The deadliest of the martial arts...900 yr old Ninja training

**Jo Vale Tudo** · Posted On: 6/12/2009 3:59pm

I feel sorry for his pupil. He really thinks he's accomplished something more.

**CptBuckaroo** · Posted On: 6/16/2009 10:21pm

Originally Posted by Yoj

Santa Claus is a ninja? and with those badges a boy scout too? He's a good old boy, I'll leave him an extra cookie...

Santa Claus IS a ninja!!! what other person in the world can sneak into your house on the one day you expect him to come and always manages to pull it of without you realising it

**Shiningwolf** · Posted On: 6/16/2009 10:25pm

Originally Posted by CptBuckaroo

Santa Claus IS a ninja!!! what other person in the world can sneak into your house on the one day you expect him to come and always manages to pull it of without you realising it

His coat is red from the spilt blood of those who have actually seen him putting presents under the tree...

**Sisyphus** · Posted On: 6/17/2009 6:27pm

Originally Posted by Lucky50

I remember reading somewhere that the blood thing was an actual thing they did in ancient Japan that was equal to signing their name. Of course now, the Japanese uses a pen like the rest of the modern world. So I definitely agree with you, for these guys to do it is quit literally "taking LARPing to a whole new level."

The Japanese word you are thinking about is "keppan" - here is a link to articles by Dave Lowry for some background.

http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/...hp?word=Keppan

Its usage in the video doesn't make "Professor Patches" any more legit.

**Styygens** · Posted On: 6/17/2009 8:37pm

Ellis Amdur also includes an essay on Keppan in his book "Old School: Essays on Japanese Martial Arts." I don't know about Dave Lowry, but Ellis Amdur's relationship to the practice of blood oaths is a bit more personal...

**pokeroo** · Posted On: 6/19/2009 4:01am

Lucky50, I would be interested to know your story. Any other former ninjas on here? I was a member of the bujinkan a long time ago. I learned some decent grappling techniques, and shoulder rolls. I suspect that all their grappling techniques that I learned are also in jjj. The biggest flaw that I saw in their techniques is that their basic punches are the equivalent to the punches that aikidoka train to defend. No one punches that way, and the block is unrealistic for any kind of normal punch, although it does move you out of the way. Of course this would be easily apparent if we ever trained live. Ironically we did some live stuff with weapons. There were padded sticks and plastic knives.

**Landser** · Posted On: 6/26/2009 12:31am

The reason they dont train at full speed is because the techniques they employ are so deadly that it is just too dangerous.

**maofas** · Posted On: 6/26/2009 4:39am

I seriously can't believe that people who do MA don't know about the watermelon trick. If I were a charlatan I would be too scared to pull that one out in front of a crowd, yeesh.

Originally Posted by DarkAardvark

so... do any videos exist with a ninjer against an actual opponent? all ive ever seen is demo crap

I've seen two ever (and man I've looked!). Ralph Severe has some sparring videos up (mostly of his students, but some of himself when he was younger). The other was the class of the aforementioned Moti Nativ (it was posted in the JMA forum a few months back if you want to search) sparring. (And no, neither looked anything like Bujinkan instructional material we see on YouTube.)

Ironically, the hardest ninjer sparring I've ever seen on YouTube was between students of one of those extra-fraudulent ninjutsu groups (you know, XMA dressed up in tabi boots). Go figure.

**Lucky50** · Posted On: 6/26/2009 6:31am

Originally Posted by pokeroo

Lucky50, I would be interested to know your story. Any other former ninjas on here? I was a member of the bujinkan a long time ago. I learned some decent grappling techniques, and shoulder rolls. I suspect that all their grappling techniques that I learned are also in jjj. The biggest flaw that I saw in their techniques is that their basic punches are the equivalent to the punches that aikidoka train to defend. No one punches that way, and the block is unrealistic for any kind of normal punch, although it does move you out of the way. Of course this would be easily apparent if we ever trained live. Ironically we did some live stuff with weapons. There were padded sticks and plastic knives.

Apologies in the long delay in reply... But, that sounds about exactly like what we did. The Kihon Happo is really good for a for a beginner to learn standing grappling, its one of the very few pluses I give to the booj. Interstingly enough though, the very few things I think are good in that system, you can find in any good jjj school, or even certain types of aikido. Taisaibaki helped my footwork, shoulder rolls improved my breakfalls, but other then that, the rest of it was just not practaical in any sense.

**Chili Pepper** · Posted On: 6/26/2009 8:35am

Originally Posted by maofas

If I were a charlatan I would be too scared to pull that one out in front of a crowd, yeesh.

As in, you figure too many people know how to do it?

I had a grand old time at one demo as I sat in the audience, telling my students what to watch for so they could spot the upcoming fakery.