Draven

I went to independant sources, http://people.howstuffworks.com/ninja.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ninjutsu enjoy

Been in MAs since I was 2 I'm 26 now, I hold rank in American Jujitsu, Ninjitsu, Shotokan and Goju Karate and judo. Now I'm kinda sorting what works for me and what doesn't and have had my own personalized sub-program in MA training based on sport medicine, physics, biology and basic applications since about 14. Now I'm just finding me, I'm not trapped by traditionalism, but idealism. The idea of self-perfection which means more then style or form. I was brought up in Shotokan but cross trained in everything I could, I've even studied some kung-fu...

I'm not gonna market a new martial art, but I agree with old philosophy that once yours the art is yours to mold as you like. So I'm at a point where I'm seeing principles, physics and body mechanics instead of techniques and everything is devoid of form, style or fixed resolve. My karate and personal method of training is different then my instructors, what comes now?

Ok real life expierence, I got into a fight with a cop. Didn't care that he was a cop he wanted to talk trash and start pushing me around in court. I told him he should leave, so he pushes back into a chair and says you should have a seat. Dirty cop, doesn't reflect on the good one's who do their jobs. I jumped up and grabbed him by the throat and punched in square in the jaw. He went for an inside sweep and I pulled him down by his throat. He sprowlled out and I kneed him in the groin, when he brough his legs together I hooked one so when he went to circle I just layed there and enjoyed the ride. Anyway skipping all the play by play, it took 3 officers to pull him out of my guard, and when they got there I had my thumb in his eye and one our sides slamming his head into the floor. Well, the same dirt bag officer, who is under investigation for this same event. Gets this monster 6'6" 200+lbs compared to my 5'4" 170lbs who was a Marine Corps washout to beat the crap out of me. That didn't happen either, but the kid tried twice. He was afraid to close to grappling range which is where I kept going just because that wasn't his comfort zone. And I'm glad the kid didn't pull his knife, which I lifted during our first fight. Having been in allot of streetfights I have two questions for you. One, what defines a street fight? Two, what define self-defense? To me a street is defined by the open and childly directed aggression threw violence of both participants. Self-defense is defending yourself, but not trying to intentally harm another person.

Historically ninjutsu has been seen in three forms or successive types. 1st The Kobuki Theater and Carival Ninja seen post Edo Period. Basicly the Japanese versions of the gypsies who claimed to know ninjutsu. 2nd The bandit/commers variety which is very much a reality no matter what the Bujinkan guys say. That evolved from Shinto and Buddist monks and Ronin who became mercenaries and bandits. Rarely codified into a distanct style, and since during bigger battles many Damyo would buff an army with concripted farmers there was some concept of warfare among the peasants. The samurai were oftem officers, by modern standards, Ashigaru; foot soldier, did the walk and carry a spear thing. 3rd That which is seen in the Bujinkan, Jinjenkan and Genbukans is a bujutsu, war art form practiced by many samurai. Many high level samurai would train for stealth and assassination type methods. This ment the lower officers were oblivious to the full workings and responsibiliies of their seniors. Several styles used ronin, masterless samurai, as spies and assassins and thus various schools of ninjutsu were born. A ninja means either a sneaky/stealthy person, an enduring/surviving person or hiding person. Many Japanese records show tweaking such as people being 10ft tall or being half demon to frighten enemies should they see those records. The problem with the ninja/ninjutsu thing is that allot of "misconceptions" on what ninjutsu is comes from the Japanese themselves. Who at different points labelled any bandit, outlaw or conscipt who use stealth and surprise in battle a "ninja" or one of the 200+ other terms for the same... I think that covers it...