~ .

~
.
~~?;:~

~AJi GAMBATTE NE
Newsletter for the advancement ofBujinkan studies - Takamatsu den
December 2009, Volume # 34
No Dojo Politics.. .No Hype.. .No Bull

A bonsai I made...
 2

This month
Christmas time is almost upon us. The days are
getting shorter and colder up here in the Great
White North (Canada for those of you who
wonder what I'm talking about).

I picked up a new student (even with my weird

work schedule) who is really coming along and
tries very hard. He has only been to about seven
or eight classes but really has improved from his
first class. These kinds of students are like
sponges and absorb everything you teach. Keep
up the good work Marko!

I want to wish everyone an early Christmas

greeting and if you don't follow Christmas then
have a safe and happy holiday season and a
Happy New Year.

I'm hoping to try and get more Shidoshi and

Shihan interviews for the Expose section, but
with the way things are in the world, people are
having all kinds of problems. A number of
Shihan have promised me interviews and I will
do my best to try and see ifI can get them to
somehow help us out.
Peace man!
By opening this newsletter out to everyone
Nevin Zeljko Broz
(regardless of style) a few Shihan have Shidoshi-ho
commented that it was a good thing. Hopefully a
Bujinkan Seishin Ronin Dojo
few more people have been introduced to the
Bujinkan way and the federation will continue to
grow.

A former student visting Japan sent me these two

scrolls as a gift. I hung them in my dojo but
don't know they're meanings. If anyone has the
ability and time can you please send me a
translation. I would really appreciate it.

I'm hoping to go and train in Croatia this

summer with my two Shihan's and possibly a
few Shidoshi over there. I've also been invited
to go to Romania and Macedonia as well.
Whatever I do I keep you informed here and try
to get some interesting interviews and photo
sequences ifpossible.

Wishing you all the best.

~..J

[email protected]
 3

my teacher's fiunily had been doing it

Soke speaks professionally for several generations. Next I
trained in Aikido with an instructor who also a
"You don 'I have 10 be able 10 do this sheriff. That was around the time when I was a
immediately. Just keep working on it. It has state park & Forest police officer in Connecticut
already been someforty years since Takamatsu- where I grew up. I moved to Dallas, Texas in
sensei's death, and I've been training every day. 1983. I'd read Stephen Hayes' books and went to
There's no need 10 rush. If you rush, you '// a seminar of his in Houston and I have been
actually miss some things. Don't work too training consistently since then. In 1985 I met
quickly, just work at your own pace. It'll come to Charles Daniel. We became good mends and he
you." is my first real Budo teacher. We trained a lot in
Texas where he visited and did a lot of seminars
Soke Masaaki Hatsumi
I sponsored and I traveled to his home in Atlanta
numerous times also. Shiraishi-sensei visited
Taken trom ''Quotations From Soke - Part IV" Charles in 1986 and we trained every day for a
byBenjaminCole week in his backyard. That is when I got my
Shodan. Charles is unusually gifted to begin with
and he is a true scholar as well teacher and
practitioner. In addition to the regular training he
Expose had all sorts of other things he would put us
through, like using a bow and arrow with a
tennis ball on the end for muto dori and sparring
In this section we will introduce you to many of
in different ways. We also trained with his mend
the Bujinkan's top (and a few of the lower
Hank Rheinhart, who was an undefeated SCA
ranked) instructors. Sensei you might not have
heard about and individuals you might want to fighter and scholar of medieval and renaissance
know a little more about, as well as historical fighting arts. He also had videos of the Gracies
in the 1980's and made sure that ground fighting
figures trom our different ryu.
was a strong part of the training. Charles really is
An Interview With Paul Fisher the major influence that formed my outlook and
training philosophy. I trained with Charles
through 1991. We had each moved to Florida by
then, he for a short time, me still.

2. How do you feel that training in Budo

taijutsu has changed you, if at all?

