Ninja and Samurai Martial Arts Dojo

Posts Tagged ‘martial arts’

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Martial arts awareness skills thwart possible robbery.

Our martial arts dojo is in one of the safest communities in San Diego County. Still anything can happen anywhere. A few nights ago I was in late to do some paperwork. I went to check the mail and noticed a hooded figure moving about the closed stores in the center we are located in. Having been a marine, I know a thing or two about guard duty and this person was not window shopping and my instincts went up. He noticed me coming out of the dojo and seemed to be taken aback that I was there (I had just arrived and entered through the back entrance). It seemed to me he had already checked the dojo and was confident no one was there (it is pretty open and he was right, when he looked in).

I had thought initially he was casing the plaza and he moved quickly to intercept me as I passed by another store in the center that was still open (I usually wave hello to the person running the store as I walk to the mail box). He made a brief mostly unintelligible comment and as I gathered my mail, I watched him watching me. I returned to my Poway dojo without incident but watched the man from the store front to see if he got into a car and I would gather its license plate number.
About that time the other store owner ran to the dojo door and attempted to open the door and then knocked quickly before running back towards his own store. I quickly left the dojo in pursuit to find out what was happening and how I could help. That was when I found there was a second person already in his store.

My arrival to the store caused the first hooded man to return to the store front quickly (I will not give out too many details here of what happened) but it was apparent my arrival caught the men off guard and the first man was not really casing the place but acting as a lookout (hence roaming more like sentry which caught my eye). Standing between the men and the store owner I remained calm and watched the men preparing for how I would respond to whichever man made the first move or drew a weapon.

At this point the man with the hood looked at me and said “Batman huh?”(I was still wearing a sweatshirt with the batman symbol on it from when I was playing with my kids earlier in the day.) I understood his indirect question, Are you going to play hero? I nodded and replied “Batman!” Already uncomfortable I was there and knowing I had come from the martial arts school, he was already uncomfortable, with my answer he simply called to his friend “C’mon, let’s just go! Let’s just go!” The other man then exited the store and they left. I watched them as they departed and alerted the authorities.

Being aware of your surroundings and paying attention to the details are important not just in the dojo with a kata or technique but how those skills translate into real life. I wasn’t looking for a fight and neither were they; they were looking for an easy robbery. If I had been confrontational or pushed anything could have happened. I simply stood and spoke to the owner quietly while watching the men. I used the philosophy of Sun Tzu, loosely translated here, to achieve a victory without causing anyone to be defeated. Everyone went home safe that night. The art of fighting without fighting the heart of true martial arts!

See you in the dojo!
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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This Saturday February 27th starts “Bring a Friend to Class” day for the dojo. For one week, students can bring a friend to Qi Gong, Little Ninjas, Kids class, Adults class or Sword Class. The event starts Saturday February 27th and runs through Thursday March 4th.

Your friend can come to class and train with you for free that day. Please tell your friends and direct them to this blog post to learn more. You can bring more than one friend and you do not need to RSVP in advance, just bring them along!

Poway Samurai Martial Arts isn’t just a dojo, or training center, it’s an opportunity to see, hear, and experience training techniques that have been passed down for hundreds of years, learning the same movements as Ninja and Samurai of old. We’re not just a karate school, but San Diego’s finest school teaching “martial arts with meaning”.

Qi Gong is a series of exercises that integrates meditation, slow physical movements, and breathing, for improving the Qi (life energy) in your body. Numerous physical, and mental benefits can be achieved and aliments can be alleviated or eliminated, by practicing Qi Gong.

See you in the dojo!

Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)
Poway Samurai Martial Arts

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I’m excited to be speaking at the Mira Mar Rotary club this Thursday about how to reach At Risk Youths. Every year the number of kids who become “at risk” for getting involved in gangs increases. Especially in these tough economic times, parents are working as much as possible and unfortunately away from home for longer periods of time than ever before. Many parents cannot afford after school programs for their kids and some kids who do attend them, are not getting the attention and mental stimulation they need to stay out of trouble.

A traditional martial arts program can help kids of all ages stay out of risk and out of trouble. One of the main reasons it works is due to the focus on self-improvement. This leads to higher self-esteem and when you feel good about yourself, you are not looking for ways to act out for negative attention. Martial arts classes motivate kids to work hard and improve themselves, day by day. An ethical instructor provides a strong role model so the children learn important life lessons. When kids don’t have a role model to learn from, they try to learn right from wrong from their peers which doesn’t work. This can lead to gang situations and lots of trouble for society.

In a good traditional martial arts program like the one we teach at Poway Samurai Martial Arts, everyone participates and supports each other. Unlike many sports activities, there are no teams. Everyone learns together and excels together but each in their own way. Kids can even help each other learn as the older ones can become role models for the younger ones. All the students learn positive life skills and values to help them succeed in whatever they choose to do in life.

I will be emphasizing this information to the Mira Mar Rotary club tomorrow because it really is a simple matter of “Pay Now” by sponsoring kids to take martial arts classes and save them while there is still time or “Pay A Lot More Later” as their actions cause society to suffer with crime and violence. If you have a group interested in learning more about how to support “At Risk Youth Programs” or, if you know of an organization ready to provide a sponsorship for kids now, please contact me at #858-486-0059.

Thank you!
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)

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Donate for the San Diego Food Bank

Poway Samurai Martial Arts has teamed up with KOHunger.com, a national coalition of martial arts schools who are committed to help end hunger in their own communities. Residents of Poway and San Diego are encouraged to donate a can of food to receive one free week of martial arts training.

Being of service to others is a key part of the training at Poway Samurai Martial Arts. Participating in the KOHunger program fits in well with our philosophy and is why we decided to help and offer the free week for a good cause.

