Coach Murdock's Bujinkan dvd, a review

[Geoff Dixon]

I finally got a chance to post this. My town was underwater for a couple of days due to the recent east coast flooding situation, so I've been a bit behind in my work.

Coach Murdock's RMAX Powered Bujinkan: A review

When I heard that Coach Murdock was filming a dvd on his rennovations in learning the Bujinkan system, I laughed with delight at the irony of the announcement. In a roundabout sort of way, I was lead to RMAX through my encounter and dissillusionment with the Bujinkan system.My initial interest in the Bujinkan method of training, beyond my lifelong infatuation with everything"ninja" stemming from my childhood obsession with the tv show The Master, was in its nature as a metasystem for approaching life. It dealt with all levels of the life experience, body, mind and spirit, and it did so by absorbing pragmatic techniques from any source that came along,
disregarding cultural bias.This paralleled my own history of twenty six years worth of intensestudy of martial art, meditation, yoga, strength training, and every area of physical and mentalculture in between. I was struggling to find a way to translate what I learned from one area of study to the next.

To this end I studied with some very knowledgeable people in the Bujinkan system, and I was almost immediately displeased with what I found. What had once been a very alive philosophy and approach to life had been crystallized into static technique with almost no element of emotion or spiritual drive left. I am not blaming the teachers, just the method of training that was being emphasized. Even the "mobility" drills consisting of jumps and rolls had lost any connection with reality, not to mention the total lack of competition through sparring or similar games. It was at this point that I stumbled onto RMAX, and I have never
looked back!
So when Coach Murdock told me he was doing this series, I was more than intrigued.I wanted to see what could be done to improve the Bujinkan way of training, and I knew Coach Murdock was up to the challenge. I recently received the first dvd in his series and as expected, I was extremely pleased.
Coach Murdock's first dvd, GPP, is a study in joint mobility that will undoubtedly begin to heal the discrepencies in the Bujinkan system of movement. What Coach Murdock
has done is to integrate elements of Intu-Flow™, Prasara Body-Flow Yoga, and Priming Your Bio-energy, into a seamless GPP regimen that will help to open up the movement capabilities of a Bujinkan practitioner. Coach Murdock does this so well,
that I believe that he has created an incredible introductory dvd not only for Bujinkan practitioners, but for anyone new to RMAX and CST who might not know where to beginwhen choosing an RMAX dvd.
The dvd begins with an introduction to the series by Coach Murdock, who right from the beginning,addresses the watcher in a very personal and open manner, which feels more
like a private session with a friend than a dvd instruction. As Coach Murdock speaks,training methods are shown on a split screen, which serves to whet the appetite for the rest of the
series. Coach Murdock then goes on to the two main sections of the hour long dvd, joint mobility exercises, and two circuit routines. The joint mobility drills serve to open up the particular areas of the body that tend to be rigid in Bujinkan practitioners.Coach Murdock then gives a breakdown of the exercises that will be used in the two circuit routines. These routines have a Flow-fit feel to them, and are not only
a great intro to this kind of training for someone who has never seen Flow-fit, but they also give many ideas on how to construct one's own routines based on one's own particular needs.

In between segements, there are also more clips of training. This element,along with the excellent soundtrack music which plays throughout the whole dvd, make this a very unique presentation that is both professional, and interesting to
view. I believe Coach Murdock has undertaken a monumental task in applying his knowledge to improve upon a centuries old system. What I have stated in my review of Coach Wilson's qigong dvd holds true for Coach Murdock's new series. They both have
created a new and expedited way of approaching eastern mind-body systems that have hitherto been couched in an air of mysticism.I am VERY excited to see the rest
of Coach Murdock's Bujinkan series!!
__________________________________________
geoff dixon

[Scott Sonnon]

I finally got a chance to post this. My town was underwater for a couple of days due to the recent east coast flooding situation, so I've been a bit behind in my work.

