Buyu Camp Review 2015

September 2015, already a fading memory, was the setting for another excellent Buyu Camp. Martial friends from far and wide trained together, learned together, networked, and grew.

Friday night began with us training Sanshin no Kata and Kihon Happo. Jack Hoban took us through the basics, highlighting many of the key points: Alignment, distance, timing.

Boshiken

There was a wide range of participants there, from those who have been training several decades, to those who were experiencing Bujinkan Taijutsu for the first time. It felt like everyone had something to learn from this review, and it primed us all us all up well for the weekend ahead.

On Friday night some of us staying at the camp enjoyed a warm campfire. It was a pleasant evening for weary travelers who had spend many hours on the road, and added to the feeling of the camp.

On Saturday morning, after a warm up by Ed Martin, the group assembled to practice some Kukishinden Ryu Dakentaijutsu along with some variations. Jack explained how we could use the concept of Shu-Ha-Ri (守破離) to first study and learn the form, and then to break the form, and finally to lose the form. He also demonstrated the concept of capturing the Ukes balance, and using this balance point to topple the opponent. Either sending the uke flying, or taking them down to the ground and submitting them.

Uke Nagashi

After breaking for lunch there were several breakout sessions, where we could choose which instructor we wanted to train with. This was also repeated on Sunday morning.

Mark Guest taught a class on Bojutsu

Ed Figueroa demonstrated how good Taijutsu could be used in everyday life

Ed Martin explained the principles of escaping a knife attack and protecting others

Murray Taylor and Phil Bradshaw talked about the Hokken Juroppo (16 Striking Treasures)

Miki Fujitsubo showed some Taijutsu concepts

Craig Gray worked on ground fighting tactics

Josh Reis taught pistol and knife work

Josh Sager and myself also held a class for Kihon (basics)

It was a very busy time of sharing and learning. With teachers from the east coast, the west coast, and Europe, there was more than enough knowledge and information available for the participants.

On Saturday night, many of us attended a no host dinner at the local Colts Neck Inn. A great chance to unwind and compare notes, as well as getting to know each other a bit better.

On Sunday afternoon Jack brought forward some 'what if?' scenarios, including multiple attackers. Connecting the opponents to each other was key, so as to capture the balance point together. 

We also practiced Hanbojutsu, using kyo-jitsu to draw out the attack and using the Hanbo tactically to control the kukan. 

By the end of the weekend my cup was completely full, mission accomplished.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again next year!

STRIKE! Learning to maintain the combat mindset.

On July 11th I attended Jack Hoban's seminar in Spring Lake, NJ. The month of July is linked to the passing of one of Jack's life mentors, Robert Humphrey. As many people may know, Robert Humphrey was a rifle platoon commander on Iwo Jima, and also an honorary Bujinkan 10th Dan.

If you do not know about his work, I would like to recommend this benign looking but powerfully eye opening book:
http://www.amazon.com/Values-New-Millennium-Robert-Humphrey/dp/0915761041

The seminar itself began with 90 minutes of STRIKE training. This training methodology originated from Robert Humphrey's own experience in military combat in WWII. During this time of intense conflict, he became aware that during firefights, only a small percentage of his unit were returning fire and shooting at the enemy. He surmised that most of his men were suffering from shock and fear, yet, for some reason, he himself was able to overcome these emotions.

He speculated that maybe his experiences as a boxer had helped him to override much of the physiological responses to danger, and was keen to instill the same capability in his men. He took his platoon to the beach, and one by one engaged them in taunting and slap fighting, pushing his men to the point of losing their cool and fighting back. Once in this heightened state, he instructed them to go through the mechanical action of shooting their rifles into the ocean.

Although rudimentary, this strategy appeared to work. He had essentially taught his men to experience the emotions brought on by a threat to their well-being, and yet maintain enough control to perform measured life protecting responses. This methodology was taken back to the marine training facilities, with the idea of having recruits box each other and develop confidence. Except the concept backfired! What happened under normal boxing conditions was the skilled fighters often bullied the weaker ones, and the less confident became even more "gun-shy".

