RETURN FROM JAPAN |
 Bujinkan Dojo Croatia's main teacher, Dean Rostohar Shihan, has returned from this year's stay in Japan where he studied the Ninjutsu warrior art.
This time with him were Bujinkan Seishin Dojo Croatia students Davor Gašparović Shihan (his fourth visit), Mario Tušek Shidoshi (second visit), Ivica Števanja Shidoshi Ho, Petek Stjepan Sensei, Bernard Malković Sempai and Staš Dvornik Seito (all of them first time visitors).
They stayed in the Japanese town of Noda Shi, where the centre of the Bujinkan is located, in the period from the 18th to the 29th May 2006.
The 12.5 hours long flight (Zagreb – Milano – Tokyo) was tiring, but we were all anxious to get there and start learning and training.
Arrival to the land of the "Rising Sun"
Our stay in Japan was carefully planned in advance so that we could attend as many trainings as possible, while still finding time to visit many interesting sites, especially for those who were visiting Japan for the first time.
The «crew» was great and the entire stay was very interesting and fun, with a very cheerful atmosphere and plenty of laughs.
Onegaishimassuu
Stjepko, Devil bring a Joker
The team was located in the small Ryokan Azusa in the vicinity of the Noda station in the centre of Noda Shi, where we have been staying for the past two years. The Ryokan is decorated in Japanese style and quite tidy.
Azusa Ryokan
One wing of the Ryokan was reserved only for the Croats who were divided into small rooms with common areas, which was satisfying due to the fact that we basically only slept in the Ryokan, while our waking hours were used on trainings and excursions. We would leave the Ryokan early in the morning to go to training and come back late at night from a training or excursion. We mostly ate outside, or when we returned to the Azusa Ryokan late in the evening. The team often used very «exclusive» transportation.
Jidensha, Bike's was a great help
The Azusa Ryokan is a good solution for accomodation because the prices are acceptable, the hosts are kind, and as it's located in the centre of Noda, everything was close by, including the Bujinkan Hombu Dojo, Someya Dojo, Soke Hatsumi's house and Bujinkan communication centre, all the neccessary shops (including places where we could buy tabi and swords) and the Noda station, which we used to get to various parts of Tokyo.
Roomates in Yukata
Of course, the team got to Japan to learn and train, so we had to make a good plan in order to squeeze in as much training as possible, with excursions filling up any remaining free time. There are many Shihans in Japan, teaching and holding trainings aside from Soke. But Bujinkan Croatia's main teacher and team only visit those who we can learn most from and who (for us) have the best trainings.
CRO Team in front of Bujinden Hombu Dojo-a
The plan was made, so the team trained at least two or three times per day with Soke and different Shihans. Each of these trainings was different in method of teaching and learning and in our opinion improved our knowledge and skill in different levels.
Once again, the team was lucky, so we had the most trainings with Soke Hatsumi in the Bujinden Hombu Dojo, which is always a special experience. However, Soke teaches at a very high level (Shihans from 10th Dan onwards), so for many students not yet on this level of learning and understanding, the training was very difficult. With effort, though, students can still learn and understand a lot.
CRO team in Hombu Dojo with Soke Hatsumi
CRO team in Budokan Tokyo with Soke Hatsumi
Soke doesn't only teach techniques, but also the principles, psychology and philosophy of combat. Techniques on this level aren't merely techniques. Techniques are completely hidden through Kyo Jutsu Tenkan Ho, and Soke teaches combat on a mental and psychological level, using natural instincts, movements and techniques that inflict pain on the attacker and make them easy to control through Kyu Sho Jutsu. His way of moving and fighting is unpredictable, and one never knows what he will do next and in what way, regardless whether it is about Taijutsu techniques or any kind of armed techniques. His way of fighting is on the Ku-element (void) level, which encompasses all other elements, and his consciousness reflects Shiki – a complete awareness open to any situation it might find itself; and Mushiki – complete relaxedness of the mind in combination with Ki Ken striking energy with the mind and spirit.
Hombu Dojo
Hombu Yoroi
Soke Hatsumi has, for some years now, taught a great deal of Ninpo philosophy and psychology in trainings, and that part was very difficult to follow, especially for people not on that level. Through Soke's entire Taijutsu teaching, the philosophy of Mi wo Shinobi, Kokoro wo Shinobi, Shiki wo Shinobu was underlined – the hiding of the body/technique, the heart/mind, and awareness, intention and spirit. This time Soke paid great attention to Ikken Happo/Hasso, i.e. techniques of several ways of striking in one strike. Considering that Soke will be 75 this year, it is incredible how vital and fascinating he is in everything he does.
Soke in action
Soke on training
The next teacher whose trainings the team attended the most was Shihan Isamu Shiraishi. Shiraishi Shihan is a very friendly and kind man, and a great friend to the Croatian team. His training isn't as taxing phisically, but is difficult nonetheless because great emphasis is placed on technical perfection. Many natural movements were learned in his trainings, which is very important for Taijutsu, as well as the philosophy of combat. Training with Shiraishi Shihan is very important because in them, one can learn and understand many important principles of the technical part of Ninjutsu. That is why his trainings are always attended by many students.
