Well I for one see the whole bujinkan ninja thing as a joke.
Yes some are in essense ninja, but the MA is what it is. This is considered supreme ultimate MA. WE are not little assasins like what sojobow is thinking we are. The Black Dragon Ninja Society is a white mans joke at the expense of the history of Japan.
Mr. Severe sent me a mail regarding this. I for one wished he posted it on here as his view is interesting. Personally I wouldn't mind posting it upon this thread, but as it is a mail I will respect his wish if Mr. Severe does not want his mail to appear here.
What we are as taijutsu/taijitsu are following a path. The path is of self discovery. We are making ourselves better people through budo. The way people see us are the ninja who go out and kill, be mysterious and do all the things you see in a cheap Asian movie. But who are we really?
Some people who do taijutsu are military, police or work in the high risk areas that demand public safety, bodyguards. Even Mr. Lindsey of e-budo is in Iraq doing the thing that should make us proud: a protector of peace. Is that not what the Samurai did? Work for the greater good or higher power?
To me, we are keeping a history alive. After Hatsumi leaves us and takes his place in memory beside Takamatsu, the art will live on. We have 9 schools to work with. 9 of which the ancient art will remain alive. We are not Koga, we are people that are doing a system that started off as a fad, grown into a worldwide phenomenon and is still growing to this day.
So now I ask again: How do we see ourselves?