Before we begin please note that for simplicity of writing, as well as reading, I use the term ‘ninjutsu’ as a general term for our training in this article; when really our training sits somewhere in the middle of ninjutsu and jujutsu. To understand authentic ninjutsu you need to get yourself on a plane to Japan and learn it directly from the masters. But I will continue….
You cannot be taught ninjutsu; you must learn it! For this, practise is a must.
Practise in ninjutsu is not just to build muscle memory, or to memorize technique and kata. Practise is most important to develop the movement described perhaps best as the unification of body and mind.
In ninjutsu the movement is not a mechanical thing that is merely copied. In the classroom techniques are demonstrated by your instructor to provide an idea of what movement could look like. But you must always remember that this is someone else’s idea of movement that (in the beginning) only serves as a reference for you; a place for you to start. If all you do is attend one or two classes a week, and rarely practise what you did in those classes, then your progress is likely to be slow and untrue.
I have been around the martial arts for over 30 years, yet I contribute most of my progress to the last 15 years. Particularly since starting ninjutsu. Since commencing ninjutsu the most improvement I experienced was during periods of full time study and teaching; and very much during periods of isolation. By isolation I don’t mean without guidance, but instead I mean in those times when I truly explored what I was feeling and thinking during practise. This time has really deepened my love of the martial arts and life and a greater appreciation for ninjutsu. Providing me with an even greater loyalty and devotion to my school, organisation, and to the sources that influence it.
Although I always desire more ability (youthful agility and so forth), the real benefits I have experienced from ninjutsu have been the improvement in awareness, and the reduction in time between awareness and response. This doesn’t mean that everything (referring to physical technique) that I have learned in ninjutsu works for me. Instead I am more quickly able to accept when something isn’t working, and therefore adjust more readily. This is a skill that I benefit from both in and out of the dojo.
There are set practises or techniques in ninjutsu, just like with any other martial art. And just like with any other martial art, there are plenty of opportunities to become stuck. Going to class, mimicking your instructor, not practising, and then claiming knowledge of ninjutsu, is the quickest way to become stuck. If you really want to explore the training, to truly understand yourself and how the training can benefit you, you must practise. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t focus on the basics first. It means that in class you are shown the basics, and then it is up to you to practise and learn the basics. Then when you understand the basics you can move on remembering that fancy stuff, without good basics, is just fancy stuff.
Lastly, I write this article to my students, as a student. I am very much still learning, still improving, and still making mistakes from which to move on from. But (according to my current level of knowledge) that is what ‘ninjutsu’ is all about, and why I love it so much.
So to borrow words of my teachers “don’t forget to practise, and don’t forget to breathe”.
