BUJINKAN BLACK BELT GUIDE · MATS HJELM
The techniques every Bujinkan black belt should know. In one book.
A comprehensive guide to the Taijutsu of the Bujinkan system as taught by Masaaki Hatsumi Sōke – 40 years of work by Mats Hjelm.
BUJINKAN BLACK BELT GUIDE · MATS HJELM
The techniques every Bujinkan black belt should know. In one book.
A comprehensive guide to the Taijutsu of the Bujinkan system as taught by Masaaki Hatsumi Sōke – 40 years of work by Mats Hjelm.
What’s in the book
This is the book to keep beside the mat. The introduction explains our traditions, the training uniform (keikogi), greetings, etiquette and manners, and how the grading system works (kyū and dan).
It then takes you through the unarmed art in three parts, in the order you build it: first how to move, then the techniques, then how to put the two together.
PART 1
天略の巻 Ten Ryaku no Maki — the Scroll of Heaven
The first part is about learning how to move your body. You start with stretching and breathing, then falling, rolling, leaping and walking, and the basic stances. This is the ground everything else stands on. If you cannot fall safely and stand with purpose, the rest of the art has nothing to rest on.
See the chapters
- JŪNAN UNDŌ / KOKYŪHŌ (Stretching and breathing techniques)
- TAIHENJUTSU / UKEMI (Breakfalling, rolling, leaping and ways of walking)
- KAMAE NO KYŪHŌ (The nine basic stances)
- AITE TO KUMU (Working with a partner: bone, body and striking methods)
- HIKEN JŪROPPŌ (The sixteen striking weapons of the body)
- SANSHIN NO KATA (The five basic forms)
- KIHON HAPPŌ (The eight basic techniques)
- TAIHENJUTSU MUTŌDORI (Unarmed defence against a sword)
PART 2
地略の巻 Chi Ryaku no Maki — the Scroll of Earth
The second part is more technical. Here you learn how to break free from a hold, how to strike and kick, how to lock the joints, how to throw, and how to choke. The methods are set out clearly, so you can study them one by one — and see how they fit together when you return to the mat.
See the chapters
- KERI KATA (Kicking techniques)
- KEN NO TAISURU UKE (Receiving punches and kicks)
- ASHIRAU (Felling an opponent using the legs only, such as hooking and tripping)
- HAJUTSU NO HŌ (Breaking free from grabs)
- GYAKU GI (Joint locks)
- NAGE-KATA (Throwing techniques)
- RYŪ SUI IKI (Flowing and sacrifice throws)
- JIGOKU TO GOKURAKU (Dropping takedowns)
- KANSETSU-WAZA (Joint locking techniques)
- SHIME-WAZA (Chokes and strangles)
- KYŪSHO HYŌ (Vital points)
PART 3
人略の巻 Jin Ryaku no Maki — the Scroll of Man
In the third part, movement and technique come together. You work on defences against punches and kicks, against grabs from behind, on counter-throws, and on escapes. This is where the earlier training begins to feel like one skill, not a pile of separate moves.
See the chapters
- SUWARI-KATA (Seated techniques)
- KATATE-DORI (Defence against a one-hand grab)
- RYŌTE-DORI (Defence against a two-hand grab)
- HAIBU-YORI (Defence against attacks from behind)
- TSUKI NI TAISURU UKE (Defence against punches)
- KERI NI TAISURU UKE (Defence against kicks)
- TSUKI TO KERI UKE (Defence against punch and kick combinations)
- NAGE KAESHI (Counter-throws)
- MUTŌ-DORI (Unarmed defence against weapons)
- ZANTO-TONKO NO KATA (Escape forms)
If that is the book you have been looking for, order your copy below.
Paperback print details (A4)
8.26" × 11.69" (EU Standard A4), perfect binding, white interior paper (60# weight), black and white interior ink, white exterior paper (90# weight), full-color exterior ink.
ORDER
Three editions. Sold only on Lulu.com.
List prices as shown on Lulu.com (checked 14 Nov 2026).
ENDORSEMENTS
What Bujinkan practitioners say
Book owners, in their own words.
Hi, I bought my first copy at the Paris Taikai in 2018. It has helped me get to shodan and to godan in 2024. Now, I use it as a reference for myself and also to teach on a regular basis. Thank you for the invaluable help you are bringing students through this book.
I have known Mats for many years and when he showed me this book i bought one immediately, it's a fantastic book and will help all students and blackbelts alike, i have asked all my instructors to purchase it for their own Dojos, it's well worth it, thankyou Mats
I bought this same day it came out and study it even today. Very simple explained with deep context!
A very good and detailed source to basics, medium level & advance studies of Bujinkan budo Taijutsu. Highly recommended
I Bought a copy my self, and several member in our Dojo, has done the same. Sensei has used the teachings from the book in our Dojo. I hope that more people will buy and use this book. 🙂
Great reference and format
ALSO BY MATS HJELM
MUDANSHA – Beginners Guide to Bujinkan
武神館無段者の案内所
A guide for beginners in the Bujinkan Dojo: the rules and expectations of you as a practitioner, etiquette and traditions, and the most fundamental techniques of the art.
Includes the Ten Ryaku no Maki (the Scroll of Heaven): learning to move the body naturally and effectively – essentially how to become a good Uke.
- ■ English
- ■ 96 pages, richly illustrated
- ■ Perfect-bound paperback, 6″ × 9″
- ■ Prints in 3–5 business days
- ■ EUR 13.88 · USD 14.99
Questions
Who wrote the book?
Mats Hjelm, who has trained Bujinkan Budō-taijutsu since the early 1980s and travelled around the world to train and teach. The book has been an ongoing project by Mats Hjelm for 40 years.
Can I learn from the book alone?
No – it is not a self-study course. You learn the names and principles here, and the correct movements from a qualified instructor.
Is it an official Bujinkan guideline?
No. It is Mats Hjelm’s own collection, based on the Ten-Chi-Jin Ryaku no Maki, Shidōshi scrolls, Togakure-ryū Ninpō-taijutsu and publications and videos by Hatsumi Sōke.
Which version is it?
The second edition, v3.1 (July 2018). Corrections for the first edition (v3.0, May 2018) are under Errata below.
Errata for the first edition v3.0
The second edition v3.1 (released July 2018) is out now. Check this once in a while and keep your own copy updated.
Errata for the first edition v3.0 (released May 2018)
- p.42 JŪMONJI … Move the right foot back to Kōsei no kamae. Zanshin. (I forgot why I wrote Hōi no kamae, couldn’t find the source so I changed back to Kōsei)
- p.49 TAIHENJUTSU MUTŌDORI got the wrong kanji, it should be 体変術無刀捕型
- p.79 OMOTE. With your left thumb and ring finger… Grab his left Hoshizawa with the right hand…
- p.81 URA. (Not wrong, but I switched left to right so it matches the picture).
- p.83 MUSŌ-DORI …His left wrist is trapped with your left arm, the left Shutō is covering his elbow,
- p.92 YUME NO MAKURA. (Not wrong, but I switched left to right so it matches the picture).
- p.105 RYŌTE. (Not wrong, but I switched left to right so it matches the picture).
- p.145 ŌKYO. Should be a left Shitō-ken.
- p.162 YŪDANSHA. I got the wrong kanji, it should be 雄段者 which means Man, male or husband. In this context I would say all grown up black belt.
Buy YUDANSHA on Lulu – EUR 25.69 · USD 27.77
New to the Bujinkan? Start with MUDANSHA – Beginners Guide to Bujinkan.