Falling

I fell, twice this week... one a big fall and one a minor fall. I was hurt from the minor fall, not the big one which only left me with a couple scratches. I probably should have been hurt much worse but I attribute my training for keeping me undamaged, ie broken arm, leg or head...
So this is what happened..first the small fall. The wife and I took the kids skating in Palm Bay. They do a once a month free skating event at an outdoor arena mostly used for inline hockey skaters. Anyhow, as you can imagine they have solid concrete for flooring. We spent a couple hours skating and I'm rusty as heck, having only skated like 3 times in the last 12 years. I must have been doing something right as I was approached by a roller derby girl inviting me to the coed roller derby team. So after that I was probably dealing with ego issues but the universe set me straight. I tripped over my own skates landed on my left ass cheek. Three days later, I'm still hurting, although the pain has lessened. So what happened? First my ego was in place thinking that I was skating so well to be invited to a team. On top of that, skating with the kids, one has a tendency to show off. But the worse thing that happened is as I tripped myself I fell backwards. The strangest sensation on skates if you haven't experienced it so my entire body tensed and then 'slam!', right into the ground. My whole body tensed and felt the 'slam' into the ground. It hurt!
The big fall happened yesterday, I was climbing a tree at the new house we just moved into. I climbed like a monkey which is what I do naturally. As I'm looking down I tell the wife and kids, 'You know, the worse part about climbing is you have to climb back down.' This really doesn't bother me as I have climbed and rappelled from many a cliff while living in Flagstaff, Arizona. So as I'm climbing down the limb I'm standing on cracks and I my shoes loose traction. I try to hang from my right arm but that limb wasn't strong enough and breaks. I say 'oh shit' and fall about 10 feet to the ground landing nicely on my upper back. I managed to stay relaxed the entire way down and land properly just like I was in a roll. I didn't even feel the fall, no loss of breath, no slam. It felt like a soft landing. I stand up not even hurting, just a scratch on the hand and a shin.
So, what happened? Why so much pain on a small fall and on the big fall where I should have been hurt..nothing? The difference my fellow warriors is tension and locking up the body. When I tripped and fell while skating..I was not relaxed, I was tense. When I hit the ground it was like a brick smacking the ground. When I fell from the tree, I was relaxed the whole time. I wasn't worried or concerned. Didn't hold my breathe, didn't lock up the body.  Have you ever heard of baby's falling from tall building windows and not being hurt? Baby's don't tense up, they don't lock their body's up. They have no tensions, stress, or even fear in them. So the majority of the time they do not get hurt.
This was a valuable lesson for me and it showed the importance of staying relaxed, not holding the breath, having no fear in a crisis situation. Life is about flow, feeling free, being relaxed. When we get so tense with stress, anger, fear, etc the universe has a funny way of smacking us to try and wake us up. If you don't listen to the message then something worse may happen. Again, if you don't listen something even worse will happen. The universe (God, The Force, Universal Energy, etc) is always trying to help us yet most of us don't listen. If you focus on the negative you will get more negative in your life..you will attract more negative. More stress, fear, anger... So, let go! Flow! Smile, laugh! Don't be afraid! We all die when we are supposed to, not anytime sooner or later and not by accident , it is nothing to be afraid of. I'm not talking about fate. We decide when that time is no one and nobody else. Those of us with no purpose, no goals, no reason to live tend to leave this world much sooner than those with a mission in life. Find your mission, your purpose. Enjoy life and have fun. The next time you fall, just go with it and come back up standing with a smile on your face.
Cheers.

Train for reality

 I told a story a few posts back about facing down the bad guys while standing in natural stance, also called combat stance, with a stare down equivalent to that glare your mom used to give you. I wanted to elaborate a bit more on this.

Many martial arts teach fighting stances so many times on the streets you will see combatants stand ready to fight in a stance of some sort either they learned from actual training or something they saw in a movie. The drawbacks to fighting stances are first, they betray your style of fighting to your opponent so you are ruining your element of surprise. Most people know what a boxer or karate practitioner look like when they want to fight. It's as bad as telegraphing a punch or kick with a message of what your are about to unleash. A skilled street fighter will love for you to tell him how your going to defend yourself and that you actually are trying to defend yourself!!

