Universal Ninja Newsletter 2004-1

8/11/2019 Universal Ninja Newsletter 2004-1

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INTRODUCTION

Thank you & mission statement

Thank you for your interest in this Universal Ninja Newsletter that has been a result of manyquestions that have been coming my way. Visitors of www.universal-ninja.com have been asking, if Iwould like to make a Newsletter that keeps informing practitioners of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu aroundthe world about this versatile martial art. For that reason I have contacted high level teachers in thisart to share some of their experiences with you and here is the first Universal Ninja Newsletter thatmany of you have been waiting for.You may share this Universal Ninja Newsletter as much as you like, as long as all content will stay init's 100% original state. Enjoy!

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank all the authors of the articles for their time and effort that they have put into makingthese articles a spark to keep on going. These efforts are highly appreciated! Even in busy times formost of us you made a difference. You shared your thoughts and time. And time is one of the mostprecious things one can give in this lifetime to one another!

And of course also big thanks goes to all the interested readers that will be most happy to sharethese thoughts and I hope they can reach new levels of growth. Please be so kind and visit the linksto their sites or contact them by email for a thank you note, as a nice gesture. These men have verybusy schedules, so please be so kind and take that into consideration while writing to them.My special thanks go to Soke Masaaki Hatsumi who has given us so much!

About the Author

I have been practicing eastern martial arts for about 23 years in differentschools/ styles / arts. Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu is the art that I have beenpractising the longest and is the most versatile and interesting so far (5years) and it looks like that this is the art I have been looking for for a longtime ... the training never ends and there is so much to learn. It teaches a lotabout live at mind, body and spiritual levels.I feel very lucky to have met great teachers ( some even on regular base )like Richard Van Donk, Moti Nativ, Pedro Fleitas, EliasKrzywacki, Sven-EricBogster, Lauri Jokinen, Robin Ekebom, Seppo Smed etc. Also the manyShihan / Shidoshi and even beginners that correspond with me by e-mailhave been a great inspiration. Books, videos, dvd, good conversations,training, good friends .. everything can be inspiration Warm thanks go tomy loyal buyu Sami Lehtiranta who loves to train and grow in budo and formaking each training an interesting discovery of new perspectives.

Konsta Beck, Shodan
http://www.universal-ninja.com/


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THE ART OF BEING FULFILLED!Are you committed to your life?By Shihan Van Donk

I mean Really committed? Let me ask you this: What is important to you in this life? Have you evertaken the time to think on this? Have you gotten to the point where being fulfilled in this life matters toyou? This life is a precious gift. Some days when our focus is on our ideas, judgments, andconceptions of the world it can seem to appear as if the world is unsupportive to us. In truth it issometimes unsupportive to our ideas but NEVER to our fulfillment. Fulfillment comes not from ourideas but from our feelings. Innately every human being seeks contentment, comfort, happiness andjoy inside. We do everything we do base upon the feeling it gives us on the inside. It does not matter

how much joy is happening in the outside world if the inside of you is in turmoil, don't you agree? Andby the same law, It does not matter how much turmoil is happening in the outside world if the inside ofyou is filled with joy. Your internal state dictates your assessment of how the world is doing on theoutside. It's really necessary to understand that what we perceive of the outside world is always beingfiltered through our sets of beliefs and values, which delete, distort and generalize our evaluation ofour outer world. This may be why it has been called maya (illusion) or a dream. Your heart never liesto you- only your expectations for the heart. The bridge between mind and heart is consciousness: itsrewards are eternal joy and satisfaction. Conscious awareness is the key to this existence. You nevermake a mistake when you are consciously aware, only when you are unaware do you stub your toe,spill something, or create stress. Make a decision to be aware and to be fully conscious.

Fulfillment Technique for Bridging the Mind and Heart.

You begin life in this body with your first breath and it will end when you take your last one... andmake no mistake, you will take your last breath someday in this physical form you now occupy. Yourbreath is the living link to the Source that gives you life. Breath is Spirit. So what matters to you in thislife? The time given to you on this Earth is a gift. Have you fully unwrapped it? Are you enjoying thisexistence? Are you busy fulfilling your life? And out of everything you have done and experienced inthis life what have you chosen to store in you the most? Think about it. Feelings know no time, theyare ageless. What feelings have you chosen to store in you the most? What are you full of? Joy? Oris it pain, frustration and anger? Do you really know? Have you gotten to the point where it matters to

you? Be committed to this existence. Fully committed without silly little compromises. Here is a beingfulfilled inner technique I developed for the Society of Enlightened Warriors.

