About
My name is Doug Wilson, originally from the US (CA). I have been studying martial arts for almost 30 years, 20+ of those years in the Bujinkan. I have spent 12 of those years in Japan training at the Hombu Dojo. I act as a main interpreter for the Hombu Dojo and have co-translated the two above books by Hatsumi Soke, released by Kodansha International. I feel that the time is right to provide my acquired information to the Bujinkan public about training in Japan. I guess I can say from my unique position and close proximity to Soke, I can provide a perspective that most can not. Here, I will post what I have recently learned, translated, experienced, and interpreted as well as been told to say. Some may find the content to be too direct or controversial. It is not meant to be, it is the truth provided in a “zero” way to those people who are interested in hearing it. It is not a place designed to draw fire from those who live online, expending energy arguing about things that mean nothing. I am a student of Hatsumi Soke and this is MY perspective. I hope to provide an insight to the dedicated practitioners of Hatsumi Soke’s Budo and the Bujinkan.
Doug Wilson-15th Dan, Bujinkan Hombu Dojo
June 7, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Thanks for providing this awesome insight. I look forward to each post! BTW, I have subscribed to the feed of this blog with Google Reader and when the posts are written in white font they appear in Google Reader in white font with a white background. The posts in grey font appear in black font and are visible. I don’t know if that’s a bug on Google or WordPress but I just thought you should know.
Thanks!
June 8, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Doug good job. I’m so excited to read more of what you can share with us. Since going to Japan yearly, I’ve realized there is where real budo is found. I only can get glimpse, you can provide visions for many.
PS: Please email me privately in regards to seminars in NY.
Thanks.
June 9, 2007 at 7:37 am
Doug,
Thanks for making this site and for your willingness to share!
June 9, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Doug
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and Soke’s discussions on the Bujinkan training, and for taking the time out of your busy schedule.
Miki
June 9, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Hi Doug,
Great stuff.Long overdue.Thanks for passing along this great info from SOKE and your personal experiences in Japan.Can you clue us into Hatsumi sensei’s latest book on Budo Taijutsu?How’s your “little NINJA” doing these days?Got him the proper gear for climbing castles,yet?Take care!
Dave
June 10, 2007 at 8:21 am
Excellent Blog Doug, i’ve linked it to my site for you, it’s about time you got of your butt and wrote something!!!!!!!!! ha ha.
June 10, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Doug,
Stu here, in Tucson. Long time!! Thanks for the site, I will keep in touch here. Appreciate very much you setting this up.
Stu
鼬の最後っ屁
June 10, 2007 at 8:22 pm
Hi Doug,
Excellent posts! I am really excited about your blog and look forward to reading more. Just wanted to give you a head’s up: I wrote a small review of it on my blog and added you to my “around town” link-list.
I agree very much with Anthony’s idea about “getting a glimpse” and your blog being a “feed” of sorts on what’s happening in Japan. I can only get over there once a year, so I really appreciate this resource.
Cheers!
June 11, 2007 at 11:03 am
Hi Doug,
ohhhh very good job. I am glad that after longer time I can found good web side.
Thanks
June 11, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Hi Doug. Great Blog, not too much, but to the point. Please write more, there is still so much to learn for so many of us.
Thanks in huge numbers from Denmark.
June 12, 2007 at 7:23 pm
A necessary site with necessary perspective. Thanks for sharing your insight with us all. I will look forward to more…
June 13, 2007 at 12:03 am
greeting doug .thankyou for sharing your thoughts on the bujinkan it,s good to have someone who has first hand knowledge from soke and to be able to transmit it to other who would not have the same advantage i would like to know more insite on the training from the honbu shidoshi ho a reid
June 13, 2007 at 10:41 am
Great job Doug! Thanks for sharing your insight at this place.
It’s always very interesting to hear/read from someone who lives in Japan. See you soon there!
Many greetings from Greece!
