U n i v e r s a l N i n j a N e w s l e t t e r

January 2004 / number 1

Table of Contents:
Introduction
- Thank you & mission statement
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
Articles
- Meaning of this newsletter Konsta Beck, Shodan
- Why do we train? Konsta Beck, Shodan
- The Art of Being Fulfilled! Shihan Richard Van Donk
- Power Through Structure Shidoshi James Morganelli
- What Purpose serves the training in martial arts, or what is budo? Shihan Kostas Kanakis
- Memories of my Trips to the Planet Mars Shihan Arnaud Cousergue
Links
Mind Flowers
INTRODUCTION
Thank you & mission statement
Thank you for your interest in this Universal Ninja Newsletter that has been a result of many
questions that have been coming my way. Visitors of www.universal-ninja.com have been asking, if I
would like to make a Newsletter that keeps informing practitioners of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu around
the world about this versatile martial art. For that reason I have contacted high level teachers in this
art to share some of their experiences with you and here is the first Universal Ninja Newsletter that
many of you have been waiting for.

You may share this Universal Ninja Newsletter as much as you like, as long as all content will stay in
it's 100% original state. Enjoy!
Acknowledgements
I wish to thank all the authors of the articles for their time and effort that they have put into making
these articles a spark to keep on going. These efforts are highly appreciated! Even in busy times for
most of us you made a difference. You shared your thoughts and time. And time is one of the most
precious things one can give in this lifetime to one another!
And of course also big thanks goes to all the interested readers that will be most happy to share
these thoughts and I hope they can reach new levels of growth. Please be so kind and visit the links
to their sites or contact them by email for a thank you note, as a nice gesture. These men have very
busy schedules, so please be so kind and take that into consideration while writing to them.
My special thanks go to Soke Masaaki Hatsumi who has given us so much!

About the Author
I have been practicing eastern martial arts for about 23 years in different
schools/ styles / arts. Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu is the art that I have been
practising the longest and is the most versatile and interesting so far (5
years) and it looks like that this is the art I have been looking for for a long
time ... the training never ends and there is so much to learn. It teaches a lot
about live at mind, body and spiritual l evel s.
I feel very lucky to have met great teachers ( some even on regular base )
like Richard Van Donk, Moti Nativ, Pedro Fleitas, Elias Krzywacki, Sven-Eric
Bogster, Lauri Jokinen, Robin Ekebom, Seppo Smed etc. Also the many
Shihan / Shidoshi and even beginners that correspond with me by e-mail
have been a great inspiration. Books, videos, dvd, good conversations,
training, good friends .. everything can be inspiration Warm thanks go to
my loyal buyu Sami Lehtiranta who loves to train and grow in budo and for
making each training an interesting discovery of new perspectives.

Konsta Beck, Shodan
ARTICLES
MEANING OF THIS NEWSLETTER
We all are looking for little pieces of the big puzzle. This Newsletter is all about bringing thoughts
from Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu practitioners to you, so that you can have more choice to expand your
knowledge and grow. (now or maybe in the future). Note that growth lies within yourself, but
sometimes we just need little sparks to get a fire burning. These spark work like little keys that "open
new doors" for us. There is so much to learn and to share with one another in this universe. Learning
from somebody else usually also means learning about yourself. I hope you will get inspired by these
newsletters and/ or maybe you will inspire others by submitting your thoughts to this Newsletter.
Enjoy the articles and keep an open mind!
WHY DO WE TRAIN?
Oh, .. that's a simple question! Yes, it is a simple question, but is the answer always as simple as the
questions that are asked? Yes and no in that case. It might depend on when and in which life
situation questions are asked. Answers might change as years/ weeks/ days go by due to growth and
new understanding of things that inspire us to keep on training. Some things (hopefully good) will not
change and have a golden line throughout life. The answer will be very individual, because each and
every person is an individual part of this universe with an own life. That's what makes it all so
inspiring and sizzling while having the knowledge that we are a part of a whole set of different
networks we live in within our lives. If we have learned one thing .. it will be that we know that to keep
on training we will need motivation. To stay motivated we could study also why others train and
maybe try their methods when we are not so motivated. What happens when we get out of "juice"?
