You'll often hear that, in an attack situation, a ninja is always ready with the right technique to use against his opponent. But, with everything that could come at you - with all of the possible attacks - how is this possible?
Unlike many conventional martial arts that use predetermined kata, or forms, ninjutsu is based on principles and concepts - not preset techniques. Instead of memorizing formal strings of moves, a ninja student learns strategies and tactics that do specific things to the assailant.
Every new student is introduced to 4 basic footwork methods or postions - each designed to deal with certain types of attacks. Each footwork method used by the ninja is learned, not because "it's part of the art," but because it multiplies the overall number of options that the shadow warrior has for use in his or her defense.
The four footwork methods basic to the Ninja's ninpo-taijutsu, unarmed "body art" covers strategies for:
1) Holding your ground. Rather than relying on conventional strength from larger muscle - something easily countered by larger, stronger attackers - we can use natural, skeletal positioning and up-down sinking movements centered in the hips, thighs, and seat.
2) Defensive angling and back-peddling. When overwhelmed by a larger, stronger, or more skilled attacker, we can use the principle of "strategic angling" to avoid his strikes and create openings in our attacker's defenses while insuring that our own targets are covered and protected. This footwork method pulls us back and away from the attack at a 45 degree angle to take advantage of distance as well as creating the necessary time to deal with the opponent's advances.
3) Direct, committed advancing. Against a non-committed attacker, or a street fighter who uses a "wind-up" type of attack, you can seize the opportunity to charge into your oppoenent's space. This "intercepting" concept brings the fight to your assailant - who is forced to go on the defensive in order to protect himself from your counter-attacking techniques.
4) Slippery, evasive flanking. Here, a trained ninja uses last-second, erratic timing to avoid the attacker's attempts to get at us, or he or she can use pivoting shifts to clear an attacker's power line. This footwork is difficult to explain as the ninja simultaneously avoids the opponent's advances, parries or redirects the attacker's energy, and counter-attacks with trapping strikes that catch the attacker off-guard.
As you can see, as ninja we do not think using the same typical, 2-dimensional perspective used by most martial artists & fighters. Instead of limiting our reliance on front-back, or side-side movement, we can rely on a set of options that work well against different types of attack scenarios.
This way, and not through some sense of ESP or mind-reading, the shadow warrior is prepared for whatever might be thrown his or her way. Then, after observing the attacker's movements and reading his body language cues, we match the assailant with the right set of principles that are already designed to control and beat his techniques.
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Shihan/Shidoshi Jeffrey Miller is a senior master-teacher in the art and practice of ninjutsu - the art of the ninja. He has spent almost three decades teaching literally thousands of people how to use the power of the ninja's lifestyle and self-protection lessons to empower their lives in today's modern world.
