There are a lot of times when I catch myself teaching my perverted version of what I think we are learning in class to my training partners. A lot of the times I am almost too willing to share my “gross amount” of knowledge to help them out. There’s a burning sensation that wants me to get them to the point where they “get it” and then I overwhelm them with information and I give them too many little things to...

Today was a good day. We were working on uke training once again and as I started to work on the drill, we were given different bodies. When I received my new body I was given a different hold. Normally when things don’t go my way, or I feel as though they should be attacking or doing something different I tend to shut off in frustration. While I take it as a big step, I felt the frustration starting to creep in. When I started to...

I’ve been sitting here for the last hour or so reading “The Ninja and Their Secret Fighting Art” by Stephen K. Hayes. The book discusses Mr Hayes’ journey to Japan and discovering the art for himself (well thats what its about up the page I am currently on). As I read, I am learning what Mr. Hayes had discovered about being an uke….I thought I would share a passage from the book since it is relevant to what we...

I would like to share a quick thank you to my teachers from the weekend. Though my thank you might seem short and insignificant my gratitude will forever be there and the lessons I received from my teachers will alway be apart of me. Mr. Hayes: Thank you for sharing and the patience that must come with it. Mrs. Hayes: Thank you for sharing your smile. Mark Davis: Thank you for showing us how to be humble. Dennis: Thank you for your ability...

I thought that since I was one of the winners of the big annual Saturday night training exercize at New England Warrior Camp (put on annually by the truly amazing Ken Savage) I should blog about the secret of my success. Partially it was due to the efforts of my 11 other team mates. We all worked together to make the whole event a great moment in our learning about Ninjutsu.  We had to help each other and work as a group to have any chance...

Today I saw Dennis do a back kick. I saw what he did, and tried to do it myself. What I saw was his core go down in a spiral while his weight was on the standing foot and his eyes in line with the kicking toe. I tried first to do it step by step. Little checklist of each step. I soon realized that the checklist was useless. So then I tried to just do. When I did this realize that my kicking leg was doing what resembled a hook kick. So I got...

I just got back from a white water rafting trip with the teenage girls I work with. 3 fun filled training less days in Forks, ME down the Kennebec River with 6 teenage girls— fun. For those who have never experienced the Kennebec, there is a section of the river toward the end where the guide allows you to get out of the raft and swim. 2 of my girls decided to swim and the rest of us relaxed on the raft and sun bathed. It was here...