Dojo News

A Practical Application of Force

2009-01-04T12:19:00.006-06:00

This story comes to us from a Shiroto in Poland who was recently attacked by an drunken man while walking his sister through a park after dark. His courage and skill allowed him to protect not only himself from this man, but also his younger sister. This is what happens when you train well in Konigun and you learn to apply the concepts that we teach. Read on:

Hi!

I'm Shiroto Blazej. I train under Samurai Pawel Szatkowski (Suzume) in delta group in Inowroclaw. A few days ago I had an incident. I think that was 10 p.m., when I was going across the park with my 15 year old sister. She asked me to pick her up because she was scared of walking through the city when it's getting dark. I saw that there was a drunken man. He started to insult me, screaming many horrible things in my direction. I replied only, "Hey, think about who you are..."

Then He tried to punch me in my face. I blocked his first punch and then the second. Then I did the grapple sweep technique the same as I was practicing during my trainings in dojo. I take him to the ground and then I hit him in his ear with my head. He started to bleed, so I left him.

I took off my coat and took an advanced stance, but he started to laugh. I thought that there is no sense to continue this fight and resigned. I turned around and went to my sister, but he jumped on my back. So I fell down with him (again to the ground). I started to strangle him for a moment, but I resigned a second time and I got up.

My T-shirt was dirty with blood from his ear. I want to go away, but I heard him chase after me. I turned around and I wanted to kick him in his head, but there is a problem, I am wearing beggs; they are wide pants and they constrain me. So I kicked him in the chest twice with whip kicks and a third time I used a front snap kick, but he grabbed my foot. Now I must use elements of my environment. There were iron toys on the playground. I took his head and hit it on an iron toy. That was the last time he tried to hurt me. Finally, he resigned. I took my sister and went home safely.

That's all. I think that it was an enlightening experience, but I hope that something like that will never happen again, because that kind of situation is very stressful.

Shiroto Blazej

Shiroto has expressed his greatest relief that he trains in Konigun. The effective and practical training that he receives in Konigun Ninjutsu allowed him to save himself and his sister from harm.

Good Job Shiroto!

Samurai Pawel can be reached at suzume@konigunninjutsu.com if you are interested in training in Poland.

The Gathering 2008

2008-07-22T20:42:00.008-05:00

The 2008 Konigun Ninjutsu Gathering has just concluded, and so we'd like to take a moment to catch you up on all the incredible things that transpired. This year was an action-packed and intense experience with plenty to keep us busy for the whole nine days.

Arriving at the Gathering was a task in and of itself. Some drove from Mississippi and New Jersey, some flew from Massachusetts, others swarmed from various parts of Tennessee. It was a veritable stampede of ninjas, which begs the question, "Can you hear a ninja stampede?"

Each morning students were greeted with a series of grueling physical training exercises at the hands of their loving, but stern instructors. All of their hard work, however, was well-rewarded with a much-anticipated piping-hot breakfast. Every night, the students went to bed not knowing what kind of chaos they would wake to, courtesy of four mischievous puppies. One Monjin, in particular, had his Senpai essay eaten. Truly, the dog ate his homework.

This year, as an added surprise, a water tower had been erected, so showers were available to students without ever having to leave Koyoma. Perhaps next year, the showers will include hot water?

Throughout the week, emphasis was placed on weapons training. This year, the weapons of choice were Nunchaku and Tonfa. Students learned nunchaku basics as well as tonfa rolls and grapples. Students were very pleased with the vast array of weapons available for purchase.

Certainly, everyone at camp this year realizes that hard training equals cuts, bruises, and bumps. Fortunately, this year we had a very capable person assigned to the position of medical officer. Meiyo Bushi John was never in short supply of superglue and applied it generously. Whatever ailments could not be solved with superglue were treated with a special cream for itching and rashes lovingly made by Shidoshi with help from Meiyo Bushi, or with sulfur to keep the bugs at bay.

Senpais going up for Meiyo had their hands quite full with categories necessary for their next rank. They were required to spend eight hours off the ground in a tree as part of their wilderness training; sleep was optional. This particular task was more difficult for some than for others. One Senpai had a knee injury, and we're still wondering how he got in the tree (levitation, perhaps?) The joy of finally exiting their leafy abode was overshadowed by bug bites, sore bottoms, and lack of sleep.

All Senpai were required to fight eight opponents simultaneously after, of course, running four miles and demonstrating all katas. The Senpais were pushed to their limits and their opponents are still recovering. Also, mouth-guards were made mandatory after one match in particular.

Another aspect of brown sash testing was the endurance swim. Due, to a mix-up, it was believed that a mile-long swim was required to rank. It was discovered, only too late, that a half-mile swim was all that was required. Even so, now Meiyo-Musha Oyston has qualified for her 5th degree swim category.

As preparation for black-sash responsibilities, the Senpais were given the task of testing their fellow students and peers. We imagine that the students were relieved to have someone other than a black sash as a panel member.
In the last days of camp, tightrope walking and balance beam sparring were made available to the students and everyone really seemed to enjoy that aspect of training. Also, students were given a chance to run a nighttime navigation course and draw fire-watch duty.

On the final day of camp, in a picturesque park by a lake, and with their fellow students looking on, the Monjins were afforded the opportunity to check off on their board and staff breaking categories. Every Monjin executed all their required breaks with all the skill and determination that one looks for in a brown sash.

After the Monjin board breaks and a few rounds of sparring, everyone was called to formation for the sash award ceremony. This year, we are pleased to announce that every student was able to achieve their next rank, and they worked very hard to earn it. We are also pleased to announce that we have four new Meiyos: Patrick Duckworth, Dan Ford, Sarah Oyston, and John Westcott! As an added treat, Taibushi Bonnie Specht came down from Massachusetts to present black sashes to Dan and John, who are her personal students.

