Battlefield Strategies From Ancient Times Promise a Better Life Today
by chuck cory and max carr
enturies ago, the art of ninjutsu was born
C into a world enveloped in war. That one fact
makes it vastly different from styles like
aikido and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which were
founded during peacetime. Because of its violent
childhood, ninjutsu matured into a system that fo-
cused on fighting methods that worked on the bat-
tlefield, behind enemy lines and against multiple
attackers. The art grew to encompass principles
for psychological self-defense that enabled its ad-
herents to live out their lives on their own terms,
free from fear.
Those same principles are now used by military
personnel around the world-even though they
probably don't know where the teachings came
from. Because we all face adversity-granted,
it may not be as severe as that experienced by
a black-clad warrior 500 years ago or an Army
Ranger today-ninja wisdom is just as valuable in
the 21st century as it ever was.
YOU CANNOT CONTROL YOUR
ENVIRONMENT.!. BUT YOU CAN
CONTROL YOUKSELF.
At the foundation of ninjutsu lies the basic under-
standing that you have little to no control over your
attackers. Whether they're physical, psychological
or emotional sources of stress, to waste time fret-
ting, panicking or denying the truth of the circum-
stances is to invite frustration. Or failure.
The inhabitants of the ninja villages in Japan's
Iga province were attacked almost daily. Instead
of wallowing in their misery, they prepped them-
selves to function in fearful or stressful environ-
ments. Accounts abound of training sessions in
which students ran through dark forests while
their partners waited for an opportunity to effect
a surprise attack. By mastering their breathing,
their senses and their awareness, they were able
to function. What's more, they' learned how to re-
main relaxed under stress.
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