Category Archives: Featured

16 Minutes of Pure Torture

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Hope the catchy title got your attention!

Today we’re going to do a fun workout based on the Tabata Protocol.  If you are not familiar with Tabata, please check out the Warrior Fitness Tabata Primer found here, What’s Tabata You?

I highly suggest you warm up before doing this workout.  In fact, I insist on it.  What’s a good way to warm-up?  I’m glad you asked.  One of my favorite warm-ups is found here in my Morning Wake Up Routine.  Don’t let the fact that it says morning dissuade you.  It’s a quick, highly effective recharge/warm-up that can be used anytime of day.

Now, onto the workout.  Warmed up?  OK.  Here we go –

Remember, Tabata is 8 rounds of exercise, 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off, for a total of 4 minutes for each exercise.  Take one minute rest upon completion of each set of 8 rounds.

Exercise 1 – Bodyweight Squats

 1 minute Rest

Exercise 2 – Hindu Push-ups

 1 minute Rest

Exercise 3 – Sit Thrus

 1 minute Rest

Exercise 4 – Burpees

Out of breath?  Want to learn how to recover your breathing in between exercises and at the end of the conditioning session?  Check out the section on restoring breath in Evolve Your Breathing.

Enjoy!

What is the Essence of Defense?

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What exactly is the essence of defense?  Suppose you took a martial art(s) and stripped it down to its core principles and functional movements to allow it to be employable with any tool whether it be empty-hand, blunt weapon, edged weapon, long weapon, hidden weapon, or improvised weapon?  What you would have is a fast, effective, no-nonsense approach to communicate years of martial arts training in a short span of time.  This approach would make self defense methods immediately accessible to people who may not want, or have time, to devote decades to becoming effective at defending themselves.  Suppose you want to have the confidence and ability to protect yourself and your family from sudden violence, but don’t want the trappings of tradition and the hours of perfecting forms and kata?  What if the essence of defense could be extracted by 2 highly experienced martial arts practitioners, refined, distilled, and communicated not over years, but in the course of a seminar?

Principles:

  • Get off the line of attack
  • Counter-attack
  • Intercept/destroy the attack
  • Unbalance the opponent
  • Continuous movement
  • Escape
  • Much more….

Movement:

  • Positioning
  • Footwork – angles, distancing
  • Safe space
  • 3 dimensional movement
  • Much more…

Tools:

  • Body weapons
  • Blunt objects
  • Edged weapons
  • Improvised weapons
  • Hidden weapons
  • Much more…

 

Who should attend The Essence of Defense seminar?

  • Military
  • Law Enforcement Officers
  • Anyone who wants a working knowledge of practical martial arts principles that allows them to create their own techniques in response to a specific threat of violence. 

When:  Saturday, September 8th from 11 AM to 4 PM

Where: Redemption Kettlebell Gym in Robbinsville, NJ

Cost: $65

Who:  Eric Chasko is a fully licensed instructor in Jeet Kune Do/Filipino Martial Arts with over 15 years experience.  

Jon Haas is a 9th dan in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu with over 30 years experience.

For more information and to sign up, please go to http://www.iwantredemption.com/

See you there!!

Push-ups as Breathing Exercises

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Today we are going to talk about push-ups.  I can hear the groans already.

But these aren’t the dull, boring, uninspired push-ups you had to do in grade school gym class for some lame physical fitness challenge.  Nor are these the repetitious calisthenics you had to do by the hundreds in Army Boot Camp.

Today, we are using the basic push-up as a tool, a vehicle to study and work our breath.  The push-up is simply the form our breathing exercise will take, nothing more.

Sound a little more interesting now?

Let’s explore a little more…

Usually, breathing exercises are done in a very relaxed, non-stressful manner in a seated, or even lying down position.

Not today.

Breathing push-ups will help us explore our breath while moving and while under load.

Why is this important, you ask?

Consider that it’s pretty easy to control your breath while comfortably seated on the mat, and easy to relax while lying down.  But how much carryover do those types of breathing exercises have to helping you withstand pressures in real life or stress in fighting?  Some, certainly, but their emphasis is different.  Please don’t misunderstand here though.  We need a myriad of exercises to be able to influence and control physiological processes.  The stationary relaxed breathing exercises absolutely do have a place in your tool kit and are important for health, stress relief, and relaxation, but are just not the focus of our discussion today.

