A Case for Ninjutsu Over Simply Practicing Budo-Taijutsu

This post should probably be called: "What's a master Ninja martial artist do after surviving a near head-on car crash?" Before I answer that question though, let me tell you what prompted the idea behind what I'm about to say.

Since 1997, a little over a decade now, the average martial arts practitioner within the Bujinkan Dojo has been lead to believe that what they are studying is limited to the armed and unarmed martial art skills that everyone sees when training in Japan. In fact, most students have been convinced that the last remaining Ninja in the world, Soke Masaaki Hatsumi, doesn't even teach Ninjutsu, also known as Ninpo in its higher form.

This, to me is amazing. It's amazing because this is the same teacher that I, and several senior practitioners have been studying with and under...

...since 1980/81...

...when the art was first introduced to the Western-world!

But, I digress. Before I discuss what people believe and don't believe they're studying and practicing...

...I should probably talk about the two things I've been discussing already. Yes?

Ninjutsu and the Art of the Ninja

In the world of martial arts and self-defense training, where arts are generally broken down based on their primary fight techniques - where...

• Karate is known for punching and kicking
  
  
• Judo is known for its throwing
  
  
• Aikido is general seen as a locking, throwing, restraining art, and...
  
  
• Tae Kwon Do is known for it's high, flashy kicks and aerial maneuvers...

The Japanese art of the Ninja, known as Ninjutsu, pronounced "neen-joo-tsoo," has all of these aspects and more. Where modern martial arts can be seen to have become specialized in their focus and application, the art of the Ninja is still rife with all of the options and contents used by ancient warriors who were battling for life and survival, not belts or trophies.

Ninjutsu is what you might call a composite martial art. It is, as pointed out by the grandmaster of the art, "true budo" or true martial ways. Instead of merely focusing on unarmed skills with a hint of weapons training thrown in, the art of Ninjutsu contains a whole slew of sub-arts that make it up. I like to tell my students that...

"...it's like Ragu spagetti sauce. Name a skill, weapon, or strategy, and if it's a viable, usable application for dealing with a real-world assailant...

...it's in there!"

While it IS true that ninjutsu is typically the methods for information-gathering, historically, the ninja combatant was required to know, not only the 18 fundamental skills that all warriors of the time were trained in, he or she was also schooled in another set of 18 skills that were reserved for advanced ninpo practitioners to insure that the operative was truly prepared for just about anything.

Do a little research and you'll find that most arts being taught today focus on umarmed and armed fighting skills. Ninjutsu, on the other hand, also teaches the use and understanding of such arcane methods as...

• Goton-Po "Escape and Evasion, Wilderness Survival, and Use of Nature"
  
  
• Hensojutsu "Disguise and Impersonation"
  
  
• Teppojutsu "Firearms"
  
  
• Seishin Teki Kyoyo "Spiritual Refinement and Personal Development"
  
  
• Omyo Do "Balance and the Forces of Nature"
  
  
• Kuji '9 Syllable Seals' (Tapping into the Secret Powers inherent within the human being's body, mind, and spirit)
  
  
• And so much MORE!

It All Begins with Ninpo/Budo-Taijutsu

Laying at the foundation of the advanced levels of power and ability attributed to a Ninja - a Master Warrior - is the art of Taijutsu, or simply...

..."The Ninja's Body Art."

This is the realm of physical training that most practitioners of the art are familiar with and ficus their attention. However, within the grand scheme of things...

...taijutsu is merely a sub-art making up the whole.

And...

...while it is a significant part of the whole, and an essential piece to accessing many of the higher levels of training...

...it is NOT everything.

How do I know this? How can I say such a thing when doing so borders on heresy in the world of the Bujinkan?

Simple. I have real experience dealing with real problems in a very real world.


