by Can Tran

Created on: August 24, 2008

So, you want to learn Ninjitsu?

Ninjutsu is not really a style of martial arts per say. It is more of an art form or military science that combines martial arts (hand-to-hand) combat, unconventional warfare, guerilla warfare and stealth. There are various styles of modern-day Ninjutsu. In the past, there were numerous styles of Ninjutsu. Keep in mind that Ninjutsu is not all about hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting. There is more to Ninjutsu than just martial arts and swordplay.

This art is a very difficult style to learn and it is not for the faint of heart. Ninjutsu is something for very serious students only. Still, Ninjutsu is an interesting style which has been a very important part of Japanese history and culture. There are several steps to take before one decides to learn Ninjutsu.

Ninjutsu in real life is nothing like the stuff that is depicted on "Naruto" or "Ninja Gaiden." One should stop watching Naruto and stop playing Ninja Gaiden for awhile. That should shatter the misconception about Ninjutsu. It should be the first thing one must do before actually going through the training. The training is very difficult and requires the utmost dedication.

One should take the time and study the history of Ninjutsu as the ninjas were employed as assassins and intelligence operatives. They act as assassins, scouts, and spies. A good portion of special operations training come from Ninjutsu. Without Ninjutsu, there probably would be no British SAS, Green Beret, Navy SEAL, or Marine Force Recon. Operatives in those respective groups act as scouts and spies.

Modern Ninjutsu focuses on both armed and unarmed combat. These styles are not necessarily the Real McCoy of Ninjutsu. When one looks at the techniques carefully, the unarmed techniques are the same found in Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and Aikido. Only difference is that Ninjutsu emphasizes on stealth. Students are merely being stealthy and deceptive about things.

True students would study the Bugei Juhappen, which is the "18 samurai fighting ark skills." Ninjas and samurais used similar fighting techniques. But the ninjas would use stealth while the samurais would fight in the open.

The first of the 18 disciples would be spiritual refinement. To be an effective ninja, one has to have the spirit of one. Students must have a calm mindset that of assassins. Yes, ninjas are assassins. But the training of the Seishin-teki Kyoyo is utilize ki that students can accept the pain and suffering of the training.

Second, students study Taijutsu, which is the unarmed combat phase of Ninjutsu training. Before using weapons, one must be able to fight without weapons. Students will learn striking and joint-locking techniques.

Third, students will learn Kenjutsu. Kenjutsu is Japanese swordfighting.

Fourth, students will learn to fight with staffs and sticks.

Fifth, students will learn to throw shurikens.

Sixth, students will learn to fight with the spear.

Seventh, students will learn to fight with the naginata.

Eighth, students will learn to fight with the kusarigama.

From there, the real Ninjutsu training starts. Students will learn how to use pyrotechnics and explosives, which is similar to demolitions. They will learn how to use disguises and impersonation techniques. Next would be stealth and entering facilities. After that would be horsemanship and water training. From there, students will engage in combat tactics and espionage. Students will also learn escape and concealment. They will also learn to use weather and geography to their advantage.

Learning Ninjutsu is similar to learning to be a Navy SEAL or Green Beret. This is no joke. In a nutshell, there is more to Ninjutsu than hand-to-hand combat and swordplay.

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