Alright. Strap in, kids because this is gonna be a bumpy one.
There is a huge problem that affects many people training in martial arts today that needs to be addressed because it is severely inhibiting their progress and skill. It applies to fitness training as well, so if you don’t train martial art read this with whatever type of training you do in mind. Continue reading
Martial arts training, especially in arts like Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, Aikido, and old school Jujutsu, tend to put a lot stress on practitioners’ wrists due to the various types of wrist locks and throws. Over time this can lead to chronic wrist pain, soreness, and even permanent injury. Continue reading
The video below is a brand new combat conditioning circuit I put together for martial artists. It will be especially good for my Buyu (warrior friends) training in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu. If you are ready to put your body, mind, and spirit to the test, this circuit is guaranteed to kick your conditioning into high gear. Continue reading
Lately I feel like a fire’s been lit under me in my training. Somehow through sheer persistence, perseverance, and being too dumb to quit, I feel like I’ve broken through to a new level. And this level is more difficult than the one before. New levels always are.
Sometimes I think people have the impression that if you keep training in something long enough, like martial arts or strength training, then it somehow gets easier as you get better. I don’t think this is true. At least it’s not true for those who continue to push themselves to break limits. Continue reading
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Bujinkan Shidoshi, Josh Sager – 10th dan, and Jon Haas – 9th dan, team up once again to bring you a unique and extraordinary presentation of weapons retention and deployment using the knife and pistol! Continue reading
On Sunday, April 22, 2012, Two of South Jersey’s Top Ranked Bujinkan Martial Arts Instructors, Jon Haas and Chris Rydbom will teach you:
Date & Time: Sunday April 22, 2012 from 12pm to 3pm
Where: Warrior Fitness Gym Hainesport Business Park 4004 Sylon Blvd. Hainesport, NJ 08036 (609) 556-8712Cost: $45
Register online (click Paypal link below) or pay at the door.
Check out our Fit Bodies Bootcamp for Women HERE!
Warrior Fitness Gym
Hainesport Business Park
4004 Sylon Blvd.
Hainesport, NJ 08036
|
Time |
Session |
| 10:00 AM | Warrior Fitness Group Class |
| 10:30 AM | Bujinkan Martial Arts Demo |
| 11:00 AM | Little Warriors Class |
| 11:30 AM | Bujinkan Adult Martial Arts |
| 12:00 PM | Warrior Fitness Group Class |
| 12:30 PM | Bujinkan Martial Arts Demo |
| 1:00 PM | Little Warriors Class |
| 1:30 PM | Bujinkan Adult Martial Arts |
For more information about the gym including class descriptions, times, and membership options, please check our Warrior Fitness Gym page HERE.
Throughout history a few exceptional martial artists have stood out from the rest of the budo landscape.
Millions of people from every country and culture on the planet have trained in innumerable styles and arts across the centuries, yet we only know a small number of them by name.
These men distinguished themselves and rose to the very uppermost levels of physical, mental, and spiritual skill in their respective arts and in some cases even took their talent to such heights as to create an entirely new martial art.
Looking back at them today, we are awed and inspired by the levels they achieved through their single minded determination in reaching a goal, dogged pursuit of excellence in their craft, and amazing amount of self-sacrifice.
What made these men different?
What pushed them to greatness?
What did they do differently or more productively that propelled them to prominence?
Why were their names and storied passed down through the years, sometimes centuries?
What one factor do all great martial artists have in common regardless of style, country, or culture?
And, more importantly, how can we learn from them and apply it to our own training? Remember, we stand on the shoulders of giants, not to imitate them, but to be able to look farther.
Instead of listening to my opinion today, why don’t we go directly to the sources themselves? Here are some cool quotes I’ve complied by some of the greats talking about their own training.
Morihei Ueshiba – Aikido 
“The instructor can only impart a small portion of the teaching; only through ceaseless training can you obtain the necessary experience allowing you to bring these mysteries alive. Hence, do not chase after many techniques; one by one, make each technique your own.”
“Always imagine yourself on the battlefield under the fiercest attack; never forget this crucial element of training.”
“This old man must still train and train” – said shortly before his death.
Gozo Shioda – Aikido 
“Kokyu power is produced when we push ourselves to the limit, making the most efficient use of the capabilities that lie within our own bodies.”
“Even though the body has its limits, until your death, the strength of your spirit is limitless. This is precisely why, in the martial arts, there is no such thing as deteriorating as you age.”
Yukiyoshi Sagawa – Daito Ryu 
“Intermittent training, no matter how intensive, is utterly useless. You must practice every day for your entire life. That, and only that, is true training, or shugyo.”
