Total Warrior Weapons Training Pack

For Students planning to attend Rick Tew’s College of Martial Science, Total Warrior Martial Arts and Fitness camp or for Students of our NinjaGym® Home Study Program AND even for anyone looking to have a great set of safe training / practice gear – I highly recommend these items.

MY PROBLEM…
…was lack of durability, realism and something safe to fly with:

Training at our camps in Thailand our rattan escrima sticks and bo staves started to split and wear down in only a few months. Our rubber knives would break in half or have a flimsy feel to them. We also didn’t want a lot of metal weapons – because students were flying in from all over the world and metal weapons caused more issues and delays at airport security. Since Students are required to have their own set of training gear, you could imagine the possible chaos.

MY SOLUTION…
…was turning to COLD STEEL the maker of the World’s Strongest Knives:

I needed to solve this problem so I turned to COLD STEEL – they made a great selection of items that fit all three of our requirements. The main source for this solution was the use of POLYPROPYLENE.

WHY…
…is this better than other plastic, rubber or wood?

Since these items are NOT made of wood, that they will not rot, crack split or splinter. Cold Steel’s solution to these dilemmas was to design a synthetic substitute, low in price and impervious to the elements.

It is also NOT cheap plastic as these items are made of the heaviest grade polypropylene available. These items closely duplicate a real sword, stick or knife in length, size, weight and feel. They have the advantages of being virtually unbreakable and remarkably stiff and cut resistant.

These items are much more durable because it is injection molded from super tough black polypropylene. Unlike rattan, it resists mildew, and won’t dry out, warp, crack.

Having been training with various wooden and rattan items over the last 20+ years, and being able to properly compare – I have come to love the practical use Polypropylene training items and now these are the official training weapons of all our programs.

HOW…
…can you get these into your hands to start using them right away?

You can order on our Martial Art Supply store at NinjaNinja.com Easy – follow this link to order 1 or the entire set if you’d like to save.

ORDER THE PRO NINJA TRAINING WEAPONS BY CLICKING THIS LINK

PRO TRAINING SWORD

A synthetic substitute, impervious to the elements. Our Pro Training swords are made of the heaviest grade polypropylene available and closely duplicate a real Katana and Wakazashi in length, size, weight and feel. They have the advantages of being virtually unbreakable and remarkably stiff and cut resistant.

PRO TRAINING KNIFE

Practice with some of the most popular knife designs, in relative safety, with our rubber training knife. Each has been carefully fashioned to look as realistic as possible so they can be effectively used in solo practice, training drills, disarm drills, and demonstrations and any other activity where you want a reasonably close approximation of realism but not the extreme danger and risk associated with an actual knife. The Santoprene rubber blades are soft enough to prevent the likelihood of most bodily injury. They do however, have a level of firmness that might cause injury to the face or the eyes, so it is recommended that appropriate eye protection or a fencing mask is utilized at all times when using a rubber training knife.

PRO TRAINING STICK

Our Escrima Stick resembles a traditional rattan stick in length, weight, and cross section, it is however, much more durable because it is injection molded from super tough black polypropylene. It measures 32″ long and is 1″ in diameter and weighs a little over 15 ounces. Unlike rattan, it resists mildew, and won’t dry out, warp, crack splinter or shrink, and with the use of a saw, it can easily be modified to any length. It is easy to clean and is so resistant to impact stresses and the elements, that it is virtually unbreakable and practically indestructible. We’re confident that stick fighting enthusiasts and the Martial Arts Community will want to add one or more of these sticks to their training arsenal.

PRO TRAINING FIST STICK

Made of virtually unbreakable plastic, the Koga can increase the ability of the average person to defend himself several times over. With proper training, it can function as a fantastic aid in leverage when obtaining joint locks or submission holds. But where it really shines is as an intermediate impact tool. You see, police and civilians alike face a perplexing dilemma when contemplating employing fist or baton blows. Blows struck with the fist may be too weak, or worse, result in a broken hand, while blows struck with a baton may be too powerful resulting in grave injury or even death. The SD however, solves this problem, neatly bridging the gap by concentrating and magnifying the effect of hand blows while minimizing the likelihood of permanent injury or death. If you’re looking to expand your continuum of force options in a self-defense situation, we heartily suggest you buy a Koga.

“Improve the gear and you improve the training.”

RICK
TEW THUMBS UP!!

How to quickly find your key Strengths

“Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?”
– Benjamin Franklin

Yesterday I wrote a short article on how important it was to focus on your personal Strengths in order to BE a Black Belt in What You Do. This is the foundational message in WINJITSU – The Mental Martial Art that we teach on all of our camps and long term live-in programs.

