Dojo Code – “Precepts of Perseverance in the Martial Ways”

The followig is from a document written by the 33rd Grandmaster of the Togakure ryu. Its titel is “Precepts of Perseverance in the Martial Ways” and it contains a set of guiding principles drawn up by the 32nd Grandmaster, Toda Shinryuuken. In just five articles, it manages to encompas the essence of Budo and og Ninjutsu.

1. Patience comes first. Know first of all that whatever hardship you may have to endure is but temporary.
2. Know that the path of man is justice. Always behave correctly.
3. Do not fall prey to avarice, indulgence, or egoism.
4. Sorrow and hate are both natural part of life. Understand that they too are gifts from the gods and seek fudoshin.
5. Never stray from the path of faith (the spirit), nor that of budo; be ambitious in the ways of both pen and sword.

Meiji 23 (1890) 1’st day of spring, Toda Shinryuken Masamitsu
Showa 33 (1958), an auspicious day in March, Takamatsu Toshitsugu Uoo
Transmitted to Hatsumi Masaaki Byakuryu

Do you have the heart?

My teacher would often emphasize the importance of the correct heart. The correct heart is most important in life and for the warrior. Without it you would be misled into a pour life of ego and illusions and you would experience continuous frustration, desire, jealousy, greed, anger and the like.

My teacher would also often mention that it is not the technique that makes you win or survive it is the heart. I totally agree and would like to add that it is not techniques and abilities that change the world or people it is the heart. If you put your heart in to things s… happens. The heart which burns with love, compassion and honesty. Techniques do not touch us much but heart does.

Do you have the heart to continue no matter what?

Do you have the heart to do what is right even if it hurts you and others?

Do you have the heart to get things done even when it seems impossible and is really tough?

Do you put your heart in to your life and the things you do?

Do you have the heart to look people in to their eyes and say: “I love you”?

Do you have the heart to do what is universally correct even if it is against what all others around you tells you and even if you are warned not to do it?

Do you have the heart to connect with people and make those connections really deep, strong and loving?

Do you have a compassionate loving heart that cares for others?

Do you have a good heart?

Do you have the heart to stand up for and protect what is valuable – your world, family, loved ones and yourself no matter how bad the odds are?

Do you have the heart not to be afraid and the heart to do things even if you are afraid?

Do you have the heart to put your life in danger if needed?

Do you have a heart of harmony?

Do you have a heart of persistent training?

Do you have the heart to die for what you love and believe in?

Do you have a heart of self confidence?

Do you have a righteous heart that beats the same rhythm no matter what changes occur in your surroundings?

Do you have an immovable heart?

Do you have the heart of endurance and patience to keep going?

Do you have the heart to apologize?

Do you have the heart not to judge?

Do you have a heart that unites?

Do you have the heart to trust?

Do you have the heart to be an artist?

Do you have a healthy heart at peace and harmony that beats slowly, strong and harmonious full of love?

Do you have a heart that is full of love for the earth, heaven and mankind?

Do you on a regular basis make sure to keep your heart true?

Do you have the heart of pursuing, protecting and preserving peace?

Do you have a correct heart?

Do you have a heart of a warrior?

Written on a beautiful gray day 29’Th of July 2011 -
Michael Schjerling

Michael Schjerling – Kihon Happou 季翻初崩 12-13′Th of February 2011 – Copenhagen Denmark

– The foundation of protecting what is valuable

With Michael Schjerling 15’Th Dan

Background
This is a special seminar. The inspiration to do it came pure and very strong to me today the 25’Th of December 2010. Reflecting on the theme our soke has put out for 2011 I got inspired to do a different seminar which takes off from my believes about “correct training”. Words I have often heard in Japan.

I believe
I believe that we should study and train correct and use the appropriate effort at each of the SHU-, HA- and RI-levels. We cannot jump to the Ri-level without the first 2 levels. Kihon Happou and Sanshin is key to protection and survival. It is key to winning not only on the battlefield but in life as well. It is the many hours of investment in these fundamentals that makes the difference between good and bad taijutsu and the results we can harvest during the process called life. Are you willing to let go of your own ego and believes and open yourself up to faster growth and transformation by going deep in our basics with an open mind for learning?

