Shin Bu Ryu Sogo Budo / Enbukan of Soke (Grandmaster) Kenshinsai Machida & So-Shihan (Master & Successor) Takeshi Machida is a system of classical Japanese Samurai Martial Arts. Soke Kenshinsai Machida has set records for his outstanding sword skills and is highly respected throughout Japan. Shin Bu Ryu Sogo Budo is a system consisting of a number of old koryu of high level Samurai which are taught only to the Machida family and those considered to be in the inner circle of family. The Enbukan is the formal organization which contains many of the koryu / kobujutsu offered to general students. Machida Soke is the 2nd Soke of the Enbukan (Enshin Ryu) World Organization and all arts contained therein.

The arts of the Enbukan / Shin Bu Ryu Sogo Budo are kept as individual koryu taught alongside each other in their original formats. Sogo Budo refers to a Complete Martial Arts System. The core of the unarmed fighting method is the Takeda-ha Aiki-no-Jutsu and Yagyu Shingan Ryu Heijutsu. The system has a strong focus of classical Japanese swordsmanship which includes Enshin Itto Ryu Battojutsu, Kashima Shinden Jigen Ryu Battojutsu, Fudo Ikken Ryu Battojutsu, Mugai Ryu Kodachi and others. The Enbukan is well known for their Enbukan Karate-do as well. Forms of Bojutsu, Tanbojutsu and Jojutsu are emphasised in addition to the Iaijutsu, Battojutsu and Kenjutsu. Yagyu Shingan Ryu Bojutsu & Shindo Muso Ryu Jojutsu are the primary systems of Bojutsu taught. Soke Kenshinsai Machida shared that the Machida clan have historically served under Shogun and are a respected Samurai family. For anyone interested in training with Bessler Shihan in the Enbukan arts, please feel free to inquire about the authentic lineage of these arts. The Takeda-ha Aiki-no-Jutsu is passed down from Kancho's father Genshinsai Machida who learned Takeda-ha Aiki-no-Jutsu from Oba Ichio as well as some Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu from Sokaku Takeda. The Yagyu Shingan Ryu Heijutsu was taught to Kenshinsai Machida by Sato Kinbei.

Soke Kenshinsai Machida is a highly revered swordsman setting records in Japan, such as the Nuki uchi (draw & cut) and Noto (return) at an amazing 0.2 seconds. (And yes it is recorded and verified by external sources in Japan - thats for all of you who dont believe Kancho is authentic.) He is dedicated to preserving and passing on the authentic sword arts of the Samurai. Traditional Japanese sword training of this caliber is very difficult to find, even in Japan. Most of what is known and practiced outside of Japan is either the sport of kendo or the spiritual pursuit of iaido. Instruction in the original authentic fighting forms of Battojutsu and Kenjutsu are rare to find today. Here in a personal letter to Bessler Shihan from his teacher Kenshinsai Soke, basic information is shared regarding the Shinbu Ryu. Any misinterpretations in the translation are completely my responsibility and not meant to be misleading in any way. 

"Shinbu Ryu is a traditional total martial science and actual combat martial art; the mainstream of Japanese traditional martial arts is Denbujutsu Shinbu Ryu Sogo Budo Enbukan and Shoshi Hudo Ikken Ryu Batto Shizan, and it is based on Takeda Ryu Aiki-no-Jutsu, Yagyu Shingan Ryu Heijutsu, Takeuchi Ryu Sho-Gusoku and Kashima Shinto Ryu Nihon Kenpo. Shinbu Ryu which has been handed down in various systems and in secret from generation to generation is not the kind of martial art that is content to be a mere sport, kata, or performance. Shinbu Ryu is actual combat for the purpose of defending oneself against extraordinary violence. It is derived from fighting martial arts of the Sengoku Jidai (Japan's Warring States Period) in which losing means death."

In October of 2004, Bessler Shihan participated in the Sekiyado-Jo Embu, a demonstration of Samurai arts at the famed Sekiyado Castle Museum. Bessler Shihan demonstrated kata from both Enshin Itto Ryu Battojutsu and Kashima Shinden Jigen Ryu Battojutsu as well as tameshigiri. He also took ukemi from both Takeshi So-Shihan and Toda Shihan in a demonstration of Takeda-ha Aiki-no-Jutsu and advanced Enshin Itto Ryu Jissen (fighting applications of swordsmanship). Two demonstrations took place in the rain, on the historical training grounds of the castle and included the arts of Yagyu Shingan Ryu Heijutsu, Takeda-ha Aiki-no-Jutsu, Enshin Itto Ryu Battojutsu, Kashima Shinden Jigen Ryu Battojutsu, Fudo Ikken Ryu Battojutsu, Tameshigiri and Enshin Ryu Karate-do and included many senior members of the Enbukan such as Toda Shihan and Asamitsu (Bengoshi) Sensei.

