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Ichigeki Boy
25th December 2002, 02:13
Not to sound rude or anything, but in my book "Ninjutsu History and Tradition",
it says the following on Hatsumi Sensei "Now retired from active teaching, Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi no longer accepts new personal students..." so does this mean there wont be any other Soke after him? and that he wants the art that he is teaching to become like Karate and Judo? in that there really is no "head" of the art or organisation (well there are heads of certain styles, but im hoping you all know what i mean), Thanks in Advance.

Bu Nasser

BigJon
25th December 2002, 03:33
"Now retired from active teaching, Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi no longer accepts new personal students..." so does this mean there wont be any other Soke after him?

No, it means he no longer accepts "personal" students...but thinking like this, is similiar to having your relatives house appraised while they are still alive. -know what I mean?

Merry Christmas,

Jon Gillespie

Janin
25th December 2002, 04:49
I belive he accepts personal students again now.

kirigirisu
25th December 2002, 06:14
I myself believe since the book was written at a time during or shortly before Soke's illness nearly twenty years ago, it might possibly have been the case at that particular time.

(Someone correct me if I'm wrong)

Also considering that there's the implication floating around that much of History and Tradition was ghostwritten by someone else (There are some pretty popular theories as to which other prolific author it was), said statement might or might not be representative of Soke's position on the matter at the time.

Besides, compare History and Tradition to Essence or Ninpo: Wisdom for Life. Might be the translation, but the "voice" is pretty distinctly different.

Both the latter are much better books, as well as the other posted in the other thread.

John Lindsey
25th December 2002, 15:05
I was around when this book first came out (training with SKH's SOI at the time) around 1982 I think. Stephen did most of the editorial work for the book, including adding such comments. He told me that at one time, Hatsumi S. decided not to have anymore students and wanted the shihan to supervise the training. Stephen said that Hatsumi was simply "tired" of teaching personal students at that time.

Others I have talked to had never heard of this at all, saying that Hatsumi S. never stopped taking students. Maybe he meant just non Japanese students? Others in the US have suggested that Stephen might have added this comment to sway people from going to Japan, and to spend more time training here before going abroad. But, in 1981 there was not a mad rush to go to Japan, as would happen later around 1986. I doubt if Stephen would add such a statement if Hatsumi S. had not said it at least to him personally....


As for THE illness, that had happened way before this book came out, before SKH was even training...

Tamdhu
27th December 2002, 03:04
I believe that Hatsumi soke has stated pretty recently that he no longer has or takes on personal students. "There is too much to teach", I seem to recall hearing.

My impression is that he's teaching now at a very high level and rapid pace, a firehose, so-to-speak, and that it's up to anyone interested to do their best to catch what they can.