Sit up with your back straight, legs crossed, hands on lap right hand on top. Close your eyes (softflowing music playing in the background is okay). Watch and follow on your breath going deeply inand out. - As you inhale feel your breath going from the bottom base of your spine up to the topcenter of your head mentally saying I am. Slightly pause at the top letting the light energy build inthe center of your head. As you exhale down your spine say the word- Within. Continue to ride yourbreath up and down for 12 breaths. On the 12th breath down stop at the heart center and let thefeelings grow in your chest. Continue to breathe in and out of your heart remembering all the feelings

you've ever had of being loved and fulfilled.


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Let go of the verbal and be within, continuing to ride the breath, expanding larger and contractingdeeper to the center within. Imagine a lake of love in your heart center full of love and let the feelingspread all over your body. Then breathe in Peace into every fiber and essence of your being. Expandthis peace around your body and then around the world.Advanced method: Create a rainbow bridge between your mind's eye (center of forehead betweenyour eyebrows) and your heart center. Ride the rainbow bridge with your breath. There can be noWorld Peace without Self Peace so let it begin with you. Be committed to this existence.

Visit www.ninjutsu.com to learn more about the teachings of Shihan Van Donk a senior Judan in theBujinkan arts and personal student of Soke Masaaki Hatsumi.

The toug hest batt les that you m ay ever face in this l i fe lies between your own two ears

- Master Van Donk

Soke Hatsumi awarded Richard the rank of Jusandan*** (13th Degree blackbel t ) on December 2nd, 20 03 .

(Soke Hatsumi's Birthday) For more biography, please visit http://www.ninjutsu.com/shihan-van-donk.shtml

Master Richard Van Donk

c/o Bushindo UniversityTMP.O. Box 296

Middletown, CA 95461 U.S.A.

Website : www.ninjutsu.comE-mail: [email protected]

DVDs,Videos & Books etc:Click here to go to store
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POWER THROUGH STRUCTUREShidoshi James MorganelliChicago, Illinois, USAJanuary, 2004

Mastery of Budo Taijutsu is limited only by our imagination.

With the myriad of dangers that exist in our world and our possible responses to them, no kata,technique, or principle will ever replace the greatest single asset we have in the application of this art:our creativity and the instinct or feeling that drives it.In my opinion, becoming zero unlimited and unreadable - takes more than just years of arduoustraining, it takes a fundamental understanding of the science behind the art.This science is structure.

The Sanshin of StructureGood structure occurs when things align properly.When the body and its motion are correctly aligned, Taijutsu's movements are utterly efficient,

moving only as much as needed, do not rely on muscle strength, but rather the solidness andresilience of the entire body, and can become virtually undetectable.The secret to structure is in the Sanshin no Kata's three hearts: balance, distance, and timing.

Balance in Taijutsu is kamae.At the very least, kamae is your physical posture or stance, at most, a radar sending out and pickingup extra-sensory information. For example, the fifth-dan test has been described as your ability toremain in kamae. Kamae regulates what form you will take and how you will take it based on thethreat at hand, be it a punch, swerving car, or chemical attack. Whether you take Ichimonji, Jumonji,or a form created in a moment of inspiration, kamae is the attitude with which you will face the threat.

If you stay in kamae, you stay in balance. This is achieved by keeping your body balancedthroughout the movement. For example, to kick in kamae, one wouldn't balance on the left leg andmerely kick with the right, but rather keep their weight in their right leg as they kick to carry theirbalance through the movement. How far you take that movement is dictated by distance.

Distance is properly attained in Taijutsu through natural movement.Natural movement is powered by our own imbalance - a fall triggered by a release of body weightshifting us out of balance and into gravity's pull, allowing us to literally fall from danger, until we catch

ourselves, by taking kamae.When you release your weight and move just enough to escape the path of the threat, you canachieve the so-called proper distance that allows you to hit back, but not be hit. When natural


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movement is done correctly, this proper distance is automatically taken, every time, no matter theopponent or circumstance. Your own judgment or instinct of the time to move out of the waybecomes a key factor, because for Taijutsu's structure to be correct, kamae and natural movementmust be wrapped in timing.

