It depends on the individual school. Some actually teach specific (2 person) katas from the original arts. Some are more focused on moves which are based on the principles of the older arts as interpreted by Hatsumi or the teachers under him. I think that this process of creative interpretation can sometimes get pretty far from the original source.
I have been told that when Takamatsu created his own branch of the older arts that he did make significant technical changes. Whether
anyone but a student of another branch of Kukushin Ryu or Takagi Yoshin Ryu would notice those changes, I donāt know.
I do know that the training culture of the Bujinkan is significantly different from the koryu arts in general. However there is a genuine connection to the historical arts.
All the Koryu have changed over time ...they have evolved to suit the times in which they are in /were in ...From the early years of the Tokugawa era (Edo period) they were not really needed as such and the Tokugawa for obvious reasons wanted the schools curbed to an extent ...I dont think I need to go into how they ran Japan and why it very well known. There were still shinobi-no-mono for sure but the numbers declined. From the time of the Meiji restoration onwards esp after the acts that basically "stopped" the Samurai class the shinobi-no-mono basically disappeared as well as they were no longer needed.
Was Takamatsu shinobi-no-mono that I think is open to debate ...was he a skilled MA yes probably however again some of his exploits are again very open to debate. Is Hatsumi shinobi-no-mono ...no he is not ...is he Takamatsu's successor yes but as to if he has carried on it as Koryu in the schools he teaches ...again very open to debate.
There is no hand to hand combat in Ninjutsu (read the shinobi scrolls and I don't think you will find any !!!) ...Shinobi were on the most part Samurai (ok lower class) or Ashigaru they were not Hinin (ok some maybe fell into that after the reduction and then the collapse of the Samurai class) and there were I do not think any total Sinobi schools (not even at the time of the Iga and Koka ) Shinobi techniques were taught yes but as part of a Ryu not as a stand alone.
I guess the Bunjinkan gave and still does in certain terms give of the impression that it is a Ninja school ... It is not and never was or will be.
As far as the black pj's lol well possibly they may have worn black (makes sense at night ) but if they were going in during daylight then they would have worn what they locals wore or whatever "army" they were infiltrating wore down even to the same style of embroidery and sword cords ...and all the rubbish about the mask is just that lol as in none of the scrolls is there any mention of that nor in any of the art work of the time that (I know of). You might think as it the iconic thing they might just have shown it or mentioned it in the scrolls lol!!!
This is going to probably stir up muck but well I gonna say it anyway ... The Saaki test that Hatsumi did or does is well best described as what comes out of a bulls backside lol... I have no doubt that there are people who can sense things and preempt but his test is well as I said.
The Bunjinkan was formed I think in the 80's and that should tell something in itself lol... and it it did ride on the coat tails of the movie ...and comic industries and vice versa ...do they teach things that work...that up to the individual to decide are some of the schools descended from Koryu ... yes and no
The Bunjinkan is what it is and no more ...but it will always stir up serious debate and conflict as to what it is
