| Many people believe, based on watching movies | | | | centrifical force - the force that is generated |
| or the demonstrations of fake "karate-ninja," that | | | | from a turning or spinning body. |
| the ninja's self defense fighting method is just a | | | | The legs are kept bent at the knees, and the |
| mixture of different martial arts styles. But, | | | | movement is initiated with the leading knee |
| rather than try to blend the hard and soft | | | | relative to the direction of travel. And, finally, |
| principles from arts like karate, judo, aikido, and | | | | contrary to the high leg positions of aikido, or the |
| others - the ninja's fighting art is a system of | | | | fixed, static positions of karate, the ninja |
| unified principles, concepts, and strategies. | | | | maintains a low posture that is moved on relaxed, |
| This article focuses on the "secret" formula at the | | | | flexing legs that are capable of adapting to both |
| foundation of the shadow warrior's Ninpo-Taijutsu, | | | | the terrain and the erratic and unpredictable |
| "enduring person's body art" - the unarmed self | | | | movements of your attacker. |
| protection method of the Ninja. | | | | 2) Spine/Torso Control - Where the ninja's |
| Taijutsu, as it is called for short, is the name given | | | | footwork takes care of linear movement from |
| to the collective methods for using your body for | | | | point to point, the torso - more specifically the |
| self defense, using the same principles, concepts, | | | | spine - is used for turning and repositioning of the |
| and lessons that the Ninja applies to everything | | | | limbs and key points of the torso during |
| else in his or her world. And, while I outline the | | | | movement. An analogy that I often use for |
| different systems and skills that compose | | | | describing this is the little hand-held drum that you |
| ninpo-taijutsu in a different article, what I want to | | | | see in one of the Karate-Kid movies. The lesson is |
| do here is to outline the 3 core elements that | | | | to maintain a straight spine that the torso can |
| give taijutsu it's power. | | | | rotate around. Again, this controls centrifical force |
| Remember, however, that power in Ninjutsu is | | | | and the scattered energy, or inertia, that is |
| not generated in the same way as you might | | | | produced when the upper body, like an unbalanced |
| normally think. Where most martial artists train to | | | | top, is not centered. |
| build muscles for maximum power and speed, the | | | | 3) Limb Control - The limbs are designed to |
| ninja relies on natural laws and the concepts of | | | | generally move away from and back into the |
| timing, flow, and the correct balance of tension | | | | body. There are three joints for each, and in |
| and relaxation of the muscles to... | | | | order, they are ball-and-socket, elbow, and |
| ...generate maximum power with minimum effort! | | | | universal-type joints. Each has its own natural |
| To do this, you must first work to undo a lot of | | | | movement. The trick is to learn to use the joints |
| the bad habits picked up over a lifetime of | | | | in their natural manner, while coordinating the |
| incorrect and inefficient ways of moving your | | | | extension and flexing to match the |
| body. Then, with a mind directed towards not | | | | outward-directed energy being produced by the |
| only what you would be trying to do to an | | | | balanced and coordinated movement of the torso |
| assailant, but also what you must prevent him | | | | and legs. |
| from doing to you, you then learn to streamline | | | | While difficult to explain effectively using the |
| your movements to generate greater results with | | | | written word, the timing, flow, and movement |
| less movement. | | | | used in the ninja's body movement is not only |
| The 3 key elements for moving the body in the | | | | very different from that used by most other |
| Ninja's armed and unarmed self protection | | | | fighting systems - because it uses natural |
| method are: | | | | principles for moving the different pieces of the |
| 1) Footwork - In the Ninja's body art of taijutsu, | | | | body, the Ninja is not causing the same damage |
| the legs generally are moved along straight lines. | | | | from wear-and-tear that is experienced by other |
| This serves to keep the legs and feet under the | | | | fighters. |
| practitioner and helps to neutralize the effects of | | | | |