Living Values Archives

• The Ethical Warrior - Marine Corps Gazette article by Jack Hoban

• Hoban Human Events Article - The Ethical Warrior

• Ten Values-Secrets for Building Institutional and Global Harmony by Robert L. Humphrey

• Hoban Black Belt Interview

• Hoban WND Interview

• Hatsumi Black Belt Interview

• 2003 Hatsumi Sensei TaiKai Interview

• Life Values & Human Equality (The Hunting Story) by Robert L. Humphrey & Jack Hoban

• The Life Value by Jack Hoban

• Living According To "Nature" by Jack Hoban

• Warriorship As A Lifestyle by Jack Hoban

• Theme For 2009 by Jack Hoban

Photo Gallery is here.

Yearly theme essays from past years start below.  The theme for this year is here.

New Year's Message

January 1, 2008 

Dear Buyu:

Happy New Year!  It feels as if 2008 will be a year of great import.  Be vigilant—not just of the potential dangers, but also for the opportunities!  As Hatsumi Sensei said, the year of nezumi (鼠) is a fitting year for a Ninja.

As in other years, I had the privilege of training with many buyu from around the world.  I visited Italy, Texas, California, Florida, and Chicagoland—some more than once.  Pedro Fleitas and I attended the South American TaiKai in Argentina.  Over 260 buyu from 11 countries joined together to train in a great atmosphere hosted by Christian Petrochello and Nestor Iscovi.

Argentina TaiKai

Christian, Pedro, Jack & Nestor

Evidently the press was very surprised by the huge turnout and friendly atmosphere.  During an interview they asked my thoughts about the whole thing and I answered: "If we had put 260 diplomats from 11 countries in one room and asked them to find peace, they would certainly have fought.  But we put 260 martial artists from 11 countries in a room and told them to fight—and they made peace!"  Thank you, Nestor, Christian, Pedro and all who made this TaiKai such an unforgettable experience!

This summer was also the tenth anniversary of the West Coast Buyu Camp in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Ocean, as well as, a fourth Buyu Camp East in New Jersey.  Click the respective links to see some photos.  Buyu Camps are a great way to connect with old friends and get that "continuing education" and inspiration that will help you "keep going" when you get back to your own, local training group.  See you in San Fran and/or NJ again in 2008! 

Something new this coming year will be the Buyu West Spring Training Seminar.  People ask me for training recommendations all of the time.  Well, if you live in, or can travel to, California, I  endorse this seminar series.  See the web page here and you will know why! 

I was in Japan for the Daikomyosai—Hatsumi Sensei's annual 3-day training event.  I arrived in Japan feeling pretty good about myself.  I had had a pretty darn good year, I thought, having trained consistently every day.  I had trained Marines, law enforcement folks, martial artists all over the US and in Italy—and don't forget that big TaiKai in Argentina.  I landed at Narita on a Friday afternoon and was at the hombu dojo in Noda by 8pm that night for Sensei's training.  But by about 8:15pm I realized the sad truth: I had a long way to go!  Hatsumi Sensei's movement and control of the tactical space were just so much more advanced than mine.  For about 5 seconds I was actually a bit discouraged.  But then I realized that I was right where I needed to be—both geographically and mentally—in order to get where I wanted to go in my training.

Photo by Sheila Haddad

With my feet back on the ground I felt a surge of confidence.  Confidence in our teacher and mentor, and in his training methodology.  And I thought, all I need to do is "keep going," and stay inspired by this great person who is so free and happy in mind, spirit and body.

Another seminar that has become an annual event is the "Life Values Workshop."  This is a seminar where we practice our Budo in the context of Robert L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings.  Many people have expressed interest in the STRIKE training that Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the stress of real combat.  If you want to experience it, we'll see you next July in New Jersey.

Please consult the WIN seminar page periodically for details of all of our workshops.

Some of the most rewarding work I did, again in 2007, was with the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) in Quantico, Virginia.  This fine program, led ably by my friend Joe Shusko (LtCol USMC ret.) covers the armed and unarmed martial arts techniques and combat conditioning that a Marine needs to walk the warrior path—both in combat and in daily life.  There is a lot we "citizen warriors" can learn from the example set by the Marines in MCMAP.  Notably, Joe and I agree that the most important aspect of the program is the "Ethical Warrior" training.

If you are interested in the concept of the Ethical Warrior, an article I wrote on this subject was published in the Marine Corps Gazette this year; you can read it here.  A shorter article on the same topic was published by a web magazine, here.

Last year we stressed physical training, clarification of the essence of warriorship, and defending others in the context of the battlefield martial arts of Kukishin Ryu.  I came across the photo below this past year, and it sums up, for me at least, all three of these elements.

 
USMC Photo

This Marine is physically fit, well-trained in armed and unarmed combat, and is obviously a protector/defender of those children.  His armor is not from centuries past, but from today.  Yet, his calling is as old as mankind.  Most of us are not Marines; that is not the point.  The Bufu (martial wind) blows through the whole world and has done so over the millennia—it is not the province of just the Marines; it is not Japanese; it is not American.  It is human.

I am fortunate to have two great teachers in my lifetime.  One who said: "I am no country, I am UFO."  The other said that all people share a Universal Life Value and a feeling of human equality that trump our cultural differences—if we allow them to.  The point is that we are studying warriorship in the Bujinkan, and warriorship—the call to protect and defend life—is a human proclivity.  We should not be confused or distracted by the cultures of the various martial arts.  Instead, we must seek the essence—ride the Bufu.

It has been 27 years since I started training in this art.  When I began I was an active duty Marine.  One of the jobs of a Combat Engineer (besides blowing things up) is to do what is called "route reconnaissance."  Forget the "recon ranger" stuff; for us, there was nothing "sexy" about it.  We had to figure out if the route that the Marines were going to use in a movement or attack could withstand the traffic.  (Would the roads hold up?  Would the bridges collapse if we tried to drive a tank over them?  This kind of thing.)  Obviously, some of the route could be in enemy held territory, so we didn't want to get caught.  I had first read about Ninja in a James Bond book called "You Only Live Twice."  Being trained as a Ninja sounded like a cool thing and something I might even be able to use in my job.

At that time there was an American, Stephen Hayes, who had been to Japan and said that he had actually met and trained with a real Ninja.  I contacted Stephen and he told me more about Hatsumi Sensei and invited me to Ohio to train.  Within a year he had also introduced me to Hatsumi Sensei in person, when Sensei made his first visit to the USA.  If it weren't for Stephen Hayes, I doubt that I would be writing this; and I doubt that you would be reading it.

Notably, we never used the term "Bujinkan" in those days; we were training in Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu or Ninpo.  And we rarely talked about the differences between, or the specific characteristics of, the nine schools, or even the names of the techniques.  Everything was the "same" and we just trained.  You might say that the training was "harder" back then, but that was because we were younger and just naturally liked it that way.  I remember that Bud Malmstrom and I were both Marines, so we had a natural bond—and an inclination to train together that ended up causing a few busted lips and sore necks over the years.  

Jack & Bud circa 1983

Sadly we lost Bud's wife, Bonnie, this year.  She was quite a lady and a very special person to many of us in the Bujinkan.  A tribute web page is here.

I am thinking about all this, because now, 27 years later, the training theme for next year appears to be Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu.  Interesting number, 27, there's a real Ninja number for you!  Full circle, perhaps.  

But I think, really, it is all the same and has been that way all these years.  Call it what you want: Kukishin Ryu, Gyokko Ryu, Togakure Ryu, whatever—it is all Bujinkan.  Bujinkan is greater than the sum of the parts, greater than all of the individual ryu-ha, no matter how carefully you practice the individual schools, or study the individual densho.  When I step back, I see that the 9 arts may not even have survived if it weren't for Hatsumi Sensei's genius in creating the Bujinkan.  In the grand scheme, few people really cared about the individual arts—until Hatsumi Sensei brought them back to life.

I realize that there is some interest in the different schools and what is written in the various densho.  Sensei told me that the densho were mostly just outlines of techniques (I have confirmed this with my own translations), and that they were very basic and fairly useless without the ability to "read between the lines" and understand the essential secrets of the martial arts.  The ability to read between the lines comes only after many years of training and the good fortune to study under a true teacher like Takamatsu Sensei.  I would add: and Hatsumi Sensei.

There is also some discussion these days about "hard vs. soft" training.  But the thing to do, in my opinion, is to train according to your age and ability.  When you are 25, train hard.  When you are 50, you have to train differently—like Hatsumi was training when I met him.  When you are 77, well, look at how Sensei trains now.  If you train like an old man when you are young, it is not enough.  If you train like a young man when you are old, you look violent and silly; and you will almost certainly become injured.  The concept is not so difficult, really, just common sense; and certainly all of the arguments about it are unnecessary.  The idea is to "keep going," train all of your life in a natural, effective and sustainable way.  Most real combat has weapons, so don't focus too much on being only a "technician," or on being "strong" or "fast."  Learn the taijutsu "tactical movement," and study how to use weapons effectively to leverage your taijutsu and escape—or do what is necessary to protect life.  This is what I think Hatsumi Sensei has been saying consistently since I first met him.

And one other thing has been a constant: Sensei's training regimen.  He always trained, watched his diet if his health was bad, and walked everyday.  Sensei said:  "The first step in Ninpo training is that of physical endurance."  Please remember this point.  Twenty five years ago I walked with Hatsumi Sensei (and 2 or 3 dogs) on many a night for 1-3 hours—after the training!  And I am not the only one; he wore out many of us with these late night/early morning Ninja walks.

Another thing that Sensei has been talking about recently is the power of buyu.  As you know, buyu means "martial arts friends," or perhaps, "comrades in arms."  In order to keep going I encourage you to find compatibly-minded people who like training the way that you do and train together, inspire each other to keep going.  The "community" of the Bujinkan is something that Sensei says is important.  It is common sense that people who share a certain perspective on budo will want to train with each other.  It is also natural that people with different ideas will want to train in a different way.  Just remember one thing: Respect each other.  Mutual respect, I think, will make the Bujinkan a natural community.  Respect people who are different from you, just as you respect the people who train with you.  From the day I met Hatsumi Sensei he always treated me with respect as a buyu.  Although he was obviously my senior in the martial arts, he never treated me as a "student;" he never treated me as somehow beneath him.  In 2003 Sensei said that UFO can also mean "Unusual Friends OK!"  Please think about this.

As I have said, next year is the year of Togakure Ryu.  The calligraphy above, Nin - Togakure Ninpo, was painted for me by Hatsumi Sensei in the early 80's.  So, in a way, we are back where we started—at least I feel like I am back where I started.  In another way, however, we are entering a new era: where the Bujinkan, not as an organization, but as a concept and a community of mutual respect, can have a broader positive impact on the world than any one martial culture—or human culture.

Professor Humphrey once told me that it would take martial artists to save the world from another "Dark Age."  I thought that he was just humoring me because I had such a strong interest in martial arts.  Now I am not so sure he wasn't right (as usual).

But don't worry about saving the world; it's not really about doing something so much as it is about being something.  The secret of being that "uncommon common" person who has the benevolent heart of the warrior is in the training.  It is useless for me to try to write about it any more than this.  So train!

In 2008 we look forward to the possibility of gaining a deeper insight into the way of the Ninja through training.  So I recommend that you walk often—Ninja walk!  Follow Sensei's example in terms of a fitness and a health regimen that is natural for you, and make it part of your lifestyle.  But, most of all, respect yourself and your fellow buyu.  So, those are the themes for our Buyu training group for next year: train consistently, show respect.

Keep going in 2008, my buyu.  Thank you for all of the great training!

Jack Hoban

New Year's Message

January 1, 2007 

Dear Buyu:

Happy New Year!  I salute all of you who have walked the warrior path for another year.  The world is a better, safer place because of you!  As we know, the world is not really a safe place for many—too many—of our fellow human beings.  Warriors are sorely needed today.  Gambatte!

As in other years, I had the privilege of training with many buyu from around the world.  I visited Germany, California, Florida, and Chicagoland—some more than once.  There was also a mini-reunion in Atlanta with Bud Malmstrom, Stephen Hayes and a bunch of folks from the "old days."  It was a pleasure to see all of you and hear about your lives. 

