Howard County Bujinkan

Columbia, Maryland

http://www.howardcountybujinkan.com

Class Training Procedures

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The main purpose of this martial art is the protection of life. The lives of yourself, your family, your friends, strangers and even criminals should be protected if at all possible, given your martial arts skill level.

The Guidelines for participation in the Bujinkan required by Masaaki Hatsumi-Soke are attached and must be followed. As a clarification of item #2 in these guidelines, you shall obtain a physician’s examination report to determine your physical and mental fitness to participate in a strenuous martial arts training program. The report may be kept private and confidential to yourself.

Also, as per the Guidelines, individuals with known criminal records will be turned away. As a clarification, no criminal background investigations will be performed by Howard County Bujinkan.

Each martial arts practitioner is responsible for his/her own safety and the safety of his/her training partners.

As a member of Howard County Bujinkan, photocopies of your annual Bujinkan membership card and your most recent Bujinkan rank certificate shall be kept on file with Howard County Bujinkan.

Our classes will begin with formal courtesies between the Bujinkan Licensed Black Belt Instructor and the participants. Warm-up and stretching exercises such as rolling or basic Kihon Gata or San Shin exercises will be performed.

Each participant must inform his/her training partners of injuries or special concerns prior to performing training exercises with these partners.

Class training shall include the demonstration and practice of various techniques, katas, throws, drills or other exercises to improve skills in self- protection and the protection of others.

Simulated weapons such as a wooden or plastic knife, wooden or bamboo sword, polyester or cotton rope, soft rubber throwing stars, or wood staffs may be used for light contact during training. Simulated weapons must be padded for extra protection if used with moderate contact. No metal weapons may be used for training, even if they have no sharp edges.

Light contact shall be defined as contact with a force that can be felt but does not exceed the force equivalent to break a 1” thick x 4” x 10” pine board held at the 4” wide edges that are parallel to the grain. Sample boards will be presented to each student for striking at the start of training and periodically thereafter. No kicks to the head are permitted at any time.

Free sparring is not a customary practice of Howard County Bujinkan. Free sparring may be performed only with the direct supervision of a licensed Black Belt Instructor. Free sparring may be performed only if each participant is wearing a mouthpiece, padded head gear, padded gloves and a groin cup (males) or a protective bra (females).

Our classes will end with formal courtesies between the instructor and participants.