The Structure of a Push-Up

Let’s begin in the up portion of the push-up position.  Hands should be about shoulder-width apart, elbow pits facing forward.  Back is straight, aligned from crown to coccyx.  Very important with all the exercises here, do not use any more muscle tension than absolutely necessary to accomplish the exercise.  As you progress, you’ll find less and less muscle power is needed for the same result.  We’re working toward efficiency here.  So, relax as much as possible and remember that the push-up is just the form, the real goal is the breath work.

Begin to inhale slightly before starting the push-up this way your breath leads the way.  As you lower down, continue to inhale by expanding your belly.

No chest breathers here!

Pause at the bottom portion, then begin to exhale again slightly before initiating the upward push.  The breath should guide the movement.

Play with this for several repetitions trying to really get the feel of the breath leading and supporting the movement.

Now reverse the breathing pattern.  Exhale on the way down and inhale on the way up.  Same rules apply.

If you feel excessive muscle tension being used, stop.  Stand up and lean against a wall or a staircase in the push-up position.  This will greatly reduce the demand of the exercise allowing you to concentrate on the breathing aspect while still performing the movement of a push-up.  When you feel comfortable with the movement, drop back down to the floor and try again.  Keep the same light feeling you had while doing the push-ups against the wall or stairs.

Building Capacity

Once you get the hang of the breath leading the movement of the push-up, we will begin to work on expanding your breathing capacity.  Here we will stretch out the inhale and exhale to fit more movements into each breath cycle.

For example, begin again in the upward portion of the push-up position.  Exhale completely without moving.  Begin the inhale slightly before the lowering movement and continue to inhale all the way down and all the way back up.  Exhale.  Now try to do 2 push-ups on one inhale.  If you can do 2, try 3.  See how many movements you can fit into one inhale, it’s not easy!  Make sure you don’t rush that will only add tension and gas you out even quicker.  Maintain relaxation and an even pace throughout.

Once you’ve done a few reps by expanding your inhale, try to do the same thing on an exhale.  Start in the top portion of the push-up, inhale completely without moving.  Begin your exhale slightly before the downward movement and continue through the whole push-up.  Try 2, 3, 4, see how many reps you can do on one exhale.

One way to do this in a set is to do a breathing ladder.  Do one push-up on one inhale.  Exhale at the top.  Then do 2 push-ups on one inhale.  Exhale at the top.  Then do 3 push-ups on one inhale.  Exhale at the top.  Try to do 4 on one inhale.  Now, reverse it, inhale at the top and do 4 push-ups on one exhale.  Then 3 on one exhale.  Then 2.  Then one push-up on one exhale.  Get the idea?

Hopefully this is a fun and productive exercise for you.  Let me know how it works and if you have any questions!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article where we’ll discuss breath holding.

Battling Demons

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To get good at any discipline, you must practice every day.  To become great, you must practice all the time.  The problem is, with so many pressures, responsibilities, and draws on our time in daily life, how does one manage to train every day?

For me, it’s a daily battle with my demons.  These are the insidious little creatures that lurk in the dark recesses of my mind.  Their sole purpose being to distract me from becoming the person I want to be.  They rationalize and cajole to pull me off the path of self improvement.  The path of training.  For others, the path may be their daily struggle to make good food choices and lose weight, or it may be the daily battle to study at night while working a full-time job in order to earn that MBA.  The path is personal.  The demons are universal.

Currently I train for a few minutes every morning which provides the dual function of waking me up and setting me on the right path for the day.  It primes my muscles, movements, and nervous system for the more involved training I will perform later that night.  Additionally, I will train during the day at odd intervals when I have a few minutes of down time.  These little periods provide the consistency I need to help me keep going.  But, as I stated above, the bulk of my training is done at night after putting the kids to bed.  Usually around 9 pm or so I head down the basement to my home gym.  This is my dedicated training spot.  For me, it helps to focus my efforts since the only thing I do there is train.  It’s minimalist with very few distractions.  Perfect for doing the work.  For the most part, I beat the demons by just getting downstairs and setting foot in the gym.  Getting there is the most difficult part, but once there, the demons are beat and the daily training progresses.

