What is Jissen Kobudo? 
The term ‘Jissen Kobudo’ literally means ‘traditional martial arts for real combat’ it is used as an umbrella term for the seven Ryuha (traditions) studied within the Jinenkan organization which is headed by Manaka ‘Unsui’ Fumio of Japan. Manaka Sensei has authorised a small number of instructors in several Countries around the World to teach his arts.
 
What arts are studied?
The arts studied in the Jinenkan organisation encompass the whole range of traditional Japanese martial arts from the relatively well-known art of Ju Jutsu to more obscure arts such as Koshi Jutsu and Koppo Jutsu.
The actual names of the arts are :

• Togakure Ryu Ninpotaijutsu • Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu • Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu • Koto Ryu Koppojutsu • Kukishin Ryuu Happo Biken • Shinden Fudo Ryu Jutaijutsu and Dakentaijutsu • Jinen Ryu
 
What do these martial arts involve?
The bulk of our training involves unarmed techniques or Tai Jutsu (literally “total body methods”). These can be divided into two broad groups :
 
1) Striking Techniques - These include punches, kicks and strikes with other parts of the body.
2) Grappling Techniques which include methods of applying joint-locks, throws, strangulation techniques as well as methods of escaping from holds.
In addition to these unarmed techniques, various weapons techniques are also studied.
 
What weapons are studied?
Within the arts which we study, there are many weapons techniques. Among the most commonly studied are those using the Ken (sword), Bo (6ft Stick), Jo (4.5ft stick), Hanbo(3ft stick), Jutte (metal truncheon), Yari (spear) and Naginata(halberd).
One reason why these seemingly archaic weapons are studied is because they enable the practitioner to gain a better understanding of unarmed techniques by highlighting important factors such as distance, balance and timing.
 
How do these arts differ from other martial arts?
The martial arts studied in our each have a history which dates back several centuries, for example, one of the arts, Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu, can be traced back over 34 generations spanning a period of more than eight hundred years. Other arts such as Judo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Aikido are relatively new, having been developed from older fighting systems in the past 100 years or so.
 
There is a widely held view that because these arts evolved relatively recently, they must be ‘better’ than the more traditional systems because they have been developed as improved versions. In reality however, the opposite is true because these arts have mainly been developed as sports which means that the most effective techniques which were found in the older fighting systems have been removed in order to make the new arts safer for participants in competitions. Because our arts are not sports, there are no competitions or tournaments held and consequently, there has been no watering down of their techniques. As a result, they continue to be practical for their original purpose, self-protection.
 
Additionally, arts such as Karate and Tae Kwon Do concentrate on striking techniques while Judo and Aikido use only grappling techniques which means that they are limited in their outlook and do not lend themselves to use in all combat situations. The arts studied in the Jinenkan on the other hand, are comprehensive and include techniques which can be used in all situations.
 
 Do I need to be quite fit or strong to train in these arts? 
While factors such as personal strength or fitness are obviously important when it comes to defending oneself from attack, the techniques used in Jissen Kobudo are based on the efficient use of natural body movement not on brute strength and as a result, they can be used effectively by anyone, whatever their age, size, gender or level of fitness.
 
How do I go about learning Jissen Kobudo?
The best way is to simply turn up at a class to take part (or to watch) The atmosphere in our training has it’s emphasis on helping each other develop in our training rather than on competition with other members of the group. Beginners therefore will always find themselves welcomed at our training.
 
Do I need to wear any special clothing?
No special clothing is required until after the first grading although in order to begin training, you should wear something which will allow you to move freely such as tracksuit bottoms, tee-shirt, etc.
 
What benefits can I expect to gain from training?
As individuals, we are all different and so naturally, we all come to these arts with different motivations for doing so and therefore the benefits gained will be different for each person. The main purpose behind the arts is the same as it has always been i.e. self-protection and so the most obvious benefit would be the confidence which comes from training in a system of self-defence. Another obvious benefit is an increased level of personal fitness which comes about through the practice of training exercises.
Another benefit from training in authentic martial arts is the self-development which comes about from gaining a working knowledge of one’s own personal powers and limitations.
Depending upon their motivation, some people may find that the simple fact of learning a traditional Japanese art form is reason enough to take part in training.