Ninjutsu What’s New Blog

Hi Friends,
I want to tell you about Soke Hatsumi’s new book - Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai.

It is a revolutionary book that is a must for every Bujinkan practitioner. Do not let the title fool you. It is all about the Bujinkan schools.

In this great book he reveals all the wazas of Gyokkyo Ryu, Shinden Fudo Ryu, Koto Ryu, Takagi Yoshin Ryu, and Kukishinden Ryu. He personally demonstrates the kamae and fist positions. He speaks of how to train and the true meaning of Budo Taijutsu. He has even drawn special body paintings with all the Kyusho (pressure points) targets on them and much, much more.

You are lucky to have such a book. When I started in the early 1980’s I had to learn this information the best I could technique by technique. And travel to Japan to get it. Right after class if I was not with Soke for awhile I would go the to coffee shop or bar and spend a few hours writing down all that I could remember from each dojo class. The next day or so I would go to the park and video myself doing the techniques. When I got back from Japan I would study all my notes and video writing down the questions to ask on my next trip which was usually at least every 6 months.

These notes became my manuals that students train with today. There where no video tapes of the wazas then. And most instructors spoke only Japanese.

Today you have a multitude of English speaking teachers, lots of videos and training manuals to help your training. I am sure there is value in learning it the way that I did. And it would have been nice to have what Soke has gifted the Bujinkan with this new book (They have them in stock at the Ninjutsu.com store - if they are out more are being shipped). He even put the original Japanese text in the back of the book for those who know Japanese.

You want this book and it is only $35 for a hard back book with some color photos and all the main wazas.

My thoughts on waza….
1. The waza is a window to look through – it is not the view itself. (My quote)
2. Learn the form and then all the shadows of the form.
3. Do not be fooled into thinking that the only way the waza is done is how it is written in this new (great) book or any other book.
4. Train for the feeling not the technique.
5. Look for what you are NOT seeing in the waza.
6. How can it be countered and destroyed?

Just some training thoughts… If you love this kind of stuff then check out our Ninja Vault where day by day it is growing into something really great. Soon lots of videos will be added.

All the best,
Richard Van Donk, Shidoshi

Dear Buyu,

It is with great sadness that I write this.

My good friend, student and brother in the martial arts was killed in a scuba diving accident on Tuesday in Monterey, CA.

Greg was very compassionate heartfelt human being that loved to go out of his way to help other people in every way he could.
Besides teaching others Budo Greg was a trained EMT paramedic and a Nichiren Shôshű priest. His caring for other people was very deep with him.

He dedicated his life to Budo training. He started training with me in the Santa Cruz dojo in about 1989 and trained directly every week with me until we moved north in 1999. He has been coming to my camps and Tai Kai’s and helping teach ever since then. Greg was a 9th dan in the Bujinkan and ready for promotion to 10th dan. Shihan Dilley went to Japan to train with Soke Hatsumi on a regular basis.

Greg also went to Japan with me to learn Enbukan Iaido/Batojutsu from Kancho Machida and became a top level practitioner of several sword schools (Enshin Itto ryu Battojutsu and Fudo Ikken ryu Battojutsu) and the highest ranking in those schools in the USA.

Greg was one on the most prominent posters on this forum. Again his sharing nature in action. We really appreciate Greg for all his contributions over the years and his selfless service to others.

He will be deeply missed by his family, students and friends. He will be deeply missed by Linda, myself and everyone at IBDA.

Please send your loving energy and thoughts to his wife and children.

To learn more about Greg you can go to http://www.bujinkanwakodojo.com/

Again, this reminds me that life is very precious and for me not to spend it on things that mean so little to me or others.

Go hug someone you love today.

Sincerely,

Richard and Linda Van Donk
Shidoshi duo

Friends,
I am finishing up my upcoming Shidoshi Course on how to teach the art of Ninjutsu, what it means to be a Shidoshi, and some interesting history of the path (Do/Tao) of Budo that is deeply contained within the Ninjutsu teachings. Much of it will surprise you.

I am very interested in what you think a Shidoshi is, what it would mean to you, and what kind of example a Shidoshi should be. Also if you teach what are some things that you would like to have clarity on to better share the art.

Please feel free to leave your comments here or post them in the Ninjutsu Online study group where I and others can experience your thoughts.

Here are a few excerpts:
In this Shidoshi course I intend to welcome to a new world of knowledge and a path that will change your life and perhaps through you, the lives of many others.

I can tell you that when I started training in martial arts over 40 years ago I never thought I would be writing a course such as this. Even though I was already a teacher in Karate and in Eskrima, when I started in Ninjutsu I ONLY thought about training for my own growth and I found Ninjutsu to be so much fun just to train in with some friends.

I loved it so much that Ninjutsu was all that I wanted to do - so much so that I figured out ways that everything that I did could relate somehow to some aspect of the training. Over time it became my way of living. It can become yours too – if it is not already. I mean this from the standpoint that everything in life can be training. The true way of learning is to grow in awareness. Although we study information the teachings are not really in the information itself. Information comes and goes out of your brain but when you gain awareness on more levels knowledge is automatically obtained without conscious thought. Once knowledge is incorporated as a part of you it becomes natural and no thinking is required. This is why Soke Hatsumi is always reminding us, “Don’t think – feel.”

