_When I started training in Bujinkan budo taijutsu (then designated as
‘ninpo taijutsu’), I was a fresh-faced young man with a thirst for
knowledge. I didn’t read ninja comics and have designs on wearing
stealthy clothing and dodging caltrops on my way through dingily-lit
castle ramparts.
In my ignorance, I believed ‘ninjitsu’ to be the most effective fighting art in the world. At my secondary school, there was word of this ancient art being illegally taught by Westerners; it was supposed to be banned, due to its heavy emphasis on attack (90% attack, 10% defence).
I was invariably the smallest child in my class at every school I attended. I had no hope of fighting successfully against children who were far bulkier and much more robust than me. My grandfather had taught me the rudimentaries of Western boxing and I’d dabbled in a little karate, when in form two.
However, I disliked the heavy emphasis on punching and felt that I would be overwhelmed by anyone who threw their weight at me and stifled my ability to throw punches from a safe distance. So, in an effort to improve my chances against those who saw me as an easy target, I joined a judo class and studied there for most of my secondary school years. It gave me a certain level of confidence, because I was able to physically test myself and survive against people much bigger and stronger than me.
However, I realised that the strict rules and regulations within judo (which heavily restricted what types of attacks could be used against me and what responses I may use against them) were, in effect, restricting how far I could progress as an exponent of self defence. There were principles and skills within judo that were extremely valuable, but this wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be.
Then, I heard about ‘ninjitsu’ and stumbled upon a teacher of Bujinkan ninpo taijutsu. By now, I’d matriculated from secondary school, gone to university, done some travelling and wound-up still wanting the dream: to be proficient in self defence from a thinking man’s point of view.
What I was told from the very beginning was that Bujinkan taijutsu was the premier self defence skill set as taught by an expert in self defence, world-recognised authority in Japanese warrior techniques and master of nine ancient and battle-tested ninja and Samurai schools (Dr. Hatsumi Masaaki). I spent many hours before and after training asking questions and being told stories about Hatsumi, the Bujinkan, ninjas, ninpo philosophy and self defence in general. Having only ever trained in gendai arts, I was taken-in by the verbal emphasis on practicality and unorthodox means of ensuring survival that were espoused by my Bujinkan instructor and Dr. Hatsumi (based on some of his publications and what I’d been told by people who’d trained at Honbu).
To begin with, the training was very difficult for me. I was constantly berated for being too stiff and reliant on strength (what little of it I had). My years of boxing and playing judo were engrained in my mind and body and, although I could see the ‘sense’ of what my teacher was saying, I found it very difficult to give up my defence and ‘go with the technique’. I also struggled to accept that uke would do the same and allow himself to be taken down or compromised at all by a standing wrist lock or inferred strike. Eventually, however, I lost what my teacher called ‘ego’ and began to rationalise not only the training methodology of his dojo but also the path I was taking toward a perceived excellence in self defence.
As the years rolled by, I became entrenched in the dojo and chiefly responsible for teaching extra classes and indoctrinating new members with what the art was about. That isn’t to say there was brain-washing going on, but there was a clear message of how and why ninpo/budo taijutsu should be trained and it was simply not something that would be easily understood by anyone new to the Bujinkan. I saw so many young men and women come and go, as we endeavoured to mould them into relaxed, unhurried, inventive martial artists with that very particular way of moving and expressing themselves that comes from years of training in the Bujinkan. Every now and then, someone would show particular promise and my teacher would soon invest extra time and effort in them. It was never easy to tell who would stick at it, though. Sometimes the worst beginners flowered into being those who ‘got it’ best of all.
As time went by, I began to question the practicality of how we trained and my teacher’s new-found interest in the concepts of ‘internal energy’ and ‘sakki’ or ‘killer intent’. He began to conduct the sakki test on a regular basis. First, it was only done with me and a couple of other yondans. But, soon, he was using it as a training tool for everyone and as a means of demonstrating to prospective new students the inherent ‘high level’ abilities of the art and what could be achieved with diligent training.
By now, my career saw me travelling abroad to Australia and I soon found Mike Hammond to be the closest in style to my teacher in England.
He was someone who had dealt with violence in his daily profession and I saw in him more practicality than I was seeing back in England at my dojo and at the dojos I had visited for seminars.
This was a revelation to me. But, as I began to look further into what Mike was showing me and after I’d been to the 1998 Daikomyosai and trained at Honbu, I came back to England with more questions than I’d left with. The training in Japan was chiefly different to my dojo in England and yet, in some ways, it was closer.
