Cae ci No longer spies and terrorists, Can Ninjitsu Soe er eReileesa Re event Make You eon ere eee = (Ce eee a th Ultiim: 1 pooner uy cere e (oh C2) ater ay ek 5 PY Se nc eda Stee Meta ates a tocar nee eee ae ener ee integrated fighting machines. ~B Eee Cec ure aaa fortesTrolegend othe ninjaisone inundated by mystery and shaces of the supermatural, In feudal Japan, where the ninja prospered, he was regarded wilh amixure of fear, hate awe ‘and superetion. His identity concealed be- hind black garb tat revealed only cold, git- tering eyes, the ninja carted an arsenal of exotic weapons and oos. And his acversa- les could expect nothing butthe unexpected. ‘The prowess o the ninja led Japanese commoners to belave Ne could make hin- sel imvisibie, scale walls ike a lizard, swim Underwater lice fish and conceal himsetfin impossibly small spaces. Master spy, assac- sin and fighter, the ninja cared a unique niche in the realm ofthe martal arts So wall preserved was this vell of secrecy, maintained by clan structure to produce generations of ninja, that even historians Donn Draeger and Robert Smit asserted in their 1969 reference work, Asian Fighting ‘Arts, that "no ninja exists today" Wronal ecenty, a ood o information nae proved thal the ration is indeed alive and flourish ing in Japan. Nina, though no longer spies and terrors, ae stil tamed in a bafling array of survval skis and fignting techni. ‘ques. Not 100 surprisingly, there are now Americans among ther number.And.2s they ia wit karate, ey are transplanting this Easter an on Western sol In the heart of the San Femando Valley, rmiddieciass suburban community adjacent to Los Angeles, a small snopping center houses a dojo bearing the words "DuxNNinj- su" Here, the centuries-old tadion of the ninja is evalable tothe American public. The ‘owner instructor, Frank Dux, an American ninjisu expert who eazned his credentials in Japan. Heiscnecttnenewestninjatoopena ‘schoo! in the US. ‘Dux unusual careerhas taken him rom the ‘San Fernando Valley o the jungles of South feast Asia and back. in ful circle. He got his first taste of the marial ads by studying in Mutsuattheage of thineen Later, after years Of training in rinjtsu, he plied his skis in combat curing thee years of senice in the US. Marine Corps as anintaligonce speci Ist Dux was one of the mast decorated marines 10 come outo Southeast Asa, earr- ing tne Purple Hear, Silver Star, Bronze Star, ‘and Disinguishes Service Cross—ewards gained during clandestine operations in Vietnam, In 1975, Duxusodnis knowledge, whichty thistime inctuded raining intae kwon doand hwaranado, to tutor fellow marines in special tactics. In 1977, he served in he same cape: city for the Korean goverment, this. time teaching the Royal Korean Marine Corps Dux later worked as an antrierarst consut tanto Nicaragua, ‘According to Dux his involvement nin Jiu began when he entered his lst marial arts tourament at age thirteen anc! “got his ass kicked” "My juts just work for me," he re- calls rvetuly. "I mean, | came in last, But | never cried or complained. | just wert up there knowing |was going to lose andtakea 'otot abuse. uttne man who would become iy teacher Nappened to be watching from the stands, He gave me a note saying that itt really wanted 10 lear to defend mysel, 0 {come to him like an empty cup! Back then, Dux scarcely knew what 10 ‘make of those nondescript words. Outot cur Tosiy, he decided to study with the man, ‘Senzo Tanaka, le had a smal garage where he taught” says Dux." was soon working out wit three Japanese, and they were slighty itated at first that | was not one of their race. fears later | learned the reason why Tare ‘aka liked me. One, | didnt complain, and | Nad ove and determination, Butt was also because | reminded him ot his son, who had bbeen kiled in the bombing of Nagasaki. So he took me in, He had brought the syle rom ‘Japan and when he died, |inhanted te tile from him because he hac no other elatves. He wanted that way, and the clans