Howard County Bujinkan

Columbia, Maryland

http://www.howardcountybujinkan.com

Training Philosophy

We train in a safe and noncompetitive manner to improve our physical and mental skills in the art of Budo Taijutsu as taught by Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi. Personal progress and positive contributions to the protection of life throughout society are important goals of our training.

About Shidoshi Victor G. Hare

In 1982, I started training in the martial arts with Master Instructor Will Maier. The style of art being studied shifted from Tae Kwon Do to Bujinkan Ninjutsu in 1984. Through the years, several other instructors have also been extremely helpful in giving me excellent advice and guidance. These master instructors include Stephen K. Hayes, Jack Hoban and Bud Malmstrom. The late Brooks Bingham (Bing) Ford also provided much insight into life from his global perspective.

Victor and Soke – 1995 Tai Kai Washington, D.C. & Maryland, USA

My training with Hatsumi Soke has included several trips to Japan starting in 1989 and several Tai Kai’s in the USA and Europe. My training in the USA has also included the first Buyu camp in San Francisco, several Shadows of Iga festivals, and many seminars by Jack Hoban, by Bud Malmstrom and assorted Bujinkan master instructors. My weekly training here in Howard County with Will Maier and his very talented staff for 20 years has been the foundation of my knowledge in this art. With Mr. Maier’s relocation to Arizona, I will continue to learn and share knowledge in this art taught by Hatsumi Soke.

My work profession is that of a civil engineer. I specialize in the structural evaluation of buildings for owners, buyers, insurance companies and real estate management firms. Building problems are located, studied and repair designs are prepared to solve the problems. Quality control inspections are often performed to verify compliance with the repair designs.

Another aspect of my work is my service on the FEMA Search and Rescue team based in Montgomery County, Maryland. I am one of several engineers who provide structural advice and design work for the team during collapsed building rescues. I have helped rescue trapped people in utility trench cave-ins here in Maryland. Also, I served with the team during the rescue work performed in the April 19, 1995 Murrah Federal Building bombing collapse in Oklahoma City and in the Sept. 11, 2001 Pentagon Terrorist attack and building collapse in Arlington, Virginia. We train to improve our disaster assistance skills and hope that there will be no future disasters that need our help.

Carole Carey and I have enjoyed our many years together. We have family and friends all over this country and around the world. We look forward to many more years training in the Bujinkan, traveling and enjoying life together.