Somebody else can share some of his "energy" and keep you going through the "difficult" time. Better
is to learn to know your own motivations and keep them refreshing by new knowledge and new ways.
While new understanding of some things need some time to evolve, these will be the ones that keep
us going because those are the "questions" that we need to resolve and keep us going till they are
answered. Kind of a target we aim at. When getting to that target we find even more questions than
we had before because along the way we have gathered more information. More information/
knowledge can lead to even more questions. When we get to that "end of the road/ end of our goal"
we can make new choices. Stop and stay, go back OR pursue new questions to be answered.
See some similarities with your quest in techniques, spiritual growth, travelling to other dojos, visiting
the Hombu Dojo ..etc.???
This read .. maybe it's a good time to take a few minutes and REALLY think about why YOU are
training. This is a moment in all that fuzz around us you can make an even bigger change in your own
life as an martial artist. Take this oppertunity to heart, because it might be one of these moments you
can ACTIVELY think about it.
It's just a simple question ... :)
Konsta
Webmaster www.universal-ninja.com
THE ART OF BEING FULFILLED! Are you committed to your life?
By Shihan Van Donk

I mean Really committed? Let me ask you this: What is important to you in this life? Have you ever
taken the time to think on this? Have you gotten to the point where being fulfilled in this life matters to
you? This life is a precious gift. Some days when our focus is on our ideas, judgments, and
conceptions of the world it can seem to appear as if the world is unsupportive to us. In truth it is
sometimes unsupportive to our ideas but NEVER to our fulfillment. Fulfillment comes not from our
ideas but from our feelings. Innately every human being seeks contentment, comfort, happiness and
joy inside. We do everything we do base upon the feeling it gives us on the inside. It does not matter
how much joy is happening in the outside world if the inside of you is in turmoil, don't you agree? And
by the same law, It does not matter how much turmoil is happening in the outside world if the inside of
you is filled with joy. Your internal state dictates your assessment of how the world is doing on the
outside. It's really necessary to understand that what we perceive of the outside world is always being
filtered through our sets of beliefs and values, which delete, distort and generalize our evaluation of
our outer world. This may be why it has been called maya (illusion) or a dream. Your heart never lies
to you- only your expectations for the heart. The bridge between mind and heart is consciousness: its
rewards are eternal joy and satisfaction. Conscious awareness is the key to this existence. You never
make a mistake when you are consciously aware, only when you are unaware do you stub your toe,
spill something, or create stress. Make a decision to be aware and to be fully conscious.
Fulfillment Technique for Bridging the Mind and Heart.
You begin life in this body with your first breath and it will end when you take your last one... and
make no mistake, you will take your last breath someday in this physical form you now occupy. Your
breath is the living link to the Source that gives you life. Breath is Spirit. So what matters to you in this
life? The time given to you on this Earth is a gift. Have you fully unwrapped it? Are you enjoying this
existence? Are you busy fulfilling your life? And out of everything you have done and experienced in
this life what have you chosen to store in you the most? Think about it. Feelings know no time, they
are ageless. What feelings have you chosen to store in you the most? What are you full of? Joy? Or
is it pain, frustration and anger? Do you really know? Have you gotten to the point where it matters to
you? Be committed to this existence. Fully committed without silly little compromises. Here is a being
fulfilled inner technique I developed for the Society of Enlightened Warriors.