The 2008 Gathering was an amazing experience and a great opportunity to meet with many people from throughout the United States and train together. Students were able to share knowledge, improve themselves, and create lasting memories. Truly, this year was one for the books, and the 2009 Gathering can't get here fast enough.

Story by: Sarah Oyston, Christy Butler, and John Westcott

PS. More pictures from the Gathering 2008 can be found right here.

Nature Skills Taikai

2008-06-26T08:46:00.014-05:00

Saturday everyone learned how to use a compass and performed the day navigation course which consisted of 11 points on a course that covered more than 2 miles. Afterward, we have hamburgers and chips for lunch and go back out to learn how to defend against stalking in the woods. We learn where someone stalking you in the wilderness is likely to hide themselves and where best to stop and observe a road to check for stalkers. As night falls we are able to see how to blend into the woods in twilight even if we have a very bright shirt on. We take turns hiding and then casually trying to find each other. We head back after everyone has their turn and get some much needed water. Then we head back out to learn about smokeless fires and hidden fires. As a part of his Senpai test Monjin Duckworth is required to teach the other students at camp how to construct these two different fires while the instructors observe him. After the initial explanation, the students are divided into two groups and they make their own smokeless fire mounds. It was way too hot and dry to light the fires, so we just stacked the wood instead. After we finish, we head back so Monjin Duckworth can spar 6 on 1 for his Senpai test. He did very well and took a much deserved break after the match.

In order to help energize everyone for the night navigation course, Yoshi Medina cooked a wonderful meal consisting of roasted chicken, baked potatos and gravy, brocolli, and rolls. It was delicious. Thanks to Yoshi Medina for preparing the meals at camp. After we were all juiced up and our stomachs had settled we go back outside to learn how easy it is to hide in plain sight at night. With our black gi we are able to blend into dips in tall grass as only a sliver of the moon was available for light on that cloudy night. After everyone got a chance to hide, we get our gear and glow sticks and head out for the night navigation course. This course consisted of 8 points and covered a distance of probably just over 1.5 miles. It sure seemed like a lot further, though. With only a glow stick to light your way, distance and time seem to stretch out. Some hours later we emerge victorious and are able to head back to the house to get away from the horse flies (they really are horrible little creatures). Everyone slept well and we began the next morning.

Students learned how to build a teepee lean-to against a tree and also how to braid grass into grass rope. It was very exciting. Now that camp is all said and done, everyone looks back with fondness. In fact, many ask when the next such camp will be held. They're reminded that the Gathering is just around the corner and many nature skills are tested at the Gathering.

Sign up while there's still time! I hope to see you there!

Japan Trip May 2006 - Part 3

2008-05-12T15:23:00.001-05:00

The Koka (Koga) Ninja village we visited is nestled in a small valley all its own and was created by Shunichiro Yunoki. It is reported that he was the last surviving Koka practitioner and started the village so that everyone could experience the tradition that his ancestors kept alive. As you leave the parking lot and head to the entrance you get the sensation that you are traveling back to a different era. The 8' wall surrounding the village is made from bamboo and is decorated with various signs. The entrance fee is used to cover the upkeep and repair of the many displays and of the village itself.

After we ask to see Mr. Shunichiro, the person at the front gate leads us down a manicured trail, around a big pond with a rope stretching across, past numerous huts containing the many displays until, finally, we reach the central store area, which also houses a place to sit and eat. Yoshi Jim Haynes acts as translator as we get to sit and meet with Mr. Shunichiro. We explain how we represent Konigun Ryu and asked about Koga Ryu. Mr. Shunichiro tells us how they refer to it as Koka and that he constructed the village as a way to maintain the traditions he learned as a child. He tells us that many come each year to use the facilities of the village to train with each other. We explain how we are meeting with different leaders of the different Ninjutsu Ryu to pay our respects. When we ask about other Ninjutsu Ryu, he said there are no more Iga or Koka except for the ones that came each summer to train. When we ask about Bujinkan he just shakes his head and says that they are not Ninjutsu. At each place we stop, we try to discover other Ninjutsu Ryu that the locals might know of as well as to discover the origins of what is known over here in the states.

After our cup of tea, Mr. Shunichiro calls someone over to show us the village. This man leads us out of the restaurant/store to the authentic Ninja House containing a series of false walls and trap doors which allowed a quick escape. An example of one of trap doors requires a little more in-depth description of the construction of the traditional Japanese kitchen. It is a room located inside the house that centers on a lowered section in the middle of the room which contains the fire pit. They put the whole fire pit on a runner system so that it slides under the surrounding floor exposing the crawl space beneath the house. Japanese houses are built a couple of feet above the ground, leaving plenty of room to move about when needed. As we follow our guide down one hallway he turns a corner and is gone--we were at a dead end. Then another section of wall rotates and exposes his smiling face as he gestures us through a secret hallway that leads into almost every room.

After we leave the Ninja House, we stop at the well at the back of the house and he gets in and disappears from sight. When we investigate further we see a series of handholds that will take us into the bottom of the false well. Once we reach the end of our descent, we find ourselves at the beginning of a long tunnel which comes out across the village behind some bushes. I imagine that during the time of the warring states period of Japanese history such methods of escape were the only way many survived hostile attacks.

The big pond of water that we passed on the way down is used to train villagers and students the various aspects of water walking using the pond walker shoes, buckets, or even tires. Although not deep, you really have to have good balance to be able to stay out of the muddy water. We wind through the bushes, across ridges, and down paths until we come across a balance rope spanning a gully. Being the only path, it must be traversed if you are to head up to the small Buddhist shrine that sits in a peaceful corner. The shrine is obviously maintained with love. Our path leads to two buildings containing all the artifacts of the Koka ninja that have been collected. We saved all our pictures to document the many exhibits we found within the two buildings. Like the Iga Ryu museum, the Koka have collected an impressive array of ancient artifacts. We can see all the manuals and scrolls outlining their different techniques. The authentic weapons and tools that Koka ninja used to practice their trade are on display with explanatory cards written in Hiragana or Kanji. One display shows the shoes they used to walk across marshy areas; in another the picks they used to pick the door latches or crude locks that were used in those days. We can see collapsible grappling hooks, collapsible boats, swords, kubitan, shaken, and every other manner of throwing device imaginable. It is evident from the size of the armor and weapons that the samurai and ninja of yesteryear were much smaller than the current generation.

