Tell us how you got started...

[Kreth]

I think it would be interesting to see what brought each of us into the training. Things like, how you first heard about your first instructor, impressions of your first class, etc.
I'll post mine later when I have a few minutes to sit down and think about it...

 

[Kreth]

Ok, I guess I'll go ahead and post my experience...
Back in the 80s when I was in HS, a few friends and I were typical martial arts nuts. I had friends taking classes in TKD and Washin Ryu Karate, and they would show me what they were learning. We would also pore over Black Belt, Inside Karate, etc. I remember reading some of the SKH articles and being very interested in the type of training he was talking about.
Fast forward several years. It's 1992, and I'm reading the local paper. I spot an ad for "Authentic Traditional Ninjutsu." Being the cynic that I am, my first thought is, "Yeah, right!" But I do give the instructor a call. Unfortunately, I'm working 2nd shift at the time and he has no classes that work with my schedule. Another couple of months go by and I transfer to 3rd shift for a higher-paying job. I contact the instructor again and arrange to check out a class.
My first impression of Don Gilkinson is a good one. He's a well-educated, former barroom redneck (his own description). He has a very relaxed teaching manner. At the time, he's only a 5th kyu. He trains under Kevin Harrington, a shidoshi who started under Bud Malmstrom. Don has been given permission to start his own group, as there is no one else (at the time) in upstate NY north of Westchester.
Initially, I think I was attracted to ninja mystique. Over time, I became more interested in the practicality of the training.
Anyone else?

 

[mrhnau]

I think it would be interesting to see what brought each of us into the training. Things like, how you first heard about your first instructor, impressions of your first class, etc.
I'll post mine later when I have a few minutes to sit down and think about it...

Had a friend in college around 10 years ago teach me a little bit. Very minimal, but it whet my appetite. Lost touch for a long time.

Got interested in the martial arts again last year, and started looking for a school. Was a decision based on the instructors and style. was not looking for something too rigid and oriented in something other than pure fighting. The Bujinkan school I found fit the bill. The teacher has a deep love for the art, and its easily seen. I found out about him by searching on the internet and visiting a few schools in the area.

MrH

 

[Floating Egg]

As a child, I was introduced to Karate. I recall spending most of my time holding imaginary buckets of water in a horse stance. I didn't enjoy the experience and quit after a few weeks.

In high school, I went to a Tai Kwon Do school. I had a bad feeling about the instructor, but I noticed that he offered Jujitsu as well. I took a free class, and found that most of it was choreographed.

I decided to try Uechi-Ryu Karate. The instructor mocked me for not being able to perform fifty consecutive pushups and most of the class seemed to be dedicated to physical fitness rather than martial arts.

My last stop was a Judo dojo, which was located in a squash court. I monitored the class from a balcony. I was intrigued, and decided to try a class later in the week. My first class was a very enjoyable, and I spent close to two years with Judo before the dojo shut down.

I looked for a martial art to replace Judo, and even considered wrestling, but all I could find was Tai Kwon Do, so I stopped looking for a few years. Eventually, I came across an Aikido school and attended a class. It was in a dirty gymnasium, and the instructor wasn't there.

After high school, I decided to take Kung Fu, but it only lasted for a few months. The instructor, an MP in the Canadian Forces, couldn't afford to keep the classes going. The summer of the following year, I decided to take Tai Chi, but found it unsatisfying.

Several years later, while looking through the yellow pages, I came across a small advertisement for a Bujinkan dojo. I did some research, and felt fairly confident that the Bujinkan was legitimate. I decided to contact the instructor, and we exchanged several essay long e-mails. I tried a class and signed up immediately.

 

[tshadowchaser]

My first instructor heard I was interested in the martial arts and came to me to see if I wanted to study. I was his first official student.
I later choose whom I wanted to study with depending on the area of the country I was in by visiting their schools and watching and talking to them and their students as well as their compeditors and once in a while by their reputation

wooops sorry folks I didn't realise this was in the ninjutsu area (thread has been edited by me)

 

[Grey Eyed Bandit]

I saw a Shaolin - Wheel of Life show and fell for the Drunken guy's performance with a sword and a whip...only problem was, that style was nowhere to be found where I lived.

I saw the same show being performed about two months ago, they even used the same music. Visually impressive, but I can't say I have any regrets about not seeking out that type of training. It's sad but true what they say, that "communist kung fu" doesn't have any soul.

