Japanese version
Finding somewhere to train in the Bujinkan arts
The simplest way to find a reputable Bujinkan Dôjô is to ask the Sanmyaku "branch head" nearest to you (if you write to Sôke at the Honbu Dôjô in Japan, you are likely to receive the same type of advice). You can of course search the web, but remember that the Internet is also one of the world's greatest sources of misinformation, so instructors you find this way may not be genuine (see also the other caveats below). If you have no luck finding a Dôjô that suits you, send me a note as I may be able to suggest somewhere (I have info on several hundred around the world).
A few caveats:
The Ninja boom meant that many charlatans set themselves up as "Ninja masters". Most of these have now moved on to something new, but there are a few left. It's not very practical to try and list them all or stop them: so if you're stupid enough to fall for them, I'm afraid that's your problem!
The Bujinkan has also been widely abused -- there are people who claim to belong to the Bujinkan and even go so far as forging the certificates, membership cards, badges, etc. Even some relatively large organizations using the name Bujinkan (e.g. the so-called "Bujinkan Brian Dojo") or smaller ones such as the "Bujinkan Fellowship International" have cut their training links with the Bujinkan Dôjô and with Dr Hatsumi, so while their training may be just what you are looking for, please don't confuse it with the Bujinkan arts. Thankfully, neither of the organizations listed above still claim they are affiliated with the Bujinkan (as far as I know) ... but I do know some other unconnected groups that do claim to be teaching the Bujinkan arts despite having no link with Dr Hatsumi. Other groups (e.g. "Bujinkan Dojo Deutschland", not to be confused with Bujinkan Deutschland) seem to drift in and out of a relationship with Dr Hatsumi. Newcomers are often confused; please research whichever school you decide to join quite carefully.
There are other Dôjô which do still maintain contact with Dr Hatsumi, but so rarely that they too seem to be training in a totally different art (e.g. those which concentrate on subjects like mysticism & meditation etc.). Conversely, there are widespread misconceptions about some fine instructors, and you will even hear other Bujinkan Dôjô saying (mistakenly) "they are not in the Bujinkan".
The best way to judge whether or not you have found a school training in the Bujinkan arts as taught by Dr Hatsumi used to be to attend a Taikai. Now the only option is to consult the locals when training in Japan -- or if this is impossible, to purchase one of Dr Hatsumi's videos, and compare Dr Hatsumi's movements and words (and those of the people he chooses as his partners) with those of your teacher. In general, instructors that are training in line with Dr Hatsumi's wishes will visit Japan quite often (e.g. once a year), and will frequently host seminars with other Bujinkan instructors as guests. If you find a group that does not appear to have friendly links with any other Bujinkan groups, that's probably a warning sign.
If you're really unsure, you can ask Dr Hatsumi himself.
Incidentally, the Bujinden Honbu Dôjô opened on September 9, 1997 (in Japanese format this is Heisei 9/9/9). Some people thought the name of the art had changed to Bujinden too, but for what it's worth (the name is hardly the m
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