Is this seminar for YOU?
This seminar is for you who believe and have understood that without a solid foundation your techniques will lack power and bite and without a firm base you will not be able to implement techniques and your chances of survival in a true battle is poor. Your “house” will not last a real thunder storm”. The seminar is for all levels as it will be a in depth study of your own taijutsu. You will start from where you are now. So no matter if you have practiced for one month or for 20+ years you will study and perfect your current level of your basic skills. In fact I should say that the more advanced you are the more time you probably should use in building up your foundation stronger and more firm and secure.

What will you get out of the seminar
This seminar is an opportunity which is rare in Bujinkan. An opportunity to open your eyes and take total responsibility of your own training. And through correct practicing of Kihon Happo to bring you taijutsu to the next level of transformation. Your will in short words get a more stable and secure base to receive and deliver from and therefore get a step further in your ability to survive a true battle-situation.

You can expect this seminar to be tough and hard as you will spend many hours in perfecting the skills. That means working with the kamae, te sabaki, ashi sabaki etc for many quality repetitions. You can expect to be very fatigued and tired at the end of the day. At the same time you can be sure to learn at all three levels. The body, mind and spirit. At the body level it is my intention that your body naturally will understand how to kamae and move with more certainty, confidence, bone and freedom. On the mind level it is my intention that you will have a better whole understanding of correct training and what it gives you and that you have gone a step further to mushin (no-mind) by building up confidence in your taijutsu to let go. At the spirit level it is my intention that you will feel stronger and have moved some limits.

Last but not least you can expect to get some ideas on how to do self practice and find your inner motivation to go home and do a lot of self practice that will give you a huge improvement in your taijutsu.  

What will we study
We will work mainly on the SHU and the HA levels of the SHU-HA-RI . The seminar will cover pure basics as I understand it now after 22 years of consistent practice in the fundamentals of Bujinkan. It will be my tree in the forest. It will not be about how to make henka number 9999. It will not be about quantity but about quality and depth. We will study each of the eight basic waza in depth. That means that you can expect to study the following:

• How to compose and structure your body, mind and spirit to be able to fight against your opponent in a protected, faithful and strong way. This is Kamae and To toku yoshi.
• How to use your weapons without hurting them and with great power and bite to really have an impact on your attacker. This is ho-ken ju roppo and target practicing with the powerful pure kamae (body and intention). In other words we will study and practice how to punch, kick and grasp the opponent most effective.
• How to block. We will study the 3 basic ways of blocking. When and how to apply them and what opportunities they gives us. These are: Jodan/gedan uke, Uke nagashi and uke daken.
• What is correct distance and how to obtain it with correct timing though angling, moguri, sabki and juppo sessho.
• Why the positioning is key to survival. This is kuden of kurai dori.
• And how to use all above to control space (kukan) and the fight.

The seminar builds on all the themes we have had in Bujinkan since we started the area of themes for around 20 years ago.   

Who am I?
See this for full description

I consider myself a student of Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, Soke of bujinkan and his transmissions and do my best to stay close to his teachings every day. My first teacher from 1989 who I consider as my sensei and mentor has been a great source (I believe) to the backbone of my taijutsu and spirit. The man is Sveneric Bogsäter who I have made sure to study from several times every year since I began to practice Bujinkan.  When studying in Japan almost every year. Often more times a year my teachers beside our Soke are the four japanese Shitenno. I do my best to study very close to each of them and grasp the keys I can.
I started martial arts training 1983 when I was 13 and did various styles until 1989 where I started Bujinkan training in Copenhagen.
I have studied thai boxing, kick boxing, tao te ching gung fu, jiu jitsu and aikido. I also did close quarter combat in the army. I have participated at 13 Taikai (worldwide seminars with the Grand Master Masaaki Hatsumi).
In 1994 I passed the godan (5th Dan). My first Bujinkan Dojo was founded near Copenhagen in 1991. In 2003 I was awarded 10^th Dan by the Grand Master Masaaki Hatsumi.
Today I teach regular classes in my dojo in Copenhagen and have taught seminars in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia. I was awarded 15^th Dan by the Grand Master Masaaki Hatsumi 25’Th of October 2009.
I have worked with security for a number of years in Denmark. My Bujinkan training has given me the opportunity to practice with and train professionals working with security and members of special military and police units from all over the world. This includes governmental bodyguards.   
Besides MA-training I work with Health and High Performance optimization and have great experience in creating high performing results. I coaches and trains top athletes from several teams and have coached and trained top and Olympic athletes in hand ball, power lifting, triathlon, Taekwon-do, badminton, cycling, gymnastics, sprint canoeing and Road Racing.