The solution was STRIKE as it remains today. A designated "catcher" will face off against the person undertaking the exercise. The catcher will encourage the participant to attack, and when opportunity arises deliver a measured STRIKE of their own, usually limiting themselves to lead hand attacks. At this point the participant must be encouraged to overcome the physiological shock and get back into the fight with a counter attack. Again however, this situation relies on both the catcher and the participant remaining cool enough to not overreact. For this purpose a rope is suspended between the two participants, neither boxer is allowed to cross the rope, and at any time either party can back away from the rope to create the necessary breathing space to re-organize mentally. Using the rope as cover is a key component in making strike work, and truly "develop" confidence no matter the starting level of the participant.

So why is this STRIKE training so important? As Rober Humphrey wrote in his book. "Experienced truly professional fighters do not let anything make them uncontrollably mad. Anger is usually self-defeating;physiologically, it shuts down the thinking processes". Yet at the same time, a fighter can not be paralyzed by fear. It is a balance, and STRIKE helps develop that balance.

After lunch, we continued the recent theme of Kukishinden Ryu, starting with a traditional form (in this case Iwa Kudaki), and employing different methods of pinning the opponent after the take-down. As always the underlying concepts of the Taijutsu were fairly complex and non-intuitive in nature. Three dimensional and leveraging actions from a changing safe space while maintaining good kamae. This kind of training takes time as well as mental, physical and spiritual effort to master. However, on the occasion that these elements start to fall into place, the difference in ease of application, and vulnerability of the opponent can be astounding.

Jack finished the day by pointing out that good Taijutsu requires use of the frontal areas of the brain, whereas fear causes thoughts to retreat to the brain stem, where our actions become more basic and less capable of perspective based problem solving. This understanding of brain function is not theory but scientifically known with modern technology. As Jack pointed out, before technology allowed it, warriors already were aware of methods to maintain conscious awareness, such as the use of Zen meditation. Could it be that these ancient warriors were tapping into their own form of STRIKE.

March Seminar Review - The take down

At the latest seminar we continued to focus on Kukishinden Ryu Dakentaijutsu. This followed on from a seminar the previous month, during which Jack discussed the usefulness of being able to successfully take down an opponent in combat, be the situation military, law enforcement, or simply personal defense. And how, according to the environment, one or both parties may be wearing armor, weapons, or even bulky winter clothes that impact the Taijutsu employed. With this thought in mind we started to look at the nuances of the techniques in this particular school.

The techniques of Kukishinden Ryu Dakentaijutsu are overtly brutal, with many patterns designed to maim or incapacitate the armored opponent, heaping them onto the ground awkwardly, leaving them wide open and helpless for an accurate finishing counter attack. Of course, as Jack pointed out, for most of us this might simply be an opportunity to escape and seek the assistance of law enforcement. The important question was, as always, what can we learn from the basic forms in terms of developing better Taijutsu.

There are many recurring themes in terms of bad habits in my experience. Not bending the knees, curving the spine, reaching with the arms, pulling with just the arms, looking down at the floor, stopping the feet....the list seems endless. It wasn't a newsflash to notice these 'bugs in my system' creeping out, however, something did catch my attention. I noticed that when I physically have hold of someone with both hands, trying to execute a technique, it was much more tempting to try and use strength. As a result all the aforementioned Taijutsu flaws were dragged out into plain view much earlier, and much more clearly than usual.

As Jack deftly guided us through several variations, we started to see that these were all methods of causing the Uke to unbalance themselves, and then exploit that opening by controlling their attempts to regain their position. Of course the trick is, being able to 'see' and 'feel' what is happening spatially, and adjust accordingly, rather than have a fixated intention on what is going to happen. This takes practice to even develop basic competency, and so the day was hard but rewarding work.

