Defending the Bujinkan: Why is it singled out?

**Prince Vlad** · Posted On: 7/21/2011 10:04am

Originally Posted by shmuel

As a related question, just how good is Hatsumi really?

I get the distinct impression that people here are not impressed at all with the quality of the Bujinkan training or with the ability of many (most?) of the members.

But how about the Man himself? He got his training in a very different generation and in a very different way to most of the students today. Is he himself the real deal?

For example, in his prime would he have been a match for top MMA fighters or one of the Gracies? He looks like he moves extremly well and makes it look effortless when he takes out people in demonstrations. But how much of that is real and how much is cooperation?

And what about his weapons abilities? Is he considered to be in the same league weaponswide as other koryu teachers. For example the head of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu or Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu?

From my time in Japan I heard plenty to suggest that he was a pretty tough guy when he first started teaching. His training methods were also considered pretty extreme, lots of injuries etc. Regardless of whether the techniques are authentic/effective or not, one thing is for sure, he has changed the entire art to suit himself as he gets older. So, all of the hard striking and throwing people with force is gone in favour of taichi like movements that allow an old man to continue teaching. The problem is a lot of gullible types believe that this type of training is more effective than the old school blood and sweat way and that Hatsumi trains this way because he became enlightened to do so after a lifetime of training. If he had simply passed teaching on to a senior and able bodied student there wouldn't be so much debate about the Buj. The ninja element of the history would still be causing chuckles but more along the lines of Tamura's Genbukan which has maintained a modicum more respect because of the quality control.
Most of the original shihan came from judo and karate backgrounds and were already used to contact training. Not all of the original shihan mirror Hatsumi's new softer approach btw - some still strike hard and throw hard. As for him lasting against a Gracie or a UFC fighter goes.... even if they were exactly the same size as him... he would not have stood a chance! There is simply no substitute to day in day out grappling and sparring against different body types - that is something that was never in the Buj, even in the early days.