back in ‘Japan not only approved a it but were lad, Sol nave formed ine fist school ofninjtsu in the United States” ‘Thus, chance,andthe slow merging of East ‘and West in modem times, helped make Possible the entrance ofa typical American youth into the mysterious word of the ninja. In discussing the nina tration in Japan, Dux cites two major branches, ne calling its 2a ninjutsy, and the other, his type, nits ‘Are the ferences between thetwo branches, semantic or real? Both says Dux. The two ‘main branches were formed centuries ago ‘when geographical boundaries caused nin- jatofighton opposing sides in acivlwar, pay allegiance to difering religious ‘radios, ‘and finally develop their ers along slighty Ciferent tines, The words niniuisu anc rin. su mean the same thing~skil, according "0 Dux But the two branches eluse to be Classified together, although both share the name “You dont lump a Shotokan practitioner together with someone from tae kwon do, says Dug"andyoucant lump niniteutogeth cer wth ninjutsu, Although philosophy techniques, anc at tudes cifer between the two branches, a basis in ommonhistory exists. Much of what separates and defines theninjatradtion asa ‘whole can be gleaned trom is historcal evo tution in Japan it goes ack 2000 years ago” explains Dux "io the book The Art of War by the Chine {ese warior Sun Tzu, writen about 500 10.300 ‘BCC. The principles were Brought Japan in the person of the Prince Regent Shotoku in '599 AD. He introduced itta Japan as an ar. although ithad no name atthe time, “The prince employed spies to settle chil isputes in his realm. They were cecrety dis patched to determine the ith in the cil ceases before him, so he could make a judg- ment accorainly “When te prince died a power vacuum ‘existedinthe government Two factionsciash- {2d in a struggle for supremacy, concurrent wih the establishment cf a formal religion, ne side favored Shinto, the other Bud- ism Among the Buddhists wasthe group thal would eventually become Dux lineage, the Koga Yamabushi, who also helped tO develop the mental stages of ninja walnng. Frank Dur, founder of the Dux Nin ‘school, displays en enciont crossbow, an ‘Sremely lethal weapon ‘The nex period of history wasthe so-called “golden age o! ninitsu" rom 1192-1333 AD. vwhien some twent}fve different schools erm le1ged. The a evolved primary inne lgaand Koge provinces of Japan. In the laa, the O! and the Hatori clans ruled niniutsu, while in the Koga, some fity families practiced ninj- su. The families remained anonymous, ang do s0 today, ‘During the fourteenth centuy, cil war broke out, and the two main branches oho att were divided by locale and allegiance Both sides inthe war useda spy network The Koga aligned with the Nort, the iga with the South In Iga. the White Phoenix Caste sye- tem arose, which took in youngsters and trained them fora ie es @ ninja ‘Although the ninja gained a reputation as assassins forhire, nis was not generally 1, Dux clans, “Within the Iga tadtion, a member of the Halon clan became a shogun and retained his power by hiring out his army. But in the Koga, the ninja were never avalable for hire. In fact, they retained the Buddhist outook tha to hire oneselt out would be to demean oneselt” Dux continues to explain some of the es sential differences between the Koga and Iga waattions. in the Koga Yamabushi” he says, ‘we stress individual ought, which was not per mitted in ancien! Japan. Because of this, he |galinereterredto us asronin, meaning mas- teriess samurai’ but again, this was not rue, While the motivation of he 1g line sto pee serve tration, in the Koga Yamabushi i is ‘one of search: This is more lke the atttude here inthe West, which Is one reason wy | fee! ninisu can become popular in the Un ted States, aNinjitsu: Past & Present Sun Tzu by Sun Wu “There are some hereditary strokes of (600-300 B.C) ‘character by which a family may be as Cleary aistinguisned as by the Diackest feature ofthe human face” Junius, English policed