Bujinkan Budô Taijutsu is an ancient Japanese kobudô martial art with a rich and viable history that spans over ten centuries. Developed by the legendary ninja and samurai of feudal Japan, the Bujinkan martial arts continue to flourish worldwide in the 21st Century. The Bujinkan is an international group of schools based out of the home dojo in Noda, Japan (Bujinkan Hombu Dojo), headed by Soke Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi. Incorporating some of the oldest recorded martial arts traditions, the Bujinkan teaches from nine schools of traditional kobudo. The Bujinkan is typically thought of by the public as "The Ninja School." In fact, only three out of the nine schools are ninpo (pertaining to ninja) related. The other six schools are classical Kobudo (samurai war arts) schools.

Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu

Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu

Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu

Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu

Koto Ryu Koppojutsu

Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu

Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu

Kukishinden Ryu Happo Hikenjutsu

Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu

Focusing on the reality of combat, our training is not about competition, sport or cardiovascular fitness, but rather surviving life-threatening situations. Our system focuses on power derived from relaxed movement and creativity, rather than brute strength and repetitive drills.

Bujinkan training stresses a relaxed playfulness, but traditional dojo etiquette is always observed. Bujinkan practitioners move in a style resembling ancient Japan's famous ninja. Movements are both relaxed and explosive, focusing on power generated through natural and efficient use of the entire body ("taijutsu"). The remaining six Bujinkan traditions were exhaustively perfected by the Japanese bushi (or "samurai") of the pre-modern era. Today, the nine legacies of the Bujinkan are sustained and taught collectively as "budô taijutsu" by Hatsumi Sensei. Efficiency and total body awareness of jissen gata (real fighting style) is the impulse of technique and is always stressed during training.

The Bujinkan Yanagawa Dojo that resides at The Midwest Center for Movement is an official Bujinkan International school.

For more information on classes: Shidoshi Thom Peterson