Bujinkan notebook ... ?

[Dan Hall]

Does anyone know of a place on the web where I can get a complete listing of basic Bujinkan fundamentals ... such as:

Kihon Happo detailed
Sahshin ...
Postures (specific to ryu and variations in ryu)
Weapon postures
Types of weapons

I've been out of the Bujinkan for a few years and am thinking about getting into it again. I don't want to go back into the dojo without knowing the proper names of techniques and refreshing my memory on how to do these techniques.

Thanks a bunch!

--Dan Hall

[pooh]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just start training and everything should start to come back to you. But if your really eager to get some video's on certain subject's in relation to the Bujinkan, than my advice is to purchase some of Hatsumi Sensei's Quest Video's on line.

Good Luck,
Mark A. Franco, L.Ac.

[Oni]

Originally posted by Dan Hall

Kihon Happo detailed
Sahshin ...

--Dan Hall

I actually HOPE you cannot find these things on the web...however for the two above check out Jack Hobans Black Belt Magazine video series. He covers the basics of the kihon happo and sanshin pretty well...

[sean_stonehart]

My notebook isn't up for grabs, although I did post some of the kata from a couple of the ryu on Ura/Omote back in the early 90's though... Kukishinden, Koto, Gyokko and a Togakure ryu kata....

[Rokushakubo]

Originally posted by pooh
I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just start training and everything should start to come back to you.

I stopped training in 1998 and started back again last year. It does come back quite quickly. In fact, I think I've learned more in the past year (in terms of technique names and what they mean) than I did in the 3 years I was training between 1995 and 1998!

[paolo_italy]

hey

you can buy the videos of Soke and/or the many books about the ryuha and the ten chi jin ryaku no maki. In any case, your teacher could provide a listing of the contents of the tcj...

For those hoping they're not on the web: it's however quite easy to find translations of the densho for sale (at least the kata)... :up:

bye

[Oni]

Originally posted by paolo_italy

For those hoping they're not on the web: it's however quite easy to find translations of the densho for sale (at least the kata)... :up:


Well...for sale is one thing...at least someone has to cough up a few bucks. I hate finding word for word descriptions on techniques just sitting out there. I know they DO exist, but it just makes it far too easy for the net Sokes ;)

Of course in the end it really doesn't matter too much. Someone that has 'learned' soley from a web page has most likely created their own problems.

[JimGould]

I hate finding word for word descriptions on techniques just sitting out there. I know they DO exist, but it just makes it far too easy for the net Sokes I disagree, I don't think you can learn the art from reading text. You still have to know how to do it, where to put your feet, hands, weight, which was to lean, distance, timing etc etc.

[Oni]

Originally posted by JimGould
I disagree, I don't think you can learn the art from reading text. You still have to know how to do it, where to put your feet, hands, weight, which was to lean, distance, timing etc etc.

Yes...I agree with you there...but to a newbie these guys have all the right terms and even if they are doing it wrong, they may seem to know what they are doing to the uninformed.

I have heard many stories from my teachers throughout the years of folks in the old days showing up having read one of Mr. Hayes books. They would assume a very stiff ichimonji and say, 'See..I already know this' ;)

[paolo_italy]

Originally posted by Oni


Yes...I agree with you there...but to a newbie these guys have all the right terms and even if they are doing it wrong, they may seem to know what they are doing to the uninformed.



That's exactly what's going on here, damn :rolleyes:

I agree with you about the bucks point... IMHO the presence of some technical stuff is not such a big concern, in a wider meaning: considering the dimension of Bujinkan, it's impossible to keep the densho secret among us, LOL... The most important point would be the ability to apply the stuff when needed and in an effective way.

Sure, having writings around will continue to raise the number of illegitimates and the reputation of us "ninja" will keep deteriorating... :smash:

At the same time, finding references around the net has helped many of us to understand that maybe it was the case to change teacher ... ;)

[Elf Tengu]

I gave up training at clubs for 8 years and tried to glean as much as I could from books, videos and sites like this, but there really is no substitute for training at least weekly under a good teacher with a variety of different size and build of people. I've been training again a club for six months and have achieved more in those six months than I would have in a hundred years of 'dot.com' or 'armchair' learning.

You probably have the same fears that I had before taking the plunge again, i.e. you used to train a while back and want your experience taken into account so that you aren't regarded as a beginner. You also probably want to wear the green belt that you earned elsewhere and long ago, rather than start from scratch.

I know it's hard, and possibly unthinkable to you at this moment, but forget it, and any notions of speeding through grades to make up for lost time. You will in reality not even be starting from where you left off, but a few steps back from there. You remember techniques wrongly and will have to be reprogrammed to get into the swing of things.

On a more optimistic note, you will progress much more quickly than people who are training for the first time ever, and a good instructor will know if you have trained before by seeing how well you do in training, regardless of whether you turn up in a faded gi and green belt and with plenty to say!

Also, even within the Bujinkan, there are many different versions of kihon happo and sanshin no kata, and the school you train at will probably not do things exactly as in books and videos, although these are still of great value.

Swallow your pride as I did, and just get straight back into it. The buzz that you will get from your first lesson will wipe out most of the ideas that you have formed during your sabbatical and point you in the right direction!

Better hope they don't place too much emphasis on fitness either, that's the toughest thing to get back into. Push ups for an unfit overweight 33 year old like me are a nightmare, but don't be put off!

Good luck and if I have got the wrong end of the stick, and read the situation all wrong, then I apologise!