Shihan Gillian Booth is a master level instructor (shihan 15th Dan) in bujinkan budo taijutsu. She has over 35 years experience in martial arts, and is a former Australian judo champion. Gillian trains at least twice yearly in Japan with Hatsumi Sensei, Nagato, Noguchi and Oguri Sensei and other senior shihan. Gillian is a dynamic practitioner and teacher. She has professional qualifications in organisational management and development.

COURAGEOUS HEART DOJO - Sydney

Courageous Heart Dojo has male and female students ranging from 18 to late 50’s, from all walks of life.

Shihan Frances Haynes is also a master level instructor. She has over 25 years martial arts experience and has trained in ninjutsu for 16 years. Frances also trains regularly in Japan. She is a consultant to government on interpersonal violence and crime prevention. Frances  has a particular interest in self-defence and scenario based training.

We are also fortuntate to have a number of senior students who have lived and trained in Japan and/or travel there regularly for training.

TRAINING

Bujinkan budo taijutsu is taught in a relatively informal manner. The emphasis is on developing the capacity for effectiveness, natural movement and adaptability, rather than on form for its own sake.

At its highest level, budo taijutsu is a path to personal development and self-awareness through physical training. Training is challenging but fun. We train in an atmosphere of mutual respect and classes are geared towards individual need and capacity.

A TYPICAL CLASS will begin with a warm-up, kihon or basics, then proceed to explore taijutsu (unarmed defence) and/or some weapon work. Weapons include sticks of various lengths, rope and chain weapons, sword, knife and gun, yari (spear), naginata. Training is indoors and outdoors, in urban and natural settings.

Beginners work in with more experienced practitioners but have separate class time as necessary. While we have many younger adults training with us, mature age beginners are welcome, and training can be tailored to all shapes, sizes and capacities.

KIHON OR BASICS focus on the following:

• Effective postures or attitudes (kamae) for attack or defence.
• How to absorb attacks and move safely in any direction (ukemi)
• Energy efficient footwork and body movement  (taijustu)
• Striking with any body part to any target (dakentaijutsu)
• Grappling, takedowns (Jutaijutsu)

WEAPONS

A skilled martial artist should move between armed and unarmed strategies with ease. Therefore, we work with weapons from the beginning of training. We learn traditional and modern weapons, and the approach is very practical with almost no emphasis on ritual or forms. Most students find weapons training fascinating.

SEMINARS

We have a regular in-house seminar program. We usually train outdoors on these occasions and explore an aspect of the art in more depth eg  traditional weapons; using the natural and/or urban environment; self-defence scenarios; gun defence; stealth, hiding, escaping. Other topics might include climbing, outdoor skills, massage, personal health and healing.

Students and instructors also regularly attend seminars throughout Australia with senior BBT practitioners – eg Shihan Tim Bathurst, Ed Lomax, Natascha Morgan, Brin Morgan, Sveneric Bogstar, Ed Martin, Phil Legare etc.

TRAINING IN JAPAN

Our dojo plans regular group trips and also assists individual students make this journey.

AT COURAGEOUS HEART

You will learn:

• a unique and fascinating 900 year old martial arts tradition
• the art as it is taught by Masaaki Hatsumi, Soke
• traditional art - modern self-defence
• unarmed defence and weaponry
• strategy and personal development

We offer:

• two senior instructors per class
• men and women welcome
• day and evening classes
• 100m2 matted floor
• regular outdoor training
• regular seminars with top Australian and international instructors
• training trips to Japan

Please note - we only teach adults - you must be over 18 years to train.

COURAGEOUS HEART DOJO

http://www.courageousheart.com.au/

Bujinkan - Training Hall of the Divine Warrior Spirit

Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu is a 900 year old tradition taught by the current grandmaster, Dr Masaaki Hatsumi, Soke.  The whole system is made up of nine schools (ryu) encompassing a wide range of traditional and modern armed and unarmed fighting and self-defence skills - striking, grappling, takedowns; weapons such as sword, spear, naginata, shuriken and bo; strategy and personal survival skills.

This diversity means there is something in the art for everyone regardless of size, shape, gender, age or personal style. The nine schools are unified by a particular approach and attitude, or 'feeling' as Hatsumi Sensei would say. This approach values flexibility, adaptability and effectiveness over adherence to form for its own sake.

Dr Masaaki Hatsumi trained with the last man to live the traditional life of a ninja, Takamatsu Sensei. Takamatsu Sensei handed down nine martial arts traditions to Hatsumi Soke who, in time, gave this system the name Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu.

Hatsumi Soke is considered a National Living Treasure in Japan. He is the first to open the nine traditions to the public, and in particular to western students. Today students from around the world can train directly with Soke and other Japanese shihan at the Honbu dojo in Noda City, Japan.

Hatsumi Sensei is not only renowned as a martial artist, but also as a healer, artist, actor and calligrapher.

