K I H O N
Newsletter #6
May 20000
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An email newsletter focusing on Ninjutsu/Budo
Taijutsu training. Published by www.KIHON.com
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**** MISSION STATEMENT ****
KIHON.com wishes to provide a short newsletter
bringing you information about Bujinkan dojo and
upcoming training events, as well as some insights
into training that we hope will help to further
your growth as a martial artist.
**** URGENT MESSAGE **** Currently, the
Bujinkan New York Dojo has opened its dojo doors
for anyone interested in training in the Bujinkan
Martial Arts (Ninjutsu, Budo Taijutsu, etc). If
you are interested in attending a Tuesday or
Thursday class, please email us at:
kn2005@kihon.com
**** CONTENTS ****
SPECIAL A Message From Hatsumi Sensei,L
FEATURE: Part IV - by Mark O'Brien:
1. Taijutsu Tips: enhance your training.
2. Kata Ideas: variations worth trying.
3. Taijutsu Tales: lessons from life.
4. Shidoshi Insights: article.
5. Budo Quotes: quote of the month.
6. Keiko Events: training events.
7. Dojo Locations: location info.
8. Shoshin Comments: Endnote.
*** SPECIAL FEATURE *****
A Message From Hatsumi Sensei, Part IV
By Mark O'Brien
Hatsumi Sensei spoke about the fact that if we all
just trained, there wouldn't be any questions. He
feels that most people who ask a lot of questions
and get caught up in dojo politics, ask which way
is the right way, and similar questions; these are
the people, who when they are training, they are
not putting their experiences in the hara. They
are not using the hara to grow. He added that you
should take your sad experiences, happy
experiences, your anger and sorrow, all the
different emotions and feelings that you
experience, and put them into your hara and use
them to grow.
Through the training, you are going to have sweat
and tears. If everybody just trained, we would all
have that common ground. Through our common
experiences, we would be able to see eye to eye,
rather than continue some of the arguments that
people get involved in, such as politics and other
unimportant items.
The purpose of the Bujinkan should be to act as a
force for justice in the world. People that are
good, those who are universally just (whether it
be a warrior, a judge, a person in law
enforcement, or someone who is a good person),
their light shows through. People in the Bujinkan
should be like lights in the darkness. There is
enough chaos and disruption in the world. We, as
martial artists, do not need to be adding to that,
but instead should be adding to the cause of
harmony and the cause of justice. People in the
Bujinkan should be working towards helping promote
justice and peace in the world. There are enough
things promoting chaos that we need to be a force
that promotes harmony and peace.
When Sensei returned to Japan, after the Tai Kai,
he spoke about these items and asked me to share
them with you as I traveled around. Now as far as
the meaning behind all of it, well THAT is the
question: "What does it all mean?" I guess it is
up to each of us to take it all for what it's
worth and draw something positive from it.
Now, let's get up and train.
*** Taijutsu Tips *****
From Here To There
By Glenn Catania (BNYD)
Completing a mission can sometimes be very
dangerous. Besides "that which does not kill you
makes you stronger," another great quote has
always been "the thinking that got you here is not
the thinking that will take you there." What the
heck am I talking about? A very simple idea:
making it home safely. This is our ultimate goal
isn't it?
In this world we live in, unfortunately there are
people who are not all as good as we would like
them to be. My teacher has always said, "If you
are in a bad situation, the first thing you have
to ask is 'how did I get here?' As martial artists
we train so as not to fight." What does that mean?
Your awareness should have helped you recognize a
potentially bad situation ready to occur and
allowed you to avoid it.
We are not psychics (at least not all of us), but
many times if you just listen to yourself, you
will find the map leading down the right path. No,
not always, but more often than we realize.
Surveys of muggers and robbers in which the
criminals are shown pictures of potential victims
find that most of the criminals pick out the same
people to prey on. Why? Sometimes body language,
eyes or facial expressions, or even the way we
dress may communicate more to those around us than
we realize.
The thing to remember is that dogs don't only
attack other dogs that look afraid, they also
attack dogs that challenge. Having worked in some
very difficult areas, a good rule to follow is
this: never be afraid, but never forget where you
are. There will be places you have to be in, and
there is nothing you can do to change that
sometimes. The key is to blending in as if you
were always there. If you look unworried and just
trying to complete your task, people tend to leave
you alone.
Just because the world is sometimes a scary place
does not mean we have to bow down to it. People
tend to pick up on these feelings. Bigger is not
always better in a potentially dangerous situation
either. The thinking might be, hey, if we take out
the big guy first, the rest will fear us, and
resistance will be futile. Acting big or tough
will not necessarily make you safer, but good
awareness will. Remember who you are and give
everyone their due respect. It will make it much
easier to get from here to there.
