How effective is this really?

[Dale Seago]

. . .in fact my school advertises that anyone can do it, as it requires no strength or speed.

While this is sortakinda true, it deserves some qualification where Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu is concerned.

Someone who is fast and strong has an undeniable "natural advantage", which gets multiplied exponentially if he also is armed.

The things we use to neutralize such natural advantages -- the proper way of using the eyes to observe, proper timing, distance, angling/positioning, managing the tactical space, use of combative psychology -- do in fact make BBT take a lot longer to learn and use properly than other arts.

I think it's worth it, though.

 

[Hudson69]

If you had more time I would say go with the Budo Taijutsu but with less than a year, according to your message, you might want something else.

I usually get gigged for dogging the Bujinkan but I do in fact really like it. I just think that it is a very comprehensive system and, strictly from my studies, is too big to be rapidly useful; as compared to American Kenpo (Ed Parker's system), Krav Maga, and Police DeTac.

I have two real suggestions:
1) Take one or two more lessons and if it is not progressing for you, fast enough to where you want to be before you start college then you might want to try something else.

or

2) You could explain to your Bujinkan Instructor what you want and see if he/she can focus on some specific areas as well. For example there is a Grand Junction, Colorado dojo that is offering Law Enforcement oriented lessons in Denver and Grand Junction that I have heard good things about and it sounds like the instructor there has tailored his system (Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu) for the street fighting that a Police Officer needs so I do not see why yours cannot.

BBT is a good system and like so many others, it takes time and practice to get good at it. But there are other, more streamlined systems, that can be studied and understood in a much shorter time and are strictly dedicated to practical self defense and not as all, encompassing (if that makes sense).

Have fun, train hard and stay safe.