Yojo Shiketsu

A Ninja Master's "Suggestions For Power"

by Shihan-Shidoshi Jeffrey M. Miller

According to Toshitsugu Takamatsu Sensei, the 33rd Grandmaster of the Togakure Ryu Ninja Tradition and eight other schools of traditional Japanese martial arts, there are four main points of which to be mindful for the preservation and maintenance of one's health. This article provides a commentary on these four points and some thoughts on each for your own life and training.

Often, the simplicity of Takamatsu-sensei's lesson, as with any true master's, are lost on many Western students. Add to this the fact that, buried within a simple statement is the implication that your teacher should help you to understand the significance of each lesson, and you can see why many of the secrets of ancient masters are still just that... secret.

In this article, I'll try to convey the ideas within Takamatsu-sensei's Yojo Shiketsu "4 Suggestions for Power" in a way that's easy to understand. You should still try, however, to look at each lesson and its commentary and develop the idea even more deeply for yourself.

Remember: these lessons were passed down from a true master who understood more than merely punching, kicking, blocking, and other tricky martial arts moves. These lessons are from someone who spent his entire life understanding what it meant to be truly strong, capable, and compassionate - the traits of a true master warrior - not just a martial artist. And, they were meant for students who wanted to become true master warriors themselves.

The 4 Suggestions For Power

1. Remove anger to preserve your personality.

A great deal of effort is required to develop the ability to be patient instead of becoming angry when negative or undesirable things happen. It's important to create and foster humility in one's personality to avoid the unhealthy affects that result from stress. It's been said that we are what we think about most. If this is true then we must guard against the negative effects of others, of our environment, and of the emotional wanderings of our own heart.

2. Remove excessive thoughts to preserve one's nerves.

Avoid spending too much time thinking about trivial matters. Doing so will only cause you to become scattered and unable to focus on your goals. If you spend all of your time chasing after and thinking about those things that mean very little in the scheme of your life, you will have little time left to reflect on and make decisions about those things that really matter. Take time to cultivate the ability to calm and quiet the mind in order to develop the focus necessary to see clearly.

3. Remove excessive talk to preserve one's spirit.

The ninja have always been known for their ability to gather information; not give it! Avoid excess chatter for the sake of having 'something' to say. Save your energy for when it's really needed and avoid squandering it on idle and unnecessary speech or conversation. Develop the ability to listen in order to avoid being trapped within the delusional thoughts of others or committing yourself to unsound plans.

4. Remove desire to preserve the heart.

The teachings within the Buddhist mind-science liken the activities of the untrained mind to that of a tree-full of chattering monkeys. It is constantly in a search and passionate exploration of frivolous wants and desires. "l want this; I want that; I want to be rich; I don't want to be poor; I want people to notice me; I don't want to be lonely; etc.," goes the mind's almost non-stop chatter. Of course all desires are not wrong, but let us temper our desires with compassion for others and seek for ourselves that which will benefit everyone.

I hope that my students, both local and those living away from my dojo, will make every effort to live up to these four point in their daily lives. Takamatsu-sensei said that these 4 points are very difficult to accomplish, but with time, patience and practice, you will get positive results from your efforts.

Don't forget to get your copy of the re-edited and expanded "Takagi-Yoshin Ryu Shoden no Maki dvd set! The Takagi-Yoshin Ryu is one of the 9 lineages within our Ninja training and was originally used as a bodyguard school! Here's the link to get yours: www.warrior-concepts-online.com/takagi-yoshin-ryu-dvd.html

Jeffrey Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. A senior teacher in the Japanese warrior art of Ninjutsu, and a former federal police officer, undercover agent, private investigator, and bodyguard, he specializes in teaching the ancient ways of self-protection and personal development lessons in a way that is easily understood and put to use by modern Western students and corporate clients. Through his powerful programs, you will learn proven, time-tested lessons designed to help you create the life you've always dreamed of living, and the skills necessary for protecting that life from anything that might threaten it.

To learn more about real-world self-defense training and other subjects related to the martial arts, self-defense, personal development & self-improvement, visit his website at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com For more free tips, strategies, and lessons for making yourself more safe in this often unsafe world, don't forget to subscribe to his powerful and informative online newsletter.

