Chi Ryaku no Maki, there is a set of techniques called “Happō Keri Henka.” There are no kicks in these techniques, but the legs are used a lot to manage the distance to the opponent.

Happa Ken: This is one of the Hōken Jūroppō. Happa is slapping Uke with a flat hand. Here he was using the knees, hitting the head of Uke. Note that in the Takagi Yōshin Ryū, the Kyūsho for the ears is also called Happa. Happa for him is the action of hitting with the sides of the head, with the hands, the knees, or anything else. It is the function that is important.

Musha Dori / Oni Kudaki: It was not a mistake either. At the beginning of the Bujinkan, Musha Dori was the Omote form we know, and the Oni Kudaki was Musha Dori Ura. Both terminologies exist in different Ryū. Also, if you think about it, grabbing the elbow from inside or outside, are two ways to “grab a warrior.”

The Japanese language is not based on Latin, Saxon, or other Alphabet based languages. It is an image. And this image is a concept with blurred borders. If you take the word “Omote” for example and ask anyone to tell you what it is, they will all tell you that it means “outside.” And they will be right, but Omote is more than that. (5)

That is why it is vital to learn your Bujinkan vocabulary. The Japanese use their words not to define an object but because of their function.

In the train to Kashiwa, I remembered reading a book many years ago called “Word and object” by Quine. (6) You should read it. It changed my understanding of languages. In the book, Quine exposes the idea of what he calls “conceptual scheme.” From one language to another, à word doesn’t carry the same concepts. À word is cultural. It explains why a translation is often betraying the author’s initial idea.

Noguchi sensei’s class was as great as always. But if you understand what is above, it will be an essential step on your path to excellence.

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1 蹴り, Keri: Kick (dictionary)
2 葉っぱ, Happa: leaf; blade (of grass); (pine) needle​ (dictionary)
3 武者取り, Musha dori: Grab the warrior
4 宝剣十六法, Hōken Jūroppō: The 16 treasures
5 表, Omote: Outside; above; in front of; exterior; on top; obvious; easy.

• But also:
• surface
• face (i.e., the visible side of an object)​
• front (of a building, etc.); obverse side (i.e., “head”) of a coin​
• outside; exterior​
• appearance​
• public​
• first half (of an inning); top (of an inning)​ Baseball term,
• cover (for tatami mats, etc.)​
• foreground​ Computer terminology

6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Word_and_Object

PARIS TAIKAI 2019 …