By using a natural stance, which is just standing there, calmly ready to fight or ready to just walk away you are throwing your opponent off. You look confident but they aren't sure of what you can or are willing to do. You look intimidating when you are relaxed at the ready.

In Bujinkan and I'm sure with other combat arts fighting stances are just points in time. They are not meant for you to stand there in that posture to fight! You flow from posture to posture during combat and for the most part are just training aids. In reality you are not standing there face to face as they do in a karate tournament or UFC fight. As a warrior I train to get to the side or behind my opponent, I'm sure as heck not going to stand their trading punches with him and if he's is a powerful brute type of guy I really don't want to get nailed. It amazes me how fighters just stand there hitting each other. I'll be the first to admit my body couldn't handle that type of punishment so yea, I'm going to fight dirty and end the conflict in as short time as possible.

Ok, I went a bit off topic there. I was talking about stances. Don't become so rigid that you fight from stances. Be flexible and flow. If you are attacked odds are you will be either walking, standing or sitting. So train that way! Sit at a picnic table and have someone attack you from behind, those fancy kicks will be of no use I can assure you. Learn close in hand to hand combat. Train in scenario instead of classroom environment. Wear your tight jeans, your heavy boots or sneakers. Train for reality my fellow warriors...not the classroom.

Focus and awareness

  You are a warrior so you need to train as a warrior. One very important element in your training is to learn to focus. Whether you are swinging a kettlebell, striking a target or studying a book you need to focus, to learn to tune out everything around you so that you can learn and train. With that being said you still need to be aware of your surroundings! You don't want to be at the park doing some deep reading or meditating then wham! some thug jumps you from behind.

  I have a first hand account of this happening. My buddy and I were training at a local park we always trained at in Flagstaff. As we were training we noticed this group of teens walking up to this kid who was sitting at a picnic table with his head down, probably sleeping. Without warning these teens jumped the poor kid attacking with chains and sticks. We don't know what prompted this to happen but we weren't going to let it continue that's for certain. We both shouted a 'hey' almost in unison which stopped them in their tracks. They looked at us and approached us. We did what we do best, stood their watching them waiting for them to take action. We basically stared them down while warning them off with a few words. Sometimes the most intimidating thing you can do to an opponent is stand nonchalantly in what we call natural stance (basically just standing normally with hands at your side) and then calmly but intensely staring down your opponent. First they are placed off guard as most people in confrontations are used to a war of words and body posturing before a fight. When you are standing there just waiting... it unnerves the bastards. Without us having to lift a finger these punks backed down and left our park, of course threatening to return. The kid who had been jumped, well he booked it out of there. To bad for him, he should have come to us as we could have taught him a few things.

  So, anyhow..the point is. You don't want to be caught off-guard as this poor kid was. Focus! Train! but stay aware. If you are in the flow keep a small part of yourself aware of your surroundings. Take a look at this article over at Life Hacker: Train Your Brain for Monk Like Focus which talks about focus. They have some great ideas to point you in the right direction.

Speaking of Life Hacker, it is a phenomenal site with lots of information to make your life so much easier on and offline. Well worth signing up to their newsletter.

Until next time my fellow warriors!

-Collin aka Tenguka

Beyond Ninja training...taking it to the next level

       Since I was about 16 I had this dream of training as a ninja. I was enamored with all the ninja movies of the 80's and I bought and read all of Stephen K Hayes's books. They were gold to me and I had plans of one day training with him in Ohio. In the mean time I was training in Mas Oyama's Karate and thought of myself as being able to handle any situation if it came to it. It wasn't until I was 22 and I had moved to Mesa, Arizona when I had my first chance to train in Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu. There were actually two instructors in town, Peter Crocell and another fellow from Australia, Chris Graham. As fate would have it I ended up training with Chris. It was exactly what I had always been looking for, I learned rolling and many of the techniques that I was familiar with from Stephen K Hayes's books. All the Karate I had learned was crap and I found out how easy it was to take out anyone who fights face to face or throws high kicks. I learned to take out opponents within seconds, not sparring for 10-15minutes, in fact, in Ninjutsu we didn't spar as everything was real combat. We just did it slow at first until our skill level improved.