After our tour of the grounds and the museum we return to Mr. Shunichiro where we express our admiration for the wonderful job he did in creating the village and the museum and all of the hard work it must have taken. After seeing all the scrolls, Yoshi Jim asks about the Ban Sen Sukai and the Nin Pi Den scrolls that Bujinkan claim as their heritage. He explains that these were reprinted in the early '60's and were readily obtainable from any book seller. He even brings us the copy he used to have on sale in his curio store to demonstrate his claim. We thank him for his time and before we leave we discuss the possibility of training with the Koka when they gather in the summers. We leave the Koka having made new friends and continue our journey through southern Honshu in our search for more information on the various Ninjutsu Ryu and their interactions with Konigun.

I must take a moment to state that although 7-Elevens have all but disappeared here in the states because of all the new chains that have cut into their market share, the same cannot be said in Japan. I think that they must be the only American chain of convenience stores over there and are matched in popularity only by McDonald's. It became a game of who would spot it first as they appeared practically on every corner. Southern Honshu is an industrialized area and the road south went through the heart of it. Although we follow the coast road, it is a non-stop stream of buildings. Stores and businesses are only broken up by the occasional hotel. We reach the southern tip of Honshu at night and can see the lights of the bridge stretch south across the channel to the island of Kyushu. The bridge is so tall and high off the ground that I imagine any ship that crosses beneath has more than enough clearance. We follow the signs, get lost, follow some more signs, and finally make it over the bridge and continue on our journey to Fukuoka where we stay the night. We leave with dawn the next day and travel south along one of the super highways that the Japanese have crisscrossing the country. The roads are well maintained. We make good time and are in Kagoshima within a couple of hours. Yoshi Jim asks a curator at the Kagoshima museum about any displays featuring Konigun or Saija. The curator looks at Jim and asks, "Do you mean the ninja?" When Jim says yes, he told Jim of a museum in Satsuma Sendai. We were on our way!

Kyushu is a strange contrast to the main island of Honshu. Because Honshu is so developed, Kyushu feels undeveloped due to the zoning requirements that allow no permanent building along the side or tops of the mountains. Kyushu is mostly mountainous, so this leaves the numerous valleys and coastal regions to support all the population. The only exceptions to this rule go to the buildings created before the law came into effect. Also, you can build up on the mountainside, but the structure has to be torn down once a year and made anew.

We follow the directions of our ever faithful "Tom Tom" which takes us directly to the address of the museum, but we arrive just as it is closing. We head back to town but stop at a temple that we passed on our way out to the museum. Situated on the top of a hill, you get to it by climbing a thousand steps. We climb the steps and at different times get help from each other making it up the long staircase. They say that the stairs are there for you to show the spirits your desire for your prayers' outcomes. By making the long pilgrimage up every step, you are putting your heart and effort into your prayer.

We start early the next morning after having spent the night in a hotel. I never thought I would like seaweed for breakfast, but I started to look forward to it and to the rice that came with the morning meals. We get to the museum and begin our tour beside a shop where an employee is working on a helmet. From there, we follow the pathway to the first building which contains a mock up of a daimyo lord with his samurai retainers. After we leave that building we see a man working with some stone statues and Yoshi Jim explains how we were referred to the museum from Kagoshima and asks if he knows where the exhibits are. The man explains that he put together the museum as a hobby because of his interest in local history. He introduces himself as the owner, Mr. Tanewa Shinobu, and offers to give us a tour. We readily agree and follow our host. He takes us into the main display room explaining that the museum is dedicated to Saigo Takamori. We learn that Takamori was the basis for the movie, "The Last Samurai." It seems that unlike the movie, Takamori came to lead the rebellion more by default than by any direct action on his part. After leaving Honshu and direct government service he returned to southern Kyushu to hunt with his dogs and train various samurai that came to him for training. Some of these same students, in protest of the government's actions toward the samurai class, seized the local garrison's armory and began the tragic tale. The government, unable to fathom that Takamori's students acted without his knowledge and support, laid a raid at his doorstep. He felt that since he could not escape being linked to the rebellion, his only hope of survival depended on its success. We all know how the story ends, but Mr. Tanewa shows us the many artifacts that he has collected through the years documenting the rebellion. We take lots of pictures as we make our way through the museum, documenting the swords, rifles, even the ninja chain mail and shaken that are in the displays. The other rooms contain depictions of events from Saigo Takamori's life from the time when he was teaching to the actual battles of the rebellion. Mr. Tanewa is famous for the armor that he makes for movies and recreation events. He takes Yoshi Jim inside another display building where he dresses him as a samurai. As you can see from the pictures, Jim looks at home in the armor.

After a wonderful lunch of soba noodles in broth, Mr. Tanewa continues our tour by taking us to his armor-making facilities in town and shows us some of the many weapons that he supplies to the reenactments. We even receive the honor of being invited to have tea at his personal home. He is very efficient and conscientious about everything he produces and it shows in the many awards he has received over the years. We left the museum with more information and the beginning of yet another friendship.

We stay north of Satsuma Sendai to make it easier on Yoshi Jim and Bushi Jason as they are leaving to tour Shimbara Jo the following day while Shidoshi Dallas and I are off to pay our respects to Insei Saija. I drop Yoshi Jim and Bushi Jason off at the ferry terminal and return to Shidoshi Dallas for our trip to visit with his teacher.