Mike’s training was much more realistic and concerned with actual scenarios, but my dojo in England had been far more technical and had given me a sound grounding in the Kihon Happo and Sanshin no Kata.
However, as my teacher began to reassess his methods of training, the hundreds of kata that I’d done with him were now being ignored in favour of ‘higher level’ training. I was told by my teacher to ‘drop what you’ve practiced’ and enter a state of ‘subconscious taijutsu’. I could see the rationale behind what he was saying. His point was that static kata and form were of no use in a real fight in their ‘raw sense’. He said that kata was there to teach principles and that only freedom from the restraints of habitual movements and predetermined responses to familiar scenarios was what would allow the truth behind the teachings of Dr. Hatsumi to be realised as actual self defence or ‘protection’, as he liked to call it.
There was logic in this, but I just didn’t see it being borne out in what he was now teaching in a physical sense. It was one thing to espouse practicality but quite another to almost completely depart from mechanical application of techniques and instead focus on theoretical responses to theoretical actions.
This new attitude toward training in Bujinkan taijutsu was the turning point for the dojo. Almost everyone left and soon it was down to just me and a handful of others to come to training. I lost the love for it. I would come to training for the sake of it and out of sympathy for my teacher, who had become a dear friend and who was totally convinced of how the Bujinkan was now meant to be trained.
He’d been to Japan a few times and spent many hours with some of the most experienced students at Honbu. He went on about the ‘naturalness’ of movement and the ‘banpen fugyo’ concept and saw much value in emulating the elements of chi, sui, ka, fu and ku when performing the Joryaku, Geryaku and Churiaku no Maki kata of Gyokko Ryu koshijutsu (which he now did in very loose senses and often changed considerably). He became more and more critical of how others trained and left the Bujinkan to start his own school.
I had the advantage of spending half my time in Australia, so I wasn’t as closed to what was happening elsewhere as were the other long-serving members of my dojo. Soon, however, Mike Hammond left the Bujinkan and I stopped training with him.
In my ignorance, I believed ‘ninjitsu’ to be the most effective fighting art in the world. At my secondary school, there was word of this ancient art being illegally taught by Westerners; it was supposed to be banned, due to its heavy emphasis on attack (90% attack, 10% defence).
I was invariably the smallest child in my class at every school I attended. I had no hope of fighting successfully against children who were far bulkier and much more robust than me. My grandfather had taught me the rudimentaries of Western boxing and I’d dabbled in a little karate, when in form two.
However, I disliked the heavy emphasis on punching and felt that I would be overwhelmed by anyone who threw their weight at me and stifled my ability to throw punches from a safe distance. So, in an effort to improve my chances against those who saw me as an easy target, I joined a judo class and studied there for most of my secondary school years. It gave me a certain level of confidence, because I was able to physically test myself and survive against people much bigger and stronger than me.
However, I realised that the strict rules and regulations within judo (which heavily restricted what types of attacks could be used against me and what responses I may use against them) were, in effect, restricting how far I could progress as an exponent of self defence. There were principles and skills within judo that were extremely valuable, but this wasn’t what I’d hoped it would be.
Then, I heard about ‘ninjitsu’ and stumbled upon a teacher of Bujinkan ninpo taijutsu. By now, I’d matriculated from secondary school, gone to university, done some travelling and wound-up still wanting the dream: to be proficient in self defence from a thinking man’s point of view.
What I was told from the very beginning was that Bujinkan taijutsu was the premier self defence skill set as taught by an expert in self defence, world-recognised authority in Japanese warrior techniques and master of nine ancient and battle-tested ninja and Samurai schools (Dr. Hatsumi Masaaki). I spent many hours before and after training asking questions and being told stories about Hatsumi, the Bujinkan, ninjas, ninpo philosophy and self defence in general. Having only ever trained in gendai arts, I was taken-in by the verbal emphasis on practicality and unorthodox means of ensuring survival that were espoused by my Bujinkan instructor and Dr. Hatsumi (based on some of his publications and what I’d been told by people who’d trained at Honbu).
To begin with, the training was very difficult for me. I was constantly berated for being too stiff and reliant on strength (what little of it I had). My years of boxing and playing judo were engrained in my mind and body and, although I could see the ‘sense’ of what my teacher was saying, I found it very difficult to give up my defence and ‘go with the technique’. I also struggled to accept that uke would do the same and allow himself to be taken down or compromised at all by a standing wrist lock or inferred strike. Eventually, however, I lost what my teacher called ‘ego’ and began to rationalise not only the training methodology of his dojo but also the path I was taking toward a perceived excellence in self defence.
