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

http://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!

Sanshin no kata and Kihon-happo is the most fundamental and important techniques in the Bujinkan Dojo. Five blocking techniques and five counter strikes was taught; the basic form and also jissen feeling.
 
This video is from a seminar in Riga, Latvia in February 26th 2011. This is day one of two. The first day the theme was Sanshin no kata and the second day Juttejutsu.
 

45 minutes, 572 Mb for $10.99

This video is not available as DVD!

On this video Mats was teaching the Sanshin no kata. He taught the basics, and more self defence and real responses. Without weapons and with weapons. There is five different ways of receiving an attack, and five different ways of counter attacking.

三心の型 SANSHIN NO KATA

地 CHI (earth)
水 SUI (water)
火 KA (fire)
風 FŪ (wind)
空 KŪ (void)
The techniques is called…

The video is 45 minutes, and 640 x 360 pixels, h.264 and AAC.

Recorded in Riga, Latvia February 2011

Sample clip from the video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tN4XcGbDsm8

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

About the download

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

40 minutes, 480 Mb for $14.99
Buy the full VCD, click here!

Sample clip from the video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2LN9ZiBHTM

This is one of the first videos we made. It was filmed between 2002 and 2003. The movie quality is not very good. But it has been our best seller since we opened our web shop. Many people like to know the basics .

Note: Not all teachers use this curricullum exactly for their ranking. But the techniques are the most fundamental and basic techniques in the Bujinkan Dojo system. So it is worth studying anyway!

Techniques covered in this video

TEN (first level, usually 9 kyu to 7 kyu)
- Taihenjutsu Ukemi (breakfalling),
- Kamae (9 basic positions),
- Hiken Juuroppou (16 basic strikes),
- Sanshin no Kata (5 basic movements),
- Kihon Happou (8 basic techniques),
- Shinken Taihenjutsu (escaping sword cuts),

CHI (second level, usually 6 kyu to 4 kyu)
- Hajutsu Kyuhou (9 methodsd to free oneself),
- Gyaku Gi (9 joint manipulations),
- Nage Kata (9 basic throws),
- Ryusui Iki (5 sacrificing throws),
- Shime Waza (5 basic strangulation methods),

JIN (third level, usually 3 kyu to 1 kyu)
- Suwari Kata (3 defenses from a seated position),
- Katate Dori (5 defenses from a single hand grab,
- Ryoute Dori (7 defense techniques from a double lapel grabs),
- Haibuyori (5 defense techniques from attacks from behind),
- Tsuki Uchi (9 defence techniques from a punch),
- Keri Ni Taisuru (5 defense techniques agains kicks),
- Tsuki to Keri ni Taisuku (4 defense techniques from kicks and punches),
- Nage Kaeshi (8 defense techniques against throws),
- Muto Dori (1 defense technique from a knife stab),
- Zanto Tonko no Kata (7 methods of fleeing from the attack).

About the instructor

Mats Hjelm started training in Bujinkan for the first time around 1983, but it wasn’t until 1986 he had the opportunity to start training more seriously under a Shidôshi. He attends around 20 seminars, go to Japan 2-3 times every year. Since he started training he never had a training break. He takes his budo training very seriously! If you want to sponsor a seminar or course, please don’t hesitate to contact him. For more information see his web site www.kesshi.com

About the download

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

70 minutes, 480 Mb for $19.99
Buy the full DVD, click here!

Sample clip from the video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZnZCp0tGSw

In 1971 Kodansha released a book with Hatsumi Sōke and Quentin Chambers, this book have been a good resource for many martial arts instructors and practitioners, not just within the Bujinkan, and this for a good reason. The techniques from the book is a collection of techniques from various ryū-ha, mostly from Kukishin-ryū. The book have step-by-step instructions with over 300 pictures, but if you don’t have previous experience in Bujinkan the movements might be difficult to fully understand. But together with this video, you also get the movements behind the techniques. We recommend you both the book and our video.

We do not sell this book, buy the book from Amazon, click here!

Screen captures from the video

About the instructor

Mats Hjelm started training in Bujinkan for the first time around 1983, but it wasn’t until 1986 he had the opportunity to start training more seriously under a Shidôshi. He attends around 20 seminars, go to Japan 2-3 times every year. Since he started training he never had a training break. He takes his budo training very seriously! If you want to sponsor a seminar or course, please don’t hesitate to contact him. For more information see his web site www.kesshi.com Note!