This past summer also saw the ninth annual Buyu Camp in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Ocean.  And a third Buyu Camp East in New Jersey.  Buyu Camps are a great way to connect with old friends and get that "continuing education" and inspiration that will help you "keep going" when you get back to your own, local training group.  See you there again in 2007! 

I was in Japan for the Daikomyosai—Hatsumi Sensei's annual training / birthday party.   I know I say this every year, but, Sensei is more genki than ever.  One of the things that differentiates our art is the fact that it can be practiced at any age.  And if Sensei is an indication, consistent practice actually makes you younger.  Funny, that wasn't a real consideration for me until recently.

Another seminar that has become an annual event is the "Life Values Workshop."  This is a seminar where we practice our Budo in the context of Robert L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings.  Many people have expressed interest in the STRIKE training that Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the stress of real combat.  If you want to experience it, we'll see you next July in New Jersey.

And, it looks like I will be doing even more traveling next year.  Please consult the WIN seminar page periodically for details of all of our workshops.

Some of the most rewarding work I did, again, in 2006 was with the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).  This is a fine program that covers the martial arts techniques that a Marine needs to walk the warrior path—both in combat and around town.  But, the most important aspect of the program, in my opinion, is the "Ethical Warrior" training.  The program is designed to "clarify, activate and sustain the Warrior Ethic."  

Last year I said that I really didn't have much to say that hasn't already been said about warriorship.  This year, I have these three thoughts:

1.  Training.

I think we all need to talk less and train more.  That includes diet and exercise.  In his book "The Way of the Ninja," Hatsumi Sensei wrote: "The first step in Ninpo training is that of physical endurance."  Let's challenge ourselves with this simple thought: "Will we be as healthy and full of energy and happiness as our teacher is when we are his age?"  It is time for us to embrace his example.

2.  Clarifying the Essence of Warriorship.

I believe it is important to continue to reflect seriously on the meaning of our warrior vocation.  I constantly speak with people who seek a better understanding about the difference between sport martial arts and combat martial arts, and between self-defense and warriorship. 

It occurred to me this year that there are (at least) four things that differentiate combatives from sport martial arts:

1. Losing is NOT an option!

2. Combat uses weapons—virtually always!

3. In combat, people "play" by their own rules—if any!

4. In combat, the mission almost always revolves, not around fighting for yourself, but around fighting for others—whether it is your country, your community, your family, or the guy next to you.  In other words, warriorship.

Consider the two pictures below.

The fellow on the left is participating in one of the exciting Mixed Martial Arts competitions.  Very cool!  For him.

The fellow on the right took his helmet off in a combat zone so a little kid could try it on.  The Marine's name?  Lance Corporal Tyler Troyer.  I spoke to his father this year.  It was pretty emotional.  You see, Tyler was killed by a sniper near Al Karmah, Iraq last year protecting that kid's village and others like it.  As the Marines like to say: "No better friend, no worse enemy."  LCpl Troyer, along with the other Marines with whom he served, was "no better friend" to the citizens of Iraq.

One of the challenges I think that we all have is to continually deepen our understanding of the Warrior Ethic and how to live it.  Let's face it, we live in a particularly self-absorbed society, many of us.  It is easy to get caught up in the selfishness.  And I don't mean just material selfishness, but selfishness of the spirit.

If we are truly honest, there isn't hardly one of us who hasn't fantasized about “trying out” our martial skills, perhaps in competition, perhaps out in town against some "bad guy."  The former is not really a problem, and is actually a quite natural manifestation of the competitive spirit.  But we need to be clear: sport fighting is not warriorship.  In my opinion, sport fighters fight for themselves; warriors fight to protect others.  

What about self defense?  Can the skills of the warrior be used to defend oneself?  Absolutely...and also to cut a prime rib of beef.  But even self defense is not warriorship in my opinion.

The role of the Ethical Warrior is to protect life.  Whose life?  Self and others'.  Which others?  All others, if we can.  Even our enemies (as the Marines are often called upon to do), if we can.  Those who believe that being a defender is somehow less “combat effective” than being a “tough guy” can be asked whether they would rather face a (killer) papa bear or the (defender) mama bear with two cubs.

The concept of protecting others, especially those not of our “in-group,” is a difficult one for many of us.  Especially in our world today.  To risk our lives for others, even strangers, even our enemies, is very anti-intuitive.  But there is a great measure of satisfaction in a life lived according to the precept of protecting others.  Dr. Humphrey, when asked near the end of his life to describe his proudest achievement told a surprising story about an incident that occurred on Iwo Jima with a Japanese prisoner.

The Story of the Japanese Prisoner

 Most Marines know the story of Iwo Jima.  One of the “dirty little secrets” of that battle was that the Japanese did not believe in taking prisoners, as surrendering—even when wounded—was considered a violation of the warrior code of Bushido.  (This is an over-simplification and skewing of the true Bushido concept, by the way; and this fact is just another example of how a relative value can “misfire” and become rationalized and disconnected from the Life Value.)  Unfortunately, some Marines began to follow suit with the killing of wounded or surrendering Japanese soldiers. 

One day on patrol, Humphrey and his men came upon a young Japanese soldier emerging from a cave waving a white flag.  This, in and of itself was unusual, as Japanese soldiers rarely surrendered.  One of the Marines on the patrol, not trusting that this wasn’t some kind of trick, raised his rifle to his shoulder to kill the Japanese boy.  Humphrey found himself ordering the Marine to put down his weapon.  A short, intense confrontation occurred between Humphrey and the Marine.  But good order and discipline prevailed and the Marine lowered his weapon.  It turned out that the Japanese soldier’s surrender was genuine and he was taken safely to the rear.  It even turned out that he was of some small intelligence value. 

Humphrey thought little of the incident at the time.  Yet nearly fifty years later, when asked to name his proudest achievement, he cited this incident.  He explained with words to the effect that: “On Iwo Jima it was life or death every minute of every day.  There was unavoidable killing every day.  When I saw that Japanese boy trying to surrender and understood that this was perhaps the only time that I didn’t have to kill, I took the opportunity.  I believe that action saved my humanity.  Like most veterans of Iwo that survived, I was deeply affected by the experience.  Yet, I never suffered the profound depression and shell-shock (PTSD) that some of the others did.  I attribute it to saving that boy’s life.  Protecting my enemy, if you will.” (Adapted from the book "Values For A New Millennium" by Robert L. Humphrey.) 

Why protect others?  Especially our enemies!?  Because it is a species preserving (moral) act—even if the individual(s) in question don't seem to deserve it.  Being a “warrior-protector” also provides great personal satisfaction and a feeling of “nobility.”  It creates a "better life" for the protector.

If the role of a warrior is protecting life, then when do you take a life?  Let's not be naive.  Warriorship may involve killing.  But the Ethical Warrior takes life only when he has to in order to save life.  And when killing is necessary, it is to be done as quickly and humanely as possible.  The warrior is the only human archetype called upon to make a split-second kill-or-protect judgment.  This grave responsibility is entrusted to the warrior because he risks his life to protect others.

3.  “And when I return home…”

In 2006 we worked through several themes, Hatsumi Sensei taught Shinden Fudo Ryu; and we were able to see readily that this ancient art still holds many lessons—particularly for those of us who use weapons and wear body armor.  Another theme was nature, which we in the Buyu mirrored in our own training.  How did we do with that?  

Modern Shinden Fudo Ryu training at Buyu Camp East — in "nature" (also known as in "the pouring rain").

Sensei also spoke about some rather sublime concepts in 2007 in connection with Shinden Fudo Ryu.  It is not important, I think, to be able to understand these concepts literally and completely.  Rather, think about them; savor them; try to grasp the feeling of them.  

	Ikkenhassou - One sword, eight faces (aspects)
	Bikenisshun - Secret sword, one instance (moment)
	Shizen Shigoku - Nature, to the extreme end (level)

Hmmm....plenty of food for thought during our next 25 years of training, neh?

Next year it appears that we will be focusing on Kukishin Ryu, which follows nicely from the 2006 year theme.  I predict more training in battlefield-type conditions, with armor and weapons.  Dust off those rokushaku bo while you're at it!   

So, with Kukishin Ryu as our perspective this year, let us make Ethical Warriorship our Buyu theme for 2007.  

Hatsumi Sensei wrote that Shinobi no ho, or Ninja methods, are "for discerning what is right for the world, enduring, training to become a moral being, becoming aware of one's destiny, and dedicating one's life to other people or the world as a whole."

Let's train consistently and think deeply. And let's enjoy!  

Good luck in 2007, my Buyu.  Keep going!

Jack Hoban

New Year's Message

January 1, 2006 

Dear Buyu:

Happy New Year!  My warmest regards to all of you around the world who share this Warrior's Path.

Well, it finally happened.  2005 was the the year that I turned 50.  It's interesting, because when I met Hatsumi Sensei I was 25 and he was 50.  And when Hatsumi Sensei met Takamatsu Sensei, Hatsumi Sensei was 25.  More about that later.  Anyway...

As usual, there was plenty of travel for me. I went to Slovenia last Spring.  We had people from Slovenia, of course, but also Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Austria and Hungary (hope I didn't miss anyone!); thanks to Andrej Jasenc for inviting me.

I was also in California, Florida, and Chicagoland—a couple of times each.  As is our tradition, I went to Atlanta to train with Bud Malmstrom.  Kurt Haines also invited me to Houston and I really enjoyed seeing everybody down there, it had been a while.  You guys (and gals) are doing great!

I was in Japan for the Daikomyosai—Hatsumi Sensei's annual training / birthday party.  Sensei is more genki than ever.  I know I say this every year, but you really should try to get there for training.  Here's how: After reading this, pick a date (I recommend Daikomyosai) and commit to going.  No "ifs" allowed (as in: "if" I have the time, "if" I have the vacation, "if" I have the money, "if" my dog will let me go, etc.).  If you commit, your life will conform to the power of your intention and you'll go.  If you don't, it won't. Simple as that.  So, what do you say?

This past summer also saw the eighth annual "Buyu Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Ocean.  And a second Buyu Camp East in New Jersey.  Buyu Camps are a great way to connect with old friends and get that "continuing education" and inspiration that will help you "keep going" when you get back to your own, local training group.  See you there again in 2006! 

Another seminar that has become an annual event is the "Life Values Workshop."  This is a seminar where we practice our Budo in the context of Robert L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings.  Many people have expressed interest in the STRIKE training that Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the stress of real combat.  If you want to experience it, we'll see you next July in New Jersey.

I also had a lot of fun teaching the  Warrior Values seminar with Joe Lau here in New Jersey once again.  Joe Lau has really been successful in finding the philosophical "common ground" among folks interested in Tom Brown's Wilderness Survival Skills, Bujinkan Martial Arts, and the late Professor Robert Humphrey's Life Values Theory.  Thank you, Joe, for inviting me.  Don't forget to check out Joe Lau's website. 

And, of course, consult the WIN seminar page periodically for details of all of our workshops.

Some of the most rewarding work I did in 2005 was with the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).  This is a fine program that covers the martial arts techniques that a Marine needs to walk the warrior path—both in combat and around town.  But, the most important aspect of the program, in my opinion, is the character development piece.  The program is primarily designed to activate the "protector/defender" value system in the Marine.  The premise is that ethical Marines are better people—and also better fighters, because they are committed to do what is needed to be done to protect each other and the innocent people who live in their operating area—as they take it to the bad guys.

I usually end up saying something controversial in these essays, so here goes.  If you are interested in warriorship, why beat around the bush?  Why the "reality" training, and the ultimate fighting and all this?  Why not  join the Marines?  Go to Iraq or Afghanistan. That's reality.  Help others throw off oppression.  Like the guys in the picture above (excluding the old fart who is teaching).  That's a warrior's job.

 Ahhh, maybe your real goal is to prove to yourself and/or others that you are tough.  OK, that's understandable.  But, be careful, remember what Takamatsu Sensei said about that:

"The skills of self-protection, which should provide a feeling of inner peace and security for the martial artist, so often develop without a balance in the personality and lead the lesser martial artist into warped realms of unceasing conflict and competition which eventually consume him.