witer Prince Regent Shotoku (693-622 AD) Yamabushi En-no-Goyoja (Shugendo) Helke Clan (794-1185) Genii Clan Kurama-Hachhyu ‘School Yoshitsune-ryu ‘School 7 i Kamakura Period: “Golden Age of Ninjtsu’ | (1192-1333) ' ' [rneaneece meena at er aeaeee sc ! Iga System Koga System i Founded Founded | Momochi, Oe & Hattori Clans (60 Families) i ' i ' ' : i Muromachi Period: 1 1 ! (1390-1600) i ! ' { ' | ! Kusunoki-ryu 1 1 | ‘School ---- ' (1300-1600) ' ' Yagyu Schoo! ' (1600s- | ea RSE Pe Togakure-ryu Schoo! Tanaka Clan (84 Generations) (40 Generations) I ne a Yoshiaka Hattsu! Frank Dux (Iga System) (Koga-Yamabushi System)Integral par ofthe beeie toohniquos of rinjtsu. At top, Dux works out wih @ nunehaku. In our approach, we ty to become inte: trated individuals in society, regardless of ‘where thatis. This i where we cif rom me tragtional outlook. The Koga tes to elim rate the nonessential; the techniques con- stanty change and evolve. The Iga, conver saly, tends 10 preserve the past "The ga approach is an element system wer the ninja becomes arackorfire where: fas tne Koga Is more like an animal systor, Constanty fluid and constantly moving, \When the samurai unsheathed his sword,the finja would pull out a gun he had bought from a Portuguese trader and shoot him, plain and simple. We believe in accomplish- Ing the abjecve and we don't care how we ‘96 there. The samurai ights as though he ‘Were ona ail.butwe areconstantiymoving in ‘ces... maybe due to the Chinese origins: ‘The Koga also an animal system. exolains Dux inthe way thatit interprets strenath. The tigorc'aw is used fora special way fstrking, pariculary in conjunction wih thesauka, the Clawike device atached to the hand. With it, the ninja would simply grab the sword blade ‘fom the hand othe samurai devastating the \wattior psychologically, ‘Dux describes other diferences between the two systems, “The ga teach by example, and students ae left 10 discover much on thelr own, while ‘we encourage questions and are constantly programming research he says. By way ol example, Dux describes now he is curtanty working onthe development ofa device to increase speed and power in kick ing /am working wit Dr. Allen Seine, one of the leading experts in sports medicine in the United States, We have a device that in- ‘teases kicking apeed by thity percent. But to appreciate it you nave o undersiand what ‘speed is anatomically, Once you see it ‘though, itis very simple” ‘The Koga tradition remains secret, at least In its upper ranks, Dux claims, while the oa line now teaches openly n Japan. Dux says that his tradition is actually legal in Japan, because ofits taining method and because ittefuses to answer fo any government. “hwas told by my teacher nat curing World Warl.when American aitbome roups crast- ed or parachuted info Japan they were otlen hidden by the Koga families” Dux relates. “The families belioved that the fyors were simply doing what they Nad to do, and that they did't ceserve to be executed fort” Personal responsibilty, as opposed to re- sponsibility to any goverment is a key 19 Understanaing te famiy ciscipline structure within the Koga Yarabushi tadtion. “It | have a student who goes out and bullies someone, then | am responsible” says Dux "Not the police or the State of Califia, Because taught him tis uptome to eneure that whomever he hurts is taken ‘cae of and that it never nappens again. This Is way we don't payattention to governments, United States or otherwise. Some other sys- tems teach ultimate patriotism; we never do. We know that governments can be just as ccomupt as individuals, and that blind alle Glance is no good at al” 'So how gid ths clan's system of fighting ‘and philosophy, which has remained secret ‘and even legal in Japan. emerge in an apparently open school in suburban Cal foma? “Tris s the frsttime in the history of ninjtsu thattnereisanapen school” says Dux“andi, is experimental | have to check with the ‘people | work with—the nity communty it {you want