As the years rolled by, I became entrenched in the dojo and chiefly responsible for teaching extra classes and indoctrinating new members with what the art was about. That isn’t to say there was brain-washing going on, but there was a clear message of how and why ninpo/budo taijutsu should be trained and it was simply not something that would be easily understood by anyone new to the Bujinkan. I saw so many young men and women come and go, as we endeavoured to mould them into relaxed, unhurried, inventive martial artists with that very particular way of moving and expressing themselves that comes from years of training in the Bujinkan. Every now and then, someone would show particular promise and my teacher would soon invest extra time and effort in them. It was never easy to tell who would stick at it, though. Sometimes the worst beginners flowered into being those who ‘got it’ best of all.
As time went by, I began to question the practicality of how we trained and my teacher’s new-found interest in the concepts of ‘internal energy’ and ‘sakki’ or ‘killer intent’. He began to conduct the sakki test on a regular basis. First, it was only done with me and a couple of other yondans. But, soon, he was using it as a training tool for everyone and as a means of demonstrating to prospective new students the inherent ‘high level’ abilities of the art and what could be achieved with diligent training.
By now, my career saw me travelling abroad to Australia and I soon found Mike Hammond to be the closest in style to my teacher in England.
He was someone who had dealt with violence in his daily profession and I saw in him more practicality than I was seeing back in England at my dojo and at the dojos I had visited for seminars.
This was a revelation to me. But, as I began to look further into what Mike was showing me and after I’d been to the 1998 Daikomyosai and trained at Honbu, I came back to England with more questions than I’d left with. The training in Japan was chiefly different to my dojo in England and yet, in some ways, it was closer.
Mike’s training was much more realistic and concerned with actual scenarios, but my dojo in England had been far more technical and had given me a sound grounding in the Kihon Happo and Sanshin no Kata.
However, as my teacher began to reassess his methods of training, the hundreds of kata that I’d done with him were now being ignored in favour of ‘higher level’ training. I was told by my teacher to ‘drop what you’ve practiced’ and enter a state of ‘subconscious taijutsu’. I could see the rationale behind what he was saying. His point was that static kata and form were of no use in a real fight in their ‘raw sense’. He said that kata was there to teach principles and that only freedom from the restraints of habitual movements and predetermined responses to familiar scenarios was what would allow the truth behind the teachings of Dr. Hatsumi to be realised as actual self defence or ‘protection’, as he liked to call it.
There was logic in this, but I just didn’t see it being borne out in what he was now teaching in a physical sense. It was one thing to espouse practicality but quite another to almost completely depart from mechanical application of techniques and instead focus on theoretical responses to theoretical actions.
This new attitude toward training in Bujinkan taijutsu was the turning point for the dojo. Almost everyone left and soon it was down to just me and a handful of others to come to training. I lost the love for it. I would come to training for the sake of it and out of sympathy for my teacher, who had become a dear friend and who was totally convinced of how the Bujinkan was now meant to be trained.
He’d been to Japan a few times and spent many hours with some of the most experienced students at Honbu. He went on about the ‘naturalness’ of movement and the ‘banpen fugyo’ concept and saw much value in emulating the elements of chi, sui, ka, fu and ku when performing the Joryaku, Geryaku and Churiaku no Maki kata of Gyokko Ryu koshijutsu (which he now did in very loose senses and often changed considerably). He became more and more critical of how others trained and left the Bujinkan to start his own school.
I had the advantage of spending half my time in Australia, so I wasn’t as closed to what was happening elsewhere as were the other long-serving members of my dojo. Soon, however, Mike Hammond left the Bujinkan and I stopped training with him.
Jul 20, 2010
Mike Hammond Gyokko Ryu Seminar by bryn orr
This weekend just gone I attended the Ninjutsu Seminar run by Jissen Dojos International in conjunction with Takanoha Dojos Australia.
The presenter was Australian Ninjutsu pioneer and 10th Dan, Mike Hammond. Some folks might remember Mike from Blitz Magazine articles during the 90's. Mike has a strong background in Close Personal Protection, Emergency Medicine and Education, as well as the martial arts.
