What Is Bujinkan Movement?

Every martial arts, school, style, and disciple has a way of moving, a way of doing martial things.

Just what this movement is and what it looks like depends on many factors: the aim of the martial art, the time-period it was developed, and the application it was developed for.

Within that frame of movement we have various ways of transmission, techniques, drills, and methods used by the teacher, passed to the students so they *move* like the art. This is one of the reasons why one cannot really compare training methods from one martial art to another, as the methods of the movement may be different.

Now, with that framework how does the taijutsu of the Bujinkan dojo move and what does it look like?

What is the core-fundamental of the movement that we try to keep in mind during both practice in the dojo with a teacher and outside the dojo practicing the moves by ourselves?

Flow.

There is a flow to our movement and at its core it is working to move as relaxed as possible. Moving in correct body alignment, with as little (ideally note) body tension.

This is one of the reasons why our junan taiso body conditioning is so important. It *can* be a warm-up before class, but at its core it works on the body areas vital to our taijutsu so we can move correctly and with as little tension and effort as possible.

That is the aim and the goal.

Occasionally in class, when we are working on a training drill for some time, usually practicing forward rolls (ukemi gata) or punching (tsuki gata), as a group we will stop and pause for a moment, maybe a minute at tops.

During this pause, each of us closes out eyes, steadies out breath, and *feel* if and where any tension is in the body. Are there any specific areas where we are tense, or lack flow?

Make a note to work on these individual-specific areas with junan taiso, walking, and martial arts stretching outside of class.

Taijutsu is a *very* specific way of moving, and being relaxed and moving with flow is important.

See you in the dojo!