How Can You Learn Shinobi Secrets?

Do you think you have a grasp on this art? Have you done all the kata in the Tenchijin Ryaku no Maki? Maybe you have memorized all the (known) kata from our 9 Bujinkan ryuha. Maybe you have even mastered the Togakure-ryu Juhakkei - the 18 forms of the shinobi (is that even possible in the modern era?). How long have you been training? 3 years? 10? how about 20? Do I hear 30? I know someone with over 40 years in this art and he is still learning new material.

Don't miss the train by not showing up.

Recently, I was at a seminar with my teacher, Peter Crocoll. I was considering leaving early because I had a 9 hour drive back home. I brought this up to him, and he said, "you can leave if you want, but what I'm about to show has never been shown in North America." I stayed. And it was worth it.

I almost missed training with Peter again this month. It literally was a coin flip whether I made the trip. Somehow I pulled it together. And guess what? He showed material I had never seen before.

Soke says that he intends to live by the words he heard from his teacher Takamatsu Sensei, "However much I study, it is never enough."

I started training in this art in 1988 (officially). In all these years, there have been many occasions where I was shown something very interesting and important, and then I never saw it again. Never in Japan, never at a seminar, never in regular classes, and never in a book or on video.

Our art runs deep. Many of the skills in our training could be a lifetime of study all by themselves. It took many lifetimes and the lives of many warriors to develop this art. So it is unwise for me to think that my 22 years mean very much.

I was training at one of Hatsumi Sensei's Tai Kai, and Oguri Sensei was there. Soke showed something and Oguri got a funny look on his face. Hatsumi Sensei noticed this and asked Oguri to share his thoughts. Oguri said that he had been training over 40 years and this was the first time he had ever experienced this.

This makes me wonder what I miss when I don't make it to class. Anytime I start to think about missing a trip to Japan, or going to a seminar, I think to myself, "what if I miss that hidden secret in our art that will make a big difference in my own training?" And then I am very motivated to go to class. The simple truth is, I am always happy when I go to class, and missing class just feels empty.

Comments

Ride the Tiger: Japan Report Seven 令和6年

Michael tries cola flavor Ninja gummies, a gift from 中川将志 Nakagawa Shōshi I went out to do some laundry and grocery shopping before training. Along the way, I stopped in at the bookstore to find some inspiration from Hatsumi Sensei’s painting. As I flipped through the pages, my eyes settled on a painting of 毘沙門天 Bishamonten riding a tiger. Support my work and watch the FULL video: https://www.rojodojo.com/ride-the-tiger-japan-report-seven-reiwa6/ Hatsumi Sensei gave the painting the title of 坂上田村麻呂 Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. This historic figure was one of the first Shōgun in Japan. Legends around him grew over the centuries and he was considered an avatar of Bishamonten, a god of war, and warrior king. Hatsumi Sensei wrote some poetry from 虎倒流 Kotō Ryū on the painting. Soke said that when he visited Takamatsu Sensei, Takamatsu recited this poetry to him. The poem extols the virtues of a figure like Sakanoue, but I suspect Takamatsu Sensei was also honoring Hatsumi as h...

Behind the Black Gate: Japan Report Eight 令和6年

黒門 Kuromon: the Black Gate This morning I made my way into Tokyo to visit the 黒門 kuromon, or black gate. This was one of the few structures from 寛永寺 Kan’ei-ji that survived the battle of Ueno (上野戦争, Ueno Sensō). During the Boshin War (戊辰戦争, Boshin Sensō), and the gate marked the spot where the 彰義隊 Shōgitai lost a decisive battle against the Imperial troops. Today it is riddled with bullet holes and cannon scars. The Shōgitai were the last of the Tokugawa Samurai. They had swords, arrows, and spears. But they were no match for the 官軍 kangun, the Imperial army led by 西郷隆盛 Saigō Takamori, who used Snider rifles and Armstrong Cannons. 黒門の半分見へて春の雨 the Black Gate is only half visible – rain in spring 〜Kobayashi Issa, 1805 My visit to the black gate was marked by the gentle fall of Ginkgo leaves. A quiet peaceful morning helped me reflect on such a fierce battle. Maybe one of the reasons I am allowed to be here was because of this war which led to the end of the Tokugawa ...

Kage No Keiko: Don't Ask a Shadow for Answers

Photo by OiMax There is an old tale about a teacher whose students asked him, "Where does your teaching come from? What is its source? Who is your teacher?" The teacher replies, You are not ready for my answer. If I say that my teaching is from inspiration, you will consider me crazy. If I say it is my own teaching and skill, some will worship me and never learn. If I name my teacher, many will turn to him to ask the same dumb questions while ignoring real study. In the Bujinkan, Hatsumi Sensei has told us that training is a process of developing the eyes to be able to see true budo. Hatsumi Sensei talks about different types of keiko or training, even in dreams. He says that when he is training intensely, he will have weird dreams. He tells this story about his teacher Toshitsugu Takamatsu, He would draw from 5:00 a.m. to noon every day. One day, he painted a picture of a dragon for his friend. A few nights later, my teacher...

Bujinkan Santa Monica

Search This Blog