June 13, 2007 at 11:28 am
Hi there Doug,
nice site,
Best whishes//Patrik J
Gefle bujinkan dojo in Sweden
June 13, 2007 at 9:01 pm
Doug
This is a really interesting blog. Interesting to hear about the training from your perspective, Soke’s words, training in Japan at the source.
It’s funny how training so often can mirror life in all it’s various obvious and hidden facets. So I look forward to the insight that your blog can bring. The americans have a wonderful phrase “shooting the breeze”. Well this breeze can cross continents and carry the wisdom of this life art to us all.
Great job - looking forward to more already
Thanks
June 13, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Doug,
Excellent blogs and website. Your writing is really inspirational and keeps me/us in tune to the teachings of Soke. Best of health to you.
June 14, 2007 at 6:06 am
Hi Doug, Nice site. Keep going! Please see if you can use a larger font since white on black is difficult to read at these sizes.
Sincelely, Ilan Gattegno (Shihan, from Israel)
June 20, 2007 at 8:29 pm
I’m an Australian student of the Bujinkan and seeing these articles gives me real sense of belonging to a much larger community of brothers and sisters. It’s comforting to have access to Soke words and wisdom! Keep up the great work!
June 23, 2007 at 6:05 am
Doug,
This is a long overdue blog for the English speaking populace and very exciting for someone like me in India. I’m hoping it will give me a better perspective on the teachings of the Bujinkan. Thanks for the great work, respect and good luck.
Ashwin
June 24, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Hi Doug;
My name is Rick (toma - toma) from Barcelona - Spain. One
of my colleagues has asked me to translate part of you bloq
since we think it is the only positive and creative one
arround. I was Sensei’s translator in almost all Spanish Tai-Kais
ans know the responsability, I will translate some of this blog
to Spanish if you don’t mind and if all OK will ost it in
my WebSite for all to see stating the source and address.
Hope all well, send best ergards to Soke, Nagato San and Noguchi
San.
Melissa and Ricardo.
June 24, 2007 at 10:00 pm
Doug,
Thanks for taking the time to share with us
thank you very much.
Best regards
July 1, 2007 at 2:33 am
Shihan Doug, I´m Arno, from México City, and I thank you for share with us your experiences with Hatsumi Sensei!
July 3, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Great Doug! There is nothing more to say…”keep going”! Looking forward to see you soon in Japan when I am back from my worldtrip.
All the best, Oliver
July 13, 2007 at 6:26 pm
This is an amazing blog, Doug! As a writer/journalist, I know first hand how challenging it is to relate the important points AND retain the feeling when you’re writing based on truly complex conversations and concepts.
Thank you for your generosity and for doing such a wonderful job sharing the inspiration, the perspective, the wisdom, and the connection of Soke’s words. When I read your pieces, I’m instantly transported 8,133 miles…really helps me to “keep going” and tempers the homesickness until I can get back.
Keep up the great work!
All the best,
Kathy
July 15, 2007 at 6:29 pm
Hi Doug,
Thank you very much for providing us with this possibility of learning about Sensei’s words.
If you do not mind, I have put a link to this blog of yours on my Bujinkan Links’ Collection page - maybe more Buyu can find it this way.
You can check it at http://bujinkan.lap.hu within the “Blogs” category. If you would like me to remove the link please let me know.
Thank you again for all your efforts!
Have a great summer!
Eva
July 16, 2007 at 11:18 pm
Awesome stuff man…so nice to find good information. Just read it all, and can’t wait for more…much to ponder. Thanks
July 27, 2007 at 11:35 am
Hi, Many thanx for a brilliant site with constructive and up to date info and inspiring words from soke. I’ve been all over the net and most site aren’t worth the hrs of searching.
Finally a friend gave me this address and i’ve got somewhere to look for inspiration.
Keep up the good work, and many thanks for your time and effort for all us out side of japan that can’t make it over there.