April Ninja Camp

2008-04-21T15:33:00.001-05:00

A weekend long ninja camp was recently held on top of Koyama, the "little mountain," in Whitleyville, Tennessee. There were students of all ranks and skill levels, some coming from as far away as Massachusetts. They came for good training, good friends, and great food. No one went home disappointed.

Camp started Friday night as all of the campers met up at Cici's Pizzeria for some socializing while we had our fill of the pizza buffet. Then it was back to Koyama where we all got bedded down for the night in preparation of the long weekend. Saturday morning started off with a brisk jog which was then immediately followed by a first rate breakfast of homemade biscuits and gravy with all of the fixings. After that we all got down to training. Everyone got to work on and polish their old stuff as well as learn a lot of new things. We spent several hours developing our kicks and strikes and we all got to see some very interesting grapples from Meijin Green. Students got to learn the katas required for their next rank and some of us even had the chance to have some of the katas we already knew broken down to some extent.

Later that day Samurai Greg started us on an intensive training program using the nunchaku. We learned more ways to roll two sticks connected by a chain around our bodies than you could even possibly imagine. We even got to spar each other with foam-padded nunchaku, which, of course, was a lot of fun. The night was wrapped up with a group movie and then back to our beds for some well deserved rest.

Sunday morning began where Saturday night had ended with Samurai Greg still teaching us the finer points of the nunchaku. By now some of the students had even moved up to using two nunchaku at the same time. At lunchtime we had several kinds of banana nut bread and cakes, all of which were delicious, but training wasn't over yet; we still had to pass our navigation course. All of the students were instructed on how to read a compass and other basic wilderness skills. Once we all felt comfortable enough with the idea of wandering through the woods with a compass as our guide, off we went. It was actually a lot more fun than it sounds.

In the end, there was one black sash instructor for every two students, so everyone got plenty of training and personal attention. Several students were ranked to their next sash, and a great time was had by all. All of this leads up to the Gathering this July, a nine day camp that brings students from as far away as Poland. With almost all of the students who attended this camp planning on making it to the Gathering, hopefully I'll see you there.

LA Tournaments

2008-02-17T15:31:00.001-06:00

In 1996, Konigun Ninjutsu participated in the Hollywood Classic. A group of 13 students drove out to LA, so that they could compete in this international tournament. As some of the students had never left their home state before, Shidoshi Dallas wanted the trip to be a learning experience. The Konigun members got to see the Grand Canyon on the way out to California and for some crossing Arizona and Texas was the first time to see the desert. There were competitors from around the world that came to compete and have a chance at meeting the many movie stars brought in to present the awards. The different categories covered sparring, kata, and weapons. Out of the 34 events entered, Konigun students won 30. See the picture of some of the students posing with their trophies after they returned to Mississippi.

In 1997 Konigun members again participated in The Hollywood Classic. In preparation for the event they held fundraisers and carwashes to raise money and thus were able to send more of the members to this year's competition. Russ Folks and Tim Baker, the producers of the Hollywood Classic had invited Shidoshi Dallas and his students to return and compete, because they had enjoyed meeting them the previous year. In order to make the tournament, the Gathering was scheduled so that all the students who could make the camp would then leave to compete in the tournament. The Gathering brought students from Mississippi and South Carolina to the Tennessee dojo. They trained and prepped for the tournament as planned, but as a surprise from Shidoshi Dallas they got to participate in a local movie production. The students were asked to play the "bad ninjas" in a made for blockbuster movie called "Fighting Chance". These pictures depict the shooting that took place at a local waterfall called Cumming's Falls. You can see the many scenes setting up the escape by the good guys from the "evil" ninjas. One of the other pictures is of the cast in the lower room of the Cookeville dojo, where they staged a group fight scene.

After the Gathering and the movie shoot, everyone piled into the cars and convoyed out to LA. Once again Shidoshi Dallas used the trip as a training tool for those that had never left their state. There were many stops, so that the students could see landmarks along the way. A popular favorite were the Indian shops that dot the highway. Even though we were enjoying the ride, everyone focused on the techniques they would need during the upcoming competition and practiced every time they stopped and got the chance. All of this practice did pay off though, because of the 53 events entered, Konigun students were awarded 50 trophies. Most notable during the event was that the winning students gave up their trophies, when Shidoshi Dallas told them that all the children's trophies (the last to compete) got destroyed while being delivered. The Konigun students volunteered their trophies in replacement of the ones that were destroyed, so the kids would not go home empty handed. Our members then drove home without their trophies. Tim baker and Russ Folks did ship replacement trophies later.

The trip home was exciting because the students got to see a western Ghost town and Calico mines, the Hoover Dam, and the Amusement Park of Vegas, as well as the lights of Las Vegas.

The Homage 2007 Awards and Rank Achievements

2008-01-20T15:29:00.003-06:00

The Homage 2007 brought together students and teachers from four different states to train for five intense days. Training at Koyama this year included never-before-seen elbow counters, sparring, rank testing, and a delicious buffet during the awards banquet.

For those of you who missed it, the following awards were given:

Ninja Dad:	Shawn Sirgo
Ninja Mom:	Lynn Howe
Excellence Award:	Derek Egidio Adam Ossowski
Student Leadership:	Sarah Oyston
Black Sash Leadership:	Pawel Szatkowski
Jovial Award:	Beth Bennett John Westcott
Perseverence Award:	Bonnie Specht
Golden Child Award:	Dan Ford
Courage:	Seth Sirgo Derek Egidio
Koyama Award:	Jay Green Jason Delaney Anthony Olberding Candace Powell Therese Clarke Greg Grayson Patrick Thorton Chris Greene Beth Bennett
Style Champion:	Chris Greene Zach Bennett David Ishee
Nobility of the Year:	Jeff Green Joe Taylor Thomas Medina Ryan Bennett David Ishee
Camper of the Year:	Seth Sirgo
Instructor of the Year:	Therese Clarke
Black Sash of the Year:	Zach Bennett

There was also a new aspect of camp this year. Team awards were implemented to encourage teamwork and togetherness. Those awards were given to the following groups:

Team Unity:	Spencer White Seth Sirgo Shawn Sirgo Jason Chen
Team Efficiency:	James Denson Jerry Chen Curtis Corazo Kirk Wells
Team Excellence:	David Howe Sarah Oysten Derek Egidio Issaac Kennedy

Congratulations to you all! Keep up the good work. For those who did not receive an award this year, keep trying.

