Ninjutsu Training Online

Hello Ninja fans!

One skill that attracted me to ninjutsu was the ninja’s ability to move silently through many areas. So, while I was practicing today I thought it would be a good to review a few tips on silent movement for you to incorporate into your practice.

1. Take slow, measured breaths from the nose. In through the nose and out through the mouth, similar to the method utilized when you are practicing meditation.
2. Look at where you will step next and be mindful of what you are stepping on!
3. When you are outside, attempt to walk on bare dirt or live grass. Dead foliage creates a perceptible “crunch” even when lightly stepped on. If you encounter an area where forced to walk through foliage, then pick the clearest path and proceed slowly, possibly bending over and removing obstructions from the location of the next step.
4. Place the heel or toes of your foot down first and roll your foot slowly and gently onto the ground. If moving swiftly, run/leap from location to location. Avoid landing flatfooted. For moving backwards, this is reversed, so that the ball of the foot is placed down first, and then the heel lowered to the ground.
5. Move when there are sounds around you. The wind blowing, a plane overhead or even a car in the distance, utilize what you can to help camouflage the sounds of your movement.
6. Practice stalking animals outside, this tip has helped me get very, very close to wildlife, and if you can do this you will be achieving a high level of movement.
7. If you are getting really close to a target, walk on the outer edge of your feet, rolling your foot from heel to pinky toe. Though very silent, this technique is also uncomfortable and should only be used for short distances. The hips can be rotated slightly to make this technique easier.
8. If you are trying to walk silently on gravel: Bend low at the knees. The first part of your foot to hit the ground should be the heel. “Roll” forward on that foot until you’re on the ball of your foot (the padded part just behind the toes). Just before you’ve rolled all the way onto the ball of your foot, put your other foot down, heel first, directly in front of the first foot, almost touching it. You should be able to smoothly roll from the first foot to the second. Continue by rolling on the second foot, until you’re almost at the ball, and repeat by putting the first foot in front of the second. This should all be done fluidly.

Bufu Ikkan

Airyu – “Living the Ninja Lifestyle”

ps: Battening down the hatches as the next serious snow storm is heading this way. It might be a great opportunity for some winter survival training with 2 feet of snow expected!

The other day I was speaking to a friend about training and he asked me “what was so special about my training or ninjutsu training than other arts.”

Well here comes my answer—-

All martial arts are good in some way, shape or form. It depends on the individual to choose what they want to gain from an art before they jump in and start training as the martial arts can be used for purely health related purposes all the way out to sport combative or real world combative applications. It all depends on who you are and what you want to gain, so before I start offending others here get ready as this is my opinion and it has served me well for many, many years of training and real world application of my training.

It isn’t what you train in, specifically, but how you train and how you apply what you train in. In ninjutsu it is about surviving another day by any means possible, from the direct application of a technique or the direct application of a principle or tactic. But, even deeper is the “How you train”, is your practice safe and non threatening? Then don’t be blowing smoke at me and tell me you are practicing for a street encounter. Ever been hit by a kick, punch or stick? It hurts, and it throws you into the whole adrenal fight or flight mechanism, and if you haven’t trained to prepare for it, I wish you a lot of luck. Again, take ninjutsu, it is one of my favorite systems to practice but I also practice many others and continue to push my learning outside of the boundaries, preconceived by some, yes like a ninja did ages ago. Braving new technology or tools to accomplish a mission or to protect one’s family. So, is your training for real? Do you push yourself in a physical manner to help you develop your mental endurance? When you are trail running do you stop to catch your breath, or do you push further until you physically have to stop because you don’t have it left in you to go further…this is what I mean when I say it is how you train. There are keys along the way that will help you in learning, core basics that make up an arts curriculum, but Soke Hatsumi has often said that we need to “Break” , (Ri) from the basic and let it become our own. But, let me step back here and say without a physical background you will never achieve the deeper parts of an art, or true understanding in how to operate in the real world. The mind is a key, training it to be stronger, more flexible in problem solving, analysis of situations, enduring, etc. Without these skills you will always be at best an intermediate practitioner of anything or any art. So, I am throwing a lot out here about my core beliefs in training, what can you take away here, well at the very least a few questions to ask yourself when training:

• Is it functional? Is what I am practicing or using to improve my physical self a core function that will help enhance my other physical skills? Ex: What does a barbell curl do for your punching ability?
• Am I exceeding my limitations? Most limitations are self-limitations. Do you self – limit your training by telling yourself you can’t do this or that because you are too old, not flexible, not strong enough etc. Throw it out and do it anyway, train the brain to push through it’s self-imposed limits.
• Does it sync with what else you practice, know or do? “Absorb what is useful, disregard the useless, and add to it specifically what is your own.” – Bruce Lee I think you know what I am aiming to here, if it does sync with what you are doing it will not be something you do in a real situation, so why waste the short time you have practicing it?

