my Bujinkan video for Hatsugeiko, our first training for the new year. It’s not like we are trying to prove anything, but my students are tough. Training in all kinds of weather and even on Holidays!
My Bujinkan video exploring my own personal kuden during the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. That attack brought the United States into World War II. Then my own Grandfather was drafted fought against the Japanese in the Pacific.
We explore the Bujinkan Kuden of 以心伝心 Ishin Denshin. This is a holiday week in the U.S. But we are still training! I begin with a class on the night of the rocket launch for Nasa’s DART mission.
We did our annual 秋修業 Aki Shūgyō fall seminar in the San Gorgonio wilderness. It was a camp out up in the mountains under the stars. This video documents some of the themes we explored during the training.
Bujinkan kuden exploring: ゆとり Yutori. About 10 years ago, on a cold rainy day, I was training with Hatsumi Sensei and he was putting on a clinic. Many of us were cold and tired, but his flow was endless. He described this as yutori, or having the room to play.
My Bujinkan video focusing on 暗黒透視術 Ankoku Tōshi-jutsu. One Monday night during a class with Senou Sensei in his dojo, he was very giving and generous. I often trained with one of his senior students, Sasa. We would have great fun and Senou sensei would often watch us from the side.
my Bujinkan kuden while warming up with ukemi. 35 years ago the first Bujinkan technique I ever learned was zenpō kaiten. I learned it from pictures in books and magazines.
In this episode of Bujinkan Kuden, first we have an after training discussion about some details of 追掛捕 Oikake Dori. Then we focus on Hatsumi Sensei’s taijutsu. I also share 3 stories from my experience being Uke for Soke Hatsumi in Japan.
Less than 20 students were waiting for him to bow in. Noguchi Sensei did so promptly as is his custom. Then he announced we were doing Gikan Ryu kata.
I was surprised. In more than 30 years I have not been shown these from any teacher. In between kata, Noguchi Sensei showed me a tattered notebook with the kata handwritten in a numbered sequence. He told me these were his actual notes from more than 40 years ago when Hatsumi Sensei taught these only to him.