Learn martial arts from a master

Bujinkan Magokoro Dojo Sydney is the martial arts school of LGBTI community member Anthony Brien, combining both the martial traditions of the Bujinkan Dojo and the way of the Urasenke tradition.

Brien is a member and past president of Harbour City Bears, a member of Sydney Leather Pride Association and was heavily involved in the Gay Dads NSW group. He has been training in the Bujinkan since 1985 and was awarded a teacher’s licence in 2000. In 2010 he was awarded the highest grading of 15th dan, being only the 212th person in the world to achieve this rank.

The essence of all martial arts is self-protection and the prevention of danger. For the most part, Brien’s classes are taught as a mixture of all the martial traditions as a unified whole with the differences and particular aspects of each school only focused on from time to time to identify particular unique aspects. The focus of training is to develop students to be able to apply the skills effectively and develop themselves as a whole person rather than learning theory and history.

“I have been training in different martial arts since my high school days, mostly just for interest and exercise, but that changed as I grew up. I realised I needed to be able to look after myself in case something happened that I wasn’t able to get away from and that most martial arts were full of rules and set moves that didn’t work,” Brien told the Star Observer.

“I was looking for a martial art that would be effective and practical: not a sport or a game, but something I could use if I needed to. That understood that a real fight does not have rules; that sometimes you don’t get the opportunity to run away or need to stay to protect others. This is what I found in the Bujinkan.”

Brien said that even outside of his particularly gay-friendly classes, Bujinkan culture is accepting of diverse sexualities.

“Over the years I found in the martial arts community some of the most homophobic people, [but] within the Bujinkan, I have been encouraged by the more balanced views of those I have trained with around the world.

Within my dojo and other Bujinkan dojos in Sydney and around the world, you are judged by your effort and your attitude, not your sexuality.”

Training includes unarmed combat as well as a range of blunt and edged weapons including one-metre and two-metre staff weapons, spears, halberds, swords of various lengths and knives.

INFO: Training is held from 6-8pm on Monday and Wednesday nights, on the 3rd floor of 39 Goulburn St, Sydney. Make sure you arrive early to allow time to change and stretch before class.

Pictured: Anthony Brien (left, with grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi) runs Bujinkan Magokoro Dojo Sydney.