Author: koryu

Author koryu

Another successfully finished seminar organized by Bujinkan Macedonia. This time held by our friend from the Czech Republic, Filip Bartos.

Even though we had about 30 attendees announced to come for the seminar (most of which from the neighboring countries), at the last moment they cancelled their attendance as a result of the surfacing and spreading of the swine flu in our country.  Nevertheless, that didn’t change the determination to come of the fifteen students of Bujinkan Macedonia to study the school Shinden Fudo Ryu Jutaijutsu. During the two days, we went through all the kata from the three levels of this Ryu Ha: Shoden, Chuden and Okuden. 
The Master Filip Bartos unselfishly shared his knowledge with our students, who with great passion practiced the near sixty kata of this old school, which is rich with throwing techniques (nage waza).

As always, the socializing was wonderful, the spirits in the dojo cheerful – and during the free time, we didn’t miss to pay a visit to Skopje’s restaurants and coffee shops, renowned for their great food and ambient.
Thanks to all who were there.

Author koryu

Bujinkan Macedonia announces:

BuYu Kai seminar with our old friend shihan Filip Bartos

Theme: Shinden Fudo Ryu Jutaijutsu and Kenjutsu
The seminar is open for everybody regardless on what level is your knowledge. This is the chance to learn more about one of the oldest art in Japan which was a mistery even for the Japanese.

Date: 14 and 15 november, 2009 year
Price: 50 euro (for the instructors with more than 5 students the seminar tax is free)

Timetable:

            saturday                                                            sunday

    10.00 – 13.00 training                                       10.00 – 13.00 training

    13.00 – 15.00 break                                          13.00 – 15.00 break

    15.00 – 18.00 training                                       15.00 – 18.00 training

Place: dojo Taiyou e no Michi – Skopje – Macedonia
Equipement: hanbo, boken,tanto (only wooden are allowed)
For those who will be the first to make application, we will provide home stay or stay in the dojo / or you can make reservation at one of the hotels in Skopje: http://www.skopjehotels.com.mk
You want a cheap (but great) youth hostel? http://art-hostel.com.mk/
Book on time and do not forget to take with you sleeping bags.

If you have any questions, please make contact with us.
Come and feel the traditional macedonian hospitality.
Welcome to Macedonia – the cradle of civilization.

Author koryu

Bujinkan Macedonia’s instructor, Igor Dovezenski participated in a seminar in Budva, led by the shihan Steffen Fröhlich from Germany.

The theme of the seminar was Saino Kon Ki and the great master tried to explain it’s meaning through techniques and kata from Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu and Koto Ryu Koppojutsu. We trained in the open. On the first day, the weather was great, while the second was followed by windy weather and heavy rains. All of this contributed to better understanding of the ninjutsu teachings, as well as the nature of the elements water (sui) and fire (ka).

During the training, the shihan often asked Dovezenski to demonstrate kata and techniques from Gyokko and
Koto Ryu, which  was a great honor and show of trust. Master Fröhlich invited the leader of Bujinkan Macedonia to a mutual visit of the Hombu Dojo in Japan, where Dovezenski is going to take the godan (5th dan) test, which of course tells a lot about the mutual trust and respect between them. It was also discussed about the mutual plans in 2010 and the shihan stated his support for the work of Bujinkan Macedonia and emphasised that we can always count on his help of any kind.

Three days passed quick and in constant company of master Steffen Fröhlich and his student Steffen Shultz, one of Germany’s most promising young masters. It was discussed about their five day stay in Macedonia (2008), during which we evoked the nice mutual moments and memories from our country.

As usual, the organiser of the seminar in Budva, put some great effort for everything to go in orderly fashion. Congratulations.  

In the end, it remains to thank the great master Fröhlich and hid student Shultz, for the great time with them and for their always inspirational teaching of the art.

Author koryu

How far can human limits go?
During yesterday’s seminar, we discovered the answer.
In 15 hours and 40 minutes we passed almost 80 kilometres, under the motto: Move and burn or stop and die!

The seminar started with 11 people, who in 8:10 hours in the morning began the spiritual journey from the starting point at the base of the mountain Lipac. Moving over the peaks of hills, in short time passed the village of Strezovce and started entering the village of Makresh. Unfortunately, in that moment two of the attendees decided to quit the seminar.  The nine that remained continued the journey and showed really strong willpower and dedication to endure to the end. We moved along the dried riverbed of the river Petroshnica, to later move on west towards the hill Peros. Using a compass and an old topographic card, the road took us through the village of Dobracha, afterwards through the village of Bajlovce from where we climbed on the hill Visoka (764 m), in order to continue moving over the hilltops surrounding the area. We kept moving west, entering a dense pine forest followed by an oak forest, which led us too the southern base of Tatichev Kamen in the village of Kokino. That was our last destination before our journey back to Lipac. Until here, after around 30 km passed over hard terrain with a killer fast tempo of movement, a few of the attendees started getting leg cramps. Sensei Igor Dovezenski used Hichibuku Goshinjutsu in a few occasions during the seminar and succeeded in restoring the walking ability of these people. Their strong wish and dedication to achieve the goal did their part as well. We all climbed at the plateau of the ancient megalithic observatory

