We have classes three times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings. We also have a monthly workshop, generally on the first Saturday of the month, that lasts a full day. There are occasional seminars with visiting teachers and these generally get announced on our Facebook events page.

Sure, no problem. Just get in touch first to let us know you're coming. We ask that during these sessions, visitors refrain from taking pictures or videos, and turn their phones to silent. Classes last an hour and half, but there is generally a break half way through, and at this point you can ask any questions you might have or leave if you need to.

The word ‘Bujinkan’ means or ‘hall of the divine warrior’, or ‘hall of the warrior spirit’. The word ‘dojo’ means ‘way place’ or ‘place where the way is studied’ Put together, ‘Bujinkan Dojo’ means ‘place where the way of the Divine Warrior is practiced.’

The Bujinkan Dojo is the name of the international training organization based in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is headed by Masaaki Hatsumi, the current generation head of nine traditions passed to him by Toshitsugu Takamatsu.

Dr David A Hall’s ‘Encyclopaedia of Japanese Martial Arts’ (Kodansha USA, 2012) is the definitive work in English on old style Japanese combative arts. This is the entry for the Bujinkan Dojo featured on page 56: “Bujinkan - Modern combative arts school founded by Hatsumi Masaaki. Based primarily on the teachings Hatsumi received from Takamatsu Toshitsugu, the school encompasses the curricula of nine classical traditions (koryu).

Like several modern budo schools, Hatsumi’s Bujinkan is an eclectic system which combines classical skills with a modern approach appealing to would-be martial artists. For example, a kyu-dan grading system has replaced the classical mokuroku-menkyo licensing system.

In addition, selected skills of various classical ryu have been incorporated into a hybrid mix in order to make it more appealing to modern budo students. This process began with Hatsumi’s teacher Takamatsu Toshishugu. (See Watatani and Yamada, 1969:537.)

‘Budo’ means ‘Martial path or way’ and ‘Taijutsu’ means ‘body methods.’ Taken together, ‘Budo Taijutsu’ means ‘Martial art of using the body.’ The Budo Taijutsu studied in the Bujinkan Dojo encompasses lots of different kinds of Japanese martial arts and the term Budo Taijutsu is used to refer to all of them.

‘Ninpo Taijutsu’ is another name for the martial arts we study. ‘Ninpo’ means ‘perseverance method’ and is a term used to describe the approach to martial arts used by ninja.

Nami Ryu is the bugo, or martial arts name, given to Alex Meehan by Hatsumi Soke. It means ‘wave dragon.’ Many of Hatsumi Sensei’s senior students have such names – they are only used in connection with the administrative functions of the dojo.

As explained above, Budo Taijutsu is an umbrella term for the arts practiced in the Bujinkan Dojo. As part of this study, we practice the following disciplines of Japanese budo:

• Taijutsu (unarmed fighting)
• Bikenjutsu (sword fighting)
• Bojutsu (staff fighting)
• Sojutsu (spear fighting)
• Naginatajutsu (halbard fighting)
• Yoroi Kumiuchi (armoured grappling)
• Juttejutsu (truncheon fighting)
• Nawajutsu (rope and chain methods)
• Shurikenjutsu (projectile weapons)

Taijutsu (unarmed fighing) makes up the majority of the material studied, as the weapon and ancillary arts all strongly relate to taijutsu.

Kata form an important part of the Bujinkan martial arts, but not in the way most people would understand. In traditional Japanese martial arts with older roots, such as ours, kata are generally performed by two (or more) partners and are quite brief, reflecting the reality of combat encounters.

They are rarely if ever performed solo (as is common in other arts) and they teach the art's basic concepts: typical attacks and common ways of dealing with them.

Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu places far less emphasis on formal ranking than most other Japanese martial arts. There are nine kyu grades (beginning with 9th and advancing through first), signified by a green belt worn by the practitioner. These are followed by ten dan grades, signified by a black belt, with the final rank, 10th Dan, further subdivided into five classifications.

The kyu ranks, essentially, are ‘preparation to become a student’ of Bujinkan budo and each rank takes an average of three to six months to achieve. The student is considered to be ready to really begin learning at first dan or first-degree black belt. This usually takes a dedicated student between three to four years of regular study to gain. Students may be licensed to open their own dojo from 5th degree blackbelt.

Absolutely. The dojo is a place where people come to learn martial arts and all that matters is your ability to get along with everyone.

Basically, we're much more interested in whether you're a nice person than anything else.