I've been training consistently since 1983, which

is more than half my life and it has profoundly
shaped who I am. My 3 main interests in life are
art, animals&. martialartsandeachone
influences and informs the other. Martial arts is
Awareness, seemg what is really there, not just
expecting. Th~t is.arf.jFJ,tatis communicating
with animals. I have traveled to some places that
are a bit dodgy safety-wise for a white, Jewish
skinny vegetarian, places like Nairobi, the
Middle East, Colombia, Bangkok, Russia 10
times. Only once did I ever have any conflict
(and it worked out fine). I believe that awareness
skills will keep you safe. As an artist and art
1. How long have you practiced the martial dealer I have to be able to see what unique and
arts? Would you share your lineage and what has a great vision and that is also timing,
your early training was like? distance and balance. With animals, I've always
been strongly attracted to how they think and
I started in martial arts when I was a teenager, behave. My academic studies were in zoology,
the first being Tae Kwon Do. I was lucky that animal behavior and environmental science. I've
 4

been with tigers and other large cats many times the thought of human potential &
and you have to be aware but not excited, performance than fighting skill. I wanted to be
balanced and calm. One time when Andrew more cat-like.
Young was visiting me I took him to a private
sanctuary. After spending some time with the 7. Where did you first hear about the ninja?
cats I was familiar with, we were in an empty
enclosure and a gate that was supposed to be I'm sure I was aware popular culture
secured wasn't and two young tigers walked in. representations of the ninja, but my first
About 400 pounds each. We had to keep calm exposure to Ninjutsu was Stephen Hayes, of
and centered, not get excited and act and smell course. At a seminar in Houston, 1983, outside
like food and keep backing toward the door. Not in a park. I'd read his books years before that.
sure we would have pulled it off if we dido't
practice budo. In Budo, art & animals, you are 8. What is your approach to teaching?
always learning, growing, exploring, being
amazed, surprised and delighted. I have a Like Shiraishi-sensei, I think it is great to work
wonderful marriage to a beautiful, intelligent with everyone on almost every technique or
adventurous and refined woman, an exciting and exercise. Mark O'Brien did a lot of seminars at
interesting professional life and a circle of my dojo all through the nineties and he really
extraordinary friends and I know my life would worked hard, watching and working individually
be quite different if I had taken a path different with each person. In regular training much of the
than the Bujinkan. ''teaching'' is reminding people to do what they
already know and drawing their attention to their
3. Where do you see the Bujinkan going in the distance, timing, angle, balance, and intention.
future? And sometimesjust a small correction or
adjustment makes a huge improvement as well.
Forward
9. What was it like on your first trip to
4. Taijutsu (kibon happo) or Kobudo? What Japan?
do you believe to be the proper training ratio
(what percent of each)? I began going to Japan in 1990 and that is the
year I passed the Godan test. I had attended
100% several Tai Kai's by then including the first one
in 1986 in LA & Sweden in 1988 (that's when I
5. Do you believe it is necessary to engage in first got to know Ed Martin and he has been a
free fighting (kumite) to achieve good fighting great friend and inspiration ever since). I stayed
skills in the street? at the "Ishizuka Hilton" I think. He had two
places, the Hilton & the "shithole". I forgot what
I train to be able to respond to a sudden attack the difference was. I remember my first
by one or more individuals who is possibly earthquake, after training at the old Chinese
armed. That is very different than sparring or restaurant, staying up all night training in a park
grappling. If you are assaulted and on the ground with Larry Johnson (nom Sweden) & Andrew
with someone on top of you your defenses Young. My first trip was in April and it was
include hooking an opponents nostril with a during cherry blosso~: Jt's still my favorite
thumb & forefinger and tearing, raking a time of the year there. At the festivals the smell
fingernail across the eyes or gums or biting to of burning octopus everywhere haunts me still.
tear an artery. If you do that in sparring or
grappling it is hard to keep training partners. But 10. Can you tell us who you trained with in
sparring and grappling are very important Japan?
because if you can't take a good punch in the
face or being slammed hard into the ground, In Japan one always tries to get all of Hatsumi-
you're in trouble. Sensei's classes. Next I train primarily with
Shiraishi-sensei and Nagato-sensei. That is who I
6. Why did you ever start martial arts have the closest personal relationships with. I try
training, and why train in Sokes' art? to catch classes with Noguchi-sensei, Oguri-
sensei and Senno-sensei as well. And Nakadai-
I was first attracted to martial arts more by sensei. Hatsumi-sensei tells us it is very
 5

