Bujinkan Roselle Dojo TRAINING and RANKING GUIDE:武神館ロゼル道 9TH KYU - SHODAN

Bujinkan Roselle Dojo TRAINING AND RANKING GUIDE:武神館ロゼル道 9TH KYU - SHODAN

Robert J. Hartung III BUJINKAN ROSELLE DOJO TRAINING AND RANKING GUIDE: 9TH KYU - SHODAN Author: Robert J. Hartung III |Shihan www.bujinkan-dojo.com 武神館ロゼル道場 Please support the Bujinkan Roselle Dojo, by purchasing a teeshirt at: https://teespring.com/stores/bujinkan-roselle-dojo Like us on face book at: https://www.facebook.com/BujinkanRoselle/ For a print version of this book, please visit: www.bujinkan-dojo.com Foreword:

Dear Reader:

It is my hope that my students find this manual useful as well as a guide for their training. It was created to serve as a personal record of a students' journey towards a black belt in the Bujinkan. It stemmed from my need and desire, to ensure the students of the Bujinkan Roselle Dojo receive the core instruction needed for shodan. I am sharing this free ebook in order help other dojos, instructors and students, with this information as well. It is entirely up to the reader to make use of it as they see fit. My hope is that it helps as a guide. Any mistakes, mistranslations, errors, and omissions are entirely my fault. Please feel free to share this book, but please share it in its entirety. All the articles in this book have been written by me over the years, and as I keep travel along my own path, my ideas about budo may change. Nothing is permanent, everything changes I am not the same budoka I was when I was sixteen years old and when I began my journey in the Bujinkan, nor is anyone reading this. The changes we make are a part of our journey. I welcome comments, and discussions about this book and Budo in general, so please feel free to contact me, or I will see you on the Tatami sooner or later. As always good luck with training.

武風一貫 Sincerely, Robert J. Hartung III | Bujinkan Roselle Dojo-cho INTRODUCTION: 礼 It is said that the study of marital arts begins and ends with a bow, ”礼”(rei). Dojo etiquette is an important part to study- ing martial arts; knowing when you should bow, knowing how to behave, and knowing what is expected of you as a martial artist is as important as the techniques themselves. Before entering the dojo, we show our respect to the art, to the space, and to the tradition by bowing at the door of the dojo. We then bow again, facing the shomen (the front of the dojo) or the kamidana (spiritual shelf), before stepping on the tatami mats. We also face the shomen or kamidana and bow when leaving the tatami mats. In Japanese culture bowing is important, even baseball players bow to the field when entering and leaving the ball diamond. Bowing demonstrates respect. In the Bujinkan we also have a bow-in procedure before starting and closing our training session. The procedure is as follows: 1. Students line up based on rank from right to left; 詞 highest ranking students to lower ranking students 韻 facing the shomen or kamidana. 2. The teacher is in front of the students facing the 波 Kamidana or shomen. 羅 3. The teacher makes a plea in Japanese, then says: ”詞韻波羅密大光明”(shiken harimitsu daiko- 密 myo) students repeats after the teacher then in 大 unison everyone claps twice and bows, then claps once more and bows. 光 4. Teacher turns to students, then the highest rank- 明 ing student says: ”先生に礼”, (sensei ni rei). And, everyone says ”よろしくお願いします”(Yoro- shiku Onegaishimasu)while bowing to each other. 5. Bowing out procedures basically repeats steps 1-4, except instead of saying (Yoroshiku Onegaishima- su you say,どうもありがとうございました1 (domo arigato gozaimashita). Bowing procedures are sometimes different, depending on the dojo and teacher. However, this is generally how bowing in is done in the Bujinkan. The beginning and end of class has the most formality; bowing through out class usually occurs, when changing trading partners and when the teacher finishes teaching something different. Bowing is only one of the means in which we demonstrate respect. There are various ways to bow, but your teacher should demonstrate them to you. Bowing is almost an art onto itself.

DOJO-KUN (CODE OF THE DOJO) 道場訓

In the dojo, we have a code or basic precepts in which we strive to uphold. These precepts are as follows. 右、一、一、一、一、一、道昭明五文心唯悲大人忍場伝高戸和治定武常だし欲の耐訓初松田三二をにに不みと道は、見寿真十十守志忠動も楽は、先良嗣龍三三るす孝心恨と正ず昭翊軒年年こ可ののみ依義一白翁正三春と、し道悟も怙也服龍光月正道をり自のとの吉月場離を然心知間日記のれ得のをれと規ず、可定忘ぞ定しめれ知也とよれ思い、 Translation:

“DOJO CODE To know that patience comes first. To know that the path of humanity comes from justice. To renounce avarice, indolence, and obstinacy. To recognize sorrow and resentment as natural, and seek the immovable heart. To not stray from the path of loyalty, and with a balance between the pen and the sword, always delve deeper into the heart of Budo. Observing these five rules to the right is the law of the dojo.

