Welcome to the home of Hiken Dojo

Papasan concluded the first International seminar of the year in the highlands of Scotland. Ed Martin arrived in style; an old man who almost stumbled into the hall with a walking cane and an aura of potential weakness. I looked into the eyes of many of the students who were there and heard a cacophony of voices in my mind making immediate judgment calls on the old man. You would think that an old man could not teach you new tricks and you would be wrong. Sometimes in life we dream and assume new identities in our minds to fill empty voids that we have created in our own mind and this old man assumed a new identity the minute he embodied a training gi and slipped into his leather worn tabi – he assumed his alter ego. All weaknesses immediately disappeared and the cane became a weapon of choice amongst other things. Ed began the seminar with his now famous breathing exercises and all the students took part immediately. I kicked off the seminar with a technique and then Papasan in true old man style went from old man to super ninja and technique after technique came – all with a greater lesson and outcome.

It was evident after a short period that the theme for the weekend was minimum movement with maximum effect and I for one was impressed with the range of dynamic movement in such a small space. The element of Kukan was certainly investigated to a deeper depth and that old man threw me around like a rag doll. An interesting concept during the seminar was the use of energy and the capturing of energy from the uke – something that is new to even Judan and my own background was able to investigate that to its fullest potential. Ed and I continued investigating new principles and concepts over the 5 days that he was my guest and I for one felt extremely lucky to have him. His knowledge is exceptional and his thirst to explore training concepts is truly enlightening and worthy of any one as young as he is in mind and spirit.

Ed was welcomed into our Dojo and we have decided that we will host this seminar each year. You can imagine that students who had perhaps made an irrational idea of the man were totally blown away watching him carry out his art with precision, gentleness and the control of a younger contemporary in the field. I for one can’t wait to host Papasan again and he and I will be teaching a Joint seminar in April in his own Dojo in Pennsylvania. Please Join us at this time to explore the use of Intuition in Budo. Not only did I learn but made a great friend and someone who was on the same wavelength. It was an honor.

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Demonstrate Renyo from the Ten Ryaku no Maaki I said to one of the higher graded students. Mesmerized and staring into blank space, he finally replied “I don’t know.” You do I retorted, perhaps you just need to view it. I demonstrated the technique and a look of amazement come over him like he had just had that ah ha moment that we all get from time to time. This got me thinking, how important is it to know the names of all techniques in a foreign language – after all, if it were put across in our own vernacular – would we remember it easier. Perhaps it is difficult to recognize something in a foreign tongue because we fear what we can’t understand. Then again, how important will it be if you have to react in a natural intuitive way that it may save your life? The essence does not come from a name and in reality, we as human beings give names as a label in order to make something easier. Is not the real Kosshi to allow the body to absorb the feeling and the natural movement, therefore names failing to have their importance or impact.

Watching this same student, he moved with the grace and elegance of someone who had been training for a considerable time and yet his memory was so weak that simple names and easy to remember drills would escape him. It is a sad fact that many that study Budo succumb to the desire to recognize, name, kata and form without ever giving credence to the body’s ability to recognize and soak up information or the Kosshi of essence and form. In this way we become technicians instead of musicians and the natural creativity that flows is blocked due to the ego’s desire to know the particular form in question – thus we are hindered in our natural flow. We sacrifice ourselves for form and function without really having a grasp of the natural flow that we desire to reach. In this quest for knowledge, which is a natural part of our human ego, we perhaps begin to lose sight of what may be important.

Perhaps as we train we should not give so much thought to what is labeled but concentrate on feeling – after all this is what Sensei tells us time and time again “capture the feeling and don’t think.” Is it true then that our own thought process actually blocks us in our development of Budo. It could be understood as a form of Mushin or no mind to be able to understand from within the body and deep in the subconscious. This is a form of intuition itself and may be the development that Sensei talks about when he says “If your Intuition is not working – you will die, that’s all.” I am not advocating the total ignorance of knowing something by term, from or distinction, what I am advocating is trying to understand a deeper form of knowledge, one where form, label and distinction are not necessary – one whereby you can touch on the void of the subconscious and experience perhaps a little of what we may understand as Mushin.

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My Visit With The Other side

By Kris Quinn

Disclaimer:  What I’m about to write is completely true as I experienced it.  I have had an interest in psychic phenomenon for many years, so I have always been a bit leery of people who profess to be mediums or psychics – and I understand the techniques that charlatans use to trick people.  During my time with Jock Brocas, he used none of these that I could identify.  It is my opinion that he is one of the rare, true psychic mediums around in the world today and to my knowledge, the only professional medium in the Bujinkan.