In addition to awards being given, there were several people who moved up in rank due to their hard work, good technique, and skill. The following ranks were awarded during the Homage this year:

Senpai:	Sarah Oysten
Monjin:	David Howe Derek Egidio
Deshi:	Seth Sirgo
Shiroto:	Spencer White Curtis Corazao Jerry Chen Issac Kennedy James Denson
Hinin:	James Johnson Jason Chen

As you can tell, camp was very successful. Everyone trained hard and made the most out of the five days spent at Koyama. We look forward to see everyone again at the Gathering happening July 12 - July 20!

Japan Trip May 2006 - Part 2

2007-11-25T15:22:00.001-06:00

We left Hatsumi-san, self proclaimed last remaining Ninja Master, to begin our journey to visit the masters of Iga and Koga Ninjutsu Ryu. Getting to the southern prefectures entails riding one of the bullet trains for which Japan is famous. If you have never traveled on one, it is a cross between an airplane and a ritzy bus. The seats are high backed comfortable affairs set in banks of four, all facing the same direction until you pull a lever, and the whole contraption swivels around so that you are facing the seats behind you. You could tell that many rode this route often as they greeted each new person that entered the car, many rotating the chairs to face friends and catch up on the latest gossip.

We finally found a car that was half full near the front of the train after working our way through car after car of bustling passengers seeking seats, friends, luggage…an instantaneous obstacle course. Navigating this with backpacks bigger than many on the train became a challenge, but finally we made it to what was to become our seat. It was strategically placed in the last row, where we stored our backpacks behind the seats and settled in for the ride. Our train left the station before we made it to our car, but only began to pick up speed after we left the city. All of our neighbors tried at different times to practice their English with us while we did the best to keep up our end of the bargain using our Japanese with the southern drawl. A stewardess pushed a trolley through the car, as the buildings, and towns whooshed by outside our large panoramic windows. What was offered is not what you would expect to find, because it had things like squid and octopus.

During the ride we got to see majestic Mount Fuji approaching, flashing by and then sliding into the distance as we closed the kilometers on Nagoya, our destination. The city was flash and glitter, full of all the people celebrating the national holiday called "Golden Week." This was my first time in Nagoya. We exited from the train and were overlooking the main square and a sea of people. The neon signs bathed the cool night in a festive glow as party-goers flowed along the crowded corridors of the marble subway station. We set the bags down in a corner away from the hustle as some went in search of the bathroom and others went in search of a hotel for a couple of nights. We planned on meeting Roberto Velasquez who is known by the moniker of GTO on a message board where the hate group was trash talking. He was the only civilized person we had spoken with online who was demanding contact with Shidoshi's teacher. Since GTO already lived in Japan, he volunteered to go with us to meet Saija-san and put an end to the furor over the existence of Shidoshi Dallas' teacher. We called him to let him know what hotel we were in and how he could get in touch with us.

While we waited for Roberto to contact us, we went to Nagoya Jo, which is a huge castle. There are pictures posted on our site that we took while walking around the castle, showing the massive workmanship that went into the construction of the whole place. When you first enter the area, you walk across a bridge spanning a moat which looked 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep. There is a 50 foot high wall just above the edge of the moat which could have stopped any army. As you can see from the pictures posted on this site they actually made the walls into different level plateaus upon which the different buildings sat. This gave plenty of flat ground. Perfect for training the many soldiers that must have been needed. Within the outer walls lies another set of walls surrounding the main palace. Bounding the four corners of the inner walls are four towers built as mini castles designed to watch and guard. You have to cross the moat by a bridge to enter into the inner grounds. We had to wait in a long line to enter into the main castle or "Jo" which wound its way up through a massive Bailey and into the Jo through the main door/ gates. Inside they have many displays of armor, weapons and the art of the Nagoya Jo history. See the attached brochure and the many pictures that we took.

Another museum that we visited was the Tokugawa Museum. This was housed on what used to be the private gardens of the Tokugawa family and is also the site of the Hosa Library which holds the former collection of the Owari Tokugawa family. The current collection consists of about 110,000 items of classic Japanese and Chinese books and pictorial images handed down through the family since Ieyasu Tokugawa, founder of the Edo Shogunate. Besides the collection, we were able to photograph some of the many displays they have available for the public's enjoyment which include armor, scrolls and weapons.

The museums although informative were not the reason for our stay in Nagoya. GTO along with many of the people on the internet had the temerity to demand the phone number of Shidoshi Dallas's teacher, a man in his 80's. Originally we had contacted GTO with the same request of meeting with his teacher and having a phone number with which to contact his teacher, since we were taking GTO to meet with Insei Saija. The only contact we had with Mr. Velasquez (GTO) was an email, in which he stated, "that we would not be able to meet with his teacher nor get his phone number as it is only allowed to be given to his senior students." This is an example of the many double standards imposed upon Shidoshi Dallas and his teacher by GTO and the members of the hate groups on the message boards. After waiting on GTO for three days we had no choice but to continue on with our own trip. GTO never made an appearance.

We rented a Nissan Note - I highly recommend these cars if they ever come to the states. The four of us along with our backpacks were able to fit into this compact car and still have plenty of head and leg room. With the small wheel and tight roads it made for an interesting but fun ride, because 90kph felt like 90 mph. We would have probably gotten lost a time or two if it were not for our little "Tom-Tom," which came with the car. All we had to do to find a point was to enter in the address or phone number of the place we were trying to reach and it would pull it up on the map and take us there by the shortest route. A lot of the time it chose the expressways, but we often chose a shorter more scenic route.

