Bujinkan -
A PRACTICAL MARTIAL ART
Bujinkan is a vivid martial art tradition that has continuously developed over more than 900 years, evolving with changes in society and weapons, equipment, fighting styles, and so on thereafter.
The grandmaster of our martial arts family, known as “Soke” in Japanese, has always shown us rigid ideas for combat, and the importance of breaking concepts, and taught us to move and react naturally and effortlessly. He has also shown us how weakness can be a strength and strength can be a weakness, and how a true martial arts tradition cannot survive if it only clings to past weapons. It requires updating and constant movement.
Today, Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu is practised by approximately 500,000 members worldwide, and there are about 15 Danish dojos (clubs) spread throughout the country.
Bujinkan is A MARTIAL ART
NOT A COMBAT SPORT
Fighting sports are fantastic, healthy, offer fun experiences, and help tons of people to develop their physiques. Even though sports can be serious, they can’t compete against war, school shootings, or terrorist attacks.
In real life, there are no referees to stop the fight, there are no rules about whether your opponent has weapons, and you don’t know when you’ll need your skills, or what surface and surroundings you’ll have to survive and protect your family under. If you’re sick or injured on the day, you can’t withdraw.
Bujinkan is not often referred to as a combat sport but as a martial art. The description stems from its ability to transform weakness into strength and turn even insecure and physically weak people to stand firm, believe in themselves, act intelligently and actually fight and flee when everyone else freezes.
THE 9 WARRIOR SCHOOLSBujinkan’s History
Bujinkan (武神館) is an ancient Japanese martial and survival art that collects and combines the knowledge and methods of 9 different warrior schools. These 9 schools all come from feudal Japan’s warrior traditions and are a mixture of six samurai schools and three ninja schools. The oldest of the ninja schools, Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu, which we are a part of today, is an unbroken tradition over 900 years old.
Each school has its specialities and unique techniques and principles for combat and survival. Therefore, Bujinkan is a genuine Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), a total combat system that contains all elements of combat and conflict management at all ranges, with all forms of weapons, on all types of surfaces and with equipment, ordinary clothing, or gear, against one or more attackers. In short, the ultimate combat method for the modern warrior.
Dr. Masaaki HatsumiFOUNDER AND SOKE
Our grandmaster – soke, Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, gathered the 9 martial art traditions under the name Bujinkan after receiving training from his teacher Takamatsu Toshitsugu.
Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi was born in 1931. At the age of 26, he began training under Toshitsugu Takamatsu, who taught him the techniques that are now collected under Bujinkan. In 1972, Takamatsu passed away, and Hatsumi became the 34th grandmaster in an unbroken line of the nine martial schools’ techniques transmitted through generations. Hatsumi also holds black belts in a wide range of other martial arts systems, including karate, judo, and aikido.
Hatsumi has spread Bujinkan throughout the world and is the author of a wide range of books and films about Bujinkan and martial arts. He has also served as a martial arts consultant for a number of feature films and television series.
“WITHOUT THE PROPER FRAME OF MIND, CONTINUOUS EXPOSURE TO FIGHTING TECHNIQUES CAN LEAD TO RUIN INSTEAD OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT.”
Today, Hatsumi is still the leader of his Hombu Dojo, which is our head dojo in Japan. All Bujinkan members with a valid membership card can, by appointment with their sensei (teacher), participate in training at Hombu Dojo. In our dojo, we have had a tradition of annual trips to Japan since the late 1980s.
Soke Hatsumi has always placed great emphasis on training the fundamental principles that underlie Bujinkan’s combat method as the foundation for finally becoming completely free and thus very difficult to predict, control, and defeat.
The heart is your most important weapon. The teacher illuminates your path and gives you the methods. Together with your martial arts brothers and sisters, you walk the path both in good and bad times, through blood, sweat, tears, and lots of laughter.
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu
AN ALL-AROUND COMBAT ART
“IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW STRONG YOU MIGHT BE, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY YOU CAN SURVIVE ON STRENGTH ALONE...”
We train in a variety of techniques including strikes, kicks, jumps, grabs, wrestling, throws, and weapon combat. All of these techniques are based on fundamental principles that prioritize technique and timing over brute strength, allowing you to control and dominate your opponent both physically and mentally. Surprise, balance, movement, distraction, and positioning are used to defend yourself and prevail in any combat situation.
The primary goal of training is to learn effective methods of physical self-defence, but it also focuses on strengthening the warrior mentally and spiritually. Being a good warrior requires not only strength and technique but also a balanced and resilient mind. Additionally, being a good warrior also requires being a good person with a pure and generous heart. One of the best effects of bujinkan training is becoming more calm and harmonious, as well as gaining an understanding of the importance of living and acting morally and ethically.
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