“People who think they can ignore training their bodies and only work on techniques are amateurs. They don’t know anything. Actually, if you can’t prepare your body properly, you have no hope of ever perfecting your technique.”
“No matter what level of mastery you attain, you will never achieve perfection. You should therefore never, ever assume that what you have achieved is good enough.”
“If people knew what my training regimen was like, they would be astonished.”
Masaaki Hatsumi – Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu 
“Modern budo students often forget to practice by themselves. I used to practice by myself. When there was no teacher, I found the secret teachings by my own desire.”
“Studying for oneself and making one’s own discoveries is much more important than group learning, and this applies equally well to martial arts. As I often say, ‘Life is all about solitary training.’ This is because I want serious practitioners to discover the tricks of the trade for themselves.”
Miyamoto Musashi – Niten Ichi Ryu 
“From the time I was young I have set my mind on the Way of Martial Arts, practiced the one subject of swordsmanship with my entire being, and experienced various and different understandings.”
“See to it that you temper yourself with one thousand days of practice, and refine yourself with ten thousand days of training.”
“Never depart from the way of martial arts.”
Yamaoka Tesshu – Muto Ryu 
“Study hard and all things can be accomplished; give up and you will amount to nothing.”
“If you want to obtain the secrets of such wonderful techniques, drill yourself, harden yourself, undergo severe training, abandon body and mind; follow this course for years and you will naturally reach the profoundest levels.”
In my teacher’s and my own dōjō (道場 – “martial arts training hall”) we spend a lot of time cultivating our skills as uke. An uke (受け) is a martial arts student who, during a given training session, “receives” a technique from another student acting as the tori (取り). Wikipedia defines the difference as one “who completes a successful technique [tori] rather than who initiates one [uke].” Having a good uke as a training partner is very important, but being a good uke is paramount.
The role of uke often gets a bad rap. Too many times I have seen students relegate themselves to becoming little more than an “I attack, then stand around while the other guy does something to me” participant. When it’s time to be uke, the “pause” button gets pressed and human punching bags are born. That doesn’t seem right, does it?
It certainly doesn’t feel right, at least not to me.
In part one of Ninja Endurance called, How to Train for the Endurance of a Ninja, we discussed strength endurance and I provided a sample workout to help you build yours. Here in part 2, I ‘d like to delve a little deeper into the whys of endurance training and how specifically high intensity interval training is an excellent choice for it.
Endurance is defined as being able to keep going without fatigue setting in, or being able to push oneself through fatigue. Essentially, it is the ability to resist or bear fatigue. What is fatigue? Fatigue is weariness or exhaustion from exertion, or the temporary loss of power to respond. An equally critical corollary to the definition of endurance, especially for the warrior, is that your level of endurance also determines how quickly you are able to recover between bouts of activity. Combat, like life, does not happen at one constant rate of speed. It is multi-faceted in nature. There will be periods of brutally intense activity followed by lulls in the action, again followed by another flurry of activity. Being able to use those lulls in action to recover is a critical ability for the warrior.
Steady state cardio, Long Slow Distance (LSD) training simply will not cut it. Running on a treadmill may be appropriate for a hamster in a cage, but human beings require more. Long distance running can be beneficial for mental toughness and/or active recovery, but it should not be the primary focus of a warrior’s endurance training. So then how should we train to maximize our ability to endure?
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to train for endurance. It will enhance all 3 energy systems in the body (2 anaerobic and 1 aerobic – see here for an overview), as well as prime the nervous system to recover automatically during lulls in activity. Simply put, HIIT alternates periods of high intensity exercise with periods of rest and recovery. It can be performed with almost any exercise and can be utilized both with and without equipment. The variety and adaptability of this style of training is second to none in results.
How else does improving your endurance through this type of conditioning aid your martial arts training? I’m glad you asked! If the benefits discussed above weren’t enough, consider that having a high level of conditioning also aids in learning new skills. How’s that possible? To put it simply, when the central nervous system (CNS) is fatigued, the body cannot effectively process new skills, especially technically advanced skills. So, in essence your lack of a general level of fitness and conditioning will actually impede your learning process as you will tire more readily and not have the ability to recover quickly enough during training. Want to train more, at a higher level, for a longer period of time? Want to get more out of your training time both at home and in the dojo? Want to build new skills and enhance your technical arsenal? Get yourself in shape!
There are several sample conditioning workouts here on the Warrior Fitness site. Here are a few examples:
Stay tuned for more Warrior Fitness style conditioing workouts to help you get and stay in fighting shape!