Whose Bujinkan is this?
Soke said to me last night, in order to study Budo you must have a pure feeling or intention, if not it will go another direction….Most likely the wrong direction.
Thinking about this has made me reflect again on my own training, the purpose of it and motivation for why I train. I think that every Bujinkan member (or Budoka) should do so on a regular basis.
What is your intention, what is your purpose and why do you train?
Naturally, there will be many reason and motivations, but the real question is, is your reason pure?
Maybe traditionally, the original intention for training in Budo was to survive. But do we really need Budo to survive today? Maybe not. So what is the intention?
Whose Bujinkan is this? -I think that we can start to call it ours IF our intention is pure. But if not, then don’t call it your Bujinkan.
Ultimately, the Bujinkan belongs to Soke, so why are so many people contorting it or exploiting it? Yeah, we have rights, but the right is only to train-if you are decent person without a criminal record etc-. but there is no right to change or manipulate things. This is up to Soke. There is a time for change, but is it really now?
We can pose so many questions and fabricate so many examples…but I will be direct and say that if the purpose sides on any monetary basis, then there is NO purity and it is NOT Budo.
Soke always says that if you train then things will come naturally. And they will. But Budo and business do not mix.
Unfortunately, too many have taken the Bujinkan and Soke’s name for granted and used it to boost their own business, advertising or con job. Too many who never even really train, come to Japan, or even have any concept of Soke’s Budo, build a Dojo, use the name, hang pictures of Soke on the wall, and distort money from people. Shidoshi, Shihan are titles reserved for pure intention Budoka, not for boosting sales.
I wonder why the Bujinkan is under criticism? The worst of it is that the majority of the criticism comes from actual so called Bujinkan members. The hypocrisy is amazing.
I will repeat what Soke said again last night and an infinite amount of times before. If you just train, and keep going, then Budo will work for you. There is nothing to change and nothing more to do. Leave it be and just train.
Ninpo Ikkan
April 2, 2008 at 8:54 pm
This is my first comment on your blog and so I’d first like to say Thank You from the Northwest (US) for extending your words to us all.
The “Change or Commit” duality has been mental gymnastics for me for quite some time and I’m interested to know more about what specifically you find to be unpure or unbudo forms of change.??? Because of Soke’s emphasis on henka, kimatenai, gambatte, and change it only seems natural to apply what we learn from the kihon and tailor it to our environments. This mirrors Sokes statement of there being British Budo, Australian Budo, American Budo, etc. Of course rank must be appropriate before this interpretation is attempted. Thoughts?
Thank you again
Ryan
April 2, 2008 at 10:23 pm
Thank you very much for this blog site. One of your former San Diego students is a friend of mine and turned me onto this site and I have not regretted it. I thank you for your perspective and the truthfulness (sometimes hard truth) in your writings.
I believe that what you are doing supercedes many of the forums out there. I avoid the forums for the obvious reasons of the hypocrisy and rediculous arguments that continue to keep my head shaking in pity for those that just don’t seem to get it.
As of this time I have not yet been to Japan but I hope to get there this winter and I look forward to it. I am trying to keep a proper perspective on my training (based on what Soke says and more importantly…does.) My training has been mostly on my own and in many ways I am thankful for that for it has allowed me to pick and choose between those that I would associate and prefer to learn budo/ninpo from. So far, so good.
Again, much thanks.
Tony
April 3, 2008 at 5:40 am
Doug, this post (and some good single malt) inspired me to write this haiku to commemorate it:
Light in the basement
Shattering the cloaking dark!
Some rats don’t escape.
April 3, 2008 at 6:30 am
Doug, thank you. Your writing and insight is an inspiration. Your timing of this writing is also unbelievable (ninpo?) as I was just reflecting on this question myself. Why do we train?
One thing that stood out in all of the things I could think of……it stretches my thoughts and ideas both physically and mentally, it challenges my perceptions and abilities, it pushes me to undersand things that may not be understandable, but all in all…I train because it’s fun. Everytime I come out and “play” I feel energized and alive. Thank you again, Doug. Thank you, Soke. And finally, Thank you Budo and the Bujinkan.
April 3, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Your words are exact, no more to add,
I agree 100% with these paragraphs.
April 3, 2008 at 5:15 pm
“We can pose so many questions and fabricate so many examples…but I will be direct and say that if the purpose sides on any monetary basis, then there is NO purity and it is NOT Budo.
Soke always says that if you train then things will come naturally. And they will. But Budo and business do not mix.”