Experience Changes Everything

As long as anything can remain in a theoretical realm for a person, he or she is free to play what I call "mental gymnastics" with that thing. In the context of martial arts, you can do things like:

• Imagine yourself a modern-day Samurai (without really knowing what that is or was)
  
  
• Create impressive techniques (that work well in the sterile confines of the dojo but will fail miserably in a real-world encounter with a murderous attacker)
  
  
• Choose favorite techniques or skills (without the understanding that a real assailant will have his or her own agenda and force you into areas that your not familiar with)

Get the picture?

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program.

Why am I going on about this?

Why another comparison between Ninjutsu and Budo-Taijutsu?

Well, you see...


...I'm in the process of recovering from injuries sustained in a near head-on collision with another driver that, through lack of awareness, turned his car into the path of my own at the end of September.

"So? What's that got to do with martial arts training?" I can hear you asking.

And my answer is...

...it depends on how you see your martial arts training.

But, let me give you a hint:

How much good do you think my kamae (postures/stances), strikes, kicks, joint locks, or throws were when the accident was occurring?

Right...

...they were worthless!

In fact, at this very moment, I am physically incapable of doing most of what took me years to perfect.

Now, before you get too sympathetic, all is not lost.

Why?

Because I don't just study Budo Taijutsu. I personally have been studying the full gamut of skills and lessons within the art of Ninjutsu since the beginning. And while my taijutsu training has had to take a back row seat due to severe back trauma and what the doctors are calling Post Concussive Syndrome - a result of my being knocked unconscious - I am able to shift my focus to things like meditation, honing my weather-reading, disguise and impersonation, and interpersonal communication skills.

And never leave the realm of Ninjutsu at all!

Because, in this "attack," my assailant was not throwing punches, kicks, or a knife-edge at me. He wasn't even trying to hurt me.

No. What I was, and continue to have to survive and get through, is an attack from a human being who was throwing ignorance, inattentiveness, and a two-thousand pound car at me!

As I always tell my students, the goal of a Ninja student is to...

Become a NO-LIMITS Person.

And that, my friend, requires training and exploration in more than just physical fighting skills.

The question is...

...are you training to be able to handle a fight, or are you training to be able to survive anything the world might throw at you?

I know my answer. How about you?

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If your focus IS on self-defense, check out my book called "The Karate-Myth." In it I point out why most martial arts and self-defense programs are wrong and how you can be truly safe in today's world. Click here to get your copy today.

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Until Next Time...

Peace & Happiness,


Shidoshi Jeffrey M. Miller
www.warrior-concepts-online.com
www.wcinternational.com

All Martial Arts Were Not Created Equal - Exploring The Roots Of The Takagi-Yoshin Ryu of Jutaijutsu

Today, I wanted top talk to you about the importance of understanding where your martial lineage came from. Unless your teacher invented the art you're studying, (and if so, what real-world experience did he or she base it on?), there is a lot of years between you and the founder of the school or style you're trying to master.

Here's a story of the founder of one of the lineages that I have permission to teach. I think it's significant because it breaks through a lot of the mystery and misguided beliefs that many have about who founded these powerful and schools and why.

You see...

Not all martial arts systems were created for the same reason. Each system, or lineage, was created by its founder to deal with specific situations and types of conflict, with one intention in mind......TO WIN! And...

The Takagi-Yoshin-Ryu, founded in the 15th century by Oriuemon Shigenobu Takagi, was no exception.


Imagine...

...living in a time when brutal assailants would do anything to win and no place was safe from either

• Rogue warriors engaged in terroristic acts,
  
  
• the strife of civil war, or...
  
  
• ...the ever-present plague of bandits and thieves looking to pounce on the unsuspecting traveler.

Can you imagine a place or time like that?

Sounds a bit like the world of today, doesn't it? And yet, it was exactly the same in the days when Takagi-Sensei set out to create a system for survival against, not just anyone, but assailants who would attack with the strategies and tactics most common for the times. And ironically, we are at a point in history where things are repeating themselves and these tactics are the perfect answer to today's common attacks.

BUT...

Believe it or not, and contrary to popular belief, not all systems were founded by the perfect warrior who never lost a battle. In fact, the Takagi Yoshin Ryu stands out as an exception because it's founder did not die as most did - at the hands of his opponent who had the greater skill!

