Japanton – Chronicles of Anton in Japan!

There is a misunderstanding in the Bujinkan that once you understand a principal and that your body has the proper mechanics that it is alright to add strength to a technique.  According to Hatsumi sensei this is incorrect.

To add strength to a properly working technique seems like a good thing to do, after all the technique is being applied how could adding strength be bad?

The reaction of your opponent is what makes adding strength bad.  This concept of Inyo which Sensei has been trying to have us understand requires that we not use strength.

Now I know that everyone will interperate Hatsumi sensei’s words to support their experience with Soke.  But I thought I would throw it out there anyhow.

When I am in Japan, I often get to meet some notable Bujinkan members.  Understand that I am not placing them above anyone else, it’s just that for various reason they have made an impact on the bujinkan.

For example, I had a chance to train with Mats Hjelm.  He had the second website on Bujinkan Budo taijutsu (yes the second ever) and the longest running.  I had a chance to train with him and enjoyed it thoroughly.

Anyhow, it’s a sensei class today, so I will hopefully start to put together some insight into what he is try to show us.

If you are going to take the Godan Test, this means that you understand the skills taught in the TenChiJin Ryaku no maki.  That does not mean it’s memorized, but you have the skills.  One of those skills is distancing against weapons.

If you don’t have the ability to sit in front of your tester without making them have to move back or them telling you to move forward, you have no business taking the test.  If you are trying for a 5th degree black belt but can’t understand a basic principal like distancing, do you really think you can fight?  If you can’t figure out where to sit, how did you get your shodan?

When I see this, it is sad that people are just pushing their students through the system.  Judans are supposed to be the quality control but instead they collect their money and hand out black belts.

I’m done now, if people in the bujinkan want to know how I do things differently they can come and visit.

Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu is supposed to be a free art, allowing for a certain amount of creativity.  When preforming techniques you will often see soke and the Japanese shihan adding extra strikes in the midst of preforming the technique.

The reason I bring this up is there is a benefit to us following that example, and also a danger.

If we add in strikes, it can allow us to cover a lack of understanding of the technique.  Basically we can hit the person and make the technique work although it is not correct.

On the other hand, if you do not practice throwing strikes during the technique, you end up forgetting that you have these weapons that you can use.  Your taijutsu becomes compartmentalized, and you get stuck in a grappling situation, or a striking situation, or a weapons situation.

So what’s a good balance?  I don’t know, I will need to work it out myself but I leave it to the post comments to help me out.

Hatsumi sensei has said on numerous occasions that taking ukemi is bad.  I believe that on at least a lower level, I am beginning to understand.  In our martial art, when you are receiving attacks (or making them) your purpose is to increase your options while limiting the options of your opponents.

In our art where you are trying to move past the techniques, you will want to move your body in a way to take your opponents space, while covering his weapons.  Likewise your opponent will try to keep their options open and should only take ukemi when it is the only option they have.

Understanding the battle that is taking place, one will realize that if you do not give your opponent a technique against which to fight/go with, they will not be able to take ukemi without adding their own energy.  It is at this point you can use their strength against them to have them destroy themselves.

I won’t even try to write up an example, just something to think about.  Anyhow, I am off to push clouds and listen to echoes of techniques.

Just a short note on a Hatsumi sensei class.  We were preforming techniques, some from Togakure ryu, but not necessarily.  Sensei was stressing the importance of responding to the persons attack like an echo.  He said that if you did this it would not matter if the opponent retracted his attack or left it hanging out there.

I am still mulling over this in my head, so I have no answers for any of you.  If I come up with anything over the next day or so I will let you know through comments.

Managed to make it to my hotel in one piece. A bit tired but can’t worry about that right now. On the agenda is Rob Renner training today in the afternoon, followed by Hastsumi sensei’s training tonight. I will keep you up to date on any words of advice from Sensei.

It’s getting close to that time. Reading week in Japan is coming up so bring Yen to Japan with you. It’s almost time for training with soke, I hope this weekend goes by fast.

I’m excited, can you tell?

It is getting close to that time, gearing up for yet another Japan trip. This time I will spend 3 weeks in Japan, thought things will be a bit different.

I am working while I am there. Not a job teaching English, just working for my employer in Edmonton remotely from Japan. If this works out well, I expect this will be the first of many trips to Japan taken while working. this will allow me to spend shorter periods of time in Japan more frequently.

Anyhow, everyone going on this trip, get your passports ready and convert some yen because the time for Japan draws near.

I have finally got the domain http://edmonton-bujinkan.com up and running. The only other thing that I must do is have a spot for the West End Club. The reason for the change is site optimization and ease of remembering.

More club news, I am looking at getting the Grant MacEwan campus downtown as a new location for training. With a location in the college it would make future seminars simpler and will re-institute the monthly fees for those who have been asking about it.

Japan trip round 6 is quickly approaching. For those who are going, remember you will be finger printed. Also I still have Japanese study material for anyone who asks. Everyone who is going to Japan on this trip have already been there and understand the language gap difficulty.

Well that’s all for now.