Banpen Fugyo

Banpen Fugyo: 10,000 changes no surprises, or infinite changes no surprises. This is a training phrase and movement-philosophy that one encounters in our Bujinkan taijutsu training, and as such what is the meaning of change and surprises in our training?

How does one begin to approach it and integrate the idea into the movement?

The most natural answer: don’t worry about it, don’t try to understand it, just keep training each week and at a point in the movement you will understand. These is no need to approach it intellectually.

Just keep training.

However, as true as this is with taijutsu, and it is very true, sometimes at the start of training with these movement concepts it is good to have an idea of what to look out for- so from that perspective we will explore banpen fugyo.

Change is constant, there are things that we know, things that we expect, and things that happen that we could not see or plan for. Interactions in the moment are a mixture of these three elements.

The key is to not be taken by surprise by surprise, something happens and you respond, or you respond before something happens based on chance.

In our taijutsu, we practice waza against different positions, elements, training partners, and training tools. Over time, by being exposed and working through the movement of different scenarios, the new-unknown-surprise becomes no big deal, you just keep moving.

Movement through training prepares one for henka (chance) and adapting to the 10,000 chances and no surprises.