If an expert in the fighting arts sincerely pursues the essence of Ninjutsu, devoid of the influence of the ego's desires, the student will progressively come to realize the ultimate secret for becoming invincible - the attainment of the "mind and eyes of God."  The combatant who would win must be in harmony with the scheme of totality, and must be guided by an intuitive knowledge of the playing out of fate.

In tune with the providence of heaven and the impartial justice of nature, and following a clear and pure heart full of trust in the inevitable, the Ninja captures the insight that will guide him successfully into battle when he must conquer and conceal himself protectively from hostility when he must acquiesce."

By the way, I don't think you have to be a Marine (or soldier or cop) to follow the warrior path.  I just think that fighting for fun or ego is NOT the way.  There's nothing wrong with it, necessarily.   But it is self-centered.  Warriorship is about defending others.  That's my opinion.  You decide.

In 2005 we worked through several themes, Hatsumi Sensei taught Gyokko-ryu Kosshijutsu Happobiken—including training in Bo-jutsu, Tachi and Taijutsu.  It was surprising to me how the same ryu and waza that we practiced in previous years looked and felt so different in 2005.  Perhaps it is our ability to see the space and feel the "inryoku" that has improved.

We also had our own Buyu theme of "nature."  How did we do with that?  Did we "train outside, walk the forests, swim the seas.  Hear the wind, talk to the ocean, listen to the lessons of Mother Earth?"  In 2005 she continued to speak to us with soft summer nights, crisp winter mornings--and a few rather intense hurricanes, tornados and earthquakes!  She's still in charge.

I guess that we shouldn't be surprised, therefore, that Hatsumi Sensei's theme for 2006 is...shizen (nature)!  Evidently we will be studying Shinden Fudo Ryu and kenjutsu from the perspective of "nature."  It's definitely a great theme and a natural follow on to last year's training.

So why don't we, once again, make Nature our Buyu theme for 2006?  Let's enjoy!

Enjoyment of life.  That is what our training offers—if you let it.  We have the luxury of studying warriorship in the relaxed and cooperative atmosphere of the dojo.  Please take advantage of it.  The real world is not the dojo, but the things that we do in the dojo will impact how we move, act, feel in the real world—whether in a hostile of non-hostile situation.  So use your time in the dojo well.  Study sincerely.  Strive for clarity of thought, feeling and movement.  That is the true bushin (warrior spirit). 

As I said earlier, I turned 50 in 2005.  Sensei was 50 when I met him, so I really don't know what he did for the first 25 years of his training.  But I have a good feeling for his next 25.  After all, I was there and watching very closely.  So were many of you, as well!  It should give us confidence and a clear direction.  No, our lives aren't and won't be remotely like his.  But we have a wonderful role model for that 50 - 75 year old phase of our training.  I feel great!  How about you?

Other than that, I really don't have much to say that hasn't been said.  25 years into my training, all of the talking and philosophizing has really all come down to this: 

1. Be a defender of life.

2. Keep going.

That's it!  So, one of my resolutions for 2006 is to talk less about martial arts and just try to set the example.  Less explainin' more trainin'.

Finally, I am pleased to announce the good news that we recently republished Dr. Humphrey's book "Values For A New Millennium."  This has been a dream of mine for nearly ten years.  If you are interested in point 1 above, read the book.  If you are interested in point 2, train.   Warriorship is pretty straight forward—not complicated.  And not easy.

Keep going!

Jack Hoban

P.S.  I went for my New Years Day swim today.  It was cold.  Again.

New Year's Message

January 1, 2005 

Dear Buyu:

Happy New Year!  My best regards to all Buyu around the world.  It was my privilege to share this wonderful art of Warriorship with you in 2004.  It has been a full and beautiful year of training, as well as, the thirty-third anniversary of Takamatsu Sensei's passing.  A very lucky and auspicious year for all of us.

As usual, there was plenty of travel for me. I went to California, Florida, and Chicagoland-- several times each.  I also went to Atlanta to train with Bud Malmstrom.  

I was in Japan twice, including the Daikomyosai--Hatsumi Sensei's annual training / birthday party.  It is clear, now, that if you want to train with Sensei, you have to go to Japan.  Get there!  No excuse!! 

This past summer also saw the seventh "Buyu Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Ocean.  And for the first time, there was a Buyu Camp East in New Jersey.  Buyu Camps are a great way to connect with old friends and get that "continuing education" and inspiration that will help you "keep going" when you get back to your own, local training group.  See you there in 2005! 

Another seminar that has become an annual event is the "Life Values Workshop."  This is a seminar where we practice our Budo in the context of Robert L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings.  Many people have expressed interest in the STRIKE training that Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the stress of real combat.  If you want to experience it, we'll see you next July in New Jersey.

I also had a lot of fun teaching the  Warrior Values seminar with Joe Lau at Tom Brown's Tracker School here in New Jersey once again in 2004.  Joe Lau has really been successful in finding the philosophical "common ground" among folks interested in Tom's Wilderness Survival Skills, Bujinkan Martial Arts, and the late Professor Robert Humphrey's Life Values Theory.  Attendance in 2004  was roughly twice what it was last year.  The word is really spreading about this wonderful course.  Thank you, Joe, for inviting me; and thanks, Tom, for making the "Farm" available.  I think this will be an annual event.  Keep an eye on Joe Lau's website for details. 

And, of course, check the WIN seminar page periodically for details of all of our workshops.

In 2004 we studied the concept of Roppou-Kuji-no Biken (六法九字之秘剣).  I am not sure that any of us really were able to grasp the total essence of this concept (six methods kuji of the secret (hidden) sword).  I have spent time speaking with Sensei and contemplating it, and think of it this way (this is only my personal interpretation):  Roppou-Kuji-no Biken admonishes us to see things clearly, as they really are so that we can become mū--moving with the timing of the kukan and using the secret "sword."   

Maybe this helps you; I hope so.  But as Sensei said in a letter to me in May of 2004: "It is important to know that Ninjutsu is not only sneaking into enemy lines, but also allowing mysterious lessons to sneak into your own mind.  This is the top secret of Ninjutsu."

As I said, this is a concept that may be impossible to describe intellectually, but we certainly had many opportunities to see it in action, including plenty of swordwork.  As I said, I was able to visit Japan twice this year and learned a lot.  Just as interesting to me as the swordwork, was Sensei's emphasis on training in armor.   It just so happens that I spent some time training in armor and protective gear with the Marines this year.  It is very different from flitting around on a tatami in a gi!

And we do tend to spend a lot of time training in the dojo.  And with our friends.  And as a result, we risk losing a sense of what combat is really like.  And that is why I feel that Sensei spent so much time training in armor and talking about martial arts as they were practiced in real war.  

Yet, if we concentrate too much on the mechanics of killing, we run another risk: the risk of losing a sense of what Warriorship is really for.  Though our skills may, on occasion, be used to take life, their primary purpose is to protect life.  And this we must not forget either.  Again, I am reminded of the story that my late mentor, Robert Humphrey, told me about being a Marine on Iwo Jima. 

On the sixth day of the battle for Iwo Jima, I took command of the only six (teenage) American Marines who were still left in a front-line rifle platoon that had more than 40 original members [Company F/2/28].  After losing his closest friends during those first six days, the evening that I took command, this young Marine named Mercer [George Mercer WIA then later KIA during the last days of the fight when his hospital tent was overrun] told me, skeptically, that I was their sixth lieutenant in those six days.  Then, as he “dug in” for the night, he suddenly started denouncing the top cultural values that had been instilled in us Marines during that age of high patriotism.  “F*ck the Marine Corps!”  He shouted.  “F*ck democracy, and f*ck this war! I don’t volunteer for nothing.  I DON’T VOLUNTEER FOR NOTHING!”  Four of the other five Marines took up that chant.  “Right,” they yelled, “I don’t volunteer for nothing! I don’t volunteer for nothing.”  As their new leader, I knew I had been warned.  (I was just 22-years-old myself.)

The first thing next morning, an order came in for me to send a "volunteer” straight out front on an almost certain-death reconnaissance mission.  Thinking about that chant, and feeling fresh, compared to those exhausted, young combat-veterans who had already shot their way across the base and up to the top of Mt. Suribachi (during the patrol before the famous flag-raising), I decided to go myself rather than appoint an enlisted “volunteer.”  As I started to crawl forward in the detestable black sand, Mercer, knowing that it was foolish leadership for me, the officer, to go, crawled over into my face, blocking my path, and said, authoritatively: “My turn, Lieutenant.”

Stunned, I realized that Mercer was saying, “My turn to die, Lieutenant—not yours.”

The irreducible facts of human survival are clear:  THE BEST MEN VOLUNTARILY DO THE DYING, IF NECESSARY, TO SAVE THE GROUP WHOSE MEMBERS ARE LESS MORALLY/PHYSICALLY FIT.  So much for Social Darwinism! 

Human nature as I saw it on Iwo Jima is not such that everyone acts heroically.  But human nature is such that the best of us humans do act heroically to save the group.  It is even more sophisticated than that:  When “the best” is killed while trying to protect a group, the next best fighters tend to recognize that they are now “the most capable.” Sometimes this assumption of leadership continues right on down the line to those who are the weakest, and they too will step forward toward that horror of possible death when other lives in their “in-groups” are threatened.  That “in-group” feeling is the trigger, but I found that this “in-group” feeling is not hard to expand even across the historic barriers of ethnic hatreds spawned from bloodletting.

Wow.  And I have it on first-hand authority that the same kind of heroic, self-sacrificing activity occurred in Iraq-especially in Fallujah.  Many Americans risked—and lost—their lives by taking extraordinary personal risks, rather than allowing innocent civilians to be killed unnecessarily.   

So now I am going to say something pretty harsh.  These days we all hear a lot of (frankly) BS in the martial arts about ranks, and who deserves theirs and who doesn't, and who is tougher, or stronger, or which art is better, or more complete, or more realistic, or blah, blah, blah.  It is all said with the pseudo-authoritarian air that is designed to sound like helpful instruction, but really just strokes the ego of the speaker (writer, emailer, poster).  Translated it says: I am stronger, I train tougher, I have a better martial art, I know more than you, I, I, I!  Is this the talk of a warrior?  I don't think so.  Warriorship is not about you, you, you.  It is about becoming "zero" so that we can see things as they "really are," and be at the right place with the right timing so that we can protect others, even at the risk of our own lives.  If you think you are practicing martial arts, but you are unhappy, or insecure, or worried, or jealous, or any of those niggling things, then you might want to think about that Iwo Jima story and see if there is a lesson in there for you.

Warriorship is about others.  Not about you!  Enough said.

Now let's talk about the training for 2005.  As most of you know, Hatsumi Sensei has been giving us a theme to work with these past years.  This year it appears to be Gyokko-ryu Kosshijutsu Happobiken—including training in Bo-jutsu, Tachi and Taijutsu.  Hatsumi painted the picture of a waterfall below for me.  Most of the kanji (on the left side) is a famous Japanese poem that says: "Water falls down to a hollow but that is the beginning of rising."  However, on the right it says Jumonji (as in Jumonji no kamae from Gyokko Ryu) Shim Pen Kyojitsu.  You probably know most of these words, but "Shim," means "God; and "Pen" means "changes."

Yes, God does change (move) in mysterious ways.  This is a great reminder for us to be mindful of the "way things really are;" and a wonderful way to extend the concepts from last year into an exciting new year of training.

To be truthful, there is probably a little humor in the painting as well.  The painting is of a waterfall, as I said (although, you never know with Sensei!  Does it look absolutely like a waterfall to you?).  Anyway, I had an interesting experience with a waterfall once and Hatsumi Sensei had an unexpected response to it that I will share with you.

As a younger and bolder fellow I went once to a Shugenja training facility in the mountains because I wanted to sit under a waterfall and feel what it was like.  Well, as I approached the area, several attendants came out to shoo me away.  I insisted that I wasn't there to bother anybody; I just wanted to sit under the waterfall.  Well, then they got pissed!  "How dare you, an unsanctified foreigner, come here thinking you can just sit under this sacred waterfall?  Go away!  Now!!"  All hostile and everything.  Well, I was a little pissed by then, too, but what could I do?  Be an Ugly American?  So I went away without sitting under their stupid waterfall.

