Well, this is fun.
BADASSBUDO, from your earlier posting you are a former member of our schools, so you have some idea of what we train in (or did 10 years ago). To clarify, Bruno is on the money there, I wasn't meaning that we have "more" Ninjutsu than the Bujinkan, just that the Bujinkan then has other non-Ninjutsu systems as well (might think of it as Ninjutsu Plus....), whereas we limited ourselves to the Ninjutsu-related systems as detailed above. And as Togakure Ryu is one of the ones we teach, and your list from Hatsumi Sensei is a list of the component teachings of Togakure Ryu, well, that would be a clue as to whether or not we teach them (both in traditional forms and modern, so you know). But just for fun, a student asked me recently this exact question on another forum via PM, here is my answer to that student:
So anyway, I was looking at the 18 skills of ninjutsu...
Seishinteki kyōyō (spiritual refinement)
Seishin Teki Kyoyo is more an end result, rather than something specificly worked on. Part of the idea is that as you train the art you gain greater control over yourself (your emotions etc), as well as becoming more compassionate towards your fellow human beings as you become more and more aware of your own mortality (by being exposed to techniques that symbolically "kill" you, such as weaponry kata). We then also have various devices, such as the meditations that start each class (guided in specific ways for specific results, if you hadn't realised), as well as methods of personal development that you will be exposed to as you progress (certain other meditative methods, Therapy Trees, Timeline Therapy, and more).
Taijutsu (unarmed combat)
This is really the cornerstone of all Ninjutsu schools these days, rather than the weaponry that would have been more likely in ages past. As I'm sure your aware, that is a big part of every class, for us and all others.
Kenjutsu (sword techniques)
Again, very commonly covered. Our approach (due to my personal interest and study of the sword, as well as other reasons) lends us to be more "technical" than the Bujinkan, for instance. We cover this weapon 4 times a year (at least), and it is the "attacking" weapon for many other months.
So you know, though, this is not Kenjutsu: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXOVVn6prrI It is frankly embarrassing. So we won't be doing things like this.
Bōjutsu (stick and staff techniques)
Bojutsu is the fundamental weapon of the Kukishin traditions, and is taught in various forms, including Hanbo (covered every 3 months, or four times a year), Jo (which we are going through now), and Bo (there was a workshop a few months ago, and we will be covering it again early next year in Preston, however the room in the City is a little prohibitive, which is really the only reason we don't cover it as much these days.
Sōjutsu (spear techniques)
It's actually rare to find someone who knows what they are doing in Sojutsu, and rarer to have the essential equipment to do it properly. Fortunately, I have spent a number of years researching this weapon, have the complete scroll for Kukishinden Ryu Sojutsu, and a range of training spears. It's coming up at Preston when we do Kukishinden Ryu, which will be early 2012. There may be a workshop or two leading up to that, but more likely that will be for the next topic.
We have in the past done workshops on Kama Yari, the sickle spear from Kumogakure Ryu, and that may make another appearance.
Naginatajutsu (naginata techniques)
This was the original primary weapon for Kukishin Ryu, but the current form only has a small section. It also includes Bisento (like a Naginata on steroids...), and will most likely make an appearance as a workshop at some point in the next year to year and a half or so.
Kusarigamajutsu (kusarigama techniques)
This and Kyoketsu Shoge are due to be taught (again at Preston, as we have the room there) when we go through Togakure Ryu in the second half of next year. I am currently looking at getting training equipment for us to go through this topic (it's a lot of fun, by the way). We have done these in the past as well.
Shurikenjutsu (throwing weapons techniques)
A big part of Togakure Ryu, and will be covered in more detail then. The last time we went through them was about a year ago.
Kayakujutsu (pyrotechnics)
The use of incendiary devices is not an overtly practical thing these days, as setting the room we are renting on fire isn't really encouraged.... that said, most of it is orally taught, and includes such things as how to best employ fire against old-style Japanese castles, how to light fires in the rain, and so forth, and isn't really taught anywhere (Hatsumi was asked about it once, and said "Why do you need to know that? Can't you get a lighter or some matches?"). If you really want, I can take you through some of the details as I have come across them.
Hensōjutsu (disguise and impersonation)
Again, this is taught through stories, and I've certainly gone through a number of those over the years. Add to that that amongst my background is training as an actor, and if you want more detail, I can certainly take you through it. For your information, though, there were traditionally seven groupings for disguise, based on the Japanese social structure at the time.
Shinobi-iri (stealth and entering methods)
Rarely taught in the Bujinkan, the Jinenkan seems to deal with it the most these days. We will be covering it as part of the traditional scroll teachings of Togakure Ryu, so you know.
Bajutsu (horsemanship)
Horseriding is another topic that we have gone out and done as a workshop before, realistically the modern version of it would be simply leraning to drive a car.... with that said, there are things we teach such Protective Driving skills, which come from Bodyguarding principles, and focus on not being a vicitm of road rage or carjacking.
Sui-ren (water training)
We have, in the past, gone through these skills, and they may be touched on again as part of the Togakure Ryu skills we go through. Shinden Fudo Ryu Jutaijutsu also teaches a range of principles for fighting in water as well (whereas the Togakure Ryu ones are more about silent swimming, silent entry and exit into water, and so on).
Bōryaku (tactics)
Tactics make up the basis of each and every technique, as they are realistically just symbolic representations of tactics themselves. You will probably hear me use these terms (strategies and tactics) fairly often....
Chōhō (espionage)
This ties into the Inton and Hensojutsu sections, and again is taught through oral stories and teachings. Not really a practical aspect, so almost never taught, but I enjoy the old stories, which is where it really comes from.
Intonjutsu (escaping and concealment)
Again, a part of Togakure Ryu's teachings, and will be dealt with then.
Tenmon (meteorology)
Well, I've actually put some of those teachings on another forum before.... not really taught, as there are modern scientific weather bureaus, daily and nightly weather reports, and so on, but if you want to know, I can take you through some aspects.
Chi-mon (geography)
Same as Tenmon, really. The equivalent would be knowing how to read a Melways, or how to find your way if you didn't have one. For this reason, I don't have a GPS, I don't like relying on technology, and prefer to keep my sense of direction sharp. But that's my approach.
Now, as to why we class it as Ninjutsu, well, to me at least, Ninjutsu is a historically linked system to the appropriate groups in Japan, and the systems we teach were chosen as they demonstrate that link (Gyokko Ryu and Koto Ryu both passed through Momochi Sandayu, without getting to the Hattori clans, that's about as "ninja history" as you can get, Togakure Ryu, well, that's always been acknowledged as a Ninjutsu system, and the origins of the Kukishinden Ryu involve the actions of a Kishu Ninja [either a member of the Kishu Ryu, or a Ninja from Kishu Han] according to Hatsumi Sensei, as well as Ishitani Sensei being said to have an ancestor in the Kami Hattori clan of Hanzo Hattori. To be frank, that is the most tenuous of the links, but it's still there, and provides most of the weaponry training). We also include the Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki (Takamatsu version), which is said to be Takamatsu's take on what he felt was most important in Ninpo. We don't include the Shinden Fudo Ryu or the Takagi Yoshin Ryu, as these we class as "samurai" systems, and therefore not in keeping with our approach.
Obviously all of these systems are included in the Bujinkan's make-up, my point was not that we had "more", just that we focused only on these aspects.
Hope that helped. Oh, and if yourself, or your dojo-mate wanted to drop in to say hi, obviously they would be most welcome. We're focusing on Gyokko Ryu at the moment, so you know. Just make sure to introduce yourselves, be good to meet some of you (and see if I remember you.... or vice versa!).
