Dôjô-chô Jukka Nummenranta

I began training Bujinkan Budô Taijutsu in Bujinkan Dojo Finland in January 1993. The dôjô was led by Esa Koistinen, the first Finnish shidôshi (and when I began the only one in Finland). The teachers in my beginners’ course were Robin Ekebom and Kari Lode, despite which I was the only one continuing from about twenty students.

Because of specific circumstances I happened to end up teaching classes very early, only after training for few months. I ended up on that “career” and on the following years taught both beginners’ courses and advanced classes in irregular regularity. Happily I was on weekly basis able to go to other teachers’ classes in better quantity and quality than I was leading. On the side I kept myself active in the workings of BDF, for example I was the association president for 1998.

I have attempted and still do participate actively on seminars to get more knowledge and skills, especially when teachers visit Finland. The first time was Moshe Zouler’s seminar in March 1993. I’ve missed only a few of the seminars foreign teachers have taught in Finland, and those cases were mostly in the early years when different organizations happened t oorganize seminars at the same time.

In July 1995 I trained the first time abroad, when a group from BDF lead by Esa gave a seminar in Sarema, Estonia. My training trips really began in 1997, first Paris Taikai and Kaigozan Mini-Taikai (the first Kaigôsuru). These were followed by taikai in Italy and Sweden in 1998, Norway 2002 and New Jersey 2003; Kaigôsuru from 2003 to 2007 and different seminars in Sweden. The slot between the years is because of personal matters.

The first time I met shihan Moti Nativ was in April 1997 after he came to teach a seminar organized by BDF in Helsinki. I helped in the organization, and continued the same in later seminars. On one of his later seminars in October 1998 he gave me shodan and shidôshi-ho title. Since 1997 I have participated in all his seminars in Finland, which have generally been organized once or twice a year, and on several of his seminars abroad. Since that he has also accepted me as a his student.

In June 2000 I moved from Helsinki to Säkylä. Because my visits to Helsinki became quite scarce, and tended to happen on weekends, the balance of my training other than self-training shifted to seminars organized by Bujinkan Shinden Dojo Finland led by Lauri Jokinen.

In autumn of 2001 I began teaching in Säkylä and founded Bujinkan Huovi Dojo, which still continues as a small training group.

During 2002 was the 50th seminar I attended.

After sôke Hatsumi finished his international musha shugyô in 2003 by stopping going to taikai outside Japan (and in 2004 also there, not counting Daikômyôsai), I decided to go on October 2004 to my first training trip to Japan. During the trip I was given godan and shidôshi title.

In autumn 2005 I was given rokudan and did my second training trip to Japan.

In autumn 2006 I did my third training trip to Japan.

In the end of 2006 I was given kudan.

During 2007 was the 100th seminar I attended.

My work trips in 2007 and beginning of 2008 caused some changes in my training, but I was able to visit enough seminars between the trips to support my other training.

In spring 2008 I finally did my first training trip to Israel, which had been a long time in the works.

In May 2008 I did my fourth training trip to Japan and I was given jûdan.

In 2010 I taught abroad for the first time.

In Summer 2010 was my fifth training trip to Japan and was given jûichidan. But more important to me was that first student of mine passed godan no shiken!

In October 2011 was my sixth training trip to Japan and I was given jûnidan.

During 2012 I attended 150th seminar.

In November 2012 was my seventh training trip to Japan and I was given jûsandan.

During summer 2013 a local magazine Satakunnan viikko interviewed me about my 20 years in Bujinkan.

In October 2013 was my eight training trip to Japan and I was given jûyondan.

In October 2014 was my ninth training trip to Japan and I was given jûgodan – on the same class where my second student passed godan no shiken.

During September 2015 I taught my first seminar abroad.

In October 2015 was my tenth training trip to Japan.

The year 2015 ended up to include the most amount of traveling so far – in addition to Japan I attended 15 seminars. In total I made 10 training trips abroad.

In October 2016 was my eleventh training trip to Japan.

In March 2017 I attended 200th seminar.

In October 2017 I performed godan no shiken for the first time.

In November 2017 was my twelfth training trip to Japan.

In October 2018 was my thirteenth training trip to Japan and I was awarded daishihan title.

In December 2018 I was given the responsibilty for Bujinkan Dojo Finland and also named honorary chairman of the association.

In November 2019 was my fourteenth training trip to Japan.

In March 2020 I attended 227th seminar – just before COVID-19 outbreak.

In October 2020 I attended 228th seminar – starting to again expand my training accommodating to the new world.

Nearing the end of 2023 after Säkylä-seura (local residents’ association) asked me, I wrote an article of the art and my background into their Christmas magazine.

In December 2023 I departed for another seminar, but on the way my car slid into a collision with a truck. After that I spent 19 days in a few hospitals. Worst seminar trip ever. But I’ll be back.

In mid-January I returned to training. Of course… should I say in a limited capacity. But returned.

In July 2024 I happened to attend 24th seminar in Germany!

In August 2024 I attended 239th seminar (with slighter limitations).

It’s good to go on living.

 – Jukka Nummenranta, daishihan, dôjô-chô


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