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All students should be taught in a manner that allows them to become as skilled as
possible, as quickly as possible. This allows the skill of the entire Dôjô to achieve
skill levels not otherwise possible.
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Training is geared toward each individual's abilities, and limitations. No one is forced
to do something that their body cannot easily accomplish.
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Training must be as realistic and as complete as possible, so long as safety is not
compromised.
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All aspects of a confrontation are taught. This includes the "before, during, and
after," of an incident, and also, other complementary skills that may, or may
not, be actual self-defense techniques, per say. For example, body language, verbal
skills, legal considerations, use of force options, are all important areas of knowledge
and skill which must be known.
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We teach and emphasize the important principles that
allow techniques work easily and
properly. These principles are found in any truly effective system of self-defense.
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We only engage in serious and professional discussions about training related matters.
We do not become involved in petty debates and arguments, or speak badly about others.
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The Bujinkan System is the foundation and structure of all skills learned. This
foundation is also used for any skills not directly found, or currently taught, within the
Bujinkan.
The Bujinkan System is unique in many ways. One of these ways is in its methodology
behind the techniques and skills taught. Most martial arts have very specific, and
therefore limited, techniques and methods that are taught in their respective systems.
These skills must almost always be preformed in a very exact and prescribed manner, or it
is many times considered wrong. While it is usually accepted that these prescribed
techniques may be varied in a real fight, they are almost never allowed to vary during
regular practice.
In the Bujinkan we have prescribed techniques too. However, they are used in a very
different manner. After we develop a "basic" understanding of the techniques, we
are encouraged to freely change and modify it. For it is understood that it is not the
exact "robot like" imitation of a technique that is important, but, in gaining
and making permanent, the understanding of the "principles" that make the
original technique a valid self-defense tool in the first place.
There is some debate over exactly when one should begin making these modifications.
Some would say that one should be very familiar with the skill first, then begin
making changes. Others suggest making changes as soon as one has a basic understanding of
the skill. At the York Bujinkan Dôjô we follow the latter opinion. For so long as the
"principles" are replicated properly the exact movements are of little
importance, since the principle is the primary ingredient. These "ingredients"
are what transcends any one particular technique, and, in fact, connect many techniques
together. That is not to say that a specific technique is unimportant, for it has value.
Specific techniques, and methods of applying them, are important because they accurately
demonstrate the "principles" that everyone should be learning.
Therefore applying these universal principles, in many different variations, allows one
to learn how to understand and apply "this" principle much sooner than when
studying one exact technique over and over again.
The reason for this is simple. A series of properly applied variations will allow one
to learn these principles faster, for they allow one to note certain aspects or
"principles" that are found in each of the selected variations. When one
practices a single unchanging technique over and over again, it is impossible to determine
which of the aspects, or feelings, are found in other techniques. This is because there
must be an ongoing comparison between related techniques to determine which aspects are
unique to a single technique, and therefore not universal principles, and which aspects
are found throughout many different techniques, and are in fact universal principles.