Today, I wanted to SHARE a great BOOK and more importantly a great TEST that you can take and in less than one hour you can learn your Strengths, review them and begin to apply them to your life right away.

My TEST results showed that my TOP 5 Strengths are:

01 Futuristic
02 Strategic
03 Ideation
04 Maximizer
05 Relator

I won’t explain what all of these mean here (but feel free to ask) as they are related to me specifically. Your Strengths will be unique to you.

Those that know me well will understand these and be able to associate them to my character fairly quickly. Often, we don’t even know our own STRENGTHS.

I found it very interesting to see that I was living and working based on these 5 Strengths and I could see SPOT ON what these strengths really were. I could see the relation as a martial arts instructor, business owner, writer / creator, motivational speaker and life coach.

What is GREAT about this information is that you can use it to help you DISCOVER what you can be doing with your life. It will help answer questions as to what you could be doing or focusing on. It helps to explain who you really are.

You will need both the book and their website.

The book is called STRENGTHS FINDER 2.0 and here is a brief description.

In Strengths Finder 2.0 Gallup unveiled the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more. Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and USA Today bestseller will change the way you look at yourself — and the world around you — forever.

HOW DO I KNOW MY STRENGTHS?

I will make a bold statement here:
If you focus on what you are NOT good at, you will fail!

It can be challenging to discover what we are destined to BE or DO when we have a society that seems to focus on what we are NOT good at.

Consider how much attention we give when we see a person struggling in any one area of their life. What do we do? We help them get FIXED.

If you jump well, but run slow – we put our focus on helping you to run faster. Rarely would attention be given to jumping because this is already a Strength and we are conditioned to work on our weaknesses and help those that seem to be struggling.

This seems realistic, but down the road, it is not likely this person will be a great runner regardless of how much energy that is put into it. What is more likely to happen is that people can become focused on a constant level of improving areas that they are weak at.

This can continue into adulthood where they almost make “fixing themselves” a lifestyle choice.

What if we focused on what we were good at?

It’s funny if you look at people from the angle of what they are good at – you might see and experience a different person. If you focus on the weaknesses of an individual or where they are struggling, you will experience that person in that way too.

Successful people have weaknesses too. However, they are successful because they focused on their Strengths. There are three areas that you MUST have aligned to succeed in your career choice.

1. It must make good money
2 If must feel good to you
3 You must be good at it

If you can align those three areas, you can succeed.

Whether this is in school, relationships, career or even your health and fitness, we buy into this idea that we need to DO what has worked for others that are successful in any given area.

This strategy would only work if you too shared the same Strengths.

Striving to improve areas that you are weak at is almost a guide for failure as opposed to being a guide for success. People succeed because they know their Strengths and apply this to their endeavors. Let’s take the example of wanting to lose weight:

First, you will want to turn that negative goal into a positive one:

“How can I lose weight?”

To

“How can I get into better shape?”

Extended to your Strengths:

“How can I get in better shape using my Strengths?”

Maybe you have strength in swimming, but hate running. You don’t need to find a running Instructor to convince you to be a better runner when your goal is to get into better shape.

Instead, you target your strengths to find out creative ways for you to succeed without as much effort. What is the best way for you to get into better shape using all of your Strengths?

Don’t go against your own grain.

Being focused on a problem, a weakness or an area that you are not good at is not the strategy to use for BEING the best that you can be.

YES, we all want to be better and you should include a healthy dose of growth as a part of your life. I still say, “IMPROVE your Strengths and ELIMINATE your weaknesses.”

However, to succeed, you need to focus on what you are good at and get out of that circle of constantly fixing yourself.

It is in the BEING!

If you focus on your weakness, it will be hard for you to make good use of the attributes that you already have that can help you to succeed.

One of the key areas that we focus on in our new KICK2START Mind-Body connection program as well as our Thailand Mind-Body-Spirit Martial Arts Camps is to help Students to discover and build on these strength based characteristics.

Take some time to discover your key Strengths, write them down and see how you can align them with your life.

RICK
TEW Thumbs Up!!

Defending your home!

If you are an avid practitioner of martial arts, you are no doubt equipped with a number of ways to defend yourself. After all, as many people unfamiliar with martial arts seem to forget, the underlying point of most martial arts is actually defense, and not merely the ability to fight. You have probably learned various skills and tactics for neutralizing an oncoming attack and keeping yourself safe; for this reason, you are probably very confident, in general, in your ability to protect yourself if necessary. However, no matter how long or how well you practice your martial arts, it is important to remember that you may not always be able to protect yourself or your loved ones. This is why, even for the most capable individuals, home security systems are well worth looking into.