Saturday started with Introductions and was followed by Mike demonstrating the Kosshijutsu of the Gyokko Ryu system. Mike's medical background was evident in his accurate descriptions of the anatomical landmarks used to find the intented targets.
A huge variety of points were covered, most demonstrated with painful effectiveness on me. I didn't mind as I'd volunteered, as feeling is believing! When the technique is done on you, you know where the target is, how to attack it and exactly how effective it is. We covered targets ranging from fingers, to ears, subscapular plexus, brachial plexus, insertions of bicep and triceps, thumbs, mastoid process and a whole lot more.
Other topics covered included the stances and basic receiving techniques of the kosshi sanpo, sanshin and torite goho. These were shown at a beginner level but also at a advanced level (ie blackbelt). Also covered were the Go Dai 5 element attitudes in combat, using the same technique but changing its 'flavour' with the different elements.
Some of the esoteric facets of ninjutsu were covered, including the healing side of ninjutsu and exercises based around the Sakki test.
Footwork was covered in great detail.
We practiced grappling and anti-grappling techniques, which Mike had learned a BJJ practitioner associated with the Gracie Family.
We covered knife defense and disarms. These Mike neatly summed up as 'IOU'; inside, outside and underneath.
Mike also entertained us with stories from the early days of ninjutsu, both in Australia and on from his travels to Japan to train with Soke Hatsumi and other senior Shihan. Mike also passed on anecdotes and advice from Soke Hatsumi.
I thoroughly enjoyed the seminar, the first Mike has consented to teach in nearly a decade. It is a testament to Sensei Johnstone for his tenacity and persistence. It is also a testament to the mutual respect between Sensei Hammond and Sensei Johnstone.
Hopeful we will get to do it all again next year.
Mike Hammond Gyokko Ryu Seminar by bryn orr
This weekend just gone I attended the Ninjutsu Seminar run by Jissen Dojos International in conjunction with Takanoha Dojos Australia.
The presenter was Australian Ninjutsu pioneer and 10th Dan, Mike Hammond. Some folks might remember Mike from Blitz Magazine articles during the 90's. Mike has a strong background in Close Personal Protection, Emergency Medicine and Education, as well as the martial arts.
Saturday started with Introductions and was followed by Mike demonstrating the Kosshijutsu of the Gyokko Ryu system. Mike's medical background was evident in his accurate descriptions of the anatomical landmarks used to find the intented targets.
A huge variety of points were covered, most demonstrated with painful effectiveness on me. I didn't mind as I'd volunteered, as feeling is believing! When the technique is done on you, you know where the target is, how to attack it and exactly how effective it is. We covered targets ranging from fingers, to ears, subscapular plexus, brachial plexus, insertions of bicep and triceps, thumbs, mastoid process and a whole lot more.
Other topics covered included the stances and basic receiving techniques of the kosshi sanpo, sanshin and torite goho. These were shown at a beginner level but also at a advanced level (ie blackbelt). Also covered were the Go Dai 5 element attitudes in combat, using the same technique but changing its 'flavour' with the different elements.
Some of the esoteric facets of ninjutsu were covered, including the healing side of ninjutsu and exercises based around the Sakki test.
Footwork was covered in great detail.
We practiced grappling and anti-grappling techniques, which Mike had learned a BJJ practitioner associated with the Gracie Family.
We covered knife defense and disarms. These Mike neatly summed up as 'IOU'; inside, outside and underneath.
Mike also entertained us with stories from the early days of ninjutsu, both in Australia and on from his travels to Japan to train with Soke Hatsumi and other senior Shihan. Mike also passed on anecdotes and advice from Soke Hatsumi.
I thoroughly enjoyed the seminar, the first Mike has consented to teach in nearly a decade. It is a testament to Sensei Johnstone for his tenacity and persistence. It is also a testament to the mutual respect between Sensei Hammond and Sensei Johnstone.
Hopeful we will get to do it all again next year.
_
The Realist Part 2 Written by Ben Stone
Paul Johnstone: making traditonal martial arts meet reality head-on Paul Johnstone is somewhat of an oddity in the martial arts scene. On one side, he has forged a career on the front line with the Australian Federal Police and in teaching defensive tactics methods, formed from his study of reality-based combat methods such as Senshido and the Israeli military system, Kapap.
On the other side, he teaches the ancient arts of Japan’s Bujinkan ninjutsu system — a style that has long been the target of sledges about its impracticality from the reality-based training fraternity. In part two of this interview, Johnstone tells how he melds these methods in his teaching and shares more of the philosophies he’s forged in over 25 years in martial arts.
