Image by: thisisgloucestershire.co.uk

Jamie Newton of Gloucestershire had been training in Bujinkan ninjutsu underInstructor Marc Moor, and had to take on 17 adults for his black-belt grading. He is the third person under the age of sixteen who has managed to attain a black-belt in Bujinkan Ninjutsu. As a testament to his ability, he has been asked to instruct the junior class at the dojo.

Read more about him at ThisIsGloucestershire.

The post Ninjutsu Classes Run By A Thirteen-Year-Old appeared first on Way Of Ninja.

Please use your discretion to determine if the free self-defense courses listed are for you, and make sure the person you are contacting is legitimate. Stay safe and train hard!

Tamra Barney offering free self defense class at CUT Fitness fb.me/1Xf97L3yb

— Tamra Barney (@TamraBarney) March 16, 2013

Learn the basics of self defence and improve your fitness levels at our FREE classes (start 18 April) bit.ly/145T8EK

— ManchesterSU (@ManchesterSU) March 27, 2013

These free self-defence and personal safety sessions will be held next week so book in for these fb.me/2whmQaiv4

— Ipswich City Council (@IpswichCouncil) March 28, 2013

FREE Practical Self-defence Workshop: FREE Practical Self-defence Workshop on Saturday, April 13th from 9:30 A… bit.ly/11I3sTi

— OttawaStart News (@ottawastartnews) March 26, 2013

The CAI will be teaching free self-defense classes to San Francisco’s LGBT community every Saturday. We will also… fb.me/1AzvChgfq

— CaliforniaInitiative (@CAInitiative) March 25, 2013

FREE Self Defense class 4.6.13 at Calvary Community Wellness Center.Register online at:adobeformscentral.com/?f=urSvl4vvAHa…

— Women of Imagery (@womenofimagery) March 25, 2013

We’re partnering with @akf_athens to offer a FREE women’s self-defense course on April 10 for #EndSHWeek! RT! facebook.com/events/4490285… #EndSH

— Hollaback Athens, GA (@HollabackAthens) March 27, 2013

In response to recent sexual attacks, Chamberlain Studios offers free self-defense class ow.ly/2vHPvQ

— East Dallas Advocate (@Advocate_ED) March 25, 2013

Grapevine offers free self-defense training tinyurl.com/afosm5j – Thank you to our @grapevinepolice for teaching these life skills!

— City of Grapevine TX (@GrapevineTXCity) March 1, 2013

@aircal32 April 27th from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Come & join us for FREE food and fitness / self defense seminars at 3385 Deer Valley Road.

— Tim Calvin (@aircal32) March 30, 2013

April 21st! FREE Women’s Self Defense training at the Burnsville Warrior’s Cove beginning at 3:30PM. Register today! warriorscove.com/self-defense-f…

— Warrior’s Cove (@Warriors_Cove) March 30, 2013

FREE self defense seminar NEXT SATURDAY April 6th 1:30-3:30.Its always beneficial to learn about ways to protect… fb.me/Ad22UdD4

— MetrowestAcademy (@MWAcademyJJ) March 30, 2013

Register for QMA’s Free Women’s Self Defense Seminar by calling 727-222-3931, They start27 Apr, 10am. #QualityMartialArtsClearwaterBeach

— Terry O’Toole (@terryo_toole) March 30, 2013

The post Tweeting Free Self-Defense Courses and Seminars for April 2013 appeared first on Way Of Ninja.

Source: AFP

Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi, the founder of Bujinkan Ninjutsu, held a two-day seminar in Tokyo on the 22nd of March, which was attended by more than 200 Ninjutusu practitioners from all over the world. The seminar, designed for women regarding self-defense, was held at Tokyo Budo-kan martial arts gymnasium.

Ninjutsu has gained popularity and is appealing to many as it involves using the mind to outsmart your opponents, and does not rely on aggression to be effective. Not surprisingly, among practitioners of Ninjutsu are people working in law enforcement or in the military.

Source

• Courier Mail (www.couriermail.com.au/news/world-ninjas-gather-in-japan-for-womens-meet/story-e6freon6-1226603850278)
• The Mainichi (http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20130315p2a00m0na001000c.html)

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Here’s a traditional ninja uniform that is made to last, the Piranha Gear Ninja Uniform. Unlike many other training uniforms, there are secret pockets at the top of the left sleeve and at the front, which can be very convenient to place your keys and wallet; not that you should leave anything in your pockets while training. And since this is a traditional Ninjutsu uniform, it comes with a proper hood and mask.

Let me emphasize that the Piranha Gear Ninja Uniform is a traditional Ninjutsu uniform meant for Ninjutsu training. If you are looking for a ninja costume for Halloween (that isn’t meant for training purposes), there are many other cheap alternatives. However, if you’ve decided to go ahead with Ninjutsu and stealth training, the recommended ninja uniform is for you. I would think that this uniform can take on the rigours of Parkour training, since the elastic sleeves and velcro closures would prevent dangling threads or cloth that might otherwise be caught onto hooks or nails.