Note: The instructions is in English and there is no sub titles on this DVD

About the download

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

All 48 basic taijutsu techniques from Shoden, Chûden, Sabaki and Okuden no kata. There is 12 basic techniques in each level. Together with Shirabe-moguri kata (not covered in this dvd) the school consists of total 60 dakentaijutsu techniques.

Recorded in Stockholm October 27-28th 2007
The instruction is in English

Shortly after returning from 3 weeks training in Japan with Soke and the Shihan, Mats held this seminar. This DVD contains all 48 basic taijutsu techniques from Shoden, Chûden, Sabaki and Okuden no kata. There is 12 basic techniques in each level, together with Shirabe-moguri kata (not covered in this dvd) the school consists of total 60 dakentaijutsu techniques.

In the Shoden and Chuden level we learn how to dodge attacks through a series of throwing attempts, grab

and punch situations, and defences against kicks and punches. The Sabaki level is characterized by a shorter distance and foot work is even more important. In the Okuden kata the opponent starts to resist and do more counters. The opponent is attacking more freely. We try to get him in to a bad position and then apply a technique from the lower levels. In Shirabe-moguri kata (the last level, not covered on this video) the defender is now so skilled that he have developed the ability to feel what the opponent will try to do before he starts doing it.

Kukishin-ryû is a very complete system, if you study the basic techniques well you will have a good defence system against any kind of attacks. On the Keiko #18 dvd, the whole Shoden no kata is covered in much more detail!

About the instructor

Mats Hjelm started training in Bujinkan for the first time around 1983, but it wasn’t until 1986 he had the opportunity to start training more seriously under a Shidôshi. He attends around 20 seminars, go to Japan 2-3 times every year. Since he started training he never had a training break. He takes his budo training very seriously! If you want to sponsor a seminar or course, please don’t hesitate to contact him. For more information see his web site www.kesshi.com Note!

Note: The instructions is in English and there is no sub titles on this DVD

About the download

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

This is Kihon Happo part 2 of 2. Mats show the basic techniques. Each technique have two ura-waza and many henka. Included is for example Oni-kudaki, Muso-dori, Ō-gyaku and more as ura-waza techniques on this video.

Note: The instructions is in Swedish, with subtitled comments by the instructor in English.

KIHON HAPPO -- TORIDE KIHON GOHO

Kihon happo is the most fundamental and basic techniques in the Bujinkan system. It is divided into KOSSHI KIHON SANPO and TORIDE KIHON GOHOU. On this video the following techniques from TORIDE KIHON GOHO is performed…

1. OMOTE KOTE GYAKU DORI DAOSHI
HENKA
URA WAZA 1
URA WAZA 2

2. OMOTE KOTE GYAKU KEN SABAKI KATA
HENKA
URA WAZA 1
URA WAZA 2

3. URA KOTE GYAKU DORI DAOSHI
HENKA
URA WAZA 1
URA WAZA 2

4. UDE JIME ASHI ORI KATA (MUSHA DORI)
HENKA
URA WAZA 1
URA WAZA 2

5. GANSEKI NAGE
HENKA
URA WAZA 1
URA WAZA 2

NOTE! This video together with the KOSSHI KIHON SANPO is also available as a DVD at the BUDOSHOP.SE/store.

Sample video

Note: The techniques is from part 1 (Kosshi Kihon Sanpo)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi9dmV-2R_4

About the download

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

Temat för detta seminarium är 人略の之巻 Jin Ryaku no Maki, de lite mer avancerade taijutsu grunderna i Bujinkan dōjō. Teknikerna kommer att läras ut mycket grundligt på en enkel nivå, sedan visas olika varianter och tillämpningar på samma teknik.

Träningen i Bujinkan är inte linjär, det vill säga att man börjar med teknik 1 och lär sig den ordentligt innan man går vidare till nr 2, nr 3 och så vidare. Utan träningen i Bujinkan är mer irreguljär, det vill säga att man tränar på en teknik ett tag och sedan byter till en annan. För att vid ett senare tillfälle komma tillbaka till samma teknik igen och bygga på med ytterligare kunskap. Därför är detta seminarium öppet för alla oavsett grad! Alla kommer att dra nytta av träningen och bygga på sin förståelse för Bujinkan budō-taijutsu.

