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