The traditional Budo atmosphere at the Ichi Nen dojo emphasizes dedicated study
of the Sanshin Kata and Kihon Happo as taught by Dr. Hatsumi.
Students have several opportunities to develop their
taijutsu either in class or at special training events.

      There is an adage in the Bujinkan that goes something like this,
"if you want to know how good your taijutsu is, put a weapon in your hand." We take that adage very seriously and include manytraditional weapons in our training. Some of the weapons we train with are the katana,
yari, naginata, and tanto. Training with weapons gives us an opportunity to develop our distancing and timing. 

      Our Dojo has a strong working relationship with all our mentors. We routinely travel to places like Japan, Texas, New York, and Pennsylvania to train and develop our skills. It is not uncommon for us to be "on the road" to a seminar at least once a month. But, even when we are home we are far from idle. We stay busy hosting our own Saturday workshops, seminars, and special events.

      Here is a list of some of the arts we study at our Dojo:  

Taihenjutsu: The Art of break falling, tumbling, leaping and evading sudden attacks without injury. 


Dakentaijutsu: The Art of Striking, kicking, muscle attacking and bone breaking. 


Jutaijutsu: Grappling, throwing and joint locking techniques. 

Sanshin no kata, the five basic striking patterns from Gyokko ryu, also called Gogyo no kata. Sanshin has many meanings; one of the most common translations says "The first step in an understandable communication". It is exemplified with three-year-old babies' verbal and bodily communication. At three the baby stops being a baby and becomes a child, a new development face in life is beginning to take form. 

Kihon Happo: Is the basis of all techniques, whether armed or unarmed, and therefore extremely important. Learning the ways to move from the basic Kamae is vital to future progress in Budo Taijutsu. These eight basic techniques are said to be the origin of all Budo. 


Shinden Kihon Gata: Heart to heart or more known as Ten Chi Jin Ryaku no Maki (heaven, earth and man) is a number of basic techniques recommended to be studied thoroughly. Most Dojo uses these techniques for Kyu grades (9 Kyu to 1 Kyu). 


Ningu (weapons):ai (diet methods)  
Taihenjutsu (evasion, tumbling & movement methods)  
Ukemi Waza (breakfalls, rolling, tumbling MethodsTobi Waza (leaping skills)  
Taijutsu (unarmed combat methods)  
- Dakentaijutsu (striking methods)  
- Jutaijutsu (grappling & throwing methods)  
- Koshijutsu (nerve, organ, & muscle manipulation methods)  
- Koppojutsu (skeletal manipulation methods)  
- Jissen Newaza (battlefield ground fighting methods)  
- Shime Waza (choking & strangulation methods)  
Bojutsu (stick fighting methods)  
- Rokushakubo (six-foot stick)  
- Jojutsu (four-foot stick)  
- Hanbojutsu (three-foot stick)  
- Eda Koppo (short stick)  
Kenjutsu (sword arts)  
- Tachi (long sword)  
- Kodachi (short sword)  
- Nito (two swords)  
- Tameshigiri (test cutting)  
Battojutsu (sword drawing methods)  
Tantojutsu (knife fighting methods)  
Kusarifundojutsu (weighted chain methods)  
Shurikenjutsu (blade throwing methods)  
Sojutsu (spear fighting methods)  
Naginatajutsu (halberd fighting methods)  
Hojutsu (firearm methods)  
Ninjutsu (espionage & special warfare methods)  
Heiho (combat strategy)  
Kyojutsu Ten Kan Ho (philosophy & combat psychology)  
Kyokyuho (breathing methods)  
Kiaijutsu (energy cultivation & harmonization methods)  
Seishin Teki Kyoyo (spiritual refinement) 

Auxiliary subjects - 

Juttejutsu (iron truncheon methods)  
Tessenjutsu (war fan methods)  
Kyoketsu Shoge (ring & dagger methods)  
Kusarigamajutsu (sickle & weighted chain methods)  
Hojojutsu (rope methods)  
Kyujutsu (archery methods)  
Fukiya (blowguns & darts)  
Chimon (geographic strategy)  
Tenmon (meteorological strategy)  
Kayakujutsu (fire & explosives)  
Suijutsu (water combative methods)  
Kyomon (observation arts)  
Mokuso (visualization, awareness & meditation methods)  
Chikujojutsu (fortification methods)  
(lots of weapons in the Bujinkan.)  

Whether it is a short weapon or a long weapon, ridged, edged or flexible, all of them depend on good Taijutsu.  

Some of the more basic weapons in Bujinkan are Tessen, Hanbo, Jo, Rokushakubo (Sticks of various lengths), Shuriken, Tanto, Kodachi, Ninjato, Katana, Tachi, Naginata, Yari (bladed weapons of various lengths), Kusarifundo, Nawa (ropes and chains).  

Although it is practically impossible to be an "expert" with all these weapons, the idea is to have a basic understanding of the weapon characteristics and use good Taijutsu to be effective with it.  

Learning kata with different weapons is good for the basics, but this is not the goal alone. What Soke refers to Happo Biken, is actually the way to use any weapon at hand without thinking of it as a weapon. The intent is to make the weapon come "alive" with good Taijutsu. Anything that may be at hand can be used as a weapon for self defense, a book, pen, mouse trap, umbrella, phone, what ever happens to be there. 

Training thanks to Kutaki.org