In what way is a precious stone unlike another stone? (Magali)

To me, to you, precious stones and ordinary stones are in no way dissimilar. Stones’ external crusts are in all point identical, hard, cold and gray. It’s within its hidden heart that a precious stones holds it’s beauty. Who can but a specialist unfolds that treasure by means of his knowledge and appropriate tools.

I look at Ninpo Tai-jutsu, this martial art, this budo path taught within our school, the Bujinkan, as similar. To me studying Ninpo Tai-jutsu without the correct teacher is like trying to extract the heart of a diamond containing stone without the correct tools and skills.

The Denshos, a written set of Japanese ancient texts establishing the martial art principle we are studying, are superb lists of ancient techniques. They are written like a chirurgical, clear set of successive movements, established sets of punches, kicks, blocks, locks and throws. Although truly efficient, theses are to our eyes illiterate to Japanese ancient scriptures, but a set of dry movements one could practice studying any established school of martial art.

To study Ninpo Tai-justu and any other serious Budo path one has to be taught through what we Bujinkan students are calling Kuden.

Kuden is often perceived as word of mouth or appreciated as an oral teaching of unwritten and therefore secret information. I am starting to understand Kuden differently and I believe that most of Bujinkan practitioners do as well. For us Kuden describes a physical and direct Man-to-Man transmission of Ninpo’s base set of principles.

Of course I often wonder how deep is our understanding of what Kuden teaching really is? How important it is to one’s progress towards the precious heart of Ninpo Taijutsu. Also I am wondering about its true secrecy.

Is a diamond heart secret or is it intrinsically part of the physical category of precious stones and therefore hidden to the bare naked eyes only by means of his true nature? Is Ninpo hidden or is it purely of a different nature such as, one cannot perceive it using only his eyes?

Indisputably Bujinkan is an art full of war like techniques, hidden self defenses mechanisms, traps, tricks, powders and ancient poisons. Is this the secret heart of Budo? Is it Ninpo as Soke, Hatusmi Maasaki is trying to teach us? Maybe one of its aspects is such but Ninpo is also wider, more complex in nature and difficult to describe with simple words.

Consequently its transmission is also of a different nature. In training we use Kuden and it is like a perception tool, a mean to experience the ‘feeling’ of Ninpo. Thanks to Bujinkan’s Soke, Hatusmi Maasaki, we are leaning Ninpo Tai-jutsu through a subtle martial art ballet of students to students’ experimenting techniques and principles with a teacher whose relation physical, mental and emotional with his students imprints them with the true feeling of Ninpo. This is personal and internal training, an experience deep by nature. It is why the relationship between the students and between the students and their teacher is of such a great importance.

Training helps you to feel; to perceive, to experience and to practice Ninpo but personal understanding of feelings about Ninpo can differ depending on students’ perception and teacher’s transmission. For example, to me Ninpo is of at least three flavors: spatial (body-life-movement-time-distance-breath), spiritual (mind-knowledge-strategy-universal connection) and emotional (heart-human connection-evolution). Another student might express his understanding in different terms. It is difficult to use words to describe an impression. And that is what kuden is, an impression, an imprint and an internal teaching.

When training Ninpo people are connecting directly through body motions, their hearts and emotions, their minds and conceptualization of the world and their humanity, with past nature and future condition. How powerful is such connected training repeated many times? How solidly are the correct or the faulty information and habits rooted within the practitioner after years of practice?

Thus it is important for a student to find a correct teacher. The one he can trust and connect with. Besides it is essential for the teacher holding the tools to unfold diamonds’ heart to connect with and teach truthful students? This is also a key to Ninpo Taijutsu and to Budo as taught by Sensei Maasaki Hatsumi. There is a simple joke circulating within our school that explains the existence of unskilled teachers as a key to teach unskilled students. It is a hint about your path and your choice regarding how you will learn and understand Ninpo through Kuden teaching and how delicate it can be.

Magali Krakenberger
Bujinkan Cz Dojo
January-May 2009