Are the people who run these schools actually nice? It sounds like they expect you to be able to cut someone down in a real sword battle if you want to really be accepted. Do they train you to have no fear? Having no fear in battle isn't that easy, but at least with Karate they have full contact fighting to train you. The Bujinkan doesn't accept people for a lot of minor reasons, which makes them sound hardcore. Maybe kenjutsu is to hard core for me. The question is do these people appear the kind of people that would be able to slice someone's head off in this day an age? Classical schools often seem ridiculously elitist and unrealistic.
Well that's certainly a loaded first post isn't it? The people I've met who do Koryu are some of the nicest and good hearted I've ever met. However like every area in life you will get a range of individuals. What is your experience with koryu?
I haven't practiced a koryu style, but I've heard of some funny experiences with bujinkan (e.g. being rejected for not having the right intellectual reason for wanting to join). They aren't koryu but they are similar. In fairness to Bujinkan, not all instructers are like this, but the Honbu does reject people who don't fulfill their serious criteria. I guess the question is more concerning the japanese masters. Some people think that if you cant defeat a person with a real sword in combat, then you shouldn't be standing there with a black belt. Koryu is more bushido so they sound more serious.
Do you have an example? You heard? Or you met one or more? Examples? Not even sure what you mean? Who have you been listening to??
Well maybe keep the Bujinkan bit to the Ninjutsu forum, you'll have more of a chance to answer. In my experience the general Bujinkan and Koryu aren't very similar at all. As for the last part could you tell us where you have heard these ideas and what they are based on?
well the bujinkan states in its dojo kun that it will reject the mentally ill and physically ill. Maybe they have some lee-way. A friend of mine tried to attend a bujnkan school (the guy aint bujinkan anymore but broke away) but was knocked back after being told that he wanted to join the military. The same teacher stated on his website that he has rejected people for not giving a good reason. This is a true story.
sorry for the bad english.. what I meant to say was that my friend told the instructor that he was planning to join the military.
Lovely. Right about Koryu. Care to have a good discussion or are we going to carry on as it is? What do you actually want to know? You'll note that this forum is usually moderated with an iron fist, so please think carefully about what path you want this to go down.
Do other arts actively encourage violently mentally ill people I wonder? Or maybe just people with dangerous and currently contagious illnesses come and run around the place. Maybe "your friend" seemed to want to just hurt people so was turned away. Or maybe the story is untrue or distorted. It happens. Also you have read the dojo kun because you want to join, I'm guessing, but you are concerned you may be turned away? WHy do you feel you would be turned away? Is there something specific you feel would cause you a problem?
Hey Hatori, Are you considering Koryu as a fallback because you couldn't meet the entry criteria for the Bujinkan?
No. I abhor violence, but I have a history of mental illness. I find it quite discriminatory, but I suppose it's their school and they are entitled to have whatever rules they like.
I think the point is there are harder schools out there that wont subject individuals to this kind of selection scrutiny. It is elitist, but most dont consider these schools elite. Your statement about mentally ill and contagious diseases is misinformed, as the dojo kun is general, and plenty of people fall into these categories. I'm not going to state who said what because you are going to have to take my word for it. Why would i lie? I'm not interested in naming individuals and slandering them. I asked a legitimate question why riddle it? Some instructors will think you are wasting your time if you can't slice someone into pieces, since this is what you are practising for.
Errrr...you are taking a certain view of mental illness I believe. What could be meant, possibly, that people who are mentally ill in such a way that they pose a danger to themselves or others. What you are reading is a translation remember. What if it was more like this: Are depressed people turned away. I don't think so. Are OCD people turned away? Not that I've heard. Are people with an obsession with death and sharp pointy things with a history of violence turned away? Most probably. Would you think that is fair?