Each one has different experience and focus and will get good at this. So the question is "What do
if you only train with Hatsumi-sensei you won't you do with it?" My main colleague, Jack
have a strong foundation to understand what he Hoban, is very committed to explaining and
does. If you teach this, it's too easy to just fostering the Warrior Ethic at his seminars. It is
narrow down to what you like or are good at and important to have a ftamework, to understand
it's easy to feel competent if you don't train with why as well where and when. With Jack it is
people more experienced than you who can tell especially relevant, he trains Marines who will
you what you are doing wrong or should be fight and may take lives while protecting others
doing better. I have several seminars that I host or be killed or maimed in the process. Martial
at my dojo each year to make sure that I training along with Living Values gives a
regularly have instruction and don't just teach. wholeness and context for our actions.
It's important if you teach that you are spending
time training because they are not the same. If To succeed and be proficient in Bujinkan Budo
you have done this for a long time it is necessary Taijutsu, just keep going. Regular training and
to be able to teach effectively because if you having good instruction from Japan and people
can't communicate it well, you probably aren't who have trained consistently for a long time
doing it well. And if you don't share it, you don't that are in good contact with Japan is the only
deserve it. key. Just show up every single time you can.

On my last two trips Hatsumi-sensei has taken

me out to lunch and then back to his home to
Secret ninja iai technique
talk. We mostly talk about art because I am an
art dealer and he knows some of the artists I
represent. We also talk everything else in the
world; animals & nature, women, food. Because
of my professional career I've been very lucky to
spend time with some of the most gifted artists &
thinkers in the world and Hatsumi-sensei is truly
of that caliber. He's not just a super talented
martial artist. He really is a historic figure that is
advancing the field and our philosophy in great
leaps. There is so much more to be gotten from
his teachings thanjust combat. It really holds a
key to be able to go through life with balance,
awareness and timing. Many people can miss
these higher teachings if they only see this a
fighting system. In the regular training if you I The ninja on the left fRees an opponent on the
only go slow and safe all the time you don't get right. Both have katana and are walking towards
one another.
that connection with your deepest resources and
abilities that only actual danger and -
confrontation can make you reach deep enough
to employ. But if you're entirely focused on .,
would it work in street combat situations, you
can't possibly grasp the very subtle workings
that make this so effective and unique. And it's
harder to slow down and truly pay attention than
just blast through. The real art here is very very
subtle and takes a great discipline to harness. But
in those moments when you do, it is obviously so
much more powerful than well, power. And you
can use this ability in every part of your life so
the real training is much broader than just the
martial application.
-- .-'
If you have a good teacher and attend regular 2 As the niJUawalks past he draws his sword
training as well seminars and trips to Japan, you with his left hand (unorthodox draw) and
 6

simultaneously cuts into the white belts upper f

arm catching him off guard.

1c. The sageo is then hidden in the right hand.

As you walk by the victim you release the blade
&om the saya by pulling on the sageo (this way
3 The ninja quickly turns around and finishes no draw is seen. You then raise your left arm as
off his opponent with a completed draw and cut. in photo #2 above as you walk by and he can't
see you with his peripheral vision. Game over
for the helpless attacker. This technique was
shown to a group of us many years ago in Japan
by Hatsumi sensei.

Soke speaks
(Noguchi-sensei) "By not moving in, you are in
their space. You have to create your own space.
Don't remain in your opponent's space; make
your own. " (In other words, they expect you to
1a. The ninja had a little preparation to ensure be at arm 's length, which is where you are when
the cut came along smoothly. As Shiraishi they initiate their attack. But if you move in, you
Sensei would say, "Very sneaky". The sageo is cut off their attack and are in peifect position to
not tied to the obi but run over the saya and then launch your own.)
under the obi.
Soke Masaaki Hatsumi

Takenfro11t_ "Quotations From Soke - Part IV"

by Benjamin Cole

Antique Swords for Sale

A private collection of Samurai swords is
available for sale. Although the collection is
small {I0 swords} they are unique in there
rarity. They are available for examinations by
lb. The sageo then is run along the obi (in effect appointment only please call. Serious applicants
hiding it). It is here shown for your benefit. only.
 7

the Mori family such as general Takeshi mori

who served in China returned to Japan and was
assassinated for siding with the emperor. 1945.