Timing is decided by instinct.I believe the feeling driving the physical options of Taijutsu is instinctual. This instinct is cultivated

through training to expand our imaginations and develop our creativity in Budo.The punchline of a moment is delivered by good timing - the when that determines the size of yourlaughs. By wrapping kamae and natural movement with the instinct behind the right time to move, asynergy forms between these principles and produces structurally sound, powerful Taijutsu.When is the right time to move? When you are in danger. If the threat is a swerving car or chemicalattack, there may be no tactically advantageous position to gain, but simply the need to escape. Foropponents, capturing the proper distance is crucial to successful counterattack. Distance must betaken by the appropriate kamae, in the appropriate space, at the appropriate time.When structure is used to capture each element, nature provides the power.

James MorganelliBujinkan Shingitai-Ichi Dojowww.budotech.com/jvm

Small Biography:

James has trained martial arts for more than 23 years, studying Eastern as well as Western styles. He graduated aphilosophy major from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1995, and shortly after moved to Tokyo, Japan to

live and study Budo. After training under Dr. Hatsumi and his Shihan, Toshiro Nagato, James took and passed theGodan, fifth-degree black belt test, in 1998, becoming one of only 1500 people worldwide to receive a Shidoshi,teachers, license from the Bujinkan Dojo. He currently lives in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and teaches through his

Shingitai-Ichi Dojo.
http://www.budotech.com/jvm


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WHAT PURPOSE SERVES THE TRAINING IN MARTIAL ARTS,OR WHAT IS BUDO ???

By Kostas Kanakis - Bujinkan Shihan

Most of us have asked that question, either in an open discussion or just inside their mind. Everyonewho takes part in the training of a martial art will ask himself from a certain point of time, why he isstudying just this martial art. The beginner will ask this question more often than the advancedstudent, but in time even the advanced one will make his life hard with his doubts.

In the early years of martial arts people hardly ever thought about such things. It was simply notnecessary to do so, because those people had to fight simply in order to survive. It was the law ofwar. They learned certain techniques which had been selected and were sent to the battlefield inorder to serve their master, as a matter of life and death. Not just the techniques were decisive butthe mental state of the warrior played an important role as well.

The mental aspects always played an essential role in the martial arts. Since the ancient martial artswere influenced by esoteric teachings like Buddhism and Shintoism, it was inevitable that you had tohave a look at these mental teachings. They were embedded in the subconsciousness and became

later on the essential heart of the teachings of all martial arts.

One wants to know: WHY DO WE HAVE TO FIGHT OR EVEN TO KILL ANYWAY ???This became the essential question of all martial arts.

In order to give an answer to such a question one has to occupy oneself with other teachings so thatwe can better understand some things of importance.

For example it is said that The secret of martial art is the secret of Zen.

The secret is to guide his mind in an essential way. But how can you do this?

In one chapter of a text of the Kyushin-Ryu the following is said: The true technique of the body hasto be the substance of the mind himself. The substance is the mind. One may not look at the body ofhis opponent, but rather has to direct ones own mind. There is no opponent. The mind is formless,


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THIS PURPOSE SERVES THE TRAINING IN MARTIAL AR TS!!

BuFuSui Ikkan

Kostas KanakisBujinkan Shihan

Bujinkan Dojo Greece BKD Budokai [email protected] [email protected]://www.bujinkangreece.com http://www.bkd-budokai.org

Short Biography (German version is found on his website):Shihan Kostas Kanakis has been training east-asian martial arts for over 27 years, during whichcultural, spiritual, and historical backgrounds were not ignored.

Here follows a summarized martial arts biography:

He was born in 1962 in Crete, Greece.At age 14 (1976) started studying different martial arts (judo, karate, aikido) His first steps in thestudy of ninjutsu (1982) were made at INAG with Steffen Frhlich and Sulvain Guintard (France). Alittle later (starting in the year 1986) he also began to train with Sveneric Bogster. In 1989 hechanged over to NRW and trained regularly with his teacher Shihan Sveneric Bogster 10th danMenkyo Kaiden Fugyo and with Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi.In august of 1989 he opened the first BKD dojo and leads still today the BKD-Budkai in Germanyand Greece. Since 1987 and the first Tai Kai with Soke Hatsumi in England, he has visited many TaiKai's at home and abroad and taken many visits in Japan.

