Welcome to the Vancouver Bujinkan Ninjutsu Dojo

The Bujinkan is the world famous school of Ninjutsu; the martial art created, mastered and perfected by the ancient Japanese Ninja.

Training in Ninjutsu encompasses nearly countless scenarios, which is one of the reasons why military and security forces throughout the world have members within our ranks, including the British SAS, Royal Marines, United States Navy SEALS and FBI, to name a few.

What makes Ninjutsu different from most other martial arts is that it is not a sport. There are no contests, no trophies or prizes for memorizing 'kata' or for landing points in a sparring match. Instead, Ninjutsu focuses on real life scenarios, with the emphasis on true effectiveness and applicability in actual combat.

Expect to learn, against both single and multiple opponents: Hand to hand combat, grappling, 'floor' work, escape and evasion, unarmed vs armed, knife, staff, shuriken (and other thrown weapons), rope, spear and exotic weapons specific to the Ninja, and of course, swords.

Note: Only practice weapons are used within our dojo, and safety is always the first priority of any training session.

As a practitioner you will grow in martial skill and ability regardless of your age, sex, fitness, flexibility or experience in other martial arts-in fact, experience in other martial arts has been known to hamper some individuals' learning.

Whether you are young, old, male or female, new to martial arts or consider yourself an experienced veteran, the Vancouver Bujinkan Ninjutsu Dojo welcomes you.

If you have any questions, feel free to browse through our site and check out our FAQ. We look forward to training with you soon!

— Shidoshi John Hasznosi (5th degree black belt, Bujinkan Ninjutsu)

about the bujinkan

Bujinkan Dojo Budo Taijutsu (or 'Taijutsu' as it is currently referred to) is truly an all encompassing martial art, passed down from generations of Ninja over a period of more than 900 years. A common misconception of the Ninja is that they were simply assassins for hire, but a much closer metaphor would be to compare them to modern day special forces. Their training and skill level was extreme, not only in the physical sense but in their application of technology of the time. Unlike many other martial arts known in the world today, a basic underlying principle of Ninjutsu is adaptation and growth. In short, while tradition is respected and important, rigid repetition for the sake of tradition is discarded. Ninja have persevered and survived by adapting and changing to meet the situations presented to them, both in combat and in practice. In effect, Ninjutsu is as important a tool today as it was 900 years ago at its inception. It has grown, adapted and continued its tradition of persevering in the face of any adversity.

While this is a bold statement, we believe Ninjutsu to be the most complete and effective martial art in existence to date. It encompasses an incredible variety of weapons, perhaps more than any other art in the world. The art is a cultivation of the spirit of the combatant, in order that the practitioner survive virtually any situation.

In short, Taijutsu is your source for complete training. Not only is cross training in other martial arts unnecessary, it is strongly discouraged. Don't let a narrow mind and short patience deter you from achieving your training goals.

the instructor

John Hasznosi was born in Wolverhampton, England, in 1975. At the age of 8 years old he enrolled in a Wado-Ryu Karate school where he put on his first white belt.

After moving to Vancouver Canada, John first learned of the Bujinkan through books at the local library. He read about Masaaki Hatsumi and his training, but there were no teachers at that time in the Vancouver area.

Before studying Ninjutsu, John tried other martial arts, such as Wing Chun (Chinese Kung Fu) and Thai Kickboxing. Despite enjoying the training, the more he trained, the more questions he had, and the more difficult it became to find answers.

It was not until years later, by stroke of luck, that a friend and training partner mentioned that he'd found a school offering instruction in Bujinkan Ninjutsu. At first skeptical of its authenticity, he and his friend attended a demonstration put on by the school in Vancouver, and John was immediately enthralled. It was exactly what he'd been looking for.

Still a college student, he began his studies in Bujinkan Ninjutsu in 1995, and continued training until the Vancouver location's eventual close just a few years later. Again by stroke of luck, a chance at a trip to Japan had been arranged through a colleague at his part time job. Though he didn't realize at the time, the trip would be a turning point in John's martial arts training-not to mention his life.

To his complete surprise, it was on this trip to Japan where John was able to meet and train with Masaaki Hatsumi himself! Meeting and training with Soke was, in John's words, the most incredible experience of his life. The event was confirmation that anything really is possible if you put your mind to it.

As soon as he graduated from the University of British Columbia with a BA in Psychology, John left Canada once again for Japan to continue in his training. Living less than an hour from the dojo, he trained for his 7 year duration with Soke Hatsumi and the Japanese Shihan, including Shiraishi Sensei, Senno Sensei, Noguchi Sensei and many others. He of course also trained with many of the other top practitioners from across the globe, and considers himself one of the luckiest people in the world because of this experience. Few people are granted the opportunity to train with Soke Hatsumi in person, and far fewer still have had the honour of training with him and the other Shihan for more than half a decade.

After passing the Godan Test, and attaining his 5th degree black belt, John became fully qualified to open his own Bujinkan dojo and also has the authority to rank other members up to Yondan (4th degree black belt). The only person in the world able to grant a higher rank is Soke Hatsumi himself.

Schedule & Fees

Dojo Rules & Guidelines

Please take the time to read through the official Bujinkan Guidelines set out by Masaaki Hatsumi.

In addition, below is a list of guidelines to be followed by members of the Vancouver Bujinkan Ninjutsu Dojo. This is to ensure the safest and most positive atmosphere for all our instructors and students.

• Training

• Training in other martial arts within the Vancouver Bujinkan Ninjutsu Dojo is strictly prohibited.
• Communicate with your partner. Only through proper communication can practitioners ensure the safest possible training environment.
• Practice what is being taught. While variation is useful, it should not be used as an excuse to ignore the training being put forward by the instructor.

• Dress Code

• Whenever possible, members are to attend class wearing a black, heavy duty do-gi and pants.
• Keep jewelery to a minimum. Wearing finger rings and earrings is potentially very dangerous and to be avoided.
• Please make every effort to wear the appropriate rank to class. If you have questions regarding the appropriate belt/badge, please check 'About the Bujinkan' or ask your instructors.

• Attitude

• Come to class with an open mind and be ready to learn.
• Lateness is sometimes unavoidable. If you are late, enter the training area as quietly as possible and try not to disturb others.
• Keep discussion of other martial arts to a minimum. This is very important as it helps with focusing attention to where it is needed most: on your Ninjutsu training.

• Weapons

• Bring to class only those weapons allowed under the Criminal Code of Canada. Examples of prohibited weapons include metal chains, metal Shuriken (throwing stars) & switchblades.

• Hygiene

• Body contact is inevitable within the dojo. Members must keep their body, hair and feet clean at all times when attending the dojo.

Vancouver Bujinkan Ninjutsu Dojo – FAQ

Contact Information