Andrew was born, raised and schooled in England. In 1988 he moved to Japan and began to train extensively at the Bujinkan Dojo under Hatsumi Soke and the Japanese Shihan (masters). Andrew was fully resident in Japan until 2005, a period of 17 years. Andrew has studied martial arts since the late 1970s and, as a member of the English Shukokai Karate national squad, has competed at national and international level. Cross training in many martial arts disciplines led to a chance meeting and the desire to train in the Bujinkan system, which at that time was new to the UK. His training in Bujinkan brought him to the London Taikai in 1987 where he met Hatsumi Soke for the first time.

He achieved 2nd kyu in the ‘Japanese Language Proficiency Test’ taken at Tokyo University after taking lessons full time for two years from 1988 to 1990. Andrew’s fluency in Japanese enabled him to secure the position of official translator for Quest Publications, which is the producer of Hatsumi Soke’s videos and DVDs

Active in the Bujinkan Dojo since 1984, he has presented seminars in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan as well as throughout Europe. He achieved 10th dan Shihan status in 2000 and was one of the first westerners resident in Japan to do so. He is currently ranked 14th dan.

Andrew’s other interests include a passion for falconry and hawking. He is currently the International Relations Director for the Japan Hawking Society. Also, he supports ‘Shady Oaks’, a charitable organisation for sufferers of cerebral palsy, by organizing and participating in fund raising activities

Bujinkan Credits

•    Taikai Interpreter Sydney, Australia 1993

•    Bujinkan ‘Golden Dragon Award’ Feb 1995

•    Award in International Relations and Excellence in Martial Arts from the Mayor of Yamazaki Town, Noda City

•    Member of Bujinkan Hombu Dojo Demonstration Team in Japan

•    Interpreter, translator and demonstrator at Hombu Dojo, Japan and at Daikomyosai and Taikai seminars worldwide.

•    Translator for Quest Publications; the producers of Hatsumi Soke’s Bujinkan video and DVD series.

Training Experience

Consistent extensive training under Soke Hatsumi and the following Japanese Shihan: Seno, Ishizuka, Kan, Oguri, Noguchi, Nagato, Shiraishi, Someya, and Nagase.

www.andrewjsyoung.com

This website has been created to promote enjoyment and practice of the martial arts by sharing insights gained whilst training in Dr Masaaki Hatsumi’s ‘Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu’.

There are nine traditions taught in the Bujinkan Dojo. Each contains a wealth of knowledge about humanity’s most basic instinct: the need to survive! War and peace have gone hand in hand since the dawn of time. Even in today’s ever-changing world, the spirit of the warrior lives on, prevailing through conflict and enduring hardship and yet, through cultivating a benevolent heart, the true warrior aims to bring balance. This balance is vital to fostering peace and mutual understanding and these are important if mankind is to progress to the next level of human development. Justice is the product, happiness the reward.

For martial arts practitioners and non-practitioners alike, I hope that the insights and knowledge shared within will benefit one’s life, leading to a healthier and happier way of living. It is to the testament of the Bujinkan Dojo and the lessons in life-skills taught there that this website is dedicated.

Onmyō is the older Japanese character reading of inyō, more commonly referred to in the West by the Chinese expression “yin-yang”. Meaning ‘shade’ and ‘light’, the concept of Onmyō expands to include female-male, positive-negative, inner-outer and life-death. In fact, it encompasses all of the opposites that are both hidden and seen in the universe and it is cyclical in nature. At a deeper level, it embodies harmony. Essentially, it is to reveal the hidden and to ‘see’ the obvious with fresh eyes and new understanding that we patiently persevere in our training.

Anyone studying martial arts cannot go too far without coming across the significance of Onmyō. It is found in kenjutsu (swordsmanship), sōjutsu (spearmanship) and in kyūjutsu (archery) it has become an obsession. In oriental culture, it is also found in astrology, philosophy, medicine and other sciences.

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