The "MAN" leaves USA

[r.severe]

Manaka sensei leaves the USA..
I'm truely very sad.
This man has my higest respect as far as a human being or martial master goes.
This human being has done more for the Japanese Kobujutsu than any other Japanese student of Hatsumi sensei in the US other than Hayes shihan.

ralph severe, kamiyama

 

[Hanzo04]

i'm not rying to be ignorant, but who is manaka sensei?

 

[Bujingodai]

Manaka Sensei, is one of Hatsumi Senseis original students. He broke off to form the Jinenkan.
His school was more focused on the fundamentals.

 

[r.severe]

As I say master I do not mean master as a shihan.. the title used in joking on most forums... to most members.. I mean serious master.. as in a true master...
Manaka sensei is a master beyond masters of the ryuha known as Hatsumi ryuha. He was a student of Hatsumi sensei and left for personal reason of teaching his methodology to who he wished to around the world. He was helded back a great deal from self-expression as a student of the Bujinkan Dojo. This is weel known about most of Hatsumi sensei students that are Japanese.
You can view photos of him with the soke of the Bujinkan many years back... as well as demos..
His knowledge of the ryu is well known in the circle of those who are serious about the ryu ha gata. His skills in teaching them are beautiful.
He is one of the many who have left the Bujinkan at a high level of experience and skill to express their personal own path in the martial world.
If you have the chance to train with him it would be a honor.
But only if you are in search for understanding of the ryuha and martial training as a warrior.

With out his in-put on ryuha gata from 1988.. the US would most likely be in the dark agess and still "lost" on the subject.

I would say my opinion... next to Manaka sensei, Hayes shihan, Tanemura sensei, Mark OBrian shihan.. and maybe Muramatsu shihan... no one has touched the USA with as much information on the ryuha....

ralph severe, kamiyama

 

[Dale Seago]

The individuals listed all have one thing in common.

From Hatsumi sensei, in Understand? Good. Play!:

Page 15:

Those who have not trained with me over these past few years are truly lost. There have been too many people pretending to understand things that they cannot possibly understand, and what is worse, they are passing themselves off as knowledgeable and are teaching others. This is a true shame. No one could possibly know true ninjutsu, for example, because I have never gone into true ninjutsu before. . .

Page 12:

. . .The books and videos that I make are merely guides. If you do not train with me, you will never understand these movements. They cannot be gained merely from these materials.

Soke has his own direction in which he's trying to lead his students with his budo, and every now and then someone decides his cup is full and he wants to do something different. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just that they are "lost" to his budo.

Mr. Manaka was indeed very technically proficient, but had been training less and less with Soke for some time before he left. When he did leave the Bujinkan, he at least had the personal integrity to formally resign instead of simply letting his membership lapse, and to cease to claim any association with it except to acknowledge Hatsumi sensei respectfully as having been his teacher. He has had nothing bad to say about either the Bujinkan or Hatsumi sensei, and Soke has said nothing bad about him either. That is an honorable way to go about things, and I respect Manaka highly for it.

 

[Cryozombie]

Mr. Manaka was indeed very technically proficient, but had been training less and less with Soke for some time before he left. When he did leave the Bujinkan, he at least had the personal integrity to formally resign instead of simply letting his membership lapse, and to cease to claim any association with it except to acknowledge Hatsumi sensei respectfully as having been his teacher. He has had nothing bad to say about either the Bujinkan or Hatsumi sensei, and Soke has said nothing bad about him either. That is an honorable way to go about things, and I respect Manaka highly for it.

Dale...

Isn't it a shame that everyone can not act that way?

Almost Everything we learn from an instructor, even if it's learning what wont work... has some value... Its a shame that when people break away they feel the need to badmouth the Bujinkan, Hatsumi, and it's students. His attitude really displays Manaka's true Budo spirit, In my Opinion.

 

[Flatlander]

Dale...

Isn't it a shame that everyone can not act that way?

Almost Everything we learn from an instructor, even if it's learning what wont work... has some value... Its a shame that when people break away they feel the need to badmouth the Bujinkan, Hatsumi, and it's students. His attitude really displays Manaka's true Budo spirit, In my Opinion.

And this isn't confined only to here, but infects people from all arts. It is a shame.

