Michael Russell | Head Instructor at Sonoma Bujinkan, Santa Rosa

Michael Russell has been training in martial arts since a very early age. After studying many other arts he was introduced to Bujinkan Budo Taijustu and began his study under Trey Willmott of the Bujinkan Lexington Dojo in 1998. Michael trained and taught there for the next 10 years. Michael’s job took him to Madison, Wisconsin and in June of 2008 he founded the Bujinkan Madison Dojo. For the next five years the school grew and prospered, hosting many events with instructors from both the US and Japan. In late 2012 Michael’s job took him to Sonoma County and here he began to teach again opening the Bujinkan Sonoma Dojo in early in 2013.  Michael continues to make annual trips to Japan to train with Soke Hatsumi, Shihan Toshiro Nagato and the other senior masters of the Bujinkan arts.

“Budo can transform you, help you not to become someone else, but your true and authentic self, the person you were always meant to be, but never felt you could become. This is just one beautiful aspect of the magic of martial arts.”

– Michael Russell
Bujinkan Sonoma Dojo Founder and Head Instructor