"We are born and then we go through many stages in our lifetime.   You may equate the cycle of a student to that of a butterfly that goes through each stage before it reaches its final form.   We as Martial Arts instructors must give that opportunity to our students, taking them through the many phases of development."
~Anonymous

When making the commitment to a martial arts education, we feel it is imperative that you understand the responsibilities involved, both ours as well as yours.  You will find it helpful to familiarize yourself with the information contained in the manual.  The more you understand our methods, the more you will be able to effectively work towards accomplishing the goals you have set for yourself.

For parents of students, we have determined that your ongoing success will depend largely on effective communication between: 1) you, the parent, 2) the child’s school teacher, and 3) the child’s martial arts teacher.  Together, we aim to achieve the maximum potential within your child.  This can only happen when all three of these links are joined together as a team.  We hope you will take this to heart and let us become part of your team and solution.

The white belt is the first rank of the student. It is where all black belts begin.  It is a belt of transition indicating a willingness to learn.  A white belt is given to the student as formal acceptance into the ryu/dojo.  The kohai, junior student, wears the white belt until he or she completes and passes the test for Ku Kyu.  Although it is a novice badge in many sport martial arts, in our tradition, it means the wearer is humbly willing to put aside his or her ego to learn.

Once a kohai has achieved the rank of Black Belt, he or she has shown that they have mastered the fundamentals of a budo and are ready to begin learning the true essence of the budo.  A black belt is the true beginning, not the end.

             Our style of martial art is called Ninpo. Ninjutsu is best described as the collection of skills utilized by the Ninja while Ninpo, often referred to as "the higher order of Ninjutsu," implies a philosophy for living based on the principles of Nin.

             Nin translates into patience and perseverance, or stealth. The Japanese character for Nin consists of two parts or radicals. The upper radical is called yaiba which refers to the cutting edge of a blade. The lower radical can be read either as kokoro or shin, both of which mean heart or spirit.

             The term “Ninjutsu” is actually a term used in the west to describe certain aspects of Ninpo. Ninpo is actually closer to a philosophy and collection of life skills than just a fighting method. It has been passed down through 58 generations combining spiritual practice and warrior arts allowing all who take part to become a complete and whole. Through Ninpo, all your life goals can be achieved and inner peace discovered.  

             Ninpo’s story goes back over 2,000 years. It is said that it was brought to Japan by a Chinese warlord who fled defeat and sought refuge in the mountains of Iga, an area teaming with martial traditions.

             While the Shinobi studied Ninpo and Ninjutsu, the Samurai studied Bujutsu. Bujutsu contained, like Ninpo, 18 essential skills. These skills included unarmed fighting, swordsmanship, archery, horsemanship, long weapons, and strategy to name a few.

             Ninpo’s 18 skills were similar, but differed due to the specialized nature of the ninja. Theirs included skills like disguise, weather forecasting, explosives, illusions, etc.
 

Society today, of course, is no longer feudal. We do not have Samurai riding through the neighborhood trying to cut us down. Instead we have drive-by shootings, car-jackings, gang related crimes, road-rage, school bullies, pedophiles, etc. Ninpo Taijutsu is more suited to today's lifestyle, where there are no rules, no time-keepers, judges, referees, and no weight divisions; just getting home safely.

How Are the Martial Arts Taught at the Desert Dojo Different?

Ninpo Taijutsu is one of the few surviving complete martial arts systems undiluted by an emphasis on tournaments, sport technique, or artificial rules. This 2,000-year old tradition is ideal for actual personal defense since it requires neither speed nor strength, but relies on angles, distance, interval, and natural movements. 

This allows Taijutsu practitioners that are young or small in stature to use relaxed natural movement and angles to overcome a larger opponent's speed and strength. Movement is refined for grace and naturalness in all actions with power resulting from mere movement and evasion from a simple adjustment of body position.

A few times a year we will train outdoors; it is important for us to commune in our daily environment and other places we may encounter. The martial artist who trains only on mats or smooth wooden floors is often unprepared for hard falls, bad weather, or uneven terrain. In contrast, senior students are comfortable fighting in any environment, and rolling and falling even on concrete or from height in the light or dark.  This training teaches one to perform automatically, without having to think about what technique is going to be executed.

The ninja were very competent hand-to-hand fighters. They were trained to fight with not only their hands and feet, but they utilized their whole body as a weapon.  This part of Ninpo is called Taijutsu.

Grappling was a strong part of a ninja's arsenal; the ninja were equally as strong fighting from the ground. When on the ground, it is not likely that a punch or kick could be used effectively, so techniques such as arm bars and joint locks were necessary. 

A ninja studies the art of Taisabaki or "body movement". Taijutsu does not use rigid and fixed methods like most martial arts. Instead, it stresses fluidity - natural movement and spontaneity. Taijutsu also  exploits the joints and pressure points of an adversary. When a punch or kick was thrown, a ninja wouldn't simply block the attack, he or she would strike a pressure point or nerve center to impair the limb.

Giri

             Giri has no clear English translation, but it holds the highest admiration in relationships between parent-child, husband-wife, brothers-sisters, teacher-student, and the closest of friends.  In its most basic sense, giri is a debt of gratitude and self-sacrificing. Another way to put it is an un-payable obligation.

Giri has a very strong presence in Japan. It can be seen as irrational and against Western principles, but from the Japanese perspective it is not about personal gain or growth, but of support and respect for the relationship.

             But, to try and put an American perspective on it, it’s like the obligation you have to your parents as they gave you life; something that you could never repay them for. Or, to a teacher or sensei as they have imparted knowledge upon you to better your life.