Paul, where has your martial arts/defensive tactics career taken you over the years?
I’ve been very fortunate to have travelled throughout Australia and the world to further my own knowledge, and to have had the honour to teach both martial arts and defensive tactics to people from various cultures and backgrounds, and from all walks of life. It’s a very broad spectrum, from training the local Girl Guides to training bodyguard teams, and special police and military personnel throughout the world.
What’s the most positive thing you have experienced in your travels?
First and foremost, it is the people with whom I’ve had the pleasure to meet and train, and the openness and appreciation that I have received, knowing that
I’ve helped them in some small way.
The second part of this answer is that it has made me a much better person who has an open mind and open heart. I look at things completely differently these days in all aspects of my life, both personally and professionally. I have seen both the good and the evil in people throughout the world, and have seen first-hand the effects of violence on victims and their families.
I believe in networking with other honest, hardworking and dedicated professionals from within Australia and around the world, and no matter what style or system we train in or teach, we can all help each other learn and grow. Unfortunately, I sometimes think that is lacking in 2009.
Japan’s Bujinkan chief instructor Grandmaster Hatsumi seems a somewhat enigmatic man and, from what I hear, most who go to Japan these days do not train with him, but with his assistants, the Shihans at the honbu. Have you trained with him personally, and if so, how did you find the experience?
I have had the pleasure to have trained under Grandmaster Hatsumi on a number of occasions during my visits to Japan and I have much respect for him, both as a person and as a teacher.
I first met Hatsumi Sensei at the 1996 Taikai (training camp) and was given the privilege to take part in a demonstration honouring him during his birthday celebrations. The demonstration was in relation to the use of ninjutsu in modern special forces unarmed combat training and included Sensei Mike Hammond, who at that time had trained members of the elite NSW Police State Protection Group, and Sensei Alex Mordine, who was a former US Military Special Forces Officer who had seen combat in the Middle East and Grenada.
At the end of the night I was introduced to Hatsumi Sensei and during our conversation, he placed his hand on my chest and said, “Good heart”.
In 2005 I was personally awarded my teaching licence by Hatsumi Sensei and congratulated for opening a Bujinkan dojo in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Hatsumi Sensei and said that I was the first ninjutsu instructor since Takamatsu Toshitsuga (Bujinkan’s 33rd Soke) to teach ninjutsu in mainland China.
We are very fortunate that the Grandmaster is still alive to seek further training and knowledge, however, it is very unfortunate that Hatsumi Sensei has never returned to Australia since the early 1990s to conduct further seminars.
Many in the Bujinkan may not be aware of the hard work and dedication of Australian ninjutsu pioneers such as Mike Hammond and Ed Lomax to bring Hatsumi Sensei to Australia in the 1990s. However, after that all further attempts were hampered by underlying politics and egos from across various sections of the Australian Bujinkan community.
I believe that ninjutsu has gone full circle and there has been a resurgence in its popularity, and in its interest as a comprehensive and effective martial art.
Furthermore, I find that people are still very interested in the esoteric elements of the art and its history and traditions.
While very different to ninjutsu, reality-based self-defence systems like Senshido, Hock Hocheim’s Scientific Fighting Congress (SFC) and Kapap seem to be designed to address the same sorts of problems and have very similar focus and content as each other. Is that the case, and is there any particular reason you have not chosen to teach one over the other?
As I previously mentioned, while I am a teacher, I am really just a student in life and believe that we can all learn from each other, no matter if we learn from ourselves, our peers, our students, other styles or through life experiences. All reality-based self-defence systems are designed for the same problem: confronting violence and surviving, both mentally and physically, by utilising practical and effective techniques that will work under stress and do not require fine motor skills. Furthermore, the concepts allow for the conditioning and development of a positive mindset.
I often recall the first day I marched into the Parachute Training School in Nowra to commence my military parachute course. There was a large sign with the encouraging words “Knowledge Dispels Fear”. Several weeks later, when I had both survived jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft and being awarded my parachute wings, I reflected on what those words really meant. Since then I have always utilised those three words both in my professional and private life. Several years ago while teaching in China, I was asked to attend a large demonstration of martial arts skills from a special unit of the People’s Armed Police Force. At the completion of a spectacular display of skills and fitness, I was asked on the spot to lecture for three hours straight to the 5,000 police officers in attendance. Those three words really put everything into perspective that afternoon. If you are confident in your own ability and knowledge, then it will overcome whatever fear is placed in your path.
