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Bujinkan logo, consisting of stylized "Bujin" kanji inside a circle.
Bujinkan (武神館)
Date founded	c.1970
Founder	Masaaki Hatsumi (born December 2, 1931)
Current head	Masaaki Hatsumi
Arts taught	Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu (武神館武道体術, Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu?)
Ancestor schools	Gyokko-ryū Kosshijutsu • Kotō-ryū Koppōjutsu • Shinden Fudō-ryū Dakentaijutsu • Takagi Yōshin-ryū Jūtaijutsu • Kuki Shinden-ryū Happō Bikenjutsu • Gikan-ryū Koppōjutsu • Togakure-ryū Ninpō • Gyokushin-ryū Ninpō • Kumogakure-ryū Ninpō
Official Site	www.bujinkan.com

The Bujinkan (武神館) is a martial arts organization practicing the art commonly referred to as Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu (武神館武道体術). The art is widely considered to be the last legitimate ninpo, or ninja, martial art, particularly because of the influence of Togakure ryu. It is headed by the Sōke of the school Masaaki Hatsumi (初見良昭). Masaaki Hatsumi states he is the lineage holder of the nine ryūha^[1][2][3] (see ancestral schools) transferred to him in the middle of the 20th Century by his teacher Takamatsu Toshitsugu. The legitimacy of this had been questioned however, and the Bujinkan was refused membership of the Nihon Kobudo Shinkokai (the oldest koryu organization) and the Nihon Kobudo Kyokai ^[4] The Bujinkan is specifically known for its koshijutsu, koppojutsu, jutaijutsu, dakentaijutsu, and happo hikenjutsu in addition to its higher elements of ninpō and ninjutsu.

The Bujinkan incorporates the teachings of nine koryū (old schools)^[5]:

• Togakure-ryū Ninpō Taijutsu (戸隠流忍法体術)
• Gyokko-ryū Kosshijutsu (玉虎流骨指術)
• Kuki Shinden Happō Bikenjutsu (九鬼神伝流八法秘剣術)
• Kotō-ryū Koppōjutsu (虎倒流骨法術)
• Shinden Fudō-ryū Dakentaijutsu (神伝不動流打拳体術)
• Takagi Yōshin-ryū Jūtaijutsu (高木揚心流柔体術)
• Gikan-ryū Koppōjutsu (義鑑流骨法術)
• Gyokushin-ryū Ninpō (玉心流忍法)
• Kumogakure-ryū Ninpō (雲隠流忍法)

The training is generally referred to as taijutsu (body arts), and is composed of both armed and unarmed methods of fighting. Much of the basic taijutsu taught to beginners comes from six primary lineages in the Bujinkan compendium, namely Kotō-ryū, Gyokko-ryū, Shinden Fudō-ryū, Takagi Yōshin-ryū, Kuki Shinden-ryū, and Togakure-ryū.

A large variety of weapons are taught, including swords such as daitō, wakizashi and tantō, bamboo shinai, wooden bokken, mogito (a flexible aluminum replica sword that holds no edge), or swords made by soft modern materials are employed for safety such as fukuro shinai, staves of varying lengths (bō, jō), short staves called (hanbō, hanjō), nawa (rope), kusari-fundo (weighted chain), kusarigama (scythe with chain), yari (spear), kamayari (spear with curved scythe-like blades crossing the principal head), kagiyari (spear with 2 rearward hooks), bisento (known in Mandarin as 'kwandao'), kyoketsu shoge (similar to a kama except it has a dagger point and a rope of several feet attached to an iron ring), jutte (sword trapping truncheon), tessen (iron fan), naginata (Japanese glaive), kunai (a blunt digging tool), as well various form of shuriken including bo-shuriken and senban shuriken. In training, students are encouraged to always use any available weapons, including the environment. In some dojos, students will practice hiding training weapons in their ji or somewhere on the mat, and surprise their uke (training partner) during technique. In many other martial art styles, such an act, (whatever that is), may consequently result in "harsh" disciplinary punishment^{[citation needed][dubious – discuss]}. However, the emphasis Bujinkan places on stealth and deception makes it a valuable exercise when practicing awareness.

Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu practice does not include participation in competitions or contests.

The Bujinkan Dōjō has a series of nine kyū (grades) below the level of shodan, starting with mukyu ("without grade") and then from kukyu (9 kyu) to ikkyu (1 kyu), with 9 kyu being the lowest rank and 1 kyu being the highest. Just like in other Japanese martial arts, such as karate and judo, unranked (mukyū) practitioners wear white belts, and those with ranks of shōdan and above wear black belts. Kyū level practitioners wear colored belts, though the actual color of the belt varies from place to place. Furthermore, unlike other martial arts, the color has no relation to the actual kyu-level the practitioner holds. In Japan, it was once customary for kyu-level men to wear green belts and women to wear red belts; however, this practice has largely been abandoned. Now, both male and female Bujinkan practitioners wear green belts at most Japanese dōjō. Outside of Japan, some countries still follow the green for men/red for women custom, while others use green for all practitioners.

There were originally 9 dan levels, as with many other martial arts using the kyū/dan system, but this was changed by Hatsumi to 10 and later, 15 dan levels. He then went on to joke that now with the mature age being 21, maybe he should raise it again. The grades are divided into three groupings; 1-5 dan Ten (Heaven), 6-10 dan Chi (Earth), 11-15 dan Jin (Man, in the sense of Humanity). The Jin levels are further divided into the five elements of the Godai; chi (earth), sui (water), ka (fire), fū (wind) and kū (void).

The practitioner's level is displayed by the color of the art's emblem, called wappen (ワッペン), inscribed with the kanji "bu"(武) and "jin" (神). There are four kinds of wappen (9 to 1 kyū, 1 to 4 dan, 5 to 9 dan, and 10 to 15 dan) sometimes augmented with up to four silver or gold stars (called hoshi) above or around the emblem, representing the individual ranks.

At 4 dan (yondan), practitioners submit to a test before the sōke to establish that they are able to sense the presence of danger and evade it, considered to be a fundamental survival skill. This is called sakki. This is the test for 5 dan. A practitioner with the level of godan or above is entitled to apply for a teaching license (shidōshi menkyo). A shidōshi is entitled to open his own dōjō, and grade students up to the level of 4 dan. A practitioner with the level of between 1 dan to 4 dan may become a licensed "assistant teacher" (shidōshi-ho), if backed by and acting under the supervision of a shidōshi 5th to 9th dan or a person who holds the level of 10 dan (jūdan). In the Bujinkan a person who holds the level of between 10 dan and 15 dan is often referred to as a shihan.

In addition to the kyū/dan system, a few practitioners have earned menkyo kaiden "licences of complete transmission" in individual schools. These menkyo kaiden essentially establish that the master practitioner has learned all that there is to learn about the particular lineage. Whereas the kyū/dan ranks are often made public, those select practitioners who have earned menkyo kaiden rarely divulge their status, sometimes even being reluctant to recognize their actual dan ranking to outsiders.

Official Bujinkan links:

• Bujinkan Hombu Dōjō
• George Ohashi Shihan - News from the Bujinkan honbu dojo
• Bujinkan Online Discussion Forum
• Bujinkan Hombu Dojo-A Local’s Perspective

Other links:

• Philosophy site for Bujinkan students
• A demonstration by the headmaster Hatsumi (Video, wmv format)
• Bujinkan Taka-Seigi Dojo offers webcast of Masaaki Hatsumi's current teaching from Japan.