Item #215-Wakisashi -late Kamakura, Kiyonori,

Tokubetsu Kicho NBTHK, 08670 Mumei
attribution Yoshi

Item #210-Shinogi Tsukuri-Sukesada Saka

1532-69 AD, Jo-Jo-Saku Class. This sword
comes with a NBTHK Hozon paper attribution
to Bizen Osafune Genbeijo SukeSada.
For further particulars, please contact
Item #212-A Katana by Bizen NagaMtisu 1886-
[email protected] 1960

Item #213-Katana in the Shinogi Tsukuri Form,

68.2cms; Dei period 1394-1429. Chu Jo-Saku
rating 70 points, excellent condition with no
flaws.

Item #216-Katana in the Shinogi Tsukuri style,

Dei period 1393-1429. Ubu. (unaltered) signed
and dated Bizen Osafune YasuMitsu. Excellent
Hilen Kunl Tadahlro,!On - t63.1 condition.

Item #201-Katana-30.5 in; cutting edge- in Item #217-KataYamaMuneToshi. Circa 1860.

Shkasaya & Koshirae, signed Kobayashi 69cms in length. Ubu. (unaltered) signed with a
Masakiyo. Excellent condition. MasaKiyo is a two character signature Mune Toshi. The sword
six time winner of the NBTHK Nyusen annual comes in a Ishime-ji black saya. Overall
prize for the top quality of his swords. A very condition is excellent.
impressive Gendai sword maker.
Item #218-Kataa 1308-1334, 62.2cms in length.
Item #203-Katana-27.5 in; in shkasaya & Shinogi Tsukuri style. Signed two character
Koshirae. Date 1532 to 1540 NBTHK papers att; signature Chika tsugu. Overall condition is
to Mihara Kai Masahiro. It has the appearance excellent.
and feel of a much earlier blade, well ballanced
and in excellent condition. Itame/Mokume mix In addition to the above, we have available a
withji-nie and shirake utsuri, hamon is notare- unique collection of swords from Hizen province
based gunome/midare, with ashi, sunagashi, and covering all Sixsword making schools.
Kinsuji. Information available upon request.
"..
Item #159-Katana 28 in;-In shkasaya-NTHK
papers att; to Echizen harima Daijo Shige Taka,
student ofKaneNori. It has Bolli fresh Hon ami
polish. This sword has a very commanding
Book / Video review
presence and you need to hold it in your hands to
feel the power, and enjoy the beauty of it. Here we will review books and videos/movies on
the ninja and samurai arts.
Item #133-Katana-27 in; shkasaya & Koshirae
NBTHK papers signed and dated-Bizen Kuni ju This month we will feature a short review on the
Osafune yokoyama SukeKane Saka 58th DVD titled "Samurai Wolf'.
generation ofTomonari the founder of Bizento.
SukeKane was a student of sukenaga. 1842 to
1872 ko-mokume hada choji hamon in excellent
condition, fresh polish. There is a family crest of
 8

Soke speaks

"I am very pleased with how things are going

with the Bujinkan. You are all learning this "true
art. " Just keep training. "

"There are many teachers around the world, but

they don't understand what a true art is. Ifeel
sorry for their students, because it is they who
ultimately suffer. "

"I have said this before: I am not teaching. I am

just helping you to understand these things by
yourself "

Soke Masaaki Hatsumi

Taken fiom "Quotations From Soke - Part IV"

byBenjaminCole

The Essence of Koppo

"Quick Overview"
During my last trip to Japan, the important point
A wandering ronin (master less samurai) of the koppo solidified for me. Many people
wanders into a small town in old Japan and have talked about this being "bone breaking" or
comes across mayhem. other shallow translations, but what I heard
Sensei say was different. The point that was
The town relay (mail) post is being constantly continually stressed was the movement of your
attacked by the Shogun's local representative own skeleton.
(i.e. dirty policeman). The workers are getting
killed and robbed constantly and can't complain When you move your skeleton as one unit,
to the local cops as the village cop is on the take keeping the relationship of each bone constant
and the Shogun's representative is the guy throughout your sabaki, you become strong
behind it all. without the use of muscles. By using this idea, it
is easy to break the opponent's kamae and place
Our Japanese style John Wayne comes in and him in situati.ons that make it easy to strike him.
cleans up the town, kills all the bad guys, and
saves the beautiful helpless blind samurai girl. To me this is the real "Bone Method," using your
Well sort of. own skeletal alignm~t to disjoint the opponent's
alignment. From ther6"itis easy to strike in a
It's an interesting movie. If you like this type of manner that might very well break bone.
genre you will probably enjoy this above average
flick. Jefftey S. Mueller
Capital Area Bujinkan
Flying shuriken rating.
(Taken ftom the now defunct Kilion newsletter).
Rating:

++++
Three point five-senban shuriken!
 9

Seminars Shihan Andre Jasenc

Here we will keep you infonned of upcoming

seminars. as well as reviews of those attended.
If you want to advertise your seminar here
contactus at: nindja [email protected]

Shihan Dean Rostohar

Yari, Kodachi, Suwari waza

-
December 12 13. 2009
Novi Sad, Serbija

.
Hanbo Shinken Gata
December 5-6.2009. Email: [email protected]
Zagreb, Croatia
Bujinkan Seishin Dojo Zagreb
www.bujinkan.hr Daikomyosai 2009

.
Info: [email protected]

Jack Hoban -

Join ShihanPhil Legare and Shihan Charles

Collins as we.ce1C;bl1lte
Hatsumi Sensei's
birthday with our 20th Annual Maryland
Daikomyosai

Bujinkan Buyu Dojo Year in Review 2009 Saturday December 5. 2009

Jujitsu Dojo of Columbia
-Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu Columbia, Maryland
- Weapons Training
- Protecting others Charles at 443-956-0506 or email:
Saturday. December 5. 2009
[email protected] Phil at 907-947-
2804 or email: phillip_Iegare@
For more info
yahoo.com
Ken Lux 916.780.0530
 10

Shihan Kostas Kanakis Specwog

--- ---
-.-

Flashback of the year

December 12. & 13., 2009.
Zwickau / Germany
-
European BKD Budokai / Germany Dojo
Zwickau

Sven Gutknecht -
[email protected]

Shihan Richard Van Donk

- ----
"Specwog Ultimate Knife Fighting"
-
December 12th 13m,2009.
Zagreb, Croatia
Shihan Dean Rostohar

Info: [email protected]

Three Fallacies ofNinjutsu

The Truth About the Ninja's Past

Myths and misconceptions abound in the martial

mDA Tai Kai arts, especially when dealing with the mysterious
Japanese System ninjutsu. There are three
March 11th-14th,2010
popular fallacies about this combat style, which
often prevent it trom being a positive influence
Info: USA 1-800-348- in the martial WS community. Some of these
6822 International: 707-987-9322 misconceptions haverq~e~ perpetuated,
surprisingly enough, DYthose who promote
and teach the art. Such individuals feel they
benefit more if ninjutsu is kept trom proceeding
out of the shadows trom which it originated.

The three main misconceptions regarding

ninjutsu are: 1) that ancient ninjutsu was
practiced only by members of the ninja clans; 2)
that ninjutsu was created and developed by
followers ofMikkyo Buddhism; and 3) that
ninjutsu is an art, which encompasses many
fighting systems. By examining each of these
 11

fallacies closely, it is possible to debunk them

and discover the truth about this centuries old
martial art.

First, ninjutsu originated hundreds of years ago

in the Buddhist temples of Japan. When
Buddhism first appeared in Japan, some people
were afraid of this foreign religion. Most of these
individuals followed the indigenous faith, which
came to be called Shinto, and they began to
persecute the believers of Buddhism. In response
to this harassment, the Buddhist monks began to
develop martial skills for the purpose of
defending their temples and their faith. These
warrior monks, who were referred to as sohei,
became noted for their martial arts skills.
Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi is the
Kempo was the primary art practiced at the
temples, forming the foundation upon which all current headmaster of the
of the other forms of fighting were based. The Togakure-ryu ninjutsu system, the
monks were particularly known for their skill most popular surviving ninja
with weapons such as the naginata (halberd), yari tradition in the world today.
(spear) and ono (battleaxe). The monks only
resorted to fighting when there was no other Because their religious beliefs did not permit
recourse. More often, they employed subtle them to carry out certain forms of espionage-
tactics, using a specialized art based on a including undercover work of a sexual nature-it
religious concept called ninpo, the "principle of was necessary for the Buddhist monks to
befiiend and teach martial arts to some of the
patience." Sitting in meditation or studying the
scriptures for hours developed in the monks local farmers, who were called on to act as
great patience, a quality they were able to apply warriors when necessary. These ji-samurai
to their martial arts training. .
(farmer warriors) took it as a great honor to be
One of the most highly valued abilities among taught ninjutsu-the art of patience or stealth
the monks was "body lightening," an a based on the principle ofninpo. Some ji-samurai,
lightening," art that came to be called particularly those who were highly skilled, later
karumijutsu. It was thought that by uplifting his became professional warriors called samurai or
spirit, a monk could lighten his body. To develop bushi. Thus, it is apparent that ninjutsu was
this skill, the monks tirelessly and patiently developed by Buddhist monks in Japan,
practiced techniques of leaping and climbing. primarily for reasons of religious fteedom.
The monks discovered that the subtle body-
lightening skills, and the patience they
developed, were qualities which could be easily
applied to clandestine movement, and thus the
sohei began to use these abilities to spy on their
persecutors. The information the warrior monks
gained was used to help protect their temples,
their followers and themselves. Many times,
their intelligence gathering alerted them to
assassination plots or temple assault plans,
enabling them to take appropriate
countermeasures.
 12

