Bujinkan Kyô Shin Dojo, Morley. 武神館 鏡心道場

17/04/2026

Come and discover your optimised self with Bujinkan Martial Arts at Kyoshin Dojo, Leeds, UK. A heritage of a millennium of warrior knowledge. Self defence, unarmed and armed skills. Physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development. The ultimate toolbox for surviving and thriving the challenges of the modern world. Be unstoppable. Achieve your potential. Have fun and make new friends. Train in Budo Taijutsu and Ninpo. Check: www.bujin.org.uk for more and message me here... Shidoshi Jenn Fletcher.

武神館 鏡心道場Authentic Japanese Warrior Training for living powerfully in the modern world."Happy, healthy, protected"

12/04/2026

"With our thoughts, we make the universe".. thoughts become hope, hope become focus, focus becomes belief, belief becomes action, action becomes effort, effort becomes effect, effect creates change. What you focus on grows. When you meditate, firstly be still. Then spend some time appreciating and focusing on what is positive. When the mind is still, in that space of balance you can find unexpected clarity snd inspiration.
From that core sanctuary of peace and joy, be open to inspiration on how you can subdue your own inner demons of fear, anger, hate. Be open to inspiration from your subconscious of how you can make a difference to soead that effect. In small ways. A smile, encouragement, helping others control their anger, overcome hate. Make that habit. And grow on top of it. Even the smallest toddler can do this. "What you focus on grows". So focus on love, restraining our reaction to respond to provocation from reactive anger. Focus on solutions. Taijutsu is one of the highest forms of healing for the body, emotions and spirit if you choose to approach it in this way. "Im not here to teach you how to fight, I'm here to teach you to control demons" ~ Hatsumi soke.
We begin by choosing to heal our own inner demons. Bring the light of love and compassion for yourself into your heart. "Heaven will not permit enjoyable times for those without a happy heart". This is the beginnings of Ninja juhappo seishin teki kyoyo. And go out like the divine warrior of light (this IS the divine warrior hall, after all) you all are and spread that. Build ninja paradise within yourself with as much courage as you can muster. Enlightenment us an i side job. But it begins with "small acts of kindness and love". And it begins with being brave enough to love yourself and heal.
Be like the dandelion pushing through concrete to bloom in a riot of golden petals. Grow stronger and brighter in spite of adversity.
Big love, everyone.
Ganbaremasho!

07/04/2026

How to tie a fancy display knot for your sageo... https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWxK9JkDmGi/?igsh=ZDZ2MmEwNW95OGhr

24/03/2026

If you are stressed by what's going on in the world, please remember that self care isn't selfish. Take time to meditate, choose to be happy, relax, spend time in nature, dance, read a good book, stretch, sing, laugh and, have fun.
Don't feel guilty about this.
Do it despite difficult times because it is biologically and emotionally an antidote to stress. Stress makes you sick. So please be proactive in self care. This is an important principle of Ninpo.

20/03/2026

About our Dojo:
Shidoshi Jenn is a Godan (5th degree black belt) registered directly to Bujinkan Hombu dojo in Noda City, near Tokyo, Japan. She is one of a very few British women to pass the renowned Bujinkan 5th Dan test under Soke Hatsumi Masaaki, 34th generation Grandmaster of Togakure Ryu Ninpo.

Budo Taijutsu contains some of the oldest continually taught schools of martial strategy, defence and protection in Japan which were developed through the era of one of the most violent and opressive societies in History. Our methods are tried and tested to teach practitioners to survive and thrive no matter what threats assault your body, mind or emotions.

Your training in Budo Taijutsu will develop you as a whole person in genuine and authentic Samurai arts transmitted directly from the Masters in Japan and world wide, tested by time, undiluted by sports.
The skill sets cover personal defence, protection of others, escape and evasion, reading and using the physical and social environment, interpersonal psychology, armed and unarmed skills with a wide variety of traditional, modern and improvised tools, strategy, verbal "judo" , tactics, warrior nutrition, lifestyle, philosophy, emotional mastery, and a great deal more.

Studying these skills will develop and strengthen your body, mind and spirit. You will learn to make wiser choices not just in the arts of defence, but applying the lessons of strategy to your life, work and play.
Training is relaxed, fun and develops with you. This is not a quick belt system and grades must be earned with sweat, brains and endurance. Rank is tailored to the individual's talent, spirit and capacity. It will be hard work, you will keep getting up and raising the bar to new challenges in physical skills plus mental and emotional flexibility. It will challenge you in ways you cannot currently imagine. And it will be 100% worth it.
If you want to learn the authentic skill set and personal growth path of the Samurai, be challenged in new, fun and exciting ways and grow together with a group of like-minded people enjoying working on becoming our best selves, please read the website at Bujin.org.uk and message Shidoshi Jenn here...
Are you up for the challenge to walk in the footsteps of the Samurai?
Claim your place now...