When I got back to Noda, I mentioned the incident to Hatsumi Sensei.  He questioned me on all the details, and I told him everything.  Finally, he said: "Bakayaro!" ("Those idiots!").  Then he said: "Well, Jack, just go back to your hotel, get into the shower, and turn the water on cold.  It's the same thing!"

Ha!  The dojo is anywhere!  Everywhere!!

Yes, the dojo doesn't necessarily have to be where you think it is.  In fact, sometimes our dojo—the place with the tatamis (or mats) and gis are—is not necessarily the best place to train.  So why do we do it?  Well, it's easy and sensible, that's why.  But that brings us to our Buyu theme of the year.  As you may know, in addition to Hatsumi Sensei's theme, we also have traditionally selected our own, Buyu Dojo, theme every year.  Last year, if you recall, our theme was the year of Shinobu.  How did we do?  Were we patient?  Aware?  Persistent?  Were we able to look beyond the purely technical and tactical aspects of our training?  Were we vigilant against threats that we couldn't see nor understand.  And, most importantly, did we open our hearts to the way of the benevolent warrior—protecting when we could, hiding when we had to?  Using our skills only as a last resort?   Difficult, wasn't it?  But that is the natural way of the Warrior.  And that brings us to this year's theme.  The theme is: Nature.

Recall Takamatsu Sensei's words:

"In tune with the providence of heaven and the impartial justice of nature, and following a clear and pure heart full of trust in the inevitable, the Ninja captures the insight that will guide him successfully into battle when he must conquer and conceal himself protectively from hostility when he must acquiesce."

Well, how do we learn that?!  In this age of cell phones and computers (I, myself, work in the Internet business) how do we learn the laws of Nature?  Certainly not in front of a computer (although we can learn a lot about the new "laws" of man that way, and that is important, too).  No, we need to get out into Nature.  Train outside, walk the forests, swim the seas.  Hear the wind, talk to the ocean, listen to the lessons of Mother Earth.  She is speaking to us.  Remember the hurricanes, the earthquakes, the tsunamis.  She still has control.  And something to teach us.  As Ninja, as warriors, let us listen very attentively in 2005.  

Keep going!

Jack Hoban

P.S.  To set the example, I decided to go for an ocean swim today, New Years Day.  It was cold.

New Year's Message

January 1, 2004 

Dear Buyu: 

I wish for you all a Happy New Year filled with good health and love. Thank you for helping me to "keep going" for yet another wonderful year! 

The years pass quickly, don't they? I clearly remember sitting here, last year about this time, and it seems like just a moment ago. Hatsumi Sensei says to me often: "Life is just a series of moments."

There were many beautiful "moments" in 2003 as we studied the concept of juppo-sessho and buyu (courageous warrior). 

Indeed, the concept of juppo-sessho spawned many ideas for our training.  We began to look at the physical encounter from many new perspectives.  We enhanced our ability to use the space around the opponent.  "Ju," as we learned, means "ten" and "ho" means "direction," so "Juppo" means "the ten directions."  The ten directions are east, west, south, north, northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest, and upward and downward.  These represent all directions, the whole of space (kukan), or the whole world. Sensei talked often, this year, about using three dimensions in our training. Very enlightening!

The root of "Sessho" is Setsu (or koro su) which refers to the act of killing.  Sho means living thing.  This term sessho is often used in Buddhism in the context of an admonition to avoid killing (including animals), particularly in a thoughtless or cruel way.  For me, this is a very powerful concept.  It speaks to the "awareness of life" that we all must maintain in our training, and what martial arts are really all about.  It is a warning to never forget that the vocation of the warrior deals necessarily with the concept of life and death.  Our skills are for protecting life, but may, on occasion, need to be used to take life. I am reminded of the story that my mentor, Robert Humphrey, told me about an incident that happened to him as a Marine on Iwo Jima. 

As many of you know, Iwo Jima was the first native Japanese soil invaded by Americans in WWII. Approximately 60,000 Americans and 20,000 Japanese participated in the battle.  Iwo Jima was approximately 2 miles wide, 4 miles long; that's 8 square miles.  In that tiny area, death--horrible, mutilating death--became a commonplace occurrence.  Almost 7,000 Americans were killed in action on Iwo Jima; there were more than 20,000 American casualties.  Approximately one-third of all Marines killed in action in World War II were killed on Iwo Jima, making Iwo Jima the battle with the highest number of casualties in Marine Corps history.  Virtually ALL of the Japanese soldiers on Iwo were killed.

The incident to which I am referring took place while Humphrey and his platoon were clearing a cave.  It was usual for the Japanese soldiers to fight to the death, so clearing caves--often by burning the soldiers alive with flamethrowers--was a dangerous and soul-withering job.  In this one instance, however, a solitary Japanese soldier emerged from the cave to surrender.  By this time in the battle both sides had adopted a "take no prisoners" attitude.  The Japanese were killing any American who tried to surrender, even if they were too wounded to fight back; so we began to kill their soldiers, too.  It seemed normal, therefore, when one of Humphrey's men lifted a rifle to shoot the surrendering Japanese.  Like I said, according to Humphrey, shooting the boy would not have been unusual.  Actually, it would have been unusual under the circumstances NOT to shoot him.  After all, he might have booby-trapped himself [which was common] and was just trying to get close enough to take a couple of Marines with him when he went.

For some reason, however, Humphrey felt that he should stop his Marine from killing this Japanese boy. When Humphrey ordered the Marine to lower his weapon, there was a real moment of tension between them.  The Marine couldn't understand why Humphrey was protecting the enemy.  No one would see it; no one ever would know.  Both sides were doing it.  It would be just one more death among thousands. 

At the time, Humphrey didn't really know why he didn't want to kill the boy, either.  He just had a feeling about it.  Due to Humphrey's forceful insistence, the Marine reluctantly put his weapon down.  The Japanese soldier did surrender and was taken prisoner without a problem.  Humphrey recalls that the Japanese may have even provided some worthwhile intelligence.  But it took Humphrey many years before he understood the REAL reason why he had protected that enemy soldier.

Humphrey told me that there was so much UNAVOIDABLE killing on Iwo Jima that when he had that one chance to NOT kill, he felt that he must take it.  For the sake of his own humanity.  To the day he died, the act of saving his enemy was Humphrey's proudest life moment. 

And that, to me, is the essence of Juppo Sessho.  Protect life when you can, kill only when you must. 

Training with Hatsumi Sensei in Juppo Sessho was very special.  Sensei came to New Jersey in 2003 for the last TaiKai outside of Japan.  It was a beautiful TaiKai at an oceanside resort in New Jersey.  With the sound of the waves outside, I had the privilege of just relaxing with Sensei and talking with him for hours a day for the better part of a week.  I don't remember even a fraction of what we talked about.  It was all just a "beautiful moment."  Maybe some of the things that he said are now seeds in my subconscious that will bloom again at the right time.  I do remember him speaking of his sense that the Bujinkan was strong enough to "keep going."  He said that we have many good people who understand the important lessons of Takamatsu Sensei and all the past GrandMasters of our art.  Sensei wasn't sad about the changes that are coming inevitably; rather, he was happy and was facing the future with optimism. He is a very wise man. And an inspiration.

As usual, there was plenty of travel for me. I went to California, Florida, and Chicagoland--actually, several times each.  I also went to Atlanta to train with Bud Malmstrom.  I am wondering about my resolution to travel less....

Actually, it is flattering, and a privilege, to be invited to share our art with BuYu everywhere.  I thank all of you who participated.

I also was in Japan with many of you for the Daikomyosai and Hatsumi Sensei's annual training / birthday party.  It is clear, now, that if you want to train with Sensei, you will have to go to Japan. Fortunately, it looks like there will be an additional three day seminar in April, so there may be two significant training opportunities in Japan in 2004.  Get there!  No excuse!! 

This past summer also saw the sixth "Buyu Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Ocean.  As in past years, many martial artists from around the country and the world met as Buyu.  The Buyu Camp has really become a fun and international event.  See you there in 2004!  It is also gratifying to see that other "Buyu Camps" are springing up around the country and the world.  Buyu Camps are a great way to connect with old friends and get that "continuing education" and inspiration that will help you "keep going" when you get back to your own, local training group.

Another seminar that has become an annual event is the "Life Values Workshop."  This is a seminar where we practice our Budo in the context of Robert L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings.  Many people have expressed interest in the STRIKE training that Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the stress of real combat.  If you want to experience it, we'll see you next July in New Jersey.

I also had a lot of fun teaching a Warrior Values seminar with Joe Lau at Tom Brown's Tracker School here in New Jersey. Thank you, Joe, for inviting me; and thanks, Tom, for making the "Farm" available.  I think there will be another in 2004.  Keep an eye on Joe Lau's website for details. 

And, of course, check the WIN seminar page periodically for details for all of our workshops.

Now let's talk about the training for 2004.  As most of you know, Hatsumi Sensei has been giving us a theme to work with these past several years.  In 2004 it is DaiSho Jutaijutsu.  I assume that this means that we will delve deeper into ways of using and moving with the sword.  I am really looking forward to it.

[Note: After this essay was originally published, Hatsumi Sensei clarified the theme and now uses the term Roppou-Kuji-no Biken (六法九字之秘剣) to characterize the focus of the 2004 training.] 

I have to say, it is uncanny how Sensei selects his themes.  Those of you who train with us regularly in New Jersey know that, back in the Fall of 2003, we began to get the feeling that we should start re-examining the concept of proper distancing.  The best way to do that, we felt, was to break out the swords.  So that's what we did--we started working on our swordwork.  Then, BINGO!  Two months later we go to Japan and Hatsumi Sensei announces that his theme for 2004 is...swordwork!  Weird!!  How does he do it?

We also have traditionally selected our own, Buyu Dojo, theme every year, and this year is no different.  The theme is inspired by reflection on the reason that many of us came to this martial art in the first place.  Let's face it: We wanted to be Ninja.  At the time, aside from some obscure references in an old James Bond book, we didn't really even know what a Ninja was.  But something about the mystique of the Ninja drew us in.  I remember encountering Stephen Hayes, first in a magazine and later in person, and his stories of this real Ninja in Noda, Japan. I was hooked!

Well, most of us have been through the Ninja craze, and the Ninja boom, and a lot of silliness in that regard.  And we mostly use the term "Bujinkan" when we talk about our training these days.  But, I recall when I first met Hatsumi Sensei.  There WAS no Bujinkan!  We were training in Togakure Ryu Ninpo.  And in my heart, I still am.  But, what I realize now, after more than 20 years, is that this art--by whatever name you choose to call it--adapts to the age: the age we are in, the age in years that we are, the age of man. 

It could be said that, now, we are in an age of terror--a mindless, inadvertent stumble on the way to clearer human vision.  So, again, our art must change.  You can be killed anytime, anywhere, by a person who does not know you nor care who you are.  You can be killed with common weapons, or with weapons that are new and different.  You can be killed by invisible weapons.  Those that would kill you don't want your money or your possessions.  They want your death.  Their reasons are hard to understand, so protecting yourself from them (as opposed, say, to protecting yourself from a thief) is not easy.  It takes awareness and patience. In other words: shinobu.

Shinobu is patience with a purpose.  Shinobu is positive.  It is not meant here in a defensive or paranoid way. There is a cosmic purpose for your patience: Life. Yours and anyone else's life that you can protect with your skills. 

The religious philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) spoke of an Omega Point to which life is destined to evolve. The Omega Point is supreme enlightenment (or self awareness).  I like that concept because it suggests an encompassing "reason for it all."  The journey to the Omega Point is not really a "progression," but rather, a "becoming."  It is true understanding and total consciousness, a manifestation of a perfection that already exists.  But we must change and adapt until we attain it (or it attains us).  The Omega Point is ahead, but it is also here.  Most importantly, for us to realize this Omega Point, for us to become our full potential, we must live.  We must "keep going."

This is a subtle point that I have struggled with: How do you become something that you already are? Perhaps, you must "keep going" until your perspective changes.  Hatsumi Sensei said to me once that "progress is an illusion, but change is necessary."   I guess it is his way of saying that there is really nothing new under the sun.  But a Ninja, necessarily, must change with the times.  Consider Takamatsu Sensei's words in this regard: "The vast universe, beautiful in its coldly impersonal totality, contains all that we call good or bad, all the answers for all the paradoxes we see around us. By opening his eyes and his mind, the Ninja can responsively follow the subtle seasons and reasons of heaven, changing just as change is necessary, adapting always...."