It may seem a bit silly to relate martial arts with something like home security; however, at some time or another, we have all had some sense of that youthful feeling of invincibility that comes with being good at something. Many people capable of physically protecting themselves assume that they are virtually invulnerable in dangerous situations. Thus, it is prudent to maintain a strong sense of reality, and to remember that there are some dangers against which martial arts may not be much help. A strong home security system can protect you from some of these dangers in multiple ways:

Protection Against Crime: Unfortunately, home invasions occur fairly frequently, meaning that at some point your house may fall prey to an attempted break-in. For protection against these types of issues, home security systems offer everything from advanced house alarms, to motion detectors, and even video cameras and laser trip wires. In fact, even the little sign they will put in your front yard can be a strong defense against criminals, as it indicates your level of protection and may scare people off.

Protection Against Accidents: Many people forget that home security concerns are not only for criminals; your home can also be vulnerable to accidents such as house fires or carbon monoxide leaks, which can be very deadly. In order to prevent any danger from arising as a result of a fire or gas leak, home security companies offer you sensitive detectors that alert you if these accidents occur.

For more details on the kinds of security offered by modern home security companies, you may want to do some research and figure out what system is best for you. However, it is important to recognize why these systems are necessary. You may be very capable of defending yourself, but it can never hurt to make sure that your home is a safe and well-fortified environment.

How to have fun in the martial arts and still get great training!

In Thailand, they have a word for fun. It is called Sanuk. And if you want to ask if someone is having fun you say, “Sanuk mai?”      

There is even a new relaxed shoe company called Sanuk, named after the Thai word.       

Not too long ago in Bangkok, I remember planning to have a short class in the famous Lumpini park and one of the students from our Total Warrior – Junior Instructors Program (for students 16 to 19) asked if he could wear his tabi shoes (split toed footwear made popular in Ninja films and worn as part of the uniform of a uniformed ninja – or practitioner of modern ninjutsu when training outside and as an optional alternative to going barefoot – because the combination of Nike and martial art uniforms is a fashion faux pas).      

At first I laughed a bit at his enthusiasm. He was genuinely excited about wearing his tabi shoes. I said, “Yes” thinking he meant at the park itself. I didn’t realize he would actually wear them from the dojo all the way to the park (a journey consisting of about 30 minutes of walking, bus rides, a sky train and pit stops at the mall on the hunt for fresh guava juice).

Another student (in his late 20′s) commented, “Don’t you know the new modern ninja footwear are Vibram’s Five Fingers shoes?” This shoe I introduced to him over the summer in California at our 10 day camp and wrote about on NinjaGym.com as an article post here: Vibram FiveFingers: Put on Your Five Fingered Shoes      

They both ended up wearing their shoes on our adventure that day. One looked like a gorilla and the other a chicken. Even though I had both the tabi and a pair of Five Fingers shoes in my closet, I opted to go with sandals (the typical farang / foreigner footwear of Thailand). I still prefer going barefoot and not wanting to add to the foot zoo and become a trio of humor, I decided to just kick off my leg trippers (if you’ve walked with me you will know I can be rather clumsy in sandals) when we reached the ultimate surface for martial arts training – GRASS.

I remember the days when I used to wear my tabi with pride and on all of my adventures. I wore them to Boy Scout hikes and endured the smiles and laughs as I marched through Mexico with fellow warriors of ninja wear to the human chorus of, “Chicken feet, chicken feet.”      

But, I was proud and here I am looking at a young wanna-be-ninja (after all these years I am too) excited at the chance to play Ninja. To wear crazy looking boots, throw stars, practice stealthing (make that a real word already) and even dress up as a Ninja and putting on the mask and gauntlets for photos or night training.      

For those that know me and the system of the martial science – they know that we train and practice realistic self-defense and martial arts. This isn’t a, “Can I call my mommy on the telephone” type of program.

Refer to my article title “The Martial and the Art” for more details.      

When your focus is on the martial or military part of the program, it is easy to forget why many of us got into the arts in the first place – which was TO HAVE FUN.      

Sanuk Mai (having fun?)      

It is sad that in all the hype for realistic combat training, effective self-defense or even cage style fighting, that we forget that really we just want to have fun and feel good about our training.      

I often get asked by students why I wear a blue uniform when I look better in Black. It’s for fun on many levels. First, I just enjoy saying, Sensei Tew wears blue. Yes, I often wear black too, but I decided to not take life or the martial arts TOO seriously. I think this has a lot to do with not taking yourself TEW seriously either. That isn’t easy when the world is always judging and 90% of the people around you are negative critics.            