No. He survived his humiliating loss and decided to re-examine what he always held to be true about the teachings he received. And THIS is one very important reason why the TYR stands out as one of the most powerful and unique lineages ever developed.

You see... similar to the story of Bujinkan Dojo founder and grand master Masaaki Hatsumi, WCI founder Shidoshi Jeffrey M. Miller, and more than a few other modern warriors, Takagi's search for excellence and, what we might call, "True Budo" came not out of years of study in a single martial system...

...but in defeat at the hands of a superior opponent.

This is where true warriors are born. Not in the theory and blind faith of the everyday student.


A Long Time Ago - In a Land, Far, Far...

Oriemon Shigenobi Takagi was a master teacher in the school of Jutaijutsu ("grappling arts that became modern-day, soft-style karate") during Japan's Sengoku-Jidai warrior-states period in the mid-1600's. And, like all accomplished warriors of his time (and UN-LIKE most martial artists and teachers today), he already had several "heads-in-his-closet." Meaning that, he had already survived combat and killed opponents with his skills many times over.

As was common in those days, as both a means of gaining a reputation as an accomplished warrior to be respected and feared, and as a means of keeping martial arts honest during times when the survival of a school depended directly on the effectiveness of what they practiced...

Takagi was challenged to a dual by a visiting practitioner of the Masaki Ryu jutaijutsu.

Long story short...

In this battle, Takagi was beaten so severely that it rocked him at his core. He came to the realization that...

...there was something VERY WRONG with what he had been learning all those years. As a result, he left his school and all the time, effort, and practice he had put into it and set out to find the techniques, tactics, and strategies of True Budo - the "real martial way" of surviving.

What Takagi-Sensei finally realized was that...

...the martial arts were not a game of who can look the best,

...who could run a school with the most students,

...or who can create a system of this-or-that "jutsu" or "do."

It was about having only one life, one chance to do something with that life, and he set out to develop that understanding into something that was more in-touch with what we might call a "martial sense" more than what has become, martial "faith."

After spending much time travelling and watching what others were doing, he finally went into seclusion on Japan's famous Mount Hiei, home of the Tendai School and mother of Japanese Buddhist thought and practice (a very important connection for much of Ninja history). He spent months in continuous practice, training, and reflection until, one day, he came to the realization that...

...before he could win against a skilled opponent, he had to upset his opponent's way of moving...

...AND THINKING!

But, he also realized, if his opponent was too big or too strong, this omote, or "outer" - "obvious" - method of breaking balance would not be enough. He realized that he would also have to be able to...

...upset his "OWN" way of moving and thinking to be able to execute that unexpected move that would take the opponent with him as he fell or was hit.

These realizations, derived from his own personal experience became an important part of his personal way of surviving during hostility.

Armed with this new insight, Oriuemon became a great fighter and survivor. This truth is witnessed by the survival of this powerful lineage for the next 17 generations until now, when today's students are able to learn its secrets.

Secrets that were born out of chaos, confusion, and failure. Only to be turned around into one of the greatest fighting systems the world has ever seen!

---

I've produced a video about this powerful martial lineage. Footage was taken directly from a live seminar that I conducted at the Academy. The video covers all of the techniques on the Shoden no Maki (1st level scroll), the most important lessons in any lineage. In addition to the kata, I also taught several variations and discussed the ideas and strategies behind each. An important insight if you're ever going to get past the rigid, step-by-step training that 90% of martial artists limit themselves to.

Anyway, check out the page I put up about it (it also includes this article, so just scroll past it if you don't to read it again). Here's the link:

www.warrior-concepts-online.com/takagi-yoshin-ryu

While you're there, don't forget to check out the Article Resource Center for more articles like this.

Stupid Things Parents Do

This is just a short message to let you know about a very important subject that I get a lot of email and questions about. And that subject is...