Information om lägret

Lägret kommer att hållas i Kaigōzan dōjō, om vädret är alltför illa är vi utomhus (på andra sidan vägen vid vattnet). Vi samlas i dojon på morgonen och tar beslut om det blir inne eller ute. Anmälan sker på Facebooks event sida, om du inte har Facebook, mejla Mats att du kommer. Priset för lägret är 300 kr om du deltar en dag eller båda dagarna. Obs! Betalning är kontant på morgonen, eller vid första pausen.

天地人略の之巻 Ten-Chi-Jin Ryaku no Maki (himlen, jordens och människans principer)

Den första taijutsu-nivån kallas 天 Ten (himmel) där är kroppsrörelse och kroppsstruktur lärdomen. I Kaigōzan dōjō rekommenderas dessa tekniker för nybörjare till 7 kyu.

Den andra taijutsu-nivån kallas 地 Chi (jord) där är tekniskt utförande och korrekta vinklar och riktningar lärdomen. I Kaigōzan dōjō rekommenderas dessa tekniker för 6 kyu till 4 Kyu.

Den tredje taijutsu-nivån kallas 人 Jin (människa) där knyts allting från de två första nivåerna samman. Här är tajming och flödande tekniker lärdomen. I Kaigōzan dōjō rekommenderas dessa tekniker för 3 kyu till 1 kyu. För 1 dan svart bälte bör man kunna utföra alla dessa tekniker dugligt. Att bemästra dom är egentligen en hel livsprocess.

人略の之巻 JIN RYAKU NO MAKI

Översatt till Svenska betyder det ungefär “volymen som beskriver människans principer”. Det är här man kan se utövarens sanna natur. Tekniker som kommer att studeras under detta seminarie är följande…

• Suwari Kata – sittande tekniker (5 tekniker)
• Katate Dori Kata – försvar från ett enhandsgrepp (5 tekniker)
• Ryote Dori Kata – försvar från ett två handsgrepp (7 tekniker)
• Haibu Yori Kata – försvar från grepp bakifrån (5 tekniker)
• Tsuki Uchi Kata – försvar från ett slag (9 tekniker)
• Keri ni Taisuru Uke Kata – försvar från en sparkattack (5 tekniker)
• Tsuki to Keri ni Taisuku Kata – försvar mot slag och sparkar (5 tekniker)
• Nage Kaeshi Kata – kontring mot kast (8 tekniker)
• Muto Dori Kata – obeväpnat försvar mot kniv-, svärds-attack (5 tekniker)
• Zanto Tonko no Kata – försvar och flykt (7 tekniker)

Ten-Chi-Jin Ryaku no Maki video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2LN9ZiBHTM

Detta är en trailer från en film Mats spelade in i Kaigōzan dōjō under 2003/2004. Alla tekniker finns med och visas tydligt utan förklaringar och en massa snack. Filmen är avsedd som referensmaterial, och inte som instruktionsfilm.

Filmen finns som VideoCD och kan spelas upp på DVD spelare eller dator.
Från 2011 finns den också i standard h.264 format för nedladdning. Du kan ha filmen i din iPod, iPhone, iPad eller vilken annan apparat som helst som kan spela upp standard h.264 videos.

Klicka på omslaget till höger för mer information.
Andra filmer som kan vara intressanta… https://www.budoshop.se/store/video…basics/unarmed

New DVD from the Kaigozan Dojo 20 Year Anniversary Taikai is released and ready to be shipped. For more info click here.

Download the bonus clips

We also released material that we couldn’t fit on the DVD as iPod movie for Download.

In this video Holger taught the history and the proper way of cutting with the Tachi, and Katana. Sveneric shared his wisdom and a few taijutsu techniques.

Today I got an e-mail from Mr Tom Lang, who is the author of The Stick And Cane In Close Combat: Jointlocks, Takedowns and Surprise Attacks, that really made my day. I see that his own book got really nice reviews on Amazon. I guess I did something right for once . Here is what he wrote...

Mats: I recently acquired your DVD on the hanbo. It is by far the best available. I have made a special study of hanbo and cane techniques for the past 10 years and have collected more than 150 books and DVDs on these techniques, so I believe I can make that statement with confidence. Congratulations!

Tom Lang
Author of The Stick and Cane in Close Combat (Unique Publications)

The Stick Fighting DVD can be found here, it is also available as and iPod version for download here.

