the REN DAO Wellness Center Blog

The night before our plane departs is the longest. The butterflies start, thinking about sitting on an airplane for almost 14 hours. This is not my first trip, it is actually my third, and regardless this trip does have special uniqueness. The numbers 3 and 9 both have significance in the Bujinkan Dojo, but also in the Japanese culture. I will not explain this; it will be good research for the ninja among us. I was accompanied by Tom McLaughlin and Ken Lara, both experienced students of the Bujinkan Dojo who have trained with me for many years. Our plan was to get as much training as we could in the time we had. Many students in the Bujinkan who travel to Japan for training try to do two and three training sessions a day. Having tried that on previous trips, I learned that approach was not the best for me. Two training sessions a day was the most we would attempt. That would give our bodies a chance to recover and for us to enjoy many of the sites in Japan, especially this time of year, so close to the peak of the Sakura (cherry blossom) season

Sakura in Shimizu-Koen Park

As I have mentioned this was not my first trip to Japan, and each trip had its own significance, but this trip was an awakening for me. It was an awakening to the authentic way of training in the Budo art of the Bujinkan. You may be asking yourself what do I mean by saying, “authentic way of training”. To explain this I must speak of my training in the past, that is my training in the Bujinkan. In my early training and even very recently, we train in the same way a seminar is structured. Many techniques were shown by the instructor, and then we were given some time to experience the technique. Training in the dojo followed this pattern. Maybe some dojo did a warm-up and ukemi before working several techniques, waza, and kata. I know most of you reading this can relate. This was the training. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying this was not correct, maybe a little misleading. Misleading in a way of training which would lead to an understanding of the basics.

Last year I was fortunate enough to meet a very talented martial artist by the name of Kacem Zoughari. I was extremely impressed with his knowledge and skills. This meeting was the spark that put me in the correct state of mind to be receptive for the experiences I would have in this third trip to Japan. We received training from of course Hatsumi Soke, and our favorite Japanese shihan; Naguchi Sensei, Nagato Sensei, and Oguri Sensei. Thanks to Kacem, we got the opportunity to train with his teacher; Tetsuji Ishizuka Sensei

Ishizuka Sensei (second from left)

Ishizuka Sensei’s dojo was old school as you can see from the photo with a real tatami mate floor. This set the atmosphere for the training to come. We had three two hour training sessions with Ishizuka Sensei. The first training session we worked Tsukekomi and Kote Uchi. Yes just these two kata for two hours. The second session we worked musodori and a henka (variation) of that technique for two hours. The last session before returning home we worked tsuki (punch), yes for two hours. As I trained and was corrected by Ishizuka Sensei I began to glimpse the basics that were so often referred to by soke and the Japanese shihan. I started to really see the basics in everything soke and the Japanese shihan were demonstrating.

As those of you who train with me have seen, this experience has changed the way we now train in our dojo. We focus on our basic kamae and basic movement in every technique, waza, or kata we practice. Some of the students who train at the Bujinkan Kyorei Dojo have already discovered new insight with techniques they thought they knew. I truly feel this way of training will lead to good understanding of the basics in the Bujinkan. Quoting the words of Nagato Sensei, “the basics will lead everywhere”. Kambatte Kudasai; please keep going, keep training.

Warren B. Young, Shidoshi - Bujinkan Kyorei Dojo