call itthat—ana they make sure {hal the ats being aught in the proper way. Theywanlittobeknown yetthey dontwantit tobe known, Thatis why itis called’ Dux Nin stsu wth my name appearing fst. If 1ose face, hey know who fo come and see" Dux explains that his school is both open ‘and closed, Beginners leam tne basic tecr- niques while working tiroughthelonerranks, ‘giving Dia chance to geto know the inc Vidal and evaluate him. the student grows, ‘wath the required discipline.ne moves toward higher ranks and inner levels of knowledge. Butifne lacks the proper discipine, he drits to the outer levol and remains there by his ‘own inertia. "AS you kan Duc explains, “we get 10 ‘know what type of human being you ar. If you are sincere and hard working, and you pass your tosis, then you advance to the Uupoper ranks, Once you are admit to te ‘advanced class, the doors arelocked andno ‘one else enters. There are special meetings in aiterent iccations: ‘Dux rank 1 shidoshi he says, and he ranks in ascending order ate: fst rank, Serr Se, master, shidoshi, and gitsusha. Gite susharoughly means "engineer" Duxiaugns about ihe ambiguous it, explaining that as, ‘a teacher the gijtsusha builds, nt destroys. ‘The basic techniques of ninjisu encorir pass a wide range of actities and weapons, ‘prop08 to the ina tradition. How ofall. ro, ‘Bunch, and kick—all the integral compory fenis of hanc-orhand combal—are taught fist Before ataining frst rank, the student must also master the nunchaku, single and ‘doubbe escrimas, tne hatchet and is mathos lof being thrown, knife fighting and throwing, and how to tow the shuren. Forsecond level the stucent mustbecome ambidextrous—able 10 Kick left and right punch left and right and fight against weapons. ‘Dux explains the long process involved in coblaining a black bet “In some shies you can geta black bettinayearand anal. Here ican take ve years he says "‘Youmustbein top physical cneition, be able to cover 100 miles in 48 hours. that sounds too demand: ing, remember that he indians in New Max {0 do tall tre te, *Qurracition embraces allthe martial arts” says Dux “because this is necessary for Understanding more. Knowedge 1s power, land by knowing more you have power over your enemy, Thats the secret of coring out alive, Our enemies dont have the foggiest ‘ation of what 10 expect rom us." ‘Theninjatradion of practicalty's simple: it works, use it ft doesnt, crop it. Dux uses the Chinese monkey sive as an example, "Wehave a sombance of ie monkeystyle ‘ha involes roling and sliding kicks and is used for fighting in mud. To teach this inthe United Slates where most fights occur on ‘asphalt would be ridiculous, 60 we change ‘ur emahasis, We lem if But ony to fightin ‘mud Wellear to fightin diferentterains. We have techniques that teach you how toclim, to fightin water, to fight lingary as if you're trapped ina hallway, 10 ight In open or restrained spaces. “We find a better way and adopt it If they came out wih a laser gun tomorrow, we ‘would useit inthis system, you goal heway to frearms. You are a toaly integrated fight ing machine. Thats all you are Gesigned to do, 10 be a fighting machine Pethaps Dix describes ine fexibilty and the practical aspects cfninjtsu bestwhen he ays that each person develops his own way Ooffighting within a system thatiseis aways changing “This makes ninjisu a new way of seit defense for the American people” Dux Claims, “as opposed to the more standard as of karate and kungu.As partof he Eas fem thought, these ats are motivated by rad tion. We are motivated by seltciscovery" Certainty the emphasis on individualism ssnould appeal to Americans, as Dux sug- gests, The rinj's willingness to innovate technically isalso in harmony withthe current spurt in technology so evident in American culture. And, as East and West do meet, valu able exchanges of knowledge are taking place. Adventurers ike Frank Dux will con- tinue To exoi0re the mysteries of such tach tions as ninsuinwhich knowledge is power 0