December 21, 2023

Your First Martial Arts Lesson

Martial arts are about moving and using the body in a certain way.

Just as sports, dance, and hatha yoga have ways of using the body for a specific function, so do the martial arts.

Yet, before we can begin to move the body correctly in the martial arts, as students we need to reset it to zero. We need to learn how to move the body in correct joint alignment, with correct posture and structure that can support the martial arts.

Moving in such a way that we are in balance and able to understand distance.

Junan taiso (tiger and dragon exercises), breathing exercises, and going for long walks are three such ways of returning the body to correct balance and alignment.

Which puts the student in a place to start moving correctly in the martial arts.

Our first martial arts lesson is best experienced in the dojo, but one is able to visualize it and approach an understanding as to why we practice it.

In this fundamental exercise you stand across from your training partner, about six or so feet away in distance- the correct distance is where they have to take a step in order to reach you.

When they are ready, your training partner is going to step forward and try to grab your wrist.

As they do this, using footwork, and moving in correct martial arts alignment you get out of the way, avoiding the grab, while positioning your body so your training partner cannot just grab you again.

No martial arts strikes, blocks, locks, throws, or counters.

Just get out of the way, take yourself off the angle of attack, and put your body in a safe place where you cane scape or deescalate.  

This is the first (or one of the first) lessons in training as it begin to override the wrong natural reaction of just standing and not moving when something enters your space. (kukan).

It begins to train the mind-body-spirit to work together and just act.

Something enters your space, move correctly and get out of the way.

Martial arts as a very specific and specialized way of moving, not as a collection of techniques, but rather a feeling.

See you on the mat!

The aim of the Bujinkan Shinmyoken dojo (war god hall school of the life giving sword) is to understand nature and the movement of being zero through taijutsu- martial ways of using the body. The school exists to create and transmit this feeling and method through the experience of isshi soden- one to one transmission.

Located in Westchester New York, the Bujinkan Shinmyoken dojo is a martial arts training group founded in 2005 with the aim of coming together as martial arts friends to study the Japanese martial arts of Masaaki Hatsumi through the movement lessons of the Bujinkan dojo and the expression of budo taijutsu.

Classes are held on Saturday Mornings from 9-11 AM at a local park in Yonkers New York easily accessible by car, train, and bus. Additional training times are held for workshops and seminars each quarter.

Training is supervised by Fred Feddeck (shidoshi) who has been studying Bujinkan budo taijutsu since 1993.

The transformative effects of the Bujinkan come from the purity of its warrior movement, the movement-philosophy found in taijutsu (body art). This art offers the tools of movement to assimilate the skills needed to meet the challenges of life and prevail against those changes, a movement guide to take control of one’s destiny.

Questions, feedback, and inquiries may be directed to the group here: bujinkanshinmyoken@gmail.com.

The Bujinkan Shinmyoken Dojo practices the Japanese martial art of budo taijutsu as passed to us through Masaaki Hatsumi sensei. It is through the movement-philosophy of taijutsu, as passed down through eight hundred years of warrior movement that we explore these lessons for the here and now of today.

But what is taijutsu?

The easiest and most natural explanation would be to come and participate in a class so one can experience the transmission directly (isshi soden).

With that framework what can be understood intellectually is expressed through s system of movement, used as a vehicle to understand self through martial movement.

Training begins with junan taiso, martial arts stretching, and the re-alignment of the body to a natural state. Methods of undoing the defects of time that one has “learned” and accumulated incorrectly along the way through life. Increasing body capacity and taking stock of where one is currently in order to build and improve on the body’s natural movement capabilities.

The next level of movement development transmits how to generate and use correct body alignment and mechanics in a martial way- it teaches one how to move the body correctly using our unique movement of taijutsu. Methods to illustrate this include ukemi taihenjutsu, kyu kamae, kihon happo, and san shin no kata, illustrating the path of heaven (sky).

Once one has a firm grasp of how to use the movement-philosophy of taijutsu correctly the study of the path of earth begin, how to prevent correct movement through the use of distance, timing, rhythm, and balance. Methods use to show this anti-movement include the gyaku gi, nage waza, hajutsu, and shime-waza.

Those two path lead to the path of man (human), the blending and interplay of the dragon (ten) and the tiger (chi), the interaction between people in a martial arts situation. This jin ryaku no maki section of training offers us glimpses with what is possible, making the impossible possible, as expressed through koku, renyo, seion, gekkan, musan, etc.

The integration of these three aspects of training (tenchijin ryaku no maki) leads to the complete human begin (tatsujin) and the ability to navigate situations in a natural manner.

Yet again, these are just words trying to capture the movement-philosophy of taijutsu, the best way to feel and experience this expression is to take up the training and commit to the warrior path.    






 email contact: bujinkanshinmyoken@gmail.com