Bujinkan Melbourne

Maintaining modern day training skills is essential in our Budo...for as the World evolves, so must we - to stay current in the use of modern combat weapons. Gambatte.

Victoria Police regulatory industry skills assessment from our latest fi****ms instructor course held here in Victoria:
- Requalified again 2026
- Handguns: Revolver & Semi-Automatic Pistol
Modern Combatives: REAL Training for REAL Life!

Daishihan Dr Jon Hodson
www.handsondefence-spiritofninjutsu.com
(incorporating Bujinkan Melbourne)

Well, that's also a wrap for the year from my martial arts schools here in Greater Melbourne namely, the Hands On Defence - Spirit Of Ninjutsu school and Bujinkan Melbourne.

Here's hoping you all have a safe and wonderful Christmas / New year's and we'll be back training from Wednesday 7th January.

Daishihan Dr Jon Hodson.
Chief Instructor.

Bujinkan Melbourne Ninjutsu Dojos Simply the Best School offering in Australia - Ninjutsu & Budo Taijutsu, Bujinkan Ninjutsu.

Happy birthday Hatsumi Sensei...
..94 years old but in Japan it is said as 95.
Find time to enjoy the Budo Path teaching & training!

Always grateful for finding the Path, Daishihan Dr Jon Hodson.

A personal reflection...
From an early age (and nearly 50 years ago) I started on my martial arts journey...

Having initial beginnings in the arts of Judo then Karate (with a mix of Boxing in between also) - participating with Shotokan Karate full contact martial arts competition along the way - I had reached a point where these arts were not enough for me and what I was looking for, given the environment we live in (then and as is now)...

Later and after initial research of various combat/ military based martial arts that taught/ used various weapon categories/ types and applied advanced defensive tactics being totally street innovative/ applicable, I made the decision to transition to the art of the Ninja and set off on a path to study the authentic martial art associated to the lineage of the Japanese Bujinkan association.

Since that time, I never looked back - my personal objectives and desires having been met with ever more learning across the Bujinkan's unique 9 different ryu-ha (styles), the historic and modern use of weapons in the training, philosophy, martial science, advanced strategy and tactics, the development of wisdom in the use of Spirit-Mind-Body, innovative application/ responses to unplanned/ unexpected situations and the like, etc...

..in short, I personally went on to travel to Japan meeting/ training and later being tested/ assessed and accredited by Soke Hatsumi the 34th Soke of Tokagure Ninjutsu through my various Black Belt degree ranks (including for example earning 5th Degree Black Belt and menkyo teaching license as a Shidoshi meaning teacher of the warrior ways to enlightenment).

It was in 2004 though - after having been asked by various members of my local community to open my own martial arts school based on these teachings - that I felt the need/ started the Hands On Defence Spirit Of Ninjutsu school incorporating Bujinkan Melbourne.

Sure, over the following years my knowledge and application of the training advanced including attending many classes with numerous other senior Japanese masters (albeit some having since been lost to us through age/ illness) whereby my skills/ experience had expanded greatly. I had connected spiritual studies of mainstream Zen Buddhism (becoming an advanced Zen disciple at a monastery) and studied/ practiced numerous areas of esoteric Buddhism including attaining a priesthood ordination as an Acharya (master) whilst maintaining my Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu / Ninjutsu purest studies e.g. as presented through Soke Hatsumi and his international organisation (and all whilst maintaining a career/ completing various postgraduate studies including adult teaching/ vocational education related diplomas).

Today, I continue to offer the teachings of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu / Ninjutsu to people who want to also take a look at the authentic art of the ninja - as I once did. I present this including a diverse portfolio of related offerings, to the public and private/ corporate sectors - refer my website for more details and call me if interested in what we offer.

Hodson Sensei
Dai-Shihan (Senior Master), 15th Dan Black Belt
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu / Ninjutsu

Chief Executive & Master Instructor
Hands On Defence - Spirit Of Ninjutsu (incorporating Bujinkan Melbourne)
More information at:

Bujinkan Melbourne Ninjutsu Dojos Simply the Best School offering in Australia - Ninjutsu & Budo Taijutsu, Bujinkan Ninjutsu.

Ok, so I was reminded recently of a personal 'milestone' of sorts during one of this month's classes that I was teaching from some of my martial art adult students...

It was the production of my 285th newsletter for my martial arts business - Hands On Defence Spirit Of Ninjutsu (incorporating Bujinkan Melbourne) - issued this month September 2025.

Wow, so many topics/ articles related to research on the ninja special forces of Japan - from spirituality/ philosophy around the art of ninjutsu, warrior combat strategy, defensive tactics, historic and modern weapons training/ use, etc - from teaching and living aspects of the art by keeping it alive/ real for my students.

I was proud to speak to the experience with some of my senior students at the class - having produced a high-quality and printed hand-out on the various budo taijutsu / ninjutsu topics - something I have provided now for over two decades (since 2004).

I keep going with it as the process/ channel remains an important channel I feel for me to continue to pursue in my own martial arts knowledge and skills development Path.

Hodson Sensei
Dai-Shihan (Senior master), 15th Dan Black Belt
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu / Ninjutsu

Chief Executive & Master Instructor
Hands On Defence - Spirit Of Ninjutsu (incorporating Bujinkan Melbourne)
More information at:

Bujinkan Melbourne Ninjutsu Dojos Simply the Best School offering in Australia - Ninjutsu & Budo Taijutsu, Bujinkan Ninjutsu.

Marketing of:

Bujinkan Melbourne / Hands On Defence Spirit of Ninjutsu Dojo

A Taikai Training Event

- Invitation is open for all of our Kyu and Dan grades to participate
- To be held on Sunday October 19th, 2025
- Training starting from 10am
- Located at Buyu Retreat in Country Victoria near Nagambie
- Cost being $95 plus GST per person

This will provide an excellent opportunity for all grades to practice and demonstrate their preparedness for their next grade tests.

Hodson Sensei
Dai-Shihan (Senior Master), 15th Dan Black Belt
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu / Ninjutsu

Chief Executive & Master Instructor
Hands On Defence - Spirit Of Ninjutsu (incorporating Bujinkan Melbourne)
More information at:
www.handsondefence-spiritofninjutsu.com

It was great to award James G. his Bujinkan 3rd degree black belt certificate from Japan last week...keep going James!

Daishihan Dr. Hodson.
Bujinkan Melbourne.
www.handsondefence-spiritofninjutsu.com

Utilising your personal protection martial art/ combat skills, you can get to feel that you can also make a real contribution to the life of others and your community...

..as a Victoria Police licensed security industry trainer, guard and registered security adviser, I have thoroughly enjoyed the privileges of my recent journey continuing to adapt and persevere in providing security specialist skills at some amazing 2024 Melbourne events, including:

- Unarmed guard & crowd control service at 'Pink's' major international concert and large CBD nightclub,

- Armed guard personnel protection service at high-end fashion jewelry public viewing display events,

- Close personal protection as Bodyguard for a high profile extended member of the British royal family visiting and speaking here at a public event, and

- Private investigator service involved at a major Australian retailer group...

..never stop that feeling of passion in what you do in this life...and keep going with your budo training as you never know how or where it might take you!

"...as real as it gets!"

Dai-Shihan Dr Hodson.

Ok, so let's go 2024! 🙂
www.handsondefence-spiritofninjutsu.com

A few pics from last nights MAA Masters Award ceremony at the Albert Park Pullman Hotel here in Melbourne...a few hundred different martial artists across all styles. It was good to have been a part to it as a 2023 nominee...