Bujinkan Santa Monica

Photo by Son of Groucho 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 ma...

I was training in Hombu dojo one day in Noda and both my training partner and I were scratching our heads over something Oguri Sensei had just demonstrated. As usual with Oguri's taijutsu, it looks unassuming and simple, but has a dramatic effect on the Uke.  I make a point of going to Oguri's classes when I am in Japan.  There are many wonderful treasures he can share from his 40 plus years of training experience.  Anyhow, my partner and I kept having to pause in the middle to try to observe Oguri Sensei across the room as he helped another group of students. We would see him move and the result he had on the uke.  Then we would try.  And the results were not as wonderful.  I looked down at Oguri's feet and noticed their position.  Something clicked in my head.  I asked my training partner to attack again.  It worked! What I had noticed was Juuji.  Or, rather, the perpendicular angle of Oguri to his uke's kamae.  Often this...