Looking Back on 2020
Hello Ninjutsu Fans!!
It has been a long time since I have posted anything here, but as I posted on the facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/NinjutsuTrainingOnline ) I will be posting new content and surprises here going forward in 2021!!
Now 2020 was a roller coaster ride that no one will ever forget, so I thought I would post a bit about my reflections and a few lessons learned from this year.
- “Expect the unexpected!” (The Octagon) When Covid stuck and people were panicking and stockpiling supplies, my wife and I were already in a good position, but it brought us together on ensuring our supplies to run the ninja homestead were up to snuff. Guess what? We only picked up a few things here and there but for the most part we were already in a good position here.
- Trust your training. If you haven’t trained hard and studied long, you will not trust your training in a bad or combative stressful situation. I saw people fighting in the store one day over toilet paper! But what if you need to fall back on your martial arts skills to survive or escape a riot? Are you ready? What gear to you have on you to get you out of an area safely? What you haven’t practiced your first aid skills and need to help a loved one? Now whose fault is that?
- Staying in the grey. Living in the grey is something I teach constantly. People do not need to know what I have stored, what skills I have learned, what I do for work etc. I don’t “tacticool” out on my gear as when I see someone decked out all tactical, I think hmmm nice target for more gear. Think long and hard about this one, but living in the grey is a traditional Ninja skill.
- Information gathering skills matter. Well now I think more people are now aware that the media is always biased and being able to collect information from multiple sources and having a process to filter that information is extremely important. Start expanding your intelligence gathering sources today!
- Physical fitness is a must. I am always hearing that getting and staying in shape is hard. It is, so what, shut up and do the work and watch your efforts pay off. Not only will you be able to handle physical stresses better but mental stress as well, so get your ass in gear and get to work on yourself.
- Learn new skills. With all the time people had when things locked down, how many of them actually decided to learn new skills? Although, I was never locked down as I work as an “Essential business”, I took my extra time and learned a few new Spanish phrases, honed my lock picking skills, improved my first aid knowledge etc. The tip here is use your time to improve yourself and skill sets.
Alright, I could go on and on, but I think this should get you thinking about what you can be doing in this new lock down situation, so take the time and do it.
Now for what is to come in 2021!
New regular public content, podcasts and videos
Reviving the members site with additional specialized content, such as modern skill development, improvised weapons, Greyman series, ninja finances, communication methods, land navigation….. and I could go on and on.
Anyway my brothers and sisters, stay tuned and enjoy the New Year’s Holiday!
Bufu Ikkan
Airyu!
Excellent advice. Times like these (and possibly much worse to come) are why ninjutsu is still relevant. And I always appreciate a good Octagon quote–was that Norris who said it?
It was the “bad” ninja after he dropped the student through the trap door. Great movie!