Please take a look at the Piranha Gear Ninja Uniform and decide for yourself if it is suitable for your training needs. Although the Japanese name for ninja uniform is Shinobi Shozoku, our fellow Kunoichi (women ninja) can also use this for their ninja training.

Do feel free to run around in your training uniform on Halloween and Ninja Day (December 5) if you don’t mind the attention.

The post The Shinobi Shozoku, Traditional Ninja Uniform by Piranha Gear appeared first on Way Of Ninja.

I noticed, along with many others, that Zer0 speaks in Haiku quite often, and I really enjoy it. Not only was it an artistic choice on 2K Games’ part, but it is quite entertaining to hear Zer0 commenting on his enemies impending death, or his boredom. An example: “Your eyes deceive you; / An illusion fools you all. / I move for the kill.” And yes, I have this one memorized.

In Borderlands 2, players can unlock different Skins to customize their character’s appearance. One skin, called ‘Mutant’ is a play on the Ninja Turtles in its color scheme, and has a blue stripe on his faceplate suggesting a reference to Leonardo, the Ninja turtle who uses swords. This is funny in a way because Zer0 carries out his meelee attacks with a sword, the blade of which digistructs in glowing blue. Another skin, called ‘Eyes of the Snake’ is a reference to Snake Eyes from the G.I. Joe series, one of the inspirations of Zer0′s character. Another includes Gray Fox, from Metal Gear, and a skin I believe to be the reference called ‘Moral Gray Area’ in which Zer0 is all gray.

As a Borderlands fan, and a ninja, I can’t express how great this is, as ninjas everywhere can now be a part of the Borderlands universe, in style! Not to mention Haiku.

The Path Awaits,
Dante

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If you store sensitive files on your computer as part of your work, you might already have enabled password login to access your computer. However, this is not enough. Having a password to access you computer will not protect your client files if your laptop gets stolen. There is a technique to reset the password on your Windows computer. I am assuming that there may be ways to access computers running on Mac and Linux as well.

To truly secure your files, you need an encryption software that uses a secure cipher that is hard to crack. The United States government uses the AES algorithm cipher to safeguard top secret files. It takes more than 2 billion years to crack an AES-128 key, with a trillion machines that are able to test a billion keys per second.

I recommend using Truecrypt, a free open-source disk encryption software that uses AES cipher and two other strong ciphers. With Truecrypt, you are able to create partitions on your computer or thumbdrive to store sensitive files. If your work is really that top secret, you can even hide the entire partition from existence.

You should consider using Truecrypt if you are an auditor, accountant, civil servant, activist or anyone who deals with sensitive information. Do note that if you forget your password, it is virtually impossible to access the files. That said, your protection will be as strong as the password you enter.

I have used Truecrypt on my prior laptop and a few thumbdrives before. It does offer significant protection for your data.

Get Truecrypt through CNET for free. And for instructions of basic use and creating a hidden voulume, go to Truecrypt’s documentation.

Image by Anonymous9000 (flickr.com/photos/anonymous9000/2662489023/sizes/m/in/photostream)

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If you don’t train with swords, you can use this training regime as a template and substitute your own martial arts techniques.

My usual training days go like this:

Wake up

• Meditate 20-30 mins (1 hour if possible)
• Get cleaned up for the day
• Eat, eat, eat

Warm up

• Stretching
• Kata (with bokken) only basic skills
• Crunches (20, 30, 20)
• Curls in between crunches, 20lb dumbells (sets of 20)
• Meditate 5-10 minutes, plan training

This period of meditation is crucial for me to get focused and get into the mind-set of perservering through the entire training schedule.

I do my curls early in the day because after training all day with a sword, the arms tire and it’s more difficult to do in the evening. Also, I only practice basics in the morning with the bokken because I know I’m not fully awake, and I only want to do the stuff I could do in my sleep, no pun intended. This reduces the chance that I might injure myself or someone else. For those of you who don’t know what Kata are, they are the stances and moves you practice in martial arts. The advantage of using kata is that you do not require a second person (and I usually train alone).

When practicing kata for Kenjutsu or Kendo, you can start with Chudan-no-Kamae or Chudan for short. This is the “middle” stance, and the basic, most widely used stance in most schools of sword arts. Basically, you stand either in a linear Kendo stance, or a broadened Kenjutsu stance. Hold the Bokken or Shinai or Sword with both hands, one at the ”tsuba”, or sword guard, and one at the base of the hilt near the pommel. Hold the sword so that the tip of the blade is pointed at your imaginary enemy’s throat. That’s your basic middle stance.

