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John Cantor Jugo Dan Happo Biken MAsian Studies, Dojocho, Newcastle, Australia
Clearly in this information age, there’s abundant material that lifts and inspires Bujinkan practitioners. Since you’re reading this, what I suggest you determine is what supports YOUR training and inspires YOU to keep going …now.
“Keep going” were the first words that Soke spoke to me in 1990. This simple transmission is enough to empower the rest of your life. To me, it lies at the core of our art and underlines success – relative to whatever pursuits, and trials one undertakes. Let me emphasize… This simple phrase sits in the ‘heart’ of Nin – the Japanese kanji symbol of the “sword hanging over the heart”. ‘Nin’ prominently features in the kanji for Ninjutsu and Ninpo.
The definitions that distinguish these concepts will give you direction in what you read, what you view, and how you go about assimilating your training into your life – should that be your choice. Hatsumi Sensei (Kevin Millis’ “Shapes Changes and Ideas: and Orientation to Bujinkan Training”pg. 86) clearly defines these concepts. “Sensei has said on a number of occasions that “the martial arts are used for killing and no other purpose. If you want to become enlightened, go be a monk, if you want to get strong, go lift weights” and so on…” “These are the tenants of Ninjutsu and not Ninpo. Ninjutsu is about fighting, conflict, and war; Ninpo is about living life in an enlightened manner. A true student of Ninpo is working to find ways around killing, harming others or the world we live in. It’s about the back edge of the sword not the sharp edge.”
Now armed with this distinction you can choose to follow two paths – a broad Ninpo, and a battle fighting focused Ninjutsu. Within the following list are suggested readings that helped me understand both. In Ninjutsu and our combat training Soke’s words and actions relate to students of all levels. With regard to Ninpo - Hatsumi’s Sensei’s books remain core – yet you might like to read other books to develop a deeper understanding of the Grandmasters transmission.
So the list that follows this note is suggested viewing and reading. I certainly do not support ‘prescribing’ what Bujinkan practitioners - beginners or experienced - read or watch. Everyman and woman orient their activity and training to their relevant needs. Everyone is different. My view is no more right or wrong than the next person’s. Rather I’ve found the following books and videos’ helped shape my understanding of how to train… And perhaps more importantly… Why to train. I trust that they might help you too.
Yet I urge you to discriminate and read with an inquiring mind and open heart - Sensei would also. Not only what he’s written, but others as well. As time moves on you’ll be surprised what you read one year, will seem trite the next. Likewise, the inverse is true too. Working with information, learning Japanese terms and collecting knowledge about skill, won’t supplant being skillful. The Bujinkan focuses on combat skill acquisition, and not combat knowledge. Sensei urges us to lead a fulfilling, natural, and enlightened life, and not living vicariously through someone else’s example. He decries focus on knowledge accumulation without action that will lead you into the trap of ‘thinking’ that you know something… Only to discover later that you caught yourself out… Often termed delusion.
If that’s where you find yourself at some time in your training, that's OK. Because even the most experienced Shihans will admit to succumbing to ego at some time. We all dwell in the domain of men with our faults and frailties. Balance occurs from discovering how to not indulge in our poor choices, or get big headed about our good ones. Soke, after publishing many video’s in the 90’s commented “they are just movies”. Some of his books, too, he’s content to disparage.
Yet Soke through the 90’s and early this millennium has allowed much footage of training and discussion on budo and ninpo to be made available to the public. I recall the period in the late 80’s and the 90’s, when there was none. My peers look back and laugh about sessions where many students - during training - spent time with notebooks writing down the techniques they’d just practiced.
‘Sensei, many times, warned us all not to become “collectors” of techniques – as people too often driven by their desires, spent more time in training trying to “know” how to fight – and this undermined their capability to “act” appropriately in combat. In truth, the Bujinkan is a domain where we train to acquire the skills that support our lives – this may generate from altruist or selfish drives. Many books are written on such – but I find the sentiments expressed in both Takamatsu Sensei’s essay and Hatsumi Sensei’s essay – published on this website – core. So as a starting point, you might like to read these.
Please again note, my suggestions here are just that… suggestions. You’ll find in anything you read, watch or do relative to this art that some particular sentiments and experiences resonate in you… but not in everyone else.
Being human means that you have the right and the capability to “choose” what you want to mull over, train in and act upon. To deny that right, and prescribe what a student must read, act with, or to adopt a particular ‘mindset’ is the antitheses of that power inspiring us all to study and train in the Bujinkan - the Warrior God Hall.
Beginners
DVD: See http://www.budobiz.com/Ninjutsu.special%20topic.dvds.html
For Core Skills - “Kobudo no Kihon”
Introduction to Ninjutsu
“The Essence of Ninjutsu: The Nine Traditions” - Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi
Contemporary Books -ISBN 0-8092-4724-0
Introduction to Ninpo
“Ninpo Wisdom for Life” – Dr Masaaki Hatsumi – Joe Maurantonio Ed. Musahin Press.
Introduction to Weapons
“Stick Fighting: techniques of self-defence” Masaaki Hatsumi, Quintin Chambers
Kondansha International ISBN 4-7700-0963-1 C2075
Women & Martial Art - "Women in Martial Arts" edited by Carol Wiley
Context
“Lives of Master Swordsmen” Masato Sugawara – The East Publications Inc. Tokyo ISBN4-915645-01-0 ( hard to find – get on the internet)
Intermediate - Advanced
All Sensei’s DVD’s - Enjoy!
See http://www.budobiz.com/Ninjutsu.special%20topic.dvds.html
“Japanese Sword Fighting: The Secrets of the Samurai” Masaaki Hatsumi – Kodansha International Ltd – ISBN4-7700-2198-4 C2075
“Advanced Stick Fighting” Masaaki Hatsumi – Kodansha International Ltd – ISBN4-7700-2196-9 C2075
“Unarmed Fighting Techniques of the Samurai” – Masaaki Hatsumi – Kodansha
ISBN978-4-7700-3059-7
“The Way of the Ninja: Secret Techniques” – Masaaki Hatsumi – Kodansha – ISBN 4-7700-2805-9
“Words of Consequence: Understand? Good. Play!” – Masaaki Hatsumi & Benjamin Cole – Bushin Books – ISBN 9710849-5-5
“Shapes, Changes & Ideas: an Orientation To Bujinkan Training” – Shiloh Kevin Millis.
“Zen and Japanese Culture” – Daisetz T. Suzuki - Charles E Tuttle Company - ISBN 0-08048 – 1560 – 7
“The Japanese Art of War: Understanding the Culture of Strategy” Thomas Cleary – Shambhala 1992 – ISBN 0-87773-653-7
“The Unfettered Mind: Writings from a Zen Master to a Master Swordsman” – Takuan Soho – writing to Yagyu Menenori, Musahi’s Greay Rival – Kodansha International ISBN4-7700-2947-0 C0036
"Bushido" - Nitobe Inazo - Kodansha International - 1900 - ISBN 978 - 4- 7700-2402-2
“The Tao of Physics: An Exploration between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism – Fritjof Capra – Shambhala – ISBN 1-57062-519-0
“The Life-Giving Sword: Secret Teachings from the House of the Shogun: The classic text on Zenand the No-Sword by Yagyu Munenori – Translated by William Scott Wilson” – Yagyu Munenori – Kodansha- ISBN 4-7700-2955-1
“Essays In Idleness: The Tsurezuregusa of Kenko” – Donald Keene Trans. – Tuttle Books ISBN 4-8053-0476-6
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