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Paris taikai registration opened

From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr

IMG_20120420_142351Registration for the Paris taikai 2013 is open.

Since 2002 the Bujinkan France invites you to share 3 days of training in Paris with the Shi Tennô: Pedro Fleitas, Sveneric Bogsater, Peter King, and Arnaud Cousergue in our three Dôjô located in the city of Vincennes.
Each year around 150 Bujinkan participants gather there to share training and insights with the Shi Tenno under the Parisian summer sun.
As always lunches are included, tshirts are included, and free sleeping at the Dôjô.

Come to Paris and enjoy some memorable moments on the mats and outside and discover the French Capital.
This taikai happens around the French National Day (July14th), which means:

  • many fireworks,
  • a lot of dancing,
  • good time.

Places are limited so don’t wait too long!

Registration is mandatory to participate:

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


Bô jutsu: Weapon of Consciousness

From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr

When in 1993 Hatsumi sensei began to teach the now famous “themes of the year” he decided to begin with the study of bô jutsu. It opened a five year cycle dedicated to the weaons of the bujinkan.Amongst all the weapons of the bujinkan the bô jutsu is the most complete of all with an extensive set of techniques and levels that influences greatly our taijutsu both at the technical and spiritual level.Sensei speaks of “roku shaku bô jutsu” (六尺棒術) and this is the title of his first bô dvd. But many see only the size of the weapon. It is right to say that in the past the roku shaku was the size of the weapon. As you know even if the Japanese government began to follow the metric system at the beginning of the 19th century he kept alive the kanejaku (矩尺), the old measurement system. Even today people refer to the size of a room in number of tatami (疊).One tatami represents the surface of a measurement unit called the “ken” (間) and which has a length of 6 shaku. Until the 19th century all temples, castles, and houses were built with this unit. For more on this please look for “kanejaku” on the net.

But when it comes to the training we have to keep in mind that Japanese people before the 20th century were not tall (often around 150 cm). So, for us westerners, in order to keep the same ratio size/length in the buki waza (武器), our long staff should have a length of at least 2m. Note that buki (技) means also technique or art…

Now, when sensei speaks of the roku shaku (六尺) he is speaking of shiki (識), consciousness (vijnana in buddhism). Sensei implies that bô jutsu is the key to reach shiki (識) the 6th element of the gogyô, consciousness. By training the many waza of bô jutsu you are in fact developing your consciousness and become able to use it in every aspect of your life. By introducing this concept of shiki back in 2005, sensei forced us to do a major leap in our understanding of the bujinkan arts.

And remember that training the weapon -omote (表)- develop our consciousness of life – ura (裏). This is why bô jutsu is so important in the bujinkan.

Bô jutsu is the first step to free our taijutsu from the form. But to free yourself from something you must first be “trapped” by it. But how is it possible to achieve formlessness from something you don’t know?

We have to learn and study a lot to get the forms correctly until we can strip the forms off.

The bujinkan is a paradoxical system in which we are looking for something “natural” by studying things that are “not natural”. In fact the bô is the entry gate for the weapons and the necessary step to take in order to improve our whole taijutsu.

Until now no tools were available to review all those techniques this is why we have decided to record them all. We have also added for each technique, the kaeshi waza (返し技) to show you how to win against the bô. It took us four days of recording to do so and many bruises too.

With www.koimartialart.com (online streaming) or with www.budomart.com (dvds) you can now discover or rediscover the richness of the bô jutsu from the kukishin ryû. We recorded all the techniques (11 dvds) to help you unleash the power of your taijutsu with this fantastic weapon.

The bô (棒) is the link to the ten (天) and the chi (地) to become a real jin (人), a shiki no jin, a conscious human being (識の人間).

By the way did you notice that the kanji for “ken” (間) is identical to the second kanji of human being (間) …


New Dvds Are Coming Soon

From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr

Tentô Uchi

We finished the Yari Jutsu of the Kukishin Ryû and the taijutsu of the Gyokko ryû. The videos are being edited right now and will soon be availalbe on koimartialart and budomart.

In the last year we have been quite productive:

  • Ten Ryaku no Maki: short and extended version (4 dvds),
  • Chi Ryaku no Maki: short and extended version (3 dvds),
  • Jin Ryaku no Maki: short version (an extended version is being prepared),
  • Buki Waza basics for small weapons: tantô, Kunai, Shotô, (2 dvds)
  • Buki Waza basics for medium weapons: hanbô, jo, biken, (3 dvds)
  • Buki Waza basics for long weapons: bô, yari, naginata, (3 dvds)
  • Nawa Jutsu basics: nawame (knots) and rin (loops)
  • Gyokko Ryû Kosshi Jutsu: the first level is being duplicated now and should be available in a few days on budomart, (2 dvds)
  • Bô jutsu of the Kukishin Ryû: the complete set (ready for Christmas), (btw 6 and 10 dvds!)
  • Yari Jutsu of the Kukishin Ryû: the complete set (ready beginning og 2011), (btw 4 and 6 dvds)
  • Gyokko Ryu Kosshi Jutsu: the second and third levels are recording and will be available as soon as possible,  (4 dvds)
  • Manriki Gusari Basics: A general overview on the chain and the basics of the Masaki Ryû that Sensei learnt with Nawa sensei.

And I am not speaking of the “Foundation” series covering all the techniques Kyû per Kyû from 9th Kyû to 1st Kyû. (18 dvds)

We are planning to record soon a ne version of the Sanshin no Kata and of the Kihon Happô (Gyokko Ryû style) and a set of dvds on hanbô Jutsu. After that we will move to the other schools. The next schools are either Koto Ryû and then Shinden Fudô Ryû. Which one do you prefer to have next?

Be happy!

Arnaud Cousergue


India Seminars

From Shiro Kuma's Weblog by kumafr

Last August

Namaste,

I arrived yesterday in Bangalore to give two seminars. The monsoon is finished and the weather is cloudy but nice. This is a big change compared to my last trip here in June.

Our Indian Buyu are improving and developing fast. They have received Darren recently and Robin will be visiting them next November.

The first one begins tomorrow and will be covering the Gyokko Ryû Kosshi Jutsu. Te Gyokko ryû is a fantastic fighting system that apparently is theorigin of all Budô in Japan (cf. “Unarmed fighting techniques of the Samurai” by Hatsumi Sensei). Distancing and the structure of the school are brilliant!

The second seminar will cover the Yari Jutsu from the Kukishinden Ryû with the Kaeshi Waza. I really love the Yari because of its powerful thrusts and versatility. After the Bô Jutsu “marathon” of June, the participants are ready to move up to the next level.

These two seminars will be recorded and will be available soon on budomart and on koi.

DVDS: The first level of Gyokko Ryû and another one on Nawa Jutsu will be soon available. Unfortunately, the bô jutsu of the Kukishin Ryû will not be ready in time before I leave. For your information, the Bô jutsu after cleaning is 20 hours long of raw material; it should cover around 10 dvds!

It should be ready for Christmas so now you know what to ask Santa.

Be Happy!