This was how we discovered a village built using the traditional construction materials and techniques. As you can see in the pictures, the huts were built using rolled grass for the roofing material. This historical site was located in a park just slightly off the road, as we would see a playground situated over here in the states.

It only took us a morning of driving to reach the city of Iga Ueno, which glorifies its rich Ninjutsu Heritage. It was easy to find the Iga Ryu museum, because everyone seemed to be headed to or working there. The parking lot was packed, and off we went to explore not only the ninja museum but the Ninja Castle (Iga Jo). This castle has 30 meter walls completely surrounding it and was built around 1609 by Tokatora Todo. He did this while trying to repair the defenses of Ueno city under the direction of Tokugawa. Go up the stairs to the main entrance and enter the realm of the ninja of Iga Ryu. The 100 ft by 100 ft main room is completely surrounded by embattlements. The displays surrounding the main floor show historical suits of armor and weapons that were used in the defense of the castle. Also displayed on the main floor were the palanquins which carried the leaders and woman around. The one thing that stands out the most is how earlier generations were a lot smaller than we are today. Dominating the center of the room is a grand stairway going up to the next level. As you look through the pictures, take note that on one of the sets of armor is a medallion embossed on the facemask of the helmet. Each Ryu uses its own style of medallion, and this one resembles the Konigun medallion.

On the top floor you could see all of the surrounding countryside. Located in the center of the room is a miniaturized topographical model of the castle and the surrounding countryside with which they built and directed their battle plans.

From the castle we could see the ninja museum and the haiku pavilion, which were to be the next stops, once we descended the steps. Unbeknownst to me before my visit, Iga Ueno was home to one of the foremost Haiku poet masters, Matsuo Basho. There is a giant Haiseiden (Poets Memorial Hall) on the grounds of the Iga-Jo and Iga-Ryu Ninja Museum which we got to enjoy while we walked to the ninja museum. The museum is full of historical information and memorabilia. In the exhibits you are still able to see the many devices used by the ninja in their effort to gain information and practice their trade.

At one point I got to speak with one of the demonstrators at the ninja recreation center about Iga-Ryu Ninjutsu. He gave me the address of a school that still teaches Iga-Ryu style of Ninjutsu. When I asked about Hatsumi connection to the Iga-Ryu, he dismissively stated that there was never any connection.

We left the city of Iga Ueno and headed to the Koga Ninja Museum located in the next prefecture. The drive through the hills and mountains surrounding Koga was very scenic, which made it late by the time we arrived in the area near the ninja camp. So we camped near a beautiful lake. The night's downpour did little to dampen our spirits when we were greeted in the morning with a beautiful sunrise.

Still too early to visit the museum, we ate our breakfast and trained with Shidoshi Dallas. One of the topics discussed was, "what it means to be a ninja." After the class it was finally time to go and meet the Koga Ninjutsu Ryu.

USA Trip

2007-07-05T15:49:00.000-05:00

We're about to fly to the USA. As I mentioned one year ago, we are going on the Gathering and also to the Conclave. We are flying over there to New Orlean to Taibushi Joe, the head of the Neko Rei family. We are going to have some sights over there and then we will go to Tennessee.

We are really excited because of this trip. We will meet the head of our style and other black sashes, who we had a chance to meet only by the phone and e-mails. We can't wait to meet other students of Konigun Ninjutsu. We worked hard to fly over there with visas and other stuff. But we are enjoying every minute of our preparing for that adventure. Everything is a huge question mark for us, but it makes us more excited about everything.

Few words about our progress. The Polish part of Konigun Ninjutsu opened a second class in my home town, in Inowroclaw city. We have new students there who I think will enjoy this special art. Along with the class in Inowroclaw, there is still a group in Torun, which is growing. Dojo in Torun has existed much longer, that's why there are more advanced students. During the seminars there are more people outside of both of those cities who want to keep training and get tips to train on their own.

Our biggest achievment is that everyone is like a big family. We are working on it all the time, to keep everyone together. It is special, the same as this martial art is. That's why there are plenty of people who weren't allowed to train with us. But those who got on our training became fellow brothers and sisters.

We are happy, because Konigun is starting to be interesting for people, even who are not training it. We made few shows, which made big impression on the crowd. We've been on tv, introducing our style and also in a few newspapers, several times. People starting to ask about classes near their cities and everything is making us to work hard.

The Gathering in Poland, which is going to be in August, is prepared. There we will make some tournaments for campers, there will be time for sights and for hard trainings. Summarizing: lots of fun, time for relax and time for work. We are going to make trainings in dojo, but also near beautiful Polish Baltic Sea on a beach.

Senpai Adam and I are both looking forward to seeing everyone in the United States. We are also inviting every Konigun Ninjutsu martial artist to Poland. See you in Tennessee!

Senpai Pawel Szatkowski
poland@konigunninjutsu.com

The Majoshu Update - June 2007

2007-06-06T15:54:00.000-05:00

As I was reviewing the web page for any new information and hopped over to the school news section I noticed that I had been averaging an update of once a year at about this time. Given the changes that have taken place, I decided it is now the opportune moment for the Majoshu update!

Alas, the NMK New England dojo has closed for multiple reasons. Taibushi Bonnie's schedule became more prohibitive and her living location changed in relation to the location of the dojo, creating further problems with the scheduling conflicts. Currently, she is teaching at her new home on Tuesday and Thursday nights. This has allowed for much more time to focus on training her remaining students and on progressing her own training.

The Homage of 2007 was also held at the Majoshu home. January in Massachusetts caused some concern, but the weather cooperated fairly well and it was actually above freezing for most of the camp. We thoroughly enjoy hosting our Konigun brothers and sisters and understand what a long, strange trip it can be! :-) Camp itself went very well and we all learned a lot. Our task as camp ended was to process what we had learned and continue to progress it until the Gathering and Conclave.

