About the Dōjō
Bujinkan Iyashi Dōjō 武神館癒し道場 (formerly Hartlepool Bujinkan Dōjō) is a branch of the Bujinkan Hombu Dōjō 武神館 本部 道場 (headquarters) in Japan and has been teaching authentic Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu 武神館 武道 体術 (Ninjutsu) for over 35 years, as guided by Soke Masaaki Hatsumi, the 34th Grandmaster and head of the Bujinkan Hombu.
Bujinkan Budō Taijutsu 武神館 武道 体術 is an effective traditional Japanese martial art and self-defence system that contains 9 ryūha (lineages):
- Gyokko-ryū Kosshi jutsu
- Kotō-ryū Koppō jutsu
- Shinden fudō-ryū dakentai jutsu
- Takagi Yōshin-ryū Jūtai jutsu
- Kukishinden Ryu
- Gikan-ryū Koppō jutsu
- Togakure-ryū
- Gyokushin-ryū ninpō
- Kumogakure-ryū ninpō
The ryūha contain techniques that can be broken down into the following:
Dakentaijutsu 打拳体術 – Striking
- Hiken Jū-roppō 秘拳十六法 (sixteen secret fists)
- Kyūsho 急所 (vital points)
Jūtaijutsu 柔体術 – Grappling
- Gyaku waza 逆技 (joint locking)
- Nage waza 投げ技 (throwing)
- Shime waza 絞技 (strangles)
Happō Hikejutsu 八法秘剣術 – Weapons
- Biken 秘剣 (secret sword), Katana 刀 & Tachi 太刀,
- Kodachi 小太刀 & Tantō 短刀
- Rokushakubō 六尺棒, Jō 杖 & Hanbō 半棒
- Yari 槍, Naginata 薙刀 & Bisentō 眉尖刀
- Jutte 十手 & Tessen 鉄扇
Muto Dori 無刀捕 – Unarmed defence against weapons
Students will learn basic movements such as how to roll and break fall and how to move using effective body movement (Taijutsu) and then progress on to more in-depth aspects of Budō Taijutsu which includes armed and unarmed techniques.
The dōjō is relatively small with very experienced instructors; teaching is shared between two senior Shidoshi Menkyo – Keith Watkin and Neil Thomas. For more information on the instructors, please visit the instructors page.
The dōjō is situated in Hartlepool in the North East of England. Bujinkan Iyashi Dōjō instructors are certified with the Bujinkan Hombu in Japan.
What Does the Name Mean?
Bujinkan Dōjō translates to ‘Hall of the Divine Warrior’ and was named in honour of Soke Hatsumi’s teacher, Toshitsugu Takamatsu, the 33rd Grandmaster of Ninjutsu.
The name ‘Iyashi‘ translates to ‘Healing’ or a ‘Place of Healing’ and our dōjō is aptly named due to the specialist nature of the instructors knowledge in musculoskeletal medicine and because training in the dōjō promotes calming and balancing of the body and mind.
Essentially, Bujinkan Iyashi Dōjō 武神館癒し道場 translates to: ‘Hall of the divine warrior and place of healing’.
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water; now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot, now water can flow, or creep, or drip, or crash, be water, my friend”
-Bruce Lee-