During the seminar Jack "re-introduced" the importance of Katate-Hicho no Kamae. This kamae is not simply a Gyokko Ryu Hicho in armor, but was demonstrably used to great effect as a stepping stone while moving from one tactical position to the next in Kukishinden Gata. This gave us some much needed help, bridging some gaps in our Taijutsu.

Jack had opened the day by raising an important point from his mentor Robert Humphrey. I paraphrase here due to lack of phonographic memory, but it was along the lines of:
In order for society to truly work, everyone had to be able to fight. That is to say, in a place where people are not afraid to stand up for what is right, there will be far fewer problems.

I would say by the end of the seminar, everyone had worked hard to try and make this a reality.

Robert Humphrey's speech at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville April 10-12, 1997

Commitment IS easier

During a few of our recent classes, Jack has been talking about how "Commitment is easier". At first this does not seem to make sense, surely if you commit to doing something, then you must now go through with the effort of making it happen. That doesn't sound easy. You might also lose the ability to fill your life with others things. Again, not easy.

The point was though, that it was 'easier' than indecisiveness. For example, we could explore a persons commitment to martial arts training. If they are not really committed, then on a class night they must decide "should I go to class or...." followed by an almost infinite number of alternatives. A truly committed student will not need to make this decision, they already know it is a class night and what they must do. The student will not be concerned with the 'what' to do, but the 'how' to do it. Goal based decision making rather than constantly changing the goals themselves.

This also applies in relationships. What if a man were to constantly concern himself with whether his partner is attractive enough, smart enough, kind enough and supportive enough. Out of the billions of women on earth "which" woman is the best for him? Rather than finding a good and worthwhile partner with which to make things work long term, he must wake up every morning and reassure himself that he has not made a mistake. This kind of life must surely become a torment.

Similarly, a martial art student may be torn between different expressions of martial art. Different styles, different teachers, different perspectives. They may even try to create a collage or hodgepodge of various different forms they are dabbling in, because they are constantly fearful that their 'system' does not have everything. Instead of finding a good teacher in a bonafide martial art and committing to a lifetime of study, they must constantly evaluate their inventory and decide what they will study next. Again, this can become a torment.

Commitment IS easier.

Buyu Camp Review

In the middle of September, I took the opportunity of attending Buyū Camp East. I have been taking part in these camps since 2006, and in those years, I can only say that they keep getting better. The welcoming and inclusive atmosphere, the co-operation and strong desire to learn, the level of training and instruction, it keeps pushing the boundaries and evolving from the year before.

Friday Night

Sui no Kata

On Friday night, Jack Hoban took us through some of the Sanshin no Kata. The focus was on how the 5 basic patterns can be mapped into to 3 different perspectives during an attack:

The ethical goal creating context of the situation
The tactical strategy for achieving the objective
The physical method (taijutsu) required to deliver the execution of the tactic.




 I could spend a great deal of time discussing the role of ethics in martial arts, and how it is a framework for long term sustainable success. However, you could also just get one or both of the two in depth books which are already published on the subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Warrior-Values-Morals-Service-ebook/dp/B00AEU157I/
http://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Protector-Police-Tactics-Techniques-ebook/dp/B00N7S16OG/

Regarding the strategy, the 5 basic forms were broken down into the way one might recognize, obtain and control a particular tactical space. From there we can gain an understanding of suitable timing, distance, and kamae that would allow us to obtain the strategic objective without violating our ethical objective.

Finally, the movements had to be executed in an efficient, integrated, and smooth manner. Jack explained the importance of body alignment, skeletal organization, and muscle activity, while executing any movement. Using the ground surface, and gravity, to isometrically activate the body, transferring energy through the hip girdle and along the spine to create more effortless, but incredibly powerful and stable, movements.

The Sanshin no Kata came to life through this process, and soon different, more modern looking, attacks were introduced. We saw that the tactic might change slightly, but that the ethic can remain constant, and even the taijutsu need only be mildly refined. Ed Martin also demonstrated that even if the movements become smaller, the principle of the Sanshin no Kata can still be there, although less clearly noticeable to the untrained eye.

