kuji kiri and breathing skills

Discussion in 'Ninjutsu' started by bijan.gh, Oct 28, 2016.

  1. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    You aren't owed any respect, other than to be spoken to respectfully.

    I'm still no clearer of what this breathing technique is and we're 4 pages into the thread.

    If it's a requirement to progress in Ninjutsu then I'm unsure as to why.

    At your level I'd be inclined to focus more on other skills, such as flexibility, strength, stamina and technique and have the breathing technique as something you explore further as you progress through the art.
     
  2. bijan.gh

    bijan.gh Valued Member

    So your idea is, thats not need when we can spend time with our regular exercises?
     
  3. bijan.gh

    bijan.gh Valued Member

    OK, if I'm wrong, have you any ninjutsu ebooks for enlighten my way?
    Lets think I going out from my way,and I need a true base,
    Give me a true book of ninjutsu.
     
  4. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    You cant beat homeostasis, and you also wouldnt want too.

    Abdominal breathing is good as a away to calm the mind (reduce stress) and to help breathing whilst grappling.

    If you want to get healthy, take regular exercise, and don't eat to excess.
     
  5. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Ask your instructor - if he doesn't know chances are you don't either

    Also as you are not buddhist you may want to look at that first since they know more on it than the ninjutsu community
     
  6. bijan.gh

    bijan.gh Valued Member

    unfortunately,my instructor and his instructor does not reading any books about ninjutsu...

    Yes,thats good idea... Thanks...
     
  7. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Reading books about it is not a good idea - there are very, very few out there that are actually any good
     
  8. Theidiot

    Theidiot New Member

    I actually think I've read of the breathing techniques being discussed. I have a very dubious book about ninjitsu. In it there are many utterly ridiculous claims. One being that you can run up a vertical wall at speed. Another being that you can make yourself completely undetectable by standing next to a tree and putting one arm up against the tree and then doing a breathing routine. Then the enemy can look straight at your and not notice you.

    As far as I can tell, the breathing exercises are just the same as taught in many styles of meditation. They have great value in that they nurture an awareness for ones own breathing habits. From there one can work to improve ones breathing, but it is no more mystical than qigong or chi gung or kigong or any of its other names for the same idea.
     
  9. Dunc

    Dunc Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    The key breathing exercises and stretching methods are described in Hatsumi-sensei's Togakure Ryu book
    Maybe ninjutsu.com has translations for sale....

    As for kuji - my strong advice is to forget about it. No one in the buj can teach you about this and I speak from direct experience
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2016
  10. Please reality

    Please reality Back to basics

    Fixed!

    I know at least two people who could but no doubt won't(and that's from direct experience).
     
  11. Dunc

    Dunc Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    Yup that's a better way of phrasing it
     
  12. Please reality

    Please reality Back to basics

    You can add another to the list. Even though he says he isn't an expert in it, if you know anything about the way in which one must intertwine the fingers, you can tell he is practiced:

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUwntRF3TG8"]Introspection in Human's Heart - dr. Kacem Zoughari (USH - Matei Georgescu) - YouTube[/ame]

    About 25 minutes into the talk. Very cheesy studio by the way.
     
  13. JibranK

    JibranK Valued Member

    From the outfit I'm fairly certain he thought it was going to be a conventional interview studio. I wonder what went through his mind when he came in.
     
  14. KongoKai

    KongoKai New Member

    That may not be 100% out of the question, not so much the breathing part but the sticking your arm up into the air.

    Sticking your arm up would break up the human shaped silhouette, something which the human mind is programmed to easily recognize so it may make you more difficult to identify if someone was looking in your direction.
     
  15. Simon

    Simon Administrator Admin Supporter MAP 2017 Koyo Award

    Here I am between some trees and you'll note I am completely invisible.

    I has skills. :ninja2:

    [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6a4j4Hp4wE"]posture and Balance - YouTube[/ame]
     
  16. garth

    garth Valued Member

    Just looked at that video and can't see anything of value on there. Just a couple of trees. What am I meant to be looking at.
     
  17. Dunc

    Dunc Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter


    You have much to learn padowan

    Here's a team photo of our club at the end of a seminar
     
  18. DJC

    DJC Valued Member

    Thought I’d drop in on this one – I agree with Hannibal a few pages back that there are very few reliable books on the topic (that I’ve found anyway), but one that is worth a mention is Invisible Armour by Serge Mol – it’s a bit pricy though, but can be picked up from his Eibusha site, or Budovideos.com. He is not a ‘x-Kan’ guy either and according to his Bio has Menkyo Kaiden in some Koryu (Einshin Ryu and Hoki Ryu I believe). He is/was a student of Tanaka Fumon and Nakashima Atsumi, so take that how you will……….

    In the book, he goes into a huge amount of detail on the history and social/religious and martial influences on Kuji/Juji where he draws from many old Koryu Makimono and documents. Some of the book goes into the Marishiten Kuji protection, which is known by most – and probably as a hangover from the old Ninja movies – as the usual set of finger positions that you can see plastered over the internet. Interestingly, as well as taking information from resources like Bansenshukai, he also draws from old schools like Katori Shinto Ryu, Takagi Ryu, Takeuchi Ryu, Kashima Shin Ryu and others, which share variations of each of the nine seals and mantra.

    He also has a good section on Fudokanashibari and its associated seals and rituals and also uses these old documents to explain links between other ‘superstitions’ and strategies including Hodori (or auspicious days) on which to go to war (there used to be a Hodori chart from Gyokko Ryu on display in the old Honbu Dojo), and Fusui/Shutsujin in relation to building castles and fortifications.

    It’s about as scholarly as you will get in English, but it’s certainly not a ‘how to’ book. It’s also interesting how what is usually thought of as ‘ninja superstitions’ is very prevalent through old Koryu traditions to a large degree drawing from the main Buddhist/Shugendo influences of the time.

    So – as dunc and RP have already said, the chances of you learning this inside the Bujinkan (i.e. being taught by a qualified Japanese Shihan) is basically zero, then if you do have an interest in this subject, then IMO the book is more detailed and rounded than other sources in English.

    Finally, if you do decide to practice Kuji to protect yourself in a self defence situation by entwining your fingers and chanting a spell, then as an absolute minimum please expect a good hiding, with an additional clip round the ear for being so stupid…...

    DJC
     
  19. JibranK

    JibranK Valued Member

    Another book well worth looking at is The Buddhist Goddess Marishiten: A Study of the Evolution and Impact of Her Cult on the Japanese Warrior. It's a small run academic book so it's quite expensive to buy (though well worth it). If you have access to a university library you can probably read it there, or have them bring it in from another library.
     
  20. gapjumper

    gapjumper Intentionally left blank

    There are, or at least were, pdf versions online.
     

Share This Page