After a year I moved with Chris to Flagstaff, AZ where we started a school at a local park and helped teach for a good 4 years, with me being his top student and Uke (practice dummy). This was real Ninjutsu...I learned to flow, angle to get to the side or behind an opponent, lots of rolling and hitting the ground techniques. We played, yes we called it playing, with swords, staffs, chains, ropes and my favorite, knives and of course anything that was laying around. We trained in the snow, on the ice and in the wilderness. There was night training and obstacle course training on the park benches, boulders and kids playgrounds.

On top of all the Ninjutsu training, Chris was also ex-Australian SAS (Special Air Service), so I was taught and helped teach 4 man maneuvers, survival skills, combat shooting with pistol and rifle, rappelling, sentry take downs, etc.

I was living the life doing what I always wanted to do..then we hit a snag. Chris's business wasn't taking off and I was un-happy with other areas of my life. Even the training had plateaued as Chris wasn't into it anymore. After a bit of an argument we parted ways and I was left without an instructor. At first I took that as a sign that it was time to move on..new teachers and all that, but then came the dissapointment and the reason I am even writing this all out.

I could not find a teacher anywhere who taught like Chris. As we were never part of the Bujinkan dojo culture or mainstream training I wasn't exposed to most of what goes on in that world. Chris always taught flow, natural body movement, etc. We learned that Togakure Ryu was highly effective combat system designed to end a 'situation' within seconds. We didn't do kata's or spar, made us kind of unique in the martial art world. The shock came when I started training with other groups. There total focus as it turns out all Bujinkan groups are that they focus on Kata's...I'm like WTF?

Bujinkan is about natural flowing motion, doing what comes to you as you are in combat, taking what opens up to you first the strike the wrist, oh look that opened the target up to a strike to the gut, then oh look, he is bent over lets take his head. It all flowed..but here are these Bujinkan guys, so called Ninjas, learning set movements and practicing them over and over until you want to puke up Kihon Happo (as the movements are called). Didn't matter where you go and train, that is what is taught now. Soke Hatsumi, Grandmaster of Bujinkan, handed out these movements as if they are the bible of Ninjutsu and it is all anyone does. What the heck happened!!

I challenge any of you to read Stephen K Hayes's books that came out in the 80's volumes 1-5. And the few other books he published. Where is all that training? Why has Ninjutsu been watered down to such an extreme extent? Ninjutsu isn't just un-armed combat with a bit of weapon work. The Art, yes..the ART is so much more. Composed of 16 schools just chock full of techniques, skills, stealth, deception, strategy, etc. Is this training only available to high level practioners now? or is it even taught to them? All I see are thousands of Bujinkan students practicing the same motions over and over, moving like robots for the most part. The flow is gone, the 'ninja' training is gone, all have been scrubbed from modern Bujinkan Ninpo training.

I've given up on finding a Bujinkan school that teaches that way I was taught back in the 90's, I haven't totally given up hope. I'm sure there are some old School teachers out there..probably not affiliated with Bujinkan though. I understand now why Glenn Morris created his own system, while using Bujinkan fighting methods he looked elsewhere to incorporate and flesh out the training.

So, I am following the way and styles of teachers such as Glenn Morris and Timothy Ferriss. I take the path of the 'experimenter'. I pull from any resource I can to create my mind, body and spirit into a warrior. I learn parkour for the movement skills, climbing walks, leaping, etc. Brain mental skills from numerous sources. Energy work taken from Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Chi Kung and various other schools. Combat Skills from SAS and Special Forces teachings. I learn NLP, social skills, strategy skills. Incorporate Kettlebells, Crossfit, Bodyweight training.

I am creating the Warrior Zone training program...my goal is to create an Advanced Human Being. Going beyond just a Ninja. The Ninja of ancient history were on a path to create the perfect human body, mind and spirit. They worked in the shadows to achieve their goals. I wish to bring that spirit alive again within the Warrior Zone. To help make you and everyone else who is interested into a better human being, an advanced human being. With ancient and modern teachings this is very possible today. We all can take ourselves to the next level of Evolution. Use more of that brain capacity, push our body's limits to levels that are usually only reached in highly stressful situations, such as survival. We can all become who we truly are. Being a warrior is so much more than being able to fight. In fact you don't have to know how to fight to be a warrior. Warrior Zone will help everyone and anyone reach their true potential.