Taibushi Bonnie is expecting fair representation of the Majoshu family at this year's Gathering with at least a Deshi and probably a Shiroto and a Hinin attending. Taibushi will attend the first weekend of the Gathering and then return to attend the entire Conclave. Summer camp is an event that is anticipated all year long! For anyone reading, if you haven't been to one, you should go!

That's the update for now. Perhaps another update will be along after summer camps.

Polish Summer Camp 2006

2006-09-27T15:44:00.001-05:00

Our summer camp took place this year in Inowroclaw. We were training outside and in the gym. The camp was almost cancelled, but like every year it has to be done! And it was...

Before camp was officially started, Meijin visited Biskupin. It's one of the oldest towns in Europe! It is thought to have been around for 2700 years! The next day we started to train. Meijin's drills were hard! After a few hours of training, nobody could move their legs, but everyone was happy to learn something new.

That evening we started the second part of our training. This part was spent on techniques. Gi grabs - both hand and one hand and deshi techniques. All deshi worked on their monjin categories and then learned senpai kata.

Also we made some progress with weaponry. Bokken, sai, tonfa, nunchaku, and manriki were the main weapons we were training to know better. There was a lot of fun and some pain, which is nothing new to training with weapons.

The final day was the exam day. All of my students were quite sure of their knowledge on the next rank, but when the exam began, all of them were nervous. Every member of Poland Summer Camp made his next rank, which means that everyone made some progress in their skills. Now we have a lot to do. We learned lots of new things which we need to repeat and improve.

In the Poland Summer Camp were 8 Konigun students. Now our goal is to make it double on the next one. By the end of the year we are planning to open a second class in Torun and in the first part of next year, hopefully, a third.

There is more good news: Monjin Adam and I are coming to the USA during next summer. We are looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Monjin Pawel
poland@konigunninjutsu.com

Japan Trip May 2006 - Part 1

2006-07-31T15:16:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone, did you enjoy camp? I just now have time to sit down and tell you about our trip to Japan. I imagine a just few of you might be interested in a first hand account. Sorry it took so long, at first I had to process all the pictures we took, then help mom, then the Gathering and Conclave - whew! Didn't those pictures Jim, Jason and I took turn out great? Especially the scrolls, they are so beautiful. I really wish I knew what they said. Now, we tried to document everything we saw with pictures for you guys and will try to add the commentary to each one as things calm down here in the Home Office.

We started off with a 17 hour plane ride to Tokyo in which we practiced our broken Japanese skills with other passengers on the plane. Needless to say, it started us on a path of understanding that would serve us well throughout our trip.

When we arrived in Tokyo we got to experience something unique - they lost our luggage. It actually came on a different plane from LA when we flew out of NJ, but the airport officials handled everything efficiently. Once the other plane landed, we were on our way to the heart of Tokyo. Found out the Taxi rides cost around $80, so we decided on alternate means of transportation to our hotel.

Once there, the jet lag hit us and we were out until the next morning, when Bushi Jim(now Yoshi - congrats!) and myself caught a train to pay our respects to soke Hatsumi. We followed the map that the Bujinken members had given to the Dojo, but found out after much walking that the station we needed was one more stop down the line. With some help from some neighbors, and a pair of Europeans walking across the tracks, we discovered that Hatsumi-san now teaches every Tuesday at the public sports complex in a section of Tokyo. Once again we hopped on the train - we got to see lots of great scenery and I think it is just fun to ride on them. I wish we had more of them in the states, because it is a great way to travel.

Finally we arrived where we needed to be, to deliver the present we had carried from the states to show respect for Hatsumi sensei. We saw students and black belts from every what seemed like every country of the world and even a couple Japanese who are all paying £30 per two hour class. Luckily, they allowed us to watch while we waited to be presented to Hatsumi-san. It is always very enlightening watching the techniques of other styles.

Hatsumi san went over some basic techniques while different people translated not only what he said, but what they experienced when he did the techniques on them. I guess not everyone understood what their sensei was trying to convey as I saw some impossible techniques and movement sequences. A lot were giving courtesy drops it appeared, because they would drop in a different direction than the joint/bone manipulation would be sending them them. It seemed as if Hatsumi sensei had noticed it also.

As he walked around the room, he could only get so far before he seemed compelled to jump in and add something new for everyone to try. Each of the few times he saw a student performing good technique would invariably lead to another lesson. I met a quite few good people while observing, and if I ever make it to their part of the world I will definitely stop in to see them. After all the goodbye's, we finally got a chance to be introduced to soke Hatsumi by one of his students. He helped translate what Yoshi Jim is unable, which it not too much. Hatsumi-san really liked the gift we brought, the Jack Daniels for which Tennessee is famous. We told him that our teacher had respect for him and in honor of the respect our teacher had conveyed, we brought this gift over from America. He asked who our teacher was, and we informed him - he asked, Koga? No, Konigun. At this point his student and he conversed quite a bit after which he had some interesting advice, "All ninjutsu comes through him."

I considered this confusing as I thought, What about the Koga? We will find out when we ask them at our next stop! To be continued...

Torun: Great Climate!

2006-06-22T15:34:00.002-05:00

Every year when it gets hot outside, we move our training area to a clearing in the woods where nobody can disturb our training. Our group really likes training over there. Hinin Michal said that the place has a special, great climate! The peaceful area between the trees and hill is used to vary every training session (as you can see in the picture - Hinin Michal and Hinin Maciej are warming up).

I opened my dojo 9 months ago. I'm teaching Konigun twice a week. Our Polish part of the Fukuro Family generally has a class of about 9 people, but "extra" students some to train with us in Torun several times a year before Camps with Meijin Jay. During our classes we keep on a schedule pie which covers everything which a new student of Konigun should know. Stretching, gymnastics, stamina, and basic techniques all make our training very interesting. A few weeks ago we bought gloves, casks, and a bag to practice with and get better at everything. We laugh about the fact that we carry our school on our backs because Deshi Adam and I carry all of that stuff to every class on our backs. Of course, we also train with weapons. Our students are learning basic moves with the bokken, bo-staff, or fighting belt.

