Just a question for the Ninjutsui people

Discussion in 'Ninjutsu' started by Rataca100, Mar 29, 2017.

  1. Dunc

    Dunc Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    The historical stuff is preserved & taught/studied

    Most people do this to allow them to understand the art (i.e. the lessons of the past) and apply it in the modern world
    So it's evolving

    Some people like to preserve the history more than others I guess

    I think/hope answered already, but shout if I didn't or I misunderstood

    Look for books by Masaaki Hatsumi
     
  2. Dunc

    Dunc Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    Probably watching too much Dexter

    The purpose of budo/ninpo is to preserve &/or restore peace
     
  3. Rataca100

    Rataca100 Banned Banned

    Cheers for the person reccomendation
     
  4. ceyeb0rg

    ceyeb0rg Valued Member

    I think most questions have been answered, but I'm just gonna try to dig a little deeper concerning the pertinence of the art in the modern world.

    The human body is still the same it was centuries ago so every taijutsu technique still has the same effect on modern humans.
    The only thing that has changed is technology and therefore weapons are not the same anymore. But a baseball bat is used the same way as a sword (katana for example) so any technique that would disarm someone holding a sword in the Edo period would still work on somebody holding a baseball bat or any resembling weapon.

    Firearms make a bit of a difference in the way people fight nowadays, but those weapons are still meant to be used by the same human body so the basic movements are similar and offer the same weak spots / disarming opportunities, assuming you don't get shot.

    My teacher puts a lot of emphasis on bringing old knowledge into modern scenarios and the link is crucial, or else why would you learn something that is obsolete? Martial arts don't get outdated. The human body doesn't change that much over centuries. As my teacher says : "They had it all figured out"

    Also I'm gonna make a quick link between the movements in taijutsu and the whole "spying/stealth" thing : everything in taijutsu in down-low and most of the attacks go upwards in a straight line, making everything very smooth and silent.

    As to comparing with other styles, I only know a bit of karate and boxing aside from my ninjutsu knowledge so I don't have a lot to rely on here, but when you start practicing ninpo taijutsu it's easy to notice how everything is geometric, linear (ichimonji) and hidden. You turn your body sideways to an opponent to reveal the least possible surface for him to reach, and you try to work your attacks where he can't see them coming or where he least expects it (in the shadows). Compared to boxing for example where you face your opponent with your shoulders perpendicular to the line between you and him, in taijutsu your shoulders, hips and feet follow that same line so you look slim and don't have a lot of surface to protect.

    The main idea is to hide the most, surprise your opponent and quickly cripple/silence him and then disappear. It's quick & effective. It is not meant for long-lasting battles where you miss a few shots and get hit a few times before you go full-rocky and finally flip the scenario in your favor, it's all about effectiveness and winning within the crucial seconds of a real scenario.

    I've only been studying the art for a year so please correct me if I'm wrong.
    I also hope I helped Rataca100 with his knowledge seeking with the few points I just tried to make. The more you learn about ninjutsu the more interesting it gets, for my part I just can't get enough and the more I read about Dr.Hatsumi the more I relate to what he presents as the essence of Budo. Very mysterious yet naturally truthful.
     
  5. Dunc

    Dunc Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    Hi

    I generally agree with your points about many aspects (kyusho, distance, mindset etc) being universal

    It's worth noting that techniques evolve according to the circumstances and there is a lot of innovation in martial arts / warfare

    You can see technical aspects varying quite a bit between the ryu in the bujinkan
    For example:
    Togakure Ryu holds the rear hand by the throat and stands sideways to cater for projectile weapons, the low stances and emphasis on being close to the ground, rolling etc is helpful in low light conditions particularly considering situations with several people
    Takagi Yoshin Ryu movement is heavily influenced by the hakama and jacket
    Several ryu's older stances have their rear hand on the hip to cater for weapons, the original kihon happo was primarily with the right side forward for the same reason

    Naturally various ryu developed innovations that they held close to their chests. Shinden Fudo Ryu focuses on natural movements to make it difficult to read, Togakure Ryu movement is designed to cater for shuko etc

    On the theme of innovations: Martial Arts can evolve quickly, sometimes this evolution is not so interesting for Bujinkanners (eg evolution in response to rules or gloves), but often it's useful too (eg evolution of ground techniques, considering modern weapons). Soke tells us to "take what's useful and ignore what's not" and I think it's our responsibility to bring the art into today's context

    So whilst it's important to understand why the traditional aspects of the art are how they are, it's also important (once you reach a certain level perhaps) to move it on so that it remains relevant

    To use your example: The best way to deal with a baseball bat (which is blunt) won't be exactly the same as the techniques for dealing with a sword (which is sharp) - there will be similarities of course

    Personally I find it a bit strange when people's foundational punching method has their rear hand on the hip (perhaps it made sense when people were always tooled up), but if you're not wearing a weapon on your belt then it's an unnecessary opening
     
    Last edited: May 13, 2017
  6. The Artis Magistra

    The Artis Magistra New Member

    Hi, generally in modern times most people are not faced with combat situations where injuring or incapacitating or breaking into places or out of places is really a necessary skill, but techniques associated with the Ninja in both reality as well as myth can be employed in pragmatic ways, which deal mostly with organization and thinking exercises dealing with strategy and psychological manipulation as well as spiritual and religious sorts of practices which may be beneficial to ones overall experience in life without ever being in a dangerous combat situation.

    Personally, I consider Ninjutsu to encompass a way of life and philosophy more so than an exclusive school of combat or violence. Ninjutsu as a philosophical or religious practice may include technical practices and thinking, but would focus much more on internal cultivation than going around breaking into places and out of places. Japan has a great deal of Esoteric and Mystic sorts of practices and beliefs which were traditionally associated with the Ninja, and in that sense, Ninjutsu is still a very useful practice and system in peace-time or the modern world. The same goes for other Japanese Mysticism which found its way into other martial arts schools in Japan and may include non-violent martial exercises for purposes other than killing, injuring, or incapacitating people.
     

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