Saturday Morning

On Saturday morning, after Ed Martin warmed us up through his breathing routine, Jack walked us through the Kihon Happo.

Ura Shutō from Hichō no Kata

The Kihon Happō are often referred to as the basic building blocks of the Bujinkan system, and even the root of Budō. However,  as we all saw, even the basics are not basic.

Onikudaki 

Following on from the Sanshin no Kata the night before, the Saturday morning session taught us the importance of capturing the opponent in a trap. By correctly taking the space, it is possible to guide the resisting opponent into the exact technique we were looking to create, with minimal effort. The important aspects being soft hands and good footwork, not strong hands and no footwork.

Saturday Afternoon

Fighting from the ground

After a lunch break I attended one of the optional breakout sessions. There were two excellent teachers, Craig Gray teaching ground fighting principles and Phil Bradshaw with modern interpretations of Gyokko Ryū. I ended up in Phil's group on this occasion, but I have trained with Craig before and his classes are extremely helpful.

Ura Gyaku leading to Omote Gyaku - Renyo

Phil focused on progressing us from one basic move into a modern practical application. From here, he then incrementally introduced us into a series of logical next steps. Within a short time we were all executing an entire sequence of flowing forms. He then pointed out that we were doing a sequence that closely resembled the full kata of Renyo from Gyokko Ryū - Jō Ryaku no Maki. At the start of the process we were all focused on a specific technique, but soon we learned to flow from one technique to the next, not fighting for a specific outcome.

Using Kōdachi to close the Kukan

In the next session we could choose between Steffen Fröhlich on the grass or Ed Martin indoors. I found myself in Steffen's class on Gyokko Ryū Kata with Kōdachi. It began to rain a little, but this made the training feel exposed in a good way. Slippery grass challenged our footwork as we tried to play with the concepts Steffen offered us. Opening and closing the space to confuse the attacker, while at the same time maintaining a steadfast and serious feeling.




After training I attended the no-host dinner. It really was nice to eat and drink with old friends and new. Enjoying the company of many Buyū.

Sunday Morning

Controlling an attacker with multiple points of the body

On Sunday morning, Ed Martin again led us through his breathing routine. He then taught a class on defending against knife attacks. He started off with up-close scenarios, and then progressed to how we might protect someone else in a similar situation. Next he progressed to a more ranged attack, and then again focused on how we might use the same principles to protect another person in the same situation.

Controlling with Kuzushi before attempting a Gyaku

 Steffen once again took us through Gyokko Ryū kata, this time very much focusing on the importance of having the correct thought process for dealing with an attack. A good thought will generate a good and powerful feeling, connecting with the Uke and bringing a serious realism to the encounter. Some of the kata we worked on were Danshu, Danshi and Gyaku Nagare of Gyokko Ryū - Jō Ryaku no Maki.

Using the stick like a paintbrush

Next we had a session from Mark Guest focusing on 'the stick'. Mark relayed the importance of training with a variety of styles, shapes and sizes of stick. He also showed the importance of finding the balance point of a weapon as well as developing the ability to quickly familiarize ourselves with any that we should pick up. He also talked a lot about the feeling of the stick, it's blunt edge being very primitive, and the need to defend and control a center line with seriousness.

Sunday Afternoon

The rest of the day was broken into two sections both led by Jack Hoban. First of all, learning to find the balance point of the opponent, so that no matter how much they resist, they only make the technique more effective. Second, defending others, and ensuring we do not get caught up in the techniques and forget our mission to protect another.

Protecting others with Muso Dori

Summary

Overall I had a wonderful time. The teaching was excellent with high level teachers from near and far. The atmosphere was very co-operative and friendly. I made new friends and had a chance to catch up with old ones. I really am grateful to be a part of something so positive.

If you are interested in training at Buyū Camp next year there is already a webpage and a facebook event with more information:
http://www.winjutsu.com/seminars/buyucampeast/index.htm
https://www.facebook.com/events/1231270993566555/