Over the past several years I have included the word ‘shared’ as I now believe that ‘shared knowledge dispels fear’. By sharing the very best of what Kapap, Senshido, ninjutsu and Hock’s SFC have to offer, I am able to incorporate that into a comprehensive and effective training curriculum that my students can effectively learn and retain while under stress.
Now, this question I ask all instructors who teach combative skills to foreign armies or police: how do you ensure your training is going to the right people, and not regimes who may employ it in ways that abuse human rights?
Over the past 20 years I’ve trained thousands of security, close personal protection, law-enforcement, military and police personnel from various countries.
Not once during this time have I considered what I was doing as morally wrong and nor have I questioned myself or thought of my training as being in the wrong hands. In all cases, the type of training I have conducted was for the peace, security and stability of that particular country, or for personnel deploying to dangerous regions throughout the world.
So, do you have a specific process that you use to determine this?
Very much so. There are particular organisations and countries in the world that I would never offer my training to, no matter what the circumstances were. I follow my intuition, ensure my research is accurate and at the end of the day if I believe that my skills would be used for the wrong reasons then I wouldn’t pursue the matter any further and would turn around and walk away. Those that know me understand that I am a person of the highest integrity, honesty and most importantly, loyalty to my family, friends, students and to my country. Nothing in this world is worth losing all of that.
What about China, a place where there have even recently been some human rights issues to do with the put-down of protests by people whose homes were taken to make way for Beijing Olympics building works? Can you describe what your role was in teaching government forces there?
The training that has been conducted in China has previously been sanctioned and approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as other government departments.
To give you a brief outline where it all started, we go back to 1999 when I was invited to China as a member of a training and education/law-enforcement delegation to look at the training and use-of-force policies used by the Chinese police and military units tasked to control the rise in crime and the increase of deaths and serious injury to police officers. As an example, in 1995 there were over 500 Chinese police officers killed in the line of duty, and about 2500 injured. In many cases, complacency and lack of training was the main reason and the training curriculum was inadequate.
Both myself and Eddie Wazen were asked to conduct training in use of-force procedures, defensive tactics and officer safety. Initially, we conducted training seminars for over 7000 police officers throughout China, including the prestigious Beijing People’s Police College (a similar concept to the United States FBI Academy), were honoured as visiting professors and approved by both the Chinese government and Ministry of Public Security.
Subsequently, after having an active part in the planning and security for various VIPs and facilities during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, we were again invited back to China to conduct further training, including Close Personal Protection, and have been invited back each year to teach ninjutsu, Street-Edge Defensive Tactics and Kapap.
Several years ago Eddie relocated his business to Beijing and has now established a training and risk-assessment consultancy while also representing my ninjutsu and Street-Edge Defensive Tactics training school.
From the information we have received, there appears to be no evidence that the training we have provided for the Chinese has in any way been used against their own law-abiding people, and in particular those people that had their homes and lives destroyed by the government as a direct response to the preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. But then again, no-one can ever be certain that they have only ever trained law-abiding people and those that will not abuse what they have learnt, no matter if it’s in the finance sector, business world or martial arts.
So what plans do you have for the rest of 2009 — any seminars or overseas deployments coming up?
The rest of 2009 will be a busy period as we are currently planning to bring Albert Timen and Avi Nardia out to Australia for the Kapap Instructor Training course in November. We are also preparing to again bring Hock Hochheim out to Australia again in February 2010.
In September we released our updated Edged Weapon Awareness and Defence program, and travelled back to China to train the Chinese police in Kapap.
My student and friend Jason Watson is currently in Afghanistan and is the senior instructor for our Street-Edge training in the Middle East. He is currently in talks with US military personnel to conduct training programs for them in-country.
We are also in the final stages of implementing the Street-Edge Defensive Tactics Instructor Program for current instructors of both traditional and reality-based systems who would like to complement their current training curriculum. My other long-term project is writing a book and developing a DVD on the implications of edged-weapon attacks and defensive measures.
The Realist Part 2 Written by Ben Stone
Paul Johnstone: making traditonal martial arts meet reality head-on Paul Johnstone is somewhat of an oddity in the martial arts scene. On one side, he has forged a career on the front line with the Australian Federal Police and in teaching defensive tactics methods, formed from his study of reality-based combat methods such as Senshido and the Israeli military system, Kapap.
