If You Are Just Starting Out:
This is an exciting time for you. I remember what that was like.
Many teachers forget what it was like to be new or have the open mind of a beginner. I remember clearly when I began training. I really wanted to be a ninja and train in the Bujinkan but I messed it all up at first. I signed up to train in Shotokan Karate. Not quite the same thing. But there were no Bujinkan teachers around me back when I was a beginner.
I had already been studying some ukemi (rolling) on my own. One day I arrived at my Shotokan class early, and while I was waiting for the teacher to show up, I practiced my rolls. My teacher arrived and he was angry.
He asked, “What are you doing?” I said, “Practicing rolls.”
“We don’t do that in here,” he snapped back. I asked, “Well what do you do when you fall down?”
He really blew me away with his answer…
“We don’t fall down.”
Wow, OK. I didn’t last much longer in that dojo.
I eventually corrected my choice, but I had to travel across the country to find a qualified teacher. And I had to unlearn my Shotokan habits. That was my bumpy start.
In order to fight back against these mediocre teachers that refuse to learn anymore, I work hard to stay a student. Even now I stay a beginner. The chances for learning don’t stop. I keep that beginner mind awake every time I travel to Japan to learn from Hatsumi Sensei.
When I started teaching, I took a risk that students would be ready for something real. And the risk paid off because students continue to thrive in my classes.
If this sounds like you (or speaks to you), then I know you definitely won’t be alone in our classes. For you, starting is much simpler than what I went through.
If You Already Have Some Bujinkan Training:
Wow, I’m really glad someone with your background has the perseverance to seek out new and better training. That’s what keeps me going back to Japan to train with Hatsumi Sensei.
Just like you, I am a student first, and my teaching grows from that. I made mistakes when I was younger by trusting in teachers who had nothing to offer but their own egos.
I don’t train with teachers who are just teachers anymore. Their training lacks the vitality and depth that can be experienced from someone who is a truly dedicated student first.
I’ve seen the results in my own students from this approach. And I personally find training more exciting and my teaching full of more dynamic results with this honest approach.
If you relate to any of this (or my approach just fits you) Then let’s connect and train together soon!