A lot is associated with Ninjutsu in the present world. However, the word Ninjutsu is a combination of two words “ninja” and “jutsu” that stands for skill and practise respectively. This art is usually associated with ninjas and their style of fighting.
Unlike what most people think, Ninjutsu isn’t all about violence or indiscriminate street battles that come with a lot of bloodshed like it was in the “ninja era.”
Individuals with Ninjutsu skill can defend themselves against attack to some extent without inflicting serious injury on the opponent. In this guide, we will be breaking this art into bits. Starting with where it originated from and how it can be learned.
What is Ninjutsu?
Ninjutsu isn’t quite new in the modern world. It’s synonymous with the word “ninja,” which represents a group of heroes with self-defence tactics. Ninjutsu developed in a certain period in Japan and has made a seamless transition into the modern era.
There are not so many Ninjitsu schools around as most people know this skill from videos online. But what you see on YouTube is just a tip of the ice berg. The art isn’t all about sword fight or fast moves. Ninjutsu is a complete art. It involves the usual footwork, strikes, griping, kicks, and punches you see in most martial art movies.
Also, this skill has a little to do with weapons and disarming an opponent. Overall, Ninjitsu is a powerful self-defence tool. However, like every art, there are different variations of Ninjitsu, and all comes with its skillset. The technique and equipment you will need to execute each style will be different.
Taijutsu is one unique style, and it has to do with unarmed fighting. You will have to use your body to your advantage and defend yourself in dangerous situations. This is where you learn the art of punching, griping, and striking. Kenjutsu and Sou-jutsu are much more dangerous techniques. It involves sword and spear fighting, respectively.
It takes years to master both Sou-Jutsu and Kenjutsu due to its complexity. The truth is both were mainly used in the contemporary era, especially in war fronts. Modern Ninjitsu has to do with taijutsu and a bit of disarming skills.
This is done to meet the demand of the modern world, which is aimed at self-defence. Secondly, it’s difficult to find teachers who are good with Sou-Jutsu and Kenjutsu. For this reason, most programs you will attend will be geared towards Taijutsu.
As surprising as it may sound, Ninjutsu is also fun. Ninjas in the old world possess singing and dancing skill along with this art. This aids your personal development and can serve as a form of disguise against tough opponents with an eye for details.
With martial art, you should know that what you see in movies isn’t reality. Don’t expect to become a flying ninja with a sword after undergoing training. The act has been revolutionised to fit the peace and tranquillity the modern world is known for.
Benefits of Ninjitsu
Believe it or not, physical arts such as Ninjutsu can bring a lot of fulfilment to your life. It’s an alternative to physical exercise and, in the long run, will tone your body. Aside from that, there are other key benefits of Ninjutsu you’re unaware of, and we’ve mentioned them below.
- Build body muscle - Ninjutsu involves a lot of body movement. It incorporates every part of your body, both the lower and upper zone. Your stamina and agility will improve the same way your flexibility will be taken to a whole new zone.
With regular exercise, you spend most of your time thinking about when it will end, but Ninjutsu’s workout is fun and could be over before you know it. You hardly notice time passing, and the results will be glaring if you’re consistent with practice.
- Lose Weight - We know this may sound like hype, but Ninjitsu can help you lose a few pounds in just a short period. You will be able to shed off stubborn fats in addition to getting your dream body. The training isn’t intense, and your present shape doesn’t restrict your movement.
- Improve Self-confidence - With a new skill, you’re bound to feel more confident in your ability. A skill like this uplifts your body and improve your self-esteem. You will be looking forward to a brand new you and ready to face off with the bullies.
- Improve mental health - This skill has to do with self-discipline and places a lot of emphasis on mental health. In addition to physical combat, you will learn a little about mediation, which in the long run, improves focus and takes your mind off your worry. Instead of being all over the place, your level of concentration improves, and you feel inner peace.
Also, Ninjutsu martial art provides stress relief benefits. You will feel relaxed and refreshed at the end of each session. You will be focused on the challenge of the day and equipped with the right mentality to take on hectic tasks.
How effective is Ninjitsu in a street fight?
Ninjitsu is a sophisticated art. You will be taken through several drills, but you will rarely get into bad fights like the one you will encounter in the real world. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t apply the skill in a real-life situation.
You will learn how to grab, hit, finger lock, and shirt tug your opponent once you master some basic skills. As with most art, if you put in hours of practice, it will become second nature. The same applies to learning Ninjitsu.
The key to defending yourself is to understand your opponent and anticipate his moves. In dangerous cases, you might have to use weapons, and it helps you to understand how it works.
What you will learn in any ninjutsu class can be adopted for real-life combat, but learning this art won’t make you a cold killer. It doesn’t also give you the license to go around looking for trouble just to give people a piece of you. Its foundation isn’t built on bullying.
Difference between Ninjitsu and Jiujitsu.
Many techniques from Jiu-Jitsu are similar to that of Ninjitsu. However, there’s one key difference between both. Jiu-Jitsu has to do with speed and leverages on momentum to sweep or throw the opponent off.
Ninjitsu, on the other hand, has to do with intelligent movement. It tries to exploit the weak point of the opponent. In some cases, you let the opponent come to you and then use your gripping skill to force them into submission.
Jiu-jitsu has to do with aggression. You go toe-to-toe with the opponent. A mistimed movement can be used to attack the opponent, but with any fight, you have to be vigilant.
Jiu-jitsu is also fun and easy to learn. There’s no much mystery to it, and if you ask me, I will say it’s easier to find a qualified trainer to teach you jiu-jitsu than Ninjitsu. Its hit rate is higher than that of Ninjitsu, and you can still execute some success moves after a few basic training. However, the flip side is that with Jiu-Jitsu, you can’t easily defend yourself when your opponent throws you off balance.
How to learn Ninjitsu
To be honest, it’s becoming difficult to find a worthy group of people you can learn this art form. Most individuals who pose as teachers are just “wannabe.” If you’re serious about learning Ninjitsu, you want to register with a licensed instructor. By this, we mean they should have a certificate that qualifies them to teach you.
However, it’s possible for someone to have this qualification but still lacking in their skill set. To be honest, if you’re looking for a school, your search will only lead to a dead end. It might be better to look at other alternatives such as Systema, Kung Fu, or Krav Maga. You will be able to find people who will take you from scratch to expert level.
What you will love about the alternatives I have listed above is that you don’t need to invest in any weapon to get started and Systema, in particular, has an edge over Ninjitsu. Just as real ninjas are dead, real Ninjutsu masters are no more.
Conclusion
A few years back, the only established Ninjutsu centre declared that the art would no longer be taught there. Now, this presented an opportunity for people out there to rob people of their money all in the name of teaching them Ninjutsu.
The funny thing is if you have no experience, you can easily confuse one martial art for another. Hence, what they will be teaching is an adulterated form of the original art, which is less authentic and effective.
There’s been some Ninjutsu CD circulating over the internet. We don’t know if this is effective. What we know, however, is that you can’t learn an art like this on your own at home without the guidance of a teacher.
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