On the other side, he teaches the ancient arts of Japan’s Bujinkan ninjutsu system — a style that has long been the target of sledges about its impracticality from the reality-based training fraternity. In part two of this interview, Johnstone tells how he melds these methods in his teaching and shares more of the philosophies he’s forged in over 25 years in martial arts.
Paul, where has your martial arts/defensive tactics career taken you over the years?
I’ve been very fortunate to have travelled throughout Australia and the world to further my own knowledge, and to have had the honour to teach both martial arts and defensive tactics to people from various cultures and backgrounds, and from all walks of life. It’s a very broad spectrum, from training the local Girl Guides to training bodyguard teams, and special police and military personnel throughout the world.
What’s the most positive thing you have experienced in your travels?
First and foremost, it is the people with whom I’ve had the pleasure to meet and train, and the openness and appreciation that I have received, knowing that
I’ve helped them in some small way.
The second part of this answer is that it has made me a much better person who has an open mind and open heart. I look at things completely differently these days in all aspects of my life, both personally and professionally. I have seen both the good and the evil in people throughout the world, and have seen first-hand the effects of violence on victims and their families.
I believe in networking with other honest, hardworking and dedicated professionals from within Australia and around the world, and no matter what style or system we train in or teach, we can all help each other learn and grow. Unfortunately, I sometimes think that is lacking in 2009.
Japan’s Bujinkan chief instructor Grandmaster Hatsumi seems a somewhat enigmatic man and, from what I hear, most who go to Japan these days do not train with him, but with his assistants, the Shihans at the honbu. Have you trained with him personally, and if so, how did you find the experience?
I have had the pleasure to have trained under Grandmaster Hatsumi on a number of occasions during my visits to Japan and I have much respect for him, both as a person and as a teacher.
I first met Hatsumi Sensei at the 1996 Taikai (training camp) and was given the privilege to take part in a demonstration honouring him during his birthday celebrations. The demonstration was in relation to the use of ninjutsu in modern special forces unarmed combat training and included Sensei Mike Hammond, who at that time had trained members of the elite NSW Police State Protection Group, and Sensei Alex Mordine, who was a former US Military Special Forces Officer who had seen combat in the Middle East and Grenada.
At the end of the night I was introduced to Hatsumi Sensei and during our conversation, he placed his hand on my chest and said, “Good heart”.
In 2005 I was personally awarded my teaching licence by Hatsumi Sensei and congratulated for opening a Bujinkan dojo in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. Hatsumi Sensei and said that I was the first ninjutsu instructor since Takamatsu Toshitsuga (Bujinkan’s 33rd Soke) to teach ninjutsu in mainland China.
We are very fortunate that the Grandmaster is still alive to seek further training and knowledge, however, it is very unfortunate that Hatsumi Sensei has never returned to Australia since the early 1990s to conduct further seminars.
Many in the Bujinkan may not be aware of the hard work and dedication of Australian ninjutsu pioneers such as Mike Hammond and Ed Lomax to bring Hatsumi Sensei to Australia in the 1990s. However, after that all further attempts were hampered by underlying politics and egos from across various sections of the Australian Bujinkan community.
I believe that ninjutsu has gone full circle and there has been a resurgence in its popularity, and in its interest as a comprehensive and effective martial art.
Furthermore, I find that people are still very interested in the esoteric elements of the art and its history and traditions.
While very different to ninjutsu, reality-based self-defence systems like Senshido, Hock Hocheim’s Scientific Fighting Congress (SFC) and Kapap seem to be designed to address the same sorts of problems and have very similar focus and content as each other. Is that the case, and is there any particular reason you have not chosen to teach one over the other?
As I previously mentioned, while I am a teacher, I am really just a student in life and believe that we can all learn from each other, no matter if we learn from ourselves, our peers, our students, other styles or through life experiences. All reality-based self-defence systems are designed for the same problem: confronting violence and surviving, both mentally and physically, by utilising practical and effective techniques that will work under stress and do not require fine motor skills. Furthermore, the concepts allow for the conditioning and development of a positive mindset.
