Leaping Skills
Tobi – Ninjutsu’s Leaping skills:
In this short clip you can see one of my students and I clearing about 4 ½ feet high over the bar, but why the hell would you ever need this in you training or life.
Tobi- The category within taihenjutsu, that covers leaping
is an essential skill to aid your abilities for avoidance, climbing, advancing
or retreating quickly, or even added to your ukemi skills. As an example, when
I trail run, I often have to leap over logs, boulders, ditches, even small
streams, I do this on the run and can cover some significant heights and
distances through my training efforts. If you would like to improve your
leaping skills here are three training tips to send you on your way.
1) Explode! Yes, explode; learn to utilize every
ounce of energy and muscle tension to leap forward, backward, Up and side to
side. Do this while starting from a standing position (Shizen no kamae), and
see how far you can expand your leaps over several weeks.
2) Use resistance bands to pull you back while you
practice. I actually use bungee cords and have even used old bike inner tubes
to add this type of resistance.
3) Plyometrics. Add plyometrics training to your
regular routine and you will be leaping further and higher, never mind the
added cardio sessions to your workouts.
In the Ninja Warrior Conditioning series, you will learn a
host of bodyweight and simple tool assisted training drills that will push you
to a level of conditioning like those of
our ninja warrior ancestors. (all in the
Ninja Lesons!)