Sometimes, like last night, the battle isn’t won by just getting to the gym.  Last night was different.  I was tired.  I was comfortable sitting on the couch watching TV with my wife.  The kids were asleep.  The house was quiet.  Peaceful.  I thought that the demons hadn’t even shown up to fight because getting down there was so easy.  Once I was in the gym though, they attacked.  It was a sudden, violent onslaught that took me by surprise!  “You’re tired,” they told me. 

“You don’t need to train anymore today…”,

“You did enough over the weekend.  Relax.  Take it easy.”, 

“Why don’t you just go to bed early for a change?  You need your rest!”

On and on it went, not just verbal but real feelings of being sleepy.  Feeling like I should go upstairs and go to sleep.  I almost gave in.  Almost succumbed.  Almost quit.

But mental fortitude kicked in.  Training kicked in.  The battle was on!  I heard myself talking to one of my training buddies saying – “you have to train every day.  You have to want it bad enough.  How do I do it?  Well, it’s like brushing your teeth, Dude.  You just do it every day (usually twice!) no matter what.”  This began the rally.  But it was far from won.  What won the battle once and for all (at least for last night) was the fact that I just started doing my solo conditioning exercises.  I was in the right place.  My mindset was returning.  But the way to win the battle is to simply begin doing the work.  Understand that your training is a necessary part of becoming who you want to be.  Understand that daily training is a necessary part of that process.  And get it done.

Your Sanshin No Kata Under a Microscope

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Sanshin no Kata (form of the three hearts) forms the basis for movement in the Bujinkan. These five foundational exercises cannot be overlooked, especially with regard to solo training.

When I first began training in the Bujinkan over 20 years ago there were very few training resources.  There was no Internet!  In a way it was much easier for a beginner since there weren’t a lot of distractions.  Today we are bombarded by information and perhaps sometimes even overwhelmed by it.  Back in the day, practicing alone was easy.  You had kamae.  You had some basic strikes.  You had ukemi.  You had basic hanbo movements.  And, you had Sanshin No Kata.  In the early days of my training, Jack Hoban used to drill us in these basics virtually every class.  I remember many a hot, sweaty night in the old gym dojo back in Asbury Park, NJ where the small class would work Sanshin No Kata in front of full length mirrors for the entire class, usually followed by basic kicking and punching an ancient heavy bag in the corner.  This kind of practice may seem boring or at least unsexy these days, but I assure you it built a very strong foundation.

How to Practice

Today, one of the best ways to practice these kata is still in front of a full-length mirror. This way, you will be able to notice all the little “hitches” and inconsistencies in your movement. Use the mirror as a training device to evaluate your posture and movement. For each kamae, and especially including the transitory movements between kamae, make sure that:

  • back is straight (crown lifted up),
  • shoulders are down,
  • head is not transposed forward over the neck,
  • chest is relaxed,
  • butt not sticking out,
  • hips are open,
  • knees are over the toes,
  • weight evenly distributed (50/50)
  • no leaning forward or backward

These are the very obvious, glaring errors that will be easily noticed as you start this practice. Chronic tension and tightness when in transition between kamae will be abated with continued practice – the key to eliminating the excess tension in your movement is first being aware of it! With consistency and patience, you will gradually shape your body to conform to the characteristics of good taijutsu. This is not an easy process and can be painstakingly difficult due to the constant attention to detail working to chip away at all the unnecessary, inefficient movement built up over years of chronic tension and unnatural movement. You may also notice a particular lack of flow between movements because you are concentrating so much. Build efficiency in steps. First, work on the static kamae. Next begin to add the steps and strikes. Finally, work the entire kata in a flow with no pauses or breaks in the movement. This process will gradually streamline your movement and eliminate the unwanted tension and imbalances. It takes a lot of practice, dedication, and hard work to move with ease!

Chi No Kata as an Example

Let’s take a look at the first kata, Chi no Kata, as an example.

To begin, start in Boubi No Kamae, left hand straight out in front with a natural bend in the elbow, pointed at the opponent’s heart, right hand held in a fist in the crook of your right hip. Move with exaggerated slowness as if practicing a Tai Chi version of the kata.

