Bujinkan Santa Monica

I’m staying alive for my third Japan report from my recent trip. I had some rank paperwork to submit for my students, so I made the walk to Hatsumi Sensei’s house. To my surprise, when I walked past the 大黒天 Daikokuten statue , some workers were in the process of demolishing the house. They are building the 新武神館本部事務所 new Bujinkan honbu office and exhibition space to open in 2027. It hit me hard right in my nostalgia 急所 kyūsho. I have so many memories of my visits to Soke’s house. Many afternoons drinking tea, listening to his stories and jokes while hanging out with his dogs (and so many cats!). I guess the only constant is change. As they say,「十年一昔、」even ten years ago seems like ancient history. Staying Alive with 古田先生 Furuta Sensei I had time to ponder my nostalgia on the walk to the Honbu Dojo for class with 古田先生 Furuta Sensei. He started class from 天略宇宙合掌 Ten Ryaku Uchū Gasshō and evolved from there into 虚空 Kokū. He really emphasized the cross step footwork and unwinding in...

I titled this post Born to Fly because I sometimes feel like I am compelled to fly to Japan. It feels like a second home. But I also benefit from all of the wonderful Bujinkan training, friends and teachers there. This latest Japan Report video is accompanied by「Born to fly」from アキ SONGBIRD . When I arrived in Noda-shi for a class with Furuta Sensei, I noticed some changes. I walked to my quick bird watching spot in さざんか公園. And I saw the pedestrian bridge over 県道3号 was closed for repair or demolition. Also the パチンコマルキン (pachinko Marukin) is no more.   Class with Furuta Sensei Furuta Sensei began with a type of 打払型 uchi harai gata. He struck the opponent in 朝霞 asagasumi. But there was a hidden, hooking finger strike down into the throat. During this exchange he focused on changing levels. He used cross steps to enter and occupy space. And the “body lean” to occupy the gaps in the opponent’s kamae. He had the attacker deliver a second punch. And Furuta Sensei ...

Empty Mind photo by DerrickT How do you know where to strike? This is a question I often hear from students. It seems like it should be obvious. And sometimes it is. Strike where you find an opening… or where it will do the most damage. But as simple as that sounds, it is not easy to find those spots. Many of us have had the experience of watching Hatsumi Sensei strike someone at a particular spot or kyūsho and the strike causes a dramatic effect in his uke's body. It sends the guy flying, or he is writhing in pain. Then we try to hit the same spot on our uke, and nothing happens. Even if Sensei told us what kyūsho he was striking. This is frustrating indeed. Some people blame their Uke for resisting. Or they think, if I "really" hit him with damaging force he would react. Sometimes people just shrug and say that of course Hatsumi Sensei does it better because he has way more experience. And while that is true, shrugging it off doesn't help us understand what...

by pusgums We were in the middle of a bojutsu class and I had an epiphany.  I was trying to explain how to hold the staff.  "You must hold it lightly.  Yet firmly connected to your kamae and spirit."  My words failed me. Yet, I was feeling something with the rokushakubo I wanted to communicate.  I tried demonstrating various aspects of the movement and grip on the bo.  And none of these things held the idea I felt. Luckily, I remembered a quote from Hatsumi Sensei and I dropped it on the students: In a verse of the gokui: "striking the void, if there is a response in your hands, that is the gokui."  You must have the enlightenment of the Buddha of the void (koku-bosatsu), whose heart was as infinite as the void itself.  Thrusting the bo into the mist is in truth thrusting one's heart and mind, and this is one method of koku - void training. Yes!  I was feeling it.  You have to hold the bo very lightly to feel the respons...