(Version Française)
武神館 道場 新伝 基本 型 – 天地人略の巻
Bujinkan Dôjô Shinden Kihon Gata – Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki
In a few days the 3rd Ten Chi Jin University that I have ever organized will begin. During this seminar we will dwell into the foundations of the bujinkan budô taijutsu as exposed by Hatsumi sensei in 1987. During the 2008 daikomyo sai, Hatsumi sensei stressed the importance for the high ranks to teach the tenchijin to the students as: “many of today’s practitioners have never been exposed to the basics of the bujinkan”.
I gave this seminar last year in India and the results were so amazing for the students that I have decided to do it again here in France. See this seminar as my answer to Hatsumi sensei’s demand.
But learning the tenchijin block after block is often dull and does not give a chance to understand the connection between the levels, the forms, the principles and the techniques. So to make this more interesting we will follow the Bujinkan memento aka Bujinkan Kyû Program (BKP) as it has been designed to learn this vast array of techniques in a simple and more pedagogical manner. This BKP has been developed by a group of high ranks during two years and is based upon the famous Tenchijin which full title is: Bujinkan Dôjô Shinden Kihon Gata.
The tenchijin program has been created by Hatsumi sensei to give a foundation to the common requirement for the students to begin the study of the 9 ryûha (流派). Every single technique is coming from one the nine schools and should be studied independently from it. The tenchijin deals more with the general principles than with a specific way of fighting.
As we will not follow the “block logic” or the three parts of the Tenchijin, I took the liberty to change the original shinden meaning “temple” (神殿) or “teachings conveyed by the gods” (神伝) and to replace it with another one 新伝 meaning “new style, new way, modern”. Kihon gata is the foundation of the forms.
- The foundation of our martial art is based on a triptych set of techniques connected together. The Ten principle deals mainly with the learning of distance and footwork.
- The Chi principle deals with the bio-mechanical aspects of the techniques.
- The Jin principle illustrates the interactions between the ten and the chi by using techniques from the 9 ryûha.
Therefore this 武神館 道場 新伝 基本 型 (Bujinkan Dôjô Shinden Kihon Gata) is a new way to learn the foundation of the bujinkan martial arts forms and principles.
Module 1:
武神館 道場 新伝 基本 型 – 初心者
Bujinkan Dôjô Shinden Kihon Gata – Shoshinsha (beginner)
The Beginner level or shoshinsha covers the techniques of the first three kyû (9th to 7th). This first set of techniques is the most complete and its goal is to understand better the ten ryaku and the chi ryaku interactions. The three kyû added together form a complete set and a logical unit.
Module 2:
武神館 道場 新伝 基本 型 – 中級
Bujinkan Dôjô Shinden Kihon Gata – Chûkyû (intermediate)
The Intermediate level or chûkyû still covers many techniques and concepts of the ten ryaku and of the chi ryaku but introduces the first techniques of the jin ryaku. The chûkyu follows the taijutsu techniques of the 6th kyû to the 4th kyû. At this level you will begin to see the depth of the complexity of this very simple system.
Module 3:
武神館 道場 新伝 基本 型 – 老功
Bujinkan Dôjô Shinden Kihon Gata – Rôkô (advanced)
The Advanced level or rôkô ends the whole program. Once finished, you have experienced every single taijutsu technique and know the whole tenchijin ryaku no maki. The rôkô follows the taijutsu techniques of the 3rd kyû to the 1st kyû.
You are now able to see the deep interactions of everything and your taijutsu is flowing more naturally. Unfortunately we will not study in this seminar the basics for the weapons, it will require another five days seminar.
Important: It is impossible to memorize everything in such a short time do not even try. What is important is that after this seminar you will be able to attend any class in the future, here or in Japan and understand the connections between everything.
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Gambatte kudasai!
TCJU2010 Comments 2
(English version below)
Ayant fait le stage du début à la fin, je confirme qu’il est totalement impossible de tout mémoriser en une seule fois. Pourtant, j’ai quand même l’impression d’avoir énormément appris, que ce soit au niveau des techniques qu’au niveau de l’esprit et l’histoire du Bujinkan et du Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki.
On était un peu serrés dans le dôjô, mais ça n’a pas trop gêné l’entrainement.
L’épuisement vient très vite, que ce soit au niveau physique qu’au niveau mental, surtout quand on est pas habitué à un tel rythme de travail. Ça fait assez mal par moments, mais curieusement, non seulement on s’y habitue, mais en plus on finit très vite par aimer ça.
Les organisateurs étaient disponibles, pédagogues et vraiment très accueillants…
Une petite parenthèse là-dessus d’ailleurs : En tant que débutant, c’est aussi surprenant que plaisant de voir que ça ne sert strictement à rien de chercher à obtenir la reconnaissance des maîtres, car on a l’impression qu’ils font tous de leur mieux pour qu’on sente comme chez nous, comme faisant “partie de la famille”. Une fois dans le dôjô, on laisse tomber tous nos masques, toutes nos barrières sociales, et se donner l’impression “d’exister” n’a alors plus le moindre sens. Ça fait vraiment très plaisir de ressentir ça… Fin de la parenthèse.
J’ai donc hâte de pouvoir participer aux prochains stages. En espérant qu’ils soient tous au moins aussi instructifs que celui-ci.
Un grand merci à tous les organisateurs, et à tous les participants pour cette superbe expérience.
English:
Having attended the whole seminar, I can tell it’s totally impossible to remember everything at once. Yet, I still think I learnt a lot, as much in the technical aspects as in Bujinkan and Ten Chi Jin Ryaku’s history and spirit.
We were a bit tight in the dôjô, but it didn’t really disturbed the training.
Exhaustion comes very fast, physically as well as mentally, especially when you’re not used to such a working rhythm. It’s quite painful sometimes, but oddly, not only you get used to it, but you quickly come to like it.
The organizers were available, good teachers, and very welcoming.
Small aside on this by the way : As a beginner, it’s as surprising as pleasant to see that it’s absolutely useless to seek for acknowledgement from the masters, as you have this feeling that they all do their best to make feel like home, as “part of the family”.
Once in the dôjô, you give up on your masks, your social boundaries, and then giving yourself an idea that you “exist” becomes pointless. It’s really pleasant to get that feeling…
I’m eager to attending the next seminars, hoping they will all be as gainful as this one.
Big thanks to all of the organizers and all the participants for this great experience.