*** Kata Ideas *****
Boshiken - "the Spear Fist of Taijutsu"
By Don Houle (Bujinkan Middlesex Shibu)
What do I remember most from my first Budo
Taijutsu class? Well, I remember being excited
about finally finding and training with a teacher
who had studied authentic ninjutsu. I also
remember having sore ribs for about a week after
that first class. The cause of my pain was an
interesting strike whose power I had
underestimated - the boshiken.
The boshiken (also called shitoken) is an unusual
striking method that is almost unique to the art
of taijutsu as practiced in the Bujinkan Dojo.
Formed similarly to a fudoken ("normal" fist), but
with the thumb extended and supported by the
outside of the forefinger, the boshiken is used to
apply pinpoint attacks against the muscular and
skeletal structure of the opponent.
Due to the unique shape of the fist, the taijutsu
practitioner properly employing his body behind
the strike channels a lot of power into a very
concentrated point at the tip of the thumb. For
this reason, it is important that one practices
striking with the boshiken to ensure that the
strike is applied with the correct alignment. When
preparing to strike, the bones of the thumb should
line up with the bones of the arm (specifically
with the ulna).
It is also important to practice striking
progressively more solid targets with both rights
AND lefts. A good place to begin is with jumonji
no kata. Several repetitions of this exercise will
no doubt leave an "impression" on one's uke. Once
the proper use of the weapon is learned, it's
important to begin working on making a strong
fist. I like to tell new students to begin by
hitting with the boshiken into one's own palm and
then moving on to padded targets like a punch bag
or a foam pad. Only after several months of
striking these types of targets do I suggest
striking any harder targets. I used to use an old
piece of shag carpet wrapped around the trunk of a
tree as a target.
Many martial artists who train in more
"mainstream" arts are surprised by the
effectiveness of this intriguing weapon. Like me,
they often walk away from a demonstration with
aching ribs and a strong respect for the boshiken.
*** Taijutsu Tales *****
My Trip to Amsterdam
By Fred F. Feddeck, (BNYD)
A short while back I took a trip to Amsterdam and
was reminded of a valuable taijutsu lesson.
Amsterdam is a very "unique" city in that the
streets are very narrow and interconnect in a lot
of odd ways. The buildings there are very close
together, and there is no distinction between
different "areas" of the city. There are no
separate "tourist," "eating," or "museum"
districts like we have in New York - but there is
the red light district.
I really liked walking around Amsterdam and seeing
all the different sights, people, and buildings.
One night when it was starting to get dark and I
was making my way back to the hotel for dinner, a
fight between two groups of people broke out up
the street from me. It was quickly spilling over
my way, with people from behind me running forward
to the fight. I don't know what the brawl was
about, but I was not going to find out or wait for
it to escalate and include me, so I quickly moved
down a side street and away from the fight, moving
in the general direction of my hotel at the same
time.
Navigating through the maze of side streets, I
then found myself not in the vicinity of my hotel,
but in a very seedy area - seedy even by New York
standards. I knew I was a "tourist" and the people
there also knew it. This was a place I definitely
did not want to be in, and eventually I did make
my way back to the hotel and everything was fine.
Sounds like a let down to the story? What were you
expecting? Well, I count it as a taijutsu
"success" because I got out of a potentially bad
situation without getting hurt and without hurting
anybody else. However, what is most important is
the lesson that I learned, which I thought about
on the plane ride home.
No matter where you go, your taijutsu is there.
During my trip whatever had or had not happened,
the only thing I had to "deal" with it was my own
taijutsu skills. And in turn, the success of my
skills and surviving whatever situation might have
existed was determined by the time and effort I
spend training and listening to my teacher and
Soke.
The taijutsu that you have is a skill that is
always with you and is not dependent on any
machine, object, or tool, other than your own mind
and body - which you always have with you.
Therefore, work to make learning it and perfecting
it a high priority in your life. You won't know
what situation it might be needed in until you
find yourself right in the center of it.
*** Shidoshi Insights *****
Mushin
By Joe Maurantonio, Shidoshi
Many people studying the martial arts seem to find
the concept of mushin quite elusive. They think
that mushin is the process of not thinking, or the
process of not not-thinking.
Takuan (1573-1645), a Zen Buddhist priest,
described the pinnacle of mushin as a mind and
body in flowing harmony. Mushin is a mind free
from the process of active thought, ready to
freely move the body in accord with its
surroundings. Make note that mushin implies that
the mind (consciousness) is relaxed and ready to
flow with events that are occurring, or that will
occur, and does not judge these events. It is, in
training terms, a 'flowing mind' which, at peak
times, acts as situations develop, rather than
reacting to them having occurred.
*** Budo Quotes *****
The most effective way to train the mind is
unquestionably through keiko [training]. In the
same way that a cook cannot know the taste of his
food without eating it, martial artists cannot
know the taste of budo without keiko. The best
thing is to go to the dojo and devote yourself
to keiko. In addition, in daily life, you have
to remember to calm your mind by listening to
music and doing good things that feed your mind
with positive energy.