Child Safety

Now, you might not be a parent yourself, but I bet you know several who could still use what I'm about to share with you. If I'm wrong, just delete this message and get back to what you were doing.


Still with me?

Excellent!


What I wanted to share with you is that, over the past 20 years or so, both as a self-defense teacher and as a police officer, I've had the opportunity, much to my regret, to observe some of the things that are putting our kids in harm's way.

Unfortunately, what I've found is that, very often, it is lessons learned from a child's parents that do the most damage. As strange as that sounds, and as much as I wish it wasn't...

...it IS true!

And, before you dismiss this because "you've got it all handled," you might want to make sure that you're not one of those I'm talking about!

In fact, I've identified no less than 10 areas that parents have complete control of in their child's life where they can either turn their child into a victim, or a survivor should some twisted individual decide to attack.

I've written a book, well, more like a special report, called "10 Really Stupid Things Parents Do To Place Their Child In Danger Without Even Knowing It!"...

...where I pull out all the stops and discuss these areas unlike I've ever done before. I've also written the book in a very unique way. In fact, if this report doesn't offend, shock, or at least turn a few heads, and wake up more than a few people who read it...

...I've done something seriously wrong in the process!

You can read more about the book and some of the really stupid things that parents can and actually do that increases their child's chances of becoming a victim right here:

http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/children-safety-parent-10stupidthings-report.html


If you're a parent who's serious about making sure that your child is as safe as possible in Today's often unsafe world, you need to read this book. Make sure you're not doing some of the things that could actually be endangering your child.


Again, here's the link to read more:
http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/children-safety-parent-10stupidthings-report.html


Oh, and after your read it, forward this post to all your friends who have kids. They'll thank you for it!

---

Don't forget to check the web site often. There's plenty of information, free articles, and of course you can subscribe to the free newsletter.

While you're there, check out the new Article Resource Center for articles on such topics as:

• Self-Defense
  
  
• Women's Self-Defense
  
  
• Child-Safety, and of course...
  
  
• The Martial Art of NINJUTSU!

Until Next Time!

Shidoshi Miller

www.warrior-concepts-online.com

Aiming for the BEST Targets!

When discussing self-defense for beginners and those new to the realm of self-protection, I'm often asked...

"If I just want to get out of there and need to shut this guy down fast, what are the best areas of his body to hit?"

I love questions like this, because it tells me that the person asking it is thinking "strategically" rather than simply mechanically. If you ask questions, not related as much to "what" it is that you can do but, "how," "where," "when," and "why"...

...it tells me that you're thinking about results, effectiveness, and efficiency...

...all signs of a true martial arts master or self-defense expert.

Well, before answering this all-important question, let me tell you that I'm writing several new books focused on this very important, and often overlooked topic. In fact, the demand for such books is so high, that I just can't get things done fast enough!

The following are just a few of the topics currently on the "get it out there so they can use it" list:

• Ninja Juroppo-Ken "The 16 Fists of the Ninja"
  
  
• Stop, Drop, & Run! "The Best Targets to Attack for Escaping a Self-Defense Situation Quickly!"
  
  
• Shuriken-Jutsu "The Art of Mastering the Ninja's Throwing Stars"
  
  
• Hanbo-Jutsu "Using Short Sticks and Cans for Self-Defense"

I really DO have quite a list, and it keeps growing every day.

I'll be releasing information about each book or video as it becomes available so be sure to stay informed.

I'm also asking readers to post comments telling me what you'd like to see included in the above books. While you're at it, if there's a topic (book, weapon, etc.) you'd like me to write or produce as a video, tell me that too. (Oh, and for all of the spammers out there, your sales pitch posts will be deleted so... save your time and ours and keep moving!)

Now... where was I? Oh, right... excellent targets.

As I see it, there are seven body targets that are perfect for the beginnner to focus on if they're looking to be able to drop an assailant quickly and effectively. As a quick side-bar, let me also say that there are many ways of attacking each target and selecting the best one in an attack situation will take more than just knowing it's there.