All I have really been doing all these years is learning for myself, taking lots of notes and sharing what I love with everyone else that wants to learn. I am amazed that because of my sharing what I love and have learned there are now dozens of students that are above Judan (10th dan) rank and there are hundreds of students that are above Godan (5th dan) that were all originally students of mine. And even people who have never directly studied with me are always coming up to me in Japan and telling me how much my information has helped them to grow in their training. I am sure countless others have also benefited from all the Hatsumi videos, books, or translations that I either created, inspired or brought to the market. And in addition to those are my own 40+ books, DVDs and courses that I have created and distributed worldwide to over 125 countries. All because I loved learning and sharing what I learned. Being a Shidoshi is about sharing what you love to others. And it is a great gift to witness others lives being better by ones efforts.

Since becoming a Shidoshi basically means, in our terminology, that you are a ‘teacher of the Warrior Ways of Enlightenment,’ I will begin with living the Path. This Path is infinite and so in my Enlightened Warrior™ teachings I refer to it as the “Infinite Way.” There is no end and really no beginning to it and it goes in all directions.

There is a lifetime of travel on the journey of self discovery. The further you travel the more that you learn that there are no mistakes, no real surprises and there is no separation. This is why the Chinese have a saying about the Way, (Do in Japanese and Dao/Tao in Chinese) which goes, “The Dao that can be told is not the true Dao.”

For a better understanding of where you may be on the path I have carefully marked 5 Tori entry gates on the journey.
The 5 Gates are:
Tori 1. Practitioner,
Tori 2. Teacher,
Tori 3. Scholar,
Tori 4. Healer,
Tori 5. Shihan / Sage.

More on this and How to Teach Ninjutsu effectively is in the course manual, Audio cds and dvds.

I will start a thread in the Ninja Vault where we can discuss it better than the blog. And do feel free to make comments here as well.

All the best in your training,
Richard Van Donk, Shidoshi

Dear Buyu,

Training with Soke Hatsumi is one of the most rewarding things that you can do while studying the art of Ninjutsu. Challenge is that he lives in Japan and is no longer traveling the world doing events. Imagine how training with him 2 or 3 times a week would change your taijutsu or life.

Going to Japan is too big an expense most people and moving there full time to train is to get the weekly teachings is not possible. Where is that star trek teleportation device?

Great news, Soke Hatsumi is videotaping every class he teaches for the last few years and we are bringing those teachings to you. He is calling it his Kuden series and considers them a transmission.

http://www.ninjutsu.com/store/home.php?cat=213

We encourage you to get these as they come out and practice with them. It is really just like being in his dojo.

I personally watch them in the dojo and start and stop the dvd to practice the technique. Many times we use the Hatsumi teachings as themes in the dojo. Many great insights come from our training and then discussing what we are learning.

 The latest release is Kuden Volume #11 which begins the 2004 year of Taijutsu – Weapons including sword and Nature (which is part of this years Bujinkan theme).

http://www.ninjutsu.com/store/product.php?productid=6257&cat=213&page=1

Studying what Soke was teaching then is very helpful in this years theme. Trust his reason for releasing this information now. I look forward to each teaching on these Dojo teachings even though I go to Japan often. It gives me the feel of being there and I learn so much from them every time.

Again, you can get your teachings at http://www.ninjutsu.com/store/product.php?productid=6257&cat=213&page=1

That’s all for this letter.

See you on the mat,

Richard Van Donk, Shidoshi jugodan

Buyu,

I am excited about the opportunity to speak with those of you that are curious about what is happening in terms of this years training theme, new products, new learning courses, upcoming seminars and IBDA developments.

I look forward to posting every so often as I have time in my so busy schedule and reading your comments.

There is so much being developed for you. Linda and I are working non-stop on many new things but first let me tell you about the latest completion. You have got to check out the Ninjutsu.com Private Members Area that has a Ninja Vault full of cool stuff that is being added too daily. We launched the 24 hours Ninjutsu Online Study Group inside the Memebrship Site. Video Clips are coming real soon. You can go to http://www.ninjutsu.com/membership.shtml to check it out or better yet join. Get in now while the price is so cheap. We want you to have a real place to share the arts whenever you want.

While we are working on many things at once. Our next project to finish is the Shidoshi Course. It would have been done already but I just keep writting more and more. I promise you that it will be more than worth the wait. I will update you on this in a separate post so you can comment on what you may want in it.

Remember this years theme is Togakure Ryu. So study everything about nature, including your own.

Best to you,

Richard Van Donk, IBDA director Shidoshi jugodan

Congratulations go to the
following people who were
promoted at the IBDA Tai Kai 

JAMES CLUM - YONDAN
CHARLES BENHAM - YONDAN
ROMAN MARQUEZ - YONDAN
BRIAN SUMPTER - NIDAN
JAMIE DAIKEN - NIDAN
MARK RIGOPOULOS - SHODAN
THOMAS HANCE III - SHODAN
CESAR PEREZ - SHODAN
MIGUEL AVILA - SHODAN

DEC 07 / JAN 08 

WES SHREVE  - NIDAN
TODD DUBOIS  - NIDAN
JUDY SHREVE  - SHODAN
RICARDO ZAPATA  - SANDAN

Congratulations!

Awesome event. Shihan Richard Van Donk was assisted by Shihan’s Joel Everett, Dan Ordoins, and Greg Dilley in teaching a great 4 day event. We trained night and day in sword and Togakure Ryu. People were training at 1:30 am!! And then back at 7:30am!!! We love training and having fun with friends from all over the World. JOIN US NEXT TIME!