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John Lindsey
24th February 2003, 18:36
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,6031734%255E421,00.html

24feb03
A PARALYSED north Queensland man has overcome his disability to become a brown belt in the ancient Japanese martial art of Ninjitsu.

Mackay hospital administrator Dan Bazin, 25, was born with Spina Bifida and lost the use of his legs in an operation when he was two years old.

After trying other forms of martial arts, he took up Ninjitsu two years ago and is now one step away from a black belt.

Mr Bazin said Ninjitsu was a fluid, free-moving kind of martial art whose laws could be adapted to accommodate his disability.

"Karate is primarily kicks and punches, Judo is known for its throws, and we use a bit of everything - it's very fluid," he said.

"You don't need to be able to do it sometimes, just to know how the principle works allows you to work around your disability and perform it anyway."

Mr Bazin uses techniques involving his arms and Japanese swords.

If others are practising a jumping move that allows warriors to minimise their profile to the attacker, he can simply take out the jump.

"In attack I would turn sideways to minimise my profile, allowing me to counteract more efficiently," Mr Bazin said.

Mr Bazin said growing up in a wheelchair was difficult and his personal breakthrough only came about four years ago.

"It took me years," he said.

"You can have as many opportunities thrown your way but if you don't want to take them, you won't."

However, Mr Bazin said participating in activities such as Ninjitsu could be a difficult choice and would not suit everyone.

"Basically (deciding to) accept the fact that I'm in a wheelchair, accept the fact that people will be able to jump and kick and I won't be able to," he said.

"But to do it nevertheless.

"There are a lot of people who are in the same situation as me or a lot worse off and they can't make that decision because they've got too much stacked against them."

The art of Ninjitsu was developed hundreds of years ago in Japan by opponents of the ruling Samurai warrior class.

Ninjitsu is sometimes translated as the "art of stealth", as warriors used a wide range of techniques to hide and fight.

It has become famous as a result of movies and television shows such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Beverly Hills Ninja.

william northcote
25th February 2003, 10:56
Now that is a good story.

Well done to Dan Bazin. I hope he keeps up his training.

Chiburi
25th February 2003, 17:44
He's wearing a Bujinkan tag on his dogi and talking about "Ninjitsu".

Anyhow, I've heard about several [mildly] disabled people taking up Taijutsu simply because the art adapts to you, and not the other way around. If they have a bad hand, they just don't do it with that hand --something that wouldn't get you anywhere in eg. karate. Usually they can participate to over 50% of what is taught in the class. Not forgetting that in the basic course there are usually several 'healthy' people who have trouble participating in the same things.

Cheers,

Bradenn
25th February 2003, 17:51
Originally posted by Chiburi
He's wearing a Bujinkan tag on his dogi and talking about "Ninjitsu".



And wearing a brown belt?


Regardless, my hat goes off to him for his determination.

The Tengu
25th February 2003, 18:00
Originally posted by Bradenn


And wearing a brown belt?


Regardless, my hat goes off to him for his determination. I am pretty sure the article was not written by Mr. Bazin himself, and it was more likely written by a journalist who is ignorant in the ninjitsu/ninjutsu issue.

There are Bujinkan schools that use obi with colors other than white, green, and black. There are Bujinkan schools who wear stars above their patches to determine rank. There are Bujinkan schools do not award green belts to the children, but give them yellow belts instead.

Bradenn
25th February 2003, 18:04
Originally posted by The Tengu
I am pretty sure the article was not written by Mr. Bazin himself, and it was more likely written by a journalist who is ignorant in the ninjitsu/ninjutsu issue.



Is there really anything to the ninjitsu/ninjutsu story?

Or has it merely become significant because of Ashida Kim et al.?

You often read about Jiu-jitsu as opposed to Jiu-jutsu but I have never given it a second thought.

william northcote
25th February 2003, 18:59
Originally posted by The Tengu

There are Bujinkan schools that use obi with colors other than white, green, and black. There are Bujinkan schools who wear stars above their patches to determine rank. There are Bujinkan schools do not award green belts to the children, but give them yellow belts instead.

If you look or enlarge to pic you can see what look like gold over the patch. By my eyes it looks like two gold.

bencole
25th February 2003, 19:30
Originally posted by Bradenn
Is there really anything to the ninjitsu/ninjutsu story?
You often read about Jiu-jitsu as opposed to Jiu-jutsu but I have never given it a second thought.

I agree with Bradenn.

