The Bujinkan Omaha Shibu located in Omaha, Nebraska is a licensed study group that operates as a satellite of the Bujinkan Happo Dojo under the close supervision of Shidoshi Don Houle. Through this association our Shibu (study group) is authorized to practice and learn the 9 traditional ryuha’s passed down from generation to generation. All ranking we receive is licensed through Soke Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi of the Bujinkan Hombu Dojo in
Noda City, Japan.

The following is a list of the historical ryu-ha's:

Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu - 34th Soke Hidden door School
Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu - 28th Soke Jeweled Tiger School
Koto Ryu Koppojutsu - 18th Soke Tiger Knocking Down School
Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu - 17th Soke High Tree, Raised Heart School
Kukishinden Ryu Happo Hinkenjutsu – 28th Soke Nine Demons School
Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu - 26th Soke Immoveable Heart School
Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu - 15th Soke Truth, Loyalty, and Justice School
Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo - 14th Soke Hiding in the Clouds School
Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo - 21st Soke Jeweled Heart School


What is the Bujinkan………………………………..

The Bujinkan is a collaboration of the 9 disciplines or schools. Six are considered traditional samurai disciplines, while the other three are authentic ninjutsu traditions. The individual practitioner is exposed to body conditioning through constant training in leaping, striking, grappling, philosophy and traditional Japanese weapons.

As with most traditional Japanese Budo arts, there is no form of sport competition within the Bujinkan, leaving the individual to practice at the pace comparable for the material being learned. The practitioner is not forced to participate in any activity, rather with time, the practitioner begins to recognize changes in their own body and mind as it adapts to a much stronger state.

The Bujinkan follows the Dan/Kyu format of most Japanese Budo arts. As a symbolization of the beginning stages, the beginning practitioner starts with a high level kyu rank (Mukyu=10th kyu) and trickle down to a low kyu rank (1st kyu). The Dan ranks continue the progression of learning but range from a low rank to a high rank.

What is Budo……………………………………….

The study of Japanese Martial Arts has been divided among two eras. These eras consist of the Martial ways prior to and after the Meiji Restoration of 1868AD. Martial Arts formed after the year 1868, are recognized as Martial Sport Arts. However, disciplines formed before the Meiji Restoration of 1868 are considered Japanese Budo.

The root word “Bu” stands for the Japanese warrior of its time (primarily the Samurai). Subsequently, the word “do” represents the “way of/study of” a particular object. Therefore, practitioners of Budo were considered warrior fighters. As history would reflect, the Samurai of Japan were the fierce, honorable warriors of their time (comparable to that of the European Knights of the feudal ages).

Type of training……………………………………..

Most samurai conducted themselves through the Code of the Bushido (conduct becoming of a samurai). Within the Bushido lies the preset of governing everyday conduct for the Japanese warriors, including the conduct of warfare. The Samurai warrior found it necessary to fight glorious battles primarily head on. But as times changed, the use for conventional warfare had to change with it, to keep a strategic advantage.

As Japan’s violent history proved, the Samurai Daimio (warlords) were in constant battle with one another for supremacy over the commodity of land. The Samurai were forced to form boundaries in order to protect what was theirs. Fallen samurai were either forced off of their land, or even worse; killed in combat.

To counter balance the use of the samurai in society, clans or groups of individuals formed there own laws of the land. These laws were pursuant to those of the laws of nature. What the samurai could not accomplish do to dishonor of their character, the Ninja could. Consider the differences between the samurai as being a conventional warrior compared to those of the ninja and their unconventional warfare.

The samurai/ninja have been consistently recognized as two completely different individuals. Yet history has proven otherwise. For instance, the ninjutsu practitioners were exposed to both forms of training. The formatted curriculum collaborated with that of the samurai’s, but rather than the study of 16 different denominations, the ninjutsu practitioner was exposed to 18:

18 Fundamentals Arts