PDA

View Full Version : Book Rerelease!



Oni
23rd December 2002, 23:40
The long time out of print, "Secrets From the Ninja Grandmaster" is finally being rereleased! I know I have seen this go for $100+ on Ebay so this should make a few folks happy :) For those of you unfamiliar with this book...it is a series of interviews between Stephen and Rumiko Hayes with Hatsumi sensei. From what I understand this rereleased volume has a new chapter which is Mr. Hayes and Hatsumi sensei in discussion concerning the Quest Centers. It should be released sometime in early 2003.

Ruairi Quinn
24th December 2002, 00:24
Originally posted by Oni
From what I understand this rereleased volume has a new chapter which is Mr. Hayes and Hatsumi sensei in discussion concerning the Quest Centers. It should be released sometime in early 2003.

I was wondering when this interview re: the Quest centres dates from? I wonder how Hatsumi sensei's opinions of SKH organisation has changed over the years.

There is an interesting section in the Nov edition of the Hanako newsletter, where a practitioner mentions Hatsumi sensei talking about Quest centres and SKH's at the Hombu.



Hatsumi sensei informed us that a visitor from the US had told him how disappointing training at a Quest centre had been. Hatsumi sensei said that Stephen Hayes has lost his direction and had not been to see him in over ten years now. ... Hatsumi sensei cautioned all Bujinkan students to take a good look at their teachers and make sure that they have a good heart and are teaching Hatsumi sensei's Budo, not their own.


I'd like to read the interview in the re-released book, and see if Soke was more positive about Quest centres in the past.

R Erman
24th December 2002, 01:26
Interesting,

I've seen pictures of SKH and Hatsumi together from much more recent than ten years. Some may very well be on www.skhquest.com, others are in some Musubi Journals--before they stopped printing them. In fact the one I remember was from the '98 or '99 Japan Pilgrimage where Steve Pavlovic passed the sakki test for Godan. Also Shiraishi Sensei has visited SKH's Quest Center in Dayton less than ten years ago. How many other western teachers can say that?

It's amazing that there are so many second hand stories of Hatsumi-sensei disparaging Mr Hayes...

On a side note I think Hatsumi's budo is open to interpretation. And any true teacher would want their students to develop their own budo--especially a student of nearly three decades. If there is anything I've learned about the Bujinkan it is that there is no such thing as cookie-cutter copies of Hatsumi-sensei.

BTW, back to topic, That's great that the Secrets From... is being re-released. It was a great book from what I remember.

Ruairi Quinn
24th December 2002, 14:40
Originally posted by R Erman

I've seen pictures of SKH and Hatsumi together from much more recent than ten years. Some may very well be on www.skhquest.com, others are in some Musubi Journals--before they stopped printing them. In fact the one I remember was from the '98 or '99 Japan Pilgrimage where Steve Pavlovic passed the sakki test for Godan. Also Shiraishi Sensei has visited SKH's Quest Center in Dayton less than ten years ago. How many other western teachers can say that?

Well, I'd say that there are plenty of western teachers training with Soke in the hombu at least once a year (all the ones worth their salt, surely).

I don't think photo-sessions or sending students to the hombu excuses a shidoshi from making regular trips to Japan, and I presume this is what Hatsumi sensei was referring to.



It's amazing that there are so many second hand stories of Hatsumi-sensei disparaging Mr Hayes...

It might be criticism, but was it unfounded?



On a side note I think Hatsumi's budo is open to interpretation. And any true teacher would want their students to develop their own budo--especially a student of nearly three decades. If there is anything I've learned about the Bujinkan it is that there is no such thing as cookie-cutter copies of Hatsumi-sensei.

On the other hand, if japanese shihan older than Mr. Hayes, with more experience and longer time spent training, still trek down to the Hombu to be hit really hard by Soke then maybe Mr. Hayes is a bit premature in opting out of the learning process.

gmarquay
24th December 2002, 15:25
Perhaps opting out of training under Hatsumi Sensei for a while is part of his learning process. Part of his site (I believe it is "events"), says that he will be visiting with Hatsumi Sensei this month. I believe they still have a relationship, thought it may take on a different form than what it used to be.

Glenn Marquay

Oni
24th December 2002, 17:53
Originally posted by Jeff Mueller
Also Shiraishi Sensei has visited SKH's Quest Center in Dayton less than ten years ago. How many other western teachers can say that?

Probably several...

"Sneaky we be must." :cool:

Heh...yup..and at least two of them were other Quest Center owners :D

Guys...I didn't start this to get into a who is doing it right argument. From what I have seen hardly anyone in the Bujinkan thinks more than a handful of others are doing it right. I will say one thing...in all my time with Mr. Hayes I have never heard him bad mouth or speak ill of others...even those that run around speaking badly of him.

Its a cool book regardless of what your opinion of Mr. Hayes is. Many times in it Hatsumi sensei mentions the importance of what he was trying to get across.

IKE
24th December 2002, 18:12
Good book for the most part. Hatsumi sensei shares some important info IMO. I could do without the dramatic commentary before the Q&A in each chapter but what are ya gonna do...

I do recommend picking this one up if priced reasonably.

R Erman
25th December 2002, 00:56
Originally posted by Jeff Mueller
Also Shiraishi Sensei has visited SKH's Quest Center in Dayton less than ten years ago. How many other western teachers can say that?

Probably several...

"Sneaky we be must." :cool:

Cool,

Didn't know that--Sheepish feel I must.