The Bujinkan Theme for 2012 training is “futsu” and there will be a lot of trainings with the sword. When I’m writing this the trainings haven’t started yet, and no one really knows what the trainings will be like. I’ve already seen some good articles explaining some concepts, but I’m not sure if they will help you or plant something different in your mind that will distract you from what Hatsumi Soke will teach us this year.

At Budoshop.se we got many Bujinkan sword DVD’s from the past years that might be good for studying the base sword work that is taught in the Bujinkan. We also have Swedish Tai Kai DVD’s with Hatsumi Soke, he always taught a lot of sword techniques in the past to. If you haven’t been around that long or just want to recap from the old days we got some good DVD’s for you. Check them out!

20 minutes, 243 Mb for $6.99
Only available as download

Sveneric Bogsäter from Holland together with Rob Renner, Duncan Stewart and Steve Olsen from Japan was invited to teach at this Swedish Tai Kai organized by Mats Hjelm and Svenska Bujinkanförbundet. There is two Tai Kai DVD’s and two download videos released from this seminar. This Video is one part of this set.

At the Taikai all instructors had three classes each, one class with the whole big group, one class with all Shidoshi (5′th dan and above), and one class with Mudansha & Yudansha (beginners up to fifth dan).

On This video – Steve Olsen

This video is 20 minute where Steve Olsen taught the Mudansha and Yudansha class (ranks below 5′th dan). He taught a little sword cutting technique but mostly Taijutsu.

Sample clip

Later…

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32 minutes, 388 Mb for $6.99
Only available as download

Sveneric Bogsäter from Holland together with Rob Renner, Duncan Stewart and Steve Olsen from Japan was invited to teach at this Swedish Tai Kai organized by Mats Hjelm and Svenska Bujinkanförbundet. There is two Tai Kai DVD’s and two download videos released from this seminar. This Video is one part of this set.

At the Taikai all instructors had three classes each, one class with the whole big group, one class with all Shidoshi (5′th dan and above), and one class with Mudansha & Yudansha (beginners up to fifth dan).

On This video – Rob Renner

This video is 32 minute where Rob Renner taught the Mudansha and Yudansha class (ranks below 5′th dan). He taught footwork, distance, taijutsu and unarmed training drills that will make you understand the basics better.

Sample clip

Later…

About the download

Click here for more information about our download files and how it works!

52 minutes, 354 Mb for $14.99

Also available on VideoCD

Doron Navon from Israel started training with Hatsumi Sensei in 1968 long before the “ninja-boom”. While in Japan he was also introduced to the Feldenkrais method by the Israeli physicist Moshe Feldenkrais who was an accomplished Martial Artist that came to Japan for a shorter visit. When Doron came back home to Israel in 1974 he deepened his knowledge in the Feldenkrais method directly under Dr Moshe Feldenkrais.

Doron says that the Feldenkrais method is a shortcut to the godan test. This has been confirmed by both Hatsumi Sensei and many other who have studied Taijutsu and Feldenkrais.

This video was recorded in 1994 in Stockholm. It was originally released on VHS and then later as a VCD / Video CD in 2003 by BUDOSHOP.SE hence the quality is VCD PAL (352x288), playing time is 52 minutes. It has been remastered and converted so that it plays nice on iPod, iPad, iPhone, PC, Mac, or any other device that can play standard h.264 videos. It is not DVD quality!

Sample clip

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GL5ecJvJddA

About the download

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64 minutes, 782 Mb for $14.99

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This 62 minute video is from a seminar with Mats Hjelm teaching at the Kaigozan Dojo in June 2011. On this video he teaches the Bujinkan Dojo Budo Taijutsu fundamentals. This is the third and last part from his Mudansha Guide, or more known as Jin Ryaku no Maki (the third part of Ten-Chi-Jin Ryaku no Maki). He taught…

Suwari kata : Five techniques from a sitting position.

Katate-dori kata : Five techniques from a one hand grab situation.

Ryote-dori kata : Seven techniques against two handed grab situations.

Haibu-yoru kata : Five techniques from grabs from behind.

Tsuki-uchi kata : Nine techniques from a punching situation.

Keri ni taisuru ukemi kata : Five techniques from kicking attacks.

Tsuki to keri ni taisuru ukemi kata : Four techniques from striking and kicking attacks.

Nage kaeshi kata : Nine techniques from throwing attempts.

Tonso kata: Three release, attack and escaping forms.

Muto-dori kata: Four techniques from knife and sword attacks.

All these 56 techniques is shown 2-3 times from different angles and explained shortly. This was filmed outside and it is sometimes difficult to hear what is said, but the way Mats teaches is very easy to understand by body language, so don’t worry about that. The instructions is all in English.

Sample clip

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-4GYgaStao

About the download

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82 minutes, 579 Mb for $14.99

Only available as download

This 82 minute video is from a seminar Holger taught at the Kaigozan Dojo in April/May 2011. On this video he teaches the Bujinkan Dojo Budo Taijutsu fundamentals. If you know the fundamentals really well you can then start putting each sequence together and better understand the ryu-ha kata. Without a good foundation, you can never really do the kata correctly.