With all due respect, might it be that Soke promotes a certain level of contradiction with regard to these statements. Honestly, the sale of rank, the endless series of video and books, membership fees, etc. are all rather “monetary” and “business” from my point of view. Now one may argue that the “product” in question is of great value, but let’s call a duck a duck. The Bujinkan to which most people have access is rather like that which you speak against in this post.
Please understand that my comments are in no way intended to be an attack against you personally, nor are they intended to be disrespectful toward Hatsumi Sensei or the Bujinkan in general.
Thank you for your willingness to consider alternate perspectives.
April 4, 2008 at 6:20 am
I think there is a healthy dose of Kyojitsu, in what Soke says in regards to how we should train. It’s hard to comprehend Soke telling us to adapt the art to our cultural, enviromental and physical needs, only to frown upon it when we do it. I guess there are some people out there that take it a little to far though. As confusing as it is, I believe that effectively comprehending these “contradictions” is actually part of our training. So thank you Doug for helping the Bujinkan and it’s practitioners grow by making us think about these things.
-Chris Scarbrough
April 4, 2008 at 7:03 am
The only impression I`ve ever gotten from Soke is his deep respect for his teacher and the teachings he inherited, the same is true for all of his students in Japan who became the Shihan. I think this is what inspires people and why the numbers have grown.
The books and dvd`s have given people a chance to catch this feeling of being part of something very old and very special, something more than oneself and one`s own personal desires.
Soke once said that from his own personal experience, the essence of budo lay in magokoro (one`s own sincerity). Directing my own dojo has taught me that budo is not about getting a profitable return on what you put in and that no expense should be spared when protecting something pure.
April 4, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Don’t want to sound like a complainer here. But I’ve always found it interesting that phoney schools and the teachers out for business actually get students. And lots of them.
I guess this can be a sign that the people of the times, and possibly something more historical since the begining of man, have lost a sense of value in seeing truth before their eyes, or something dangerous. Everything seems to be about certificates or something written on a peice of paper. People live by this, and this obviously bleeds into many other aspects, not just finding a good teacher, or business.
April 5, 2008 at 2:03 pm
To Karl, “the duck is not the duck.”
First, Soke does not “sell ranks.” In fact, the cost that accompanies rank in the Bujinkan is far lower than that in many arts, including ikebana (flower arranging), sadou (tea ceremony), kibori (wood carving), and other martial arts. Don’t believe me? Go inquire at any major school in Japan.
Second, no one is under any obligation to purchase any videos. As Peter Meden pointed out, Soke merely makes them available to people who want to touch what it is that Takamatsu gave him. It is completely possible to understand Soke’s budo without having to purchase or view a single video.
Soke has put out everything–yet people still cannot “get it.” This is caused, in my opinion, by people not *LISTENING* to what Soke is saying, and instead convincing themselves that they understand when they do not….
In the end, the movement is the most important. It is what I call the “Bujinkan Full-Body Delivery System.” It is above any Ryuha, any Weapon, and any Technique.
I feel that the point of this diary entry is simple: “If you just do Budo, good things will happen.”
April 6, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Be aware of that which isn’t directly visible. Think of the property rental and rates for utilities. The admin for all the thousands of certificates and membership takes time and effort which people should be paid for. I’m sure a lot is done by everyone with generosity, without asking for anything in return. I suspect though that the Bujinkan may not be as efficient as it is today if people involved did everything for gratis, simply because it couldn’t support itself.
I won’t dwell on this point though. The rest of the post has much to say. I look forward to the next one.
“keep going”
Thank you Doug.
Karl.
April 7, 2008 at 3:43 am
If Trust is an issue for those concerning Soke and BJK fees than how are you ever going to trust the movement that’s supposed to save your ass?
gambatte kudasai
Ryan
April 7, 2008 at 5:52 am
Hi Doug,
This is not a comment on the current posting but a thank you for your help in talking with Soke this week at Hombu about the Midwest Taikai. I truely appreciate your time and hope I can make it up to you in the future. It must be very hard to be put upon to translate just because you can. I enjoyed all that Soke had to say.
Thanks again,
Marty
April 8, 2008 at 11:18 pm
I train so that I can protect myself and the people I love.
There are so many other benefits along the way, but, for me, that’s the ultimate goal.
If I can go through life without having any need whatsoever to utilise budo for real, then that is even better. If I have to, then I know it’s there and that the more I persevere with training, the more effective it should be.