Now you’re ready to begin. After getting focused, the training begins:

Morning Ninja Training:

Kata (first with bokken, then with unsharpened katana)

• 10-15 minutes,
• break,
• 10-15 minutes,
• break,
• repeat until all skills reviewed

Run (optional)

• Run around my neighborhood (including parkour)
• Walk to the old factory, free-run
• Walk home.

Lunch break (1 hour 30 mins)

• eat
• play xbox
• get on facebook
• shower if needed

Lunch is very important, and the lunch break is just as crucial. Remember to eat food that is somewhat healthy; you will need it for an active lifestyle. If you’re a hard-gainer like me, now’s the time to consume some more white carbs, protein, and calories. It is also a time to get stuff out of the way that is distracting from training, like that text from your girlfriend, that message on facebook, or that phone call you ignored while meditating.

My lunch is usually around 12-1 p.m. depending on how long it takes to finish my morning training schedule. Once I eat, clean up, chill for while, then it’s back to training.

After Lunch Ninja Training

Meditate 5-10 minutes, get focused

This meditation point is extremely important, and sometimes takes longer. I really need to be focused because I train with live weapons.

Kata (sharpened katana)

Practicing only advanced techniques that I am comfortable with.

Kata with 2 short swords (1 sharp, 1  dull)

Practicing only basic techniques, only techniques I know.

Bare-hand techniques

Same as pre-lunch kata. Train, break, train, break, train repeat.

It’s important to remember that training is what you make it, and you get out of it what you put into it. If you want to be good in the skills you possess, you must practice them. Practice may not make you perfect, but it WILL make you better!

Cool Down

• Meditate, 20-30minutes
• Stretch
• Drink water, at least 32 oz.
• Rest, misc.
• Continue with daily activities

It may seem like a lot, but it’s really not. It doesn’t take long if you stay focused. The main thing is to make sure you stay hydrated throughout. Dehydration leads to injuries (and I can’t afford to be careless when training with real weapons).

Also, if you don’t feel comfortable training with live weapons i.e. sharpened swords, etc. DON’T. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve messed up a good training day with an injury because I didn’t feel comfortable at a certain point in training. Remember, no one is forcing you to train. So, go at your own pace, and work your way up to where you want to be.

If your schedule is too busy for a regime like this one, try just taking 30 minutes a day (about the length of a TV show) to exercise or practice your martial arts/parkour. It’s a good way to start, and eventually you may find that you have more free time in a day than you have realized.

It is all about the will; the will to train, the will to practice, the will to DO. I remember when I first started meditating. I couldn’t force myself to be still long enough to just not do anything. So i started meditating when I woke up in the morning. I would meditate before even getting out of bed so that I had no real distraction from doing it. I still meditate in the morning, because of that same reason.

You have to push your own limits because, if your training environment is like mine, no one’s gonna do it for you, and no else is there to push you through. You’ve got to summon whatever perserverance and willpower you have inside you to work through till the end. And when you get to the end, when you finish training and practicing for the day, you will look back at that willpower and it will inspire you to keep going. Always remember to keep moving, keep trying and keep pushing so you have no regrets when all is said and done.

Good Luck with your training, and follow your way of ninja

Dante

Image credits: Joan Valls (flickr.com/photos/joan_jqmj/7322161534)

The post A Day in the Life: Ninja Training Regimen appeared first on Way Of Ninja.

The Spartan Sprint is a 3+ mile course with around 15 obstacles. This is definitely a race you can complete with around one to two months of training; even if you don’t complete it, you get an idea of what you are up against in the next Spartan Sprint race.

Here are the events left in 2012:

• Sept 9 : Midlands, UK (online registration closed - £45 paid at event location)
• Nov 10 : Gulfcoast, USA ($60)
• Nov 17 & 18 : Fenway Park, USA ($125 if register by Sept 14,  $130 by Oct 14)
• Dec 1 & 2 : Malibu CA, USA ($87 by Oct 1,  $90 by Nov 1)

There are further discounts for students and military personnel (bring your identification on the day of event). Spectators are generally charged $10 to $15 and are advised to bring extra cash for snacks (credit card facilities are rare).

If you haven’t been training hard for the past month, go to the September 9 UK Spartan Sprint as a spectator. Last minute training just isn’t going to cut it.

Those of you in USA will have slightly more time to train for the Spartan Sprints in the Gulfcoast, Fenway Park and Malibu. If you are 14 years old and above (15 and above for UK), consider participating in these Spartan Sprints. The event in Gulf Coast and Malibu are more affordable.

The registration and volunteer buttons are located at the right side of their webpage.  Volunteering is also a great way to get involved in Spartan Race for free but, of course, not as a participant.