Trust me; you will not make it out alive. You might as well have a little fun along your path of discipline. NO, it can’t all be fun and YES I believe in a good balance of the two. I am Rick in class (more strict fun when the students are giving 100%) and Ricky out of class (less stress, mostly smiles and serious when called to action). It’s a split personality that I take into almost everything I do.

Yes, there are times when people will want to make fun of you (most are just jealous that they don’t have the courage to dance in the street) and it might be a challenge to realize that everything isn’t about how well you can punch or kick.      

In this world of star lovers, magazine models and bowing down the popular and wealthy, you are seen as an idiot when you are just beginning and suddenly converted almost overnight to a genius when you succeed at being an idiot. Ironic isn’t it?      

Think about fashion shows that you see on TV all the time. Do people actually wear that stuff? These designers are world famous, but if they showed those outfits that look like something from outer space to anyone outside of the field of a fashion show – they would be seen as complete morons. But by being themselves and finding a niche market they can thrive. What’s your passion?

When I eventually told family and friends that I planned to teach martial arts for a living. It truly came off as a joke. I think for my parents it was more about fear of my future. Seriously, who can make a living as martial artist? It didn’t seem like a realistic choice when there are more secure ways to live your life – like becoming an employee for a large company. I stuck to my guns and this choice has not only been my continued education, it has helped me to create my own world, live by my own designs, and work in a field that I have chosen.      

Doing this is not for the lazy or weak. It takes a lot of backbone to make your mark on the world. Why, because you must be strong on the bad days as much as you are on the good days. It’s a roller coaster ride and when you are up, hands are in the air everyone is screaming and you feel like you are on top of the world, but when you go down, you begin to fear, you might throw up a bit and everyone around you is worried about themselves and not you. People cheer when you’re up and they kick you when you are down. This is why it’s up to only YOU to make it happen and along the way you will find others that help to make this dream a reality.      

I’m not saying you should be the next NAME OF THE ASIAN ON AMERICAN IDOL who did horrible but became very popular, or the next Leroy Jenkins (for those that play World of Warcraft) who ran into a virtual dungeon and whipped the entire group. Leroy is now known by more the 20 Million people. Those actions today will earn you NO respect.      

Being an idiot has to be a little more personal and with the attempt at creating a unique POSITIVE style to add value and not just to interrupt the process.      

This means that if you want to use the nunchaku and you accidentally hit yourself in the head, GREAT. Say, “Woo Hoo,” call yourself an idiot if you want, laugh it off and move on. It does not mean you should jump into your living room with a pair of swinging stick and Bruce Lee to death your flat screen TV just for a YouTube buzz. I broke the glass in front of our fireplace at 14 with a throwing star while pretending to be a Ninja, so I speak from experience.

We all have bloopers from trying new things. I have a quite a big list. Everything from crashing the first motorcycle I’ve ever ridden through the fence of my friend’s neighbor’s house to being stabbed in front of a live audience with a real knife.      

Some of the smarter pick-up artists have realized that this is actually a good strategy for meeting women. They call it peacocking and part of the strategy is to wear something that gets people to look at you and ask questions or to remember you. I prefer that you wear what you want because you want to (be it a silly hat, a scarf in the summer, or a pink suit) and not just because you want some feminine attention. The stronger male will find his inner game and use that with success. I am telling you to do what you want because it is fun for you. Not to get a tattoo because others might think it’s cool. But if you have always dreamed of a having a dragon inked across your back (and you are at least 25, LOL) then go for it.      

In my observations as a martial arts instructor and coach, it seems that the tough guys are actually the most limited. I feel that the reason so many people focus only on the limited aspects of the martial arts is that they themselves are not good enough for the rest of it and fear taking on the challenge to improve their game. This and they don’t want to seem silly. Why swing a sword around, or train to stealth? So they join the ranks of the many, while those that love the ART become a member of the few. This takes courage and discipline.

Usually to those that are stuck in the macho mind-set I ask them if they feel it is unrealistic to play the guitar, a video game, or even basketball. I mean you are not going to use any of these things in a real fight. You do them because they are fun for you. Somewhere along the line, just because the martial arts is also a fighting skill it has become only unique if you only do what will knock out your opponent. Yes, we teach those skills too but they are few and limited when you consider the entire realm of the martial arts. Kick start your life with a few flying side kicks to as well as your Muay Thai low kicks.      

“People who mind don’t matter and People who matter don’t mind”

When others laugh, don’t take it personal but keep in mind that you have one life to live and you should make it very personal.      

