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These
arts are taught together as the martial art of Budō Taijutsu, but also
separately as individual schools. Licenses, or menkyō,
are issued in Budō Taijutsu, and the modern curriculum includes multiple
fighting skills drawn from battlefield proven medieval combat arts, such as
punching, kicking, throwing, limb restraints, rolling and breakfalling. Also studied are weapons including the long and short Japanese
sword, long, medium and short staffs, flexible rope and chain weapons and
throwing weapons.
All
training is carried out in a fun and relaxed atmosphere, and with safety
considerations constantly in mind. The teaching method includes basic movement
drills designed to increase coordination and spatial awareness in new
students, leading on to more advanced movement and the study of traditional kata,
or prearranged techniques and henka, or variations, from the nine
schools listed above.
Themes
In
addition to the study of the basic movement of Budō Taijutsu and the kata or
techniques of each school, a specific training theme is set by the Hombu
(main) Dōjō in Japan each year and special attention is paid to this topic.
In
2002, the training theme was Hontai Takagi Yoshin Ryū Jutaijutsu and Daisho
Sabaki. In 2003, the focus of the international Bujinkan Dōjō
was the study of Juppo
Sessho no jutsu, a philosophical approach to combat, as well as a number of
specialised weapons such as the kunai (a digging tool), the kyoketsu
shoge (a hook knife, rope and ring weapon) , the kodachi (the short
sword worn by samurai) and the tessen (a folding fan made of iron worn
by samurai).
In 2004, the theme for the year
was Roppo Kuji no Biken, an approach to Japanese kenjutsu sword
fighting that builds on the themes of previous years and also
finds expression in unarmed fighting. in 2005, the main focus of
training is Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu. These topics are studied
by all members of the dojo at the same time as learning and
refining the fundamental basics of budo.
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