subject: Learn Ninjutsu - If You're Going To Be A Ninja, You Should Probably Understand What The Word Means! [print this page] Are you interested in mastering the art of the Ninja? Do you see yourself as the lone, superhero warrior, fighting evil and bringing justice to the world? Are you angered by the injustice in the world where innocent victims are brutalized by uncaring attackers who feel that they can do anything to get what they want?
Well, you're not alone. In fact, when I asked my most serious students what drew them to the art of Ninjutsu - why they trained - that was their answer!
The ninja have become synonymous with the concept of justice and even the idea of "superheroes." But, at the heart of the matter, there is a reality that you must understand if you are to truly take your place in history as an authentic ninja warrior.
And that truth is this.
While it is true that the ninja's skills allow him or her to think outside the conventional "box" that most martial artists, soldiers, and fighters limit themselves to...
...the Ninja is NOT invincible!
But, contrary to the ninja's counterpart, the Samurai, the shadow warrior has never felt compelled to fight - at least not in the moment. Where-as the Samurai, and other fighters and warriors who were bound by honor, duty, and allegiance are forced by some sort of code - written or unwritten - to stand and fight, the ninja were often seen as cowards for "running away."
But, this so-called "running away" - this apparent lack of morality, ethics, or sense of duty was, more often than not, misunderstood by those "in the box." Where his enemies saw the ninja as an escaping coward, the ninja saw his tactics as...
...choosing to wait for a more advantageous moment when he could easily defeat his enemy with little to no resistance!
Even the kanji character used to write part of the word for "ninja," reflects this idea of "patience," "perseverance," and "putting up with..."
If we take a closer look at the kanji used to write the word, we see that the second character represents the idea of "person." While the primary kanji, the character worn by modern practitioners of the art on their do-gi, or martial arts uniform - what has become known almost universally as the character for "Ninja," is much deeper than it appears at first glance.
The kanji character for the word "NIN," is actually made up of two lesser characters. The top half of the pictograph is the kanji for "toh," or blade. It actually identifies the "edge of a blade."
The bottom character is the kanji for "shin" - heart.
And, while many people have twisted the meaning to imply that the ninja places the importance of the blade over that of the heart, this does not explain why the original, imported, Chinese definition of "NIN" is that of "patience," and the other concepts I talked about earlier.
As I've talked about before, to understand the meaning behind the kanji written characters, you must first understand that they are not arbitrary and random strokes of ink on a page. Just like the numbers that we in English inherited from the Greeks which were drawn based on the number of angles in the character; or the hieroglyphics of the Egyptians - the kanji characters are word-pictures that depict either an object or idea in graphic form.
So, to arrive at the meaning being conveyed by ancient writers - the ideas of "perseverance" and "enduring," we can see the sword over the heart as a message. A message which says that:
"Even though the enemy holds his sword over my heart, I will persevere - I will endure."
Again, let me ask the question, "Do you want to be a true Ninja?"
If so, can you live up to the idea of being an enduring person. Can you wait for the right moment to act, and then act decisively using either the sword or the heart - the two tools of the shadow warrior?
Or, are you like most...
Impatient
A victim, or...
...are you bound by duty, compliance, or belief to the idea that you are powerless, poor, and incapable of deciding your own destiny and way in the world?
To a true ninja, there is always...
A Best Time
A Best Technique. And...
The Right Reason...
For attaining his or her goals.
But, beyond this, if you are to be a true Ninja, you must understand that, regardless of what other people think, say, or feel about you..
You are either exactly what you choose to be, or...
...exactly what you have ALLOWED yourself to become!
by: Jeffrey Miller
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