Am I Man Enough for Ninjutsu?

[Brian R. VanCise]

Congratulations!!!

 

[Flying Crane]

Hello all, I’ve revived this post to let you guys know I’ve lost 85lbs in last 3-4 months. I was hoping to make an attempt at the martial art again. There was a gentleman here that trained Bujinkan in Charlotte NC an I was hoping he may show up with information on that club as my attempts to reach them have failed. Thanks much!

Aaron

That is an impressive accomplishment, sir! Well done, and keep at it!

 

[Chris Parker]

Hello all, I’ve revived this post to let you guys know I’ve lost 85lbs in last 3-4 months. I was hoping to make an attempt at the martial art again. There was a gentleman here that trained Bujinkan in Charlotte NC an I was hoping he may show up with information on that club as my attempts to reach them have failed. Thanks much!

Aaron

Fantastic work!

With regards to the Bujinkan dojo... there appear to be a couple of Bujinkan dojo in Charlotte, NC... have you tried their facebook pages? The one that seems to be most recently updated, and is more likely to be responsive, is this one: Charlotte Bujinkan Dojo

Hopefully if you send them a message, you'll get an answer soon!

 

[now disabled]

Hello all, I’ve revived this post to let you guys know I’ve lost 85lbs in last 3-4 months. I was hoping to make an attempt at the martial art again. There was a gentleman here that trained Bujinkan in Charlotte NC an I was hoping he may show up with information on that club as my attempts to reach them have failed. Thanks much!

Aaron

Well done with the weight loss that is truly a feat in itself and you should be proud of that.

I cannot speak to anything connected to the Bunjinkan as it not my Art.

However you seem to have had a bit of a rough time for whatever reasons. You have to look after yourself as number one priority. Any MA has to come second everytime as it is not a necessity.

That said I am disabled now (hence the handle) and I did go back on the mat a few days ago now (ok it was because of a thread and something piqued my interest and I had to find out ) and yes it was tough (jeez even my hakama I had to get tied for me ) but as the other yudansha there were fully aware of how I was (condition wise) they adapted to that. I did try to breakfall and take ukemi but it was really impossible and I had to not only admit that to them but to myself as well ...the hardest part was admitting it to myself as at my rank, I should and used to be able to, well I used to, I had to say no I can't do that as I gotta be able to walk out of here (well limp lol) as I have the real world to live in and that requires I function at a certain level. I did manage to be nage with some limitations and I achieved what I set out to achieve (ok it shocked the crap outta a nidan as he wasn't expecting it lol) and it did feel good to be on the mat again, so if I can you can ok ramble finished about me ...
To apply that to yourself sir ... You are a fairly big guy so you are going to have to learn to break fall ( as @gpseymour said you have bigger mass so it gonna come down harder) and to take ukemi (you stated you wanted to be a good uke -side note I view break fall and ukemi not as the same thing some will argue that but that is something you don't need to get into, well not yet lol- ) now learning to breakfall may sound simple ie just watch and do it , well with your size and with the injuries issues you may have it imo has to be taken slowly and broken down into the various parts and if you can nail all the separate parts then put them together bit by bit when it finally comes to "doing one" it should be all there and come together, however take your time and do not rush it as it is important and just as much as learning the super cool flashy or any other techs as if you cannot protect yourself then you not gonna learn a heck of a lot as you be bashed up and recovering. Now Ukemi that can be easier and more difficult -yes a paradox I am aware of that- taking ukemi to me means receiving a tech and being able to do so in a way that the nage gets what he needs and you get what you need (ie not hurt) and that may involve a break fall it may not (again saying that will possibly get me jumped on but ignore that I can well take care of myself that way ) what I would do and not just in class is work on your flexibility not just basic but things like your wrists, knees, elbows, fingers etc as if you do when locks are applied there they will be easier to take for you and be less problematic for the nage as in he will not have to eventually take it so easy which in turn benefits everyone- well at least I think so- There are plenty vids on line you can source from all different arts that deal with that kind of thing (just don't think your gonna do the Shoalin bit for a while ) and watch them and take it slow also ask your instructor his opinion and his advice, that is what he there for, and work away slowly and diligently at home and at the dojo, rome was not built in a day by any means and your priority (with the issues you have stated) is your own body it can't be replaced (ok bits can ) and it is that body you require not just for MA but to function in daily life and that sir has to be the number one. Now rolling (yes that can be part of a breakfal or used instead of one etc etc etc ) again break that down into it's parts and nail it bit by bit , a forward rol or a backward one may sound a piece of p**s but in MA it a bit different and well as you will find out in your journey can be used not only to save your own *** but to provide you with a means to recover fast to continue (ok and to get back in the "game") so break it down as it not like the rolls you learned at gym class in school (well not the gym classes I did anyway ) again look on line there are vids that will show you the ways and how to break it down, again ask your Instructor to break it down if you can't and if he can't then he shouldn't be teaching. Again get each part nailed and then put them together but when you do start off low to ground even down on one knee. Don't rush it do do proper rolls is not just as easy as one may think, a side note if your doing them at home then just watch where you are doing them, oh and the breakfalls to as doing them at first ain't a good idea on hard surfaces or ones with stones (oh you will hear many a tale of the guys doing them on the hard surfaces and with pebbles around and grit but ignore that as at the start you roll on a pebble trust me it bloody hurts or you slam your hand on the hard ground and you be saying ouch ) so be aware (not being nasty) and lastly ignore the feather falls and the high breakfalls on the vids they come way down the line and if you are tempted don't be as you might break your neck and the ace first ones just don't. General fitness well start walking etc you already lost that weight which is a feat on it's own so start slow and build it up and lastly eat right as doing any MA (ok not all) will burn up extra calories and you need to put the right fuel in to get the body to have the reserves to put out.

