“When you become entangled, there can be no victory. By sacrificing yourself you have the chance to be saved. Heed this old poem and strive to train to the best of your abilities.” — Masaaki Hatsumi

With this book, there seemed to be a shift in the way Hatsumi-sensei is sharing information with the reader. Without doubt, this book is a must have item.

“It is taught that the foundation of Budo is to first understand taijutsu, through which you can fight even if you have no weapons. this means to persevere in the martial ways (bufu-ikkan), and to train consistently and with the utmost effort. Then you will grasp the secrets of muto dori (no-sword method). Succeeding in this, the mysteries of the secret sword (hiken) will be revealed, and no matter what you hold, your heart and your taijutsu with dance skillfully in the void (koku).” — Masaaki Hatsumi

“I think it is good to push yourself to the extreme; to push your mind and body to the point of imminent death has a purpose during a time of war. The tradition of severe training in the martial arts aims to awaken inner power. However, when the time comes, change swiftly. This is tenkan, in other words, being able to control yourself.” — Masaaki Hatsumi

In our Kukishin bojutsu training we hold the staff lightly allowing it to slide through our hands and gripping as it strikes. This sliding is near impossible with the “mystery wood” with varnish.

So, we encourage our students to remove the varnish, sandpaper the staff smooth and add several coats of Tung or Lemon oil and marvel at the work you have done.

If finished (yes, pun intended) correctly, the staff with slide through your hand and move like a true extension of your technique.

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

Joe, Glenn, Fred and Don training.

This past Sunday, the Bujinkan New York Dojo was proud to host the 3rd annual Bujinkan Four Winds Seminar. Instruction was lead by Glenn Catania (shidoshi), Fred Feddeck (shidoshi), Don Houle (shidoshi) and joe Maurantonio (judan shidoshi).

Attended by about 21 people from all over the Metro NY/NJ area, the event shared lessons that were to help all Infuse Ninjutsu into their training. Topics included Controlling the Distance, Beyond Fundamentals, Intensity of the Tiger and the Sword of the Dragon.

It was a great time and after the training we all stayed around for pizza and snacks. Thanks to the instructors and the students for making it such a wonderful and insightful time.