Drop the weight from your hips, shift over the front knee, and let your rear elbow straighten, dropping the hand in front of the hip to create a slight tension in the spine. This point here about creating torque or stored elastic energy (SEE) in the spine is essential in being able to move powerfully without winding up or telegraphing the movement. If you are having trouble feeling it, try to exaggerate the movement. Make it much larger than necessary to study the feeling. It should feel like a tension in the lower back near the bottom of the spine.

When this tension (torque) is relaxed (released), the movement happens. See if you can figure out where the energy is stored and how it’s released in the rest of the San Shin no Kata!

Be very careful when transferring your weight that you do not bob up and down; move smoothly through the same plane by shifting your weight laterally. Another point to be mindful of during the weight transfer is that you should be in balance (kamae) at all times. If you were to stop the movement at any point in the transition, you should not lose your balance.

Try it.  Practice it.  Create a strong foundation upon which to build, expand, and grow so that all the information and knowledge being handed down to you today takes root.

You can pick up my video tutorial on how to use Sanshin No Kata to create stability and power in your movement as a FREE Bonus with my Martial Power Program. OR, you can click HERE and get the Sanshin No Kata video separately for just $7!

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Ninja Walking

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The following article is an excerpt from Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts…  Enjoy!

Proper walking is footwork training for budo. How we walk in day-to-day life is how we will walk (move) in combat. Efficiency in more complex movement begins with efficiency in simple movements. How can we expect to move with ease in the chaos of a combative environment when most of us have trouble walking with natural gait? Walking is a ubiquitous activity that many people simply take for granted. They move through the day without any awareness of the strain they place on their knees, hips, and lower backs by their poor movement patterns. Just a little awareness will do wonders for your balance, posture, and lightness of step. When Hatsumi Sensei first came to the U.S., of the things he noticed immediately was how heavy and inefficiently people walked. His comment was that most people walked “like Frankenstein”!

 Walking Exercises:

1. Stand in shizen no kamae (natural posture) and balance on one leg. Lift the other foot a few inches off the ground and then lower again in a slow, controlled manner using the flexing of the grounded leg to regulate the descent. Gently bounce a few times getting the feeling of how the grounded leg’s flexion and extension controls the lowering of the other foot. The balance on your leg should be such that you are able to lower the opposite foot to the ground in any direction and easily maintain kamae (balance). Switch legs and now balance on the other leg while lowering the foot.

2. Stand in shizen no kamae (natural posture). Use your right hip to lift the right foot off the ground. It will feel strange at first since this is not a very commonly used muscle action, but once you get used to it, it will become an efficient way of lifting the leg. With the right leg lifted, pull back with the right shoulder.  Notice how this has the effect of creating a slight torque in the spine and moves the right foot forward at the same time. Release the tension in the spine by placing the right foot down in a forward step. Feel how the release of tension propels the body forward and allow it to create the same lift from the hip and pulling back of the shoulder on the left side.

3. Combine the previous two exercises together and begin to walk.

 4.  Another idea to try when walking is to alternate periods of normal, regular breathing with holding your breath for duration when “full”, after an inhale, and when “empty”, after an exhale. Try inhaling for a count of 5 (steps or seconds), hold your breath for a count of 5, exhale for a count of 5, and finally, hold your breath empty for a count of 5 while walking. Repeat as long as you can continue the pace. Note that 5 is just an arbitrary number and can be raised or lowered to suit your own needs. This practice will help you to understand how your body can function during situations when you must suddenly hold your breath yet still continue to work. Another benefit of this exercise is that it also helps the body to process oxygen to brain, heart, and other working muscles more efficiently.

Don’t forget “light feet and soft knees” when walking!

Your Keys to Progress

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How many people do you know who rarely, if ever, get the results they are seeking from their exercise regimen?  You may be one of them!  The question is, why don’t you (they) get results?  These people may be “exercise nuts” or “gym rats” or even “exer-holics”, or they could just be fascinated with the idea of exercise, but never actually doing any.  The four points below summarize what I feel to be the most important keys to progress when it comes to getting results and achieving your health and fitness goals, whatever they may be.