Sorry for the rant and ramble but do not give up sir just take it slow and you will get on the path you want.

Just a thought to close there are other arts that are not so demanding as the Bunjinkan is (from what I have seen) so if it does not suit or you cannot find a good school ( I mean one that will cater for your start up needs as where you were with so few students it might be a bit more of a challenge again that depends on he instructor and the atmosphere of the dojo and other students ethos ) then do not give up there are plenty other arts that involve grappling,striking, sword etc.

best of luck on your path and you are on that path now so stick with it and I hope MA is as rewarding to you as it has been for me

 

[Ryan_]

Wasn't on the site at the time of OP but I'll answer for future readers regardless, also I am currently practicing bujinkan ninjutsu.

You should NOT receive injuries like that during training - There may be an odd case here and there but absolutely nothing out of the ordinary.

Especially with your first lessons, locks in our dojo are shown a couple times, then practiced in pairs with the students. We go gentle, and just hard enough to knock people down at the start. It speeds up a little after that but NEVER to the point where you are causing injuries to others.

There was a new student at my dojo recently, he felt some pain during joint locks, but not to a point where he would have injuries and was happy enough to be coming back.

 

[JB28205]

I want to follow-up and maybe end-cap? this post by saying that Aaron (Sorry if I have your name wrong) contacted me directly about training with our group again. I find it unusual that someone that received so much damage from 2 very basic classes is interested in coming back to the same venue. Aaron, there are many, many martial arts schools in Charlotte. There are 2 jiujitsu schools less than 1 mile from my own house as well as a krav-maga school and an mma gym. If you truly believe that you received the list of injuries you claimed, from a particular bujinkan dojo, it would be foolish to go back. One of the jiujitsu schools and the mma gym have fitness classes specifically geared towards getting people in shape for their particular martial art as well.

The dojo Aaron came to is very low key. Other bujinkan students come to study with us occasionally and they seem more physical and intense. I always wonder if we train too softly, but we do it for safety. There are never more than 5 students in class, in a venue that is a 2 car garage. Our shidoshi is a teacher that is officially recognized by Hatsumi sensei and the bujinkan dojo. He has a good relationship with many of the higher ranked members of the bujinkan. As far as I know, no one else has ever been injured in our classes.

