Basics...

I was reading the latest blog entry by Shihan Doug Wilson, where he wrote about the latest Daikomyosai event in Japan. Daikomyosai (aka DKMS) is our annual Bujinkan shindig, where members from all over the world converge in Japan to train 3 days with Soke.

Typically, the DKMS training was in the Budokan in Ueno. But, this year it was held in a beautiful park common to us Bujinkaneers. This park is thick with trees and has an obstacle/edurance course on both dry land and over a man made pond.

Anyway, people who attended are writing about how the training was really on fundamental things and combat strategy. This year's theme was Togakure Ryu, which is tied to Japan's Feudal Period history as those people who operated behind the scenes; a kind of "Spec Ops" tradition. As part of that tradition, knowing how to get in and get out of possible hostile areas was a major part of the training. Gathering information was a valuable tool in the wars and these guys had to be good at it.

According to those who were there for this year's DKMS, training was challenging. The ground was damp (even muddy in some areas), uneven and scattered with trees and shrubs. They threw each other to the dirt ground, slammed into trees, threw dirt, and many other "real combat" things which are impossible in the sanitized environment of a martial arts dojo. It was a "real world" experience.

This made me respect the emphasis on kihon, or fundamentals. With so many kata, or techniques, that make up the 9 traditions of the Bujinkan "umbrella", I am thankful that we really don't have much that make up our fundamentals. Yet, those fundamentals are universally applicable and exist in all the traditions.

I have always taught in my classes that the most important attribute for a warrior is the ability to adapt to any situation. I have found that if you approach training simply and become adaptive with it, your ability to survive a real situation increases much more than if you learned hundreds of kata - prearranged, repeated combinations of skill sets.

Our Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu has two elements of training which make up the bulk of the fundamentals. The first are solo movements called Sanshin no Kata, which are a series of five solo kata. These are designed to develop proper movement. The second are called Kihon Happo, or eight fundamental laws/principles.

These are further broken down into two sections. The first, called Koshi Sanpo, are comprised of three methods of striking (or how to keep tactical space open). The second are called Torite Goho, or five hand/arm escape methods. These are methods of grappling, once that tactical space is collapsed.

The combination of integration (Sanshin no Kata) and application (Kihon Happo) are at the root of all our training, whether armed or unarmed, against weapons, or against multiple opponents. These techniques are all simplistic on the surface, yet hold countless layers of development and efficiency. It is through a peeling of the layers that we learn to adapt them to whatever the situation holds.

It is my belief that this is a correct method of training and one which is overlooked by so many who rush on to the next kata, the next idea, and the next theme. They miss the lessons which are lying just underneath the stuff they already know.

For the next week or so, we'll be going back to basics. I plan to do drills, target shield striking, jumping, rolling, and so on. It's going to be a very physical time, but one that shouldn't be put off for too long.

So, let's get going!