Bujinkan Ninjutsu

[drkev]

There is a Brian Bujinkan Ninjutsu Dojo near me. Under McCarthy.
I'm sure I read a thread about him in the Bad Dojo section.

They are charging about £7 per lesson and they look like a McDojo.

What can anyone tell me about McCarthy or his organisation?

I would appreciate any advice I can get. £7 is a lot for a 1 1/2 hour lesson.

[John Lindsey]

He left the Bujinkan many years ago. Many people are upset that he still uses the Bujinkan name. There are many true Bujinkan schools in the UK, so maybe try and find one...

[kage110]

Hi Kevin,

First of all, I train (sometimes) with the BBD in Scotland.

Secondly, Brian McCarthy is no longer a member of the Bujinkan and what you will learn in one of his dojo's is not what is being taught (as I understand it) in the Bujinkan. This fact is not generally understood in the BBD, or nobody cares if they do know about it (I do).

However, labelling the BBD a 'McDojo' is a little unfair as it is not a belt factory and the standard of teachers I have met are very high. I have trained with Bujinkan people who are not as good as members of the BBD (and others who are) even though they are doing some very similar things. Some BBD people I have trained under are extremely skilled and very, very 'ninja' like in their movement. (By this I mean that they do not move like judo, karate, TKD, JKD, etc. etc. people, they move like the people in the Bujinkan.)

£7 does sound like a lot for one lesson and in Scotland we get charged around half that. Are you sure that the £7 is not for two lessons per week? Our yearly fee is around £30 plus £7/week of training, and no grading fees that I have heard of. I (like everyone else in my dojo) was given my white belt and my green belt and the blue and black belts I know were also gifted with theirs. There are a few patches to buy but many don't have them and we are free to buy weapons and clothing from wherever we want so Brian is not lining his pockets from us (well, me at any rate).

There is a *lot* of politics surrounding the Bujinkan/BBD split, the vast majority of it long before my time. However, from what I have seen of the BBD the (perhaps valid) accusations that were levelled at it by Bujinkan people in the past may not be so valid now. Many senior people in the Bujinkan (in the UK and greater Europe) used to be in the BBD and many owe their basic skills to the teachings of Brian McCarthy which makes some comments I have heard bandied around somewhat hypocritical. So saying, there are plenty of things that BBD/Bujinkan people from 10-15 years ago have genuine complaints about.

My experience in the BBD shows that they are generally a decent bunch of people who train hard and foster a sound warrior spirit. The technigues taught are essentially the same as taught in the Bujinkan though the foucus may differ. My (brief) experience with Brian himself is that he is a decent man who cares about the development of his students.

If you want to know any more please PM me and I will give you my phone number.

Best of luck wherever you go.

Hugh

[poryu]

Hi


Originally posted by kage110
Many senior people in the Bujinkan (in the UK and greater Europe) used to be in the BBD and many owe their basic skills to the teachings of Brian McCarthy

True many of us were in the BBD but I would say any of us who have moved on to genuine Bujinkan train will owe none of our basics to the BBD. In fact i would say almost all of us moved on because the basics we taught were either incorrect or very different to the bujinkan. I myself spent 6 years in the BBD (1985-91) and I left because my basics were so bad. I am in conntact with some of my old BBD mates who are BBD instructors and I would say the basics and taijutsu has moved a very long way from the Bujinkan a sit is today. They are now two very different arts.



Originally posted by kage110
The technigues taught are essentially the same as taught in the Bujinkan

Again as stated above I would have to disagree with you here. the BBD does not teach anything that is really related to the Bujinkan. Even today my mates continually complain that the Sanshin no kata and Kihon happo keeps changing. The last time they showed me it I had to laugh it so bad. And there kamae, loads of them dont resemble Bujinkan kamae any more. I believe the Bojutsu they teach was created buy someone who left the BBD. The kusarifundo in the syllabus is labeled as Togakure Ryu but comes straight out of the guzanski (spike and chain) ninja weapons book. It even lists Gyokko Ryu dakentaijutsu. there is no such thing, Gyokko Ryu is kosshijutsu.

The 2 BBD dojo that are located near me are not even the same. How bad is that.

If its BBD your after go for it. If it Bujinkan you want keep away form the BBD they are no way near the same.

I will agree with Hugh. Brian was always a nice guy, very social and always a good person to talk to.

[drkev]

So do these bad experiences and comments reflect on the dojo in Portsmouth?

I was going to train there but not at £7 a lesson.

So what of the system?

[poryu]

Hi

if you post a link to a site someone my know the instructor or recognise the dojo and be able to tell you more from a personal view point.

I agree £7 is a lot