Shisenkan: The Path of the Enlightened Warrior

Shisenkan: the Hall of the Mystic Warrior. This term also means the hall of the invincible learned warrior. This reflects the two paths of the true enlightened warrior, that of Bun (文), learning, and Bu (武), fighting. Throughout Japanese history, the deepest warriors have adopted this bunbu-no-michi (文武の道), often referred to as "The Way of the Brush and the Sword."

En Shisenkan, you will find a sanctuary for the highest level of martial skills, martial ethics, discipline and spirituality. It is a place of friendships and mutual efforts among its members.

En Shisenkan, any sincere person, who trains diligently, is disciplined and follows the rules and requirements of the organization, will have access to all knowledge, open and hidden.

The curriculum of Shisenkan is comprehensive and includes Taijutsu (unarmed fighting skills) and Buki (weapons), Kobudō theory and history, and spiritual training. The curriculum of Shisenkan includes, but is not limited to, the following categories and subcategories:

TECHNIQUES AND KNOWLEDGE

taijutsu "Unarmed Fighting Skills"

a. Jūtaijutsu A comprehensive utilization of the body to apply a multitude of fighting skills, b. jujutsu Joint manipulations

c. Dakentaijutsu Hits and kicks, d. Koppōjutsu Special power punches and kicks e. Ninpo & Ninjutsu A unique series of techniques and worldview.

buki "Weapons"

Bōjutsu (staff and stick fighting skills): Rokushakubō (6 ft/180 cm staff), Jō (4 ft/120 cm staff), Hanbō ("half staff" 3 feet/90 cm), Tanbō ("staff short" 1 foot / 30 cm).

kenjutsu (sword fighting skills): Katana/Tachi (long sword), Kodachi (short sword), Tantō (knife)

Naginata-jutsu (halberd fighting skills): The Naginata is a 30~55cm wide curved blade attached to a stick.

Sōjutsu (spear fighting skills): Yari (spear) is a 15-55cm straight blade attached to a 120cm ~ 300+cm stick. The Yari taught in Shisenkan It has a 35 cm blade attached to a 180 cm stick.

Shuriken-jutsu (blade projectile throwing skills): Five types of Bō-shuriken (pointed iron rods) and Senban-shuriken (pointed and curved diamond-shaped iron plates).

Kyūjutsu (bow and arrow shooting skills). Hankyū ("half-bow" bow 120 cm long)

Special weapons: Kusarifundō (iron chain), Te-no-uchi ("within the palm"), Kakushibuki ("hidden weapons"), among others.

Tenmon Chimon (astronomy, climate and terrain). Understanding the day and night sky, weather patterns, topography, etc.

There are two classification paths. The main one includes a scale from 9th Kyū to 1st Kyū, marked only by a green belt or colored belts, and the scale of black belts from 1st Dan to 8th Dan. Kyū level techniques and knowledge provide the building blocks for all martial experts, allowing progression to advanced black belt level techniques and knowledge.

The second is the way of weapons. Each weapon category follows a traditional certification system, beginning with the Kirigami "Initiation Level", and continuing through Shoden "Beginning Level", Chūden "Intermediate Level", Okuden "High Level", and Goku'i "Entry Level". Master's degree".

Progression (i.e. assessment and testing) is seen in training regularly, and teaching is tailored to each deshi (student). When the student has reached the skill level required for a rank, a formal test is conducted by the instructor in front of the other deshi. Upon successful completion of the test, the deshi will receive an official certificate and an updated deshi registration and membership card.

Bushi (武師) Bushi ("Martial Expert") is the initial level of mastery. It is conferred on a deshi who has the rank of 4th Dan after successfully passing the Bushi test.

Shinan (師南) Shinan is a junior teacher. It is conferred upon a deshi who has the rank of 5th-6th Dan after successfully passing the Shinan test.

shihan (師範) Shihan is a master. It is conferred on a deshi who has the rank of 7th-8th Dan after successfully passing the Shihan test.

Budō denotes the entirety of the "Martial Path of a Warrior": that of technical martial proficiency, discipline, morality, sincerity, commitment and the constant pursuit of knowledge and self-improvement. The Ancient Martial Way (Kobudō) in Shisenkan is based on more than twelve martial traditions with a multidisciplinary curriculum

Ron Kosen, known as "Mystic Tiger", holds the title of Kanchō (Head of the Organization) of the Shisenkan. With forty-four years of experience learning, training and teaching modern martial arts and Kobudō (Ancient Martial Way), Kosen is an authority in the field. From late 1984, he joined the newly established Bugei Genbukan World Ninpō Federation, becoming an uchi-deshi (direct student) of Genbukan founder and leader Tanemura Tsunehisa in 1987. Over the course of twenty-five years, Kosen became at the highest-ranking non-Japanese Shihan (master) at the Honbu dōjō (central training hall), teaching at his own dōjō in Tokyo since 1990.

In his quest to deepen his knowledge and understanding of Japanese martial history, Kosen undertook academic studies and earned a doctorate in Japanese military history under the direct direction of two prominent Western scholars: Professor Jeffrey Mass of Stanford University and Professor Paul Varley of Columbia University and the University of Hawaii. Well-versed in medieval Japanese history, Kosen continues to research Japanese military history while teaching ancient Japanese martial traditions. In previous years, he was a researcher at the Historiographic Institute of the University of Tokyo, and in recent years he teaches Japanese history at Saitama National University, Saitama Prefecture, Japan, while leading his Kobudō students in Japan, Australia, Europe, USA and elsewhere.

In late 2022, Kosen officially resigned and parted ways with his former teacher, Tanemura Tsunehisa, to establish his own organization, Shisenkan, with the purpose of providing the highest level of teachings of the Ancient Martial Way. Presenting the deshi (his disciples) with a vast amount of knowledge about the martial path and its historical context, Kosen teaches Bumon (martial gate) and Shūmon (spiritual gate). Learning and training with sincerity and honesty generates a strong spirit, effective defense skills and a kind heart. The ultimate purpose of Kosen is to spread true and authentic Kobudō throughout the world, with an open heart and welcoming spirit, and to bring all its deshi to the highest level of skill they can achieve. For Kosen, true Kobudō improves human relationships, thus promoting a safer and more peaceful society.