Has anyone ever heard of Taijutsu
 

I couldn't make it to Aikido at my dojo because of schedule conflicts this week, so I thought I might try another form of budo taught at my dojo on off nights. I went in tonight and played around with a couple guys who practice Taijutsu. I guess it is derived from ninjutsu, but has been edited slightly for modern day society. They used many aiki ideas, but they were very dirty fighters as well.

My ukemi took me a long way there, but when the throat chopping and armpit pinching started I began loosing interest. They seemed to understand timing, posture, and force as an aikidoka, but had much more violent goals. The sensei mentioned to me that the godan test curriculum apparently consists of the test taker kneeling and waiting for the shihan to strike him/her in the back of the head with a bokken, and must move out of the way just in time not to get hit. Well, just thought I would see if anyone else had heard or practiced this form of budo and any thoughts. The dojo was bujinkan dojo.

Re: Has anyone ever heard of Taijutsu
 

Official Bujinkan Website:

www.bujinkan.com

Unofficial Bujinkan Website:

www.bujinkan.org

FL

Re: Has anyone ever heard of Taijutsu
 

I trained in Bujinkan for something like a year.

Well, Bujinkan actually is what used to be referred to with "ninjutsu". That name is seldom used these days because it 1) got kind of a bad name during the 1980's ninja boom with all the ninja movies etc. 2) actually is not very historically correct. In a historical context, ninjutsu is a subject within the art of war that contains everything from how to dress when travelling to collect information and not arousing attention, to where to shoot fire arrows to a castle to create maximum damage. A few of the traditional schools of budo that is included in Bujinkan contains some actual ninjutsu - but what is taught generally is budo, no more no less.

I find that a pretty good description, actually. Both aikido and budo taijutsu is derived from old jujutsu arts, so that is not so strange. Skilled people in the Bujinkan kan make exceptionally soft technique - when they choose to. The style however also contains things like how to insert weapons in the opening in the opponent's armour. Many aikido techniques can be found also in the Bujinkan, but generally with the focus somewhat twisted. The focus is not on throwing, but pinning or breaking something in the opponent's body.

From what I've heard usually a shinai, not a bokken, which hurts a lot more if it hits. The grading system in Bujinkan is weird. They have 15 dan ranks, and practitioners that travel to Japan to train with the headmaster of the style can travel up the ranks with a speed unheard of in most budo arts.

Re: Has anyone ever heard of Taijutsu
 

In an interview made by an Israeli martial arts forum, a high ranked individual in Ninjitsu who studied in Japan confirmed this test, not with a bokken, but with a real sword. He said the master is supposed to mentally transmit his intention to chop to the person being tested.
He said he felt the intention and passed the test unchopped.

Re: Has anyone ever heard of Taijutsu
 

Hanna,

Thanks for the informative reply. I'm glad you find my description of Bujinkan to be fairly accurate. I find that I am very sore today (two days after training with Bujinkan), more so than I ever am with Aikido training. I definitely walked out of there with a couple hard hits to the chest, arms, and groin!

However I did find the training fairly fun and quite a learning experience. It helped me to realize where my aikido training can be useful outside of standard aikido. The bujinkan sensei seemed very pleased to train with me because of my good ukemi, and invited me to train with them more often. I'm not sure I would be willing to give up aikido to train in bujinkan regularly, I feel that I am to passive to study budo with a more violent mindset.

Roy,

I was told about the godan tests which used to be taken with live blades. That idea scares me a bit also. I'm sure you can live through it, but it would be a very nasty sacrifice for one's budo if you don't get out of the way in time.

Re: Has anyone ever heard of Taijutsu
 

AFAIK the godan test has never been done with a live blade in the Bujinkan. They myth, however, is that that is how it was done "in the old days" long before Bujinkan was amalgamated from a set of old jujutsu/taijutsu schools.

Re: Has anyone ever heard of Taijutsu
 

hi , yes i practiced this art with the bujinkan dojo for ten years on and off, ive trained with grandmaster hatsumi, i agree very much like aikido in ways but much more destructive in others, however this art is real and it works, they are a great bunch of people, and my sensei( john atkin) was fantastic, and yep the fith dan test is done with a real sword, i personaly know 3 people who have passed it. i had some great times in that dojo, although my life is now devoted to aikido i would personally recomend ninjutsu to anyone, :ai: :)

Re: Has anyone ever heard of Taijutsu
 

How many do you know who did not pass it, and how many of those are alive today? :D

I am sorry, but someone must have exaggerated their story a bit.

Re: Has anyone ever heard of Taijutsu
 

Re: Has anyone ever heard of Taijutsu
 

Wayne,

This was an informative article, it was definitely a different timeframe than the Taijutsu I was referring to. I was referring to the former ninjutsu, now budo taijutsu practiced at the bujinkan dojos. None the less, it seems many forms of budo originate from one place.