The clips is from the morning sessions each day and contains …

Junan-undo : Warm-up exercises, self massage, flexibility and body conditioning exercises and routines.

Kamae : Proper body postures and how to move, Sabaki.

Tsuki : Striking exercises.

Keri : Kicking exercises.

Ukenagashi : How to block strikes and kicks.

Nage : Throwing exercises.

And much more. For example, we added 20 minutes extra material of some henka techniques from the Keiko#31 Gyokko-ryu Kosshijutsu Geryaku DVD (extra material that we couldn”t fit on the DVD). This DVD contains all 12 techniques from Geryaku (first level) of Gyokko-ryu and is 120 minutes long. For more information about this DVD, see … https://www.budoshop.se/store/ (This DVD is not available for download!)

Sample clip

www.youtube.com/watch?v=__qnSATA9P0

About the download

Click here for more information about our download files and how it works!

Förra helgen arrangerade Kaigozan Dojo ett läger med Holger Kunzmann från Reutlingen i Tyskland. Temat för lägret var Gyokko-ryu grunder och de 12 teknikerna från Jo-ryaku no maki.

På lördag gick Holger igenom grunder så som till exempel korrekt positionering, blockeringar, slag och sparkar. Han visade riktigt bra träningsdrillar som jag definitivt kommer att ta till mig och fortsätta köra i vår dojo. Grunder är oerhört viktiga, behärskar man inte grunderna ordentligt blir det inte så mycket av kata-teknikerna heller. Varje katateknik består av ett flertal kombinationer av grundtekniker, kan man dessa bra så är det bara att lägga ihop varje delmoment tills man har själva katatekniken.

Efter en halv dag med grundträning började han undervisa teknikerna ur Jo-ryaku no maki som är den första nivån i skolan Gyokko-ryu.

På Söndag efter uppvärmningen, med andningsövningar och rullningarundervisade han de återstående sju grundteknikerna. När dagen var slut svarade han på frågor som några deltagare hade.

Sättet Holger lär ut på är distinkt, effektivt och realistiskt. Man ser tydligt hur farliga teknikerna är i verkligheten (om man inte håller igen i träningen). Bitvis såg det riktigt läskigt ut och man tittade ofta på Uke om det var okej efter att ha blivit kastad ganska våldsamt. Som tur är Holger väldigt skicklig och vet exakt var gränsen går och ser till att ingen blir skadad i träningen.

Han berättade om hur Takamatsu Sensei sade att man måste kunna växla mellan en tam katt och en vildsint tiger på en bråkdels sekund när det behövs, för att sedan växla tillbaka till den gulliga katten som all vill kela med. Det är viktigt att kunna röra sig avslappnat för att vara mottaglig av signaler och känslor, samtidigt kunna växla till hårt under bara någon sekund när det behövs. Att gå omkring och spänna sig, eller ha ett “hårt sinne” är inte bra för hälsan, detta är en viktig poäng också Hatsumi Soke ofta poängterar.

Lägret filmades och kommer att komma på DVD om ett par veckor på Kaigozan Budoshop.se

Vad några deltagare tyckte…

Mycket inspirerande, det var länge sedan jag lärde mig så mycket nyttigt på ett läger! Fler skulle verkligen ha behövt vara där. Men jag antar att det var en helg som många valde att göra annat; det får man bara acceptera. Hoppas hur som helst att det kan bli fler tillfällen för honom att komma hit.
- Ola

Aj. Det gjorde ont. Men lika gla ändå är jag. Men… Aj.
- Arvid

Väldigt distinkt utförda tekniker, jag önskar att jag hade haft en sådan instruktör när jag började träna. Flow och feeling i all ära, men vad är det om det inte finns någon substans i botten? Holger är ett föredömligt exempel på en bra instruktör som tränar hårt på grunderna och inte så mycket ute i lalaland, det syns verkligen.
- Mats

The seminar was great. I had loads of fun training and meeting everyone.
- Robert

Part 1 -- 77 minutes, 936 Mb for $11.99

Part 2 -- 64 minutes, 785 Mb for $11.99

Part 3 -- 85 minutes, 1040 Mb for $11.99

Buy the full DVD, click here!

The theme of this year was Roppo Kuji no Biken. All of the instructors had already been in Japan this year and got the feeling of this years theme.

There was also a Q&A session, where the instructors talked about this years theme and much more.

Sample clip from the video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ymZM3_Wnm0

About the download

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On this video 逆技 GYAKU-GI, all nine reversal techniques from CHI RYAKU NO MAKI level from the Bujinkan Shinden Kihon Kata is taught. First the basic technique is shown and explained, then the jissen feeling and variations.

This video is from a seminar in Istanbul, Turkey in March 19-20th 2011.

75 minutes, 540 Mb for $14.99  

This video is not available as DVD!