So add a little fun to your training, be sure that it isn’t all about elbows to the side of the head or rear chokes and tap outs. Pick up a new skill, make a goofy movie, try swinging on a rope, collect martial art weapons, do a few back flips, go ahead and JUMP, play with a new technique and for the love of the martial ARTS – try on a new pair of shoes.      

Sword / Half Staff Training in the Martial Arts

One weapon that stands out from almost all martial art and military training, is the sword. When we think of Sword we think, Ninja Sword, Samurai Sword etc. Whether gleaming in the hands of a Hollywood actor or brought back to life via the imagination while reading Myamoto Musashi’s, “Book of Five Rings,” one thing stands clear: along with this popularity comes the quest for developing HIGHLANDER like skills. A desire to wield the sword with precision and deadliness. And if you are to be the one on the safe end of the blade, it is wise to get some kind of instruction. It isn’t likely that you will find a master swordsman hiding in the bushes waiting to teach you the Yojimbo quick draw. And since this is the Internet, it isn’t likely that this article will give you the skills to chop your way through a fruit stand either. However, I can offer some tiny bits of information that will assist in your training.

In the Martial Science we have 3 specific ways that we teach the sword and each of these ways requires the use of a different sword. First you have a Bokken or wooden sword. Then you have a Shinai or bamboo sword and last you have a Katana or Real Sword. When learning to master the sword, it is important to have the right tools. Now there is also training in different sizes of swords – such as the Wakizashi, but the training principles are the same; you simply substitute the weapon in question.

Level 1: The Bokken

The wooden sword is probably the best tool for training in swordsmanship. Not only will you keep from cutting yourself, but also you will have a weapon close to the same weight as a real sword. Now when I say, “wooden sword” I mean, a real hard wood. Don’ t go and buy one of those dinky ninja bokkens only to be disappointed when you end up with a broken bokken. Get yourself a real wooden (heavy) sword. The straight sword concept is a MYTH anyway. I like to use the ninja bokken when training in hanbo or half-staff techniques. Once you have a good wooden sword you are ready to start training.

1. Sleep with it

Make that sword your companion for the duration of your training. Keep it by your bed, take it with you into the kitchen. Constantly have it near you for practice. When I hike in the back country, I often take with me a wooden sword as a hiking stick. I can train as I hike. Even if you are only working on basic strikes and slices – it helps to develop a kinship with the weapon (or Kenship).

2. Grip

Use your bokken to practice grip and basic strikes. Sit in Seiza or seated posture and simply work on overhead strikes (vertical down #12). Then switch grips and do the same. Do this over and over – I mean, get in that repetition, at least 100 times. This will develop the grip you need for cuts and control. Once you have the vertical strike, add in the diagonal down #4, & 5 strikes.

Attack Primary striking area Angle or direction
01 thrust inward
02 horizontal left
03 horizontal right
04 diagonal down
05 diagonal down
06 midway horizontal
07 midway horizontal
08 diagonal up left
09 diagonal upright
10 low horizontal left
11 low horizontal right
12 vertical down
13 vertical up
14 thrust down

3. Basics

Once you have worked on your grip you can move on to basic strikes. Now sometimes I teach a number of stances before going into strikes, but you can simply take the stances you already know and find a way for the sword to fit into them. For example, a cat stance is great for a crossed sword position. Combat stance is great for a mid-level sword position. The basics include cutting with your sword at all the 14 angles of attack. Simply swing the sword in each angle and adjust your stance accordingly. This will be your most important sword exercise. Every time you pick up your bokken you should review the 14 angles and adjust your stances. This is the foundation of your sword training.

4. Timing

From the seated position go back to step 2 and repeat the strikes, only this time, you are trying to control the swing. To do this requires that you place something on the floor to strike at. A half tire is great, even a thick pillow. The goal is to work on striking and stopping as close to the target as possible. This will build up an even better grip and develop timing and control in the process. Eventually, you will want to move to advance stages of this type of training. Which would require striking at a target using all the angles of attack. When you do this, you will need a strong target to hit. Trees are best for this type of exercise (don’t bang the tree to death). Trees are more realistic. You can put up pieces of carpet to protect the bark.

5. Freestyle Forms

The next step in bokken training is designing your freestyle form. In the Martial Science we have a pre-developed form that we teach students as a guide to swordsmanship. But it is still important for you to develop your own set of movements. A form is a combination of movements (strikes etc.) performed in a fluid and natural manner. Natural according to you. It is also good to add in a number of body movements such as, stances, rolls and strikes. The goal is not to be flipping out in a sword fight, but to develop great control of the weapon. The form will be a set of movements that you perform in one continuous series. You can even imagine opponents as you perform a variety of strikes, blocks, stances and rolls. Throw in a kick here and there. The key is to keep an open mind and expand your abilities.

