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THE ESSENCE OF BUJUTSU
The warriors of Bujutsu (military arts of the past) are quite different from the practitioners who study the Budo (martial ways) taught today. Bujutsu is often considered archaic because of its insistence on certain factors. First and foremost, the Military arts dictate that the initiate in a Warrior clan must give a 適eppan,・or 釘lood oath.・to prove their loyalty. Even after a Keppan is given, there is a chance the initiate would be rejected by the clan. Those who are accepted begin by studying the Clan痴 basic principles, which most often comes in the form of unarmed combat technique. After the basics are learned, the remainder of the pupil痴 training is based on direct experience, where they must learn to savor each moment, never knowing what their next challenge will be. This type of training is based on 適an,・or 的ntuition,・where the Master constantly alters his teaching method to fit the needs of his students. This type of training can become quite unnerving to the student, due to the fact that they are in a state of constant chaos. Bujutsu training is centered on overcoming one痴 inherent flaws, where the strong will survive, and the weak will blame everything and everyone for their inability to succeed.
The Bujutsu path is concerned with the attainment of superior fighting skills. The better the skills, the better the chances of survival. However, Bujutsu traditions are quickly becoming ghosts of the past. This is due to the fact that when the Feudal era of Japan came to an end, the need for professional warriors diminished. Bujutsu skills became less necessary, so the focus of training went from that of self-protection (Bujutsu) to that of self-perfection (Budo). The best way to see the value of these two methods is to view the training results of each.
The Bujutsu warriors of the past, who fought and survived countless battles, attained spiritual insight by coming face to face with death. These life threatening situations provided the Bugei-sha (exponent of Bujutsu) with the opportunity of either confirming their skill or dying at the hands of their enemy. On the other hand, the Budo fighters of today seek to develop the same type of power without having to confront the same type of danger. This is difficult because the fear and mental torment do not exist on the same level. Therefore, these fighters rely on Martial Arts competitions as a replacement for actual combat. These fighters can still attain greatness, it is simply the motivation that is different.
Even if the Bujutsu warrior has no enemies, he still trains as if he does. In this way he is always prepared if and when a conflict should arise. The Budo fighter does not train in this fashion because they have no real fear of mortal danger, so the Budo-ka (exponent of Budo) can afford to take a less intense approach to combat training. I am not insinuating in any way that Budo skills are ineffectual, I am simply stating that the Bujutsu attitude prepares the student for the reality of warfare. The warriors of Kurai Kotori adhere to the essence of Bujutsu.
ONE WARRIOR, ONE ART
The student must have a total belief in the system they study. Over the years I have had many students come to me complaining that the last martial art they studied did not cover all forms of fighting. Some would complain that they never had the opportunity to ground fight, others were distraught that they did not learn weaponry and the list went on. The whole point is that they felt something was missing. Although I am proud that the arts I teach are multi-faceted, I am disappointed that students are so quick to find fault in any system. Its true that many arts focus on singular aspects of combat, but the true weakness is to pass judgment on them prematurely. All arts teach students a specific way of dealing with opponents. In Karate the main emphasis is on raw power. In Aikido the main focus is on redirecting energy. In Jujutsu the student is taught to control and immobilize. Although these are limited examples, what they illustrates is that each art has its own unique approach to fighting. Many students see these singular approaches as a weakness and attempt to remedy the situation by cross-training in different arts, hoping to gain a wider range of technique. I disagree with this method. It is my experience that the methods and principles maintained by the various styles often clash, making it difficult to truly unite them into a cohesive fighting system. I think a student should think hard before choosing their path, and once chosen, they must be as devout as a priest. In essence, every art can be effective, the warrior must simply be dedicated long enough to unleash their secrets. Remember, 徹ne warrior, one art.・ Never confuse yourself. Follow the doctrines of your art with discipline. In the end you will be rewarded for your devotion.