01/03/2026

If you have tamed your inner demons, and your mind is at peace then you no longer have the desire to initiate violence. It is the offended ego and unprocessed trauma which causes the sickness of aggression. From the smallest micro aggression to invading other nations for their stuff or as "punishment" every act of aggression boils down to; not having the guts and self honesty to deal with your emotional junk.
So un-addressed, the Shadow, all the negative parts of us, the anger, hate, fear, insecurity, embarrassment and other "evils" grows and festers.
Do the inner work. Sort yourself out. Let go of self destructive programming from your upbringing, cultural expectations and ingrained "inner demons". Meditation and inner work is good for you, like oats and broccoli- a spiritual e***a if you will.
There is a misconception that "inner peace" makes a person a victim, a pacifist. The whole ethos of Togakure ryu is to protect yourself and your loved ones from aggression through defensive methods only. If an aggressor is so intent on trying to hurt or end you and so deeply lacks control of their anger and movement, then they will in effect commit "svicide by ninja". Our strategy is to always disengage if possible and always give the aggressor a way out.
So, sit, meditate, have utter honesty with yourself about your inner talk and motivations; do your kokyuho exercises, and get those inner demons on a leash.

19/02/2026

Flipping the script with Verbal Taijutsu:
Verbal confrontation also can be diffused through taijutsu principles.
When someone is verbally aggressive towards you: insults you or seems to demean you they are looking for a response. It's bait. Just like getting in your face physically.
Not taking the bait and remaining calm is your self defence superpower.
Take a deep breath. Ground. Take a mental step back. (Ichimonji)
Assess the situation.
Control the timing by how, if and when you reply.
Do not respond defensively to the insult or try to justify yourself.
Do not attack them back.
Instead, question why they hold that opinion. Keep it simple. Keep it polite.
Smile. Project confidence.
They want an equal reaction. To feel validated or powerful.
Deny them this.
Redirect their anger.
Maintain your boundaries and kamae.
Try this, it'll change every encounter from the office to online.
Enjoy, and keep going!

If you liked this lesson, why not come and train in person? Check out the website at Bujin.org.uk for more details then drop me an IM!

19/02/2026

Why do you truly do what you do? "Shikin" teaches us that internal integrity of motivation is vital in spiritual development. Why do you train? Why do you post about training? To be seen or to help others?

-----
The Brutal Truth Bodhidharma Told an Emperor

An emperor stood with pride.

“I have built temples.
Supported monks.
Copied sacred scriptures.

What merit have I earned?”

Across from him stood Bodhidharma, unmoved by gold, power, or piety.

His reply shattered centuries of religious conditioning:

“No merit whatsoever.”

This was not disrespect.
It was awakening.

The emperor — Emperor Wu of Liang — believed spirituality could be accumulated like wealth. That good deeds guaranteed heavenly reward. That religion was a transaction.

But Zen cuts deeper.

If you act to gain merit, you are still bargaining.
If you build temples to secure heaven, the ego is still on the throne.
If generosity strengthens identity, it is still self-centered.

Bodhidharma was pointing to a dangerous truth:

True virtue leaves no footprint.
True compassion expects nothing.
True spirituality has no accountant.

The emperor built temples.
But Bodhidharma was demolishing the inner temple of ego.

This dialogue is not about history.
It is about you.

Why do you meditate?
Why do you donate?
Why do you pray?

To become pure?
Or to be seen as pure?

Zen does not decorate the self.
It dissolves it.

And in that dissolution — there is freedom.
-----
This dialogue appears in early Chan (Zen) records, especially in The Transmission of the Lamp (Jingde Chuandeng Lu, 1004 CE).

03/02/2026

Overwhelmed? Stressed? Burned out? Try this emotional self defence self reset.

Take a deep breath. Let it out with a long, descending "aaah sound".

Do this three times.

Put aside the past and future just for a moment.

Recall a good memory, something which gave you real joy. Somewhere you truly felt relaxed and safe.

Put a smile on your face (despite everything, as just that on its own releases dopamine, the happiness chemical) and just let your imagination enjoy the memory, move through it and deliberately create it in your mind.

Your subconscious literally cannot tell the difference between recall and now, so the better your visualisation the more deeply this will trigger dopamine release, relaxation, loosen muscles and switch the internal organs from "fight or flight" to "rest and relax" mode.

The more you do this, the easier it gets.

01/02/2026

Metsuke (目付け) is the way of seeing in Japanese martial arts. It is not simple eye contact or staring at one point. Metsuke means maintaining a calm, soft gaze that perceives the whole situation at once. The eyes rest naturally, often directed toward the opponent’s face or chest, while awareness expands to include posture, distance, balance, and intention. By not fixing the eyes on a single target, the practitioner avoids tension and gains better timing and responsiveness. Metsuke allows the body and mind to move together, responding instantly and naturally to any change without hesitation or fear.
This is not just a way of looking, but part of kamae as an integrated body-mind balance.

27/01/2026

Emotional 3rd party self defence... reducing fear and using age appropriate reassurance.

18/01/2026

There are many types of "judo" and ukemi. You may be aware of verbal judo. Or social judo. Consider, there is also "political judo".
In all instances, never allow yourself to be sucked into the drama of distraction of the agressor. Remain calm, objective, and look to discern the path towards neutralization, diffusion or suppression of aggression.
Bullies invariably rely on triggering a response. It breaks the game plan if you don't take their bait.
Study diversely on this...