CRO Team with Shiraishi Shihan
The next teacher with whom the team practiced a lot was Shihan Toshiro Nagato. Shihan Nagato is an imposing sight, extremely tall and strong for a Japanese, so he was given the combat nickname of Moko – Bear. He also respects and appreciates Bujinkan Croatia a lot, which he has shown many times. Despite his strong body, his movement is fast, light and very efficient, and his striking powerful. Shihan's techniques control the attacker perfectly, putting him in a subordinated position, where he can easily be subdued by the strong strikes. Through such a way of fighting, different ways of appreciating a situation and controlling an attacker through movement were learned. Despite the fact that the Shindenfudo Ryu school is the topic of the year, Shihan Nagato taught levels from the Gyokko Ryu, as Gyokko ryu and Shindefudo ryu are the basics of Bujinkan, and these two schools complement each other with their natural principles of fighting. Shihan Nagato also used techniques with a knife and sword to better teach the use of distance in combat.
CRO Team with Nagato Shihan
Unfortunately, the team didn't have as many trainings as we wanted with Shihan Hiroshi Nagase, because their schedule conflicted with trainings with other teachers. Shihan Nagase, relatively young in age, but with a wealth of knowledge and combat experience, uses fast, precise and destructive techniques through realistic combat situations. With Shihan Nagase, we trained and learned techniques in an explosive way, and how to use many devastating blows, holds or throws through Jutaijutsu techniques, ending very painfully for the attacker. Shihan Nagase also taught the techniques of the use of Hanbo – short staff, as well as the use of Katana and small weapons like the Bo Shuriken. Nagase Shihan also respects and admires Bujinkan Croatia and its students a lot.
CRO Team with Nagase Shihan
With Shihan Yukio Noguchi, the team had only one training this time. This time Shihan Noguchi didn't have as many extra trainings, so we didn't have as many chances because schedules again conflicted. But Shihan Noguchi is also one of the great friends of Bujinkan Croatia and has always paid great attention to the Croatian team during study and practice. His movements are uncatchable, so when attacking him, you feel as if you were trying to grab or hit empty air. His movement, evading, distance and timing are perfect, letting in an opponent's attack and then trapping him with a technique from which he cannot escape. Shihan Noguchi seems to be provoking his opponent to attack him through his techniques, lets him pass by him with his movement and performs a technique on him.
CRO Team with Naguchi Shihan
The next teacher the team trained a lot with was Shihan Someya Ken'Ichi. Through his techniques, the basis of Taijutsu is shown. His techniques are stable, straightforward, using the strength and energy of the entire body to hit a specific point on the attacker's body. In his trainings, we worked on Shindenfudo Ryu Kata according to the Densho. Of course, unavoidable in training with Shihan Someya is the study of the Japanese sword – the Katana. Shihan Someya is a Katana expert and his family is from a wealthy line of Samurai. A lot can be learned about swords, swordfighting, and the tradition and history of swords in his trainings.
CRO Team with Someya Shihan
We can say that all the Japanese teachers paid a lot of attention to the Croatian team. Practicing and learning from them different ways of combat, through different elements, specific to each teacher, the team learned and trained in many different principles and techniques, and added a lot of understanding and experience to its existing knowledge and skill. We can say that the team enjoyed every training, practice, fight, pain and bruise.
CRO Team in Bujinden Hombu
Alongside the training, the team found time to visit different parts of Tokyo and some cultural monuments and traditional sacred places, so that those whose first time in Japan it was might get a chance to see some of the sights of Japan.
CRO Team in front of old Castle
CRO Team in front of old temple
So, out of the many parts of Tokyo that were along the way when going to training (like Kasukaba, Minami Sakurai, Edogawadai and Ayase), we also visited Akihabara, also called Electronic city because it contains innumerable shops where you can find electronical and electrotechnical wonders of the kind Europe may never even see.
Tokyo
Akihabara
Beauty of Tokyo
Japanese houses out of centre
For car lovers
As every year, we visited a part of Tokyo called Asakusa, in fact an old Japanese sacred place, also interesting because it is packed with small shops where you can find many souvenirs like traditional kimonos, yukata and other clothes, jewelry, lamps, Japanese cakes and the always interesting traditional weapons.
CRO Team in front of Asakusa
Asakusa shops
Of course, the team spent a lot of time feeding as well, so we decided to try out as many Japanese dishes as we could. Food was usually bought in the «7eleven» and the «100 Yen Shop». Unfortunately, food is always marked in Japanese, so it's chosen according to visual inspection or assumption, using a system of trial and error. Often you have something you expect turn out to be completely different than what you imagined. And sometimes, even if you guess the food, the taste is so repulsive to us Westerners (like sweet ham?!) that we can't eat it. The town of Noda is well known for its huge factory of soya sauce, so there are thousands of sorts. The Japanese put soya sauce in absolutely everything, so that you find sweet and sour soya sauce even when eating «ice cream». In the case you actually get something good to eat in the shop, you end up eating it almost your entire stay in Japan, because you know you can't go wrong.