That being said, here are the 'Dirty 7':

• 1. Nose - Nothing stops an assailant, or anyone else for that matter, like a quick shot to the nose - in ANY direction! Even a light shot instantly brings tears to the eyes and disorientation. And... NO! It's not generally considered a killing shot by 'real' experts!
  
  
• 2. Eyes - Human beings are generally sight-oriented creatures. And, our bodies are hard-wired to protect our eyes from even the slightest danger. Even the mere threat of attacking your opponent's eyes will have him changing his tactics as a minimum, and running for the hills as a best-case scenario!
  
  
• 3. Jaw/Tip of Chin - A well-placed palm-strike to the tip of the chin, or even a thumb-tip driven up under the jaw-line will send an attacker realing in pain or knock him out cold!
  
  
• 4. Throat - Just as with the eyes, our bodies are wired to protect the most vulnerable areas. The windpipe, arteries, and veins that pack the neck and throat area are all life-sustaining systems. And... they are exposed to the world and without their own defenses! A firm grab or sharp blow to any of these systems can shut an attacker down - permanently!
  
  
• 5. Sternum/Solar Plexus - The bottom tip of the sternum, or breat bone, is called the xyphoid process (pronounced "zie-foid"). It's a small, triangular shaped, boney protrusion that actually has some flex to it. It points at the top of the abdominal cavity which, itself, is sensitive. These defensive "alarm" triggers are there to warn the body of attacks to the heart, lungs, and other organs NOT protected by the ribs in this region. Even a light punch or kick to this area can leave the assailant breathless - or worse.
  
  
• 6. Groin - Do I really need to describe the effects of a grab, punch, or kick here? Didn't think so. However, it would be a good idea to get the notion that this is only effective against men, right out of your head!
  
  And finally...
  
  
• 7. Knees - That's right... the knees. Everyone seems to think the knees are only weapons and yet, size-for-size, they're one of the weakest joints in the human body. In fact, it only takes about 65 lbs of pressure to pop an adult knee joint. And I don't care if we're talking about mine, or Arnold Shwartzenagger's!

Well, there you have it. A quick list of the best targets for quickly ending a self-defense attack. Now... all you have to do is learn "how," "when," "where," to attack.

When's that book coming out again?

As a quick reminder, don't forget to check out the main site at www.warrior-concepts-online.com for more great information, articles, and products for increasing your personal safety and security.

While you're there, don't forget to check the schedule for my upcoming seminars and camps. If you don't live close enough to me for regular training, my weekend seminars and camps make excellent training opportunities for my long distance students.

Until next time...

Peace, Happiness, and Success!


Jeffrey M. Miller, Shidoshi
Founder and Master Instructor
Warrior Concepts International
Self-Protection & Personal Development

www.warrior-concepts-online.com

www.wcinternational.com (Workplace Violence programs)

Check out my newest video taken from a live seminar:
Takagi-Yoshin Ryu Shoden no Maki Kata

Here's the link: www.warrior-concepts-online.com/takagi-yoshin-ryu-dvd.html

Summer Self-Defense Warning

It seems only common sense to make sure that awareness is at the very foundation of our self-protection studies. And, while this is a given for most people, I've found that the majority tends to focus on watching for actual dangers.

What I mean is...

...everyone is watching for the obvious, when it comes to being on the alert for potential danger.

The truth is that, the farther away we can be aware for the possibility of danger, the more prepared we can be to escape from it, or even avoid it altogether.

But, instead of merely watching out for the aggrevated individual who has already blown his or her cool, why not increase - or deepen - our level of awareness to the conditions that might cause a person to become aggitated to the point of physical violence.

While it's true that there are countless variables, situations, and conditions that might trigger violent behavior, I thought I'd discuss just one of these today. It seems only fitting that I choose one that you can practice focusing your awareness on right now because of its presence. And that factor is heat.

All Is Not Fun in the Hot Summer Sun

It's common knowledge, and therefor important to remember, that the heat of Summer can put people on edge. And the higher the mercury, the shorter fuses can become. We could say that heat, even in human beings, has the very real potential for triggering and explosive response - even from the coolest things.