Coach Murdock's RMAX Powered Bujinkan: A review

When I heard that Coach Murdock was filming a dvd on his rennovations in learning the Bujinkan system, I laughed with delight at the irony of the announcement. In a roundabout sort of way, I was lead to RMAX through my encounter and dissillusionment with the Bujinkan system.My initial interest in the Bujinkan method of training, beyond my lifelong infatuation with everything"ninja" stemming from my childhood obsession with the tv show The Master, was in its nature as a metasystem for approaching life. It dealt with all levels of the life experience, body, mind and spirit, and it did so by absorbing pragmatic techniques from any source that came along,
disregarding cultural bias.This paralleled my own history of twenty six years worth of intensestudy of martial art, meditation, yoga, strength training, and every area of physical and mentalculture in between. I was struggling to find a way to translate what I learned from one area of study to the next.

To this end I studied with some very knowledgeable people in the Bujinkan system, and I was almost immediately displeased with what I found. What had once been a very alive philosophy and approach to life had been crystallized into static technique with almost no element of emotion or spiritual drive left. I am not blaming the teachers, just the method of training that was being emphasized. Even the "mobility" drills consisting of jumps and rolls had lost any connection with reality, not to mention the total lack of competition through sparring or similar games. It was at this point that I stumbled onto RMAX, and I have never
looked back!
So when Coach Murdock told me he was doing this series, I was more than intrigued.I wanted to see what could be done to improve the Bujinkan way of training, and I knew Coach Murdock was up to the challenge. I recently received the first dvd in his series and as expected, I was extremely pleased.
Coach Murdock's first dvd, GPP, is a study in joint mobility that will undoubtedly begin to heal the discrepencies in the Bujinkan system of movement. What Coach Murdock
has done is to integrate elements of Intu-Flow™, Prasara Body-Flow Yoga, and Priming Your Bio-energy, into a seamless GPP regimen that will help to open up the movement capabilities of a Bujinkan practitioner. Coach Murdock does this so well,
that I believe that he has created an incredible introductory dvd not only for Bujinkan practitioners, but for anyone new to RMAX and CST who might not know where to beginwhen choosing an RMAX dvd.
The dvd begins with an introduction to the series by Coach Murdock, who right from the beginning,addresses the watcher in a very personal and open manner, which feels more
like a private session with a friend than a dvd instruction. As Coach Murdock speaks,training methods are shown on a split screen, which serves to whet the appetite for the rest of the
series. Coach Murdock then goes on to the two main sections of the hour long dvd, joint mobility exercises, and two circuit routines. The joint mobility drills serve to open up the particular areas of the body that tend to be rigid in Bujinkan practitioners.Coach Murdock then gives a breakdown of the exercises that will be used in the two circuit routines. These routines have a Flow-fit feel to them, and are not only
a great intro to this kind of training for someone who has never seen Flow-fit, but they also give many ideas on how to construct one's own routines based on one's own particular needs.

In between segements, there are also more clips of training. This element,along with the excellent soundtrack music which plays throughout the whole dvd, make this a very unique presentation that is both professional, and interesting to
view. I believe Coach Murdock has undertaken a monumental task in applying his knowledge to improve upon a centuries old system. What I have stated in my review of Coach Wilson's qigong dvd holds true for Coach Murdock's new series. They both have
created a new and expedited way of approaching eastern mind-body systems that have hitherto been couched in an air of mysticism.I am VERY excited to see the rest
of Coach Murdock's Bujinkan series!!
__________________________________________
geoff dixon

Superb review, Geoff! Ryan is revolutionizing traditional Japanese martial arts and revitalizing all of its fingers.

[Ryan Murdock]

Thanks very much for the thorough review, Geoff! :)

I'm glad you liked it. The best is yet to come in Volumes 2 and 3...;)

[Rick Merritt]

Hi Geoff,

Thanks for the excellent review, this was exactly the kind of feedback we’ve been hoping for. (By the way I’m Ryan Murdock’s long time training partner, and we met in the Bujinkan)



To this end I studied with some very knowledgeable people in the Bujinkan system, and I was almost immediately displeased with what I found. What had once been a very alive philosophy and approach to life had been crystallized into static technique with almost no element of emotion or spiritual drive left. I am not blaming the teachers, just the method of training that was being emphasized. Even the "mobility" drills consisting of jumps and rolls had lost any connection with reality, not to mention the total lack of competition through sparring or similar games. It was at this point that I stumbled onto RMAX, and I have never looked back!