It is so difficult to be patient in this fast moving world. It is easy to get the feeling we will be left behind, somehow, if we wait.  But how can we be left behind when we are already there? 

So let's call this the year of Shinobu.  Be patient, be aware, be persistent.  Look beyond the technical, and even tactical, aspects of your training.  Imbue your training with a special awareness.  Seek to understand the un-understandable.   Be vigilant against threats that you can't see and can't understand.  Open your heart to the way of the benevolent warrior--protecting when we can, hiding when we must, using our skills as a last resort.   Reaching for our full potential.

Keep going!

Jack Hoban

New Year's Message

January 1, 2003

Dear Buyu:

Thank you all for helping me to "keep going" for another great year! 

I sit here on New Years Eve, as I have done for quite a few years now, and reflect on the year that has gone past.  I have that "good-tired" feeling that you get after a nice, long day of training.  It's a special feeling, and I bet you know just what I mean.  But, the REALLY special times are when we have just had that tough day at work, and we think we'll just skip training for the night.  Yet we change our mind at the last minute and drag ourselves to the dojo.  And like magic, an hour or two later we are re-energized.  I call those the "keep going" nights.  It's amazing the kinds of insights you get on those exceptional nights.  Don't you think?

The year 2002 has been another year of great training (I think I say that every year!).  We studied Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu and Dai Sho Sabaki.  We continued our study of  the concepts of "space," "perspective," "kukan," and fighting in "three dimensions."   We started to look at the conflict in terms of terrain and tactics, rather than just from the perspective of the technique.  We spent a lot of time on our knees, and we became "Men In Black...Dresses" (women, too, of course) as we trained in hakama.

Training with Hatsumi Sensei in 2002 was also very special.  He seems to have grown more joyous, more spiritually powerful, and his energy is unflagging.  What an inspiration!

As usual, there was plenty of travel for me.  I went to California three times.  Florida twice.  I made another trip to Chicagoland to train with Mark Hodel and Buyu there.  I went to Atlanta to train with Bud Malmstrom. I went to the Norway TaiKai and the St. Louis TaiKai, as well.

I also was in Japan with many of you for the Daikomyosai and Hatsumi Sensei's birthday.  Great training, great party.  You really have to hear Noguchi Shihan sing his annual version of "Ginza Monogatari" (Tokyo Love Story).  Plan to go to Japan this year if at all possible!     

This summer also saw the fifth "Buyu Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Ocean.  Again this year, many highly regarded Bujinkan martial artists from around the country and the world were in attendance to share their insights and gather the views of their fellow Buyu.   The Buyu Camp has really become a fun and international event.  See you there in 2003! 

Last year I had a chance to teach with several friends and Buyu who came to New Jersey.  There was Steffen Fröhlich from Germany, Bud Malmstrom from Georgia, and Dick Severence from Florida.  These Shidoshi seminars are really fun and a great chance to meet people from around the nation and world who share our love of Bujinkan training!  Look for visits from Bud again this year.  Also, maybe a surprise guest or two.   

Another seminar that has become an annual event, is the "Life Values Workshop."  This is a seminar where we practice our Budo in the context of Robert L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings.  We even do the STRIKE training, which Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the stress of real combat.  

And we added a seminar that will be our annual remembrance for the September 11th attack.  My friend Joe Tenaglia (retired Navy Commander, EOD commando, and Anti-Terrorist expert) gave a brief on the terrorist threat.  We followed up the "classroom" portion with a session that covered what you could do if you were ever involved in a terrorist incident.  The training included a section on "weapons of opportunity."  It's amazing the damage you can do with a chapstick!

Check the WIN seminar page periodically for details and join us for these interesting workshops.

Now let's talk about the training for 2003.  As most of you know, Hatsumi Sensei has been giving us a theme to work with these past several years.  This year it is juppo-sessho (possibly from the perspective of Shinden Fudo Ryu).  There has not been talk of studying the waza of any specific ryuha (at least thus far).  We'll be working with some classic Japanese weapons, as well, including Kunai, Tessen, Kyoketsushoge, etc.  Great!  We can work on any waza we want.

The kanji for juppo-sessho is probably 十法 殺生 (although you can never tell what kanji Hatsumi Sensei will use to illustrate different iterations of the sound).   Ju means "ten" and "ho" means "direction," so Juppo means "the ten directions."  We all know the word happo (eight directions or ways).  The ten directions are east, west, south, north, northeast, southeast, southwest, northwest, and upward and downward.  These represent all directions, the whole of space, or the whole world. (Three dimensions?  Where have we heard that before?)  In Buddhist philosophy the meaning of space is frequently discussed.  In these discussions, the word juppo is often used to describe space (kukan?).  Very interesting, neh?

Setsu (koro su) means killing.  Sho means living thing.  This term is often used in Buddhism in the context of an admonition to avoid killing (including animals), particularly in a thoughtless or cruel way.  I can only speculate on where we will go with this concept--but I have already started!

One of the most exciting things that is happening this year is that the TaiKai will be in New Jersey!  What a privilege for us to be able to host it in 2003.  Who knows how many more Sensei will be able to do.  Don't miss it!  Info is here. 

Hatsumi Sensei drew three kanji for me this year that I thought were very interesting.  I have put them below for your study.

I am sure you recognize the one on the left.  It is "Buyu - warrior friend."  This has a different feel than the one we usually use for our Buyu Dojo, but it is wonderful, don't you think?  The one in the middle is "Buyu - courageous warrior."  I like that one so much you may see it on the TaiKai T-shirt.  The third "Buyu?"  It just means "male."  But it looks cool, doesn't it?  

And that brings us to our Buyu theme of the year.  It is...Buyu.  We will study the art of war (bu) this year, and explore the courage (yu) it requires to act in times of crisis.  And maybe even what it means to be a real man and wo-man.  And what it means to have and be a warrior friend (buyu).  This is a good time to have Buyu.  I believe the world has been at war since September 11, 2001.  For many, war is an obscure concept, especially a war like this.  It doesn't really touch them.  And for the most part, that is a good thing.  Most people are too lucky to have the capacity to live consciously with war on a day to day basis.  It has touched me, though, and I know it has touched many of you.  Our warrior art is really about how to deal with and survive war.   And preserve life if possible.  It is not about techniques, or ranks, or politics.  Or organizations.

I was asked this question in an interview this year: How should we behave and train in the Bujinkan?  My answer was this:  We should behave like human beings, like warriors.  We should follow the example that has been set for us.  Listen to our teachers.  Trust them.  That doesn’t mean that we are robots, or members of a cult, or that we must change our personalities, it only means that we should follow the principles as they have been shown to us.  What are they?  Look at Sensei, he is following them, too.  He is following them, as we all must.  The principles certainly have the flavor of his personality, but they are the principles passed down from the previous Sokes of the arts that make up the Bujinkan.  They are principles that are immutable, although the manifestations may change.  

Many people worry about the future of the Bujinkan.  Don’t even think about it.  The future will come in its time.  We should face it using the principles we have been taught or discovered on our own through training.  Why think about the future?  Why even ask about it?  It is like asking, “What is the future of tides?”  Well, as long as there is a moon, there will be tides.  What is there to think about?  On more human terms, consider the concept of motherhood.  Is it a technique?  An organization?  A cult of someone’s personality?  No.  It is a fundamental of human existence.  And so is warriorship.  The principles that are represented by the art we call “Bujinkan” are fundamental to the human experience and have a life of their own.  They are the laws of the warrior.  They will endure as long as there is one true warrior in the world.  Let's explore THAT important line of thinking.  With courage, as true men and women.  With our friends. Of course there will be plenty of fun in the dojo, too!  Train hard.  Get in shape.  Pay attention to the environment.

Keep going!

Jack Hoban

New Year's Message

January 1, 2002

Dear Buyu:

Thank you all for another great year of training.  It has been an amazing one!  

Think back, if you will, on all that has happened.  Give thanks for what we have—our family, friends and fellow buyu.  Pray for those who have been touched by terrorism.  

We live, truly, in challenging times.  Warrior times.  The events of this past year have given our shared vocation more relevance than ever.

The year was full of training.  We studied Gyokko Ryu Kosshitjutsu and DaiSho.  We explored the concepts of "space," "perspective," "kukan," "ura" and "omote," "in" and "yo," and especially "kyojitsu."  It was very exciting.   We learned that the word kosshi has some very interesting connotations in the Japanese language.  Kosshi, it seems, can refer to certain bones of the spine.  And since the spine is the center or "core" of the body, kosshi can be used  when speaking of the essence of something—the heart of the matter, if you will.  Of course that kosshi, although sounding the same, uses a different kanji.  Layers within layers....

And do you recall how vital and happy Hatsumi Sensei was this year in the training?  He remains such an inspiration.  Keep going, Sensei!

As usual, there was a lot of travel for me.  I went to California three times.  Florida twice.  I made another trip to Chicagoland to train with Mark Hodel and Buyu there.  I went to Atlanta to train with Bud Malmstrom.  I even got to visit my roots by going to Dublin to train with my friend Steve Byrne and many Irish buyu.  As I do whenever possible, I told the Warrior Creed story and the Hunting Story, getting the usual, very positive, emotional reactions. The stuff still works—all over the world!

I went to the Madrid TaiKai (gracias to Jesus Equia for treating me so graciously) and the Washington DC TaiKai, as well. 

I also was in Japan for the Daikomyosai and Hatsumi Sensei's 70th birthday.  The training was wonderful, as was the party.  People from all over the world turned out to share this great occasion.  

This summer also saw the fourth "Buyu Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Ocean.  Once again, many highly regarded Bujinkan martial artists from around the country and the world were in attendance to share their insights and gather the views of their Buyu warrior friends included my friend Steffen Fröhlich from Germany.  Newly promoted 10th dan, Sheila Toribio taught her first workshop and it was very well received.  We plan to make women part of the instructor cadre from now on!   The Buyu Camp is really turning into a fun and international event.  See you there in 2002! 

Last year I had a chance to teach with several friends and Buyu who came to New Jersey.  There was André Trudel from Montreal, Bud Malmstrom from Georgia, and Ed Martin from Pennsylvania.  These Shidoshi seminars are really fun and a great chance to meet people from around the nation and world who share our love of Bujinkan training!  Look for visits from Bud again this year.  Also, Dick Severence in December.   Steve Byrne is coming over from Ireland in February, and Steffen Fröhlich will be visiting from Germany in June.  

Another seminar that has become an annual event, is the "Life Values Workshop."  This is a seminar where we practice our Budo in the context of Robert L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings.  We even do the STRIKE training, which Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the stress of real combat.  Last year Bob's sons, Jess and Rob, both former active duty Marine Officers, shared the teaching.  Don't miss it! 

Check the WIN seminar page periodically for details and join us for these interesting workshops.

Now let's talk about the training for 2002.  As most of you know, Hatsumi Sensei has been giving us a theme to work with these past several years.  This year it looks like we will be studying budo from the perspective of Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu.  We are even being told that we should prepare a pair of hakama and a set of soft training Daisho!  Sensei is full of surprises, isn't he?  I am always so curious to see what he will do next.  In that way, Sensei helps me to "keep going."

At the Madrid TaiKai I spoke with Hatsumi Sensei about the events of September 11, 2001.  In light of what had just happened, the Marines had asked me to step up my participation in their new Martial Arts program.  I was soon headed back to Quantico, Virginia to help as best as I could.  During the course of our conversation, Sensei said: "We have now passed the era of 'in.'  It is now the era of 'yo.'  Goodness will prevail, but to win, we will have to be more terrible than the terrorists.  Gambatte!"

Our talk made me think of what a luxury we have had these last years—studying, "playing" with this martial art in the relative safety of our dojos.  Had we been lulled into a sense of complacency?  Seeing our budo as a "hobby?"  Were any of us ready to use our Martial Art for real?

Sensei made me think that there comes a time when the true Martial Artist must leave the comfort of the dojo and use his skills in the outside world.  But how?