Happy training!

Here is another old article I had on my web site 10 years ago, enjoy!

- Mats 2010-08-18

---

Background: This article was the result of me asking about the Shu Ha Ri (learn the technique, break the technique and then leave the technique) on a mailing list. And the response was so good that I thought more people should be able to read it. Click on the image on the right and it will explain the meaning of the Kanji. Shu-Ha-Ri is not only a Bujinkan term, it can be found in many Japanese Budô arts. And as Arnaud explains below, not necessarily just Budô, it involves everything we learn and master. Enjoy the article!

/Mats Hjelm - January 2000

Taihen Kuden Shinden by Arnaud Cousergue

Mats said: "I need some more information about that. I think most japanese Budô arts have this saying. Can someone give me a few comments or more information about this?"
The process of learning for human beings (maybe animals too) follows three basic periods:

you learn the new stuff,

you understand the new stuff,

you go beyond the new stuff, making it your own stuff.

If we take the process of learning how to ride a bicycle we have the following steps:

• When you are a kid you first learn to stay balanced on your bike, you learn to stay up (i.e. not to fall). To help you keep your balance, your parents (Sensei?) add two small wheels to your bike so that you cannot fall on your side so easily. With the help of the wheels, you can learn to move the pedals and you can move forward.
• Then you develop your experience by playing with your friends (training with partners) over the months. You fall sometimes but, little by little things get easier. You begin to feel and understand how the whole thing works and you free yourself from the "form".
• After a while, you know how to ride your bicycle, you do not fall that much, you do not think on "how to ride" but more on "how to get to this place". You know how to ride a bicycle and you adapt your knowledge to your environment.

By learning how to ride your bike, you followed the three steps of: learning, breaking and leaving! But this is not the end of the story. You have been riding your bike for a few months and the little wheels are bent upwards because you trained hard. They do not touch the ground any more, but you don't know it. You think you are still using them to balance your bicycle and prevent you from falling. One day, your parents (Sensei?) see that and with a tear in their eyes admire your mastery Watching you, they even saw that sometimes these little wheels where preventing you from riding properly. Because they love you, because they are proud of you they decide to take out these little wheels that you do not really use anymore, to make you more free of your movements.

Alas the whole process is to be followed again! You have to learn a different way of riding your bicycle. Everything you knew from experience is not good anymore.

• you have to learn a new form of moving because without these little wheels you feel unbalanced (even if, without knowing it, you were not using the little wheels anymore). You fall again very often and you get more pain and bruises as you progress in learning this new process.
• After a while you understand the new rules. You learn new angles you can use to change direction. Your bicycle becomes more the extension of your self.
• After a small period of time, you do not pay attention anymore to your bicycle, you are more interested in getting to some place(adapting the technique to the environment). Your movements are free you are not limited anymore by the little wheels (basics?).

And if one day you want to learn how to ride a motorbike, you will have to go through another (yet the same) learning process of "learn-break-leave".

This is the same in Budô. You first learn the body motion trying to reproduce what your teacher is showing. You cannot do it but you try hard to understand the "mechanics" of motion.

Then by training hard with your partners you build YOUR understanding of body motion and little by little you adapt it to your own body and capabilities. You break the forms and use what is good for you leaving what is not. You break every step into small parts so that you can integrate them easily in your body natural movements.

One day, the movement is no more your teacher's movement but it is yours. You reached the "leave the form" step until you get a deeper understanding of it that will put you again through the learning process and the three steps.

Now, if we want japanese names we can give the following names for these steps:

• learning the form = TAIHEN: learning through body motion,
• breaking the form = KUDEN: breaking the form through the experience you develop by yourself, with your partners and with the help and advises of your teacher,
• leaving the form = SHINDEN: you create your own form "naturally", your own spirit feeds your understanding of body motion. you can adapt your actions without thinking because you are one with the technique, you are above the form. The movement exists and you "manifest" it naturally, including it in different situations and environments.

For me this is what Hatsumi Sensei is teaching us. He is not only teaching movements or techniques. He is giving us freedom and this freedom can only be attain through hard practice, sweat and bruises. There is no limited time to get it, this is a whole life study!

I hope this will help you Mats

Arnaud Cousergue

http://kumafr.wordpress.com/

January 25'th 2000