April 14, 2008 at 6:58 pm
To Ben :), The duck is indeed a duck. Whether or not the Bujinkan fees are more or less expensive than other martial arts or spiritual training (and to your list of more expensive I could add many that are less expensive, but this was not intended to be my point) does not take away the “monetary/business” aspect of rank and training that is indeed a part of the Bujinkan. I do however agree that this is a common practice and is not limited to the Bujinkan. Also, whether of not people are obligated to buy the videos/books that are being marketed, doesn’t make the merchandising of the Bujinkan any less “monetary” or “business” oriented. I agree with you and others that there is something to the Soke’s training that is beyond the “commercial” and that this something is what is most valuable in the training, nevertheless, the commercial Bujinakan is what the majority of members experience.
To Alex :), in my post I didn’t venture a comment as to what I felt Hatsumi Sensei’s goals are for the Bujinkan. I felt I was commenting on a particular statement made in Doug’s original post and about business and budo. I am sorry that you (or anyone else) may feel uncomfortable with my use of the phrase “sale of rank”. Clearly some of you have taken this to be a value judgement. I did not mean it to be. I meant it as a statement of fact, most people will pay money to receive a rank certificate in the Bujinkan. This is a purchase. The consumer may decide that this is a valuable use of their funds like a University degree, or they may instead see it as something else, but a purchase it remains.
To both of you I would like to add a response to your suggestion that I “do some research”. I have been training in the Bujinkan for a great many years myself. Some of that time has been spent living, working and training in Japan in addition to shorter visits to Japan. During my residence in Japan I began the study of both Kyudo and Sado, which I continue to this day. In Japan, I also regularly attended Zen training at Hokohuji in Kamakura. I am well aware of the costs of training and the fact that such business practices are common. That I see fees and merchandising as “monetary and business” does not mean that I believe the Bujinkan is limited to such. If this were the case, I would have stopped training long ago. I, too, believe that Soke is sharing something deeper. I, too, am striving to develop the eyes to see. As such, I think it is important to be honest with ourselves and with each other in regard to elements of the Bujinkan that do not fit in with some of our preconceived notions as to what enlightened training might be.
As for respect, my disclaimer was inserted because there is a tendency when reading such postings for the reader to add attitudes and value jdgements that were not written into the message. I believe that the content and presentation were both respectful and considerate to Doug, to Hatsumi Sensei and to the Bujinkan community as a whole. That the reader may disagree with my opinion is another matter all together.
Thank you for taking the time to read and consider my views.
Sincerely,
Karl
April 15, 2008 at 7:33 am
Buyu,
Thanks very much to all of you for your comments and continuous support.
I would like to request that you please read my mission statement before making any comments. I do not want this site to turn into a forum.
As I stated, forums have their place, but it is not here. I’m not saying that I don’t expect comments to always be in agreement. But I don’t want an endless cyber fight over what is what.
At times I see the need to disallow or delete comments since they are fuel for the fire.
Please don’t put me in that position.
Regards,
Doug
April 30, 2008 at 12:00 pm
All great posts, and great comments.
As a beginner, I can only suggest that Soke knows that certain people will advertize the Bujinkan more for their own interests than for more pure interests, and maybe he’s OK with that. Some of those people have helped thousands of us learn about the art, which is a good thing!
Peace to all.
June 28, 2008 at 10:15 am
I think the question of monetary gain or fee’s can be likened to energy and if i may, i would like to show a comparison with another Japanese traditon. I am sure that everyone has heard of the healing modality “Reiki.” Dr Usui, after receiving the transmissions went into the leper colonies at the time and began to teach and heal for no monetary gain. He taught people the secrets of the energy and helped them to change their lives. The lepers and the poor turned their lives around but only for a short time and on Usui’s return - he noted that they all had returned to their negative ways of living. They had taken everything for granted because it was given freely. The poor had become poor again and those that were healed or had the power to heal had squanderd the gift and reverted back to thier former self.
Dr usui decided that from then on, there would have to be an energy exchange, a way to value the gift or what you are being taught that may be utilized for the benefit of mankind. By offering an energy exchange such as money, help or anything else - you are in fact placing a value on what you are being given and not necessarily taking it for granted. My personal oppinion is that soke is perhaps acting in the same manner and we value the gift of the Bujinkan by offering our energy in way’s such as fees or help that is offered by those living and training under sokes tutaledge. Personally, i believe the bujinkan is a gift just as is our intuitive or spiritual aspects of our being.
Doug; Fantastic site.