Sit up with your back straight, legs crossed, hands on lap right hand on top. Close your eyes (soft
flowing music playing in the background is okay). Watch and follow on your breath going deeply in
and out. - As you inhale feel your breath going from the bottom base of your spine up to the top
center of your head mentally saying I am. Slightly pause at the top letting the light energy build in
the center of your head. As you exhale down your spine say the word- Within. Continue to ride your
breath up and down for 12 breaths. On the 12th breath down stop at the heart center and let the
feelings grow in your chest. Continue to breathe in and out of your heart remembering all the feelings
you've ever had of being loved and fulfilled.

Let go of the verbal and be within, continuing to ride the breath, expanding larger and contracting
deeper to the center within. Imagine a lake of love in your heart center full of love and let the feeling
spread all over your body. Then breathe in Peace into every fiber and essence of your being. Expand
this peace around your body and then around the world.
Advanced method: Create a rainbow bridge between your mind's eye (center of forehead between
your eyebrows) and your heart center. Ride the rainbow bridge with your breath. There can be no
World Peace without Self Peace so let it begin with you. Be committed to this existence.
Visit www.ninjutsu.com to learn more about the teachings of Shihan Van Donk a senior Judan in the
Bujinkan arts and personal student of Soke Masaaki Hatsumi.
The toughest battles that you may ever face in this life lies between your own two ears
- Master Van Donk
Soke Hatsumi awarded Richard the rank of J usandan*** (13th Degree blackbelt) on December 2nd, 2003.
(Soke Hatsumi's Birthday) For more biography, please visit http://www.ninjutsu.com/shihan-van-donk.shtml
Master Richard Van Donk
c/o Bushindo University
TM

P.O. Box 296
Middletown, CA 95461 U.S.A.
Website : www.ninjutsu.com
E-mail: abd@Ninjutsu.com
DVDs,Videos & Books etc: Click here to go to store
POWER THROUGH STRUCTURE
Shidoshi James Morganelli
Chicago, Illinois, USA
January, 2004
Mastery of Budo Taijutsu is limited only by our imagination.
With the myriad of dangers that exist in our world and our possible responses to them, no kata,
technique, or principle will ever replace the greatest single asset we have in the application of this art:
our creativity and the instinct or feeling that drives it.
In my opinion, becoming zero unlimited and unreadable - takes more than just years of arduous
training, it takes a fundamental understanding of the science behind the art.
This science is structure.
The Sanshin of Structure
Good structure occurs when things align properly.
When the body and its motion are correctly aligned, Taijutsu's movements are utterly efficient,
moving only as much as needed, do not rely on muscle strength, but rather the solidness and
resilience of the entire body, and can become virtually undetectable.
The secret to structure is in the Sanshin no Kata's three hearts: balance, distance, and timing.
Balance in Taijutsu is kamae.
At the very least, kamae is your physical posture or stance, at most, a radar sending out and picking
up extra-sensory information. For example, the fifth-dan test has been described as your ability to
remain in kamae. Kamae regulates what form you will take and how you will take it based on the
threat at hand, be it a punch, swerving car, or chemical attack. Whether you take Ichimonji, Jumonji,
or a form created in a moment of inspiration, kamae is the attitude with which you will face the threat.
If you stay in kamae, you stay in balance. This is achieved by keeping your body balanced
throughout the movement. For example, to kick in kamae, one wouldn't balance on the left leg and
merely kick with the right, but rather keep their weight in their right leg as they kick to carry their
balance through the movement. How far you take that movement is dictated by distance.
Distance is properly attained in Taijutsu through natural movement.
Natural movement is powered by our own imbalance - a fall triggered by a release of body weight
shifting us out of balance and into gravity's pull, allowing us to literally fall from danger, until we catch
ourselves, by taking kamae.
When you release your weight and move just enough to escape the path of the threat, you can
achieve the so-called proper distance that allows you to hit back, but not be hit. When natural
movement is done correctly, this proper distance is automatically taken, every time, no matter the
opponent or circumstance. Your own judgment or instinct of the time to move out of the way
becomes a key factor, because for Taijutsu's structure to be correct, kamae and natural movement
must be wrapped in timing.
Timing is decided by instinct.