My flight to the Highlands of Scotland was earlier then anticipated.  I had arrived to assist and learn at a seminar of the Bujinkan Taijutsu Dojo in Inverness which Jock was giving.  After finally arriving in the train terminal in Inverness in the early afternoon, this smiling giant of a man greeted me and introduced himself for the first time.  It was Jock himself who’d come to fetch me.

I had been reticent about my trip, because my personal teacher who had been scheduled to teach had been forced to cancel after an injury just a few days before.  Because of that I had waited too long to find accommodations for the weekend event.  Jock was kind enough to drive me over half of Inverness searching out a room for me, but it gave us a wonderful opportunity to get to know each other.  I had known before hand that Jock was a psychic medium, but I had no intention on bringing the subject up, although we did discuss it briefly as we drove due to his book.

Desperate to find a place for me to stay, Jock was suddenly reminded of a small inn near his dojo, and we headed there.  Fortunately, the inn was vacant – the sort of place you imagine you’d find in the highlands, but so rarely do.  After signing the guest register and accepting my key, I placed my meager belongings in the room, and invited Jock to share a cup of coffee with me in the sitting room, which looked out to a pasture filled with grazing under a Scottish hill.

It was early evening by now, but Jock and I had hit it off, and were enjoying each other’s company when an odd look came over Jock as he turned his head to the right as though listening to something.

I will not discuss at length the details Jock told me, however I will proceed to give a general overview.  He told me that there was a group of people coming through to him regarding me, concluding there were three.  He then asked me specifically if I knew someone with an “M” in the name and if I knew an Anne or Annie.  At the time I said no, my curiosity peaked.  He told me to think again, because this spirit insisted it was there for me.  I suggested perhaps my grandmother, Madeleine – but he said no.  That wasn’t it.  I considered a bit, but was drawing a blank.  Who else did I know with an “M” in the name that had passed on?  He tried again, saying this person was very important to me.  Didn’t help – I was still very much at a loss until Jock himself identified her – it was my mother!  My mistake was in thinking of her in terms of the nickname she had always used in life, Bibbi.  But her given name was Anne-Marie!

Once she was identified, Jock proceeded to ask me if I recognized bits of information, as he tried to interpret what she wished to tell me.  In some cases I did, in some I didn’t – but slowly her message came through to me.

During the conversation, my father, and my older sister also were identified – although Jock could have no way of knowing that I had lost those three people in my life.  It is of course possible he may have guessed that I’d lost my parents, but doubtful he could have guessed my sister.  He asked for confirmation on things which are, shall we say, less then typical – the sort of things that make people unique.

Jock sat there for nearly an hour and a half, as he interpreted the messages being given to him – a revelation to me, but nothing out of the ordinary for him.  Toward the end however, both he and I were extremely tired.  We would have our seminar early the next morning, so we ended our session there.

The next morning, we met in the hotel for breakfast and the conversation turned to my reading the previous evening. No sooner had we begun to talk but Jock was receiving messages again from the spirit world and this time my father came through with one very important validation about a particular ring he had. Now I know that any general information could be gleaned and that most people wear rings. But what struck me was the evidential content when Jock said this was a ring that my father had and was not a wedding ring, he only wore it now and again and then in a further breath he said “It’s some sort of fraternity ring.” That was a direct hit.

There was one further incident over the course of the weekend, something that didn’t even involve me which was the best proof of legitimacy that I could have seen.  While we were driving, a client called Jock because some very important papers had apparently disappeared including a passport – which he had already predicted.  Jock, without missing a beat, proceeded to explain that the papers were nearby the person, located in a bag of some sort, and finished the discussion.  About an hour later, he was informed the papers were found, and were indeed where he said they’d be.

I haven’t met many people with the talent, or willingness to help people that Jock showed me that first weekend I met him.  The things he told me were both accurate and helpful to me.  I look forward to getting to know him better in the years to come.

Signed,

Kris Quinn

July 4, 2009

Harstad, Norway

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Tags: Bujinkan, Ninjutsu, Psychic, psychic medium

Hi Jock,

As I was walking to work this morning I thought about (my) disability and Ninjutsu. I was considering effects, both of disability and Ninjutsu, and how they were affecting each other.