On this video Mats was teaching the nine 逆技 Gyaku-gi (Gyaku-waza) techniques from the Bujinkan Shinden Kihon Kata, Chi Ryaku no Maki. He taught the basics, and more self defence and real responses. With weapons and without weapons. There is nine different techniques. The techniques is called…

竹折 Take-ori
表逆 Omote-gyaku
裏逆 Ura-gyaku
本逆 Hon-gyaku
表鬼砕 Omote oni-kudaki
裏鬼砕 Ura oni-kudaki
武者捕 Musha-dori
武双捕 Musō-dori
大逆 Ō-gyaku

The video is 75 minutes, and 480 x 272 pixels, h.264 and AAC.

Recorded in Istanbul, Turkey in March 2011

For a longer article about this seminar, see Mats blog.

Sample clip from the video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eDm1UZPOek

About the download

Click here for more information about our download files and how it works!

I think this was my 7'th or 8'th time I've been invited by Ercan and the Bujinkan Haburamu Dojo in Istanbul. I feel honored to be invited back so many times, I must be doing something right. The organizer hadn't asked for any special theme so I joked and asked if they wanted chaotic training. And they said yes. Well if you know me I like to have a special theme to go by so I thought I would do the Gyaku-gi from Chi-ryaku no maki, but I would do them all both omote and ura.

裏鬼砕 Ura oni-kudaki

逆技 GYAKU GI

1. 竹折 Take-ori
2. 表逆 Omote-gyaku
3. 裏逆 Ura-gyaku
4. 本逆 Hon-gyaku
5. 表鬼砕 Omote oni-kudaki
6. 裏鬼砕 Ura oni-kudaki
7. 武者捕 Musha-dori
8. 武双捕 Musō-dori
9. 大逆 Ō-gyaku

It is said that when you take the opponent on his back you will let him live, you give him the gift of life. And if you take him down on his face you will take his life. When a samurai died on the battle field and was found dead lying with his face down they would say that he died with honor. If they found him dead on his back they would say he died without honor. So if you take the opponent on his back you should let him live and not die in shame.

At the seminar I showed all the above techniques as they should be done (my way!). I did henka, I did them omote and also ura. For example, most of you know that with omote-gyaku and musha-dori you take him backwards. But I also showed how to take him forwards with these techniques. This was the theme I had in mind when starting the seminar, doing an ura technique but taking him omote and the other way.

I started with the take-ori technique and did many variations, I got lost in time and when it was lunch I realized I had spent half the day on one technique and there was eight more techniques. After lunch I asked what they wanted to do, and someone had asked about musha-dori. So we spent most of the afternoon doing musha-dori, and ended with a simple sword technique.

Next day I kept doing the other seven techniques, and later finished with some more simple sword techniques and also hanbo-jutsu. I always enjoyed going to Istanbul for seminars because the students at the Haburamu dojo are so eager and willing to train.

Oh I got a new nick name, "the Bujinkan engineer" from Ercan and his students . Because they said I show so many details in each movement. Well, that is how I look at my own training. I believe this is very important, to look at everything and study it in detail. I'm not satisfied looking at something from only the outside, I want o see how it looks from the inside, under, above, I want to feel the weight, texture, smell, taste, how it sounds and everything else I can think of. Just doing a technique without thinking about it and hope that I someday will understand is just not me.

Of course I can just show 1000 henka on a seminar and let people have fun and maybe not learning anything except moving around, I can do this to, but not too much. Trying to teach like Soke is impossible for me, I'm not technically ready yet. And I'm not doing anyone favors by trying to teach like Soke. But I'm geting there, I like to believe and hope that. I constantly jump between the shu-ha-ri levels; to keep moving, polishing my basics, and also moving freely and let the techniques come naturally. The last part is good for beginners to know about, but they must understand that this can not come easy until the basics have been perfected.

Besides from the training I had a good time. On Friday Ercan took me to the Basilica Cistern, this is the largest of several hundred ancient cisterns that lie beneath the city of Istanbul (formerly Constantinople). After this we went to the Topkapı Palace which was the official and primary residence in the city of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years (1465-1856) of their 624-year reign. We also passed the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Ercan told me this story; when the Sultan ordered the Mosque to be built he asked for gold minarets, in Turkish language gold is altın. But the architect heard altı which means six. Hence the six minarets of the Blue Mosque. After the sightseeing we had dinner and then the boat back home to prepare for the extra training later this evening.

The food in Turkey is excellent, I especially like Adana Kebab and Şalgam. I was a little disappointed about the pubs, the one that was supposed to be the best had recently closed, "The English Pub" did not even have English beer (not even Guine55 or Ki11kenny), the brewpub turned out to be a loud disco with only one bad pilsener on tap and one slightly better on bottle. But the company of old and new friends was very nice and that is much more important.

After all I had a good time, and look forward coming back soon.

I'd like to say thank you to Ercan for organizing everything! And also to all the people attending the seminar which made all this possible.

See more pictures from this trip, click here.

Ercan filmed the seminar, and he also got film from my camera. Contact him if you are interested in a DVD of this seminar.

Sample video clip

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eDm1UZPOek

Buy the full 75 minute video

75 minutes, 540 Mb for $14.99  

This video is not available as DVD!