NINJATO - The Ninja Sword

 

The straight Ninjato was meant to be a tool, not a stylised Sword the way the Katana was

It was a straight, folded and sharpened tool, it did not go through the Katana curve procedure

The Tsuba was a square slab

It was blackened and was disposable and easily replaceable

These swords were made with the 22 sun blade and the longer Saya

As well as the Deception, the end of the Saya could be used for storage

Metsubishi stored in the end, with a cap, used in SANTO applications

The cord would also be longer, and untied, to be used as a climbing tool and weaponm as in HoJo


Curved Ninjato were made later

Some did have the matching correct size Saya

The original Ninja Sword was a standard Katana that broke at the tip

After filing and resharpening the blade we had he first 22 SUN NINJA sword in the long Katana Saya

The weapon had to exist first before the methods to use it could be developed

These methods were developed by the IGA and KOGA Ninja before they were organised into the GATA that became the DENSHO for the Togakure scrolls

The first generation of an organised Ryuha, in this case Togakure, was set up by gata and scrolls passed down by their teachers - the first SOKE, formal Grandmaster of a Ryuha, was about the Third generation from the warriors who founded the teachings

There is a saying in Greece,

THE FIRST TEACHER NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL


however he did have to learn what he knew before he set up the first classroom and taught his first generation of students

Before Aristotle set up The Lyceum he had to learn the teachings passed down from Socrates and Plato

And we know nothing about Socrates apart from what Plato passed down to us, as Socrates never wrote down or recorded anything

(Where would JESUS be if nobody had written the Gospels)



So the SOKE, the Grandmasters, had to learn and catalogue the GATA before they could set up a school and pass them on

From the thread:


“Violence is to be avoided, and Ninpo is Bujutsu”.

“Use the sword to be peaceful, and protect country, family, and nature”.

‘Kajo waraku’ which means “The enjoyment of peaceful harmony with the same effortless compassion as that of the wildflowers.”



Ninja Bikenjutsu - Methods of using the Ninja sword, which is shorter and straighter than the Katana

•Kurai Dori - Sword Kamae

•Iaijutsu - Sword drawing

•Biken Kata - Ninja Sword forms




NINPO BIKEN Sword


Nuki - Drawing

Iai Maai - Sword draw distance

Kage no Itto - Shadow Sword


8 Kamae -

Ichi
Seigan
Chudan
Gedan
Tosui
Hasso
Kasumi
Totoku Hyoshi

additional Traditional Kamae

Ryusui
Waki
Daijodan


Happo Giri - 8 directions cut


Hi Ryu No Ken - Flying Dragon Sword

Kasumi No Ken - Mist Sword

Muso Ken no Kame UraName - No Thought Sword In Waves


Da To no Ken - Striking and Felling

Issen Ken - One Flash Sword

Itto Giri - One Sword Cut


Kiri Kaeshi - Cut Destruction

Rai Ko No Ken - Thunder Light Sword

Itto Nage - Sword Throwing

Ninja To
Shinobi Gatana
Ninja Sword

A Katana handle with a Wakizashi blade

This is the most simplified explanation of this unique weapon

And also inaccurate as the Weapon has a 22 SUN blade
- a length between that of the Katana and Wakizashi, the Daito and Shoto, the Tacho and Kodachi
- a weapon unique to the NINJA of IGA and KOGA



The thread on Togakure Ninjutu includes all Ninja Biken information

shirotoratiger.proboards.com/thread/1530/togakure-ryu-ninjutsu


NINPO BIKEN - The Secret Sword of the NINJA

 

NUNCHAKU

kihon drills
Kumi application against BO

Look at nunchaku versions

foam/cord "sparring"
foam/chain Kihon
Wood/chain Kata
Wood Chain Bunkai-Ojo application
Rattan - faster, lighter, called Tayok in FMA


SWORD v SWORD

inc NINJATO for shorter range, closer applications

circling and closing
angle cuts
block and cut
SEN initiative
stepping and angles


ITTO NAGE throwing sword from Stage 5, get up and Shuriken


SHURIKEN

Concepts and application
Two throwing positions and methods
Partner practice


METSUBUSHI concepts

Bo is part of JapKob, Japanese Kobudo, including a scroll in the Kukishinden

- it also contains the foundations for the later study of Yari, Naginata, Bisento

- it is primary weapon in Ok Kob, Okinawan Ryukyu Kobudo, along with Tonfa, Kama, Sai and Nuncha

Progressive Sparring drills

 

Progressive Sparring drills

Lead Jab
Lead hand
Lead hand and kick

Left forward we are in Boxing stance and method

Right forward we are in Fencing stance and method - this links to the Single Stick


Lead Jab Sparring is FOIL Fencing and EPEE

Lead Hand in Boxing Phase adds hook and uppercut and also adds the backfist, and the haito becomes possible - this is SABRE in Fencing

Lead kick - Savate Kicks become Kick Fencing as much as Kick Boxing

- the sideways SC stance is natural when the rear weapons are not being used

- Chasse, fouette and revers are Jab, Hook and Uppercut

- leg, body and head - bas, median, figure

- in Boxing Full Contact Stance the front kick mygeri Chas Frontal becomes natural - snap and thrust keage and kekome versions
- then the crescent kicks inside and out cover the hook and backfist lines


