Bujinkan Santa Monica

Nagato Sensei with Michael Glenn During the Kunoichi Taikai, Soke asked Vanessa Adán to show some things from her experience dealing with mentally disturbed or drugged patients at a hospital. Patients are often bigger and stronger than the nurses who have to deal with them. Especially for smaller women nurses. Patients may act violently and react with aggression. Hatsumi Sensei suggested that we learn to "Move in such a way that the opponent doesn't resist. He doesn't continue to fight or create more agrression." Of course in these jobs, one of the key challenges is to calm, subdue, or control the patient without injury to them or the staff. This can be difficult in a chaotic situation where accidents may occur. Another strategy Soke gave us was, "to move in such a way that it doesn't give the opponent any feeling. Once you feel something, you need to be able to change. Otherwise there will be an accident or something will happen. Move in such a way ...

Michael Glenn in a mirror, Bujinkan Hombu Dojo just after Nagato's class Beautiful spring day here in Chiba. Very warm. Yesterday was blustery, but not cold. I haven't had a break from training since I arrived here. 2-3 classes every day starts to make me physically and mentally exhausted. So I was determined to take a break yesterday. I decided the night before. And I woke up still convinced I was taking a break. Then I found myself looking at training schedules. Ok... maybe one class. But which one. I couldn't decide. So I flipped a ten yen coin (similar size and weight to a quarter.) Heads I was going to the first afternoon class, tails I would not. It came up tails. I put the coin away and went to class anyway. What is wrong with me? I need the break. I'm going to get injured. So I went to Nagato Sensei's class, thinking I would find a relaxed training partner so that we could train safe and gentle. Before I found anyone, Peter Crocoll grabbed me. Peter like...

Atago Bikes Blown Over by High Winds, photo by Michael Glenn Here in Japan the winds have been intense. I've been dodging debris and digging sand out of my eyes and hair. Even the trains have shut down because of high winds. They say the pollution has increased as it has blown in from mainland China. I've never thought of wearing one of those dust masks that Japanese people often wear, but it could have helped today. None of this has stopped me from training! I will be updating with detailed training notes and videos for members of Rojodojo. If you haven't discovered everything there yet, now is a great time to help me out and sign up! Maybe then I can buy a dust mask, or at least go to more classes. Here is more detail on Hatsumi Sensei's class last night: Ken 剣: Class With Hatsumi Meanwhile I will keep adding great material to this blog as well as my Mosh Pit . So far training has been wonderful and I will find something to hold onto so I don't blow aw...

candlelighten paperhouse photo by Konstantin Leonov Tonight's class was entangled with violent local events. I will share them here because I have compassion for the victims and because they expose a deep concept for our own training and lives. This idea was expressed by Takuan 沢庵 as, 心こそ、心迷わす心なり、 心に心、心許すな  "It is the very mind itself that leads the mind astray; of the mind, do not be mindless." An hour before my class, I heard news that two police officers had been shot and killed in Santa Cruz. I didn't know them, and this unfortunate event has no direct impact on my life. This could be just another tally from the daily news but tonight felt different for some reason. When I arrived to our training area, the roads were shut down with police barricades.  As I followed the stream of cars being detoured around the perimeter, I noticed the officers manning the barricades had their assault rifles at the ready. I asked one of them if there was access to where we tr...