The Bujinkan is an organization that is composed of nine martial arts schools, among them this ninjitsu that exerts a strong influence, almost to the point of being almost synonymous.
This organization is present in a wide variety of countries on all four continents in the form of an academy since they teach classes of their martial method strongly linking the ninijitsu.
BIRTH AND HISTORY
This organization stands out for its recent foundation, since we are used to seeing old martial arts schools of the 19th century. But this is not the case, since the Bujinkan is founded around the beginning of the 1970s in Japan by Masaaki Hatsumi. It had a very important development in Japan, North America and Europe, although it currently has good development in Latin America.
When we talk about Bujinkan history, we must refer to the life of its founder Hatsumi. This is a great martial artist who trained with a huge variety of teachers. These teachers directly and indirectly influenced the creation of the Bujinkan. Since this organization teaches the techniques that Hatsumi learned from the nine schools.
As we mentioned earlier when talking about Bujinkan, it’s like talking about ninjitsu, but where did this comparison or relationship come from? All this comes to the fact that three of the nine schools that Hatsumi learned come from ancient schools of ninjitsu rescued and transmitted by different teachers. One of them was Toshitsugu Takamatsu or better known as «the Mongolian tiger», he was one of the great masters of all Japan. This teacher descends from an ancient ninja lineage, although some historians question him. He is also recognized for confronting numerous battles in China, Mongolia and Japan, hence his nickname. Unfortunately he dies shortly after the foundation of Bujinkan, although he always had a good relationship with his apprentice Hatsumi.
Master Soke was another responsible for what Hatsumi taught and is therefore linked to the Bujinkan’s martial teachings. This teacher taught Hatsumi a particular mix of ninjitsu style martial arts and bugei or samurai style martial arts. This teacher was one of the most influential in the formation process of Hatsumi.
WHAT MARTIAL SCHOOLS FORM THE BUJINKAN?
As we have mentioned a lot of times, the bujinkan brings together 9 different martial arts schools, but what are these schools? These schools are some native forms of martial arts of Japanese origin plus another style of ninjitsu and samurai schools. But specifically these are the schools:
- Shinden Fudo Ryū Dakentai Jutsu
- Gyokushin-ryū Ryū Ninpō
- Kumogakure Ryū Ninpō
- Kuki Shinden Happō Bikenjutsu
- Takagi Yoshin Ryū Jūtai jutsu
- Gikan Ryū Koppō jutsu
- Gyokko-ryū Kosshi jutsu
- Togakure-ryū Ninpō Taijutsu
- Koto Ryū Koppō jutsu
All these schools understand what today are the teachings of Bujinkan. Something particular about Bujinkan is its teaching method since it has strong influences not only from martial arts but from religion and Eastern philosophy. Specifically from Zen from Buddhism. Fudoshin is a concept that is within the studies of Bujinkan. Fudoshin consists in achieving a physical and mental state of high concentration where the passions of the heart do not affect reason. Philosophy is something very important for the lessons of Bujinkan.
Bujinkan, by transmitting the teachings of nine schools, does so in a particular way. Since there are many concomientos, they tend to divide the teaching temporarily. This means that every year a school or one-style techniques will be taught every year. Therefore the teaching may vary depending on the year in which you train in Bujinkan.
REPRESENTATIVES IN THE WORLD
Currently the main representative of Bujinkam is Masaaki Hatsumi, because he is the founder and is teaching at the Bujinkan dojo in the city of Noda prefecture of Chiba (Japan) with an amazing age of 87 years. Staying active in the martial duties of his dojo.
This Dojo is currently visited by many foreigners to have the incredible honor of being able to train with the very founder of Bujinkan. One of the most influential and notorious martial artists of our modern era (he was even a martial arts advisor in movies and action series).
Kim Olivares and Dani Esteban are pioneers of bujinkan in Europe and in Spain, they started the first dojo on May 24, 1994. These two teachers trained with Professor Masaaki Hatsumi on some occasions while in Japan. Currently they teach classes with the Bujinkan method in the city of Barcelona.
José Manuel Collado is another great representative of Bujinkan. He trained with Masaaki Hatsumi.
José Manuel Collado started with a small dojo in Villadolid but due to the notorious increase in students he had to open several dojos in different cities such as Madrid, Zaragosa, Tenerife, Cantabria, Laguna de Duero and Tordesillas. He also served as a personal defense instructor at the police school (General Directorate of Police and Civil Guard). Today he organizes and directs his different dojos throughout the country.
Now referring a little more to the international arena, there are also great figures in Latin America. The growth of the Bujinkan becomes more noticeable each in this region. In Chile and in several neighboring countries such as Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay, it was introduced by Dai Shihan Daniel Hernández. That on several tours of all these countries he was giving seminars and supporting the regional organizations of Bujinkan.
In Central America the advance of the bujinkan occurred in a more isolated and late way. In Panama it was introduced in the year of 2004 by the shihan Fernando Fabrega. In Costa Rica it was also released in the same year (2004) by Sergio Salas Acre. In Honduras it begins with the hand of Shidoshi Carlos Castro in the year of 2004.
Although there are no Bujinkan competitions (since it is thought that martial arts were not made to compete but to survive on a battlefield), they have a good organization and communication among Bujinkan members in different parts of the world.
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