I believe the feeling driving the physical options of Taijutsu is instinctual. This instinct is cultivated
through training to expand our imaginations and develop our creativity in Budo.
The punchline of a moment is delivered by good timing - the when that determines the size of your
laughs. By wrapping kamae and natural movement with the instinct behind the right time to move, a
synergy forms between these principles and produces structurally sound, powerful Taijutsu.
When is the right time to move? When you are in danger. If the threat is a swerving car or chemical
attack, there may be no tactically advantageous position to gain, but simply the need to escape. For
opponents, capturing the proper distance is crucial to successful counterattack. Distance must be
taken by the appropriate kamae, in the appropriate space, at the appropriate time.
When structure is used to capture each element, nature provides the power.
James Morganelli
Bujinkan Shingitai-Ichi Doj o
www.budotech.com/jvm
Small Biography:
James has trained martial arts for more than 23 years, studying Eastern as well as Western styles. He graduated a
philosophy major from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1995, and shortly after moved to Tokyo, Japan to
live and study Budo. After training under Dr. Hatsumi and his Shihan, Toshiro Nagato, James took and passed the
Godan, fifth-degree black belt test, in 1998, becoming one of only 1500 people worldwide to receive a Shidoshi,
teachers, license from the Bujinkan Dojo. He currently lives in Chicago, Illinois, USA, and teaches through his
Shingitai-Ichi Dojo.
WHAT PURPOSE SERVES THE TRAINING IN MARTIAL ARTS,
OR WHAT IS BUDO ???
By Kostas Kanakis - Bujinkan Shi han
Most of us have asked that question, either in an open discussion or just inside their mind. Everyone
who takes part in the training of a martial art will ask himself from a certain point of time, why he is
studying just this martial art. The beginner will ask this question more often than the advanced
student, but in time even the advanced one will make his life hard with his doubts.
In the early years of martial arts people hardly ever thought about such things. It was simply not
necessary to do so, because those people had to fight simply in order to survive. It was the law of
war. They learned certain techniques which had been selected and were sent to the battlefield in
order to serve their master, as a matter of life and death. Not just the techniques were decisive but
the mental state of the warrior played an important role as well.
The mental aspects always played an essential role in the martial arts. Since the ancient martial arts
were influenced by esoteric teachings like Buddhism and Shintoism, it was inevitable that you had to
have a look at these mental teachings. They were embedded in the subconsciousness and became
later on the essential heart of the teachings of all martial arts.
One wants to know: WHY DO WE HAVE TO FIGHT OR EVEN TO KILL ANYWAY ???
This became the essential question of all martial arts.
In order to give an answer to such a question one has to occupy oneself with other teachings so that
we can better understand some things of importance.
For example it is said that The secret of martial art is the secret of Zen.
The secret is to guide his mind in an essential way. But how can you do this?
In one chapter of a text of the Kyushin-Ryu the following is said: The true technique of the body has
to be the substance of the mind himself. The substance is the mind. One may not look at the body of
his opponent, but rather has to direct ones own mind. There is no opponent. The mind is formless,
but he can take shape sometimes this is like Zazen.
The training of martial arts shall not only be regarded as a physical development, even though
nowadays most people only concentrate on competitions or the pure learning of techniques. In the
early years it was different because it was simply a matter of survival, and in the end it depended on
bare intuition. Thus the physical, technical and mental strength was and is closely connected, but the
ability of concentration (the mental strength) has to come first.
The tension of the body, the technical ability and the mental intuition have to be brought together and
have to become one. Action and consciousness have to form an integrated whole. Than you are in
KU or in the emptiness. This is the true WAY OF BUDO.
You have to learn to ACCEPT your life and death completely. Even if the body dies, the mind has to
remain upright. In the face of life AND of death the mind has to remain calm. Due to this having
control of the unity of body and mind means controlling life and death.
The great sword-master Miyamoto Musashi gave up his life of fighting as well in order to find an
answer to the essential question: How could one die...???