Once you have practiced the above five steps, you will be well on your way to developing successful sword skills. It is important to remember that this and any training is simply a guideline. You will discover numerous training concepts just by following these rules. It is required for you to step out of these lines to enhance your own personal skills that are designed around your own strengths and weaknesses. Ask your instructor to assist in finding your personal strategies.

Level 2: The Shinai

After working with your bokken it is time to move on to the Shinai or second level of training. The purpose of the shinai is to introduce you to the art of the sword combat. Sword against sword. To most people this will be the most exciting part of their training. Basically, you will be sparring with two swords. We start with shinai’ s because they do very little (if any) damage when hit. But like any training program you don’t just start hitting your opponent in an attempt to reenact Star Wars (which, by the way is based on a Ninja Story).

1. Block and Counter

To begin, you face an opponent and work on simple blocks and counters. It is important to get instruction on what exactly you can do with a sword. But for those training in the Martial Science we are talking about the Triangle Defensive Strategy (includes the Roof and Wing Blocks). The triangle is a symbol of what angles to follow when being attacked. In order to understand this concept you will have to be taught (or make an attempt at figuring it out). Let us say that your opponent strikes with a vertical down cut #12. To use the triangle theory, imagine your sword being the bottom line of the triangle (hilt at the left and point at the right). Your defense would be to adjust it from the bottom line to either of the sides of the triangle. You do this by tilting the hilt up and down or tilting the tip up or down. For this particular defense we would lift the hilt up to match the right side of the triangle creating a diagonal block. This is also called a Roof block. The theory is (like that of a roof) that rain and snow will fall off of a slanted roof – and so will the opponents sword. Once the opponents shinai hits your block (you know this because of the loud snapping sound) you then carry your sword into a counter – such as a diagonal down strike #5 onto the side of the neck. This is called a block and counter. It is important to note that you are only training various techniques for developing skills and handling. You would continue this block and counter strategy against all of the 14 angles. Advanced students can add one more levels to the training by blocking and countering the opponents counter to your first strike. Experiment a little.

2. Combat

Now the fun part. Once you have become familiar with striking areas and some basic blocks and counters, it is time to actually sword fight. Be sure and start with Shinai’s. And before you begin, make sure each practitioner has on:

A pair of gloves (usually padded)
A cup
Eye protection.
Head gear if needed

You can also get geared up in a full Kendo armor, but that isn’t necessary. If you are going full out (real hard) then get all the protection you can. We use baseball gear and pads. Okay, once you are ready, you simply need to know the rules of the game. This is a game that is designed for you to have fun with. Please don’t take to competition. The rules are designed to develop your skills and not to prove your are the next generation Musashi.

The rules are simple, you are dead if: you get cut on the torso, back, hit on the head or hit on any two limbs (hands are optional).

If you get cut on one limb, you lose the use of that limb. A cut is not a scratch; it has to be obvious to each participant. So if it grazes your clothes, it does not count. If it makes a sound, that usually will do it. You start the match by crossing swords with your opponent. As soon as the swords are not touching, the match begins – so pay attention. An instructor can also say, “GO.”

Start off slow and work on controlled strikes instead of wild swings. Also, don‘t use strikes to the head in the beginning. Once you have gotten comfortable with the rules and the training add some spice to the fight by playing teams or even join an all out war at CAMP.

Level 3: The Katana

Okay, you have done a lot of playing around and training. Now you want to get your hands on a real sword. Even though you will have been training in swordsmanship the Katana will still feel really weird. Especially if you don’t have a Tew Ryu modified version. The handle may feel small, the hand guard may be irritating and the weight may feel awkward. This is all okay. Just don’t start swinging it around, thinking you’ll just get the hang of it. Whenever dealing with a real sword it is important to treat it with respect.

1. Respect

The first part of working with a real sword is to make sure you maintain a high level of regard. I don‘t want you worshiping the weapon, but pretend if you will, that you are always on display in front of the worlds greatest swordsmen. How would you carry your sword at a ceremony? How would you sit? How would you act? Think about this and maintain that high level of respect. This will not only keep you alive, but also develop some proper etiquette. If you’re not sure how to carry a sword – then try to use your common sense. Don‘t worry about whether to use your left or right hand. Just carry it in a stern manner, a manner that suggests wisdom and patience.

