Now before you think that I am bashing bujinkan I am not. I think it is a cool art and have no problems. But There is a question I wanted to ask. And this question does not apply to all of bujinkan. But what is it when you go on will say yahoo video and put in Bujinkan. And more than not you will see guys waaaay out of shape. And when I have talk to some of them on there forum they kind of treat it like its no big deal. Now I can see being 10, 20 maybe even 30 lbs over weight. But one of them looked like he was like 400lbs. And what kills me is these guys are black belts 4th or 5th dan. I know, I am not perfect either but. Isn't part of your training not just in your art but in all arts; suppose to keep you in some what of good shape. Now like I said this is NOT a bash on you guys I just wanted to know whats up.
Because a guys out of shape dosn't meen he is unable to be effective. Most these people get out of shape because they spend so much time teaching others like you that they miss out on their own training. Show a bit more concideration Mate. However granted some are just lazy sods
Well pretty much everyone in our class is in shape. But or instructor says that you should assume that the opponent is bigger, stronger and faster than you so that no matter what kind of shape you are in, the technique should work. But Being in shape should certanly help.
That was not a jab at you sir, by no means. I was just wondering what was up. We all get lazy myself in that lot. I was just wondering. However I have to remind myself that your are is not in the sport mind set. So that part of training might be less stressed and that is cool I guess. Speaking of getting in shape. What are the things that you all do for warm-ups for those of us that are not in bujinkan. And i am sorry if you thought I was picking on you all.
I think part of it is that you don't need to be in super shape to have good taijutsu. Out of shape instructors seems to not be that uncommon with TMAs, and this is probably seen more so in the Bujinkan because most of the training is not incredibly physically demanding and you are expected to execute technique without using a lot of stength, so going to class isn't exactly a grueling workout. I also think that because there isn't really a competitive aspect to it, there isn't as strong as a drive to be in excellent physical condition because you're not focused on being able to fight for 15 minutes straight or something like that. I'm not saying that Bujinkan training with make you lazy and fat, because it is a pretty good workout sometimes and will leave you with sore legs for days on end, but it's nothing compared to the intensity of training you see at a wrestling practice or bjj session. Then again, it's not really supposed to be.
I'm not trying to play Devil's advocate here, but really, 15-30 minutes a day of cardio isn't much time to take off from "teaching." I'd expect a teacher to have the dedication to do at least that. Heck, I've been working 9 hour days for the past two weeks straight and I still found an hour and a half in almost every day to train (run and/or bagwork then a 30 minute stretching session mostly... I didn't lift weights because my job required me to lug heavy objects anyways, it would have been overkill on my muscles and completely defeated the purpose). That and I've been dealing with graduation parties, my friends visiting, etc. Obesity could be genetic or an issue to do with your familys lifestyle so I'm trying to be respectful here (my family has a history of weight problems so I've been doing my best to assure that nothing of the sort ever happens to me), but personally I would expect my teacher to be in -at least- the shape of your average working joe before I'd set a foot in his or her school. My Sifu, and his Sifu are both in great shape. My Sifu's Sifu is up there in his fourties and you'd swear he just turned twenty-five the previous month. And if you are about to point out that you grow fatter naturally as you age, check out the citizens of some other countries like Thailand or China (read the first chapter of the US Navy - Nutrition and Weight Control Self-Study Guide to hear it from an authority). That's got nothing to do about race, either, that's about lifestyle. Sorry about the rant, this is just a pet peeve of mine.
There are a lot of overweight people in the Bujinkan. Not all, and I doubt many of the people here are overweight. But boy there are some fatties running around there. We do this art for self protection, right? We want to live long lives so we do this art, right? Well... how come these people increase their chances of health problems by feeding their faces? There is a guy who trains in the Honbu in Japan that is famous for showing up with a pile of junk food and eating it while taking money for class. It is not like Soke does not talk about the benefits of eating right, or of long walks. You do some walking, eat a little less and you are fine. Your chances of a heart attack go down and you are better able to run like hell if there is trouble. I do not see the reasons for the excuses for being fat.
I didn't take it as one. . .but then I'm in reasonably good shape and so is most everyone in my dojo. Most of the responses here have been pretty on-target. As has been pointed out, it's not necessary to be in exceptional condition to use our art. . .however, being in good condition is part of a general healthy lifestyle, and you'd think that warriors in particular would want to do what they can for themselves in that respect. I'm particularly impressed by the conditioning drills used in Russian Systema (I'll let Spooky elaborate on this, if he'll be so kind). Rather than just being "exercise for its own sake", they support the kind of movement used in the art (and in Bujinkan taijutsu as well). They're also typically used to tire you out at the beginning of a training session (and at intervals during it as well!) as a way to force you into using relaxed, efficient movement and not wasting power. Very well thought out stuff.