In may 1992 he succesfully took the test for Godan (5th dan) and has since then passed on hisknowledge through regular seminars at his schools and other interested groups.In 1996 he compended his first book on ninjutsu with the title 'Ninjutsu -Kokoro no Michi- Der Wegdes Herzens, Band 1' ('The Path of the Heart, volume 1'), which has already been sold out, and isnowadays only available anymore on CD-ROM.The second volume in this series has already been released and is for sale in bookstores.His work sofar has contributed to the diminishing of the negative image of ninjutsu in the public eye,and has thus increased the popularity of ninjutsu in Germany. Through his intensive work in theformer East and West Germanies, he has made an enormous contribution to the spreading ofninjutsu, and he is known as one of its pioneers in Germany.After his return in August 2000 he opened the first Bujinkan dojo in Crete, Greece, and tries with his

own knowledge to promote the essence of the Bujinkan there too.In July 2002 Grandmaster Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi awarded him the 10th dan.In June 2003 Grandmaster Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi awarded him the Judan Chigyo (11th dan), makinghim one of the highest ranked warriors in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu.

Biography of Shihan Kostas Kanakis translated by Johan Hakkesteegt from the German languageinto English. Thank you Johan.
http://www.bkd-budokai.org/http://www.bujinkangreece.com/


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MEMORIES OF MY TRIPS TO THE PLANET MARSBy Shihan Arnaud Cousergue

Recently the NASA talked about sending men to Mars. This will sure be one of the more challengingtrips for mankind. As for me, I know I will never have the opportunity to go there. This is why I go to

Japan twice a year to train under Hatsumi Sensei but also to come in contact with one of the mostinteresting and strange people I have ever seen.

Going to Japan is like going to Mars. On Mars, the way you behave will be different; this is the samein Japan. I am not here referring to the foreigners living there and who got to adapt to this civilizationto have a chance to survive there on a daily basis. No, I am speaking of those people like me, leavingtheir home country for a few weeks to be confronted to a different world.

Training is the main objective when you go to Japan. But if you only train there you will miss the Ura.The training twice a day is only the Omote. Attention! I am not advising you to take the opportunity togo to Japan to have a long vacation trip. If you go to Japan for training, as I do, my advice is that you

do not waste your time in vain visits. If you do that, you belong to the type of Bujinkan practitioner thatI nicknamed the tourists.

Once I met a guy who attended Sensei's training. At the end, he asked permission to take somepictures with the Ske. As usual, Sensei agreed. Two weeks later, the same guy attended thetraining again and did the same. Sensei agreed again. After the training, I asked him why he was nottraining since the first time I met him. He explained that he was traveling Japan, went to somemonasteries, and visited the Iga Museum and some other interesting places for his training abilities.He then added that he was going back to his country on the next day!

Many people come to Japan, not for training but for tourism. These tourists then go back to theircountry and showing the pictures of Sensei they sell their students the idea that they spent morethan three weeks training in Japan! Some other high rank students, don't even bother to attendclasses, they are out for business and are so busy with that that cannot attend all the trainings withSensei. Some even add that they are sorry not to be able to attend to Sensei's trainings!

Everyone is free to behave following his desires; but why then are they trying to make others believethat they are real committed practitioners? By not doing what they should do, they are missing thepoint. The Japanese culture is different from our Western culture. If you have the opportunity to gothere, so, be prepared for another kind of hard training. Ninjutsu training does not stop at t he door ofthe training hall. In Japan, every moment of the day can be part of your training.

I wrote in the beginning that going to Japan was like going to Mars and I mean it. Let us see why?Westerners have a tendency to speak loud, the Japanese no. And if they do, it is often because they


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are drunk. When they are drunk they can behave freely out of the straightjacket attitude that is socommonly shared among them.Westerners often use facial grins to communicate with others, the Japanese no. And if they did, theirgrin codes are different from ours. So, to them, we look like a bunch of monkeys with big noses.Westerners travel the world, thinking that everyone speaks English. The Japanese don't speakEnglish. And if they do, they don't! When you ask to a Japanese man: Eigo o hanishimasuka? (Doyou speak English?), the answer is often Sukoshi (a little). This means politely: no I don't speakEnglish but I cannot tell it straight because you will feel embarrassed and you and/or I would lose

face.

On my first trip to Japan, back in 1991 I was staying in Kashiwa city. I had just arrived a few hoursearlier; I was jetlagged and totally lost. In the taxi to the place I was staying, I tried to memorize thetrip from the station to the house but I was so tired and excited that I didn't remember exactly the way.I took my bike and rode back to where I thought the station was. After a kilometer I was totally lost!Then, I saw this milkman delivering his white liquid. I went to him and asked him, in English, if he wasspeaking English. He answered with the usual Sukoshi and I thought that my problems were solved.I remember thinking all those guys saying that Japanese people don't speak English are liars; then Iremember thinking at the same time, why does he answer in Japanese? After a few attempts, I hadto admit that this guy was not speaking English at all and I switched to the Japanese language. He

understood my question and I understood his answer. I was in heaven!