During the October 2004 visit, Bessler Shihan and his wife Laurie were honored by Machida Soke when he performed a special Shingon Mikkyo Wedding Ceremony in honor of their 20th Wedding Anniversary. Machida Soke issued a marriage lisence acknowledging that the union between Robert & Laurie was blessed by Fudo Myo-O. Soke was joined by his wife and son (Takeshi So-Shihan) who participated amazing and extremely powerful in the ceremony.

Here at the West Michigan Budokan (Shin Bu Ryu Sogo Budo Enbukan Michigan Dojo) we share the lessons of Kenshinsai Soke in their original format. We do not change them to a form of iaido or sport, the warrior's heart/spirit is kept alive in all techniques. We begin teaching specific reigi (etiquette) and kihon (basics) that were shown to Bessler Shihan directly by Kenshinsai Soke and Takeshi So-Shihan. Once the kihon have been learned and the practitioner has a solid level of understanding and ability of the fundamentals, the kata from the makimono (scrolls) are presented. The formal makimono kata along with kumitachi and tameshigiri are then developed in depth. The ranking system used at the WMB was put in place by Machida Soke and Takeshi So-Shihan. The techniques taught to students at the WMB are the authentic techniques taught to Bessler Shihan by the Machida family.

After living with Soke Kenshinsai Machida during the May 2005 training trip, Bessler Shihan was awarded an amazing and very rare honor. Soke made the following statement (which he told me to place on my homepage) - "Machida Kenshinsai Soke will directly transmit through "Jikiden" the following... Jigen Ryu Battojutsu, Takeda-ha Aiki-no-Jutsu, Yagyu Shingan Ryu Heijutsu, Yagyu (Shingan) Ryu Bojutsu and Asayama Ichiden Ryu Jujutsu to Robert Bessler Shihan. Robert you are family and I will transmit these arts to you through special jikiden mind to mind, heart to heart and hara to hara, gambatte." As Soke's father passed many formal Samurai systems down to his son, Soke proclaimed he will pass these five systems down to his son and to myself. He said that it is the first time that a Westerner has inherited these martial arts systems. Soke also told me to include the following... "Hi Shoh Goken Seisoku (Hiryu) Goken Itto Ryoden Jissen Batto, Kashima Shinden Yakumaru Enshin Jigen Ryu Battojutsu/Kenjutsu. Jutsu Jissen Budo Takeda-ha Enshin Aiki-no-Jutsu - Shihan Robert Bessler, Soke Machida Kenshinsai, So-Shihan Machida Takeshi." Machida Soke has also added the Aizu Mugai Ryu Kodachi and Fudo Ikken Ryu Battojutsu to these systems to be taught by Shihan Bessler. Robert has also been the recipiant of special awards from Soke Machida, being the first person to ever be awarded the "Jo-i" level award and the "Mushin Kyu-do" award. The "Jo-i" was awarded to Robert in 2004 for Enshin Itto Ryu Battojutsu, in 2006 for Takeda-ha Aiki-no-Jutsu and in 2007 for Fudo Ikken Ryu Battojutsu. The "Jo-i" award represents the highest level of refinement, knowledge and skill regarding a particular makimono level and is considered to be a very special and uncommon level of achievement. So-Shihan Takeshi Machida stated that the "jo-i" Award is a very high honor and represents the fact that the formal "rank" is Shoden, Chuden, etc., the level of knowledge and skill is much higher.

Robert currently holds the formal ranks of Mokuroku (5th dan) in Enshin Itto Ryu Battojutsu, Shoden Kiri Gami Oku "Jo-i" (4th dan) in Kashima Shinden Jigen Ryu Enshin Battojutsu and Shoden Oku  "Jo-i" (4th dan) in Takeda-ha Enshin Ryu Aiki-no-Jutsu and Chuden Jo-i (5th dan) in Fudo Ikken Ryu Battojutsu.

During the 2006 training trip, Shihan Bessler stayed with Soke Machida again, living in the Shingon Temple. Robert was taken through in depth training of the Koryu Aiki of the Takeda-ha Aiki-no-Jutsu and was even given a copy of the Shoden Makimono! He also began training in the Aizu Mugai Ryu Kodachi and Fudo Ikken Ryu Battojutsu. Shihan Bessler was also given permission to begin formally ranking students in the Aiki-no-jutsu. Robert also received his 3rd "Makimono Jo-i" Award, which is truly an incredible honor. In 2007, Robert was awarded his fourth "Jo-i" award. This time for the Fudo Ikken Ryu Battojutsu system.