The martial arts are neither sports nor a game nor a simple way of passing the time. There is a
deeper meaning in them, the MEANING OF LIFE in general and thus the meaning of death, because
both are inextricably linked with each other. This is BUDO.
The TRUE WAY OF BUDO is neither competition nor dispute he is beyond life and death and
beyond victory and defeat.
And what does this mean for our daily training ??
Well, at the beginning one practises again and again techniques (waza) and forms (kata) in order to
lay the foundations. In time you become aware of these techniques and forms, you get used to
them. During this period you are always thinking and considering; due to this you always are in
contact with your awareness of the self.
When we use our mind in this way, our behaviour and our actions will be slow and hesitating.
Questions will rise, the mind will become tired and our consciousness will be like a flame in the wind.
You can compare this beginning with the learning of a musical instrument. Later on you are able to
play without any consideration, which means that after years of training you do no longer stick to your
awareness of the self but you play in a natural way. With this non awareness you are now able to
create something new. The same goes for our everyday life and for our training as well.
But you may never forget the beginning; otherwise our mind will become exhausted and because of
this we will loose our concentration. The reasons are a much too strong egoism and a lack of effort.
By this way we run the risk of leaving our course.
An essential aspect of BUDO is to find the immediate unity with the authentic truth of the universe. It
is important for your personal way of thinking to transcend the awareness of the self, and not only
with your mind. You have to think with your entire body.
In general we regard the life of the body and the life of the universe as two separate unities. But
actually our life is not limited to our physical life but it is in a constant exchange with the life of the
universe. To understand this mutual dependence or relation means to understand KU. Practising KU
at the same time means to look for the greatest truth, for universal love.
This emptiness, KU, has infinite energy which we are able to receive only if
OUR LIFE IS IN HARMONY WITH THE LIFE OF THE UNIVERSE.
The greatest teaching of martial arts. The greatest teaching of NINPO.
THIS PURPOSE SERVES THE TRAINING IN MARTIAL ARTS! !
BuFuSui Ikkan
Kostas Kanakis
Bujinkan Shi han
Bujinkan Dojo Greece BKD Budokai Germany
info@bujinkangreece.com info@bkd-budokai.org
http://www.bujinkangreece.com http://www.bkd-budokai.org
Short Biography (German version is found on his website):
Shihan Kostas Kanakis has been training east-asian martial arts for over 27 years, during which
cultural, spiritual, and historical backgrounds were not ignored.
Here follows a summarized martial arts biography:
He was born in 1962 in Crete, Greece.
At age 14 (1976) started studying different martial arts (judo, karate, aikido) His first steps in the
study of ninjutsu (1982) were made at INAG with Steffen Frhlich and Sulvain Guintard (France). A
little later (starting in the year 1986) he also began to train with Sveneric Bogster. In 1989 he
changed over to NRW and trained regularly with his teacher Shihan Sveneric Bogster 10th dan
Menkyo Kaiden Fugyo and with Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi.
In august of 1989 he opened the first BKD dojo and leads still today the BKD-Budkai in Germany
and Greece. Since 1987 and the first Tai Kai with Soke Hatsumi in England, he has visited many Tai
Kai's at home and abroad and taken many visits in Japan.
In may 1992 he succesfully took the test for Godan (5th dan) and has since then passed on his
knowledge through regular seminars at his schools and other interested groups.
In 1996 he compended his first book on ninjutsu with the title 'Ninjutsu -Kokoro no Michi- Der Weg
des Herzens, Band 1' ('The Path of the Heart, volume 1'), which has already been sold out, and is
nowadays only available anymore on CD-ROM.
The second volume in this series has already been released and is for sale in bookstores.
His work sofar has contributed to the diminishing of the negative image of ninjutsu in the public eye,
and has thus increased the popularity of ninjutsu in Germany. Through his intensive work in the
former East and West Germanies, he has made an enormous contribution to the spreading of
ninjutsu, and he is known as one of its pioneers in Germany.