The art was later shared with ji-samurai, and was

eventually part of the combat arsenal used by
professional warriors to protect their lords.
Nearly every comprehensive ryu (martial arts
system) that developed before the Tokugawa era
(1600-1868) included ninjutsu in its curriculum.
Who, then, comprised the ninja? The ninja were
outsiders who held no loyalty to any Buddhist
temple or samurai clan. It is believed that some
master less samurai (ronin) decided to become
mercenaries and sell their skills to the highest
bidder. Some of these individuals established
organizations designed solely for mercenary
activities. Generally,jonin-the leaders of ninja
organizations-were ronin, as were the chunin, or
middlemen, who arranged missions and acted as
go-betweens when dealing with a client. The
agents who actually performed the missions were
geniD, or "lower men," who were taught only
those skills considered necessary for a particular
assignment. Genin were trained as scouts,
trackers, assassins and/or fighters, depending on
their mission. Because their training was limited
to specialized skills, they were not nearly as
thoroughly trained as their samurai or sohei
counterparts. Modern-day ninjutsu practitioners
still practice many of the skills
their forebears did, including wall
scaling (1 2),

While it is true that many ninja ryu evolved &om

those of the Mikkyo Buddhist faith, others
developed from other sects. It seems that Mikkyo
Buddhism was central to the Iga ninjutsu clans,
while Zen Buddhism was the faith of choice of
the warriors of the Koga area of Japan. Most
ninja actually had little religious training, instead
maintaining a basic indigenous faith, or possibly rappeling (3)
remaining loosely tied to their jonin's religion.
This vague connection allowed them the freedom
to perform missions against any sohei temple or
samurai clan.
 13

o Samurai and sohei skilled in ninjutsu and trained

to perfonn clandestine missions always held to a
code of honor that would not allow them to be
unfaithful to their religion or disloyal to their
lord or temple. The ninja, however, were not
similarly bound by a code of honor. In dealing
with the final false assumption-that ninjutsu
encompasses a number of fighting systems-it
should be noted that when the late martial arts
scholar, Seiko Fujita, categorized the bugei
(martial arts) of Japan; he listed ninjutsu as
simply one of the 34 combat styles he
recognized. It should be pointed out,
however, that Fujita was the headmaster ofkoga
ha sato ryu, which included both ninjutsu and
kempo.

Ninjutsu is a very specialized art, which taught

practitioners how to covertly enter and exist in
all types of places. In feudal Japan, it was the art
of espionage and counterespionage. It was often
applied to guerrilla warfare, helping a small
force gain entry to a castle or province for the
purpose of raiding the occupants.

Included in the list ofbugei are: bojutsu (stick

art); kenjutsu (sword art); kumiuchi (grappling
and striking); naginatajutsu (halberd art);
ninjutsu (stealth art); sojutsu (spear art);
suieijutsu (swimming art), and many more. From
a historical point of view, the tenns "ninja
kenjutsu" or "ninja bojutsu" are meaningless.
Each ryu had its own special way of perfonning
techniques or handling weapons. To be
.~I -...... historically accurate, it would be proper to use
as well as training with weapon the name of the ryu and then the art-the tenshin
such as blowguns (5) shOOen katori shinto ryu kenjutsu, for example,
or the tenshin shoden katori shinto ryu ninjutsu.