A rock in a stream, bear with me on this! I imagine (my) disability as a rock sat in a stream, the stream being Ninjutsu. First the rock is immovable and the water appears to be just crashing into it and forcing its way around.
I few look both closer and over time we can see that the stream’s energy itself is in no way diminished, so the rock itself is not really an obstacle, and the stream will reach it’s natural destination anyway.
If we continue to look, the stream is always working, eroding the rock. The particles of rock continue on, being carried along the stream into the sea. This I see perhaps not as the disability itself eroding, but the influence or effect of the disability on me as a person.
Given enough time there will be no rock, just the stream – always flowing.

Just a thought.

Andy.

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Tags: Bujinkan, students

To all my students, friends and colleagues. If you have not heard from me for anumber of days, it is because i have suffered a terrible disaster. My work that i have had for many years has been lost due to a serious failure of my laptop hard drive when it was accidently bumped. This has now resulted in the loss of my work and notes for the last 10 years or so. I would urge anyone who has worked with me or ho has received communication from me regarding documents or books etc to get back in touch with me and send me any files that i would have lost.

On another note, those that are waiting for psychic or mediumship readings please re-contact me in order to get your appointment or any oter information.

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Racism has now become an ugly word and is no longer just a part of our vernacular. It is a cancer of its own making and is the pollution that we breathe in society today. No matter how many times you will claim that you are not racist, most of you are the ones that suffer from racial abuse and bigotry. In some way or another we are all a victim of the race relations that spoil our nations. Since when has it been so wrong to have a different colour than your neighbour and what is the basis of the seed that spurns racial hatred toward another. We have all bore witness to the saying that one bad apple can spoil the whole cart and it would seem that examples of these apples surround us from our past and present which is shaping our modern history.

Even in jest you can show signs of racism and though you may not realize – you are feeding the energy of this particular cancer and allowing it to spread. Who are we to judge ones belief or way in life. Are we not supposed to show unconditional love for others rather than running a race to battle with our Ego’s and what society dictates. The barriers we have built around us are like an impenetrable force that becomes stronger with each racist comment or remark.

The Struggle of power

From the dawn of time there has been a great war waged within ourselves and this has manifested as physical wars or conflicts out with our own being. Therefore man has always had a thirst for power and control – the strong pray on the weak. The struggle for racist equality has surfaced throughout time as we see many wars and conflicts that exist because of racism. From the gangs of America to the battlegrounds of the Middle East and the conflicts of the past such as the Indians and Americans or the Jews and the Germans. Perhaps it is our animalistic instinct that makes us want to be better than the next person or our need for physical wealth and better conditions. Cast your mind back to the slave trade in the deep south of the USA where man and woman of a different colour was sold like cheap products at a market. Where did the right come from to apply such control over the people. The same examples were witnessed in Scotland and in England where gentry paraded and sold young children. Yes the truth is that racism has been with us since the dawn of time.

Racism in the modern-day

We’ve stepped back to the dark ages and now racial attacks are no longer about the colour but encompass creed, physical features, wealth and much more. Wherever you look in our modern era there is nothing but diversion and barriers that become erect because of belief and pressure from others. Within society the war is different but with the same outcome. Many have died in the name of racial equality and we sense that it must be about colour, but are the attacks on the twin towers or the war in Afghanistan not the same as the racism on our street. The effects of this racism destroys families as brother goes against brother; whether it is in war or a face-to-face confrontation in the street – the effects can be devastating to your mind, body and spirit. The next time you stand next to someone who may be a little different from you or may have a different belief, Look beyond what you see with your eyes. After all; we bleed and all blood runs red.

There is no difference between us, man woman and child except perhaps our own spiritual growth or understanding. If we look at the subject from a scientific perspective. The vibration that we exude is perhaps the only difference to each of us, for as our own spiritual growth shows our vibration changes to match that of whom we are. We have an auric field and that aura is our real selves – the energy that permeates the universe and matches that with what we are. This has of course been proven scientifically. It is a truth of life that we may vibrate at a different rate than one another but in the human existence that we are in now, our anatomy and physicality is much the same. Therefore we are the same and all blood is equal.

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Tags: Bujinkan Scotland, Jock Brocas, Ninja, Ninpo, Racism

The new theme for 2009 has been chosen and in actual fact, it is not a theme but merely a feeling and understanding. The feeling has been broken into 3 stages or three facets and have deeper implications than you would first expect. When Soke was asked at the end of the 2008 Daikomyosia, he retorted by explaining that there was no theme and we should continue with sword (ken) as our understanding and sword skills was poor in comparison to our Taijutsu. The 3 feelings were as follows;

Nouryoku – this is translated as ability, power, talent, competence or capacity.

