KaratekaAikidoist Posted May 4, 2003 Share Posted May 4, 2003 I'm interested in ninjutsu and kuji in ( Hand symbols which grant certain "powers" like direction of energy or healing). How likely, if any are these things to be "real"? Are they a mental thing or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbitbob Posted May 4, 2003 Share Posted May 4, 2003 Kuji Kiri is used in Shingon Bhuddism. See John Stevens: "The Marathon Monks of Mount Hiei" New York, Shambala Press, 1978. Theoretically they are adaptations of Tibetan Bhuddism and Shinto. If youa re looking for "power" I would suggest an ever-ready rechargeable battery. There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 Best to view the kuji hand positions as aids to meditative focus, at least to begin with anyway. There are some strange things that I can't quite explain in the more esoteric martial arts- a lot are illusions or 'tricks' but there are a couple of things that go beyond this. However, they are outgrowths of normal training- years of it- so my advice would be to forget about it and get on with studying the physical side. If you are interested in 'ninjutsu' (even in organisations such as the Bujinkan which popularised 'ninjas' only three of the nine schools teach ninjutsu, and you wont learn too much of them for a while generally) look for a good school and again forget the mystical stuff and train well. The kuji stuff is present in a number of bujutsu schools- I know one schools headmaster uses them as 'spells' to heal sick villagers where he lives. IMHO we are in the world of placebos for any that do find benefit here- but hey that's a pretty amazing human ability anyway! Best wishes Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaratekaAikidoist Posted May 5, 2003 Author Share Posted May 5, 2003 Well, if you do any martial art, you must have an open mind to everything. If ki works, why not this? I have no way to contact a ninjutsu dojo. The nearsest bujikan dojo is in lorain and their phone is disconnected. HELP ME! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbitbob Posted May 5, 2003 Share Posted May 5, 2003 The nearsest bujikan dojo is in lorain and their phone is disconnected.This should tell you something. The Kuji Kiri thing was played up more by charlatans like Ashida Kim in the 1980s, than by the "serious" practitioners like Robert Bussey or Stephen Hayes. If you really wish to know more about the Kuji no In, go to your local library and look for books on Shingon Buddhism. That is where the porectice occurs. The Ninjutsu link is at best peripheral. There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaratekaAikidoist Posted May 6, 2003 Author Share Posted May 6, 2003 Well, I know about kuji In semi-a lot. I just wish I could take ninjutsu to learn about the ninja and their fighting art. Sometimes a book don't cut it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 KA - 'I know about kuji-in semi-alot'. If this sentence translates as you know a lot about kuji-in then I'd suggest you think again unless you have been practising it for a good number of years. Within the world of what you call the ninja schools there are a number of crap instructors, even in the legitimate organisations. Finding a jewel in the dung is a hard job. As I said though there are nine schools, even when you find a decent instructor you will probably spend most of your time training two foundation fighting arts which aren't ninjutsu at all. I dont know how old you are but if you are genuinely interested and of adult age then you will make it happen if that's what you want. Travelling to seminars once a month, or every few months, might be a start. It'll cost and you'll have to be dedicated but if you really want it.... If you are younger than that my suggestion would be to find a legitimate art as close to you as possible- Aikijutsu/ jujutsu etc. and train that. A 'ninja' will use whatever is available and will endure - try seeing it as a state of mind and be patient until you are older. Finally, Bob's right, Kuji is a buddhist thing. I'm not convinced it was part of ninjutsu prior to the last century at all. Even if it was, it is a very small part. "Well, if you do any martial art, you must have an open mind to everything"- that's how many people have been conned out of lots of money. An open mind is good, a critical attitude and common sense essential. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaratekaAikidoist Posted May 6, 2003 Author Share Posted May 6, 2003 I'm not talking a movie ninja, I'm saying a real ninja. Was I meant by the semi alot thing was that I know more than the average dope. Could I buy videos or books by chance until I can find a dojo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbitbob Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 Your best bet is to practice Aikido or Karate and wait until you can move somewhere where there is a Bujinkan Dojo. Tapes and books are not that effectice a substitute for a real instructor. There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 OK. When it comes to taijutsu learning from an instructor is definitely best as unless you have internal arts training and understand relaxed movement you don't have a foundation for looking at tapes and learning. My suggestion is do whatever seminars you can- give me details of where you are and I'll see if I can find someone for you- and then watch some videos. You can pick them up at a couple of places- PM me and I'll give you details. There are also some kuji material you can purchase too. I have known people who have tried to do their learning via video and missed the 'in the open' secrets. They can do the technique to a degree but miss the feeling, and that is the key to the advanced stuff, so you must get the basic training in person. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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