The way of shugenja, or rather the return from it, continued through a different route. The leader of Bujinkan Macedonia allowed a vote: they will return using the path to come here or a much easier but a lot longer road. The attendees chose the second option. The march went on with the same killer tempo as before. We returned by passing the villages of Kokino, Stepance, Puzhaljka, Dragomance, Staro Nagorichane and finally, around 20.30 hours, we arrived at the village of Mlado Nagorichane. Here, the situation  became critical for most of the attendees. Because of the full-day walking, they had wounds on their feet, trouble with their knees and muscles, and one of them even had mild disorientation and hallucination. To finish this journey we had to walk exactly 15 km more – our vehicles were left at the starting point and those were our only means of transport to Skopje. Because of the injuries that most of the people suffered, we agreed that only those that could will continue the journey and the rest will remain on the road until we return for them with our vehicles.

Thus, at 20:40 hours, the journey was continued by four warriors from Bujinkan Macedonia: sensei Igor Dovezenski, Goran Bogdanovski, Carl Campeau and the young Anton Perchinkov, who dragging his legs succeeded in passing 5 more kilometres, to afterwards remain waiting for us to reach the vehicles and come back for him. The last ten kilometres were horrible. Bogdanovski had problems with his right knee, Dovezenski had a bleeding foot, they literally dragged their feet along the dusty road, while Campeau explained that he found out how will he move when he’s 80 years old. During this, with improvised spears (jo staff with a knife bound on top of it), we had to defend ourselves a couple of times from shepherd dogs. The Shugendo seminar turned itself into a test of our survival skills. The last kilometre, we didn’t really move to finish the seminar, but to reach our vehicles and go back for our comrades, who in bad condition, hurt extremities and fever, were left to wait on the road. At 23:50, we reached the goal.

In the end, we were all happy that the seminar was a success.
We congratulated each other, and reminisced the moment when in Kokino (on the top of Tatichev Kamen), we held each others hand in a circle and obliged to an everlasting friendship. In good or bad.

Until now, when we had contact with people who trained Gendai Budo (modern martial arts), we had situations when we had to explain what exactly is Koryu Bujutsu (ancient martial arts) and why we train the nine school of Bujinkan Dojo. From now on, we are not going to explain or trying to prove anything. Anyone who wants to know, may come to the next Shugendo seminar.

Author koryu

On the 27th of September 2009, Bujinkan Macedonia members will hold the traditional spiritual journey in nature called The way of Shugenja. This year, for the first time, our students had an opportunity to choose one of the four suggested routes, they chose the route from the base of Lipac to Kokino. The total distance we will cross during the shugenjo’s way is unknown, which of course, contributes for more enjoyment, but also more alertness and carefulness. We will visit the passing churches and monasteries, as well as the rest of the passing holly places, where through meditation and prayer we will refill our lost energy. We will use only old topographic maps and compass as helpful tools.
Shugenjo is an ancient Japanese method of exploring the relations between man and nature. Literally translated, Shugenjo means “Way of training and testing”, in other words it is an ascetic discipline which has a goal to achieve self-improvement through living in mountain, meditating under cold river waterfalls, breading exercises in remote unreachable terrains, until reaching unbelievable feats through testing of one’s body and mind’s endurance. Those practicing this method are known by the name Shugenja, and the teaching is practiced in Japan to this day.
The founder of this teaching is considered to be En no Gyoja who lived near Kyoto in the 7th century A.D. Another name, by which the followers of this teaching were known, is Yamabushi or Mountain Warriors. They roamed the mountain tops of the Japanese islands, visiting and protecting the many temples.
These people, together with the deserting Chinese generals after the fall of the Tang dynasty, are considered to be the founders of the art of Ninjutsu.

Subject: Shugenjo’s Way / Spiritual journey

Day: September the 27th 2009 (Sunday)

Place: Lipac – Kokino

Schedule:
07:00 hours – leaving from Skopje
08:00 hours – arriving and starting the march
??.?? – going back

Equipment: Take everything you have, the heavier the better (and safer).

P.S. There is a possibility of encountering wild animals, rain and bad weather conditions, as well as other unforeseeable things.
*Before you enroll search our web-site for some information about the seminar from previous years.