Being aware of this fact can help you to do two things:

1) Keep yourself cool and collected to avoid exploding for no reason other than physical discomfort, and...


2) Focus your awareness on those individuals who seem to be the most uncomfortable due to the temperature.


The warning signs are pretty easy to spot and include irritability; quick, short, abrasive answers to simple questions, complaining, and more.


If you think you might be in the presence of someone becoming agitated by the heat, there are several things you can do right away to increase your safety or control the situation:

• Suggest that the conversation or interaction move indoors, or at least under cover with shade



• Change your vocal tone and ask the individual if they're feeling alright. Merely asking can often make the other person more self-aware and therefor more likely to take steps to alleviate his or her discomfort



• Increase your distance physically so as to not be in the "blast area" should they explode and become violent

Please remember that I'm only suggesting that the heat of Summer can increase the likelihood of physical aggression. Most people are calm, rational, and in control of themselves. However...

...stimuli like excessive heat can trigger an abnormal tendancy toward violence in even the most benevolent individual. Whether it's through the heat itself, or some secondary condition resulting from it (like dehydration), this time of year can bring with it the impitus for danger and from directions that we would never expect.

Take care and be safe.


Until next time.

Jeffrey M. Miller, Shidoshi
Founder & Director
Warrior Concepts International
Self-Protection & Personal Development

Check out my latest book "The Karate-Myth" at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/self-defense-karatemyth.html

and the re-release of the most important safety video you could ever own, "Danger Prevention Tactics" at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/self-defense-video-dpt1.html

"Master Your Self - Master Your Life!"

Life Can Be, Well... Life.

As many of you know, I haven't posted here in quiet some time. It seems that, in an attempt to grow and provide more to those who look to me for everything from lessons to piggyback rides, I lost track of several key pieces of the puzzle I've created to get this information out to the world.

But...

...I'm back.

To be brutally honest, I think the thing that motivated me to get back in the saddle (so-to-speak) was an incident I witnessed just a few hours ago. Maybe it was the fact that I was doing my Monday, daddy-daughter thing, that did it.

Before I tell you the story, let me just say that, I take my role as dad and parent VERY seriously. My kids mean the world to me and I would do anything to make sure that they're safe. That's why...

• My kids take martial arts
  
  
• My kids have been taught to stay with me or someone that I trust for their safety, and...
  
  
• My kids are not allowed to pretend to think that they're in-charge and make the decisions for themselves that are my responsibility to make.

Sound too strict? Maybe.

But after watching a little girl, no older than three or four, run around a restaurant, completely out-of-sight of her parents for nearly an hour, I guess it finally got to me. Maybe it was watching mom and dad miander toward the door with the look of, "Oh, she's around here somewhere," that told me what I've come to know and believe...

... some parents do some very stupid things that put their children in danger without even knowing it!

As for these particular parents, there was no thought of the fact that their cute, blonde, little angel could have been miles away in the back seat of a stranger's car, taking her God knows where, by the time they realized she wasn't "around here somewhere. If only you could have seen the "not-a-clue" look in their eyes as they past me - me thinking, "It's a good thing that I've been watching her."

It's this kind of thing that caused me to write a special report called, "10 Really Stupid Things Parents Do To Place Their Children In Danger Without Even Knowing It!"

You can read more about it here.

And don't forget that you can get more information about:

Child-Safety

Real-World Self-Defense Training, and...

Books, Videos, and Training Supplies

At Warrior Concepts Online

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To the Successful Achievement of Dreams!



Jeffrey M. Miller, Shidoshi
Founder & Director
Warrior Concepts International
Self-Protection & Personal Development

Check out my latest book "The Karate-Myth" at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/self-defense-karatemyth.html

and the re-release of the most important safety video you could ever own, "Danger Prevention Tactics" at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/self-defense-video-dpt1.html

"Master Your Self - Master Your Life!"