The students met Meijin Jay for the first time last winter. They were impressed! There was some time for joking and resting, but the whole camp was certainly not for wasting time! We were practicing 8-9 hours a day and after training we were dead on our feet. Now everyone is looking forward to the next camp. We are honored that Meijin is coming to us twice a year to help us improve our skills. We are trying to represent our style as well as we can. Hopefully Konigun Ninjutsu will be strong and popular in Europe pretty soon. We'll do our best to make it happen.

Greetings from Poland! Coming soon: The next edition of Torun Dojo News!

Deshi Pawel

Konigun Cutting in MS

2006-05-02T15:50:00.000-05:00

This month down south at the Kori dojo, the Fukuro clan has been working on everyone's favorite cutting weapon: the daito. Earlier we worked with shinai to get ready for the real thing, practicing strikes and blocks, and doing wrist-strengthening exercises. By the middle of the month we were working on sword wind in the dojo, listening carefully and wishing we were located a little further away from a busy street. We began to collect used bottles from soft drinks, water, and even some milk cartons and stockpiled them in the store. When the time came the class filled the bottles with water, stacked concrete blocks up and used the pedestal as a place to chop the bottles up. We worked with a variety of strikes, creating what some might call art. Yoshi David is still awaiting a response from a gallery in New York. After eviscerating about half of our bottle stash, we decided it was time to practice penetration strikes. The results were varied, but as you can see from the picture, Deshi Judin managed to do all right, using a forward penetration strike to cleave a bottle in two, without even damaging the neck! When all was said and done, there was a group of very amused, very wet ninjas, trying to figure out why it was so hard to cut through Fusion energy drink bottles. But everyone has a much better understanding of the way cutting works, now that we've done it some.

More and more gorilla gloves have come in, which means soon we'll be getting into full on shinai sparring. Maybe next time I'll write about that, if my arms aren't too sore! The gathering is coming up shortly, and the Kori clan is eager to show what we've learned to the rest of the ryu. See you there!

NMK Martial Arts Center

2006-04-07T15:53:00.000-05:00

It is time for another installment of Majoshu news from the crazy Northern ninjas. The big news from our part of the world is that we have officially opened a new dojo! We are currently teaching Konigun at the school on three days a week, and basic self defense (for those who are not quite up for Konigun-style contact) on another two days of the week. Taibushi Bonnie is working on her schedule to begin running weapons camps at least once a month as well.

The dojo is smallish, but bright with a padded floor and plenty of parking. It is refreshing for us to have an indoor area big enough to run a kata in without resetting after all of our practice in the snow over past years. Teaching publicly is a big step for the Majoshu family, since we have been taking only those students who have managed to track us down in our incognito status over the past few years. It is still a small class, we range from class sizes of four to twelve, but we take advantage of that to make sure that everyone gets plenty of individual attention and instruction during class time. The student count right now splits evenly between Majoshu and Kanshisha, so we combine our classes.

As usual, I'm thinking that the Majoshu students are going to be the ones that everyone at camp shies away from until they decide whether we're all crazy or if it is just Taibushi. My personal opinion is that Taibushi is perfectly normal and that her students exaggerate...but then again since I AM Taibushi I might be slightly biased. Majoshu will report in again within a few months, hopefully to report a bigger student count. Until then, if you're reading this and not already a Konigun student you can click on the dojo links page if you are from the Central New England area and are interested in training.

New England Safari

2005-06-04T15:51:00.000-05:00

On the weekend of June 4, Shidoshi and Meijin ventured into the Great White North to chase down the crazy northern ninjas (that would be the Majoshu family for those who didn't immediately associate the word crazy). Massachusetts has had a lot of snow this past season, and temperatures for the previous two weeks were in the 50s and raining. Suddenly when Shidoshi and Meijin arrived, the weather was in the 80s and sunny. Although Taibushi is still begging to be taught the secret, she has not yet mastered the art of changing the weather to suit her mood (which is probably fortunate for the other inhabitants of the area).

When they arrived at Taibushi Bonnie's home on Thursday, Shidoshi and Meijin spent the evening teaching 5th degree techniques to Taibushi, Bushi Sean, Senpai Nate, and one Shiroto Nissa. Most of the day Friday was spent teaching us to act like animals, literally! As more students arrived, the camp spilled out into the yard and Taibushi's neighborhood was treated to the view of multiple weapons being learned in the driveway, the yard, and the street. Traffic decreased substantially in the neighborhood for the weekend.

By Saturday, as the camp had officially vacated all of the neighbors, 5th degree training continued. Meijin taught Taibushi, and Taibushi passed her new knowledge on to Bushi Sean. Much to Bushi's dismay, Taibushi has decided that she needs more practice. Although Taibushi is not sure why, Bushi's schedule has suddenly become very busy- but she'll find him for practice anyway... The Shirotos continued to work on weapons.

On Sunday, the camp was lucky enough to be treated to a trip to one of the northern beaches on the Atlantic coast. The water was a balmy 50 degrees or so, and as tide came in with the cold outer current the class spent a few minutes trying to guess whether the water would be frozen if it had been fresh water instead of salt water. Since it was the first really nice weekend in the area, the beach was rather crowded except for the area directly around the Ninja Camp. The class ran Shin Kata, Shiroto Kata, and Chi Kata on the sand and in the water. The five foot swells made running katas very fun and after a few minutes the class was no longer cold, however it was also difficult to detect the existence of our outer extremities.

In all, including Taibushi and Bushi, there were seven attendees- the entire Majoshu family thus far. The cooking was excellent (yes-I'm biased since I did the cooking!). We all learned a lot of new things, and thoroughly enjoyed our visit from Shidoshi and Meijin. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Gathering!