The OP, Aaron, sat around for 30-45 minutes after his 2nd class, talking to the other students and seemed genuinely interested. Keep that interest, Aaron, and find a school or program that makes you happy. Train and learn and keep yourself healthy. It's obviously not with us, and that's okay.

As good people, we want to support a victim. We have read a story and assumed its veracity.

 

[dvcochran]

This is Bujinkan Ninjutsu in Charlotte NC. Yes this is drills only and no sparing, just instructional. I know my fitness level caused most of my discomfort but are overweight individuals frowned upon in MA because they lack the ability to be a good uke? Im not sure if I should just get some DVD's to watch and practice at home until I can lose some weight. I like the part of having people to go work with and feel a part of something. Being at home by myself will be much harder to stick with and be successful.

Very much agree. It is difficult for the majority of "average" weight people to workout regularly, whether it is because of their schedule of just a lack of want-to. Working out alone, especially when just starting out is tough and tougher to stay motivated. Not sure why but you seem set on Ninjutsu even though it is quite a distance away. I never discourage an overweight person from working out and I am mindful to monitor them more closely, at least early on, to make sure they are doing ok. I suggest you talk to the instructor and hear his explanation and expectations. It sounds like you really got messed up from only two classes so it doesn't sound like the right place for you.

 

[Hakkan Mordrake]

There's no age limit for training in espionage.

 

[Ivan]

but are overweight individuals frowned upon in MA because they lack the ability to be a good uke? .

I feel as if overweight ukes are much more useful for demonstrating techniques. When I do open up a school of my own, I would certainly prefer overweight or hyper muscular ukes; it's all fine and dandy to demonstrate techniques on people shorter and lighter than you, but how would you demonstrate how your technique matches up against opponents heavier, stronger and taller than you?

 

[jobo]

I feel as if overweight ukes are much more useful for demonstrating techniques. When I do open up a school of my own, I would certainly prefer overweight or hyper muscular ukes; it's all fine and dandy to demonstrate techniques on people shorter and lighter than you, but how would you demonstrate how your technique matches up against opponents heavier, stronger and taller than you?

a few points,

before you demonstrate, they do work on such, you need to be confinent they actually do work on bigger stronger people and using students isnt the best way to know that they are actually fully resisting, there a confamation bias that they want to know it works, so they help a little or a lot .

second, it may work for you, but not others, technques can be regarded as force multipliers, what you get out is heavily dependent on what you can put in, your young, very fit and strong , its very difficult to replicate, someone less so and still say the technique works

and third you dont want to be using the overweight as a crash test dummy, whilst there are some remarkably fit fat people, they make up a small % just pulling them against their 300lb body weight may well injure them, its not just you that need to be capable of moving their weight, they have to be capable of resisting their own weight being moved with out injury

which is i suspect the problem, that the long departed op was having

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I feel as if overweight ukes are much more useful for demonstrating techniques. When I do open up a school of my own, I would certainly prefer overweight or hyper muscular ukes; it's all fine and dandy to demonstrate techniques on people shorter and lighter than you, but how would you demonstrate how your technique matches up against opponents heavier, stronger and taller than you?

It's good to be able to demonstrate on different folks. I shy away from using overweight folks too much for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the falls are typically harder on them. Secondly, if they are significantly overweight, techniques may require some adjustment. I want to teach the most general form of the technique first, then teach how to vary it. Also, it's harder to slow things down and show specific points when the uke isn't able to hold a mid-point position (or I'm unable to support their weight to show the position). All of this can be true with heavily muscled people, as well. I had a training partner who was a bodybuilder, and his flexibility was crap, as was his ability to hold a position (due to flexibility). Of course, he was pretty dense, so harder to support while stopping than someone else his height.