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
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
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
Saturday, March 24, 2012
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Bujinkan Shidoshi, Josh Sager – 10th dan, and Jon Haas – 9th dan, team up to bring you a unique and extraordinary presentation of small and hidden weapons used by Japan’s legendary Ninja Warriors!
You will learn strategies, tactical movement, and techniques utilizing:
Saturday March 24, 2012
1 PM to 5 PM
$50 payable online (click paypal link below) or at the door.
For more information or to register, please email jon@warriorfitness.org or call (609) 556-8712
My name is Ichiro Watanabe. I am a chunin, a middle level ninja of the Togakure clan.
Our small village is secluded deep in the mountains near Mt. Togakushi, otherwise known as Togakure Mountain. I could tell you exactly where, but I’d have to kill you. No joke, it’s a matter of survival for my family and clan.
You see the year is 1601, one year after the famous Battle of Sekigahara which brought Ieyasu Tokugawa to power uniting Japan. There is still much to do, however, and the need for the services of our ninja clan is still very great. Continue reading
Yesterday I decided to do something a little bit different in my workout. As an experiment, I wanted to look at the effect lactic acid build up in the muscles had on my ability to throw rubber shuriken (ninja stars) and hit a target. The theory being that as fatigue in the muscles increased, throwing accuracy would decrease. Seems like a solid hypothosis, right? Well, here’s what happened…
The ancient Spartan maxim, “with it or on it” is a very stark reminder that we must be fully committed to whatever battle we are waging. The full meaning of this phrase that Spartan mothers used to say to their sons before heading off to war is, to either come back with your shield – as a returning hero – or come back upon it.
There is no middle ground.
No room for wavering or debating.
No having your cake and eating it too.
When moving towards a goal, there must be no hesitation in your actions.
In the Bujinkan martial arts that I study, there is a similar saying, “Hell gapes beneath the upraised sword, step in to heaven.” This may seem like crazy advice, after all who in their right mind would step forward when faced with an opponent armed with a 3 foot razor blade?! But in training, through experience, one comes to understand and realize that the safest place when facing an upraised sword, paradoxically, is to move forward and step closer, thus finding “heaven”.
Again and again throughout warrior cultures, from ancient Greeks to Japanese Ninja and Samurai, we see this idea of complete and utter commitment, 100% determination in moving forwards towards our goals, no matter what they are.
So how about you? How committed are you? How much do you talk about taking action rather than actually taking action? Do you step forward into heaven and achieve your goals when confronted with difficulty and adversity? Do you walk the razor’s edge in life, or just in your mind?
It’s time to step forward. Take action. With it or on it.
Click HERE to take action on your health and fitness goals today!
Historically, ninja were the consummate combination of super spy / super soldier. They possessed outstanding levels of fitness due to their intensely physical training and highly demanding mission requirements.
Their levels of fitness and training have been the subject of many stories and the genesis for many myths surrounding them.
How did they do it?
How did they train?
What type of methodology did they employ since creating this kind of warrior certainly required a very diverse fitness profile?
Ninja fitness needs were much more multi-faceted than most physical pursuits. They had to be as they were at once a combination of Olympic decathlete, Navy Seal, and martial arts master rolled into one. Let’s examine this a little more closely though, what kind of qualities did they possess and what did they need to be able to do?
As you can see from the 2 lists above, the ninja had a wide range of skills and abilities that had to be supported by a comprehensive fitness program keeping him at the top of his game.
Remember that for a ninja, fitness wasn’t just a nice to have; it was an absolute necessity to accomplishing his mission and getting him home safely. And the kicker is, they did it all with little to no fitness equipment.
Certainly a 16th century ninja did not possess a Gold’s Gym membership. Nor did he own an Olympic weight set or have a stair master at his disposal. And, while kettlebells and dumbbells would have been great, he most likely had never laid eyes on either one.
So here we have one of the most highly trained and fit agents the world has ever seen created without the use of modern training equipment or modern training methods.
What might some of this training looked like?
I’m glad you asked. One of my favorite scenes in Hatsumi Sensei’s early Bujinkan training videos (DVDs now for you younger folks!) comes from Shinden Fudo Ryu. Here’s a short clip I found on Youtube. This stuff is seriously old school!
“One trains using the things of nature to make the body strong” – Hatsumi Sensei
Modern methods allow us to take advantage of periodization, or programing and organizing training, to create a comprehensive fitness plan which will apply logical sequences to get the most out of each session. Protocols like HIIT, high intensity interval training, will be utilized to maximize both aerobic and anaerobic endurance in the same short, high intensity session.
Advances in recovery work from such sessions will allow us to recover faster thus making gains greater, and increasing our overall general physical preparation (GPP) will allow us to push higher into more sophisticated training. Effectiveness and efficiency will be combined in order to allow for shorter training sessions which maximize the use of one’s time.
As the ancient ninja did, we will create a strong, supple, highly conditioned warrior and accomplish this with little to no fitness equipment. We will, as Hatsumi Sensei says in the video clip above, use the things of nature to make the body strong.
If I were able to point to just one resource for the warrior that combines old school training with modern sports science, I’d look here… Ninja Missions <<==
Before leaving on our 11-day family vacation at Walt Disney World in Florida, I was a little concerned about the possibility of missing my regularly scheduled Warrior Fitness workouts. While I was looking forward to the family time and the amazing experiences that only Disney (and Universal Studios – Harry Potter was awesome!) can provide, I was also trying to figure out how I could escape from the parks and get in some Warrior Fitness style training every day. Well, it turns out I couldn’t break away. We were in the parks almost every day from opening to dinner time, and sometimes back after dinner for fire works too! But, since I’m a good ninja, I adapted! Here’s how…
It’s amazing how much walking you do on a daily basis at Disney. Whether it’s with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in the Magic Kingdom, or walking through 11 different countries in Epcot, exploring Hogsmeade and Hogwarts Castle at Universal Studios, or hanging with the mammals over at Animal Kingdom, you are walking or standing in line literally all day long. So, the question for the warrior is, how do you put all this walking and standing to good use? Train while you do it, of course! While the walking alone is good enough for most ordinary folks, warriors require a little more. So here’s a little sample of what I did to enhance it:
These examples above will help keep you focused, training, entertained, challenged, and present while your kids have a magical time in the parks.
If you have any energy left when you get back to the hotel room, bang out a few sets of push-ups to round out your workout for the day. And, lastly, joint mobility and yoga asana are a great way to prepare your body for the rigours of Disney. Don’t neglect your 10 minute warm-up in the morning before heading out. It’s a life saver!!
Trust me, there are ample training opportunies outside of your regular workouts. You just have to be a little flexible and creative.
by Jonathan Haas, founder of Warrior Fitness Training Systems
Warrior Fitness Guide to Striking Power is a downloadable e-book. No physical products will be shipped. After you order, you will get INSTANT ACCESS to download the e-book and all the bonus reports onto your computer. The e-book format is adobe acrobat PDF, which can be viewed on Mac or PC.