"3 Lessons of the Ninja's Kamae"

by Shidoshi Jeffrey M. Miller



In the Ninja's art of unarmed combat known as ninpo-taijutsu, or budo-taijutsu, there is the core lesson of kamae - the use of effective body positioning. While other martial arts might refer to this strategic positioning of the body as dachi or "stances," the Ninja sees his or her kamae as an outward manifestation of the inner workings of his or her heart, rather than a fixed position dictated by one's style.

Progress through any educational endeavor is often seen as merely learning the lessons that the teacher gives us. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Rarely does a student question the relevance of any given skill or its relationship to other skills and lessons being taught at the same time. And this is no different in the martial art world.

This is especially true when it comes to the skills commonly referred to as "the basics."

In fact, it's these "basics" that often go overlooked by students and teachers alike as being anything more than merely base elements of a particular style. In fact, they're often seen as nothing more than...

...the stuff to learn so we can move onto "the cool stuff."

I know that I, myself, used to believe that. That is, until I went from conventional, sport-oriented, martial arts, to the art of ninjutsu.

Of course, in the beginning of my training, kamae were just that...kamae. I really didn't see them as any different from the "stances" of my earlier training in karate, tae-kwon-do, and other arts. Even though my teacher spoke of "taking up" the kamae and repeating the "idea" of kamae as meaning "mind-body-spirit attitudes" - being the physical manifestations by our bodies of how we felt and what we thought we could do in any given moment.

It wasn't until I had years of training under my belt, so-to-speak, and found myself hitting a wall in my progress and growth that I finally decided to take another look at the obvious - at these things called kamae.

I began by looking at all of the positions that I had been taught. Each had a name and came from a particular lineage, or school of combat that had been passed down to my teacher.

I pulled out my notes and reread passages in books by my teacher and others who had written about the Ninja's art of ninjutsu, or ninpo, as it's known in its higher, life-centered, order.

But, it wasn't until I took a step back from my role as a student trying to get rank - trying to learn the next kata or "fight-example" - that everything started to become clear. It wasn't until I switched my brain from "learning" to "experience" mode that things started to make sense.

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You can't beat experience when it comes to something as vitally important as self-protection. In my book "The Karate-Myth" and the bonus materials that come with it, I share over 30 years of study, research, and practical experience garnered from my experience as a police officer, undercover investigator, and body guard. Get more info about the Karate-Myth here
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When I looked at my experience as a police officer and body guard and the lessons that I had picked up in "the school of hard-knocks" I suddenly realized that, regardless of form...

...regardless of whether a kamae came from the Gyokko-ryu, Kukishinden-ryu, or Koto school, they all were teaching the same lessons.

And then something else hit me.

Even the basics, the things we think of as obvious lessons, are themselves teaching us lessons.

I realized that buried within each lesson - within each skill - whether it be rolling, walking, cutting, shooting, or kamae...

...were lessons that were universal in nature and yet invisible unless you either knew what to look for or had a teacher with real-life experience who could help you to see them for what they are.

It was then that I realized that each and every kamae was teaching the same lessons. Some of these lessons were at deeper levels and required more understanding, but there were three that stood out for the beginner.

These three basic lessons of kamae are:

1. Cover - the ability to effectively shield oneself and make it difficult for an attacker to get at you
   
   
2. Stability/Balance - the ability to properly position and align the parts of your body for maximum effectiveness and minimum effort, and...
   
   
3. Attitude - the ability to communicate your intention to your opponent with your body

Once I uncovered these three jewels, everything changed in my training. I was no longer trapped by the ignorant eyes of the beginner who, years before saw what he thought his teacher was doing. I was then able to correct my kamae and take up positions that had strength, power, and the ability to control an attacker's perceptions, decisions, and actions, without even touching him.

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Are you trying to learn as much as you can about the lineages that make up the Bujinkan Dojo?

Learn to fight smarter - not harder!

Check out the Takagi-Yoshin Ryu Shoden no Maki DVD

It was shot live during one of my training seminars and includes the techniques, strategies, and foundational lessons of the Takagi-Yoshin school, one of the 9 lineages contained within the Bujinkan Dojo.

A note of warning though, if you're looking for motion picture quality sound and video, you'll be disappointed. But, if you;re like most and are looking for the information, then this DVD will provide you with enough to keep you busy for months! It breaks through the myth that the jutaijutsu is a grappling art, and sheds light on the skills you'll need to bring this centuries old art to life in the 21st century!

Get your copy today!

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Ninpo-Ikkan!

Shidoshi Miller