Blog entries by Bruno@MT

Just because the season has ended does not mean your training stops... So I found myself drilling the material for my 10th kyu with my sensei and another student because we had agree to meet up for some additional practise. I arrived first, so I started doing all rolls and breakfalls after...
This post is based on something I once posted in the forum as part of a discussion, but it may be good to blog about so that I can easily find this explanation for future reference. The original question was whether KI energy was real. When I said no, I was asked if I deny the phenomena...
So my first season of ninpo has come to a close. It went remarkably fast. Class was outside in July, and August is a time of rest before the new season. Well... when I say rest, I mean that there are no classes. I just keep on training. For my good progress so far I have to thank my sensei...
It is traditional in our club that during July, all practise is outdoors. Last monday was the first such lesson. It was also the first time I wore outdoor tabi. They were much more comfortable than I had anticipated. It's basically just a thin rubber sole to keep pine cones from sticking in...
Yesterday, I was participating in a conversation about the practicality of things like a kip-up, handstand flip or a back flip. The scenarios I've seen (from being uke for my sensei when he was practising techniques for his grade) are mostly related to escaping from certain joint locks if you...
One of the things on the Genbukan curriculum is zenpo tenkai, aka handstand flip. For some reason, it is part of the curriculum for your white belt. Probably because it is in the same category as all other rolling / jumping moves. It is not a mandatory item though. It is not considered in...
Something to keep in mind: in the vast majority of child abuse, rape, beatings, killings etc... the victim knows the assailant rather well, and the assailant is often in a position of trust : relative, teacher, pastor, ... Statistically speaking, it's not the strangers you have to worry about...
I've posted it before in discussions, but here it is: my rule no1 when it comes to dealing with internet, email or any other kind of message exchange. Rule number 1 when posting anything on the net (or via email): Do not write anything down that you wouldn't want your partner, kids, family...
Title: Fujita Seiko, The Last Koga Ninja Author: Phillip T. Hevener A couple of weeks ago I was trying to find some background information on Fujita Seiko, and I decided to buy this book. I bought it for several reasons. It was only 10 dollars, so even if it was a dud, it would be no big...
That is a topic that often comes up in different threads, especially when concerning TMA. Many people dismiss kata and 1/2/3 step partner drills as glorified dancing. An art that gets a lot of flak for being useless in a real situation is aikido. However, I suggest you look at this vid on...
The very first stance you learn in ninpo is ichimonji-no-kamae. And if you are new to ninpo, it might look silly to you. I readily admit my first thought was 'WTF...?' Not only did it look a bit silly to me, but it felt awkward too. But I practise it at home several times per week, and...
I know it sounds silly, but I am finally getting the hang of being still and relaxed. It's not as easy as it sounds. One of the things that gets repeated every training is tai-sabaki: Basic body movement for the purpose of evading a strike. My sensei uses a boken for the strike, though the...
Journal Entry 06APR2009 Yesterday the head sensei conducted class again. He does this every month. The training focused mainly on variation of the basic kihon. I.e one step and 2 step partner drill. The attacker punches one or two times, and the defender blocks / gets out of the way and...
Journal Entry 23MAR2009 Last week we leared the first forward shoulder roll. I had to correct the end position of my toes, but otherwise my (JJ) roll was fine, so I could help out the rest. I had to show how to do it repeatedly. At the end I asked sensei if apart from my toes, everything...
Journal Entry 23MAR2009 Last year I weighed 82 kg, and I was starting to get a small potbelly. When I saw myself sideways in the mirror, I finally decided that enough was enough. I cut out sugar and snacks, started workout again, cut back on alcohol, cut out snacks inbetween meals, and...
Journal Entry 24FEB2009 Today's session was much more intense than the previous ones. We spent all time on the basic kamae: Ichimonji-no-kamae, either going forward for a single punch, or going backward with a single block. left-right-left-.... The ninpo kamae is unlike any other kamae...
Journal Entry 09FEB2009 I know, I know... I was going to work out some more before I was going to do martial arts again. And I kinda said a long time ago that the martial arts chapter in my life was closed for good... But this was just too good to pass up on. Genbukan opened a ninpo dojo...
Well, today I finally decided to cough up the 20$ and become a supporting member. For one thing, I really like this site, and the people here. So there is the supportive aspect. But I also wanted to have the ability to blog about my progress in the martial arts. Not that I am doing...
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