It is said, not only on this forum, but all over, how naive, gullable, and disoriented the youth (martial artist) could be.
I have to reflect upon my youth, on how I thought, believed, and behaved towards many subjects.
Indeed, I was motivated by media, entertainment, peers, and pushed around by those who couldn't agree with my ideas.
In my thread:
“Who Cares If Bruce Springsteen Is A Shodoshi?”
..Covers about making bad choices, the aspects of posting, and ridicule.
That thread had many different meanings, though many didn't not come to understand.
The following article, though I did not write it, (I don't take credit for another's work) I had learned from it. I had applied it (in reciprocal) to a few of my students whom had moved away. I will discuss these students later in this thread.
(The article has a picture of a teen dressed in a Ninja uniform)
ALL DRESSED UP, BUT NO PLACE TO GO
I’m 15 years old and I want to train in ninjutsu (or insert martial art here), but I live in a city without a ninja school.
What do I do?
I can’t very well move away to a city that has a ninja school because I have to finish high school. Even if I could re-locate, I’d have to find a place to live and a job. This may be difficult for a person my age. I would also have to convince my parents to move with me. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Then they could go through the hassles of finding another home and jobs, and I would have to enroll in another high school. I don’t think my parents would go for it. Dad has been working his job for a dozen years and mom is thinking of opening up a shop in town. So it looks like we aren’t going anywhere.
Now what?
Better yet, what can I do?
There must be something I can do, some kind of training I can do right now, until I’m old enough to move out on my own.
First, I guess I should ask myself “Do I really know what ninjutsu is all about? Do I really want this?” Because if my knowledge is based upon the ninja movies and video games, I’m in trouble. This is a big problem for a kid my age.
Then, I have the peer pressure. Some of my friends think ninjas are cool, and some try to convince me a ninja is but a feudal Japanese hit man, a hired killer of long since past.
Fortunately, from some of my little research, there are authentic instructors in the art who teach openly. There is enough information out there for me to formulate a clearer picture of a ninja and ninjutsu. I’m not out to become an assassin, I’m just interested in the skills that made ninja legends.
Once I’ve separated fact from fiction, I can then worry about training. This would be tough without a teacher around. But this doesn’t mean I just give up the whole idea. I want this training.
I could start reading as much as I can. Yeah, reading might help. I should go out and buy some books, magazines, and videos on the subject. I can study “up on” ninjutsu, learn background, history, and some techniques. If nothing else, I can read about nijutsu before having a real instructor.
I have to ask myself; "What attracted me to the art?" The thought of using all of my senses, learning to blend in my environment, and being able to defend my self. I could look up the history of the culture and country where ninjutsu is from. I could find out more about the people from this culture and country. I could find out what made a ninja so special.
While I'm on the subject, school is an excellent training ground for me right now. People said it before, but I could fully believe it. Now that I have something I’m interested in, I can see where school may fit in. My subjects and classes can play a role in my training. Ninjas were information gathers, I can gather all information about my current studies. Then upon passing, I'll go to the next level until I graduate. So this information I am gathering my not prepare me for ninjutsu, it is preparing for my next stages in life. And these stages have to come before I start my formal ninjutsu training under an instructor. I suppose I can’t have one without proceeding from the other.
I’m starting to study my academics more as well as about ninjutsu. I’ve heard that togakure-ryu ninjutsu people practice a system of self-protection called taijutsu (empty hand combat). I could have a real problem here learning from a book with pictures. I could imitate the pictures, but I might miss a part where the photos don’t show. I will need to see someone demonstrate it so that I can thoroughly understand. I will have to wait for a school and an instructor. I can also write to some of the ninjutsu teachers out there that I’ve read about and wait for their replies. All of this would have to wait. I hate waiting. Maybe I can try some of the basic breathing exercises, postures, and stances. Maybe I could start my self on a better exercise program and also watch my diet intake.
I’ve also got this book on stretching, I should get around to doing those drills and let this, with everything else, become my own routine. Ninjas are martial artists that are to be limber and put their bodies into a hard work out. This can be the only physical training I can do for now. Maybe I can join a local gym and get stronger. Since I’m young, my joints are still flexible and it may be the best time to start any fitness routine. Maybe I can get a few friends to work out with me and we can develop our bodies together.
You know, now that I’ve sat here and thought about this, my situation is not as hopeless as I thought, there are a lot of things I can do.
I’m not just dressed up; I’ve got somewhere to go.