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Depending on your way of ninja, you might want to have a similar benchmark to test your fitness, endurance and agility. A popular obstacle course race that is televised around the world is Ninja Warrior (based on Sasuke, a Japanese obstacle course show). While this could be the fitness benchmark you are looking for, the Spartan Race surpasses Ninja Warrior in toughness.

The Spartan Race was founded by eight ultra-endurance athletes and one royal marine.  Similar to Way Of Ninja’s belief in perseverance, the organizers rightly awards everyone who endures and completes the obstacle race with a finisher medal.  The top three male and female participants get special rewards.

The Four Kinds of Spartan Races

There are four kinds and levels of Spartan Races, namely: Spartan Sprint, Super Spartan, The Spartan Beast and The Death Race.

At 3+ miles (around 5km) consisting of 15+ obstacles, Spartan Sprint, has an encouraging 99.9% completion rate. This particular obstacle race tests your agility. People of all levels participate in this. And this is a very good starting point for anyone who wishes to join the Spartan Race.

The Super Spartan race is a level up and tests your endurance. The course spans a 8+ miles (around 13km) and consists of 20+ obstacles. If you were the top three contenders of Spartan Sprint, you will receive free entry into the Super Spartan.

At the ultimate distance of 12+ miles (around 20km) and 25+ obstacles, you have The Spartan Beast. The completion rate is presumably much lesser. Entry to this race is free if you were the top finishers of the Super Spartan.

Lastly at more than 48 hours and 90% dropout rate, the Death Race is the ultimate race of the Spartan Race. Obstacles include crawling under barbed wire, carrying ‘weights’ of 20 to 50 pounds (9 to 23kg) for hours and may include swimming in freezing water. Only for the Death Race, people who wish to join will have to contact Andy directly.

Event Location, Details and Recommendation

If anyone cherishes an ambition to be in the military (army, marines) or police force, this is a very good benchmark for you. I highly recommend training and then try out Spartan Sprint.

I will post event details for Way Of Ninja members who are interested to join or watch the race.  Spartan Race is now available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Slovakia. There are definite plans to bring the Spartan Race to Austalia, India and Mexico. The organizing team is currently doing research on the grounds in India with plans to kick start the first Spartan Race in Asia in early to mid 2013!

Find out more about Spartan Race.

Logen

Join the Forum discussion on this post

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I’ll never forget when I first started sparring, especially my first Kendo lesson. My partner, let’s call him “Ken” to respect his privacy, showed me a few basic moves. He said, “Is this your first time?” Like an idiot, I nodded. He chuckled and said, “Try that on,” pointing to his bogu set. Only later would I realize what a brave decision that was. He said, “Alright, now what I’m gonna do is give you a shinai, and teach you how to cut, and how to block, and if you can grasp that, I’ll show you how to counter others’ moves. Ready?” Little did I know that the first thing I would learn is how to DODGE. Man, I was scared. He was swinging a “sword” at me, not holding back, and I ran like an ostrich! Ken called me back over (after reassuring me he wasn’t trying to kill me) and he said, “How do you plan on learning anything from over there?” It was then that I learned about ma-ai (circle of influence) and how to read into your opponent’s actions. Soon after, I got to “cut” him instead of him cutting me (I certainly hadn’t figured out how to block). I really sucked at technique, so he told me to try loosening up a bit, and making noise (this is when I discovered kiai). I still sucked, but I was definitely trying harder, and was doing a little better. Ken helped me out of the bogu and asked, “Question: Are you satisfied with your lesson?” and I answered with a sweaty, tired, bruised NO. He replied, “Why not?” and I proceeded to explain that I still couldn’t get the techniques right and I couldn’t figure out the best ma-ai, and how I felt stupid using kiai and that I was just not getting this Kendo thing. Ken looked me in the eye and said, “Are you really that disappointed? I mean, I didn’t say you had to perfect your technique in one day, I definitely didn’t say you had to master ma-ai, and even I sometimes feel silly using kiai; The point is this, I wanted to see if you had promise, and you do. I wanted to show you that you don’t have to learn everything in order to learn something new. I wanted to teach you that Kendo is a martial art that is difficult to master, but wonderful to apply. And what I really wanted to see… was how long I could hit you before you quit, and you didn’t! You wanted to, but you didn’t!” That day ended and to this day I haven’t taken any Kendo classes (due to lack of means and lack of money for a bogu set). I keep up with Ken from time to time, to see how he is and to ask for tips on swordplay. However, I’ll never forget that lesson. See, that lesson taught me more than how to dodge and how to cut. It showed me that the difference between perserverance and obstinacy is a strong will and a strong won’t. So if you find you’re hitting a rough patch in training, remember, it’s not about how hard it is to overcome, it’s about how much you’re willing to give to overcome it. Always give it 110%, no less. If you’re defeated at your best, you can have no regrets, only respect for the opponent who defeated you.

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