By Masaaki Hatsumi
[Ninpo: Wisdom for Life, Page 78]
more info at: http://www.kihon.com/ninpo/
*** Keiko Events *****
* Thursday Budo Taijutsu Class
Bujinkan New York Dojo
Bronxville, New York
Thursdays 6:30-7:30 pm
First class: free
Thereafter: $40/month
* Kukishin Sword & Koto Ryu Taijutsu
Bujinkan New York Dojo
Bronxville, New York
Joe Maurantonio, Shidoshi
May 13, 2000 (7-9 pm)
** Martial Arts FREE Instruction **
Tai Chi, Karate, Ninjutsu, Wing Chung
Bronxville, New York
Various Instructors
May 13, 2000 (10 am to 1 pm)
Saturday (free)
* Holland Millennium TaiKai 2000
Koto Ryu Koppojutsu, Teppan & Ninja-to
Hatsumi Masaaki, Soke
June 1, 2 & 3, 2000
(Sold Out Attendance)
* NY Bujinkan Bojutsu Seminar
June 4, 2000 (Sunday)
* MARK O'Brien Bujinkan Seminars
see http://www.kihon.com homepage
June, July & August (Europe & USA)
* Tai Kai Atlanta 2000
Koto Ryu Koppojutsu, Teppan & Ninja-to
Hatsumi Masaaki, Soke
Atlanta, Georgia
August 18 - 21, 2000
*** Dojo Locations *****
Bujinden Hombu Dojo
Atago, Noda-shi
Chiba-ken, 278, Japan
Bujinkan New York Dojo
27 Milburn Street
Bronxville, NY 10708
(914) 337-3339
Bujinkan Bellaire Dojo
Houston Gymnastics Academy
5756 So. Rice Blvd.
Houston, TX
Bujinkan Middlesex Shibu
300A Carlton Ave
Piscataway, NJ 08854
*** Shoshin Comments *****
Descending A Rope Upside-Down With No Hands
By Lauren Brandstein, editor
Like me, you have probably heard your teacher say
many times that the essence of training is in
practicing the kihon happo, sanshin, and
fundamental ukemi. And, like me, you probably
believe that your teacher is telling you the truth
he or she has discovered after years of training
and acquired wisdom. Yet, you still want to do the
more "advanced" techniques and training, thinking
it will bring you to a more advanced level of
skill. Often, this more "advanced" level of
training finds you doing dive rolls over cars,
bushes, and small dogs because it is more
interesting and exciting than doing the sanshin
one hundred times.
While there is a place for far out training like
back flips and blind fighting, or descending a
rope upside-down with no hands, none of those
things are worthy of time that could, and probably
should be spent doing fundamental keiko. If you
only have a certain amount of time to train every
week, most of it should be spent working on the
most basic things you have not yet fully mastered.
Those basic movements form the foundation for
anything else you may want to achieve. The
strongest techniques are based on the strongest
foundation of taijutsu.
However, I was talking with another kyu from my
dojo recently who reminded me of an important
point: you can try to do ichi monji no kata one
thousand times, but after a few hundred
repetitions, you will probably start to find that
you are no longer doing something that resembles
the kata. We have all heard the saying that "ten
perfect rolls are worth more than a thousand
sloppy ones." Practice kihon as much as you can
while maintaining perfect keiko. If, after
training in kihon as much and as well as you can,
and after training in the techniques recently
shown in class as much and as well as you can, you
have time that is not needed for eating, sleeping,
or working, then it is probably ok to go ahead and
work on some other things.
I believe that if you want to master a particular
skill, the best way to do it is to practice that
skill until it is second nature. So, if you want
to master some cool, random skill like descending
a rope upside-down with no hands, the best way to
achieve that goal is to descend a rope without
using your hands several hundred or several
thousand times. But, if you want to master correct
body movement, good taijutsu, and have that in
everything you do, the best way is to practice the
fundamentals of good taijutsu as much as you can.
We also have to weigh our priorities and figure
out what training will be most helpful for the
largest number of our training goals. Being able
to descend a rope upside-down probably does not
apply to many other skills or situations, except
maybe other upside-down activities. Good body
movement will carry over to everything you do,
*including* descending a rope upside-down with no
hands.
_____________ KIHON Newsletter __________
** STATEMENT OF PURPOSE **
We at KIHON.com wish to provide a short
newsletter bringing you information about Bujinkan
dojo and upcoming training events, as well as some
insights into training that we hope will help to
further your growth as a martial artist. If you
have a short article or info that you would like
to contribute, please email: kn2005@kihon.com
** DISCLAIMER **
It is recommended that you seek out medical
advice before following any of these suggestions.
It is also suggested that you find a qualified
instructor to guide you in your martial arts
training.
** IMPORTANT **
Please go to our website and check out what's
happening at www.KIHON.com It's worth a look!
** SUBSCRIBE / UNSUBSCRIBE **
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KIHON Newsletter and all contents
Copyright (c) 2000 by Joe Maurantonio
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