Thanks.
As one of Kuroda Sensei's students, I was pretty surprised to see him here in "Baffling Budo" as well. Having read Hyaku's post, I also think he was referring to the other thread, since Kuroda Sensei doesn't do arrow tricks and the like. No need for tricks when you can do what he can do, and you know what he knows. However, since apparently Kuroda Sensei was featured on the same program as the other gentleman, that may be the source of the mixup. Hyaku, if you read this, please reconsider your movement of this thread.
If anyone truly is asking, "Is this real?" let me be the first to say, not only is it real, he has indeed turned it down SEVERAL notches in order for the camera to be able to catch his movements both in kenjutsu and in iaijutsu. "Blindingly fast" is a bit of an understatement really, and his accuracy is impeccable. Some people find his jujutsu unusual, and I suppose in some ways it is, but it is a great compliment to properly learning the techniques of the sword he teaches. Properly learning the jujutsu really teaches you how to apply the sword.
There is no secret to how he got so good. His grandfather and his father began training him in simple things at the age of one, and he has trained every day since then. According to some of our senior students, as he ages, his skills, abilities and speed just continue to develop and become further refined. The only secrets are time and effort, according to Sensei.
Another thing that really surprised me is how well controlled his movements are. This is something that really has to be seen and felt in person. When you place your hands on him and feel the ways in which he is able to move individual muscles and muscle groups independently of one another, it is difficult for Westerners to imagine, such that it is almost beyond belief. However, you are there, and he does it in front of you and teaches you the theories and principles of how it is done. The end result, as Crudelli observed, is that he gives you no warning of what he is about to do. There are no clues given away, and these practices make his movements so fluid and so fast as to seem almost inhuman. I've heard this referred to as his having "alien bug muscles" and it is easy to see how that phrase developed.
His speed is also surprising when you consider that all of his styles are very soft, and really stress the moderation of power. It was difficult for me to begin to learn that the two are totally independent of one another.
Finny, creating an opportunity to train with Kuroda Sensei can indeed be one of the most rewarding things you can do. I searched for quite some years to find a teacher like him, and a learning environment like that fostered in his ryu-gi. I think the operating principle is that (and these are my words not his. I speak only for myself) we take our training VERY seriously. We really try not to take OURSELVES too seriously. It's a good mix. There's very little ego at work, especially from Kuroda Sensei, and a lot of good training.
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Chris Brown
All great things are simple, and many can be expressed in single words: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope.
--Sir Winston Churchill