Meiji 23 (1890) Spring, Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu Showa 33 (1958) March, on an auspicious day Takamatsu Toshitsugu Uou Transmitted by Hatsumi Masaaki Byakuryu”

This Dojo-kun was passed on to Hatsumi Sensei and he has passed it on to us; in addition to the general guidelines to join the Bujinkan Dojo. All Japanese martial arts have a dojo-kun that illustrates their general moral outlook and values. Before joining a dojo you agree to uphold these laws.

The general guidelines are as follows although some guidelines have changed recently:

“BUJINKAN GUIDELINES: 1. The Bujinkan shall be open to only those who agree with and uphold the guidelines of the Bujinkan Dojo. Those not doing so shall not be allowed to join. Specifically: Only those who have read and agreed with these guidelines shall be allowed to participate.

2. Only those able to exercise true patience, self-control, and dedication shall be allowed to participate. A physician’s examination report shall be required. Specifically, individuals with mental illness, drug addiction, or mental instability shall be barred from joining. The necessity of such a report concerns individuals who may present a danger to others, for example, those with infectious diseases or illnesses, individuals with clinically abnormal personalities or physiology, and individuals lacking self-control.

3. Individuals with criminal records shall be turned away. Trouble makers, those who commit crimes, and those living in Japan who break domestic laws shall be turned away.

4. Those not upholding the guidelines of the Bujinkan, either as practitioners or as members of society, by committing disgraceful or reproachable acts shall be expelled. Until now, the Bujinkan was open to large numbers of people who came to Japan. Among them, unfortunately, were those committing violent drunken acts, the mentally ill, and trouble makers who thought only of themselves and failed to see how their actions might adversely affect others. Through their actions, such people were discarding the traditional righteous heart of the Bujinkan. From this day forward, all such people shall be expelled.

5. Regarding accidents occurring during training (both inside and outside the dojo), one should not cause trouble to the Bujinkan. This is an extremely important point. Those unwilling to take personal responsibility for accidents occurring during Bujink- an training shall not be admitted. Reiterating for clarity, the Bujink- an shall not take responsibility for any accidents happening in the course of training, regardless of the location.

6. All those joining the Bujinkan must get an annual membership card. This card not only preserves the honor of the Bujinkan members, it indicates you are part of a larger whole–one whose members come together with warrior hearts to better themselves through training and friendship. It evinces the glory of warrior virtue, and embodies both loyalty and brotherly love. 7. The tradition of the Bujinkan recognizes nature and the universality of all human life, and is aware of that which flows naturally between the two parts:

•”The secret principle of Taijutsu is to know the foundations of peace.

•To study is the path to the immovable heart (Fudoshin).”

Recently, the Bujinkan has become truly international. Just as there are various time zones, so exist various taboos among the world’s peoples and nations. We must respect each other, striving to avoid such taboos. We must put the heart of the warrior first, working together for self-improvement and for the betterment of the Bujinkan.

Those not upholding the above-mentioned guidelines shall be forced out of the Bujinkan.

Masaaki Hatsumi – Soke”

Some aspects of number six of the general guidelines is no longer in effect, as in you do not need an annual membership card any longer. Daishihans are now allowed to handle memberships on their own. The importance of these guidelines are to ensure only good hearted individuals, that are healthy of mind and body are allowed to train; those that do not risk the health and welfare of the community as a whole. 学習 LEARNING

There is a zen saying about learning that states: “When you go to a house you must go through the gate first; arriving at the gate is an indication that you have arrived at the house. Going through the gate, you enter the house and meet the host. Learning is the gate and not the house. Learning is the gate to attaining the way.” Learning is not the same as understanding or attainment. Just because one has a bit of new information doesn’t mean one understands it. In the martial arts this seems to be very important as some can confuse the gate for the house. Or they confuse learning as knowing and take the bit of information as understanding. Taking the gate to be training and the study of a martial art, and the house as understanding and being able to put into practice what one has learned, then meeting the host would be mastery of the art or the way. But in order to meet the host you must first walk through the gate and enter the house. There are no short cuts to mastery, you must go through the gate, enter the house, and meet the host there is no other way. The dojo is an environment to learn, its a place to make mistakes and pick yourself up if you fall. Learning takes time, there is no need to rush to the end. How you handle failure and mistakes is the most important aspect to training. Just keep improving and one day you could achieve mastery of various skills inside and outside of the dojo. RANKING

In the Bujinkan, we primarily use the kyu/dan system that is commonly used in most martial arts these days. The kyu grades start at 九級 (9th kyu) and end at 一級 (1st kyu), traditionally all kyu ranks wear a green belt until they reach初段 (shodan/black- belt), with a wappan and various stars to indicate their level. The kyu patch/wappan has a white 武神(bujin “warrior god”) with a red background and a white border. At ninth kyu you wear the kyu wappan and a green belt. At eight kyu through fifth kyu you use white/ silver stars, at fourth kyu through first kyu you use gold stars with the wappan. Kids will have a separate ranking system. At shodan, you receive a new wappan and a black belt, the patch has a red field and a black 武神 and black border. You use silver stars for each dan rank up to yondan. At godan, you change wappan, it has a white border, black with white outline 武神. Every rank up to Tenth dan is then given a gold star until you change wappan at tenth dan. However, rank comes in the form of a certificate or menkyo which is provided by the h