Melbourne Bujinkan

**Xiphos** · Posted On: 5/06/2008 8:01am

So tonight, I disregarded everything ive read here about Bujinkan and went to a class, convinced by my inner child that everyone was wrong, because all kids know ninjas are awesome, so therefore no matter how much all the other dojos sucked, this one that i went to would be a hidden gem, and probably the best MA ever.

So, just emphasising that I went in with no intention of "lolling at ninjers" or whatever, and this is just a report of exactly what i saw and asked.

The class consisted of 4 guys training, with the instructor, Peter, training/instruction, and me and about 7 other visitors watching, 2 of them being chicks and every single other one being pasty stereotypical looking geeky dudes(again, im just saying what i saw).

I sat down, bracing myself for awesome, and instead got a step by step display of every stereotpyical joke about bujinkan ive read here D:

The instructor would get one or more students to attack him(one at a time) with crazy front leg/arm lunge punches, slowly("it wont work if you punch fast" was repeated often), which semed reasonable for training and explaining the techniques he was using.

[fake edit] just to clarify, attack usually meant lean forward in a terrible stance and try to grab my wrist with both hands, and then dont move again after that, unless i tell you to.

Except that while in Japan(he's just been there training with the pros) he learned the secret ability to move at normal or even high speed, while his attackers were stuck in slo motion. This was pretty funny to watch, because if one of his students made the mistake of not falling down easily enough, or punching too fast and hitting him, he'd just revert to normal speed and punish these poor guys who were stuck on "pause".

TO be fair, he could actually defend really successfully against high speed attacks, he had very fast reactions and was easily able to manipulate any attackers off balance and into positions of total submission, so it seems like a system that can actually be quite effective, it just seems like it would take a very long time to become practical to use.

That continued for an hour or so, also using katana and knives (you're cutting too close, i cant dodge if you're that close etc). At the end of the class, it was question time. so cue awkward silence as visitors and students square off.

Me : uhhh, so how much kicking or striking do you guys do??

Whole Dojo : LOLOLOL

Pasty naruto fan "what do you do, Karate????"

Instructor : none. why, do you like striking and kicking?

Me : Ummm, yeah, it seems to help....

I. : do you do karate?

Me : well, yea, actually i used to for a few years.

That got more laughs and sTHE N-WORDs, at which point i shut up, since id already been labelled by everyone else there "that idiot who thinks kicks and punches work irl"

My fault there for not realising, but i honestly completely took it for granted that theyd do some sort of training for strikes that they clearly used during the class. In hindsight, that may explain the weird punching style, I dont know. But ok, cool, that answered my question about sparring anyway...

Then the instructor talked about how they were nothing like fighting or competition based styles, because this **** is for REAL DANGER. and how no real person wants to get in a ring and fight etc.

So one of the other guys asked "but couldnt you use competitions as a means to train and enhance what you learn here??"

And by god I was actually treated to hearing about how this **** is way too dangerous and only works in REAL DANGER. Seriously, ask anyone whos been in REAL DANGER, like a war.cos thats where this **** works.WAR.

That was what really annyoed me, the inabilty to have a rational discussion about different approaches, ther was this sort of cult like resistance to any question about what might be more effective, it was just instantly rejected, regardless of logic or common sense.

The funny thing is, i think i might go back tomorrow to actually try it out, and maybe have more of a chat with the guy, because i do have a lot more to ask him, i just felt way too uncomfortable doing it in such a confrontational environment, where it made me seem like i was trying to be an asshole.

So that was the Bujinkan experience I had, just to add to al lthe others already on here, seemed like a cool way to learn more of a theory/technique approach to grappling or manipulation as long as you were spending way way more time on a more practical and instantly applicable MA.

**nightowl** · Posted On: 5/06/2008 9:02am

Ka-rah-tee? Punchin'? We don't take kindly to you's folks round these parts. Yessir, best you go on and leave before I have to unload an ass-whuppin. :XXonlyamo

**spartan6** · Posted On: 5/06/2008 9:52am

:bsflag:

BBT has a striking curriculum for various punches and kicks.

**rw4th** · Posted On: 5/06/2008 10:28am

Originally Posted by spartan6

:bsflag:

BBT has a striking curriculum.

No, it doesn't. Individual instructors might have one, but the org has a whole has no curriculum for anything.

***Plasma*** · Posted On: 5/06/2008 10:36am

That sounds like your standard Bujukan Dojo.

**spartan6** · Posted On: 5/06/2008 11:36am

Originally Posted by rw4th

No, it doesn't. Individual instructors might have one, but the org has a whole has no curriculum for anything.

Yeah it does, you are misinformed.

Unfortunately some instructors choose not to follow it...

**rw4th** · Posted On: 5/06/2008 12:45pm

Originally Posted by spartan6

Yeah it does, you are misinformed.

Unfortunately some instructors choose not to follow it...

Really, there's an official Bujinkan curriculum?

Let's it then.

***Plasma*** · Posted On: 5/06/2008 2:09pm

The closest thing to a Bujinkan cirriculum is Hatsumi's Tenchijin manual or Richard Van Donk's system. Its not a real cirriculum, like the genbukan has.

**OniSan81** · Posted On: 5/06/2008 2:57pm

That is why I left the Bujinkan, and tried the Genbukan. I wasn't laughed at for asking questions and my previous M.A experience, ie Kyokushin, Wado Kai, Boxing and Kenpo wasn't laughed at. If anything they embraced my previous experience and just tried to add things for me, while still learning their base ciriculum and syllabus.

**Xiphos** · Posted On: 5/06/2008 11:15pm

Originally Posted by spartan6

:bsflag:

BBT has a striking curriculum for various punches and kicks.

Well, what confused me was the fact that despite being told specifically "None." when I asked, they were clearly using punches, kicks and various elbow strikes all through the class. so i guess they meant they do use them, they just don't bother to spend any time practicing them separately, however odd that may seem.

http://mudojo.graycastle.com/index1....ion=instructor

like it says here, he's pretty high ranked and travels to Japan to train regularly. he even said last night that he'd just gotten back from Japan, so I assume he's pretty up to date with whatever the current curriculum is. Perhaps he just chooses to disregard the parts he doesnt like or something, who knows.