I suppose it all boils down to the instructor. I also believe that many people have a HUGE misconception about Ninpo. When people hear the work "Ninjutsu", they think of Special Forces and Jean Claude Van Damme from BloodSport (Dux-Ryu...ugh...). They think of bare knuckle brawls and survival missions. However, when asked "What is Ninpo like?", I usually respond with "It is like a traditional style of Iaido/Kendo or Aikido than that stuff you see in the movies." Is it unusual to see out of shape Aikido-ka? Not really. I studied aikido with a Zen priest who was about as round as he was tall...but he could fling you like a ragdoll. Then why should it be unusual to see an out of shape Ninpo-ka? I will say that in the Genbukan manuals, they picked a bunch of slim and trim black belts for the demonstrations. For all I know, though, they could have hired athletes, dressed them up, and had them hold poses for pictures. Who knows...and who really cares? May you achieve Satori
Wow guy's I didn't know that I would start up something like this. I just thought it kind of funny that for an art that has you doing all the things that bujinkan does. It kind of left me wondering. Also like I said what are some of the basic warm-ups you guy's do for class. For those of us non-bujinkan members. And thanks for being cool about this; I kind of thought that this post was going to get alot worse. So thanks for not taking it there
Kung Fu: Mostly kicking, body-weight exercises and jumping jacks. Jiu Jitsu Can-Ryu: Skipping intervals.
Basic warm-ups for a typical Bujinkan Dojo (at least those I have participated in, which is quite a few) consists of rolls and ukemi. One dojo I belonged to, we did 100 rolls each, usually in sets of 5 to 7. Otherwise, for the most part, physical fitness and stretching and warmups are expected to be done outside of the dojo. I go to class to train, not exercise. I go to the gym for the exercise. Most folks would much rather spend the hour and a half learning or refing technique than doing pushups and situps and stretches. I'll agree, I've seen a lot of everweight and out of shape budoka. Heck, I could stand to lose a few pounds. But even so, my resting hear rate is low, my blood pressure is low and my chlorestoral is normal for someone my age. In my case, I have 2 bad knees and a weakness for chocolate chip cookies. The bad knees make it difficult to do aerobics or run or bike. Now that I've cut out the CCCs and my wife has started buying organic as much as possible, I've lost about 15 pounds in the last 4 months. So, I'm on my way to an ideal weight/bmi. But, it's the very nature of Budo Taijutsu that makes it perfect for someone with my physical problems. I don't need to rely on strength or speed to make my technique effective. Therefore, I can work with my bad knees instead of against them and cause more pain and discomfort for myself.
Now now don't quote me! i.m in great shape for my age. I think what happens to a lot of instructors especially in my case is that if they have no one to push them they don't do a full work out. I know when I was smoking I used any excuse to stop pushing myself and it was down to being lazy to a great exstent but the other side was it was to much like hard work. I don't smoke now I have put on a little more weight but I aint being lazy now I push myself and my body as hard a I can now training at other peoples clubs between teaching and working. BTW I don't do bujinkan ( I do mostly kickboxing to keep fit & teach karate & kickboxing )
I think this is a problem in EVERY aspect of US society. NOt just in the Bujinkan Dojos. You can find overweight people in any martial art. The problem here is, the over all number of overweight people in our country. It has become a huge problem. Some people honestly can do very little about it. Most of us are just too lazy or to afraid to do something about it. Sometimes a lifestyle gets in the way. When I was recruiting for the Army, I gained 25 pounds. I was working 14-16 hour days. I couldn't take time during the day to go to the gym. Food was bought on the go(did a lot of drive-thrus like every other recruiter). My one form of real exercise was in Dale's classes twice a week. Ahem, I was rather pudgy. At least I had to make people work to throw my butt. Once I left recruiting, I was able to get back in to shape. Some of the people that are overweight may be in a similar boat, probably not though. Some people just don't care. Ohters feel they have no control and don't know what to do about it. Just because someone is fat though, doesn't mean they can't put a hurtin' on you though. BTW, we do ukemi for warmups in my class. We start our training fairly slow and will gradually increase some of the pressure during the training. My folks are all in great shape. Might be the whole environment here though.
OH yeah, I blame the "epidemic" on a lot of schools no longer having Physical Education as a requirement and the vast majority of kids being allowed to "plug-in" all freaking day. I wonder just how many parents yell at their kids to "go outside and play".
Parents yelling at their kids to get their butts outside and exercise won't do a thing, if they've got no control over them in the first place. Kids these days have TOO much freedom (this is coming from a 20-year-old). They know their rights, the laws, and aren't afraid to enforce them, and in fear of breaking the law, many parents just don't know what they can do. They can't smack them, they can't kick them out (well they can, but they often get sent back home when they find they can't claim welfare), and they just can't be forced into doing something anymore. It's as much the parents fault as it is the kids, but I also agree, getting rid of most of the junk they bring home from the supermarkets might help.