Kokoro – kokoro is generally translated as heart, but can also mean mind or spirit.

Utsuwa – translates generally as a container, holder, receptacle or vessel. However, according to the dictionary, it can also relate to caliber, capacity, or a person of high/low caliber.

This is a kind of Sanshin and encompasses mind, body and spirit. They are not only lessons for budo or the martial arts but lessons for life and of understanding or perhaps enlightenment. These points can be thought of as crucial elements in being able to control one’s life by remaining in balance and of course by controlling your opponent in their koku or empty space – perhaps even controlling their balance. If we look at the first feeling of Nouryoku, you can understand this as a spiritual ability as a physical ability and a competency of understanding not only life but the unification of the 3 in mind, body and spirit.

Kokoro translates as the heart but in this instance suggests the spirit or the mind, hence we have mind, body and spirit as unification and a truth of life. Through our capacity to understand the 3 facets of human existence. The heart is also the centre of our being and is where we feel emotion. It is our ability to discern between right and wrong or good and evil, so in polar opposites we have the enlightenment and understanding of the martial way. For only a person of true heart will be able to understand Ninpo in its true essence and the difference between truth and falsehood.

Utsawa is understood as a receptacle and a person of high calibre, and perhaps what Soke is trying to say is that our receptacle is our body which has a limited physical capacity but our spirit has the ability and capacity to achieve far more than we expect materially and so in reality our Utsawa is not really restricted if we have the right unification in mind, body and spirit. We are able to achieve as much as we desire and have the understanding whether we be a small seed or a flower – our Utsawa is unrestricted but only by ourselves.

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Tags: Budo Taijutsu, Bujinkan Scotland, Jock Brocas, Ninjutsu

People running around aimlessly, full of panic and trying to get all the Christmas tasks done. A hand that stretches across the counter to pay for the latest computer game and the energy of a young child that wants myriad of gifts. Your family and loved ones trying to find out what you want and not wishing to upset you by getting you something useless. Look around you, this is the time of year when materialism is at its worst. Can you feel the heavily burdened energy surrounding you and eating you up – pressuring you into further debt and despair by not being able to achieve what you want or what others want. In your haste, you rush past the needy and the suffering, your alms are not available this year, the credit crunch has settled in and you must get the latest perfume or must have gadget. Ask yourself; have we lost direction and the true meaning of Christmas.

It should be the one time of year when we witness the indigence of poverty and illness, when we should try to bring a smile and a possible change to someone’s life. What about the individuals who are suffering from the loss of a loved one and who can’t face another year alone without the one they loved and then lost. Perhaps it is time that we should try to remember who we are and what Christmas means. It is the time when we should celebrate love, forgiveness and the rebirth of a new understanding. A time when we realize who we are and what service we can be to humanity. We have almost forgotten that Christmas is the time when we were delivered from the bondage of darkness by the gift of a divine soul. Throughout time, slowly and surely the real meaning of Christmas has faded into the background and only surfaces through our own guilt and greed. Ask yourself what matters to you in your life, is it the desire for material wealth or to be of service to others. A thought, a prayer or the gift of life and aid could be the greatest service you could give. Sitting at the dinner table and feeding yourself into a frenzy not only feeds your own ill health but does little for your soul. Perhaps witness for the first time, the beauty in the world rather than the poverty or go out of your way to bring a little joy to others. Try to see beyond your own material perception and look beyond the dimensions of your physical reality, instead look with your heart and be of service rather than being served.

I am not advocating that you should deny yourself or your loved ones, gifts or fine wine and the enjoyment that you get from this time of year. What I am suggesting is that you feel rather than see and experience what it means to be of service in a way that makes life a little easier for others. Even a smile can change someone’s day and make them feel a kind of warmth inside. Offer a prayer of gratitude to the universe or God – no matter your belief – ask for the needy to be helped or for the hungry to be fed and for the ill in health to be healed. Give of your time to service humanity and change a life for the greater good. Help an alcoholic to see beyond the pain and the drug user to open his or her eyes to the truth that they can loose themselves from the internal hell they are in. Bring someone closer to God and you will witness at first-hand the miracle of Christmas.