3. Draw

Most of your training so far has been (or should have been) in the manipulation of the blade. But drawing the edge from its sheath is half or more of the skill needed in a true sword fight. Of course you will most likely never end up face to face in a real sword duel. Still, it is part of the training and important you know how to draw the sword. There are a few important things to remember. First, your sword is or can be very, very sharp. So it would be nice to keep from slicing into your hand when drawing the blade. This can happen when you hold the scabbard with one hand and draw the blade along the wall of the sheath. So the basic way to draw a blade would be to actually pull the scabbard and sword hilt forward and then pulling the scabbard back as you draw the blade outwards – along the back of the blade. Practice this very slowly and make sure you get some kind of instruction. As with all of these techniques, don‘t do this at home.

Be sure and get some coaching and then use this as a guideline or an enhancement to your previous training. The draw is very important and can actually take years to master. It also might help to get some old Samurai and Ninja movies to watch. Try Yojimbo and Sanjuro as well as some others based on Myamoto Musashi. Look for Lone Wolf and other movies as well.

4. Movement

Now it is time to actually practice with the sword. Start with one that is not sharp. Simply go back to level 1 training and repeat what you learned with a bokken by using your katana. Be sure to work slow and remember that even an aluminum sword can have a sharp point. I never suggest wielding a sharp edge, even the masters can make mistakes and you wouldn‘t want to lose a leg because a fly flew up your nose during a cartwheel. So be careful, remember to respect the blade.

Once you have worked on all this training, come join us in a martial arts demonstration to offer a great hour of viewing pleasure to the audience. This training guideline for the sword is applicable with many other weapons as well. The key is to be creative, there is no one way to do anything. Just by starting, you will discover numerous other skills and natural strategies – keep an open mind and have fun.

Sword Preview by Sensei Rick Tew

Ninja Sword 14 Angle Attack Form

Ninja Training Sword Combat Game

Ninja Training Sword Tactics

Ninja Sword Bokken Seated Drill

Wooden Sword Bokken Ninjitsu Weapon Drills

If you haven’t done so already, please read Rick Tew’s Intro to Martial Art Weapons by following the link below:

Martial Art Weapons

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Boxing, Kickboxing, Takedowns and Grappling Competition

These are videos from the first day of what we call King of the Mat training here at NinjaGym™ Martial Arts Camp in Thailand. These are beginners so they are just learning to put their movements into action. Most of the week is spent training in other areas of the martial arts. But once a week we have a King of the Mat competition between the students.

All fights and challenges are monitored and guided by Instructors. These videos help students to see their strengths and weaknesses and focus on improving them.

Each week they will learn new skills and be able to put them to practical use during a King of the Mat match.

Students must go an entire session which consists of a full range of combat training / fighting types. Each video is only of one type of fighting but after these fights the students move on to the next. Here is an example:

Takedowns

The first person to take the other to their hand or knee wins the match.

Boxing

Only gloves – the person on the mat / training area can be defensive – 2 minute matches

Grappling from the ground

This is either to tap out or the end of 2 minutes.

Grappling from standing

Either tap out or end of 2 minutes

Kickboxing

Punching and kicking until tap out or 2 minutes is up.

Anything goes (punching, kicking, takedowns and grappling are allowed until tap out or 2 minutes is up)

We also do a variety of other matches on these days. They can be sword fighting, knife fighting, or even king of the climbing wall where the last person on the wall wins.

Jungle Gym Ninja Sparring on a Climbing Wall

All students go to their own max and can sign out of the class when they are done or have given it their all. We usually use borders as another way for students to win. If they knock their opponent into an obstacle, they win the match.

Each time a person wins the match, he stays in the ring to fight the next student. This is to see how far each person can go.

We have a lot more rules and strategies that we use and they are tough to truly understand with video alone.

How to make the comforts of home feel ten times better!

It’s the end of March here in Koh Samui, Thailand at our NinjaGym™ long-term live-in Multi-Martial Arts and Fitness Camp. The weather has been beautiful most of the month and riding a moped (one of my favorite activities on the island) early in the morning or along with the Sunset as I coast along the ocean road has been a refreshing break from normal life in the States. Today however, my day and moped ride ended with me soaked from head to toe – racing to my office. There were numerous puddles as the roads were flooded. Driving speed was reduced due to the fact that as the rain struck my face it felt like tiny rocks being shot through an angry bird’s blowgun. This was of course after class.

I usually call Thursdays Thunder Day and today couldn’t have been a better Thursday. We started class at 2pm and trained until 5. Yes, it’s a typical short day, but the entire class was conducted in the rain. If you haven’t trained in the rain before, you don’t know what you are missing. It has its pros and cons, but in the end, you usually come away stronger or experience some new elements that may not have existed in drier weather.