1.  Joint mobility on a daily basis. 

Daily joint mobility is a requirement to keep your progress moving forward.  Not only does it provide nutrition and lubrication for every joint in your body, but it also aids in removing waste products and deposits that tend to form over time causing pain.  The mobility increases our range of motion and acts as a prehab for enabling us to avoid injuries.  Additionally, it is an excellent way to warm-up the body prior to exercise or to get ready for the day first thing in the morning by increasing local blood flow to muscles.

2.  Yoga asana as compensatory movement for post-exercise cool down work. 

Since every action we do, as in exercise, or don’t do, as in couch sitting, causes an adaptation in our body, movements need to be specifically unloaded to bring us back into balance.  Compensatory movements remove tension caused by exercise and leaving us with the beneficial effects.  These movements are generally used as a cool down right after exercise or as a low impact recovery workout in and of themselves.  The selection of yoga asana (postures) has to be paired with each exercise performed as the complementary functional opposite of the movement to have the maximum desired effect.  By effectively integrating compensatory movements into your program, you can accelerate your progress, avoid injury, and keep moving forward.

3.  An incremental approach. 

Incremental progression is what keeps us from doing too much too soon and causing an injury.  Often we find that our bravado outweighs our brain when it comes to exercises, especially in the beginning.  We tend to want to jump right into the deep end in order to “get results faster”, but often end up injured, exhausted, or both with this approach and are unable to sustain the effort.  Health is about the long haul, not the short term effort.  If your program is unsustainable then it really has no value nor will it aid you in achieving your goals. 

4.  A plan sewing together all of the above. 

Having a plan is what brings all the prior elements together in cohesive, useable manner.  There is a tendency among some people out there to avoid having a program and to simply do the type of exercise they feel like on a particular day.  They also change the selection constantly in order to avoid boredom or so they can be “ready for anything”.  On the surface, this seems logical, but in reality unpredictable exercise selection simply leads to unpredictable results.  That’s no way to make progress.

Unlocking Flow in Your Taijutsu Practice

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Here’s another one for all my Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu friends out there.

The following set of exercises is specifically designed to increase flow (nagare) in your taijutsu. However, before we get into the exercises themselves we should address the question, what is flow?

Flow is efficiency and continuity in movement. Flow is smoothness of movement that is unencumbered by mechanical, jerky actions. Moving at a faster pace and working harder, does not necessarily mean that the movement is flowing. In fact, if you are working harder, I can almost guarantee the movement is not flowing.

 

Get Out the Way – Move!

Flow is not something you do; it is something you get out of the way of!

What types of internal distractions, tensions, hitches in movement are preventing you from getting out of your own way?

The following flow exercises are culled from basic exercises of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, but can be utilized by anyone to expand your movement potential and increase flow.

When training these exercises, the idea is, of course, continuous movement. Begin with a slow and smooth protocol, working on keeping a good technique level and efficient transition between the movements. One discovers the key to developing flow by examining the in between stages of movement. Often, we see the kamae (structure) and then we see the roll, but what we miss is the essence of flow – the small, transitory movements between them.

Do not attempt to “accomplish” the exercise; that is not the point. Use it as a vehicle to unlock the flow in your movement. Try to keep moving. Don’t pause to think in the middle. Increase the speed as you begin to feel comfortable, but if the technique begins to get sloppy or the movements begin to look mechanical, drop down the intensity level until you are once again performing the flows with good technique. Remember, there is zero training value in simply trying to do the exercises for a “cardio” workout. Go buy a treadmill!

Chi No Kata

1. Step back from a natural posture into left leg forward Ichimonji No Kamae. Do Chi No Kata. From the end point of the kata, continue lowering your center of gravity and extend the right arm to effectively blend the transition from Chi No Kata into a front roll. Allow the momentum of the front roll to carry you to your feet, lifting up from the crown of your head and using your spine, into right Ichimonji No Kamae and, without stopping in the kamae, leap forward landing again in right Ichimonji No Kamae. Continue the movement by reaching forward with the left hand with a feeling of the body being pulled by the hand into left Ichimonji No Kamae. Repeat on the other side.