Another example on the English abilities of the Japanese occurred during my second trip to Japan. Iwas at Narita airport and needed to get some cash with my credit card. I walked to the Informationdesk (the sign was written in English) and began to speak to the girl standing there. After a fewseconds I understood that she didn't understand a word of I had previously said. The InformationDesk was only for Japanese people!

A Japanese man will never speak in a direct mode, he will always use some indirect way. I rememberonce at Ueno station. I was lost trying to figure out where I should go to get my train back to Kashiwa.I saw a man standing alone and went to him. I asked him with my best Japanese where was my train.

He looked at me, turned his back, then with his arms to his side, he showed me 3 with his fingers.He didn't even speak to me, I did simply not exist! I must admit it was the good information and that Igot back to Noda safely.

Another day, lost again in the subway in Tokyo, I went to this Japanese standing not far from me. Iwent close to him and began to show my map. I asked him to show me where I was. He looked at mefrom head to toes, laughed out loud and went away.

Now don't think that all Japanese are like that. On another day in another train station, I was lostagain. Here, I must explain a few things. In Japan, if you don't speak Japanese you WILL get oftenlost.

Here is a list of things happening in Japan when traveling:

Trains can use the tracks in both sides: Unlike us in the West, and because of earthquakes, theJapanese railway system only has one track on secondary lines, between small stations. This singletrack divides when in the station.Signs are in Japanese: Some will argue that today you can find signs in English and others inJapanese. This is true! But what if the train stops in front of the Japanese one?Japanese loudspeakers only speak Japanese: This is the same all over the world. Frenchloudspeakers speak only French, Italian ones speak only Italian.

So, on this other day I was lost again. I was trying to figure out how to go to Narita airport and whatwould be the price for that. I was watching the wall with all the information concerning the lines in


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Koshi Jutsu and we did Nage Waza, Nagato's way. That was a painful and demanding training.After the training this American guy turned to me and complained that he asked for Koshi Jutsu andthat we did only Nage Waza! I then took my more terrible look and told him that Koshi Jutsu meantHip techniques; where Kosshi Jutsu meant Kysho or soft point's techniques!

In Japan, you are lost because everything that makes you think you are someone does not existanymore. You values don't mean anything to them. In Japan, you are like a 5 year old kid. Everythingyou see is new and does not connect with something you know of. It is like being on another world. I

am sure that when mankind will finally go to Mars, things are going to be simpler. The Nasa shouldthink in sending their astronauts to Japan to prepare them for the psychological trauma of discoveringa new planet.

I hope this article will not scare you. Every Bujinkan practitioner should go to Japan at least once ayear. This is the best place to understand Hatsumi Sensei's martial arts and to learn more about yourTaijutsu level. But, please, open yourself to this different culture. Ninjutsu is about surviving, and forus, Westerners, this survival can be experimented yearly by training in Japan.

So far, I have been 21 times to Japan and I am lucky, my wife and kids allow me to go there twice ayear. This is the best experiences I have been able to live in my life so far. Japan is different to any

other country and can teach you a lot about yourself if you are open. I have lives six months in theUS, four months in Saudi Arabia. I have visited the majority of the European countries and a fewMiddle East countries. Japan is really something different.

Japan is like being caught in a real fight. Your actions have a consequence. Japan teaches you to beresponsible. Japan teaches you humility and detachment. Japan is the best source available forimproving your skills. Ninjutsu is not limited to a set of deadly techniques; Ninjutsu is about beingbalanced in any situation.

Have fun!

Arnaud CousergueBujinkan ShihanSolkan Europe / Budomart.com [email protected],Videos & Books: www.budomart.comTraining in Paris: www.bujinkan-france.net

LINKS

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Next Newsletter will have more links .. Please inform webmaster ofwww.universal-ninja.com of any broken links, ok? Thank you in advance!
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MIND FLOWERS

"No rain, no rainbows" unknown

More mind flowers at http://www.universal-ninja.com/Templates/mindflowers.shtml

Thank you for your interest ! Enjoy life !

This newsletter is provided by www.universal-ninja.com Copyright 2003, will remain original author's of articles.All articles have been submitted with permission of original author.
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Universal Ninja Newsletter 2004-1