Food
Food 2
Often the team wanted to eat outside, in so-called Robatayaki Restaurants, to try as many different meals as possible. But even when ordering something you've already tried and eaten and liked somewhere (like Tempura, Tonkatsu or Yakitori), there is no guarantee you will experience the same flavour in another restaurant. Sometimes you even need to «finish off» your food before eating it because it is still moving, and you never know what is inside.
"Killing" a food
In expectation
Seizeriya and knowing food
Guys in "Pub"
A lot of time was spent in the city and intercity public transport, where we travelled with Kyuko and Kaisoku, the limited and the fast train. Tokyo is an immense city with over 18 million inhabitants, so the distances are also very big. Considering that we often travelled from training to training or to a sightseeing excursion, we spent a lot of time on the train. The trains are excellent, very comfortable and very punctual. If the monitor says that the train is supposed to enter the station at 14:28, at the second the screen shows the time as being 14:28 the train will arrive and stop at a precisely determined spot drawn on the floor, so you know exactly where the door will be (millimeter – precision!).
Railway Tobu Line
Speed train
Of course, several difficult trainings daily, a lot of walking and sightseeing all took their toll, so we often fell asleep on the train (like real Japanese).
Tired
Tired crew
We wouldn't be Croatian if we weren't «mad» about weapons. So we went around many sword shops, and a seven-man team bought altogether sixteen swords. We won't even mention the other things (knives, shuriken and assorted blades)...
Weapons
The team also visited Sakuraji Jinju (the Temple of the Cherry Blossom), an old Japanese sacred place, very special and full of an inner energy, peace and quiet. Here we would come to fill up our batteries, relax and prepare for new challenges.
Sakuraji Jinja
Temple Sakuraji
During our stay in Japan, Soke Masaaki Hatsumi and other Japanese Shihan paid great attention to the Croatian team. Many times different Japanese Shihan (Nagato, Nagase, Shiraishi, even Soke) would come up to Shihan Rostohar to express their satisfaction and admiration at how well Bujinkan Croatia students train and perform. So it is no wonder that Soke Hatsumi awarded Davor Gašparović Shihan 10th Dan Chigyo Happo Biken (Juichi Dan) for his knowledge and skill displayed during training in Japan.
Davor 10. Dan Chigyo after training in Hombu
On the reccomendation of Shihan Rostohar, Soke Hatsumi called Shidoshi Ho Ivica Števanja to take the Sakki test, the 5th Dan (GoDan) killing intention test. The test was performed on Ivica by one of Hatsumi's first students, Japanese Shihan Seno Hideo. The test was very difficult (for certain reasons), but Ivica successfully evaded the attack from behind with a shinai, with great timing. Thus he has passed the Sakki test and become the second Shidoshi in Croatia (along with Tušek Mario Shidoshi). We are very proud of them both.
Ivica 5. Dan in Hombu
Na jednom od treninga u Bujinden Hombu Dojo-u, Soke Hatsumi je prišao Shihanu Rostoharu, te mu je nakon kratkog razgovora dodijelio najviše zvanje u Bujinkanu, 10. Dan Kugyo Happo Biken (JuGo Dan).
 At one of the trainings in the Bujinden Hombu Dojo, Soke Hatsumi approached Shihan Rostohar and after a short conversation awarded him the highest level in Bujinkan, 15th Dan Kugyo Happo Biken (JuGo Dan).
Soke Hatsumi asked Shihan Rostohar to stay on the path of Bujinkan and to still teach the Seishin (Sincere heart) and his way of fighting. This is a great honour and a great responsibility for Shihan Rostohar.
Soke Hatsumi has also shown Shihan Rostohar great respect and honour by asking him several times to perform the Sakki test on candidates. This is a great honour because traditionally the Sakki test was performed only by Togakure Ryu Soke.
Of course, it was great to see old friends in Japan again, and those who come to study in Japan. Every time we go back to that place is like going back home among friends and family. We were especially glad to see all those people that we hadn't seen for many years and who left a deep mark on our hearts and our learning. One of them was this year Shihan Pedro Fleitas from Tenerife, our dear friend whom we hadn't seen since the Tai Kai seminar in the Netherlands, 2000.
Amigos
Shihan Rostohar was very glad and proud that so many Croatian students visited Japan, studied and trained. For one thing, Japan is a very expensive country and the economic situation in Croatia made for a lot of sacrifice. Also, it is good for students to see and meet other teachers and students of the Bujinkan, so that they may see how things are done in Japan. We know they've learned a lot, trained a lot, and we hope this experience helps them in their personal growth.
Japan held a lot of nice things for us and we keep coming back, because every time we visit, we leave with a wealth of knowledge and experience, that will help us be better people.
Until next year.
Leaving home |
| |
|
|
