The word Tanren has multiple meanings: exercising, forging, disciplining, tempering, kneading. The same way a sword has to be forged to remove the impurities of the metal, the body has to be trained to remove its impurities and tensions. This personal work is key to learn Bujutsu and at the heart of our training at Seishinkai.
If martial techniques are the visible aspect we see of martial arts, bujutsu tanren is focusing on what is invisible to the eyes, on developing a stronger baseline, that will allow techniques to then be applied more efficiently.
This includes deep work on connective tissues, posture, body awareness, sensitivity, and much more.