do you hold children's classes?
no, we do not presently run classes for those under 16.
what should i wear to train in?
there is standard black gi (training suit) and tabi (training footwear) that
practitioners wear.
until a 'beginner'
practitioner becomes intent on regular training, then loose
and comfortable clothes should be worn.
is there a lot of formality or etiquette?
other than the traditional greeting and closing, no.
it is expected that
practitioners display respect and practise safety
continuously. hygiene is strongly encouraged, for e.g. short and clean finger
nails etc...
how is a
practitioner graded?
the grading system is fairly informal - the emphasis on training is more on
learning rather than achieving 'belts'.
students progress through their fundamental (kyu) grades. after about 3-4 years
of consistent and sincere training, a
practitioner should earn their shodan (first degree black
belt).
the grading continues to yondan (fourth degree black belt). thereafter, only
soke (grand master) can grade the
practitioner.
all grades are registered with
is this suitable for women?
yes, absolutely. the movements and techniques revolve around natural principles
and do not rely upon size or strength for their effectiveness.
do you hold competitions?
no, the bujinkan arts and culture are not a sport. it is rather the intention to
help the practitioner become able to protect themselves in a range of
situations.
what weapons do you study with?
we look at how to protect oneself from all manner of knives, sticks, swords,
poles and even thrown weapons. we also cover working against firearms. as this
is a traditional art, we do cover aspects such as sword and stick work (in order
to learn how to protect oneself from such weapons, you need to know how to use
them effectively).
do you have a syllabus?
there is a core set of fundamental techniques that we study and develop during
the course of the lessons. class members can access these through the 'community
section' for reference.