STRATEGIC THINKING
In order the harness the vitality of the true warrior, one must come to the place where they surpass physical technique in order to achieve a deeper understanding of combat. This is the level of the 滴eihojin,・or 鉄trategist・ Throughout their training, every student will come to learn a variety of simple strategies, or insights, in how to better apply their techniques. These revelations will come only after the student has experienced a multitude of random combat scenarios in which they discover how opponents respond to various attacks and defenses. This is the reality of combat. Waza (technique) refines ones ability to apply technically correct maneuvers against willing adversaries, but in a real situation, the opponent will resist, struggle and fight back. This is why strategy is so important. One must learn to set their opponent up to fail. This is a careful combination of physical skill, mental manipulation and spiritual domination. The student must be wise enough to realize a sharp sword does not always ensure victory, but a sharp mind, focused on discovering the enemies reactions to certain situations increases the odds of success considerably. Strategy is the fire that guides the warriors sword, guard it carefully, for quick unplanned thinking is like water to a torch.
ADVANCED STRATEGY SKILLS
Beyond the simple strategies, there are 9 specific tomes of strategy that contain 17 methods of approaching combat situations. These strategies are equally effective in both one on one scenarios as well as full scale battlefield situations. Although many would deem battlefield strategies involving troop deployment ineffective today, the Samurai of the Kurai Kotori Clan still study them as a means of learning to work as a unified team, which is a valuable skill in today痴 society, where it seems that personal agendas outweigh the importance of good group dynamics. These 9 tomes must be studied diligently, for one good strategy may take years to fully develop.
NINE TOMES OF NINJA STRATEGY
1. Kage no satsu - Tome of concealed action
1) Suikomukage no heiho - The engulfing shadow
2) Chirasukage no heiho - The dispersed shadow
3) Getsukage no heiho - The moon shadow
2. Kawashi no satsu - Tome of no resistance
4) Obakenage no heiho - The ghost throw
5) Suigetsu no heiho - The moon on the water
6) Kasumi kazushi no heiho - The demolishing mist
3. Hyoshi no satsu - Tome of internal rhythm
7) O-kawari no heiho - The great change
4. Sento no satsu - Tome of the initiating blade
8) Ichi no rizumu no heiho - The rhythm of one
5. Gaikan no satsu - Tome of appearance and attitude
9) Kyohaku no heiho - The threatening appearance
10) Kanjo no heiho - The projected emotion
6. Ojite no satsu - Tome of the responding hand
11) Nobasuchi no heiho - The delayed strike
7. Maai no satsu - Tome of combative distancing
12) Binkanna no heiho - The subtle charge
13) Shirizokunami no heiho - The receding wave
14) Hiramichi no heiho - The unobstructed path
8. Chushin no satsu - Tome of body centering
15) Mukade no heiho - The centipede entrance
16) Nimusu no heiho - Stealing the center
9. Sutemi no satsu - Tome of last resort
17) Aiuchi no heiho - The simultaneous strike
BATTLEFIELD SQUADS
The Battlefield squad is made up of nine Samurai and is designed to act as a small strike force apart from the main battlefield troops. The squad is also deployed as a small force designed to encounter smaller forces and is easier to move about as a unit rather than as a large force that takes many command stations to run properly. There are nine basic formations that the squad can form and each Samurai on the team is placed within the squad for a specific purpose.
Each team has a total of three bowmen, three swordsman, two halberd wielders, and one spearman. Aside from the specifics of weaponry mentioned, all Samurai will carry backup weaponry and whatever else that is deemed necessary.
All formations derive from the main one which is the Todaisen or floating light. From this formation, all others can be created by calling out the name of the formation. The first one is the Hanasu, or loose formation. This design is used when first encountering another squad that has been sighted from a distance. It allows for ease of movement to dodge incoming missile attacks and makes it harder to launch volleys at the squad than if the formation were together in tight formation. The team will have one Samurai designated as the leader and it is this person who will give out the necessary commands. Generally, the highest ranking Samurai of the group will be in the leader position.
