Compassionate training from Newbury Park Martial Arts Center- check out this interesting article:
http://www.theidproject.org/blog/kipp-efinger/2012/01/02/4-ways-loosen-bullys-grip

Compassionate training from Newbury Park Martial Arts Center

Today I spoke with a teacher about a few of our foundational skills in our ninja martial art. I was reminded to be ever mindful of both our physical body- and how you may be presenting to others, but also our thoughts- and the waves of energy as they affect those around us. This is only a small part of the larger whole of an enlightened mind; but a good place to start. I made a promise to keep these ideas in the forefront of my mind this week, and will watch as results unfold. This discovery process is so important to real growth in To-Shin Do Ninjutsu. My hat is off to my outstanding teachers and guides.

Martial Arts Training at Newbury Park Martial Arts Center

Our martial art sets up circumstances for you to really get a life experience. The student has to be willing to be open to this experience, and to “let the paint dry”—to take the time to test the result of the experience. A good student will reflect on the experience, attempt to recreate the experience- and be mindful of both results. This is why, in my opinion, the relationship between partners in the dojo is so important- you must feel safe enough to stretch your boundaries.

Perseverance is having a strong will. Do you as a warrior have what it takes to endure a physical challenge? Can you overcome intellectual conflicts without breaking your spirit? This idea of perseverance is represented by our “nin” kanji in the To-Shin Do crest.
What is one way to practice the art of perseverance? How about starting close to home—or in the home. Apply code of action 14 to your day and see what you can produce:

I work to build love, happiness and loyalty among all members of my family.Once you have identified the need and desire for perseverance, and have a support system in place, we then look at the integrity and indomitable spirit of your life.

I avoid putting temporary personal gain ahead of the welfare of those I love”

Can you continue to pursue that which is of the highest good for you and your family? Integrity will be an important piece of the puzzle; do what you say, say what you do.

Your task this month is to share how you have applied the perseverance with integrity lesson this month by providing feedback on the following:

“In my life, one person demonstrated the strength of integrity by……”

Perseverance is having a strong will. Do you as a warrior have what it takes to endure a physical challenge? Can you overcome intellectual conflicts without breaking your spirit? This idea of perseverance is represented by our “nin” kanji in the To-Shin Do crest.

What is one way to practice the art of perseverance? How about starting close to home—or in the home. Apply code of action 14 to your day and see what you can produce:

                I work to build love, happiness and loyalty among all members of my family.

                I avoid putting temporary personal gain ahead of the welfare of those I love”

Once you have identified the need and desire for perseverance, and have a support system in place, we then look at the integrity and indomitable spirit of your life.

Can you continue to pursue that which is of the highest good for you and your family? Integrity will be an important piece of the puzzle; do what you say, say what you do.

Your task this month is to share how you have applied the perseverance with integrity  lesson this month by providing feedback on the following:

                “In my life, one person demonstrated the strength of integrity by……”

To-Shin!

The lesson of decision making under pressure is a key element to our To-Shin Do Ninjutsu. We can learn these lessons safely in each class, so the next time an unexpected stressful situation comes up – whether in the board room, on the freeway, or in a parking lot, we have experienced success and can re-created the feeling of success.

Our new yellow belt left the dojo with a beaming smile on his face.

Since authentic ninjutsu training was introduced to the Western world in the late 1970s, many false notions and erroneous impressions have grown up around the legendary shadow warriors known as the ninja. Many of these misconceptions have roots in fact but have developed as falsehoods over the centuries of secrecy that have surrounded the art. Many of the incorrect ideas have grown out of a lack of discrimination between truth and falsehood on the part of moviemakers and book publishers. Also, some of the negative myths are the direct work of those outside the tradition who felt they had reason to fear the authentic ninja legacy.

To uncover the truth behind the legends, check out Ninja Volume 5: Lore of the Shinobi Warrior by Stephen K. Hayes.

Ninjutsu Training Myth No.1: Ninjutsu is the dark side of the martial arts, the clandestine of stealth, intelligence gathering and assassination.

The art of ninjutsu was born of a unique set of cultural, political, religious and economic forces that played themselves out a thousand years ago in Japanese history. History’s authentic ninja were a counterculture society forced into existence by the shifting fortunes of feudal Japanese political and military conflicts.

Contrary to common misconception, the ninja were not unsophisticated and superstitious low-class peasants. The ninja were the descendents of powerful noble warriors who, through the inevitable workings of fate, happened to be allied in support of powerful warlords who ultimately did not succeed in the collection of battles that made up the war for supremacy. With the defeat of their side’s cause, these noble warriors were forced into lives of exile, dwelling in the mountains stretched of wilderness to the south of the Heian-Kyo (new Kyoto) capital. These original ancestors of the ninja were barred forever from the professions of state administration, trade, military command and public service to which at one time they had successfully devoted their energies.

As exiles concerned with the rugged demands of survival in a harsh natural environment and a deadly political climate, the ninja families of south-central Japan were forced to alter their tactics and strategies to better suit their precarious status. In truth, no one wanted to be a ninja; such status was a burden inflicted by fate. The ninja were the “underdogs,” the oppressed hounded by a well-financed and mechanically ruthless government intent on stamping out any and all possible threats to its supremacy and control, Thus, subtle and shadowed means grew to take the place of the bold and forceful ways used by those people holding power. Because the ninja families’ numbers were so much smaller than those of the ruling powers that worked to eradicate them, intelligence gathering became a vastly more important task than troop drilling. With the very survival of the family at stake, the ninja warriors of Iga were required to devise a whole new approach to warfare, and the motivation behind that approach has been misunderstood for centuries.

For more #ninja gear, ninja classes and more, visit www.npmac.com.