April 27, 2009
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REMEMBER: "Being born as a human being is difficult - but here you are. Finding this training is difficult - but you found it. Of all the things you could have been and all the things you could be doing, you are here as a human being at the foot of the Path that lies before you. If you do not take action now - when in the future will you do so?"
- Traditional Buddhist Reminder
From the Desk of:
Shidoshi Jeffrey Miller
Monday, April, 27th, 2009
5:13PM EST Time
There are several very important seminars and training opportunities scheduled for serious students in the upcoming months.
Check the WCI website, about the events that are right for you.
As I reported in the last issue, the face of the warrior-concepts-online.com website will be changing. In fact, it was supposed to have been done in mid February but, I'm still hard-at-work migrating everything to the new site to make sure that it's better able to serve your needs. I didn't realize just how much information was available on my own website - over 150 pages!
Even though the site will be not only changing it's overall appearance but, changing server locations as well, I have been continuing to update the current site to be more user friendly. So, if you haven't checked in at the Warrior Concepts site lately, you might want to do that to insure that you haven't missed anything important.
Question:
"What Is The Ninja no Hachimon?"
by Shidoshi Jeffrey M. Miller(C) 2009, Warrior Concepts Int'l, Inc.
There have been lessons, techniques, and even descriptions of strategies, tactics, and the like passed down to us over the centuries, telling what is and is not a ninja, or part of the ancient Japanese art of Ninjutsu - the art of the Ninja. Many people cling to these descriptions as though they were gospel when, upon closer inspection, and with a deeper understanding of things like history, progress, and the mindset that we are trying to develop, we can come to see these things for what they really are.
One such description, or outline, supposedly sets out the required studies of a true ninja. This outline was, and in some circles still is, used to determine whether or not a lineage, clan, or person was practicing ninjutsu - whether they were ninja - or not.
This classification system is called the Ninja no Hachimon, or the "8 Gates of the Ninja."
The ninja no hachimon was a simplified listing of the core practice, study, and mastery subjects required if you wanted to be a ninja. These 8 "gates" or studies, were:
- 1) Ninja no Kiai (The ninja's use of sound to "harmonize with universal energy)
2) Ninja no Taijutsu (The ninja's unarmed self-defense method or "body-art")
3) Ninja no Kempo (The study of sword techniques and strategies)
4) Ninja no Soojutsu (pronounced 'sew-joot-sue' - Spear methods)
5) Ninja no Shuriken (Hand-held and thrown blades)
6) Ninja no Kajutsu (Use of fire)
7) Ninja no Ugei (The art of deception and disguises)
8) Ninja no Kyomon (The study of religion, philosophy and the sciences - those things that make us knowledgeable, well-rounded individuals and more than merely thugs and assassins in black clothing)
While I may be bordering on heresy when I say that this classification is not all that it appears to be. There is much more to it than merely a list of "things to study" if you want to be a true ninja. But...
Does this mean that you shouldn't take the list literally and study these things?
No. That's not what I'm saying at all. However, what we need to see is that this list was grouped and employed during a very specific time in history, by a specific group of people, in a certain type of culture, etc., etc., etc. We must also remember that there were also classification systems that existed at or near the same time which also were supposed to outline and determine what a ninja was, and what he or she studied to be who and what they were.
Systems like:
- Ninja Juhakkei (The 18 levels of the ninja - actually there were 36 levels!)
- As-well-as the systems outlined in such treatise as the Bansenshukai, the Shoninki, and others.
This is important to understand. Not just about the ninja no hachimon, but about everything we do and learn in our training - EVERYTHING!
In fact, this is such an important subject that I am dedicating the next several months of training to this topic. It will be the foundation for a special 10-week teleseminar course that I'll be offering, and these skills will form the curriculum for this year's Spring Ninja Training Camp, May 15th-17th, 2009.
If you'd like more information about the Ninja no Hachimon and how it is used in the Warrior Concepts' curriculum and advanced mastery training, listen to episode #6 of Kuden: Ninja and self-defense training podcast. Here's the link: http://kuden.mypodcast.com
Here are the links to the other areas of interest I spoke about:
WCI's Yearly Ninja Camps - http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/ninja-camps.html
10-week Online Ninja Training Program on the Ninja no Hachimon: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/8-ninjagates.html
Until Next Time.
To Your Achievement of Mastery!
Jeffrey M. Miller, Shidoshi
Warrior Concepts Int'l
Self-Protection & Personal Development
362 Market Street
Sunbury, Pa. 17801
USA
(570) 988-2228
If you haven't already done so, I recommend that you visit the website at warrior-concepts-online.com and see how much information is there for the serious student. If you're a business owner, or in management, education, or the healthcare fields, I recommend that you visit my site on workplace violence and crisis management at wcinternational.com
There's never been a more important time in peoples' lives to take back responsibility and control for their own lives than right now. Stop waiting for the government to do it. Stop believing that it's the job of the police to protect you or that you need a black belt to really be safe. Stop trying to sift through all the information on the internet, trying to figure out what works and what doesn't.
I invite you to be a true ninja warrior - a man or woman of action - and take a*ction. Get going with those things you've been meaning to do for you and do it now!
Remember, check the site for upcoming seminars and courses. Get to the blog or on the forums so you can learn from others. Send me an email or call me to get a personal assessment for moving yourself forward.
Life waits for no one!
Want to send me something?
You may send questions, comments, or "what-if's" for inclusion in the newsletter using the CONTACT form on the web site - or cut and paste this link into your browser: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/contact-longdistance.html
Just remember to keep your communications clear and to the point (limit each correspondence to ONE point, please). Any comments or questions received that are not easily understood or rife with spelling and grammar errors will be deleted. It's not that I don't want to answer but, if I can't understand your point or what you mean, I can't answer in a way that will be beneficial.
To Your Attainment of Mastery!
Jeffrey M. Miller, Shidoshi
Warrior Concepts Int'l
Self-Protection & Personal Development
362 Market St.
Sunbury, PA. 17801
(570) 988-2228