Ninjutsu is a fighting art from Japan that teaches stealth and misdirection as well as simple fighting skills. Like all martial arts, it has strong and weak points. And like other martial arts, a serious student can mitigate those weak points by addressing the disadvantages of ninjutsu individually. Special training and considerations can eliminate or reduce each of them.
Step 1
Find online forums, websites and videos related to ninjutsu. One of the biggest disadvantages of ninjutsu in the United States is that it's not as common as arts like karate, tae kwon do and Brazilian jiujitsu. Using online resources will help you access training, even if ninjutsu is thin or missing in your community.
Step 2
Train with a friend. This doesn't have to be a close friend -- just somebody who will take her training as seriously as you do. Many techniques of ninjutsu are difficult to practice without a live body to work with. A regular training partner helps you get around this disadvantage.
Step 3
Take classes in grappling arts, such as wrestling, judo or Brazilian jiujitsu. Ninjutsu training doesn't include significant ground fighting. Since the rise of MMA as a spectator sport in the 1990s, ground fighting has become a major part of realistic self-defense. Training in grappling will help you fill this hole in traditional ninjutsu training.
Step 4
Focus on the open-hand techniques in your self-defense training. Ninjutsu training also includes working with swords, knives and thrown weapons. However, these weapons are illegal to carry in many areas. Although they are valuable training tools, you're unlikely to have one with you in a real self-defense situation.
Step 5
Read up on special forces and SWAT tactics. Ninja are part of Japanese and American folklore, but the stealth training of ninjutsu resembles modern special ops more than the mystical figures of legend. This will help you overcome one of the biggest disadvantages of ninjutsu: the sometimes odd ideas people who don't train have about the art.
Tips and Warnings
- As with any martial art, your best tool for becoming effective in ninjutsu is through live instruction from a qualified teacher.
Things You'll Need
- Internet access
- Training space
References
- "GURPS Martial Arts"; Peter Dell'Orto & Sean Punch; 2007
- "The Art of Expressing the Human Body"; Bruce Lee; 1998
Member Comments