"By experiencing the confrontation of danger, the transcendence of fear or injury or death, and a working knowledge of individual personal powers and limitations, the practioner of ninjutsu can gain the strength and invincibility that permit enjoyment of the flowers moving in the wind, appreciation of the love of others, and contentment with the presence of peace in society." - Hatsumi Soke

Toshitsugu Takamatsu was known as Moko No Tora (Mongolian Tiger). He was born in 1887 and trained in martial arts from a very early age.
Toshitsugu made several trips to China and abroad when he was young. There are countless stories of his adventures and martial prowess. In the 1950's Takamatsu took a new student named Hatsumi Yoshiaki, then in his 20's. Hatsumi Sensei trained with Takamatsu every weekend for 15 years. Hatsumi said that when he first met Takamatsu he was frightened of him.

One day Takamatsu and Hatsumi were sitting in a room in Takamatsu's house. Takamatsu told Hatsumi to close his eyes while he left the room, and to keep them closed. Hatsumi heard him leave the room and go downstairs. He did not hear Takamatsu re-enter the room.Takamatsu attacked Hatsumi from behind with a live Katana using Jumonji Kiri, one vertical and one horizontal cut. Hatsumi later said that as he sat in the room with his eyes closed, he felt something was wrong and moved to the side. Then, for no reason, he somersaulted forward.

THE NINE TRADITIONS

The Bujinkan system incorporates nine ancient martial traditions, which have been passed down from generation to generation for close to 1000 years. In our training now, the essence of these traditions is explored both from a historical perspective and applied in a modern context. The art offers an extremely diverse set of self-protection skills.

In general the ryu are not studied separately (although senior students may choose to study ryu in more depth). Rather, they are taught as complementary systems under the umbrella understanding of the Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu of Hatsumi Soke.
Each year, Hatsumi Soke sets a training theme exploring an aspect of the art from the nine traditions.

- Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu - Jeweled Tiger School - The oldest of the nine traditions. Heavily influenced by Chinese kenpo and known for its kosshijutsu attacks to muscles and soft organs. Gyokko Ryu was originally founded by Cho Gyokko who was said to have fled China during the Tang Dynasty around 900 AD. This ryu forms much of the basis for the Bujinkan system including the kihon happo.

- Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu - Hidden Door School  - The second oldest of the nine traditions, this system is famous for its use of such weapons as shuko and shuriken, and for its stealth tactics. It was reportedly founded by Daisuke Togakure in the late 1100s.

- Kukishin Ryu Happo Hikenjutsu - Nine Demons School - This ryu is a battlefield style whose specialty is the use of many different weapons including spears, swords, hanbos, etc. Many of the weapon techniques (hanbo, bo, yari, naginata, etc.) in Bujinkan come from this school. Kukishinden Ryu was reportedly founded by Izuma Kanja Yoshiteru in the mid 1100s.

- Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu - Immovable Heart School - This system specializes in dakentaijutsu (striking techniques), and jutaijutsu (hard grappling techniques) which prevent the attacker from breaking their fall. This was the first ryu that Takamatsu Sensei learned form his grandfather. This ryu was also founded by Izuma Kanja Yoshiteru in the mid 1100 who also learned Chinese kenpo.

- Koto Ryu Koppojutsu - Tiger Knocking Down School - This style specializes in koppojutsu or bone-breaking techniques and is very linear in motion. This style was originally organized into a ryu by Sakagami Kunishige in the mid 1500s. The name of the school means to knock the tiger down with the tips of the fingers.

- Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu - High Tree, Raised Heart School - This system specializes in grappling and throwing techniques similar to aikido and judo. However, unlike judo and aikido, this style makes it difficult for the opponent to use ukemi to fall or roll safely. This ryu is known as the "bodyguard school", and was founded by Takagi Oriuemon Shigenobu around 1650.

- Gyokushin Ryu Ninjutsu - Jeweled Heart School* The second ninjutsu ryu in the Bujinkan system was founded by Sasaki Goemon Teruyoshi in the mid 1500s. Not much is known of this ryu except that it is an Iga ninja school and concentrated more on the espionage side of ninjutsu, rather than the fighting side. It is also known for its use of sutemi (sacrifice) throws.

- Gikan Ryu Koppo Taijutsu - Truth Loyalty and Justice School*- This ryu was originally founded by Uryu Hangan Gikanbo in the mid 1500s and specializes in koppojutsu or bone-breaking techniques. This style is known for its low stances, with much of the footwork within the Bujinkan system coming from this ryu.

- Kumogakure Ryu Ninjutsu - Hiding in the Clouds School*- The third of the ninja ryus, it uses similar taijutsu as Togakure Ryu, and is also known for double blocks and strikes This ryu originated with Einaizaemon Ienaga Iga in the mid 1500s.

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