Reviews of Bujinkan Nottingham

I am quite a new student at this dojo but from day 1 was never left without a training partner and was made to feel welcome from the start. It is a small and friendly dojo, with plenty of opportunity to ask questions, get 1 to 1 instruction and lots of practice.

I am constantly challenged to do more than I think I can; Simon's patient and often humorous instruction makes every session an enjoyable lesson in pushing my edge and I always come away with a huge sense of satisfaction.

There is an ethos of mutual encouragement and respect between the students that makes learning fun and supportive. Highly recommended if Bujinkan is your chosen martial art

I've been to a few other dojos previously and they could be be a bit macho and competitive; what I like about this dojo is that it's friendly and everyone supports each other.

An unpretentious style of teaching, mixing the traditional with modern, practical applications.

...plus we get to play with big sticks ;)

Whilst within the area you can find more experienced martial artists who may be willing to teach you, in my opinion you would be hard pressed to find a better or more dedicated teacher. Simon really seems to care about his students, and has always striven to help me with areas of training I have found difficult. The class is attended by two other Dan level students who are also more than happy to help less experienced students with aspects of training they find challenging. When I first started attending class, I knew hardly anybody there, but quickly felt at ease thanks to the friendly and relatively informal nature of the class. The class is also very reasonably priced and situated in an easily accessible location. Whilst Bujinkan training may not be to everybody's tastes, if you fancy giving it a go I would highly recommend doing so at this dojo.

Bujinkan Nottingham is a really friendly and welcoming place to train with a really knowledgeable instructor. Simon has a real knack for teaching Martial Arts in an easy to understand but complete way. Everything is done with a view to being effective in keeping yourself safe as well as learning about how the various schools of combat were formed and created. There's a wide range of weaponry taught as well as empty handed self defence. I can't recommend Bujinkan enough if you want a fun place to learn a complete and effective Martial Art. I've learnt so much over the years and never found myself running out of new things to keep me interested!

I attended this dojo for two years during university where I was taught traditional and practical ninjitsu techniques. The group conveniently trains a stone's throw away from the market square.

The teacher Simon explains things very clearly throughout structured training sessions which are tailored to your interests and individual requirements. There are also blackbelts on hand to assist with your training. The mentality and ethos of the teachers is not only centred on using their own talent to teach but also to continue learning the martial art through their students. This approach makes the lessons very accessible and the teachers approachable. They are more than happy to provide you with personal assistance during a particular tricky technique.

Safety is emphasised from the very beginning. I was taught how to break fall correctly and how to strike, throw and apply locks in a manner that was both effective but at the same time considerate towards my training partner.

Having previously been attacked by a street mugger the dojo built up my confidence to handle close assaults so that I can create opportunities to avoid, escape or if required disable the assailant.

In some of the lessons we were taught how to use traditional weapons such as staves (bo) or swords (bokken) as well as thrown weapons which were provided by the dojo. The psychology involved with combat was also discussed such as perceived distance, assertion and even eye contact.

The members of the dojo are very friendly with plenty of opportunities to socialise at restaurants and pubs outside of training. The group also travels to Japan when possible to train and further their understanding of the martial art.

I was really pleased with the quality of training at the dojo and I am sad to leave as my work has taken me elsewhere. If you get the opportunity swing by and try it out!