That is for us to discover this year.  I often say that a Martial Artist's job is not necessarily to lurk around a gas station waiting for it to be robbed so that he can save the day.  We are not vigilantes.  We are warriors.

Yet most of us (thank God) will never be in a real war.  So what do we do?

Perhaps you, the reader, are a warrior in your heart.  Perhaps, like me, you struggle with your understanding of what being a warrior truly means—and the commitment it takes to be one.

What is a warrior?  To me a warrior is a protector of life—his own and others’.  For a Warrior, there is no difference between the physical and the moral.  They are the same.  The moral is that which sustains life.  Warriorship is a life of moral action.

I believe that the primary responsibility of a warrior is to understand this unique perspective: the perspective of the physical-moral.

I often hear or read things like: "people are not as moral as they used to be."  Or that there is a "crisis of morality in our society."  I disagree.  I think people are as moral as they ever were.  After all, how can you change human nature in a generation or two?  No.  There is no crisis in morality.  Rather, I believe that there may be a crisis in physicality.  People still know the difference between that which is good, that which sustains life, and that which does not.  They just don't speak up the way they used to when they see something that they know is wrong.  They are afraid.

There is an old saying that goes something like this: The only thing it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing.  It is time to stop doing nothing.

But what form does this "doing something" take?  Again, it isn't  running around in the middle of the night dressed in black looking for bad guys.   In reality, it is a very  simple thing.  When we see or hear something that we know is wrong, speak up.  Say something, do something.  Ninety-nine percent of the time this does not mean getting in a fight, or even putting yourself at risk of physical harm.  But the truth is, that it is still sometimes damn hard to be moral if you don't have the skills to back it up—just in case.  The moral requires the physical.  I think that they are inseparable for most people.  After all, are you really moral if you don't speak up when you see something wrong?

For we martial artists it means taking the morality that we practice in the dojo and using it in the real world.  The physical skills are merely a back up—seldom if ever to be used.  The skills are only for courage—as in moral courage.  Are we up to it?  As Robert L. Humphrey used to say: "It is a better life."

When I returned home from Japan this year, I received a package in the mail from Hatsumi Sensei.  One of the items in the packet really surprised me.  Like so many times in our relationship over the years I had to ask myself: "Can this man read minds!?"  Here is a copy of the painting Hatsumi Sensei sent me.

The kanji says: "Man Ben Fu Kyo" (Countless changes, no surprise).

To me this is an admonition to observe and know the real world—the world "outside."  Know that there is good and evil.  Do not become complacent about this dynamic.  It is as natural as night and day, cold and hot, "in" and "yo."  It is such relevant advice for the warrior who lives in the real world.

Of course, there will still be plenty of training in the dojo.  In keeping with the spirit of "yo" in 2002 I would also like to continue exploring the concepts of "space" and "perspective."  My work with the Marines has re-awoken my feel for battlefield strategy.  Unlike the sterile environment of the dojo, the real battlefield is a place where things like weather and terrain play a critical factor.  He who best understands these factors has an advantage.  Have you ever thought about the space as terrain?  With safe spots and danger zones?  Defilades and natural cover, camouflage and places of concealment?  And understanding this, can it lead to a broader awareness of strategy?  Can the lessons learned in defeating one enemy be used to defeat ten thousand?  Takamatsu Sensei said something to that effect.  So did Sun Tzu.  What does this mean for us?  Let's try and find out.

So, the "Year of Yo" it is.  Let us try to live our lives with moral courage.  Live our lives so that each small warrior moment has the potential of changing the world somehow.  And let us live with Takamatsu Sensei's admonition in our heart:  "For a Ninja, there are no surprises."  Buyu, let's have another great year!

Keep going!

Jack Hoban

New Year's Message

January 1, 2001

Dear Buyu:

I want to thank you all, once again, for a great year of training!   As time goes by I realize, more and more, how important our relationship is.  You truly help me “keep going.”  This concept of an informal, yet very real, Buyu community really has become a powerful force throughout the world.  I think back to when I was younger.  I had the romantic (and adolescent) view that my life would be best as that of the “lone warrior.”  I sure am glad I grew out of that!  This is a much better life.

It has been another wonderful year of travel.  I went to California three times.  Florida twice.  I made another trip to Chicagoland to train with Mark Hodel and Buyu there.  I went to Atlanta, Quebec, and Germany.  Here's an interesting one: I was invited to be a guest instructor at the American Judo & Jujitsu Federation Convention held, this year, in Boise, Idaho.  What a great group of folks!  And very competent, too.  This presented somewhat of a challenge.  What was I going to present to these dedicated martial artists that would be valuable to them?  A couple of wrist-twist techniques just wasn't going to do it.  So, rather than going over the usual one-on-one fight scenario stuff, I decided to try something different.  We broke up into groups of threes and practiced protecting the person next to us.  It was great fun and I got a lot of positive feedback.  My mentor, the late Dr. Robert L. Humphrey used to say that self preservation was a human being's strongest inclination, except, for the inclination to protect loved ones.  This is such a universal sentiment, but it is often overlooked in our day to day training.  Even though they wore white and I wore black, I think that the Buyu feeling and the "protecting others" training helped to bring us all together. When I told the Warrior Creed story and the Hunting Story, I got the usual, very positive, emotional reactions. The stuff still works!

I went to Taikais in Holland and Atlanta.  Atlanta was great; as always, Bud and Bonnie Malmstrom did a wonderful job.  I also had quite a time in Holland.  When I arrived at the convention center near Amsterdam where everyone was staying and where the training was to be held I was surprised to discover that there was no room for me!  I was to stay at another hotel about 5 kilometers away.  I wondered how I could get back and forth several times a day from my hotel to the training hall.  "Oh well," I thought, "just make the best of it."  I took a taxi to the other hotel and decided to have a nap.  I woke up several hours later, hungry, and decided to go down to the restaurant for something to eat.  As I entered the dining room I heard a familiar voice calling: "Jack, Jack, come here!"  It was Hatsumi Sensei.  It turned out that he, too, was staying at this other hotel.  Needless to say I was able to get back and forth quite easily by tagging along with Sensei.  I also had many priceless hours of eating (and drinking) and wonderful conversation.  I must have gotten a little carried away with myself, too.  For those of us who trained together last year, you are aware of our theme for 2000--relationships--and my obsession with the concept of kukan, or "space."  I was anxious to tell Sensei all I had learned over the year about "space."   I launched into something ridiculous like this:  "Before I understood the importance of kukan, I was like a blind man entering a forest with an ax.  Every time I came to an obstruction, I would have to chop it down before I could proceed.  But, now it's like I can see a secret pathway through the woods.  All I have to do is follow the invisible path to my goal of victory."  You can imagine what Sensei must have thought of that preposterous proclamation.  He blinked, sighed, and said:  "Yes, but what you must be able to do is move effortlessly to the middle of the woods, unerringly find the largest tree, and climb to the top.  Only then will you be able to look down and see the kukan.  He finished by saying, softly and kindly: "Jack, there is always more, always more."

I'll leave you to puzzle over that one, as I have.  But it was a great lesson and a great year with Sensei.  I thank my friends Sveneric Bogsäter and  Mariette van der Vliet for their hospitality and the opportunity to share their beautiful TaiKai.   

I also was in Japan for the Daikomyosai (no talk of forests and trees, thank heavens, just good training) where I had the opportunity to sing "Happy Birthday" to Hatsumi Sensei with Buyu from all over the world.   Check out a picture of the birthday party by clicking here.

This summer also saw the third "Buyu Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Ocean.  Once again, many highly regarded Bujinkan martial artists from around the country and the world were in attendance to share their insights and gather the views of their Buyu warrior friends.  Highlights were workshops taught by Steffen Fröhlich from Germany and Paco Bellmonte from Spain.  The Buyu Camp is really turning into an important international event.  See you there in 2001! 

Last year I had a chance to teach with these friends and Buyu who came to New Jersey: Sveneric Bogsäter from Holland, Pedro Fleitas from the Canary Islands, as well as Jeff Prather, Dale Seago and Bud Malmstrom from the USA.  These Shidoshi seminars are really fun and a great chance to meet people from around the nation and world who share our love of Bujinkan training!  Look for visits from Bud again this year.  Also, Ed Martin in December.  My friend André Trudel is scheduled for June.  He is quite a character.  Remember the situation under Carter's presidency when the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun and the embassy employees were held hostage?  Well, not all of them were trapped.  You may also recall the story of the Canadian Special Forces Officer that spirited some Americans out of the area during the confusion and hid them in the Canadian Embassy.  That was André!  He went on to become head of the Canadian Secret Service detail that guarded Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.  He is also a fine martial artist who is especially known for his pressure point techniques.  Check the WIN seminar page periodically for details and join us for this interesting workshop with a truly cool guy.

Another seminar we had last year, and one that we want to make an annual event, is the "Life Values Workshop."  This is a seminar where we practice our Budo in the context of Robert L. Humphrey's Life Values teachings.  We even do the STRIKE training, which Humphrey devised to help Marines overcome the stress of real combat.  Last year Bob's son Jess, himself a former active duty Marine Infantry Officer, and his widow, Mrs. Peggy Humphrey, joined us for the weekend.  This year we are trying to get even more Humphreys to come.  Don't miss this one. 

Now let's talk about the training for 2001.  As most of you know, Hatsumi Sensei has been giving us a theme to work with these past several years.  In 2000 we worked on  the  Koppojutsu of Gyokushin Ryu Ninjutsu, Gikkan ryu, and Koto Ryu.  This concept of Koppo was an interesting one.  I think we all started out the year thinking koppo referred to the bone-attacking methods of the Koto Ryu.  Ha!  Sensei taught us a deeper meaning.  The higher level of koppo, he said, refers to a "complete facility" with the martial arts.  It is the ability to immediately adapt to any situation (and use any weapon) without thinking and with complete ease.  It is like getting "the knack" of martial arts in a fundamental sense--far beyond the mere performance of techniques.  It is becoming, personifying, the martial arts.

I am not sure that we are quite ready to move beyond that concept yet, but Sensei loves to keep moving us forward.  This year it looks like Gyokko Ryu Kosshitjutsu and DaiSho are on the agenda.  I am excited, as I know you must be, to take that next step down the warrior path.

And, as always, I also like to pick a Buyu theme for the year.  Last year was the Year of Relationships.  This led us to a greater (but not final--I heard you, Sensei) understanding of kukan.  So what is the next step?  I have been thinking about this a lot.  Are you ready?  OK, take a deep breathe and let's go!

I'd like to re-explore the concept of kyojitsu, or the juxtaposition of truth and falsehood, in light of what we learned last year.

It will take some consideration to move from where we are to where I think we can go.  The first step requires a discussion of the concepts of in and yo.  In and yo are like metaphysical polarities.  Yo is usually thought of as the open, in, the closed.  Yo the light, in the dark.  Yo the positive, in the negative.  Yo, the full, in the empty.  Etc.  Well, how about, yo as the opponent and in as the kukan? 

I think most martial artists would consider the opponent, the physical opponent, to be the yo manifestation, wouldn't you?  The place where the opponent is not, therefore, might be called the in.  It is our first inclination to deal with the physical opponent.  But what if we juxtaposed that?  What if we considered the space the yo and the opponent the in?  

This is not really such a bizarre concept in Japanese culture.  For example, if you consider the art of Sho-Dô (calligraphy), the yo element, the actual drawn character itself, is not light, but dark--the black ink.  The white rice paper on which the character is drawn is seen as subordinate.  But a true appreciation of Sho-Dô requires that one sees the painting as a whole.  Therefore, the white space--where the ink is not--is just as important a place as where the ink is.  This is really a type of kyojitsu, isn't it?

There is a discussion about in and yo that applies directly to warfare.  In warfare, one might ask, which is the predominant element?  In or Yo?  Is it control of  the in (space or, more precisely, the key terrain)?  Or is it control (or killing) of the enemy that is the yo?  One could argue that you need control of both.  But what is the best approach?  Is it the "body count," or is it "control of the most territory with the least amount of killing?"  Don't be too quick to answer.  Generals have argued about this for centuries.  