 

[Mountain Kusa]

Hello Everyone!!!
Sorry for the long absence since around July, But much has transpired since then, I cant even remember my last post here. I had tried TKD and just didnt fit. I had been in many fights before ever taking that art and it just didnt sit well with me, not when I was asked to spare with a red belt and won as a white belt. Two thoughts went through my brain; either they werent that good or I was better than that. I concluded the school was not that good as at that time in my life I was not a "large person" but of thin build, big people intimidated me.

Then In Charleston SC in a mall was an MA supply store and I picked up a little book by SKH called "Wisdom from the Ninja village of the Cold Moon" and I liked what I read. It would be at least 10 more years before I would ever darken a Dojo door, but I went and Trained with Bud Malmstrom for a few years until he closed his Dojo, Then I trained under another instructor I would like to remain nameless as it was not a good experience, and after Him I have been Under Ed Martin and all the instructors under him. It is an affliction. This is what I tell those in our group, that they should train with as many as possible and not judge them, as i think everyone has something to offer be it good or bad. To often many times we label things as good or bad with out realizing the lesson within the bad. I have met some wonderful friends because of this training, and that in itself was worth the journey.

 

[Mountain Kusa]

It is an affliction. .

Training is a good affliction, After reading it again I thought some might take it the wrong way. Just wanted to clarify.

 

[Koinu]

I had no interest in Martial arts at all (even though I spent over 5 years as a Bouncer) until I read a Book by Soke in 1995. I then found several more books By Soke over the next few years and read them, always with the feeling of the unobtainable. Then a friend said they had a book by one of Soke's students (SKH) so I read that and found an address to write to. So I drafted a nice polite letter asking if SKH knew of any instructors teaching in my neck of the woods (OZ). Few months later a reply (well a paper infomercial trying to sell me home study courses and T/shirts). So From there I knew I was on my own looking for an instructor and thought I would not find one.
Some one then gave me a years old Martial arts Mag (i still have it) While reading through it I spotted an article about Soke teaching a Taikai not only in my country but in my home town. So I then knew that there had to be someone here teaching. The article listed WLR as the instructor being interviewed about the taikai (even though I found out later he did NOT host the Taikai). So I looked up the local WLR school and went to some lessons (2 I think) Being an Ex Bouncer I was not impressed and thought these guys sucked and my interest wained in the style due to the impression I got.
Then by chance my car broke down on my 3rd trip (100 mile round trip)to the WLR dojo in the weeks following I lost the contact info and when I was looking though the phone book found another Dojo listed in very small print so decided to ring and go take a look and see if they were any good and with the Bujinkan. They were (a Shihan) and they beat the living daylights out of me with ease and needless to say I was hooked and been doing the 100 mile round trip to that dojo several times a week since then now going on 7 years.

 

[Kreth]

I thought I'd bump this back up, as it seemed like a fun topic.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

For myself Kreth it was pretty simple. I have always been interested in Martial Arts and was training in both Modern Arnis and Tae Kwon Do and had kickboxed, wrestler, competed around the country. I observed some people practicing what was then always refered to as: Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu and thought that they were pretty good at what they were doing. I checked out some Stephen Hayes Books and then after several years I came into an area and saw that Otto Cardew was teaching at the UofM and also at his home dojo in Ann Arbor. Took a few classes and met my life lone best friend Bart Uguccioni (who teaches at the Dexter Bujinkan Dojo the sponsor of this forum) at the second one and walla.

What I have always enjoyed about Budo Taijutsu is the variety, effectiveness and the mindset. Budo Taijutsu is a constantly growing process within a practitioner and there simply is no end point. In other words there is always something to learn.

Great thread and glad you bumped it!

 

[Bigshadow]

Fun one, Jeff! I hadn't seen this thread.

I had always been interested in Martial Arts, but never was able to train. For me, it started when I was teen reading Stephen Hayes books. Of course back then there was nothing remotely close and certainly not feasible for a teen without the means to gain access to the training. I had such a thirst for the training. Well then I got on with life and it was nearly forgotten until my son was training in TKD. Watching him train rekindled my dream of training in "Ninjutsu". I started looking around on the internet and found a small private training group in a nearby town. I made contact with Jay Leslie and started training soon after.

The first class was quite humbling and painful. I struggled with the rolling and wore the burns on the elbows and knees for about a month. It was not at all what I had thought it was like, all those years. Budo has had a major impact on my life and seems nearly as important to me as a religion is to others.

