BUJINKAN Setagaya Tokyo

Bujinkan Setagaya Dojo in Tokyo with Shoonjie Yamamoto Shihan who is holding most highest 15th Dan which is top ranking 空(coo).
空 means sky, empty or nothing in English. I think it is Nothing. This is from 5 rings of Buddhism.
Below that 1st 空, 2nd wind, 3rd fire, 4th water, and 5th ground.

Yamamoto Shihan is also a professional musician who an expert with flute and percussion. He has been playing classic, jazz, rock, I like his performance especially on Flamenco stage.
He is my friend and I was invited to his Dojo.

Let's begin KEIKO.

He shows them many kinds of technique and tell them how to attack the vital spot where it hurts. This is one of the figure body lock. I think this is Bujinkan's typical skills.

Someone needs to have a very hard time for the Bujinkan members.

Slashing

Safety First

Yamamoto Shihan has been watching over pupils, gazing at their Keiko and look around carefully.

Maki-Otoshi 巻落とし

Tonight Yamamoto Shihan set them a Kenjutsu skill Maki-Otoshi

You can see above photograph which I have taken by chance. I want to, but I won't explain about details on this picture because he shows us real Gokui (essence) at that moment. I'm just a visitor, I have to shut my mouth up anymore ...

Maki-Waza 巻技 is not easy.
Actually, I think it's difficult. It's sometimes, I have seen some Kendo people doing Maki-Age(up), but I have never seen Maki-Otoshi(down). There is some reason. Maki-Age action is never waste their sword. Because it make good use of changing Kamae from Chu-dan to Jo-dan. So they can attack quickly, if they succeed in Maki-Age well. When they fail in Maki-Age, their body or arms are going to be a target. 

I think Kendo people is unable to Maki-Otoshi. I can realize that they don't want to do. Even if they succeed in Maki-Otoshi, that mean changing Kamae from Chu-dan to Ge-dan. So they have to raise sword up to Jo-dan or Chu-dan AGAIN to hit. It is extra action to attack. When they fail in Maki-Otoshi, they will expose the head(Men). It is a max menace to defeat by Ippon.

In the real battle, not at Kendo match, Maki-Otoshi is very important skill to defense, or mastery of the battle. If we staring at each other both are Chu-dan, I think that I will not do Maki-Age in battle except special situation. It's dangerous, too much risk.

He said physical force is not necessary for Maki-Otoshi. I think so, it just need a skill to use sword. We must be familier with the sword's function. Most especially blade but not only blade.

I think that we can make sure our physical balance good or bad from learning Maki-Otoshi.

Most people try to clear sword away but it's not so easy. Then people who wants to clear sword away are feeling it need more power. It will be vicious cycle. If you strong, you win. If you not, you lose. It's not essence of  Kenjutsu. 

We must succeed Maki-Otoshi to anybody. Wisdom suppress forces. That was confirmed by medieval sword men who survived after war or duel in Japan. That's why physical force is not necesｓary for slashing sword.

Somebody found essence, teach it, learn it, keep it and pass it. That's Japanese Martial Arts.

She did it !

NO KIDDING

He always said that still I'm a beginner.

I know what he wants to say, I know that he will be a beginner in the future. It's not easy to keep ourselves beginner. Because everybody wants to advance in their Keiko and feel proud of that.

He knows that overconfidence is the worst enemy.

Now, he has been studying Japanese traditional dance to establish new method of physical movement for martial art. We are learning together Yoshimura Ryu Dance. We have a very hard female master. We are no match for her ! Yes, we are green.

Rising