Sui No Kata

2. Step back from a natural posture into left Ichimonji No Kamae. Do Sui No Kata. From the omote shutou strike at the end of the kata, continue lowering the body with the weight on the front leg, simultaneously stepping through with the back leg to transition from the strike into a back roll. Allow the momentum of the back roll to carry you to your feet, lifting up from the crown of your head and using your spine, into right Ichimonji No Kamae and, without stopping in the kamae, leap backward landing again in right Ichimonji No Kamae. Repeat on the other side.

Ka No Kata

3. Step back from a natural posture into left Ichimonji No Kamae. Do Ka No Kata. From the ura shutou strike at the end of the kata, bring your left foot forward next to the right foot a little more than shoulder width apart to transition into Hira No Kamae. Without stopping in the kamae, lower your center of gravity and flow into a side roll to the right. Roll right back into Hira No Kamae and leap sideways to the right, landing again in Hira No Kamae. Repeat on the other side.

Fu No Kata

4. Step back from a natural posture into left Ichimonji No Kamae. Do Fu No Kata. Immediately transition to Hoko No Kamae and flow into a cartwheel. Land back in Hoko No Kamae and leap down into a kneeling Ichimonji No Kamae. Repeat on the other side.

Ku No Kata

5. Step back from a natural posture into left Ichimonji No Kamae. Do Ku No Kata. Immediately transition to a forward break-fall followed by a forward roll into Jumonji No Kamae. Leap directly upwards. Repeat on the other side.

Enjoy!

Flow drills from the book, Warrior Fitness: Conditioning for Martial Arts

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Ukemi Flow Conditioning Workout

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This one is for all the martial artists out there –  I created the following ukemi conditioning workout for myself a few years ago to specifically target the transitions between my rolls and begin to unlock flow.  Additionally, it has the effect of really getting your heart pumping and makes a great workout!  Start out slowly and smoothly by practicing for the first few rounds.  Groove the movement and then begin to increase the speed.  Remember, you do yourself and your training a disservice if you rush through the movements simply to say you accomplished the workout.  Flow is not something you do, it’s something you allow – you have to be able to get out of your own way!  That being said, give this a try and let me know how it works for you.

Ukemi Flow

  1. Begin in Shizen No Kamae (natural stance), squat down to ball of foot squat
  2. Zenpo Kaiten (front roll) over the right shoulder
  3. Ushiro Kaiten (back roll)
  4. Stand up into Shizen No Kamae (natural stance), squat down to ball of foot squat
  5. Zenpo Kaiten (front roll) over the left shoulder
  6. Ushiro Kaiten (back roll)
  7. Stand up into Shizen No Kamae (natural stance)
  8. Yoko Nagare (side roll) with the leg crossing in front to the right
  9. Yoko Nagare (side roll) with the leg crossing in front to the left
  10. Stand up into Shizen No Kamae (natural stance)
  11. Zempo Ukemi (forward break fall)
  12. Stand up into Shizen No Kamae (natural stance)
  13. Yoko Nagare (side roll) with the leg crossing behind to the right
  14. Yoko Nagare (side roll) with the leg crossing behind to the left
  15. Stand up into Shizen No Kamae (natural stance) – repeat!

Start out with 4 rounds of 3 minutes each with a 1 minute break between rounds.  Use the minute break to get your breathing back under control and shake out the tension.  When this becomes easier, decrease the rest period to 30 seconds between rounds. Finally, try to perform the Ukemi Flow continuously for 12 minutes.  You can also adjust the difficulty level of the flow by adding directional leaps at the end of each roll.  Or, it can be made easier by performing it from kneeling in Seiza no Kamae instead of standing.

Notes: Make sure you warm-up with brief joint mobility session prior to the workout.

Got your own version of an ukemi-specific workout?  Please share with us in the comments section below!

Create Your Own Adversity!

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“Let me embrace thee, sour adversity, for wise men say it is the wisest course.”  ~William Shakespeare

Philosophers and sages throughout the ages have consistently extolled the virtues of facing adversity for the purposes of becoming a better, stronger person.

No matter what form this adversity takes, wisdom dictates that it must be faced head-on, weathered through, and successfully beaten by coming out the other side, maybe scarred, but assuredly battle-hardened and spiritually tougher.