 

[George Kohler]

Page 15:

Those who have not trained with me over these past few years are truly lost. There have been too many people pretending to understand things that they cannot possibly understand, and what is worse, they are passing themselves off as knowledgeable and are teaching others. This is a true shame. No one could possibly know true ninjutsu, for example, because I have never gone into true ninjutsu before. . .

Good thing Tanemura Sensei learned through another source, Fukumoto Yoshio, to learn true Ninpo.

 

[Cryozombie]

Let me take this comment back...

<deleted>

Ok... My apologies to anyone who read this post.



:asian:

 

[Cruentus]

Seems to me that Sensei Manaka did the right thing.

He may not be privey to Hatsumi's Budo, but...at some point, if you go about it in a noble way, can't you make your own Budo?


In FMA, it isn't called "Budo," but the answer is "yes." Understand...I don't not come from a traditional Japanese style or way of thinking, so please note my perspective.

 

[Dale Seago]

He may not be privey to Hatsumi's Budo, but...at some point, if you go about it in a noble way, can't you make your own Budo?

Absolutely. I'm in no position to say that what Manaka is doing is in any way "worse" or "inferior" to Hatsumi sensei's budo -- it's just different from what Hatsumi is doing despite the common roots. Manaka himself is still both respected and missed by many in the Bujinkan, myself among them.

 

[r.severe]

The very meaning of, good, understand, play.. is right here in these very men...

Hayes shihan, Opened the doors of Togakure ryu for everyone to enjoy here and in Europe... did more than anyone man to light the bring flame of Buddha for the rest of us to follow... Has one of the must useful and followed system in the USA in regards to living ad combat skills. His martial arts knowledge is renowed and respected.

Tanemura sensei, Has gone way way beyond what Hayes shihan did by opening the rest of the doors in regards to understanding ninjutsu and ninpo as well as traditional martial arts of Japan. His many books, Tapes have flooded the martial arts here in the USA and around the world. His knowledge of martial arts is renowed and respected.

Mark OBrian shihan, Not much can be said that is already known about this man... he has traveled around the USA teaching the ryuha of the Bujinkan from his years living in Japan. He has been unselfish and giving at every stop of the way.

Muramatsu shihan... This man is a true fighter of the Bujinkan Dojo and most likely one of the only ones if one of the few who can in FACT fight that are Japanese Bujinkan Shihan who trained under Hatsumi sensei. His knowledge has opened a lot of eyes to the major problems that fester in the Bujinkan Dojo in regards to combat skills.

Manaka shihan, only one word comes to mind, wonderful human being with knowledge to share without selfish ego or fear of doing so.
His travels in 1988 opened everyone's heart up to what was NOT being shown to the Bujinkan Dojo here in the USA by the soke.. the doors open and the information flooded the ranks everywhere...
From that point on the knowledge of the ryuha have been given to us all unselfishly..

For one, my opinion with out these men Hatsumi sensei would not have the Bujinkan Dojo as seen or know today. This comes from a member of 23 years.... not from a person standing by and watching.. and you can't change that one bit...
The major point is Hatsumi sensei doesn't know fighting..... he has never really fought. He has no history in fighting or experience other than matches in dojo and contest as a young man.
Hatsumi sensei gave these men license to go do there own thing.. and they did..
What they know cannot be changed.. can not be questioned.. and should not be discounted...
The forums of the ryuha are just what they are.. forms..
If one knows them.. then they know them..
You cannot change this fact..
Hatsumi sensei trained with his teacher for 15 years.. off and on weekends.. and the same was applied to his training... he was shown the ryuha gata... so be it,.
For more than 15 years he has worked them and changed them as he has seen fit to do so..

In the end no one can question what anyone else does... we can watch.. and make our own opinions.. and really they mean nothing..

Understanding this then you have to be pointed to the fact that Manaka sensei, Tanemura sensei, Muramatsu sensei all trained with Hatsumi sensei for well over 15 years.. same as Hatsumi sensei trained with his teacher..
So Hatsumi sensei has in fact not trained with his teacher for well over 15 years..

My opinion would be... what?

What happens when Hatsumi sensei dies?
Everyone who is a student will fall short of being what they could have been if he were living? Give me a break...


ralph severe, kamiyama

 

[Shogun]

Almost Everything we learn from an instructor, even if it's learning what wont work... has some value...

Especially the stuff that doesnt work. Learning what wont work is one of the most important parts of an art.