This website is the online home for the Bujinkan (Doyle-Bedwell) Dojo, Bujinkan Seminars Halifax (Events Section), and Bear Lodge Spirit Arts (Market Section).  While this website is primarily designed for current Bujinkan Dojo students, we hope to offer information, opportunities, and materials to people interested in self development, Japanese culture, Mi'kmaq culture, other martial arts, etc.  Please come and explore our site.

On The Bujinkan

An official Bujinkan Dojo is headed by a licensed Shidoshi (teacher) holding at least a Godan (5th Degree Black Belt) in the Bujinkan system.  Soke Hatsumi-Sensei is the head of nine (9) Koryu (old schools) of Japanese Budo.  They are Togakure Ryu Ninpo; Gyokko Ryu Koshijutsu; Kukishinden Ryu Happo Hikenjutsu; Shinden Fudo Ryu Dakentaijutsu; Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo; Koto Ryu Koppojutsu; Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu, Hon Tai Takagi Yoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu; and Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo (for more information please see our Ryuha section).  Along with the Tenchijin Ryaku no Maki and Shinken applications these nine Ryuha make up the skeleton of what is available to students.  Amatsu Tatara Hichibuku Goshinjutsu, a healing discipline, and Bukoden Ryu Daishosabaki Gata, defences while wearing daisho (two swords) are also available to interested students within the Bujinkan structure.

On Ninpo/Ninjutsu and Budo

We practice Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu.  Soke Takamatsu-Sensei told Soke Hatsumi-Sensei that Ninjutsu/Ninpo is Budo.  Soke Hatsumi-Sensei is the only officially recognized source of Ninpo/Ninjutsu in the world today – as many as seven of the schools in the Bujinkan have direct ties with Iga Ninjutsu. Teaching practitioners of Ninjutsu need to have a connection with the lineage of Soke Hatsumi-Sensei.  We, at the Bujinkan (Doyle-Bedwell) Dojo have chosen to remain with the source - Soke Hatsumi-Sensei - and have no opinion on other Ninjutsu schools, other than to recognize some of their founders as students or former students of Soke Hatsumi-Sensei.  For those of us in the International Bujinkan Dojo we are all students of Soke Hatsumi-Sensei and as such we in the Bujinkan (Doyle-Bedwell) Dojo strive to make our training as close as possible to the direction of Soke Hatsumi-Sensei. Please come and see if what we offer may be of interest to you.

On Gratitude

There are many teachers we wish to thank as without them there would be no us. First and foremost is Soke Hatsumi-Sensei. Without his dedication, compassion, and generosity we would have nothing.  Domo Arigato Gozaimasu Soke. For all the Japanese Dai Shihan - Shihan Nagato-Sensei, Shihan Noguchi-Sensei, Shihan Oguri-Sensei, Shihan Seno-Sensei, Shihan Shiraishi-Sensei, and Shihan Someya-Sensei Domo Arigato Gozaimasu. Very few of us would be practicing without Shihan Stephen K. Hayes - thank you. Without Shidoshi Edward Brown, I George Doyle-Bedwell, would have absolutely nothing. I was and am proud to have been your student for 17 years. I will always hold you in my heart with deep respect and even deeper gratitude. I strive every time I teach to reach the heights you so easily tread. Thank you Edward. To Daishihan Nagato-Sensei, Domo Arigato Gozaimashita for agreeing to teach me, I George Doyle-Bedwell am deeply grateful and happy that you said ‘yes’. To Shihan Bud Malmstrom thank you for teaching George’s very first seminar and to Shihan Doron Navon thank you for teaching. Shihan Arnaud Cousergue, our Sword teacher, for all you have given us, including the bruises - Merci Beaucoup. For Shihan Estelle Padeloup, Shihan Manolo Seranno, Shihan Bernard Grégoire, Shihan Francine Tremblay, and Shihan Eric Jobin, Merci Beaucoup aussi - you have given us so much – you all mean the world to us. For Shihan Courtland Elliott, thank you for everything, especially keeping George on his toes and for helping us to strive for better. To Shihan Craig Olson, we have really come to rely on you so much, so thank you for all you have done for us. To Shihan Murray Taylor and Shihan Phil Bradshaw, thank you for taking George under your wing in 2006, for teaching our first seminar with teachers from 'away' and being great Buyu. To Shihan Sheila Haddad, your ukemi DVD was ground breaking and for being so kind to us, thank you. To Shihan Sveneric Bogsäter thank you for a great seminar and for looking so much like George's Dad. To Shihan Richard van Donk, thank you for the conversations and supplying us so many of Soke's DVDs. To Shihan Ohashi-Sensei, a big 'Domo Arigato' for keeping things running so smoothly and for your wonderful teachings. For Shidoshi Dr. Phil – Merci Beaucoup for you friendship and rebuilding us so many times.  Aussi, Merci Beaucoup pour Shihan Gaétan Dubé for your friendship, conversations, translations, humour, pure inspiration, and for offering us a place to stay.  For Shihan Ben Jones for numerous conversations, tonnes of translations, and for the keg of beer I now owe you – thank you.  For Shihan Peter King thank you for Amatsu Tatara and being a really wonderful person.  We hope to train with you more.  For Shihan Paul Richardson, for the conversations, history, and wonderful training books and gear – thank you.  For us in Nova Scotia, and especially we at the Bujinkan (Doyle-Bedwell) Dojo owe a huge thanks to Hanshi Jim Maloney-Sensei (Uechi-Ryu Kudan) for bringing martial arts to Nova Scotia (and keeping them here) and for offering us a place to practice in your Dojo - Welalin. Lastly for all the other Bujinkan teachers who have touched us in some way our deepest thanks, George and Patti Doyle-Bedwell.

*In a discussion with Shihan Craig Olson in Québec City after a wonderful seminar in October 2009 hosted by Shihan Bernard Grégoire and Shihan Francine Tremblay of Bujinkan Québec, the topic of the deep reverence that our Grandmaster Soke Hatsumi-Sensei holds for his teacher Soke Takamatsu-Sensei came up.  Craig, as one of Soke Hatsumi-Sensei’s translators, said that Soke Hatsumi-Sensei always uses the highest respect language when speaking of his teacher.  George and Patti feel that we should do no less for our teacher Soke Hatsumi-Sensei.  Thus we use the phrase ‘Soke Hatsumi-Sensei’ when referring to our teacher.  Soke in his title as the head of our lineage; ‘Hatsumi’ is of course his surname; and Sensei refers to our view to him as our teacher.