After his return in August 2000 he opened the first Bujinkan dojo in Crete, Greece, and tries with his
own knowledge to promote the essence of the Bujinkan there too.
In July 2002 Grandmaster Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi awarded him the 10th dan.
In June 2003 Grandmaster Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi awarded him the Judan Chigyo (11th dan), making
him one of the highest ranked warriors in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu.
Biography of Shihan Kostas Kanakis translated by Johan Hakkesteegt from the German language
into English. Thank you Johan.
MEMORIES OF MY TRIPS TO THE PLANET MARS
By Shihan Arnaud Cousergue
Recently the NASA talked about sending men to Mars. This will sure be one of the more challenging
trips for mankind. As for me, I know I will never have the opportunity to go there. This is why I go to
Japan twice a year to train under Hatsumi Sensei but also to come in contact with one of the most
interesting and strange people I have ever seen.
Going to Japan is like going to Mars. On Mars, the way you behave will be different; this is the same
in Japan. I am not here referring to the foreigners living there and who got to adapt to this civilization
to have a chance to survive there on a daily basis. No, I am speaking of those people like me, leaving
their home country for a few weeks to be confronted to a different world.
Training is the main objective when you go to Japan. But if you only train there you will miss the Ura.
The training twice a day is only the Omote. Attention! I am not advising you to take the opportunity to
go to Japan to have a long vacation trip. If you go to Japan for training, as I do, my advice is that you
do not waste your time in vain visits. If you do that, you belong to the type of Bujinkan practitioner that
I nicknamed the tourists.
Once I met a guy who attended Sensei's training. At the end, he asked permission to take some
pictures with the Ske. As usual, Sensei agreed. Two weeks later, the same guy attended the
training again and did the same. Sensei agreed again. After the training, I asked him why he was not
training since the first time I met him. He explained that he was traveling Japan, went to some
monasteries, and visited the Iga Museum and some other interesting places for his training abilities.
He then added that he was going back to his country on the next day!
Many people come to Japan, not for training but for tourism. These tourists then go back to their
country and showing the pictures of Sensei they sell their students the idea that they spent more
than three weeks training in Japan! Some other high rank students, don't even bother to attend
classes, they are out for business and are so busy with that that cannot attend all the trainings with
Sensei. Some even add that they are sorry not to be able to attend to Sensei's trainings!
Everyone is free to behave following his desires; but why then are they trying to make others believe
that they are real committed practitioners? By not doing what they should do, they are missing the
point. The Japanese culture is different from our Western culture. If you have the opportunity to go
there, so, be prepared for another kind of hard training. Ninjutsu training does not stop at t he door of
the training hall. In Japan, every moment of the day can be part of your training.
I wrote in the beginning that going to Japan was like going to Mars and I mean it. Let us see why?
Westerners have a tendency to speak loud, the Japanese no. And if they do, it is often because they
are drunk. When they are drunk they can behave freely out of the straightjacket attitude that is so
commonly shared among them.
Westerners often use facial grins to communicate with others, the Japanese no. And if they did, their
grin codes are different from ours. So, to them, we look like a bunch of monkeys with big noses.
Westerners travel the world, thinking that everyone speaks English. The Japanese don't speak
English. And if they do, they don't! When you ask to a Japanese man: Eigo o hanishimasuka? (Do
you speak English?), the answer is often Sukoshi (a little). This means politely: no I don't speak
English but I cannot tell it straight because you will feel embarrassed and you and/or I would lose
face.
On my first trip to Japan, back in 1991 I was staying in Kashiwa city. I had just arrived a few hours
earlier; I was jetlagged and totally lost. In the taxi to the place I was staying, I tried to memorize the
trip from the station to the house but I was so tired and excited that I didn't remember exactly the way.
I took my bike and rode back to where I thought the station was. After a kilometer I was totally lost!
