Genbukan World Ninpo Bugei Federation

The Genbukan World Ninpo Bugei Federation (GWNBF) is a martial arts association, founded 1984 by Grandmaster Shoto Tanemura.

It has its headquarters at his home where he also maintains the position of Kancho (Head of the Association). The main purpose is to continue the handed down traditions of the Ninpo martial arts, developing it further and actively spread it by carefully nuturing future instructors so that they may teach and form the next generation. The Genbukan is international in scope with branches existing in the American, European and Asian continents.

Genbukan (jap. symbole) means the place nurtures the martial arts professionals, Kuroto (jap. symbole), the place radiating with an exquisite martial art. Gen (jap. symbole) also means black- a place of practice for techniques wich are mysterious, strange and marvelous. The significance that the one who masters the Ninpo Bugei gives light to the (outer) world of darkness.

The Buddist indomitable sacred wheel, the eight -spoked Chakra, is the symbol of the Genbukan. The Chakra (Horin) was originally an ancient weapon of India, later adopted for rituals in Tantric Buddhism. It symbolizes the destruction of evil and all that comes in the way of DHARMA, wich is the law and order of the universe. In the center is a sacred mirror manifesting the oneness of the divine spirit and the soul. With the character for perseverance Nin (jap. symbole), we express our desire to attain this oneness. The Lotus petals, surrounding the mirror signify that however muddy the environment is,
we keep ourselves pure and blossom out of the dirt and mire. With sacred swords facing in eight directions we wish to demolish all evil.

Believing that ultimately the martial way and the way of Buddha is the same, we have established our emblem to emanate the infinite light of the noble wheel.