Closer to the subject of our own training, it is clear (to me at least) that you must control both.  Yet, our amateurish  application of martial arts "techniques" seems to be designed to deal mostly with the yo, or the physical element, which is the physical opponent.  What if we made it our goal, however, to control the space as opposed to the person?  Well, we began to deal with that last year.  But let's go a step further.  Let's consider the space to be the yo and the opponent to be the in.  Let's use the concept of kyojitsu to juxtapose our very perception of a "fight" to be one of treating space as solid and solid as space.  What would this "switcheroo" do to our opponent who, obviously, would expect us to deal with him?  (Or her--sorry about that!).

One last thing about this "Year of Kyojitsu."  Kyojitsu is not just some kind of trick.  It is as natural as night is to day, as cold is to hot.  It is necessary.  We just have not been seeing it for what it can be.  Rather than being a negative concept, it is just an indispensable part of the whole.  And I believe it is a part that we must understand and accept before we can progress as martial artists--and human beings!

In a letter Hatsumi Sensei wrote to me in 1995 he said:

Although many people consider kyojitsu as tricks, there are many examples of kyojitsu in our life.  Starting from the body: there are two kinds of blood carriers, artery and vein.  Breathe has two kinds, inhale and exhale, and when you inhale you consume oxygen, and when you exhale you expel carbon dioxide. The nervous system also has two types: the autonomic nerves and the sympathetic and subsympathetic nerves.  These nerves contol the balance of the body condition. Bright and dark, day and night are also kyojitsu. Kyojitsu makes the life form alive without us knowing it.  Since kyojitsu is the power of natural life, it is not necessary to study it deeply.  Essentially, we should understand kyojitsu in this way.

After years of thinking about it, I am just beginning to understand.

There are lessons here for our lives outside of the dojo, as well.  We are confronted with challenges there too, of course.  It is so difficult not to be bothered by those everyday things (or people) that would upset us, or even attack us.  We want to deal with problems in such a way that we crush them.  Or avoid the problems altogether in hopes that they will just go away.  Rarely do either of these methods work satisfactorily.  This year, let's challenge ourselves to accept the fact that there is really so much more space in which to move than we allow ourselves to see.  There are places from which we can gain a better perspective on life's trials and tribulations: places at the top of the forest where we can look down and see the natural path toward happiness and serenity.

So, the "Year of Kyojitsu" it is.  Let's live it resolutely, with joy, and as complete human beings.  Buyu, let's have another great year!

Keep going!

Jack Hoban

New Year's Message

January 1, 2000

Dear Buyu:

Happy New Year everyone.  I sit here tonight sighing in relief that the Y2K bug didn't really bite the planet Earth too badly.  As for me and my house in particular...we have lots of food on hand.  Anyone hungry?  Anybody need a water purifier?  Anybody...disappointed?

But its been a great year.  I think I broke my travel record.  Let's see.  I went to California three times.  Florida twice.  I made my first (probably not last) trip to Chicagoland to help kick off Mark Hodel's new training group in that area.  I was in St. Louis.  I went to Washington DC.  And Germany...twice.  Holland and Spain.  I was also teaching a seminar in Slovenia the day the bombs started to drop on Yugoslavia.   There were participants from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and Austria. There were, therefore, strong undercurrents of feelings, as you can imagine. Perfectly understandable due to the circumstances, but I think that the Buyu feeling helped to bring people together. When I told the Warrior Creed story and the Hunting Story, I got very positive, emotional reactions. The stuff works, folks!

I went to Taikais in Germany and Tucson and the Daikomyosai in Japan with about 30 Buyu; 23 of us actually traveled together up to Togakushi (Togakure Mountain--home of Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu) on a bus.  Whew!  I'm very close to being  persona non grata at my day job.

I even had the opportunity to teach at the Hombu Dojo in Noda.  You better believe that that was a highlight of my martial arts "career."

This summer also saw the second "Bujinkan Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Ocean.  Once again, many highly regarded Bujinkan martial artists from around the country and the world were in attendance to share their insights and gather the insights of their Buyu warrior friends.  It is really turning into an important event.  What is the purpose of the Bujinkan Camp?  The reality is that when Hatsumi Sensei comes to America to do a TaiKai, 600 or 700 people will participate.  But without Sensei here, it is very hard to bring people together.  It’s the same in Europe and everywhere.  So what about the future?  Should we resign ourselves to the possibility that all the Bujinkan members will split up and go their own way someday?  

The TaiKai is always a fun time and a time to learn and share many things.  We are looking for ways to continue the true feeling of the Bujinkan that we get when we are all together.  It is a matter of forgetting the ego a little bit and daring to cooperate together with some natural leaders showing the way, but without a “Boss.”  We have nick-named the Bujinkan Camp "The Hoop" after its similarity to the great tribal hoops of the American Indian tradition.   In the summer many small Indian tribes would come together to hunt and tell stories and share experiences.  They would set up in a big circle called “the hoop.”  There was no requirement to come, but most all the tribes would come because it was fun and you could learn many things.  The important thing was that no one was really "Boss,” and at the end of the gathering, all the small tribes would go back to their separate territories for the winter.  Each summer, most would return again to join the “hoop.”  Hopefully next year there will be more people who will “join the hoop;” and more good people will help teach, too.  We will see.  It’s not the only way, but it may be one way that could work.

This year I had a chance to teach with these other friends and Buyu, as well: Mariette van der Vliet from Holland, Steffen Fröhlich from Germany, Pedro Flietas from Spain, Peter King from England, and Bud Malmstrom from Georgia, USA.  Next year Pedro and I will teach together in New Jersey, as well as Jeff Prather and Bud Malmstrom.  Mariette and Sveneric Bogsater will visit us, too, for some training.  Everyone is invited.   These Shidoshi seminars are really great!

And finally, I am really grateful to Hatsumi Sensei for all that he has given me over the years, because, as bad as a student as I am, I think the training is finally starting to pay off for me.  I had some insights this year that have truly allowed the budo to become even more inspiring and useful (and fun).  And I am very happy that Hatsumi Sensei has cared enough to bear with me for so long.  I have been thinking a lot about how he has been teaching us and realize that I haven’t been listening very well.  Now I know what he means about a dojo being a place for penance.  It is not only to ask forgiveness for the bad things we have done in general, but to ask for forgiveness, specifically, of our teacher to whom we never listen to well enough.

The bottom line is that this year I have had to change my entire view about taijutsu from one of “technique” to one of “distance and interval.”  But of course this secret was before my eyes all the time.  Hatsumi Sensei even named the Quest video series “The Art of Distance.”  But I didn’t listen.  But I am starting to.  Truly, technique, the thing many of us worry the most about in martial arts, is really not supremely important.  At least in this sense:  you can have perfect distance, but if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you still might fail.  Yet, even with less than perfect technique, a person with good distance can succeed.  

And doesn't this principle seem to apply in other aspects of life, as well?  Aren't there people who you should be closer to than you are?  And, isn't it possible to be too close to someone?  Actually there is such a thing, depending on the person and situation, as the "right" distance--not too close, not to far.  But it's hard to measure, it's not a "technique;" it's a "feeling."  

I think it can be a "three-dimensional" thing as well.  It isn't right to act too far "above" somebody, or be treated too far "below" someone else.  We talk about the fellow who is "too good to be true."  He says and does the right thing, dresses right, has the right job, car and everything.  Yet he doesn't seem "authentic" somehow.  We all have encountered that kind of person, haven't we?  And then there is the guy who might not do everything quite right, but people like and respect him.  Why?  Because his "heart is in the right place."  Could that be the secret of martial arts?  Having your heart in the right place.  Think about it.

And proper distancing is also a process--a very DYNAMIC process (always changing).  Actually, I have started to use the word "relationship." (Even though people who have known me a long time are starting to giggle and point at me). But relationships, marriages, for example, are VERY dynamic. They are always changing and adjusting.  Rarely is it smooth going for very long without the need for realignment--or maybe even catastrophic change!  Can anybody think of a better word than "relationship" to describe this?  People are thinking that I'm turning into a marriage counselor.

Last year was the year of "commitment."  This year, let's make a commitment to work on our "relationships" so that the "distances" between us are "just right."  Let's call this year, the Year of Relationships.  Let's concentrate, particularly, on the relationships between us, those ones that we are put on Earth to defend, and those who would do harm.  But, let's also reconsider all of our relationships.  Boy, we're going to get some weird looks.  Oh, well.  People will just have to get over it.

One last thing about the training.  Last year we worked on Kukishinden Ryu.  This year it looks like we will be studying the  Koppojutsu of Gyokushin Ryu Ninjutsu, Gikkan ryu, and Koto Ryu.  But let's not forget the relationship between these ryu and the Bujinkan.  They are merely ingredients of the martial art that is now Bujinkan.  It is important to realize that in this era, the whole is quite more than the sum of the parts.  We are all enrolled in a "doctorate program" in martial arts under a true Master.  Now is the time for us to start thinking like true professionals.  We must live the art, evolve with it.  This is our destiny; and it is our good fortune to be born at this time and have the privilege to train under this teacher--Hatsumi.

By the way, many of you know that my mentor, Dr.  Humphrey received a posthumous 10th dan in the Bujinkan.  His name and grade are written on a little plaque of wood that hangs on the rank board in the Hombu Dojo in Noda.  Humphrey's Life Values Theory and "Warrior Creed" are also officially authorized for inclusion in Bujinkan instruction.  When I was at the Hombu Dojo in December, I noticed that somehow my little plaque of wood got moved so that it hangs directly beneath Dr. Humphrey's.  I am very comfortable with that relationship.  If you are not familiar with Dr. Humphrey, you might want to check out the Life Values Institute Home Page and the Warrior Creed.

Well, Buyu, let's have another great year, or should I say, century!

Keep going!

Jack Hoban

New Year's Message

January 1, 1999

Dear Buyu:

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope 1998 was a wonderful year full of friendship and plenty of training for all of you.  I must say,  it was for me!

In addition to the TaiKai in Tennessee, I was able to attend the TaiKai in Italy, as well as, the Daikomyosai in Japan.  Hatsumi Sensei was in great spirits for his birthday training/celebration and the final party at the Hombu dojo after the training was truly unforgettable.

I also had the opportunity to teach in Germany for the first time.  It was absolutely fantastic; I learned so much and want to thank all of the people who attended.   I may have indulged in a bit too much "apple wine" one night, however.   The result was a warrior poem I was "inspired" to write.  You can check it out here if you dare!

This summer saw the first "Buyu Camp" in San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge on the Pacific Ocean.  Many highly regarded Bujinkan martial artists from around the country (around the world, actually!)  were in attendance to share their insights and gather the insights of their Buyu warrior friends.  We also shot three videos for Black Belt Magazine that weekend.  Great fun and, again, we all learned so much.  We plan to do it again this year!

Finally, we have started a tradition that I hope continues.  We in the Buyu invited many of the world's top practitioners to come and train with us.  This year I had a chance to teach with these friends and Buyu: Sveneric Bogsäter from Sweden, Steffen Fröhlich from Germany, Arnaud Cousergue from France, Moti Nativ from Israel, and Bud Malmstrom from the exotic state of Georgia.  Next year Peter King from England and I will teach together in New Jersey.  Everyone is invited to join us.   These Shidoshi seminars are really great!

I am confident that 1999 will be a great year, because I am committed to making it one.  In fact,  I am so committed that I would like to christen this year, 1999, the "Year of Commitment."

I am inspired to do that for a number of reasons.  Most of the reasons, it turns out, are simple but very deep.  It started out with my realization that making a commitment, rather than being difficult (which seems to be the prevailing attitude toward commitments), can actually make life easier.  When you are committed, many of the doubts that you have are put into perspective.  Commitments mean priorities, so life becomes more manageable.  Let's take, for example, a commitment to another person.   When problems arise in the relationship (as they almost always do) and you are committed, its not a matter of  "if" you will stay together, but "how" you will work it out.  There's no confusion, there's no procrastination, there's no questions, no ifs, ands, or buts.  It has to be done--so work it out!  I suppose not every relationship is destined to last.  But, in most cases, its better to work out problems than to live with the pain of losing a relationship with a friend, lover, or spouse or  relative. 

Of course the same can be said about commitment in the training.  "How do I get to training on Monday night?" is almost always a more manageable question than "Should  I go to training on Monday night?"   Think about it...