Ok, I have laid out 3 principles for you to absorb, a ninja of any age was and is at the cutting edge of learning, physical conditioning and preparedness to help or protect himself of loved ones, can you look deep inside yourself and say that you are there yet? Then why aren’t you training like a ninja? Fast furious, hard and difficult, these are tried and true principles for you to make serious improvements in your skill levels and real world application of what you practice.

Bufu Ikkan

Airyu – “Living the Ninja Lifestyle.”

Ps: Time to head to the dungeon and do some training once again!

South Korean Soldiers Training Old School

All right Ninja practitioners, it is winter here in the Northeast! Cold weather is part of what we live with and are very much accustomed to, but increasing our ability to endure the weather around us can lead us into some hairy situations, and even at moderate temperatures hypothermia is one of them.

Hypothermia is defined as a body temperature (core, or internal body temperature) of less than about 95 F (35 C). Usually, hypothermia occurs when the body’s temperature regulation is overwhelmed by a cold environment.

Mild hypothermia symptoms (core temperature 32 C to 35 C (90 F to 95 F) are:

• Shivering
• Fatigue
• Increased respiratory rate
• Hunger
• Mild confusion
• Some difficulty with speech and coordination

Moderate hypothermia (core temperature 28 C to 32 C (82 F to 90 F) are:

• Increasing difficulty with all the moderate symptoms (for example, inability to do simple tasks, slurred speech)

Severe hypothermia (core temperature below 28 C (82 F) are:

• Shivering stops
• Extreme confusion (for example, removing clothing or extreme risk-taking behavior)
• A decline in consciousness
• A weak and/or irregular pulse
• Slow and shallow breathing
• Coma that can result in death

I have had to treat several individuals that were in a moderate hypothermic state, and with that said, here is how you should be treating the patient.

• Prevention and recognition are the first steps. Dress appropriately for the environment and be aware of what a quick drop in temperature can do.
• Warm slowly by drinking warm liquids, or food
• Warm dry clothing and or blankets
• Hot water bottles placed under arms and between legs.
• If not available climb into a sleeping bag or under blankets to share additional warmth with the patient.

I train, camp and sleep outside in deep winter and so far have prevented my own cold weather emergency situation through proper layering of clothing, heating pads(hand or foot warmers) change of dry clothing, fire making ability, and even a space blanket, as the Boy Scout motto states “ Be Prepared”, so do not go into the cold without understanding or knowledge on how to treat this dangerous situation, it can sneak up on you or those of your party!

Knowledge is not power, application of knowledge is power, so start training with reality in mind!

Bufu Ikkan

Airyu – “Living the Ninja Lifestyle”

Happy New Year Ninjutsu practitioners!

I hope you all are recovering from a great night of fun with friends and family!!

So, 2015 is finally here, and what are we going to do now? Well, plan some new goals and have a hell of a lot of fun along the way. So, I have been working on my 2015 goals for the past few days now, and just a few more things to plan out with some check points to ensure I continually make progress on them as well, but I am sure you are all doing the same to make 2015 a rocking year!

Now, what about Ninjutsu Training Online, you might be wondering, well there are plans….Top Secret of course, but there are plans to do some really great things here. With all the emails I got last year about the Podcasts, yes I will be releasing new podcasts for you! Of course new posts and free lessons, but many people have been asking me about videos, and physical training and historical material and the list goes on and on, so I am prioritizing! There will be a new Ninja Warrior Conditioning training program coming up soon, and how about a newsletter??

Well of course!

And yes I took all the advice regarding the current lessons to heart and there will be a complete revamp and release of some awesome material late springtime or so! Hey, there is even going to be some insight to my personal training areas!

I hope you enjoy what is coming, and stay involved in the evolution of this site, because it is a labor of love for the arts and skills of ninjutsu, both ancient and modern day.

Bufu Ikkan

Airyu – “Living the Ninja Lifestyle!”

ps: Let’s grow our Modern Ninja Clan this year, so spread the word and stay in touch here and don’t forget to like our Facebook page as well!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ninjutsu-Training/132382973477757?ref=bookmarks