Here we go again, a new movie about ninja martial arts is coming to the big screen and from the previews it looks to be an action packed ride of a martial arts movie. It also looks like it is going to be a fictional work with all of inaccuracies that modern practitioners of ninjutsu have to explain the truth about when students inquire about such training.

The reality is that there really isn’t very much legitimate ninjutsu around anymore. There are some traces in a few koryu (old school) Japanese martial arts and there is only one recognized unbroken lineage of a “ninjutsu” school still in practice, the Togakure Ryu, which I teach (although depending on who discusses the matter, there is debate on this too… but then again we are talking about ninjutsu so this is to be expected I suppose).

While teaching this school, among others, a lot of new students or even just casual inquirers have come to believe the “Hollywood” stereotype, based on the more popular Japanese anime and comic book portrayals, is the truth. The most gratifying return, for me as a practitioner and instructor is how well received the real training is once a student gives it a chance. Like most mythology, there are grains of truth as the seeds in the myths but understanding the reality vs. the fiction offers a very unique perspective on martial arts training and in life in general. It would be way too difficult to go into every detail of such a discussion of truth and myth in a blog but I am always willing to discuss these things in detail. If you are in the greater San Diego area feel to come and visit.

If you like a good martial arts movie with lots of “ninja” action, go see the new film Ninja Assassin. It looks like it will have plenty of it. If your motivated about martial arts and ninjutsu training, before or after seeing this film, feel free to contact me. If you do not live in San Diego, I will help you get in touch with a reputable instructor in your area.

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Wow, the last year has gone by fast! With that, it is time to turn our focus to a new sword school. We have been studying the sword work of the Kukishinden for the past year touching on the first scroll of the school in great depth. Those that have been with us for much of that year have blossomed beyond my wildest expectations. Having studied the “samurai” sword work for the past couple of years at Poway Samurai Martial Arts, we are now turning our attention to the sword work of the often misunderstood “ninja”.

Starting on August 4th, 2009, we will be spending the next few months studying the basics of the Togakure Ryu school’s “ninja” sword work to familiarize students with the understanding of its fundamentals and how it was used against “samurai” sword work. This is a rare opportunity to learn a historically accurate aspect of “ninja” training with the same kata taken directly from the scrolls the Tokagure Ryu Ninjutsu practioners used for hundreds of years. If you are sword enthusiast, samurai enthusiast, ninjutsu enthusiast or someone who wants to experience authentic ninjutsu training in the San Diego area, now is a rare opportunity to learn some material we will not cover again for two or three years!

See you in class!
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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We call ourselves The Samurai School because we maintain the heritage of the Samurai and Ninja lineage by teaching these Japanese arts directly from the ancient scrolls. This is different from any other school you will find offering Karate and Martial Arts in San Diego. Our teachings of kobudo (old martial arts) traditions harkens back to field combat tactics that involved large groups and complex strategies to win battles.

Too often the “modern” martial arts of today fail to provide much skill, focus or purpose in life other than to fight. They have thrown away the traditions, lessons and philosophies their arts were based on. The focus of the Japanese warriors was not simply to be a good fighter or warrior (bushi) but to temper those skills with the lessons and philosophies for a fundamentally more full, abundant and happy life. That is why Samurai means essentially “to serve” and Ninja essentially means “to persevere or be patient”.

When you choose to study the traditional and authentic Japanese martial arts of the Samurai and Ninja, you learn martial arts with meaning. By following Bushido, (the way of the samurai), our students find meaning in their lives they did not even know they were looking for. The traditional arts of the Samurai and Ninja teach effective skills for self defense and combat from techniques that have been practiced for hundreds of years. And, they also build character, self esteem, focus and self discipline skills which help increase mental agility. This can give those who practice it an advantage in the workplace and build a solid moral and ethical approach to life which leads to a safe and happy existence. Plus, as a physical activity, our training provides a non repetitive form of exercise that can relieve stress both physically and mentally.

Come to The Samurai School and train with us to change your life. It’s not just martial arts, it’s Bushido!

Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Owner/Instructor of Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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A brief summary on the history of Japan and the martial arts is in order to understand why the Japanese martial arts have such a dominating presence and rich philosophy. For over four hundred years Japan existed as an island of competing provinces that fought constantly for many reasons, each employing their individual systems of combat. By the seventeenth century, this warring period came to a close and many of the warriors needed to seek out another career. Martial systems up to this point had been handed down from one master to the next. Their responsibility to the lineage was the preservation of it’s history, meticulously teaching and mastering the skills, and adding additions and improvements due to the changing course of the times. During this period of peace, these masters went about and began to openly teach the crafts which had been previously studied by warriors and military elite. They would otherwise be out of work, as war had stopped and the demand for their skills had diminished. This was the beginning of a critical era for the Japanese martial arts. It was during this period that the philosophies of the warrior philosophy became the “way”.