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Tags: Add new tag, Budo Taijutsu, Bujinkan, Bujinkan Scotland, Jock Brocas, Ninjutsu, Ninpo

There are many religions in the world such as Catholicism; Muslim; Hindu; Buddhist; Sufism; Mormon and many others, in fact new religious movements are popping up daily. The problem that we have with these is that they are all man-made and most religions have become manipulated by man to suit the politics and needs of the time, resulting in control of the masses. It’s a sad fact that most religions hold their followers in a prison of fear – plying them with the belief that their way is the only true way, and anything less will result in eternal damnation. If you study all religious writings you will see an underlying cause that they have a constant vice of follow or be damned and the so-called teachings that have passed orally and by written doctrine have been misinterpreted. They are not the result of divine communication because the communication can become distorted and the medium whether a prophet or self-appointed voice of heaven can get it wrong. It’s a Chinese whisper where the message in its true form is distorted and fails to have its real meaning understood. Again this is the problem of man and not a divine messenger. Consequently, this may be why our real meaning has not been revealed because of the warped misinterpretation of divine transmission. Just recently missing gospels have been revealed and now bring into question the truth within scriptural writing causing far more questions than answers.

When can religion be right and just? In truth it can give individuals hope and a belief in the higher aspects of the hidden teaching or the good that hides itself within the misunderstood message. People who are lost can often find themselves with a new zeal for life, but reality at some point has to set in and the realization that we hold our church within our heart and our soul. Jesus did not come and teach about religion, he taught the lessons of love and forgiveness and if we were to be honest – so did all other prophets such as Mohamed and Buddha. It is also important to understand that many of the wars and deaths that have happened through time have been a direct result of misguided belief. “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.” You have probably heard the quote, but what does it mean? A hidden agenda to carry out carnage or control by a typical belief in a nether world where your belief is the only one to offer you salvation? What about the street prophet who tells you to turn to Jesus or be dammed because the bible says so. All this is a crotch and madness within an even madder world created by illusion and falsity. As a people we are constantly seeking divine intervention and miracles when these miracles are right under your own nose. The miracles, such as the child who beats abuse or the young individual whose personal triumphs are winning the war against drugs within society are there to be witnessed. Are these not the miracles we miss? Of course the real truth is the burning need for change comes from within – no one can change you – let alone a belief unless your spirit yearns for that change.

Religion has a lot to answer for yet spirituality has stood the test of time and is as natural as the air that we breathe. Religion has brought us fear, malice, the drive for power and has had little effect on society apart from driving us further apart. A constant miss belief is that Jesus began Christianity when in fact, he had nothing to do with it. There was no need to start a religion, instead the need was to teach us how to use the spiritual gifts that we already have in the most worthwhile way – giving service to humanity. Confusion is borne from an inner feeling that something is not as it should be – an inner knowing there must be more to life than we are told. Perhaps this is what drives individuals to seek out the varied paths with many masters, though essentially with the same teaching of inner happiness and spiritual growth. Inevitably we come full circle on our own path and settle with our own inner sanctum. The need to hold the church within you is far greater than anything you can get from ill educated doctrine and dogmatic rules and regulations. Maybe the time has come to recognize our own spirituality and believe in ourselves as the church that resides within, for we are all part of the divine essence that is God itself.

Full circle

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This little essay was written by one of my students who have been training in the Bujinkan only a short time. Many of my students have written essays on their training and they can see how they develop on the path to Budo over time. Each story is one of growth and understanding and whilst some write from the heart – or so they think, others write with a certain Ego. The following essay is written by one who is more spiritually aware than even they know themselves and yet their journey has already begun.

I met three men one Saturday morning, one with a voice that captivates and leaves you wanting more, another who is far more mature than his young years and the one who has a calming effect. At that time, I had not quite understood just how important these three were going to have on my own life and my family’s life.

My Journey starts as a tree, I know it sounds funny but not to me. I am not a huge willow, just a small little tree- newly planted with others towering me. I bend in the wind and I soak in the rain; my roots are now planted and I am starting to grow. I’ve been to many classes now and each time, I learn something new. I’ve sprung new branches and lost some old leaves. I am learning to sway when the nasty wind blows and I take in the rain as it pours. Our classes are growing and new friendships are made – all these people are my branches and I welcome the growth.

The seasons may change but we adapt to them all and to me that is the beauty of flow, not to fight but to embrace it all and let it flow. It can be a gentle wind or a raging hurricane, a trickle of water or the battering of rocks when it’s lashed by the sea. To me Flow is nature – gentle and devastating – let it naturally flow.

You can imagine how this little story captivates you with the very energy that it is intended, you may also bear witness to the sanshin contained within and the understanding of shin shin Ichijo (Oneness of body and mind). The heart is already on the journey and the body will catch up in time.

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