I founded Bujinkan Gray Dōjō in Ibaraki, Japan on July 1, 2000 with the blessing of Hatsumi Sensei and Shiraishi Sensei, who told me it would be beneficial to my development as a martial artist.

Since 2002 I have regularly been invited to give training workshops overseas, and have continued to do so several times a year. These "warrior pilgrimages" ("Shugyō") have been wonderful training experiences that have allowed me to serve the Bujinkan by sharing the feeling of many years of training in Japan with others. The international nature of the Bujinkan is one of its greatest strengths, and I am very grateful to Hatsumi Sensei for providing an environment that makes this international exchange possible. I have made so many good friends through the Bujinkan over the years and can only say a heartfelt thank-you to Sensei for making that possible.

After moving from Japan to New Zealand and getting settled, I began offering regular classes in central Wellington in January 2017, and it's been exciting to see the group evolve with first-time beginners as well as others who have had prior experience in the Bujinkan and other martial arts. While I was living in Japan, Hatsumi Sensei remarked a number of times at how I attract good people to my Dōjō, and it's been good to see that this is the case here in New Zealand as well.

Get in touch to join our martial arts classes in Wellington!

The Bujinkan organization was formed in the early 1970's as the umbrella organization under which Hatsumi Masaaki Sōke ("Grandmaster") transmits the teachings of the martial arts Ryū-ha ("traditions" / "schools") which he in turn received from his teacher, Takamatsu Toshitsugu Sōke. These Ryū-ha follow an unbroken lineage back through hundreds of years of Japanese history. The roots of the Ryū-ha themselves are said to be 3,000 years old.

Although Hatsumi Sensei possesses Denshō ("scrolls") which designate him as the Sōke of many different Ryū-ha, the Bujinkan itself is officially comprised of the following 9 Ryū-ha:

Ryū-ha Name	Meaning	Founding Year
Gyokkō Ryū	Jade Tiger School	1207
Kotō Ryū	Tiger-felling School	1542
Takagi Yoshin Ryū	Takagi Raise-the-Heart School	early 1600s
Shinden Fudō Ryū	Divine Transmission Immovable School	early 1300s
Gikan Ryū	Regard for Justice School	1558-1570
Kukishinden Ryū	Kuki Divine Transmission School	1330
Gyokushin Ryū	Jade Heart School	mid 1500s
Kumogakure Ryū	Concealing Clouds School	mid 1500s
Togakure Ryū	Concealing Door School	1162

These Ryū-ha were formed during the centuries of civil war which preceded the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1603. Their teachings have not been watered down for the sake of sporting applications, as is the case with most other Japanese martial practices, but have been faithfully handed down as methods for dealing with real-life conflict-resolution situations. As these teachings have been tested on the battlefield, they are well-suited to self-defense situations where there is no ring and no rules.

With no rules, there are no rule-based competitions such as tournaments or other such sporting events in the Bujinkan. Training is mainly done through study and practice of various scenarios involving 1 or more opponents, either empty-handed or with a variety of tools. Training is done in a safe and controlled manner, at a level of intensity that training partners are comfortable with.