| Are you looking to develop real proficiency - even | | | | Well, let me ask you this: "what allows you to be able |
| mastery - in your ninja training? If so, there really is no | | | | to stay one step (or more) ahead of your opponent? |
| getting around the understanding of, and strategic use | | | | How do you counter his attacks and, more to the point, |
| of weapons. | | | | why would a skilled attacker choose the attacks |
| And, while there are several levels, or what I call | | | | they're using against you in the first place? |
| "pillars" in developing mastery of any given weapon, all | | | | Think about it. Do you really need to be a master to be |
| of them share the same principles and concepts. And, | | | | able to defend against someone with no skill? |
| in the realm of advanced ninja training, there is one skill | | | | So, if you're not training to be able to defend yourself |
| that separates the true master, from those who | | | | against, and beat, a better skilled aggressor... |
| merely train. | | | | ...why are you training? |
| But before I tell you what this one skill is, there's | | | | No offense but, any monkey can learn the "moves." |
| something that I want to talk about with you. | | | | Don't believe me? Check out YouTube for the chimps |
| Understanding this one thing will change the way you | | | | and other types of monkeys who have been taught to |
| look at your weapons training, and the types of skills | | | | "mimic" certain martial art styles. |
| and exercises that you use to develop those skills. | | | | But, do you really think these animals are going to |
| One of the things that I've noticed throughout my | | | | defend themselves using these skills that are unnatural |
| years of training in the martial arts - regardless of | | | | for them? The answer is, of course, "no." They're |
| which art I was studying - is that students and | | | | going to fight like monkeys - not like Tae kwon do or |
| teachers alike tend to limit their weapons training to | | | | Kung-fu masters! |
| only half of what they could be working on. | | | | So, what is the skill that separates you from the |
| Half of these students limit their training to the kata, or | | | | martial arts "monkeys," the "stylists," and those who |
| formal techniques of their preferred style. The other | | | | can't see beyond using the weapon itself? I just gave |
| half go beyond the basic techniques to the strategic | | | | you a clue to it. |
| use of the weapon in spontaneous, unscripted, | | | | It's the skill of being able to... |
| situations. But... | | | | ...defend against THAT weapon. |
| ...both groups still miss the hidden, critical element that | | | | Because, it's only when you can defend "against" a |
| allows you to really know any given weapon. | | | | weapon, that you really "know" it. Only when you |
| What is this element? What is the skill that most | | | | understand a weapon's weakness AND it's strengths |
| students are missing in their training - especially of they | | | | can you use it to it's fullest potential. |
| want to become masters? | | | | |