Not too long after I started, Jay left, and as luck would have it, Rob Renner was moving to the area for a couple of years and wanted a group to train with. He has been a major influence on my budo as well and since I have trained with a few shihan over the years all have left their mark on my training.

This month Andrew Young will be in Palm Beach, Florida, so I am thinking of going to train with him since I have never done so.

 

[Kreth]

I made contact with Jay Leslie and started training soon after.

I trained with Jay a few times when he was in the Philly area.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Hey Dave definately take the time to train with Andrew he is a good teacher and a great guy! (met him a couple of times and talked at length on a train ride once in Japan)

 

[Bigshadow]

I trained with Jay a few times when he was in the Philly area.

I heard he was up in that area at one time. I exchange emails with him once or twice a year.

He is the one that got me started. However, I didn't get to train with him very long, 3 months, maybe.

 

[Kreth]

Hey Dave definately take the time to train with Andrew he is a good teacher and a great guy! (met him a couple of times and talked at length on a train ride once in Japan)

Yeah, Andrew is a good guy. Maybe I'll revive the funny stories thread and post a story from one of his seminars (one of the first seminars I attended).

 

[Bigshadow]

Hey Dave definately take the time to train with Andrew he is a good teacher and a great guy! (met him a couple of times and talked at length on a train ride once in Japan)

I will likely go. I have wanted to train with him when he was in Florida the past couple of years and didn't have the chance. So things seem to be making way for training with him this time.

 

[newtothe dark]

This is something I wrote when I first started BBT hope its ok and in topic.

Why I study Ninjutsu, that is quite a question for a short report. I imagine you have heard a million different answers so I will start with what is probably a very common answer.
I grew up a teen of the 80’s and lived the NINJA craze. I owned the stars, claws, outfit, blowgun, and the sword. Me and my friends snuck around at night and climbed anything we could. So in a way I can say that I am studying Ninjutsu to live out my childhood dream, but that is the easy answer.
The real answer is much more complex and would fill a lot more than one page so I will be brief. Much of my life has been about martial arts, it is what I have based much of who I am around. I started at the age of 5 and have tried just about every art I could get access to. I found my home in the Chinese arts in the mid 80’s and have spent most of the years since studying and teaching that. I love it, it has been a major focus of my adult life. My wife trains with me and this is one of the greatest joys of my life. The last decade has been a very emotional one for me, I added the love of my life my wife, a son, lost my father, grandmother, and some very close friends. This led me to do some deep inner searching. In that search I found that the core of my inner being still unfulfilled. I spent some time researching the arts I had not studied for one that could not only give me a few new skills but for one that could help me to evolve into the kind of father and teacher I wanted to be. When I saw that I could begin the training with Ninjutsu via a modern method I was overjoyed. I contacted one of my best friends Tom Keen and presented it to him. We then really took a long look at the art and at the high level instructors. What we saw blew us away. The instructors like Shihan Van Donk, Bud Malmstrom, Steve Hayes, Jack Hoban and of course Soke Hatsumi were beyond impressive. They also showed the kind of inner peace and happiness that I wanted to be able to show my son as a way of life. I want him to see that the world isn’t all bad and that through training and study each of us can achieve a level of balance with nature that will give us the joy of life many seek but few find. It is through the harmony with nature instead of a constant struggle against it that a true warrior is molded. The art of Ninjutsu is the path I hope to take to achieve this.
So in conclusion I guess I am studying Ninjutsu for a couple of reasons. The first to help me find and strengthen my soul. Second to find the joy and harmony with nature that I have not found yet in my life. Finally I am studying Ninjutsu for my son, so I can show him by example how great this life can be if we try.

 

[Kreth]

This is something I wrote when I first started BBT hope its ok and in topic.

Absolutely, good post.

 

[Bigshadow]

Why I study Ninjutsu, that is quite a question for a short report. I imagine you have heard a million different answers so I will start with what is probably a very common answer.
I grew up a teen of the 80’s and lived the NINJA craze. I owned the stars, claws, outfit, blowgun, and the sword. Me and my friends snuck around at night and climbed anything we could. So in a way I can say that I am studying Ninjutsu to live out my childhood dream, but that is the easy answer.
The real answer is much more complex and would fill a lot more than one page.....

Same here! Great post! I certainly identify with all of that.