Don’t Miss this Special Seminar – May 19th & 20th: Shoden of Koto Ryu Koppojutsu and Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu

For the first time, we are honored to bring to San Diego Dojocho Amanda Charrier, from Jinenkan Baltimore, to teach this special 2 day seminar series covering Kotu Ryu and Takagi Yoshin Ryu.

Sat. May 19th

Sign in 8:30am – 9:30am
Koto Ryu Koppojutsu – Shoden (basic level) 9:30am – 12:00pm
Lunch Break 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu – Shoden & Eri Jime (chokes) 1:30pm – 4:00pm

Optional Dinner – Location TBD 6:00pm – ???
Please join us for dinner and camaraderie after training!

Sunday May 20th

Sign in 8:30am – 9:30am
Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu – Shoden 9:30am – 12:00pm
Lunch Break 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Koto Ryu Koppojutsu – Shoden & Eri Jime 1:30pm – 4:00pm

Location

Poway Samurai Martial Arts
13160 Poway Road
Poway, CA 92064

Pricing

Pricing for students: $55 both days or $35 1 day. Jinenkan Members: $60 both days or $35 1 day.
General Public: $75 both days or $40 1 days. Space is limited. Please RSVP by May 11. Non-students are welcome.

About Koto Ryu:

The school can be translated as “Knocking down the Tiger School”.
This is a Japanese martial art school that utilizes of koppojutsu, (骨法術) shurikenjutsu, and kenjutsu. This school specializes in using larger bones to strike weaker ones of your opponent. Koto ryu’s core is breaking the opponent’s balance, posture and movement using Tai Sabaki (to block and counter body movement), Kyushu (Attacking vulnerable points), attack to different heights, unexpected punches and deception. The two focus points of this school are first, disabling the opponent’s attacking abilities, and second is the creation of an entrance into the opponent’s weak points and posture.

About Takagi Yoshin Ryu:

The School can be translated as “Heart of the Willow Tree School”.
This school of Japanese martial arts was one of the original forms of samurai grappling, known as Jutaijutsu (more commonly referred to as jujutsu today). It is mostly recognized as a “Bodyguard School” that contains quick and effective jujutsu techniques, and daishosabaki (jujutsu while wearing two swords in the belt). Other techniques are based around bojutsu (using the 6′ staff).

Takagi Yoshin Ryu uses many techniques that appear similar to judo or aikido, but are applied in ways that make it difficult for the opponent to escape by rolling or breakfalling. These are close quarter techniques with the opponent held close.

About Dojocho Amanda Charrier:

Dojocho Amanda Charrier began training in 1996. She initially met Manaka Sensei at the first international Jinenkan seminar, which was held in the spring of 1997. Impressed with the attention to detail and respect given to proper fundamental movements, she shortly thereafter joined the Jinenkan.

In the years prior to Manaka Sensei’s announcement that he would be moving to America to live and teach for a time, she took trips to Japan to train with him. She was extremely fortunate to already be living in Baltimore when Manaka Sensei announced that Baltimore was the very city he had chosen to make his home for the duration of his time spent living in America. So from April of 2001 to May of 2004 she had the great fortune to live less than 10 miles from the Honbu dojo and Manaka Sensei.

Since Manaka Sensei has returned to Japan she travels there again to train with him, as well as to locations around America and Europe when he was teaching abroad. She received her dojocho license in March of 2004, just two months before Manaka Sensei returned to Japan.

Martial Arts Class - Bowing In and Out

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There are number of ways and meanings of bowing in and out of a traditional martial art school and there are differing mantras or sayings as well. At Poway Samurai Martial Arts, we use the bow in before class to state a mantra that is really more of a promise to keep each other safe and honor the tradition handed down to us just as those who proceeded us in the arts did. At the end, we bow out and thank the instructor and each other for the training and keeping each other safe.

Remember the kanji for “Nin” in ninjutsu (or ninpo as it is more aptly called today) is the sword over the heart, symbolizing patience, persistence and a guarding of one’s heart against the things that would do it harm or lead it to evil or wrong actions. It is through our discipline and patience that we learn the essence of our art both in the physical skills and the greater meaning.

See you in the Dojo.
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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Here we go again, a new movie about ninja martial arts is coming to the big screen and from the previews it looks to be an action packed ride of a martial arts movie. It also looks like it is going to be a fictional work with all of inaccuracies that modern practitioners of ninjutsu have to explain the truth about when students inquire about such training.

The reality is that there really isn’t very much legitimate ninjutsu around anymore. There are some traces in a few koryu (old school) Japanese martial arts and there is only one recognized unbroken lineage of a “ninjutsu” school still in practice, the Togakure Ryu, which I teach (although depending on who discusses the matter, there is debate on this too… but then again we are talking about ninjutsu so this is to be expected I suppose).

While teaching this school, among others, a lot of new students or even just casual inquirers have come to believe the “Hollywood” stereotype, based on the more popular Japanese anime and comic book portrayals, is the truth. The most gratifying return, for me as a practitioner and instructor is how well received the real training is once a student gives it a chance. Like most mythology, there are grains of truth as the seeds in the myths but understanding the reality vs. the fiction offers a very unique perspective on martial arts training and in life in general. It would be way too difficult to go into every detail of such a discussion of truth and myth in a blog but I am always willing to discuss these things in detail. If you are in the greater San Diego area feel to come and visit.

If you like a good martial arts movie with lots of “ninja” action, go see the new film Ninja Assassin. It looks like it will have plenty of it. If your motivated about martial arts and ninjutsu training, before or after seeing this film, feel free to contact me. If you do not live in San Diego, I will help you get in touch with a reputable instructor in your area.

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