Then, I saw this milkman delivering his white liquid. I went to him and asked him, in English, if he was
speaking English. He answered with the usual Sukoshi and I thought that my problems were solved.
I remember thinking all those guys saying that Japanese people don't speak English are liars; then I
remember thinking at the same time, why does he answer in Japanese? After a few attempts, I had
to admit that this guy was not speaking English at all and I switched to the Japanese language. He
understood my question and I understood his answer. I was in heaven!
Another example on the English abilities of the Japanese occurred during my second trip to Japan. I
was at Narita airport and needed to get some cash with my credit card. I walked to the Information
desk (the sign was written in English) and began to speak to the girl standing there. After a few
seconds I understood that she didn't understand a word of I had previously said. The Information
Desk was only for Japanese people!
A Japanese man will never speak in a direct mode, he will always use some indirect way. I remember
once at Ueno station. I was lost trying to figure out where I should go to get my train back to Kashiwa.
I saw a man standing alone and went to him. I asked him with my best Japanese where was my train.
He looked at me, turned his back, then with his arms to his side, he showed me 3 with his fingers.
He didn't even speak to me, I did simply not exist! I must admit it was the good information and that I
got back to Noda safely.
Another day, lost again in the subway in Tokyo, I went to this Japanese standing not far from me. I
went close to him and began to show my map. I asked him to show me where I was. He looked at me
from head to toes, laughed out loud and went away.
Now don't think that all Japanese are like that. On another day in another train station, I was lost
again. Here, I must explain a few things. In Japan, if you don't speak Japanese you WILL get often
lost.
Here is a list of things happening in Japan when traveling:
Trains can use the tracks in both sides: Unlike us in the West, and because of earthquakes, the
Japanese railway system only has one track on secondary lines, between small stations. This single
track divides when in the station.
Signs are in Japanese: Some will argue that today you can find signs in English and others in
Japanese. This is true! But what if the train stops in front of the Japanese one?
Japanese loudspeakers only speak Japanese: This is the same all over the world. French
loudspeakers speak only French, Italian ones speak only Italian.
So, on this other day I was lost again. I was trying to figure out how to go to Narita airport and what
would be the price for that. I was watching the wall with all the information concerning the lines in
Japanese. A huge spider was in front of me. Each arm of this spider being a line going to some place
I didn't even know of. I knew that the spider was a map. I also knew that from where I was, I had to
go the south east. So, logically, I was trying to recognize the Kanji for Narita on the south east part of
the spider. After ten minutes, I decided to ask my way to a Japanese man.
The guy next to me was watching me so I asked him in Japanese if he spoke English, not believing
that someone did in this country. To my surprise he answered in English. I was bewildered. He began
to watch the spider together with me. After a few minutes he left me to ask to a station guy and came
back with the answer.
From this we understand two things: 1) even Japanese get lost as though they can read the signs; 2)
A map in Japan does not show the lines in the logical order north, east, south, and west; but in total
chaos. The lines follow the space available not the directions. A few years later, I tried to find the
Narita station on this wall. After a few minutes I found it in the left up corner. That is North West
instead of South East!
So my Japanese gave me the information and left me. I thanked him a lot and headed to the machine
selling the tickets. This vendor machine only accepted small banknotes and I had with me only 10000
ones. So I went to grocer's shop, bought some stuff and came back to the machine with the change. I
bought the ticket and went through the controls. After the controls, my Japanese guy was there
waiting for me. Surprised, I asked him if he was waiting for me. He said that he waited for me to show
me the proper track. He added: you only have one stop for your connection train to Narita. I thanked
him a lot and left.
I went out of the train at the next station. The time to figure out where I was, the train had left. From
Kashiwa station to Abiko station to go to Narita, the train stops once or twice. There is no way to
know it if you don't speak Japanese (because of those Japanese loudspeakers). I knew it, it was my
fault. I decided to wait for the next train for Abiko.