This is very similar to our experience. I’m glad you mentioned the jumps and rolls, we found this also. After a few years all you did was regurgitate the same rolls over and over again, until the became mindless and meaningless. There was no sophistication, and if you even considered that notion there was no guidance in how to move forward.




Geoff wrote:
Coach Murdock's first dvd, GPP, is a study in joint mobility that will undoubtedly begin to heal the discrepencies in the Bujinkan system of movement. What Coach Murdock
has done is to integrate elements of Intu-Flow™, Prasara Body-Flow Yoga, and Priming Your Bio-energy, into a seamless GPP regimen that will help to open up the movement capabilities of a Bujinkan practitioner. Coach Murdock does this so well,
that I believe that he has created an incredible introductory dvd not only for Bujinkan practitioners, but for anyone new to RMAX and CST who might not know where to beginwhen choosing an RMAX dvd.

Coach crated the joint mobility drills based upon the specific needs of the Bujinkan practitioner. He looked at all our past training experience, all the problem areas that we and our fellow practitioners experienced.

That’s very perceptive of you that not only is this series for the Bujinkan practitioner, but is equally applicable to any traditional martial artist. This series is also especially useful to RMAX/CST practitioner and coaches who wish to see an example of how to craft a program based upon the Training Hierarchy Pyramid. Obviously, this first video deals with GPP, but the future ones work their way up the THP.



Geoff wrote:
The joint mobility drills serve to open up the particular areas of the body that tend to be rigid in Bujinkan practitioners. Coach Murdock then gives a breakdown of the exercises that will be used in the two circuit routines. These routines have a Flow-fit feel to them, and are not only a great intro to this kind of training for someone who has never seen Flow-fit, but they also give many ideas on how to construct one's own routines based on one's own particular needs.


Again, Ryan was able to directly address the needs of the Bujinkan practitioner, while at the same time making available for those who can read between the lines the process for crafting their own programs.



Geoff wrote:
I believe Coach Murdock has undertaken a monumental task in applying his knowledge to improve upon a centuries old system. What I have stated in my review of Coach Wilson's qigong dvd holds true for Coach Murdock's new series. They both have
created a new and expedited way of approaching eastern mind-body systems that have hitherto been couched in an air of mysticism.

Geoff, this is probably the best part of your review. In the case of the Bujinkan which is a Japanese martial art you are confronted with many Japanese terms which are often very difficult for the non-Japanese speaker to comprehend. Add to that the Ninjutsu traditions which deliberately confuse and obscure and the Westerner is often left wondering what everything means. Coach Murdock has gone out of his way to instruct in a direct, non-mystical manner, and moved away from a technique based mind-set to one that intergrates breathing, movement and structure in an easy to understand manner.

Thanks again Geoff, that’s just the kind of feedback we were hoping for.

Sincerely,

[Scott Sonnon]

Rick,

Respect!

[Ryan Murdock]

Hey Rick, good to see you on here!

For those who don't know, Rick has been involved in this project from the start (you can see him in some of the between scenes clips, and he'll be in Volume 3 right through), as has Kevin McHugh, who appears in Vol 1 with me, and in the others. We go back a long way, nearly two decades now, and they've been instrumental in the development of this series. They've kept me grounded in Vol 1 and 2 when I began to get a little crazy and include movements and exercises that were inaccessible to most, and they've been the lab for the martial stuff in Volume 3. The stuff you'll see in Volume 3 is truly the result of our brainstorming sessions.

[Scott Sonnon]

Rick,

It's really superb to have your insights here, because you were instrumental in the ongoing evolution of the program. Thanks for keeping us updated on Ryan. Whenever we try and keep tabs on him, cameras seem to get fuzzy and he never shows up in photographs.