Today, there are many good books to be found. Most of them are by Hatsumi-sensei with a few by teachers from all over the world.

I’ve decided my next few articles will be quotes from some of my favorite Bujinkan related books.

When I was a kid, I watched the TV shows; but Batman wasn’t one my usual reads. In this comic, Frank Miller’s take on the character was refresh and gritty. Miller knew Batman. And that is why “Dark Knight” was one of the BEST comic books released in the 1980s.

To be honest, I think it is one of the top 10 graphic novels around today. Pick it up, read it and remember who told you about it.

You gotta hand it to them, they always do a wonderful job at their events. you can see more of them here: Improv Everywhere!

This is just darn funny:

This one was one of my favorite scenes:

So, go read a (comic) book!

I’d like to share a clip from one of the scene’s of the TV series Kung Fu that defined the martial arts in the 1970s.

If you think you might like to own the DVD:
[amtap amazon:asin=B00013F38K]

I was very fond of David Carradine; I watched many of the TV shows and movies he was in… Some were good and some terrible. But I think that Caine/Carradine will be with me for a long time.

Now, I wounldn’t say I’m a trekkie (trekker, whatever), but I would say I’m a fan of the series. I loved that the original series was multi-cultural and that it showed a united Earth, with galactic friends traveling the universe. “Wagon Train to the Stars,” is how Gene Roddenberry originally pitched the show to network executives. So, back in the day I watched shows like Star Trek, The Wild, Wild West, Kung Fu and many others that all showed their heroes in “western” settings.

Ok… I know that all you really want to know was whether it’s good or not. So here’s my review:

I liked it. It wasn’t the Star Trek, I grew up with… and I do understand why they had to make changes. The franchise needs younger actors with the freedom to grow and fresh stories that the public will embrace. Not sure exactly why Kirk turned out to be a bit of an asshole, (new) Spock is a bit emo and McCoy is the only character that I don’t think they changed at all.

So, I went to the movie expecting them (production company) to utterly destroy my childhood dream show, but instead they tweaked it a bit. I look forward to seeing the next one with my son!

Here’s a funny clip to watch while you decide whether to shell out $11 bucks to see it in the theater or wait a couple of months and pay $20 to own the DVD.

The Lyrics to Landslide:

I took my love, I took it down
Climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
‘Til the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder, even children get older
And I’m getting older too

Oh, take my love, take it down
Aha, climb a mountain and turn around
And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well, the landslide will bring it down

The Dixie Chicks:

Stevie Nicks with Fleetwood Mac

You drive and drive and nothing. Find a spot, then find out that if you do park, a ticket will be affixed to your car in about 10 minutes due to some obscure law… that is only in effect for 2 hours every other Thursday. Or some such non-sense.

But get this, I found a web site that is also offers an iPhone App for parking in NY. Check it out: Primospot.com

Here’s a link to the area I was in on Sunday:

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There is often a moment in a pleasant conversation, in which all sound ceases and you realize your partner is waiting for you to speak. Often, it’s subtle and other times there is a gentle nudge of, “And how about you?”

For me, speaking of my rank or years training is often akin to someone bragging about their greatness or skillfulness. For the most part, my rank is my own. It’s a measure of my journey for me… On the rare occasion I do speak of it, I almost never mention the actual level but prefer to be vague. And the more I see the new generation of students openly bragging of their rank, the more I cringe. It seems apparent to me that humility is quite lost today. I’m sorry, I digress.

So the moment was there, hanging before us. I remember opening my mouth and saying, “In the Bujinkan I have been training a little longer than you’ve been…” then thought about that number 24 (his age plus his years training), and said, “… alive.” Which made him smile and me say, “That’s not what I meant.” We laughed.

It is odd for me to think about these past 25 years of training. Has it really passed so fast? I can still remember my first meeting with Hatsumi-soke (1986) like it was yesterday.

Are you wondering how I’ve done it? How did I succeed at training over twenty-five years? And not missing a single week! Training where ever I was; whatever part of the world I was in. How?

My answer is simple. The first character of the word ninja stands for “nin” or “shinobu.” This is a concept that means perseverance. So, years ago I chose a path and it’s been an enriching one that has offered me many lessons and hardships.

My taijutsu journey began one day; I continued it one day at a time. I joined the Bujinkan, met Hatsumi-soke, became a shidoshi (1991). Some years have passed, but I still look forward to tomorrow’s lessons.

As a friend of mine wrote in his book, The Shadow Warrior: “Treasure Your Training!”

Buy this book:
The Shadow Warrior

Now while this alone can’t explain to you why I study sword arts; it does negate the, “but nobody fights with swords” comments I get.

“A 77-year-old woman suffered a fatal stab wound while trying to break up a sword fight Thursday between her grandson and brother-in-law, police said.“