Questions on Stephen Hayes

[Kreth]

there is a similar situation in australia with wayne roy who was one of the first acknowledged guys from here to train (however briefly) in japan. he is no longer affiliated with bujinkan (to the best of my knowledge), but until quite recently his instructors were keeping quiet about the fact that roy's ninjitsu had no ties with japan.

The situation is a bit different. Wayne Roy basically wrote a letter to Hatsumi sensei demanding his judan, even though he hadn't been to Japan in years. When he didn't get it, he quit.

Jeff

 

[Bob Hubbard]

first... a high ranking buj member using the word "ninjItsu"... awesome!

I did this too until I learned the right spelling.

second the truth of the matter is, probably... no one would even know about ninjutsu if it wasn't for hayes. i don't care where it came from. he is the one who was the source for all the info one could want on ninjutsu and apperantly continues to be the source of info on ninjutsu history.

go hayes!artyon:

I learned Holliwood ninja stuff from Sho Kashugi, but got more 'real' information from Hayes books.

I've seen alot of different folks arts/techniques. While I haven't met either Mr. Hayes or Dr. Hatsumi in person, both on video have the 'movements' that I would associate with real combat artists. Knowing of Hayes long relationship with Hatsumi, I've no doubt that he's got a solid foundation under him. His continued work as an ambasador of the arts continues to educate the American public on what the ninja were really.

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

Enson, how do you know this person's rank? Have I missed something? And has anyone ever heard of two gentlemen known as Bo Munthe and Doron Navon?

 

[Limeydog]

Bo Munthe teaches in Sweden I think???
But Doran Navon now teaches the Faldenkrais methods and has turned his back on Budo Taijutsu. Mr Navon was the highest graded westerner...I believe, whether he was the first I couldn't say.

 

[Shogun]

The difference here is that Hayes was an active student for I believe a decade of Dr. Hatsumi, not just a part-time dabbler who did a few seminars.

Very active. Hayes trained pretty much every day (even rainy ones )for about 15 years. then, after he came back to america, he still traveled to Japan Very regularly.

 

[Jay Bell]

Shogun? 15 years in Japan??

 

[Enson]

Enson, how do you know this person's rank? Have I missed something? And has anyone ever heard of two gentlemen known as Bo Munthe and Doron Navon?

i just thought all the guys on here were high ranking buj members... if not by rank at least by character! except for you technopunk! hee hee hee! :rofl: (j/k )

 

[MrFunnieman]

Bo Munthe teaches in Sweden I think???
But Doran Navon now teaches the Faldenkrais methods and has turned his back on Budo Taijutsu. Mr Navon was the highest graded westerner...I believe, whether he was the first I couldn't say.

The story I heard was Navon was the last person to be tested for godan with a live blade. Please note the use of the word "story". I feel pretty confident in saying that Hayes was not the first Westerner to receive the training. With out any cold, hard, fact/ literature I think he is a strong candidate for the first American to receive the training.

Speaking of Feldenkrais, what do you guys know/ think about the method?
I am researching an Aikido school in Columbus, OH and the instructor is a godan in Aikido, shodan in karate, and is trained in the Feldenkrais Method. It looks like a cool place to train, but I am not familiar with the Feldenkrais Method.

Thanks,

MrFunnieman

 

[r erman]

I think he is a strong candidate for the first American to receive the training.

I think Terry Dobson is actually that candidate.

Shogun, I don't think Hayes spent fifteen years in Japan. By his own account he went in the mid-seventies. I think he was back in the US for a while in '80 and then maybe went back until '81 or '82...?

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

Bo Munthe teaches in Sweden I think???
But Doran Navon now teaches the Faldenkrais methods and has turned his back on Budo Taijutsu. Mr Navon was the highest graded westerner...I believe, whether he was the first I couldn't say.

Bo Munthe doesn't teach at all anymore. Doron's reason for not doing so has only to do with his injuries sustained from judo practice.

 

[Limeydog]

Bo Munthe not teaching anymore. What a shame he was/is very talented as is Mr Navon.

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

Some might say otherwise, though I've never met him myself.

 

[Limeydog]

Never really met him, just heard people at the dojo talk about him and Mr Navon. I trained under Shihan Bill Atkins of the TenChiJin dojo. Now there is a gentleman warrior. Words could not express how grateful I am to himshowing me true Taijutsu.

 

[Bester]

I heard somewhere that Hayes married Dr. Hatsumi's daughter. Is that true?

 

[Jay Bell]

No. Hatsumi sensei has no children.

 

[te_greening]

"I did this too until I learned the right spelling.

...if you're refering to me, i'm use the word as a generality anyway, and frankly you knew what i meant, and if good spelling is that important to you, yuo wlii realyl haet thsi, and i do bujinkan anyway. ha ha.

I learned Holliwood ninja stuff from Sho Kashugi, but got more 'real' information from Hayes books.

i agree that hayes was influential in putting the info out there in the beginning, and will admit to still having a few of his books in my collection (but i tend to keep everything). my point was more about where he's gone since there, to which people have put in there opinions. fantastic.

I've no doubt that he's got a solid foundation under him. His continued work as an ambasador of the arts continues to educate the American public on what the ninja were really.

fair enough.

...and i also acknowledge that there are differences between hayes and roy.