Hundreds of martial arts systems were codified during this period, becoming legitimate “schools.” The most celebrated and popular of these combative systems was the Jujutsu. Through history Jujutsu had been recorded in scrolls of various schools as many different terms including Yawara, Kenpo, Taijutsu and Jutaijutsu to name just few. Jujutsu during this period was taught as a means of un-armed and armed defense, with specific hand held weapons specific to a particular school, including methods of bone breaking strikes, soft tissue attacks, joint lock and breaking forms, armor grappling, un-armed weapon defensives, weapon specific forms etc.

From the late nineteenth century up to the beginning of world war two, the common practice for martial arts was found in the practice of karate and the sport arts of sword fencing (Kendo) and Judo. As a result of the more modern arts’ popularity and the passing of time, the old schools were somewhat forgotten. It must be remembered that many of the old martial art traditions were particular to field combat, tactics involving large groups and the strategies to employ the necessary techniques to see a battle through to victory, among others. While these old traditions were no longer recognized by civil authorities, it should be pointed out that many police and military personnel at this time still trained under the auspices of specialized headmasters of old-combat schools and after the second world war came to a close, the practice of martial arts became illegal for a period.

So why practice traditional systems of martial arts and most specifically the Japanese systems of the Samurai and Ninja? This is a very good question. Since time immemorial, the Japanese have been extremely particular about the documentation and recording of anything with even a slight degree of importance. It is in their heritage to maintain loyalty to the teaching of those who have tested and proven progressive methods of any action. This is just as true for martial arts as it is for business, cooking, writing, etc. For this reason, what a student of the true Japanese art learns is quite close to the original teachings and has only been improved upon through the ages. There have been no changes to suit the desire of someone else, cultural bias, commercialized fads or popular opinions.

The “traditions, lessons and philosophies” so quickly thrown away as useless or outdated by many modern martial arts and instructors still strongly influence the kobudo (old martial arts) of the Samurai and Ninja. Most often, instructors who discard these lessons have not obtained the skill level or experience necessary to recognize the value inherent in the teachings. The focus of the Japanese warriors was not simply to be a good fighter or warrior (bushi) but to temper those skills with the lessons and philosophies for a fundamentally more full, abundant and happy life. That is why Samurai means essentially “to serve” and Ninja essentially means “to persevere or be patient”. Too often modern martial arts, especially mixed martial arts (or perhaps appropriately called mixed up martial arts) fail to provide much skill or focus or purpose for life outside of the ring or being in a fight. That is not to say that there are not good mixed martial arts and instructors out there that add philosophy to their training but it is not an inherent part of the training.

The traditional arts of the Samurai and Ninja teach effective skills not only for defense and combat that have been practiced for hundreds of years but they build character, self esteem, focus and self discipline. As a physical activity they offer a non repetitive form of physical exercise and offer stress relief both physically and mentally. These skills help lead not only a safe and happy life but help increase the mental agility and focus and discipline that can give an advantage in work and work ethic as well as a solid moral and ethical approach to life and work as well.

There are many great things about a good traditional martial arts program. A big one is the focus on self-improvement-self-esteem-personal growth. While it seems like these should be three separate things, they really are so intertwined that our language does a disservice to us in using different words. Self improvement is not about getting better at fighting so you can win a trophy or a competition or be better than someone else. It is about being better than you were yesterday and without the right motivation, role models, and lessons, many kids begin to learn these important roles from each other. Where the problem occurs is that counting on kids to teach other kids right from wrong doesn’t work, and they often come up with and use inappropriate examples and role models.

In a good traditional martial arts program like ours, that focuses and the lessons and teachings of the samurai and ninja, is that everyone participates. Unlike a lot of sports there is no A and B squads, no “Starters” and “Backups”. Everyone learns together and excels together but each in their own way and they help each other learn as well.

I am currently reaching out through speaking engagements and other avenues to help find candidates and sponsors who are willing to provide scholarships to at risk kids to participate in my programs. It really is a simple matter of “Pay Now” and save these kids while there is time or “Pay A Lot More Later” through paying for the court filing fees, defense attorneys and in some cases jail and prison terms that can occur when these kids get older and into trouble and your tax dollars are allocated to help them. Please contact me at #858-486-0059 to schedule a speaking engagement on “At Risk Youth Programs” or, if you know of an organization ready to provide sponsorship now.