One of the first lessons that a new student to the art of Ninjutsu must learn involves learning the positions of safety, known as kamae (kah-mah-eh). These “postures,” while they appear to be identical to the stances used by many of the more conventional martial arts, are actually quite different – both in function and in the way they are created.
In the conventional martial art that I practiced before discovering ninjutsu, stances were approached from the perspective of being something you had to learn to move on to the really cool stuff. They were set, unchanging “forms” that were taken up with the body and from which the punches, kicks, and other techniques originated.
Even in modern ninjutsu practice, the majority of students fall into one of two categories:
1) Those who treat the Ninja’s kamae in the same light as “karate” stances. And… 2) Those who have very “lazy” kamae – that lack the key elements that will keep you safe during an attack.
My focus in this article is to discuss the difference in how kamae are usually taken up by students and teachers alike, and how they are supposed to be used. The difference is outside of the way that most martial artists think. That’s because…
…the difference is between “doing” the kamae, and “BECOMING” the kamae!
Contrary to the mechanical method that most people use to take up a defensive stance, the Ninja’s defensive postures are actually holistic expressions of the Ninja’s heart reflected through his body. What that means is that, rather than being a rigid, mechanical form, any given kamae begins in the Ninja’s heart – his feelings and emotional state created by his relationship to the situation he’s in – which, in-turn, causes the body to shift and move into a physical position that reflects this internal, emotional state.
As an example of this principle in action, when the ninja is being overwhelmed by a bigger, stronger adversary, he allows his feelings of overwhelm to move his body back and away from the assailant – while blading the body to the attacker and bringing the arms up to naturally cover his targets. Again, rather than take up a preset, “official” form dictated by the chosen “style,” the Ninja warrior goes with his internal feelings that come up and then applies effective principles of effective movement and defense to create his kamae.
Another example of this principle is the Ninja who is being threatened by the attacker who uses a wind up or hauling-off type of attack. In this case, the Ninja might not be able to back up, so going with his intense drive to “go-for-it,” he moves into the Jumonji no kamae or Kosei no kamae (“attacking tiger posture”) as he takes the fight to his aggressor.
The art of the Ninja often runs contrary to the conventional logic used to guide many of the more popular martial arts of our time. It’s this “natural” approach and holistic perspective that uses the mind, body, and spirit – not just for meditation and philosophical training – that allows the shadow warrior to be exactly where he or she needs to be to defeat the assailant’s attack with the exact technique needed to win.
Are you looking for real ninja training? Get started on the Path to true mastery and download my new Ninja Training eBook called, “Becoming the Master,”. It’s free. Learn what it takes to be a master warrior in the art of ninjutsu – the art of Japan’s ancient Ninja warriors.
Shidoshi Jeffrey Miller is a master-teacher in the art and practice of ninjutsu – the art of the ninja. He conducts annual Ninja Camps and several different online and live training programs for serious students.