changing the yearly focus in the Bujinkan

[Brother John]

As I understand it Hatsumi Soke changes the 'focus' or what particular aspect/weapon/Ryuha are being concentrated upon each year...
Does this change happen on Jan. 1st or when?
How does the knowledge of what the 'new' focus is disseminate out to all the associated dojo?
Is there an order or sequence to 'what comes next', or does Soke decide arbitrarily each year?
How does this change in focus affect the way that YOUR dojo (the one you are a student in and/or are the leader of) trains? What happens to the other aspects/weapons/ryuha while you are focused on one particular thing?

Just wondering
Thanks

Your Brother
John

 

[Don Roley]

Does this change happen on Jan. 1st or when?

First session of the honbu each year.

How does the knowledge of what the 'new' focus is disseminate out to all the associated dojo?

I guess it depends on the individual dojos. Some schools don't have their instructor come out for a while after the start of the year, but that does not stop some people. I remember a few weeks after the year of the Jo my old American instructor announced he was doing a jo seminar and going over the stuff done in Japan. He had never been there that year at that point. How the heck he knew what was going on in Japan I never figured out. I do know he taught a seminar on Gyokko ryu and Koto ryu that I later found out was based on someone else's notes from a Manaka seminar. Some people do not talk too much about what goes on in Japan training, and I think this is the reason.

Is there an order or sequence to 'what comes next', or does Soke decide arbitrarily each year?

Who knows what goes on in that mess he calls a mind? People keep saying he has a reason for what he does, but no one seems to be able to show objective proof for that. Really, does it matter?

How does this change in focus affect the way that YOUR dojo (the one you are a student in and/or are the leader of) trains?

I look forward to seeing the answers from America and overseas.

What happens to the other aspects/weapons/ryuha while you are focused on one particular thing?

Ditto.

 

[Brother John]

Thank you very much Mr. Roley.
I appreciate your replying to my questions.

I wish more would reply with their views, but then the Ninjutsu trafic on this site is kind of slowish I think.

Thanks again

Your Brother
John
PS: Could others reply please??

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

Seems quite logical to have short weapons in 2003, medium length weapons this year and, as is rumored, long weapons next year. Officially, the theme for this year has as of now been changed to tachi waza as far as I know.

 

[Enson]

Seems quite logical to have short weapons in 2003, medium length weapons this year and, as is rumored, long weapons next year. Officially, the theme for this year has as of now been changed to tachi waza as far as I know.

welcome to the forum nimravus. maybe you could tell us a little about you and your training. happy posting.
peace

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

Feel free to ask me in private, anyone.

 

[Kreth]

Feel free to ask me in private, anyone.

If you hadn't seemed relatively knowledgeable regarding the Bujinkan, I'd have said this sounds vaguely Koga-esque (ie. sooper dooper secret ninjer training)... :wink:

Jeff

 

[KyleShort]

I only trained for 2 years, but my intstructors put definite emphasis on what ever the focus was for that year. We heard mention of it in almost every class session...if we didn't flavor all of our techniques a certain way, we at least worked a few that came from the specific Ryuha that we were focused on for that year.

 

[Brother John]

I only trained for 2 years, but my intstructors put definite emphasis on what ever the focus was for that year. we at least worked a few that came from the specific Ryuha that we were focused on for that year.

Thank you very much Kyle, for replying and staying on the subject.
:asian:
Your Brother
John

 

[Kreth]

Personally (and especially since I haven't been to Japan in a couple of years, rectifying that this spring), I just stick with kihon happo and a few techniques that to me show a common theme. And by theme , I don't mean the yearly one. For example, I may show 2 or 3 kata that demonstrate a similar way of breaking balance. I'll leave teaching the yearly theme to Hatsumi sensei and the shihan.

Jeff

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

Some instructors actually claim that for what it's worth, juppo sessho, roppo kuji, in/yo an all that is really the same thing. Use your body, move your feet, break his balance, be adaptive. Those things never seem to change, do they?

What's really funny is when people travel to Japan and go on nationwide tours teaching seminars on what they supposedly learned during a two-week stay at the planet Japan. I guess it's up to everyone else to decide whether or not they've actually gotten an in-depth understanding of the concepts they're teaching. People have told me that juppo sessho is "a sound mind in a sound body", spear techniques, jutte techniques, the kihon applied in a 3-dimensional manner, half a screwdriver, to be dissin' Musashi's five rings...and the list goes on.:idunno:

 

[Shizen Shigoku]

Training at my dojo is pretty much the same regardless of yearly theme. Seminars usually use the yearly focus as a theme, but not necessarily what is going on in Japan.

E.g. went to a seminar that focused on Gyokko Ryu, and then another one that focused on rokushakubo. Regular dojo training afterwards included some review of those topics, but were otherwise conducted as usual (lots of basics + something new and random for variety).

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

What Hatsumi sensei and the shihans teach in Japan nowadays is targeted towards the very elite of the Bujinkan. It really annoys me when beginners nowadays get too caught up in all of that due to exposure to what I call "the Japan snobs" who don't bother trying to get people get a grasp of kihon beforehand. If you're unable to put what they're trying to bring across in the correct context, more often than not the result will be certified technique collecting.

 

[Kreth]

Too many people go to Japan to train with Hatsumi sensei and only him. They should really be checking out classes by the Shihan, most of whom are more than happy to break things down to whatever level you're at...

Jeff

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

Too many people go to Japan to train with Hatsumi sensei and Shiraishi sensei, I would say...I can't stop wondering if his popularity nowadays is due to the fact that he is the cheapest to train with.:idunno:

 

[Dale Seago]

What Hatsumi sensei and the shihans teach in Japan nowadays is targeted towards the very elite of the Bujinkan. It really annoys me when beginners nowadays get too caught up in all of that due to exposure to what I call "the Japan snobs" who don't bother trying to get people get a grasp of kihon beforehand. If you're unable to put what they're trying to bring across in the correct context, more often than not the result will be certified technique collecting.

As far as the yearly themes/concepts are concerned, my personal view is that if you actually "get" what's being taught and want to teach it yourself, you should be able to express it through the medium of the kihon happo.

 

[Kreth]

Too many people go to Japan to train with Hatsumi sensei and Shiraishi sensei, I would say...I can't stop wondering if his popularity nowadays is due to the fact that he is the cheapest to train with.:idunno:

I don't see this as a bad thing. Most of us could spend a long time picking up ukemi tips alone from Shiraishi sensei...

Jeff

 

[Bujin]

More likely it´s due to Mr. Shiraishi being a really nice person and then of course he speaks a little english.

Regards / Bujin

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

The operative word here being "little"...:ultracool no of course he's a very nice and skilled guy too. It's just that...no, scratch that. I can't explain exactly what I mean, other than that his influences are a bit too obvious here and there.

 

[Shinkengata]

What Hatsumi sensei and the shihans teach in Japan nowadays is targeted towards the very elite of the Bujinkan. It really annoys me when beginners nowadays get too caught up in all of that due to exposure to what I call "the Japan snobs" who don't bother trying to get people get a grasp of kihon beforehand. If you're unable to put what they're trying to bring across in the correct context, more often than not the result will be certified technique collecting.

I don't worry too much about the year's theme unless my instructor indicates that i should. I'm still trying to get a decent grasp on the kihon, and will be for a long time comin'. No sense in me trying to run before i learn how to walk.