“Why is it that punching and kicking and choking the hell out of your friends builds such camaraderie?” – Areito Echevarria

First, it gets cold really fast. Your uniform, t-shirt or outfit begins to stick to you and remind you of how cold it can actually get. Lucky for us, we are in Thailand so although it got chilly for a few of the students, it wasn’t too bad and we could all still feel our fingers and toes – unlike training in Europe under similar conditions.

We started the class off with a warm up and then some bag work before moving on to the lessons for the day. While I was getting the tonfa, swords and staff for today’s lesson, I thought I would grab my waterproof camera and snap a few shots. The battery was dead so I was only able to grab a few.

The first shot is from the Camp House and gives you a good idea of the training grass / ground available for students to use for the duration of their stay. The second photo is a bit of a messy line of students waiting for their turn at the bag. Arieto complete the series with the third photo and you can see how wet they are already and class has only JUST begun.

One of the reasons we train outside is to offer students a more realistic environment.

"3 hours training outside in the pouring rain. Bo staff vs tonfa, so awesome." - Areito Echevarria

Yes, we also use mats and punching bags (when you do 100’s to 1000’s of punches, rolls and falls, it’s good to have a bag or mat), but we provide students with a more unique training environment and we make use of the obstacles (including rain) often too.

This day was another great session in the rain. It’s harder to see as the water drips over your face and a constant supply collects above your brow and drops into your eyes. This visual challenge helps students to improve their focus and pay extra attention – especially when they are having 6 foot staves thrown at them from across the yard – as we did in today’s training.

"Awesome training day in the rain:)" - Anthony DiPiazza

In addition to the visual obstacles presented in today’s class, the rain also made the mat and grass extra slippery. This made for some fun demonstrations of how one might perform their techniques should they have a couple of fish tied to the bottoms of their feet. And if it didn’t look like they were standing on fish, they often looked like they were fish as they flopped around during some of the more advanced movements.

All in all, it’s good to stay out of the rain a majority of the time.

"3 timmars träning ute i spö regnet, SKIT KUL! slåss med bo stav och tonfa" - Marcus Fehér

But every now and then it is also great to just bask in the wetness that the sky provides and go with the flow.

A warm shower and a nice hot cup of green tea are always better after such an experience. I believe it is one of the best ways to appreciate the comforts of home – simply go outside and get uncomfortable – just be sure to have fun doing something you enjoy.

Cheers to your Home sweet home!

Full Contact Kickboxing at NinjaGym™ Martial Arts Camp Thailand

Full Contact Kickboxing at NinjaGym™ Martial Arts Camp Thailand 2

Grappling to Tap out hitting a log from standing position

Mat Grappling King of the Mat

How to do a Diving Roll in the Martial Arts

This is Designed to take the impact of a fall or diving over or through objects

How to perform the Diving Roll:

✓ The same principles of a forward roll will be applied for the roll itself.

✓ Start off by having something in front of you, either a partner laying down or a bokken at waist height, so you get the feeling of falling over something in front of you.

✓ Next, simply fall forward and once your hands soften the impact slightly, your legs should have already come off the ground.

✓ Once the hands hit the ground you should have the natural reaction of that forward roll and just go into it after the hands touch. Curl up, tuck the head, tuck in the feet and come up with hands at head level.

Applications:

• Jumping and diving over objects or opponents
• Soften the impact of falling forward head first

Diving Roll Practice

Diving Roll Practice 2

Basic Diving Roll (Correct and Incorrect Rolls Demonstration)

Students Practice Diving Roll at NinjaGym™ Martial Arts Camp Thailand

Reverse Roll Kick Over Diving Roll Training at NinjaGym™ Martial Arts Camp Thailand

If you haven’t done so already, please read Rick Tew’s Intro to Martial Art Rolls and Falls by following the link below:

Martial Art Rolls and Falls

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How to do Combat Stance in the Martial Arts

The following steps will help guide you into a good Martial Science Combat stance.

✓ Step back slightly wider than shoulders width apart, both heels are down

✓ Turn the lead foot at angle inward and the rear foot at an angle outward.

✓ Lower your weight and sit into the stance.

✓ The lead hand and arm is in front prepared to block, grab or strike.

✓ The rear hand and arm is near chest prepared to help manipulate (check) the opponent or attack

How to do a Combat Stance By Sensei Rick Tew

Combat Stance in Practice

If you haven’t done so already, please read Rick Tew’s Intro to Martial Art Stances by following the link below or order the DVD:

Martial Art Stances

Stances in the Martial Arts Video DVD Available.

Click the DVD Image or HERE to purchase the DVD Now.

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