FYI, This can be read on the Quest Centers web page:
Best regards /
Bujin
I keep finding internet rumors that Stephen K. Hayes is no longer in the Bujinkan... does not teach Bujinkan Kihon Happo methods...even that Hatsumi Sensei took his name off the Noda Dojo wall...
Those rumors have popped up now and then for decades. A few insecure individuals think it would be easier to make a name for themselves if An-shu's presence, vision, skill, and charisma were not so far above them, so they float out rumors that Hatsumi Sensei "fired him", or that An-shu does not teach historical basics, or "doesn't train enough", or other absurd and silly falsehoods. These individuals who jealously envy An-shu's accomplishments are the sad but inevitable underbelly of the martial arts world. Isn't it disappointing how hard these small hearts work to discredit the risks taken and noble work done by An-shu to open up and make available to Western world students the name and work of Masaaki Hatsumi? Actually, An-shu Stephen K. Hayes' Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu DVD is one of the best possible references for the standard Bujinkan fundamentals.
Best regards /
Bujin