The Ninjutsu Academy of Plymouth

I've been thinking in some depth about the extent to which Ninjutsu is disciplined. Consider the proper definition, rather than the scientific one, of Discipline. In relation to Ninjutsu, Discipline would mean to have Order and Control. This would apply in two different ways. The Order is of self, the way in which the memory of techniques, stances and even pain are ordered for the mind to recollect quickly. The Control is of the opponent, which only a disciplined combatant can have.

What do people think about the idea of Discipline in Ninjutsu?

Something I was thinking about related to this subject was about training itself. Often we mock or are mocked about techniques which would seem to have no combat value, usually because the way in which the technique is set up is unlikely to occur in real-world combat situations. For example, the stance Ichimonji, and the punch we so often make from that stance is in no way combat effective, and we know this to be true. Yet, the stance still exists and we use it as Uke. I would propose that not everything in Ninjutsu has its objectives rooted in combat practicality, instead things such as this are simply for use in training. The punch from Ichimonji we use has one use, discipline. To allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we learn how to be invulnerable when the situation calls for us to be so. It is useful for Tori for Uke to be in this position, as it is possible for him to commit to, and complete a technique, and most importantly, remember it. Once a person can remember a technique through the act of doing it the mind finds it much easier to do when there is pressure, a proven fact from Psychology. An aid to this is the names we sometimes see assigned to techniques, which we have laughed at as being pointless, but how often do you hear something said and instantly recall it. It is another process which Ninjutsu has used to make the art easier to recall under stress. All of this is about the Order part of discipline. Making things in training as easy as possible to remember, and recall later on.

To continue, the contrast would be that every technique should be resisted as best as possible. Imagine how little we would know of ninjutsu if every time we tried to do a technique, the Uke would stop it. We would never learn anything. Also if we had no stances or schools, just techniques which have no name. We would never remember them and we would be very undisciplined.

What does everyone think about this?

I'd agree with all of that but, since it is very late, I shall wait until I've slept to write a long(er) answer. For now I'll just go with this;






The 'lunge-punch' as it is commonly known by outsiders and insiders alike has much more than one use and indeed has a very good reason for being there. Much like Ichimonji itself.

Not only is it the quickest punch from A to B but the vertical punch is also a feature of Jeet Kune Do and Wing Chun, one style and a concept known for combat effectiveness.

It is not the punch itself, only the way we deliver it in training.

No one would ever stand in Ichimonji (at least not in the classical way) and throw a hefty lunge punch... of course not! However over time the stance retracts and the punches can be used from a retracted kamae from varying angles, at varying speeds and without looking at all like the 'training punch' which, I agree, is used only for, well, training.

Thus I would, speaking from personal usage, disagree with this;



And lastly;



A) If you're doing it correctly then they shouldn't be able to stop it because each piece should have slipped into place.

B) Full resistance should be the overall goal. Gradual resistance should always be applied to see exactly how well you and your technique would work against a resisting opponent.

That's all I've got, for now. I'll pick apart more of your post later.

It takes time to appreciate that, even when you are in the role of being uke you are training. I often forget this when training. The techniques are at the very least two-sided, and it's about the relationship between uke and tori, not just "uke attacks for tori to learn the technique." When you are a beginner you spend most of the time as tori, because it takes experience (and discipline) to be a good uke. It is true that if you do a technique right then uke should not be able to resist, even trying his hardest. But this is not a practical philosophy to use all the time, even at higher student grades.

Control is of self as well as your opponent. I think everything in ninjutsu, by origin, is rooted in combat practicality, it's up to us to apply this though.