I often recall the first day I marched into the Parachute Training School in Nowra to commence my military parachute course. There was a large sign with the encouraging words “Knowledge Dispels Fear”. Several weeks later, when I had both survived jumping out of a perfectly good aircraft and being awarded my parachute wings, I reflected on what those words really meant. Since then I have always utilised those three words both in my professional and private life. Several years ago while teaching in China, I was asked to attend a large demonstration of martial arts skills from a special unit of the People’s Armed Police Force. At the completion of a spectacular display of skills and fitness, I was asked on the spot to lecture for three hours straight to the 5,000 police officers in attendance. Those three words really put everything into perspective that afternoon. If you are confident in your own ability and knowledge, then it will overcome whatever fear is placed in your path.
Over the past several years I have included the word ‘shared’ as I now believe that ‘shared knowledge dispels fear’. By sharing the very best of what Kapap, Senshido, ninjutsu and Hock’s SFC have to offer, I am able to incorporate that into a comprehensive and effective training curriculum that my students can effectively learn and retain while under stress.
Now, this question I ask all instructors who teach combative skills to foreign armies or police: how do you ensure your training is going to the right people, and not regimes who may employ it in ways that abuse human rights?
Over the past 20 years I’ve trained thousands of security, close personal protection, law-enforcement, military and police personnel from various countries.
Not once during this time have I considered what I was doing as morally wrong and nor have I questioned myself or thought of my training as being in the wrong hands. In all cases, the type of training I have conducted was for the peace, security and stability of that particular country, or for personnel deploying to dangerous regions throughout the world.
So, do you have a specific process that you use to determine this?
Very much so. There are particular organisations and countries in the world that I would never offer my training to, no matter what the circumstances were. I follow my intuition, ensure my research is accurate and at the end of the day if I believe that my skills would be used for the wrong reasons then I wouldn’t pursue the matter any further and would turn around and walk away. Those that know me understand that I am a person of the highest integrity, honesty and most importantly, loyalty to my family, friends, students and to my country. Nothing in this world is worth losing all of that.
What about China, a place where there have even recently been some human rights issues to do with the put-down of protests by people whose homes were taken to make way for Beijing Olympics building works? Can you describe what your role was in teaching government forces there?
The training that has been conducted in China has previously been sanctioned and approved by the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as other government departments.
To give you a brief outline where it all started, we go back to 1999 when I was invited to China as a member of a training and education/law-enforcement delegation to look at the training and use-of-force policies used by the Chinese police and military units tasked to control the rise in crime and the increase of deaths and serious injury to police officers. As an example, in 1995 there were over 500 Chinese police officers killed in the line of duty, and about 2500 injured. In many cases, complacency and lack of training was the main reason and the training curriculum was inadequate.
Both myself and Eddie Wazen were asked to conduct training in use of-force procedures, defensive tactics and officer safety. Initially, we conducted training seminars for over 7000 police officers throughout China, including the prestigious Beijing People’s Police College (a similar concept to the United States FBI Academy), were honoured as visiting professors and approved by both the Chinese government and Ministry of Public Security.
Subsequently, after having an active part in the planning and security for various VIPs and facilities during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, we were again invited back to China to conduct further training, including Close Personal Protection, and have been invited back each year to teach ninjutsu, Street-Edge Defensive Tactics and Kapap.
Several years ago Eddie relocated his business to Beijing and has now established a training and risk-assessment consultancy while also representing my ninjutsu and Street-Edge Defensive Tactics training school.
From the information we have received, there appears to be no evidence that the training we have provided for the Chinese has in any way been used against their own law-abiding people, and in particular those people that had their homes and lives destroyed by the government as a direct response to the preparations for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. But then again, no-one can ever be certain that they have only ever trained law-abiding people and those that will not abuse what they have learnt, no matter if it’s in the finance sector, business world or martial arts.
So what plans do you have for the rest of 2009 — any seminars or overseas deployments coming up?
The rest of 2009 will be a busy period as we are currently planning to bring Albert Timen and Avi Nardia out to Australia for the Kapap Instructor Training course in November. We are also preparing to again bring Hock Hochheim out to Australia again in February 2010.
In September we released our updated Edged Weapon Awareness and Defence program, and travelled back to China to train the Chinese police in Kapap.
My student and friend Jason Watson is currently in Afghanistan and is the senior instructor for our Street-Edge training in the Middle East. He is currently in talks with US military personnel to conduct training programs for them in-country.
We are also in the final stages of implementing the Street-Edge Defensive Tactics Instructor Program for current instructors of both traditional and reality-based systems who would like to complement their current training curriculum. My other long-term project is writing a book and developing a DVD on the implications of edged-weapon attacks and defensive measures.
