30/03/2026
The Bujinkan Dōjō has always seemed to me less like an organisation and more like an organic entity. Only those who can look beyond the conditioned norms of what an “organisation” should be are able to appreciate this properly.
I have long believed that Sōke Hatsumi was like a farmer who sowed seeds and then left nature to take its course. In this sense, he gave life by allowing the winds to carry the martial heart throughout the world. Once those seeds were scattered, his task was complete. What grew on the other side of the world depended entirely upon the environment in which they landed.
According to their own nature, understanding, and capacity to respond to circumstance, people’s Budō either evolved, died, or mutated, just as all things do in nature. Over time, those who were able to adapt, nourish themselves, and learn from the natural order began to flourish, while others withered and faded away. Nature always prevails over man’s attempt to control it.
I do not believe Sōke Hatsumi ever wanted an organisation in the conventional sense. His approach was misunderstood by some, and so they left. Perhaps they were not thinking in accordance with nature, but only with themselves and their own desires.
自然行雲流水 — Shizen Gyōun Ryūsui
To drift naturally like clouds and flow like water is to relinquish control to the power of the universe. Clouds and water are not driven by themselves, but by a greater force. They move, transform, and express themselves through that power. At times, clouds provide shade from the harsh rays of the sun; at others, they gather into destructive storms. The sea too can offer calm serenity, or rise up as a devastating tsunami.
Mother Nature is in control. Budō is, in part, the acceptance of this greater power and the willingness to allow it to take its course.
For this reason, I believe the evolution of the Bujinkan should be viewed from an organic perspective. Those who do not follow the heart of nature will eventually be weeded out. Even if they remain outwardly present, the difference between those who truly understand and those who do not will always become clear to the discerning eye.
南虎 Minami Tora
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