Trains in Japan are the best way to travel so they are coming quite often. Effectively, five minutes
later another one came (in the good direction). You imagine my surprise when I saw this same
Japanese guy welcoming me into the wagon and excusing himself for having given me wrong
information. He traveled with me to Abiko, there he walked me to the good track and left only when
my train to Narita left the station.
I wanted to tell this story so that you wouldn't think that Japanese people are a bunch of wild people.
Some Japanese are, others are not. I hope that in your next trip to Japan you will meet only the good
ones.
I want to go back to the similarities between Japan and Mars. In Japan, you are in a total different
world. You cannot read the signs because you don't know how to read anymore. You are blind. I
remember once trying to figure out my way and staying a long time watching a panel that happened
to be an ad for some school!
In Japan, you don't know how to speak. You are deaf. Once I was in Tokyo with some Japanese
friend. We were at Ueno Park and there was this crowd listening to a guy dressed in black and
shouting in a loudspeaker. This loudspeaker too was only speaking Japanese. So, I was there
listening to this guy, like I would if I was in Times Square. My friend came to me and spoke softly into
my left ear, he said: Arnaud, do you speak Japanese? I turned to him surprised, then; he added as
softly, This guy is saying that we must throw all foreigners out of Japan to save the country, why
don't we move now? We did.
In Japan, you are mute. You cannot speak. I remember once attending a Nagato Sensei's class. At
the beginning of the training, as usual, he asked what we wanted to study. Some American guy said
Koshi Jutsu and we did Nage Waza, Nagato's way. That was a painful and demanding training.
After the training this American guy turned to me and complained that he asked for Koshi Jutsu and
that we did only Nage Waza! I then took my more terrible look and told him that Koshi Jutsu meant
Hip techniques; where Kosshi Jutsu meant Kysho or soft point's techniques!
In Japan, you are lost because everything that makes you think you are someone does not exist
anymore. You values don't mean anything to them. In Japan, you are like a 5 year old kid. Everything
you see is new and does not connect with something you know of. It is like being on another world. I
am sure that when mankind will finally go to Mars, things are going to be simpler. The Nasa should
think in sending their astronauts to Japan to prepare them for the psychological trauma of discovering
a new planet.
I hope this article will not scare you. Every Bujinkan practitioner should go to Japan at least once a
year. This is the best place to understand Hatsumi Sensei's martial arts and to learn more about your
Taijutsu level. But, please, open yourself to this different culture. Ninjutsu is about surviving, and for
us, Westerners, this survival can be experimented yearly by training in Japan.
So far, I have been 21 times to Japan and I am lucky, my wife and kids allow me to go there twice a
year. This is the best experiences I have been able to live in my life so far. Japan is different to any
other country and can teach you a lot about yourself if you are open. I have lives six months in the
US, four months in Saudi Arabia. I have visited the majority of the European countries and a few
Middle East countries. Japan is really something different.
Japan is like being caught in a real fight. Your actions have a consequence. Japan teaches you to be
responsible. Japan teaches you humility and detachment. Japan is the best source available for
improving your skills. Ninjutsu is not limited to a set of deadly techniques; Ninjutsu is about being
balanced in any situation.
Have fun!
Arnaud Cousergue
Bujinkan Shi han
Solkan Europe / Budomart.com sales@budomart.com
DVDs,Videos & Books: www.budomart.com
Training in Paris: www.bujinkan-france.net
LI NKS

http://www.bujinkan.com
http://www.winjutsu.com
http://www.pittsburghbujinkan.com
http://www001.upp.so-net.ne.jp/bujinkan/
http://www.geocities.com/umaryu/Newsarchive/Archive-1993-1996.htm
http://www.geocities.com/umaryu/Newsarchive/Newsarchive.htm
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/bj1/bugei/bjbugei.htm
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mza/ninpo.html
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www.universal-ninja.com of any broken links, ok? Thank you in advance!
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