This will be dissected, examined, practised and progressed over the Season

STMA Summer Camp 2024

May last year we posted about Summer Mon circle training


shirotoratiger.proboards.com/thread/1903/mon-1-class-thu-grass


Trained in the Circle as the sun went down, some cloud cover above meant the usual sunset over the trees

Moved to big field under a huge full moon, minimal clouds, and moonlight right across the grass

Sunset Warriors

Moonlight Shadow Warriors

This was the best start to the Summer Season, and sets the precedent for the weeks to come, if it's a moonlit night move to the big field for the second half once the sun has gone down

Walk back on the moonlit path - GETSUMI NO MICHI


Joker got some great pics which he posted to the Group, the sunset, the moon, and a pic of Venus


ONSHINJUTSU Concepts covered, and Togakure NINJA movement, based on the Sword Gata

As with everything at STMA we evolve a lot of our practice organically as we go along, year by year

A decade ago, Summer Camp was a big event, a separate session disconnected from CLASS regular practice and progression

The first CAMP in 2009 was an outdoor Circle, the first of the Grass days that the new members got to try

2010 was at an indoor venue we acquired for the day, and we followed this with the Halloween Camp being indoors - these would be the only time we arranged indoors Camps, every Camp from then on would be outdoors, and we started to look more into KORYO and the use of the environments

Regular GRASS days over the next few subsequent years, at one point being almost one every month, evolved the Outdoor practice


In 2015 we called it the "Longest Camp Ever" as all training from May to October was Outdoors, twice a week, while we were between DOJO halls


Then came the most recent phase, starting in 2020 during the "virus", where we did more Outdoor than Indoor, and then found a balance between the two, one of each a week in the Summer of 2021 - a lot of the material we kept as "Grass" training, a lot of the Koryo from the old Ryuha, has now become common practice, and has crossed back to the Hall Class, a natural evolution


Recently we have not made CAMP a standout event, rather made it part of the flow of the Season so CAMP is held over a few Grass sessions, and will continue this Summer, just more refined from experience

Usual Camp info, as at website

www.shirotora.co.uk/stma-camp


Caterham Outdoor venue

Kempo Jujutsu
Newaza Ground series, grappling on grass, the original environment
Aiki Jutsu projections


Koryu and Ninjutsu systems:

Koto Ryu
Gyokko Ryu
Shinden Fudo Ryu
Kukkishinden Ryu
Takagi Yoshin Ryu

Togakure Ryu
- the use of Shuriken, Metsubushi, and Shuko in application of the Gata from the Densho
- Ninpo Biken, the Ninja To against the Samurai Katana

Komogakure Ryu
- the Ninja armour concepts and application

Gyokushin Ryu
- the sutemi and the use of short blades in close range on the ground - Knife Grappling

Gikan Ryu
- the unique Koppo Jutsu striking in application and the Mutodori



Unarmed Systems:

Kempo Form 5 – Striking Self Defence sets with Takedowns and finishes
Kempo Form 6 – Weapons defences – Stick and club, knife, gun
Aiki Jutsu – immobilisations and projections
Ninpo Taijutsu – sets from the different Ryuha, and Mutodori Sword Defence
Jiu Jitsu – Shoot and Clinch standing series, then Newaza Ground Fighting


Weapons to be covered:

Knife – both single and double
Kali sticks – single and double
Largo stick
Hanbo of the Kukkishin Ryu
Okinawan Bo staff and Tonfa
Japanese Bokken sword and Jo staff

We will reference the Kata for Okinawan Kama and Sai

We will reference the Kata for Japanese kusari, kusariKama, shoge - blade, cord, chain, sickle weapons


This Camp is open to all current members of STMA – we will also be inviting former members from the Caterham, Shirley and Sanderstead Dojos

Everyone will be welcome and everyone will have the chance to train in both old and new techniques and drill, with both old and new friends


As always our 3 objectives are the same:

Get a good workout
Learn something
Have fun!

 

As with recent years we are not focussing on one day as being The Camp day

Nor are we doing what we did in 2015 as the "longest camp ever" where we had no Dojo Hall Class and trained twice a week outdoors for several months

This again was contrasted with 2020 and the "virus" generating a lot of daytime training and then evening sessions with no Hall and everyone off work

(apart from Ice and Rogue who wanted us to go outside at 8pm and bang pans for them)


And of course the No Hall winter of 20/21 which generated an extended Winter Camp


We've gotten quite good at these over the years, better than most who try to incorporate outdoor training

And of course we acknowledge the Ryuha where ALL training was outdoors in the days before people built a dojo for training

And that battles were all fought outdoors - the original Arena



This Summer our CAMP will be again spread over several Grass evenings, and will include elements of the Moon, as referenced on earlier years - see below

We are planning Grass evenings around the Full Moon and the Supermoons, again see below, and this plan extends into the Hunters Moon of mid October

and maybe the Beaver Moon of mid November, though that would be well past Summer of course, though does tie in with the Halloween Camp of previous years, usually the last Outdoor evening of the year


So we list below what we publish each year for Camp, which is what we always print, and go from there

Post on Komorebi

shirotoratiger.proboards.com/thread/1927/komorebi


Blog:


whitetigermartialarts.blogspot.com/2023/08/komorebi.html


Sunset Warriors:

whitetigermartialarts.blogspot.com/2023/08/sunset-warriors.html



Moonlit path:

whitetigermartialarts.blogspot.com/2023/08/moonlit-path.html