Are you looking for training in authentic Japanese ninja training? Do you want to find a legitimate teacher with whom you can learn Ninjutsu?
This article looks at what to do if you can’t find ninjutsu training where you live. After reading every word of this lesson, you’ll be better prepared to find what you’re looking for and be able to take the necessary steps to take your training to the next level.
One of the most common questions I get from students contacting me from all over the world is, “Is there a school or training group in my area?” However, “I don’t have any Ninjutsu masters or dojos near me, what can I do?”
Trust me, I know how frustrating it can be to want to study this art, but not be able to find a legitimate teacher nearby. When I started training in the ninja martial arts, it was in 1980, and I could count on 3 fingers how many teachers were available throughout the United States!
To make matters worse, I was graduating from high school and going into the army!
Even today, with the art being so well known, it is still very difficult for many to find this training within a comfortable distance from home. Unlike Tae Kwon Do, and many of the more conventional martial arts, there is not a Ninjutsu dojo or training group in virtually every city.
When I started training in the art, I had 2 options…
Move to Dayton, Ohio, or Atlanta, Georgia, or…
Travel for seminars and special training events.
And, like I said, since I was entering the military, moving was not an option.
Nowadays, it’s a little easier to find training than that. And, for those who have a Ninjutsu club, dojo, or master near where they live, consider yourself very lucky!
But what if you can’t get to where I am, or near another training group? There are still several options available to obtain this training, including:
1) Travel to see a teacher for private lessons. Although undoubtedly the most expensive option, this allows you to get the training on your schedule. But, if you have the means and the financial capacity, this may be the best option for you.
2) Trips for seminars or Ninja Camps. Many groups, like my own dojo, host many training events throughout the year for students who want or need to travel for special training. Of course, seminar training also allows the student who is already training to get more specialized lessons, as well as train with other instructors to gain a broader perspective of the art.
3) Home study programs and materials. While it is extremely difficult to learn ninjutsu through books and videos, this may be the best option for the student with limited funds and no means to travel for training elsewhere. Of course, it is possible to learn many of the physical techniques through these means, but this form of training is lacking in 2 very important areas: student responsibility (no one to make sure you are actually training and practicing) and direct feedback. of a teacher
4) Online ninjutsu training programs. With advances in Internet technology, there is now a way to get the missing pieces of the typical “home study program.” Select instructors now have actual online ninja training programs that combine the use of books, videos, and audio lessons, with webinars (web-based seminars), video-based skill reviews, and teleconferences, to give you the information and training you need. need. Some, like my distance learning program, also include lessons on setting up and managing your own training group and how to teach the new students and training partners you gain.
My suggestion is that you should mix and match several of these training methods, depending on what you can afford in terms of time, money, and programming. Doing so will fill in the gaps that each of us inherently has. So where traveling to attend seminars and camps will give you a lot of material to work on over time, an online ninja training course will give you access to a teacher on a regular basis, usually weekly, to get the feedback you need. you need to stay on track. .
No matter how limited your time and finances are, there are very few who can’t do something to get the training they need. Remember, warriors are people of action and decision making. Where others make excuses and find reasons “why not…”
The true Ninja overcomes each and every obstacle and asks the question, “How can I do this?”