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Roy Wilkinson

Roy Wilkinson has been training in Bujinkan Ninpo Taijutsu for 44 years, and is one of the Bujinkan’s most senior Master Instructors outside of Japan. He began as a student of Bud Malmstrom’s at the Bujinkan Atlanta Dojo, and continued to train with Bud, as well as other Master Teachers from Japan and elsewhere, including the Grandmaster of the art, Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi. When Mr. Malmstrom retired from active teaching, he passed on the responsibility for the training in Atlanta to Mr. Wilkinson. He is honored to have been entrusted with this responsibility and is proud to carry on the tradition of the first authentic ninjutsu school in the Western Hemisphere.

After ten years in the art, Mr. Wilkinson took and passed the sakki test for Godan (5th degree black belt) and was awarded the title of Shidoshi (Teacher of the Warrior Ways of Enlightenment) by the Grandmaster.  He currently holds the rank of Judan Kugyo (15th degree black belt) and is the Chief Instructor for the Atlanta Bujinkan Dojo. He is also one of a limited number of recipients of the prestigious Bujinkan Gold Medal, awarded personally by the Grandmaster, for his outstanding contributions to the art, and was one of the first few recipients of the even rarer ‘Shin Gi Tai’ award, formally presented by Grandmaster Hatsumi in Japan in 2011. He was twice awarded ‘Yu Shu Shihan’ status, and has been designated ‘Dai Shihan’, or ‘grand master instructor’, by Hatsumi Soke.

Mr. Wilkinson has given numerous seminars around the United States and Europe over the years, both within the Bujinkan and other martial systems, and continues to teach and train regularly at the Atlanta Bujinkan Dojo. Roy is known for having a wealth of knowledge, skill, and experience that’s hard to match for quality and effectiveness, and for the powerful heart and spirit that he brings to the art. He has trained current and former law enforcement, security, and military personnel, in addition to civilians from all walks of life. Roy has presented self-protection and women’s self-defense programs for both professional and collegiate audiences. He has appeared in several European and American martial arts magazines, and has been interviewed for a national television special on ninjutsu. He was also featured in the groundbreaking documentary on ninjutsu, Heart, Sword, Perseverance.