One of the big commitments in the Bujinkan is the commitment to go to the Daikomyosai in Japan.  I know so many people who tell me that they want to go.   Unfortunately, something always seems to come up and they never quite make it.   I have made the trip to Japan every year since I started training except maybe one.   That is at least 17 times.  Maybe more.  The reason I go is simple.  The training is always great, Hatsumi Sensei is usually very relaxed and available.  And let's face it,  Sensei will not be able to teach forever, so ever year we have him is very precious.

I must confess, however, that there were many years that were very difficult.  But I was committed; so I went.   I started every year with a promise to myself that I was going to Japan--no matter what!  With that commitment made, it was no longer "if" I was going to Japan, but, "how" was I going to get there.  And here's a little secret:   I believe that it was that commitment that sort of rearranged my fate so that I was able to go each year.  What if I had approached it this way:  "Well, I want to go; but let's see what happens as we get closer to the fall.  Let me make sure I have the money (or the vacation time, or nothing better to do, etc, etc.) and make sure nothing else comes up."   I guarantee you that I would never have gone.   That's because I never really had enough money or time off, and something else was always coming up.  That's life--with or without commitments.

I remember, also, when I really committed myself to following Hatsumi Sensei's guidance.  I decided that I wasn't going to try and read into everything he said, or attempt to reconcile contradictions that I thought I had detected in his statements over the years.  I would just listen and take things at face value.  That's when things became much clearer and easier for me.  I could ignore the politics, the doubts about what I should or should not be doing, who I should or should not be listening to or training with.  All I had to do was listen to what my teacher said and do my best.  Now, that kind of thing sounds dangerous: putting your faith in another person.  But, rather than feeling like a cult member or a robot, I felt freer.   It wasn't confining to make the commitment; it was liberating.  Of course I have a great teacher--that's a definite requirement.

Last year was the year of the Buyu.  I also wrote a bit about sustainability and the Japanese concept of "Gambatte," or persistence.  We all need the ability to "keep going."  Perhaps the foundation of that concept is commitment.  When you make a commitment and have your priorities in place, all the other confusing and distracting things in life become, as my late friend and mentor, Robert L. Humphrey used to say, "just details."

As you may know, Hatsumi Sensei has awarded Professor Humphrey a posthumous honorary 10th degree black belt with gold medal for his positive impact on the Bujinkan.  Dr.   Humphrey's name now hangs at the Hombu Dojo in Noda.  Humphrey's Life Values Theory and "Warrior Creed" are also officially authorized for inclusion in Bujinkan instruction.  Check out the Life Values Institute Home Page and the Warrior Creed if you have not done so already.

Well, Buyu, I'm committed to another great year of training, friendship and discovery.   I hope you are too.  See you in Japan at the Daikomyosai, if not before.

Keep going!

Jack Hoban

New Year's Message

January 1, 1998

Dear BuYu:

I know I say this kind of thing every year, but this year has been unbelievable!   A BuYu sponsored TaiKai in New Jersey was only one of the highlights (at least for many of us!).  The opening of Hatsumi Sensei's Hombu Dojo in Noda was also a significant event.

In addition to our New Jersey TaiKai, I was able to attend TaiKais in Paris and Barcelona, as well as the DaiKoMyoSai in Japan.  We in the BuYu have strengthened and extended our network of "warrior friends" in our own country and all over the world.  In acknowledgement of our growing ties with the others that walk this warrior path, I have decided to call 1998 the year of BuYu.

The BuYu Dojo was conceived almost 15 years ago by Mark Hodel and myself as a way to put a name, however inadequate, to our feelings about what a martial arts community should be.  For those of you who have been involved, you know it is not an organization, really.  True, we perform certain administrative tasks, such as processing ranks and organizing seminars, etc.  But the BuYu's longevity has revolved around the principle that "training is the thing."  Show up for training and you're in.  Train with a nice spirit and you're in.  Ignore the politics and seek friendship, skills and truth and you're in.  This kind of attitude has been hard for most of us at times--hard on the ego,  hard on our feelings, a challenge to our personal initiative.  But for those of us who still show up for training, I think that we can look back and see that this has been a good way of approaching the path--not the only way, not necessarily the best way, but a way that has endured.  So we will keep going.

This year we will study Shinden Fudo Ryu Happo Biken Jutsu, but concentrate on the sword.  So get your training weapons together, watch some Hatsumi Sensei videos and get to it!  Additionally this year, I will be making an extra attempt to team teach with some of my long-time BuYu.  Look for seminars with Sveneric Bogsäter of Sweden, Bud Malmstrom, and who knows who else.   Please make an attempt to train with other Bujinkan members on a local level if you can.  I know that this can be difficult.  I know how easy it is to look at other people, even other people who are doing Bujinkan Taijutsu, and say to yourself: "What's with that guy?  That's not the real way to do this."  Well, when you feel that kind of (natural) reaction, remember something.   There are many right ways to do this.  Success and longevity are the signs that the way works, even if it is not your way.  And remember, these people are not going anywhere, so you better get used to them!   They may have a different spin on it than we do in the BuYu (and remember, all of us in the BuYu don't have the same spin), but if they've kept going for 10 years or so, their way works--for them, as ours has done for us.  So respect them and treat them as BuYu.  And you'll feel better, I think.

This Bujinkan is really sort of unique because of Hatsumi Sensei's inclusiveness.   Anybody who shows up, trains with a nice heart, and "keeps going," is in.  We are certainly not little cult member clones of each other like one sees in many other types of organizations.  I sometimes refer to us jokingly as a "bouillabaisse of humanity."  As in any good stew, there is a delicate blending of many flavors and spices.  Now you and I may both know (or be!) the "cayenne pepper" of the Bujinkan.  Cayenne pepper straight out of the bottle in large quantities might not taste too good, but when you blend it in correctly with the other ingredients in the stew, it adds something, doesn't it?  Most importantly,  think of how the stew (or chili!) would taste without it!  Pretty bland, huh?  Everybody in the Bujinkan makes up the stew; we need everyone.   Please try to see all these different people as important in the context of the whole.  Its a better way, I think.

Last year was the year of the Immovable Spirit Part II.  I was very optimistic, but cautiously so.  As we have come to see, life seems to swing like a pendulum: up and down.  When things are going well, tough times seem to always be around the corner.  When things look the worst, good news is right down the street.  This is natural, so it makes sense to "cultivate an immovable spirit."  And of course, this was proved out once again.  A great friend and mentor, Robert L. Humphrey, passed away in 1997.  The timing of it was particularly significant for me.   I knew that he was sick and had spent some time with him at his bedside in Tennessee.  Things didn't look too good, but with a guy like Bob Humphrey, you best never give up, because he sure isn't going to.  Finally, however, I had to get back to New Jersey for the TaiKai.  It was at the disembarkation area at Kennedy airport, as I was literally watching Hatsumi Sensei come through the gate, that the cell phone in my pocket rang.  It was Humphrey's daughter telling me that he had died.  You can imagine the rush of conflicting emotions in my mind at that moment.  The "immovable spirit" was an elusive ideal, let me say that.

Hatsumi Sensei and I talked about the timing of Humphrey's death and that phone call quite often during the TaiKai.  Sensei had met Humphrey and was very familiar with his work, both as a Marine Officer and as a conflict resolution specialist.  Hatsumi Sensei said that he felt as if a "torch had been passed" to him from Humphrey at that moment.  As a result, Hatsumi Sensei has awarded Professor Humphrey a posthumous honorary 10th degree black belt with gold medal for his positive impact on the Bujinkan.   Humphrey's Life Values Theory and "Warrior Creed" are also officially authorized for inclusion in Bujinkan instruction.  So the pendulum swings back up a little bit....Check out the Life Values Institute Home Page and the Warrior Creed if you have not done so already.

Folks, I have no idea how we are going to surpass last year in terms of excitement, ups and downs, and significant events.  We'll probably do it, though.  And with our BuYu, together, we can "keep going."  That, after all, is the most important thing.

Good luck, gambatte kudasai.

Jack Hoban

New Year's Message 1997

January 1, 1997

Dear BuYu:

Happy New Year everyone! I must say, this year has been a doozy. I don't know if I have truly developed an "immovable spirit," but it sure was called for: so many ups and downs this past year. Many of my friends have said the same thing.

The world seems to be moving so quickly, how to keep up?

I often think of Hatsumi Sensei's simple admonition: "Gambatte!" This means, roughly: "Do your best!" Or perhaps, "Keep Going!"

It is a simple statement, but very powerful. The world, more than ever, is moving forward. We must move forward with it.

Yet, the world offers many distractions. Overwhelming distractions. Perhaps you have found it difficult to concentrate on your training. Perhaps you have wondered: "How important is budo in the modern world?" The answer is, in my opinion, more important than ever! Now, more than ever, we must "Keep Going!"

In this time of relative peace it is easy to relax into a lifestyle where our training seems like a hobby, a quaint adjunct to our "real" world. But, what we must reaffirm is that for us, the warriors, the training is our lifestyle. The reason is that warriorship is a manifestation, in action, of our deepest human value: what Professor Humphrey calls the "Life Value."

What do I mean by "manifestation, in action?" I mean doing, being, training. Living as a warrior. Don't merely talk about it or think about it or write about it on the internet (oops, better wrap this up!).

What does this mean? It means we must train more. We must train more consistently and with the awareness that warriorship is not a hobby, it is a lifestyle. If we do that, two things will happen: (1) We will have defined our life perspective, and all of the distractions will be easier to manage, and (2), we can earn the personal serenity that comes with living a life of purpose as a defender of life.

So I have decided to christen 1997 as: The Year of the Immovable Spirit Part II. Last year, I think, the tone was that we must have an immovable spirit when facing the bad times. But there is a flip side to that. We need an immovable spirit when facing the good times, the "easy" times, the distracting times. Perhaps even more so.

This year we will practice taijutsu, especially footwork, as well as, naginata, ken, and jo. These are all important skills for the warrior. But, even more, we will strive to maintain our warrior's perspective in our daily lives: focused on our calling as protectors of life. It is a lofty calling. One that seems to be "out of style" in these distracting times. That only means we have to focus harder, train more, continue to cultivate an "immovable spirit" that, in bad times and good times helps us to "Keep Going!" Our goal: attainment of the highest levels of human nobility and serenity. They are, I believe, the rewards bestowed by nature on the warrior.

BuFu Ikkan,

Jack

P.S. I just spell-checked this document and it didn't recognize the word internet! That is how fast the world is moving!

New Years Message 1996

January 1, 1996

Dear BuYu:

Happy New Year! Get ready for some great training!

Recently returned from Japan, I am struck with the sense that the next three years may be the most important yet for the Bujinkan around the World. Hatsumi Sensei feels that there is finally a sufficient level of basic understanding of his heart and movement to turn up the intensity in the training. Those of us who have not been training hard enough, or have not taken the opportunity to train more frequently with our seniors, run the risk of missing the significance of these times.

In order to be ready to take advantage of this opportunity, we must deepen our commitment to the warrior lifestyle. This is not something that happens, necessarily, on the outside; it happens on the inside. It is a clarification of our own personal intentions.

Like all of you, I find myself tempted, at times, to view this lifestyle as a glorified hobby. My commitment becomes a function of convenience. There is nothing wrong with martial arts as a hobby, by the way. But, I am talking about something more substantial than this. I am talking about pursuing a set of living values, warrior values, and gaining a lifetime, certainly not of ease, but of serenity and purpose.

That is why we are calling this year, the "Spirit of The Warrior."

A I write this on New Years Day, 1996, I am reminded of the word's of Shinryu Masamitsu Toda, 32nd Grandmaster of the Togakure Ryu. In his New Years message of 1891, he wrote:

1. Know the wisdom of being patient during times of inactivity,

2. Choose the course of justice as the path of your life.

3. Do not allow your heart to be controlled by the demands of desire, pleasure, or dependence.

4. Sorrow, pain, and resentment are natural qualities to be found in life; therefore, work to cultivate an immovable spirit.

5. Hold in your heart the importance of respect for your seniors, and pursue the literary and martial arts with balanced determination.

One hundred five years, and truly pertinent today. Akemashte Omedeto Gozaimus! Gambattemasho!

Jack Hoban