While certairielements overlap in all martial arts,

kenjutsu is ke~utsu, whether practiced by a
samurai, sohet or ninja. There is one final
ninjutsu fallaCythat ~bould be addressed.
Although there are.still people today who refer to
themselves as ninja, the fact is, in the classical,
historical sense of the word, ninja no longer
exist. When the Japanese feudal system fell in
1868, and the emperor fonnally abolished the
class system, all titles relating to it died as well.
There are no more samurai, no more sohei, and
no more ninja. These titles, apart ftom their
historical significance, mean nothing anymore.
There are, however, still bugeisha and
and shw-iken (6).
budoka-i.e., martial artists. There are karateka,
kempoka, judoka, aikidoka, etc. The ka suffix
 )4

means "house." Thus, an aikidoka is one who Books for Saie

belongs to he "house of aikido."
Here are a number of martial arts books being
Ninjutsu needs to take its place among the
honored martial arts of the Orient. lit needs to be offered for sale. Each is being sold for $5 US
viewed for what it was-an art created to protect + shipping and handling. If interested
religious fteedom and practiced first by monks, please contact me at and I will give you the
then by warriors. There was a time it was details of each if interested.
perverted by mercenaries who practiced the style
without honor, and those who were called ninja nindja [email protected]
never understood the true art as founded by the
sohei and practiced by the samurai. Even the
most famous ninjutsu system today,
Togakure-ryu-actually evolved from the samurai
tradition. I TheSoiritof
Ninjutsu is a wonderful martial art, but to be
truly appreciated in an honorable light, it needs
Aikido '.

to disassociate itself from the terrorists and

assassins of the ancient ninja organizations.

by William Durbin

THIS IS
~ .
I mm [11
~ I I I
The Art of Japanese Fencing
A
 15

Soke speaks
"Make each movement complete. Don't just go
through the motions. You must be ready to make
either of these techniques (kiriage and kirisage)
into a tsuki. "

"Move your sword as if it were your "tool. "

(Laughs as he looks to see if any of the women
were embarrassed by his libido.) I'm not pulling
your leg here. I say such things because you
have to make the weapon mave as if it were
another appendage... Martial arts are very
Freudian. "

"Don't get caught up in the technique itself

You'll be trapped"
"Anyone can learn a technique, but the flow is
what you should be strivingfor. "

"Don't grab-beginners grab. Professionals

bring the arm to them (by moving theirfeet). "
"Move with a weapon as if you didn't have it. "

Soke Masaaki Hatsumi

Taken ITom "Quotations From Soke - Part IV"

by Benjamin Cole

Toshitsugu Takamatsu
On Happiness

The way to experience ultimate happiness is to

let go of all worries and regrets, and to know that
being happy 4s the most satisfying of life's
feelings.

Reflect back QIiall tqe progress in your life and

allow the positive, cielitiVe and joyous thoughts
to outshine and overwhelm any sorrow or grief
that may linger in the recesses of your mind.

Knowing that disease and disaster are natural

parts of life is the key to overcoming adversity
with a calm and happy spirit.

Happiness is waiting there in front of you.

Only you can decide whether or not you
-- . choose to experience it.
http://www.specwog.bujinkan.hr/ Take this to heart.
 16

Disclaimer

It is highly recommended that medical advice be

sought before following any of the suggestions
written in this newsletter. It is also highly
recommended to seek out a qualified, competent
instructor to guide you safely before attempting
this or any other potential knowledge.
The purpose of publishing this newsletter is to
help serious students of the Bujinkan advance
their studies through a community effort. This
concept is reflected in the name of our
newsletter, "Gambatte ne", which means, "Keep
going". Please feel free to pass this information
among other Bujinkaners.
All content published here is for the exclusive
use ofBujinkan students. We will strive to be as
accurate as possible. If anyone feels that they
have anything to contribute please e-mail it to
me and it will be considered for publication.
Any comments or questions will be welcomed.

The author or any contributors assume no

responsibility whatsoever for any misuse of the
information found in these pages.

This is NOT an official Bujinkan newsletter.

Please watch who and what you

teach.
Peace!

Nevin Zeljko Broz

Shidoshi-ho
Bujinkan Seishin RoDinDojo

Copyright 2009
Bujinkan Seishin RoDinDojo

Hasabe Kunitoshi 1864