 

Why did I put together this seminar?
Simply because I think it is needed. I see people from all countries all over the world who do beautiful and fluent movements in the dojo with a very compliant Uke who do not seem to understand true fighting.  I often reflect on how some of these people would be able to manage and survive a real situation. I do not think you should be an un-compliant uke most of the time. What I say is that you should polish your eyes and get to know about fighting and battle. One way of doing this would be to find a good teacher and study this teacher in depth as a way to be a better uke so you can give yourself and your training partner the gift of a better opportunity to study and practice from.  A good uke is in my opinion a uke who understands true terror and battle. It is very visible to me that too many people lack this understanding and therefore lack good taijutsu. What I mean is actually that most people lack good foundation. In my opinion the foundation provides security, certainty and better opportunity of luck. I do not point fingers. I myself still find joy and new opportunities while practicing Kihon Happo.  It is just my which that we all should grow up (or should I say grow back down) to the point where we understand that it is a must to constantly return to the basics. As Soke often says:  “Taijutsu begins and ends with Kihon Happou”. For me this has more meanings. One of them is that it is a never ending process. You could never stop building your foundation.  The more hours you train the more important good foundation is at many levels. It rusts if you do not use time in them and the stronger you get and the more power you can deliver the more stable structure you need to deliver and receive from.

Practical information

• Location is Frøbelseminaret, Grundtvigsvej 11, Frederiksberg, Denmark.
• Time: Saturday 10-17, Sunday from 10-16
• We will have a dinner at a restaurant in Copenhagen after the saturday training.
• Price is DKK 600,- (One day is 400) to be payed in advance at account: 0260 4545505975 no later than January the 31Th. If you pay later the prise is DKK 650/450.

Look forward to see and study with you at the seminar.

Bufu ikkan,

Michael

Erland Kamstrup & Michael Schjerling 15Th of January 2011 – Copenhagen – Denmark

Long weapons – bo, yari and naginata

The seminar will cover long weapons. Bo, yari and naginata.

It is now many years since we had these themes in our Bujinkan training. However much of what we practice today builds on the basic training with the long weapons bo, yari and naginata. The kuden of how to control distance and use the 3 different long weapons gives better understnding of kihon happou as well and understanding of why kihon happou is so universal and fundamental in our tradition. Soke often says that the level of ones taijutsu becomes very visible when holding a weapon. I think this might be more true with long or flexible weapons. There is a kuden.

Programme
10.00-12.30: Bo
12.30-13.30: Lunch
13.30-17.00: Yari & naginata

We look forward to see many of you at this one-day-seminar.

Please bring: bo, yari and naginata for training use as well as dai-sho as many of the kata are against oponent with daito and/or shoto. If you do not have yari or naginata then you can use your rokushaku bo as a substitute. 

Time: 10-17

Place: Frøbelseminaret, Grundtvigsvej 11, Frederiksberg, Denmark

Prize: 350 danish kroner to be paid to account number: 1551 6160461509
before 30′Th of november. If you pay later the prize is 400 danish kroner.

Yari & kodachi in Tartu Estonia

Welcome

Welcome to my Kokoro. It is my intenton with this blog to keep you informed about my seminar calender as well as posting articles to help and inspire you in your Bujinkan training and life.

Hope you will find it usefull.

Bufu ikkan – Michael Schjerling