As someone who's pretty good at what the Dutch explorers called "the Devil's Tongue," I have *NEVER* understood the hullabaloo over "Ninjutsu" vs. "Ninjitsu." The kanji in question can be read both ways, so either romanization is perfectly acceptable in my honest opinion.

I personally prefer the "u" version because it looks better to me, but I don't understand why everyone gets so bent out of shape about this issue. Perhaps it was just a knee-jerk reaction to Ashida Kim (e.g. "The man mixes Korean and Japanese names, and can't even spell Ninjutsu correctly!"). There are several romanization methods out there so it is hard to say which is "best." Taking the worse looking from all of them, the word "Ninjitu" is also feasible, yet highly unlikely to instill a sense of "in the know." :D

This issue was definitely in my head when I did the final edit of "Understand? Good. Play!" My greatest concern was inconsistency, calling it "Ninjutsu" on one page and "Ninjitsu" on another. Luckily, I think I only found one inconsistency in that particular spelling. There were plenty of other problems in terms of consistency than just that. Time and experience have a way of altering our perceptions of what is correct, that's for sure. :D

-ben

Swinger
25th February 2003, 23:08
How many people use the correct romanization for Ninjya anyway

paolo_italy
26th February 2003, 12:04
Hi,

During my musha shugyo :D I often meet a fellow buyu, black belt in bujinkan, very skilled, but on a wheelchair. I've seen his ability at work, with weapons, in suiren and taijutsu, together with his wife, and they're definitely a great pair! I also know a great budoka, severely wounded during a war, but also very skilled. And then?
Nothing strange, a skilled martial artist should be able to defend himself and his beloved in whatever physical condition he is. Just figure out how many disabled were produced by wars in ancient and (unfortuntely) contemporary wars and urban violence. To keep going is the clear sign that one is still alive, no matter what live brought to him.

These persons are so worth of respect and should be source of inspiration, no matter that f**g polemics like "brown belts in ninjitsu".

Well done, Dan Bazin!!!!

Doug Tweedy
26th February 2003, 19:24
At the Collinsville Tai Kai, there was a gentleman in a wheelchair who was awarded a 7th dan after a brutally effective technique was demonstrated against a grab and punch attack. If I recall, it ended up with the Uke's leg/foot being pinned under the front of the chair, being pulled in close as he fell and was aggressively "bitten" on the upper cheek and held in place until Uke submitted. It was remarkable how devastating it was...it brought tears to my eyes and a few other empathetic individuals around me...amazing.

I hope it made it on the Tai Kai DVD/video.

There were a couple of others in wheelchairs that also had VERY impressive demonstrations for the audience. Those may be on the video, as well.

Has anybody who has their video yet seen weather or not these fellows made it onto the tape?

The Tengu
26th February 2003, 20:48
Originally posted by Doug Tweedy
At the Collinsville Tai Kai, there was a gentleman in a wheelchair who was awarded a 7th dan after a brutally effective technique was demonstrated against a grab and punch attack. If I recall, it ended up with the Uke's leg/foot being pinned under the front of the chair, being pulled in close as he fell and was aggressively "bitten" on the upper cheek and held in place until Uke submitted. It was remarkable how devastating it was...it brought tears to my eyes and a few other empathetic individuals around me...amazing.

I hope it made it on the Tai Kai DVD/video.

There were a couple of others in wheelchairs that also had VERY impressive demonstrations for the audience. Those may be on the video, as well.

Has anybody who has their video yet seen weather or not these fellows made it onto the tape? They made it onto the video, as well as the blind gentleman who demoed.

william northcote
26th February 2003, 20:51
Now that would be a good video to see The Tengu.

studious_ninja
26th February 2003, 21:48
When watching the Tai Kai video, the second gentleman in the wheelchair rolls his front wheel onto his uke's foot and pins it there. You can see the pain in the uke's face. Very effective, I'd say. It's great to see people who may be 'handicapped' still able to use the taijutsu available to them to make techniques work. Kudos to them.

Syd Sked

william northcote
26th February 2003, 22:03
What is good is that they are using what they have, thier wheelchair, as a natural extention of thier own body.

Plus with the weight of the person and chair combined, it will be painful.

I wonder how many disabled people train in budo?

DaddyBob
9th March 2003, 15:21
Thanks guys I am having my c4 and c5 fused and was worried about trainingafter words but this brave man and the tale you all tell have given me confidence that I can train and become better than I thought.
I appreciate you all.

Peace

Bob Barnett