July 28, 2007 at 7:16 am
Hi Doug,
I think what you’re doing here is great. Maybe you could share more information about Bujinkan at Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bujinkan).I believe that’s likely to be the first place people would go to look for information about it so it’d be really helpful if someone like you who knows a lot about it to add more info there.
Keep up the great work here!
Andrew
August 2, 2007 at 10:05 am
Hi Doug,
It is a rare thing to be able to transfer the deeper feeling of this wonderful art and Sensei’s thoughts and feelings through written words.
Thanks for providing a connection to this feeling for those of us who can only be physically present in Japan some-of-the-time. You are doing an amazing job.
Kind Regards, Gillian (Sydney, Australia)
August 8, 2007 at 5:46 pm
It is a wonderful and a great experience to have this blog for all Bujinkan members.
Keep going with this great idea.Good Job.
Regards from Spain.(Bujinkan Bilbao)
September 2, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Awesome site Doug!
I spent some time reading some of the past Posts and enjoyed them.
Terence ( San Diego )
September 14, 2007 at 11:19 pm
Hello Doug
It is really a great work the one that these carrying out here, you bring near us but to the great community of the Bujinkan to be able to understand every day but the wonderful Budo of the Soke.
He would be appreciated you you allow to translate to Spanish some of your writings and to place them in my it paginates, besides the link of this it paginates.
Thank you to share with us Nestor Iscovi from Argentina
September 21, 2007 at 9:05 pm
Doug,
I cant believe that it has been over ten years since we saw each other last. Im glad that you are doing what you wanted to do. Hope all is well.
October 5, 2007 at 1:51 am
Hey Doug- Thank you for providing these insights from the “home” dojo. You are a great contribution.
October 8, 2007 at 7:25 am
Hi Doug,
To echo everyone else, thank you for writing this wonderful blog. I do have a question I’m hoping you might help me with: are there any bujinkan dojos in Gifu, Nagano, Niigata, or Toyaam prefectures? I’ve lived in Japan previously and am thinking of returning to teach English somewhere near the Japanese Alps. Please let me know via e-mail if it’s convenient for you. Thanks.
October 12, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Doug,
I continue to enjoy your insight.. thanks for taking the time to put it down here for us. Ill be in japan next week and look forward to meeting you.
Jim T.
October 26, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Doug:
Great insight into the world of Bujinkan from someone who has been living there as long as you have. Always enjoy your posts. Keep up the good work!
Lance Kumm
Bujinkan Anaguma Dojo
San Diego, CA
October 27, 2007 at 5:54 am
Doug,
It’s been years-high school-since we last spoke. I stumbled upon this site while looking into the possibility of starting to train once more, since my 8yr old son is now interested in martial arts. I had started training again a few years ago when you visited Ken Lux’ dojo in San Jose, and I regretted that I could not leave work to attend your seminar.
I rarely drive through Livermore without thinking about you and your family. I hope they are doing well. I am glad to see that you are doing quite well.
I have a couple of questions I would like to ask you regarding my beginning to train again. I’m not sure if these comments will be posted, so I’d rather not leave them here. When you have a moment, could you return an email?
Looking forward to speaking with you again,
Reggie Williams
November 19, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Hi Doug,
Thanks for sharing your experiences, it´s a great help
March 12, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Hello Doug, is excellent Blog! Omedetou.
I Think is a necessary blog with necessary perspective. Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts and Soke’s discussions on the training in Japan.
Bufu Ikkan, see you soon.
April 11, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Hi Doug,
I felt the need to express my feelings about your blog… so I do… Thank you for your wonderful insight, and great writing! I can feel you’ve written everything with your heart! many words put a smile on my face and inspire me … I hope they will stick with me to further inspire me and help me get a deeper insight in my training and life.
I hope you will keep writing wonderful posts and I wish you many great experiences to come.
Maybe until soon in Japan…
ps: the picture fits the content : )