Lots of changes

It's been a number of months since my last post. Many changes are afoot. Warriorzone.com is being re-designed and re-done using Joomla 1.5. I expect to have the new site up with a months time. I know many of you have been anticipating the launch and I can assure you it will well have been worth the wait.

Soon and finally... a home for warriors from all walks of life. Whether you are a modern warrior, peaceful warrior, healer, martial artist, or just a warrior of life you will find a niche for yourself in our global warrior tribe.

We have moved out of Miami, FL up to Melbourne, FL. A much more peaceful location not far from Orlando. Dick Severance of the Bujinkan is up the road from me. I should be hooking up with him for training soon. I will say that Melbourne is so much more peaceful than Miami. I felt stressed the entire time I was living there.

Anyhow..I'll be posting some news soon on the new warriorzone.com site.

Take care all..

-Tenguka

The Beginning...

So...there I was, 22 yo and I had just drove from Florida to Phoenix, AZ. After getting settled in I decide I need to find a school to train with...

I found myself in a Army Surplus store and I'm looking at the bulletin board. I spy a flyer that advertises "Ninjutsu" training...I was estatic. I just hoped it was legit. I make the call...

...so I'm headed to my first class. I'm headed to the instructors house for our first meet and hopefully a bit of training. He's a fellow in his 30's and speaks with an Aussie accent. He invites me in for a cup of tea before we head up to the park. We are waiting for a couple more people.

As I mentioned in my last post...I thought I was a badass. I knew "karate" so I was skilled. I had the typical attitude of most martial artists. We all like to think our art is the best and we can hold our own. Ever hear of high level black belts who are beaten by street fighters? Happens all the time.

Anyhow...

We head over to the park and we do a bit of stretching...I'm really flexible so no problems for me. He teaches rolling which I had always avoided since my karate days and I had tweaked a knee. He teaches rolling properly...I begin to flow, it naturally comes to me. I learn that the Bujinkan (as it now called, we no longer say ninjutsu do to bad teachers and hollywood) is all about natural body movements. Using body weight not muscle...awesome. I'm a skinny guy...no muscle. Females excel in the Bujinkan since they naturally don't try to use muscle.

He knows of my background and allows me to use some of what I know on him. All of my fancy kicks are easily defeated. I typically end up on the ground. I'm not used to close in fighting and I have no clue what to do once he comes within my defenses...then again I don't know what to do when he is at arms length...

From that day on....I made the extreme effort of forgetting my karate...Bujinkan Ninpo was and is my chosen warrior path.

Oh, I mentioned the pinch. Yea, have you ever had anyone reach down and pinch you on the inner thigh or pinch your pec muscle right in the middle of training? Talk about distraction...

Intro to Kettlebells

When I was younger I was always scrawny...always bullied...

...yea, the typical geek in school. I never got beat up, mostly because I kept my mouth shut and avoided the bullies.

When I turned 16 I began training in Karate...I was one belt away from black belt...thought I was badass. I could do all these cool high kicks. Nobody tried to mess with me in school and I never once had to fight...

BUT you know what?

I didn't know squat...

I always dreamed of training in Ninjutsu..and when I turned 22 I moved to Arizona where I met my first instructor...it was legit...not one of those fly by night fake ninja schools that teach a twisted combo of karate and kung-fu and wear funny masks...

nope...I made sure I found the real thing...it's lineage traceable to Japan...the grandmaster of our art is Massaki Hatsumi...google it if you don't believe me...

So, I though I was a badassss...I could break boards, do high kicks..yaddy yada.

My first ninpo instructor humbled me with a simple pinch....

I'll tell you more later...


...now I want to introduce you to the Kettlebell. Why? Because I mentioned I was a scrawny guy...for most of my life...high metabolism and all that....kool! I can't get fat but I couldn't get muscle either....then I discovered the crazy russian, Pavel and his kettlebell

That's Pavel --->

Simply put this is the place to begin for aspiring and even experience warriors.

Obviously, I recommend that you start with getting Pavel's awesome book or video on Kettlebells...the ultimate training system for all warriors.

You THINK your bad because you can benchpress 200lbs. Let me see you do 50 swings of the kettlebell.

Let me see you do a turkish get up...look it up in Kettlebell articles.

For a true physical challenge....

My scrawniness is going away...my stamina is increasing. My warrior skills are becoming honed.

The kettlebell with my ninpo is the ultimate one two...