Archive for October, 2012

Internet Security

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

With the rise in internet usage and all of the social platforms that are now such a major piece of people’s lives a very real danger exists that your information will be compromised and or your account hacked. It happens on a daily basis, Debit card readers hacked, Facebook passwords stolen, twitter accounts hacked, email account hacked, well what can you do about it? Let’s start at the beginning and not use the list of 2012’s worst Internet passwords!

Here’s the complete list:

1. password
2. 123456
3. 12345678
4. abc123
5. qwerty
6. monkey
7. letmein
8. dragon
9. 111111
10. baseball
11. iloveyou
12. trustno1
13. 1234567
14. sunshine
15. master
16. 123123
17. welcome
18. shadow
19. ashley
20. football
21. jesus
22. michael
23. ninja
24. mustang
25. password1

Next up choose a password you can remember and add symbols, numerals and upper and lowercase letters. This one step alone will help make it much more difficult to hack your accounts. My last tip: Change your passwords every 90-120 days, it is too easy to get lax in your online security but you will be the one to pay in the end, so Ninjutsu Practitioners beware!

Bufu Ikkan

Ps: Look at number 23: Ninja, pretty cool we make the list!

Shinobi Iri Strategy 1

Friday, October 26th, 2012

Within the segment of Shinobi iri skills, there are several core strategies that teach a ninjutsu practitioner the appropriate manner in which to apply the technique or tactics on an enemy. The first strategy we will review is “Nyukyo no Jutsu” or the correct utilization of timing to enter the enemy camp. So, what does this really mean? Well as Musashi points out “timing is everything”, identifying the correct time in which to enter an enemy’s camp, fortress or region of influence needs to be identified normally through diligent surveillance of their actions.

Here is a short list of surveillance considerations

People traffic

Vehicle traffic

Structural considerations

Geographical considerations

Seasonal variables

Auditory levels

Once a proper investigation has been completed the ninjutsu agent will review and determine the best possible timing for the penetration of the enemy’s stronghold. As you all know I like to take an ancient tactic or strategy and utilize it in a modern application, so here is one application for you to utilize.

Chose a local business in your area and perform a surveillance of the people entering, employees, customers, and determine the best time to shop in the location with the lowest amount of customers in the business. Once you have determined this, perform an internal observation of the business, locating at least 3 means of entrance(firedoors etc), alarms (fire ), as well as any cameras in the business. Now, remember this is only an exercise, don’t be obvious or creepy, that will draw security or law enforcement down on you in a heartbeat! So you better have a good preplanned reason to be in the business…you know like your buying something!(LOL)

Have fun and be safe,

Bufu Ikkan

 

Ninjutsu Wisdom

Saturday, October 20th, 2012

“By experiencing the confrontation of danger, the transcendence of fear or injury or death, and a working knowledge of individual personal powers and limitations, the practioner of ninjutsu can gain the strength and invincibility that permit enjoyment of the flowers moving in the wind, appreciation of the love of others, and contentment with the presence of peace in society” – Soke Hatsumi

Ukemi for life preservation

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012

What is ukemi? How can I use it to successfully survive a violent encounter, or a major fall that can happen in my life? Is ukemi just hitting the floor safely? These are all great questions that everyone should think about in their training, so let’s answer a few here:

 

Ukemi is the skill of hitting and rebounding from the floor or ground safely. It involves a variety of methods that teach us how to roll, drop, and hit the ground safely, in the most basic methods.  Once the fundamentals of ukemi are well practiced, a practitioner then progresses to learn the proper methods to carry and use weapons during ukemi, leaping, cartwheeling, countering skills (hajutsu), methods of sutemi nage, and striking skills during the ukemi event.

 

As you can see ukemi is involved in many more aspects than what is traditional taught as a method of surviving a throw or fall. Recently while training, a student asked me to demonstrate shuriken throwing while performing ukemi, without batting an eye I leaped sideways forward rolled and put 2 bo shuriken into the target at ~8 feet away. Ukemi is for life preservation, not just about taking a fall in class but the potential of having to sacrifice yourself or take a fall on the street, stairway, on ice, self-sacrificing to hurl your opponent, dropping to the floor to withdraw your firearm and putting rounds into center mass, all aspects need to be practiced and enhanced each time you practice ninjutsu. Never underestimate how vital this seemingly simple part of our skill sets truly is in your life.

 

Bufu Ikkan

 

Sensei Manaka’s Wisdom

Monday, October 8th, 2012

After watching and listening to Sensei Manaka’s words, think about how you train! I have been preaching these thoughts since I began training so many years ago.

 

Bufu Ikkan

A Dangerous Place

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2012

A Dangerous place

“The world is a dangerous place. You must not forget this. The teachings of the Bujinkan are not about who is good and who is bad; the teachings are about how to live, how to survive.” – Soke Masaaki Hatsumi

Each day we all face potential dangers in our lives, some are simple everyday occurrences that if we are not observant could potentially do us harm, (ie: crossing the street) Others, not so simple, a home invasion (just recently happened in my small rural town), medical emergency, mugging, lost job, there are so many we could probably go on for many lines, but our Ninjutsu training can teach us how to live and survive through these events! Are you prepared for even any of what I have listed? A ninja from the ancient beginnings was resilient and prepared to face whatever was thrown their way, today many of us have become soft and are not ready when an emergency hits us or our loved ones. My advice is to learn and practice, train with intensity and take what is given here as a guide to help you and your ninja clan, family, friends and those around you to survive in our dangerous place.

Bufu Ikkan