Oftentimes, adversity comes to us unbidden simply due to the path we choose to follow, or even for no fathomable reason at all.  It tends to be one of those things life throws at us unexpectedly to “help” us prove our mettle and forge our character.

It has been said that “God comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable”.  If this is so, perhaps creating your own adversity isn’t a bad thing at all.

The goal in creating your own adversity is to design a challenge that will push the limits of your physical strength, mental toughness, and spiritual fortitude in order to propel you forward to the next level in your training.  For the warrior, this process is known as Shugyo.  Shugyo (修行) may be defined as “conducting oneself in a way that inspires mastery”.  These periods of severe training were usually undertaken by warriors to achieve a type of enlightening experience which opened their minds by destroying their concept of previously perceived limits.  It is the same for us today.

Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of Aikido, was well known for taking his students up into the mountains for periods of Shugyo.

“Once a year, Morihei took several of his best disciples to train with him on Mount Kurama, located near Kyoto. The small group lived on rice, pickles, miso soup, and wild herbs. Morihei would rise at five AM to pray. After morning prayers and misogi, they would swing heavy swords five hundred times and then practice footwork. From ten AM to noon they trained in body techniques. Afternoon training ran from three to five PM; the disciples took turns acting as Morihei’s partner as he ran through series after series of techniques. In the evenings the disciples would review the day’s training. Every three days, Morihei would announce at midnight ‘time for night training’…”
Excerpt from “Invincible Warrior”, by John Stevens pg. 125

Now, do you have to seclude yourself in the mountains for several days in order to practice Shugyo?

No.  For most of us, that’s not realistic or practical, but that doesn’t mean we can’t create the same type of experience for ourselves.

So, how do we do it?

Create Your Own Adversity!

Caution:This type of training is not for everyone.  Before you begin, there are a few common sense type precautions you should take.  First, prepare adequately.  For example, you would not go out to run the NY Marathon tomorrow if you’ve never run more than 5 miles.  Second, if you decide to conduct your Shugyo outdoors, let someone know where you’re going, what you’re doing, and how long you’ll be gone, or better yet, take them with you!  Third and most importantly, think before you do and plan accordingly.

1.  Pick a time or day that has personal significance to you – it can be your birthday, New Years Day, or the anniversary of something important in your life.  Is this absolutely necessary?  No.  You can pick next Tuesday if you’d like, but I think tying your Shugyo to a significant day makes it more special.

2.  Decide what form your Shugyo will take.  This must be unique to your goals and capabilities.  Choose something that is currently beyond your reach, but not so far as to make it completely unattainable.  You want to focus and hone your physical, mental, and spiritual abilities, not your imagination.  Some examples are:

  • Run a marathon
  • Run a Spartan Race or Tough Mudder
  • Climb a mountain
  • 1000 cuts with a heavy bokken (wooden sword)
  • 1000 Kettlebell snatches
  • 1000 Kettlebell Swings
  • 1000 reps of any basic techniques or combination of techniques
  • Sparring 20 opponents in a row, nonstop
  • 1000 Push-ups/Squats/Sit-ups

While any of the above would more than qualify as Shugyo, my personal preference is to plan an entire day where the whole becomes greater than the sum of the individual parts.  Some recommendations for the parts are:

Junan Taiso warm-up, run (distance TBD by you), practice the basic strikes, kicks, and footwork of your particular martial art, Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu for me (high reps to push your limits, of course!), weapons practice (sword cuts, spear thrusts, bo swinging, etc.), high repetition bodyweight exercise(s) or workout with weights (dumbbells, kettlebells, clubbells, sandbags), end with an extra long yoga session to wring out all the tension accumulated throughout the day followed by meditation and rest.

3.  Create a training program to get you there.  Let’s face it, most of the above examples are not something most people can decide to do in a day, they take time, preparation, and work to bring the goal within reach.  Remember the “6 P’s”: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

4.  Get to work!!

Creating your own adversity through Shugyo has the effect of focusing not just your mind, but your entire being for the purposes of expanding your potential.  Push yourself harder than you ever thought possible and blow through your preconceived limitations – remember, the only limits that truly exist are those set up in your own mind – there are no limits!

“God brings men into deep waters, not to drown them, but to cleanse them.”  ~John Aughey