G
Gary Arthur
Guest
It seems that some people are under the impression that Stephen K Hayes has turned his back on Ninjutsu and created a new art called TO-SHIN DO. Let me try to put things into perspective from my point of view, having not only trained with An shu Hayes spoadically over the last nineteen years but also having been to the Dayton Quest Centre to train.
Much of what is taught in the Bujinkan arts today is very traditional, like one was fighting on battlefield in armour in the sixteenth century. For example the Jodan Tsuki where the fist is delivered from the hip into the target. Now this method was used against men in armour, to knock them down and out.
For a beginner this is a great way to start training. It allows one to learn posture, movement and delivery of a punch. It also allows the training partner to see the punch coming and therefore learn, Jodan Tsuki, Taisabaki etc.
But in todays world, people do'nt wear armour and punch like this. In fact a lot of Japanese didn't punch like this either. Therefore as a student once one has learnt the basics of the punch and how to receive that punch one can go on to learn how to defend against faster, shorter ranged, trickier and more varied in their application.
Do the defences change?
well only in the sense that the distancing, timing etc might be different. Jodan Uke, Chudan Uke, Shikan Ken etc are still used as are more advanced techniques like Yokuto, Danshi etc.
Unfortunately so many practitioners of Ninjutsu stop at the stage where the punch is delivered from the hip and progress no further. Yet strangely when one takes the art of Ninjutsu and applies it effectively against todays styles of attack they are labelled as not practicing Ninjutsu, even though Ninjutsu is an art of self protection, which it cannot be if it is only been practiced as if one is wearing armour from the sixteenth century. This is not martial arts, this is historical reenactment.
Isn't it strange that when Hatsumi Sensei shows a defence against a modern punch its Ninjutsu, but when An Shu Hayes does it, then its a completely seperate martial art.
Ok so in Toshindo we practice with air shields and bags, but then they did in Japan. Sometimes they even struck trees (see the Hatsumi Koto Ryu, and Shinden Fudo Ryu Videos)
And in Toshindo we wear armour. Heh isn't there a photograph of Dr Hatsumi or one of the Shihan in the 60s or 70s wearing Kendo armour to defend against a kick?
Oh yes we call it TO-SHIN DO, but isn't Ninjutsu called Budo Taijutsu now, and didn't Takamatsu call it Happo Biken. Its still the same techniques, its just the names been changed to protect the innocent (Just a joke) but you know what I mean. Or maybe you don't.
Ninjutsu was not always called Ninjutsu, and in this day and age where Ninjutsu has had such a bad rep from Hollywood, Books, Comics and the rest of the media, it might just be a good idea to go into hiding a little bit. Takamatsu did, hence Happo Biken. But wait a minute 'TO and SHIN', are these not the characters that make up the word NIN of Ninjutsu and Ninja.
Maybe its the fact that TO-SHIN DO practitioners do a kind of Kumite whilst fully padded up that seperates this art from real ninjutsu.
Well my answer to that is that by using this approach it enables the practitioner to be put under stress safely and is probably the closest one can get to actual fighting. Of course Takamatsu Sensei used to fight people for real to get his training. But in his day there were no such thing as law suits.
Maybe its because people think that An Shu Hayes has added stuff from other martial arts. Well I can't comment on that, but what I do know is I saw no Karate spinning back kicks, Judo throws, kung fu moves, philopino trapping, or anything that I personally would not class as effective Ninjutsu unless of course it was used against the defender so that the practitioner could learn how to effectively deal with a Judo man, Karate man etc. Even the ground work has Movements that are nothing but Ninjutsu' Itami Jime, Hon Jime, Oni Kudaki, Zenpo Ukemi etc.
And if you think that An Shu Hayes does'nt teach Ninjutsu i.e the schools of Takagi Yoshin Ryu, Gyokko Ryu etc anymore, then I suggest you visit his school and see for yourself.
Much of what is taught in the Bujinkan arts today is very traditional, like one was fighting on battlefield in armour in the sixteenth century. For example the Jodan Tsuki where the fist is delivered from the hip into the target. Now this method was used against men in armour, to knock them down and out.
For a beginner this is a great way to start training. It allows one to learn posture, movement and delivery of a punch. It also allows the training partner to see the punch coming and therefore learn, Jodan Tsuki, Taisabaki etc.
But in todays world, people do'nt wear armour and punch like this. In fact a lot of Japanese didn't punch like this either. Therefore as a student once one has learnt the basics of the punch and how to receive that punch one can go on to learn how to defend against faster, shorter ranged, trickier and more varied in their application.
Do the defences change?
well only in the sense that the distancing, timing etc might be different. Jodan Uke, Chudan Uke, Shikan Ken etc are still used as are more advanced techniques like Yokuto, Danshi etc.
Unfortunately so many practitioners of Ninjutsu stop at the stage where the punch is delivered from the hip and progress no further. Yet strangely when one takes the art of Ninjutsu and applies it effectively against todays styles of attack they are labelled as not practicing Ninjutsu, even though Ninjutsu is an art of self protection, which it cannot be if it is only been practiced as if one is wearing armour from the sixteenth century. This is not martial arts, this is historical reenactment.
Isn't it strange that when Hatsumi Sensei shows a defence against a modern punch its Ninjutsu, but when An Shu Hayes does it, then its a completely seperate martial art.
Ok so in Toshindo we practice with air shields and bags, but then they did in Japan. Sometimes they even struck trees (see the Hatsumi Koto Ryu, and Shinden Fudo Ryu Videos)
And in Toshindo we wear armour. Heh isn't there a photograph of Dr Hatsumi or one of the Shihan in the 60s or 70s wearing Kendo armour to defend against a kick?
Oh yes we call it TO-SHIN DO, but isn't Ninjutsu called Budo Taijutsu now, and didn't Takamatsu call it Happo Biken. Its still the same techniques, its just the names been changed to protect the innocent (Just a joke) but you know what I mean. Or maybe you don't.
Ninjutsu was not always called Ninjutsu, and in this day and age where Ninjutsu has had such a bad rep from Hollywood, Books, Comics and the rest of the media, it might just be a good idea to go into hiding a little bit. Takamatsu did, hence Happo Biken. But wait a minute 'TO and SHIN', are these not the characters that make up the word NIN of Ninjutsu and Ninja.
Maybe its the fact that TO-SHIN DO practitioners do a kind of Kumite whilst fully padded up that seperates this art from real ninjutsu.
Well my answer to that is that by using this approach it enables the practitioner to be put under stress safely and is probably the closest one can get to actual fighting. Of course Takamatsu Sensei used to fight people for real to get his training. But in his day there were no such thing as law suits.
Maybe its because people think that An Shu Hayes has added stuff from other martial arts. Well I can't comment on that, but what I do know is I saw no Karate spinning back kicks, Judo throws, kung fu moves, philopino trapping, or anything that I personally would not class as effective Ninjutsu unless of course it was used against the defender so that the practitioner could learn how to effectively deal with a Judo man, Karate man etc. Even the ground work has Movements that are nothing but Ninjutsu' Itami Jime, Hon Jime, Oni Kudaki, Zenpo Ukemi etc.
And if you think that An Shu Hayes does'nt teach Ninjutsu i.e the schools of Takagi Yoshin Ryu, Gyokko Ryu etc anymore, then I suggest you visit his school and see for yourself.