Bujinkan
|
"Bujinkan" Symbol in Japanese |
The
Bujinkan (Warrior Spirit Training Hall or House of the Divine Warrior), or more properly the is a
martial arts organization, one of the three
X-kan. It is headed and operated by
sōke Masaaki Hatsumi (初見良昭
Hatsumi Masaaki), who learned from
Toshitsugu Takamatsu (高松寿嗣
Takamatsu Toshitsugu). The Bujinkan
hombu dōjō is in
Noda just outside
Tokyo. Bujinkan
dōjō can be found all over the world.
The Bujinkan Dōjō method is named
Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu (武神館武"""), and is a collection of nine martial arts family lineages, called ryūha.The art was previously called
Bujinkan Ninpō Taijutsu and before that it was known under the more generic name of
ninjutsu - a name that many serious practitioners of the art today avoid as it has acquired something of a bad reputation. One thing associated with ninjutsu is the throwing of
shuriken and although it is part of the curriculum of some
ryūha, it is very much a small facet of a much larger system.
The training is generally referred to as
taijutsu, and is composed of both armed and unarmed methods of fighting. Unarmed methods are broken down into three primary categories,
dakentaijutsu (striking forms),
jūtaijutsu (grappling forms), and
taihenjutsu (body movement skills). Much of the basic taijutsu taught to beginners comes from six primary lineages in the Bujinkan compendium, namely
Kotō-ryū,
Gyokko-ryū,
Shinden Fudō-ryū,
Takagi Yōshin-ryū,
Kuki Shinden-ryū, and
Togakure-ryū.A large variety of weapons are taught, such assword (including
daito,
wakizashi and
tanto, bamboo
shinai, wooden
bokken,
iaitō a flexible aluminum replica sword that holds no edge, or swords made by soft modern materials are employed for safety such as padded bokken), staffs of various lengths (
bō,
jō,
hanbō), rope,
kusari-fundo (weighted chain),
kusarigama (sickle with chain),
yari (spear),
kamayari (spear with 2 rearward hooking blades),
bisento (similar to the naginata),
kyoketsu shoge (similar to a
kama except it has a dagger point and a rope of several feet attached to an iron ring),
jutte (shaped like a
sai with just a single prong, at a smaller distance from the shaft of the weapon)
tessen (iron fan),
naginata (Japanese halberd),
kunai (a bladed digging tool), as well various form of
shuriken including
bo-shuriken and
senban shuriken. Weapons are categorized into four primary classes - sticks, blades, flexibles, and projectiles.
As a general rule, Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu practitioners don't engage in competitions or contests.
The Bujinkan Dōjō establishes a series of nine
grades below the rank of black belt, starting with Mukyu (no grade/white belt) and then from Kukyu (9th kyu) to Ikkyu (1st kyu).
Kyū ranks usually wear green or red belts: green for men and red for women, although there is some variety amongst teachers and
dōjō. There were originally 10 dan grades, as with many other martial arts using the
kyū/dan ranking system, but this was changed by
sōke Masaaki Hatsumi to 15
dan grades of black belt. The grades are divided into three groupings; 1st-5th
dan Ten (heaven), 6th-10th
dan Chi (earth), 11th-15th
dan Jin (man). The last five are further divided into the five elements;
Chi (earth),
Sui (water),
Ka (fire),
Fū (wind) and
Kū (void).
Since there are generally only two belt colors, the practitioner's rank is displayed by the color of the art's emblem, called
wappen (ワッペン, from the German
Wappen), which has the kanji
bujin on it. There are four kinds of
wappen (9th to 1st
kyū, 1st to 4th
dan, 5th to 9th
dan, and 10th to 15th
dan) sometimes augmented with up to four silver or gold stars (called
hoshi) above or around the emblem, representing the individual ranks.
At 5th
dan (
godan), practitioners submit to a test before the
sōke to establish that they are able to sense the presence of danger and evade it, considered to be a fundamental survival skill. This is called the
sakki. A practitioner ranked as
godan or above has the option of becoming a licenced teacher (
shidōshi). A
shidōshi is entitled to open his own
dōjō, and hand out ranks up to 4th dan at the premises he wishes. A practitioner ranked as 1st to 4th
dan may become a licenced "assistant teacher" (
shidōshi-ho), if backed by and acting under the supervision of a
shidōshi 5th to 9th
dan or a person who has been given 10th
dan (
jūdan). In the Bujinkan a 10th to 15th
dan is often referred to as a
shihan.
In addition to the
kyū/dan ranking system, a few select senior master practitioners have earned older
menkyo kaiden certificates of mastery in individual school lineages. These
menkyo kaiden certificates essentially establish that the master practitioner has learned all that there is to learn about the particular lineage. Whereas the
kyū/dan ranks are often made public, those select practitioners who have earned
menkyo kaiden rarely divulge their status.
Nine ryūha lineages of Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu
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Gyokko-ryū Kosshijutsu (玉虎流骨指")
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Kotō-ryū Koppōjutsu (虎'流骨法")
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Shinden Fudō-ryū Dakentaijutsu (神伝不動流"拳"")
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Takagi Yōshin-ryū Jūtaijutsu (高木揚心流""")
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Kuki Shinden-ryū Happō Bikenjutsu (九鬼神伝流八法秘剣")
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Gikan-ryū Koppōjutsu (義鑑流骨法")
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Togakure-ryū Ninpō (戸隠流忍法)
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Gyokushin-ryū Ninpō (玉心流忍法)
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Kumogakure-ryū Ninpō (雲隠流忍法)
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Bujinkan Hombu Dōjō Last accessed
May 3,
2006*
A demonstration by the headmaster Hatsumi (Video, wmv format)
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Bujinkan.org Information and discussion in support of the Bujinkan. Last accessed
May 4,
2006*
Kutaki.org A discussion forum for Bujinkan practitioners. Last accessed
May 3,
2006*
budowarrior.co.uk Information and history about the Bujinkan and a list of Shidoshi and Shidoshi-ho in the southern part of the
UK. Last accessed
June 3,
2006*
bujinkan-scotland Includes a discussion forum for Bujinkan practitioners. Last accessed
June 3,
2006*
bujinkan budo dojos Includes a growing list of all Bujinkan Dojos around the World. Last accessed
June 3,
2006*
Ninjutsu.ca Links to Bujinkan dojos in Canada.
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Winjutsu dōjō directory*
American Bujinkan Dōjō*
Bujinkan U.S.A. Dojo *
American Shidoshi Kai*
Texas Bujinkan Dōjō Directory*
New York State Bujinkan Dōjō Directory
