Bujinkan Taihenjutsu Muto Dori

In our first level of taijutsu training we have three movement exercises where we practice avoiding and responding to a sword cut, of which naturally a safe-padded training sword is always used.

These three lessons are routinely practiced and explored in our Saturday class as they are part of the fundamental (kihon) practice of our movement.

But just what are we practicing during that practice?

What one sees in our training is that all of the students in class practice the same lessons together at the same time, black belts, green belts, and white belts all work together. Yet, in training together, while each student works on the movement, where you are in the training determines what actions points one is working on.

Naturally, the main point of these three training exercises is not to get hit, while at the same time placing your body through the use of taijutsu in a safe space so the attacks cannot continue. No matter your level in training this is the focus, but what about training at each belt level?

As a white belt, a student who is new to our movement-art, the focus is on getting used to having things swung at you, having punches and kicks thrown, etc. For many and most new students having a (padded) sword swung at you is not a day-to-day occurrence, and there is a learning-period to being able to navigate this before one can even start working on getting out of the way and moving to a safe place in the space (kukan).

In this way, and with taihenjutsu muto dori as an example there are always multiple training action points to be working on depending on where one is in the training journey.

See you in the dojo!