Blog: 2023 Japan Training Trip
From September 30 to October 8, 2023, Jeff O. from the Dayton Bujinkan Dojo visited Japan for training - the first time since 2019 because of COVID. The trip was full of great training with Nagato Sensei, Noguchi Sensei, Someya Sensei, and Paul Masse. Sightseeing to Nikko too! Below is a blog about the trip. Photos from the trip are available at https://www.daytonbujinkan.com/photo-gallery-i/japan-trip-oct-2023
(The following post is a condensed version of Jeff’s full, detailed trip journal.)
This is the first trip back since COVID. In chatting with friends at Kashiwa, we started talking about the changes observed since last being in Japan before Covid. Kashiwa Plaza Hotel has wireless internet. During Covid, smoking was banned inside stores and restaurants because of mask requirements. Post-Covid, Japan kept the rules banning smoking indoors. Gone are the days of walking out of restaurants and bars smelling like smoke with your eyes burning. The train looks nearly new with digital monitors over each exit door and a combination of Japanese, English, and Korean announcements about upcoming stops and doors prepping to open. This is a possible side effect of the infrastructure investments made for the now historical 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Most of the construction to elevate the trains in and around Nodashi and Atago is nearly complete. The new Atago station facility is large and reduces walk time to the Hombu to ~5 minutes.
There were a number of visitors in town during this trip, including Stephen K. Hayes and Rumiko Hayes. Class sizes overall ranged from 20 to 35 students. In talking with friends who live in Japan, class sizes had been steadily increasing all summer.
Someya Sensei stressed the importance of practicing exactly what’s shown properly and without personal interpretation. Just copy. He reminded us of the Bujinkan rules, wearing full do-gi in class, and taking notes. Most of his classes were full of Kukishin Ryu training and practicing Ten Chi Hasso no Kamae and five sword kata from it. Someya Sensei’s classes also focused on juttejutsu. He commented about improper use and misunderstanding of jutte basics from those who haven’t studied the forms properly. Don’t be like the movies and make things up.
Nagato Sensei started class with notes from the Shinden Fudo Ryu. For the first third of class, Sensei showed a formal kata (or had Rena show it) and then explored it. The hardwood, cement-backed flooring didn’t stop us from training in Fudoza. Sensei slowly stripped away the complex elements and explored the essence of the form, giving us examples and themes to discover. By the end of the set, we were practicing the concept of the kata from different attacks.
In one class, someone showed Ichi no Kata and Nagato Sensei didn't like their shuto. To improve it, Sensei had all of us place our hands on our neck to cover it and allow our partners to practice a proper shuto. Same with stomp kicks. “Get hit. You’ll be okay.”
Noguchi Sensei is 81. He focused on Koto Ryu. Yosoku, O-gyaku, Shito, Yokuto, etc. Many times Sensei started each kata in kumiuchi then transitioned to punches and kicks as core attacks. Sensei stressed the importance of the elbow placement when practicing Ganseki Nage in the kata. Keep it in their ribs, disrupting their balance and creating pain. Sensei’s flow from omote gyaku to a strike remained lightning quick. Difficult ukemi at best.
Furuta Sensei focused on extending the balance of the uke’s attack past its control point and manipulating the outcome. He seemed to use class time as a lab to explore options once the opponent’s balance (kuzushi) was broken.
One change observed since 2019 is the tightening of Bujinkan Hombu administrative duties. At the direction of Soke, Mr. Niigata now oversees all office and rank requests.
Paul Masse’s classes were full of kyojitsu and exploring timeing. Paul provided calligraphy to share and lessons about Muto Dori/Mu Tachi Dori in his classes.
Unbenownst to some of us, Pedro from Spain had reserved the Bujinkan Hombu to hold a two-day celebratory Tai Kai in honor of Hatsumi Soke. Around 100 students from Spain and abroad made the trip for the special event. One side effect of the Tai Kai was learning how Hatsumi Soke’s wellbeing was. Now in his early 90’s, Soke is in retirement but remains connected with his long-time Japanese students and occasionally sees out-of-town guests. Because of the celebratory Tai Kai, we learned Soke made an appearance on both days and was extremely happy about the successful event. He also participated in a small lunch with Pedro and some of his senior students. Craig Olson and Paul Masse were part of it too. We were told Soke gave an example of how to deal with a punch while sitting in his wheelchair. It resulted in Pedro’s head on a table and good laughs as to how to create energy from such a confined space.
