Online Education

Even in the 21st century, a time when the art of ninjutsu has been made more available than at any other time in the history of the art, it can still be extremely difficult, for any number or reasons, to be able to get instruction from a fully-licensed and qualified teacher of the Ninja’s combat and life-mastery lessons. In fact, some might even say that, with the apparently greater number of teachers, it might be more difficult than ever to gain access to one worth studying with!

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But, even if every instructor out there could teach you everything that you needed to know to become a walking, talking, modern-day ninja master, there are still plenty of reasons that you might want to – or need to – consider training on your own. And, you wouldn’t be alone either. Some of the best, and most well-known teachers to come out of this art – including Soke Masaaki Hatsumi, this generation’s head of the 9 historical traditions that make up the Bujinkan Dojo, and form the foundation for my own Warrior Concepts Life Mastery Program – had limited contact with their own teacher.

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Solo training – not to be confused with the concept of being “self-taught,” which I’ll talk about later – has it’s basis even in ancient Japan, where warriors would take time away from the dictates, duties, and demands of the world, and spend a day or two with a teacher, only to return to their own lives with the task of working on and developing a personal understanding of the lesson or skills they had learned from their “master.”

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And, while every student is responsible for a certain amount of “solo practice” away from his or her teacher – this “homework” away from the dojo is not really what this is about. It has been my experience that the dojo, and having a regular schedule of classes with your teacher, can actually be a hinderance to proficiency.

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What I mean is that, students who live close to a teacher and attend classes regularly, can make the mistake of confusing class-time with practice-time. Just like instructors who confuse floor-time teaching with their own need for continued learning, these students can use the dojo as a kind of “crutch.” The dojo, and class time, is seen as the place to “practice,” rather than learn. And so, the teacher sees and is constantly correcting the same mistakes and trouble areas over and over again.

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The solo-student, off on their own away from their teacher however, tends to put all of his or her focus on learning as much as possible when they are with their teacher. Knowing that this information is all they will have to carry them until they can get with their teacher again.

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This is exactly what my training was like in the early days of the Ninja’s art here in the West. During a time when I could count how many Shidoshi, licensed teachers their were in North America – and I was stationed with the U.S. Army around the country and across the globe – I had to put great value on my time with my teacher. Because I was forced by my prior life choices, to do what I had to in order to get this knowledge.

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Of course, it also meant that I had to be more mindful of my life away from my teacher so he would see definite progress when we got together again.

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But, that was my own story and, not unlike my own teachers in this art, who have had to make sacrifices, choices, and at times a much greater effort than our fellow students who lived in the same town as our dojo – you may have your own reasons for being personally responsible for your own training and doing so long-distance from your teacher. Here are a few reasons that you might, out of personal preference or due to necessity, choose to engage in solo training.

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No qualified teachers close enough for convenient training on an ongoing basis
You live in a different country than your personal teacher
Like my own early years, your job or other responsibilities makes regular training with a teacher difficult
Your age, or medical considerations makes regular training difficult, at least until your condition changes
Finances, resources, or access to transportation is limited and must be rationed over time

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Of course, your own reason my be different than any of those that I’ve listed above, but the point is that solo training as one of your teacher’s “long-distance” students is not only doable, but is also historically validated as a “normal” part of training in the Ninja warrior’s arts of accomplishment. In fact, you might even find that, in the end, you develop skills, abilities, and methods as a result of this path to mastery – that you’re fellow deshi (“students”) never thought of.

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Are you serious about mastering the art of ninjutsu – about having the power, confidence, and control to handle any attacker – any situation?

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Read my newest ninja training book, “Becoming The Master.” Get your free copy at: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/becoming-the-master-subsc.html

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Tags: Consider, job, learn, mba, Ninjutsu, online, Solo, TEACHER, Training