The offer of one free week of martial arts classes is available until Dec. 18. All proceeds will be donated to the San Diego food bank (sandiegofoodbank.org). Those who make donations can redeem their free week of classes for any program, any time before January 15, 2010.

Residents can train in unarmed and sword martial arts as well as Qi Gong classes for health and wellness. Poway Samurai Martial Arts trains in the classical unarmed and weapons training of the samurai, which includes the traditional virtues that can help strengthen all areas of a person’s life and the philosophies of service to others.

For more information or to make a donation of dry and canned food items, you can call #858-486-0059 or stop by Poway Samurai Martial Arts at 13160 Poway Road (in the Library Plaza).

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Our New Location at 13160 Poway Rd.

We’re so excited to announce our new location at 13160 Poway Road in the Library Plaza. We’re already getting to know our new neighbors very well. In celebration of our new venue we are holding a “Grand Re-Opening / 2 Year Anniversary” event on Saturday, November 21st from 1 – 4pm.

If you’ve ever been considering martial arts classes you owe it to yourself to attend our free event for your chance to win prizes and giveaways! We’ll have wonderful Oriental and Green Tea provided by Blisssville.com throughout the day as well as demonstrations and personal safety tools from the classes we offer.

Those in attendance will have the first opportunity to purchase gift certificates at reduced rates, as part of our “Best Holiday Gift Ever” promotion!! Just in time for the holidays and New Year’s resolutions, Martial Arts classes make a GREAT GIFT!! Just $49.00 for 3 months of the Adults Basic Program (regularly $300!)*. Kids class (ages 5 – 16) and Qi Gong certificates will be offered at 1/2 price or 2 for 1 when you buy 3 months.**

Here’s the schedule of events:

1:00 pm Doors open
1:30 pm Giveaway
2:00 pm Tools for Personal Safety Demonstration
2:30 pm Giveaway
3:00 pm Qi Gong Demonstration
3:30 pm Samurai Sword / Kobudo Demonstration
4:00 pm Giveaway – 3 Months of FREE Training in the Adults Basic Program*! A $300 Value!

Why The Samurai School? Our classes teach Leadership, Teamwork, Discipline, Fitness and Focus to Adults and Kids. We also offer Qi Gong classes for health, vitality and stress reduction. Get fit and be healthy without the repetition of a gym and gain some practical real self-defense tools and skills. Learn more online at: www.theSamuraiSchool.com and see why “The Difference is in the Tradition!”

We look forward to seeing you there!
Tony Whetstine (The Bushido Guy)

*Equipment costs are not included. Must be redeemed by January 15, 2010.
**While supplies last. Best Holiday Gift Ever promotion ends December 18, 2009. Certificates must be redeemed by January 15, 2010. Call for details on reduced rates for Little Ninjas classes (ages 3 – 5), now forming.

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Southern California Martial Arts Convention

Last year I was fortunate enough to participate in the first Southern California Martial Arts Convention in San Diego, CA and it was a great event.

I will be doing so again this year. This is a fantastic event not just for exposure to different styles of martial arts and related items, but in the ability to share similar and different thought processes about martial arts.

From tournament martial arts to MMA to traditional styles there is the ability to meet many wonderful people and just have a great time. I hope to see lots of my new friends from last year again and make many more new friends at this years event! To learn more about this years event, taking place again at the Del Mar Fairgrounds on November 7 – 8, 2009 visit scmaconvention.com.

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Professional Martial Arts Instructor Anthony Whetstine of Poway Samurai Martial Arts, has used his years of study and research in the samurai martial arts and the code of Bushido, (The Way of the Warrior), to create a series of lectures that capture the “Virtues” of the code of Bushido. In these lectures, Mr. Whetstine will provide a historical look back, and a modern view, to see how the lessons of some of the most renown and enigmatic warriors of the past can offer a “code” for today that aids in rebuilding respectful disagreements, dialogue and encourages respect.

Bushido: Why the Code of the Samurai Matters Today
Our Most Popular Lecture looks at the origins of the Samurai and Bushido, examines the Seven Virtues as listed by Inazo Nitobe: Recitude, Courage, Benevolence, Respect, Honesty, Honour, and Loyalty and offers a look at them in a modern perspective. This lecture is aimed at moving Bushido back out of the dojo of Japanese martial arts schools and using them as seeds that can become the “soul” of the modern world just as it became the heart and soul of Japan.

Business and Bushido: How the Code of the Samurai Made Japan an Industrial Super Power
A must for any company that considers ethical business and responsible business practices as important as the quality of their product or service. This lecture examines how the code of Bushido gave not only a rebirth to a post-World War two Japan and built it into an economic super power but how those same virtues can help turn around a worldwide economic downturn. If your organization has an ethics department or has ethic requirements as part of its’ company handbook, then this lecture is a must!

Bushido and the Law: Restoring Ethics and Respect to the Field of Practicing Law
This lecture should be part of every law school in America. This in depth look at the code of the samurai and how it was used not only as a personal code of ethics that is nearly universally respected, but how it took common soldiers, mercenaries and warriors and turned them into a respected class of Japanese society that fought for, administered and most importantly served justice and the laws of ancient Japan and how these same virtues can help restore respect and ethics to the field of practicing law.

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The study of traditional (Koryu) Japanese Bujutsu has taken the back seat to the modern and commercialized styles of Jujutsu and Mixed Martial Arts. There are many excellent books written on the history of the Samurai and Ninja arts and even so, they are often confused or associated with modern (gendai) Karate, ground grappling, ring fighting and submission techniques. The roots of Samurai and Ninja arts are really very different.

A brief summary on the history of Japan and the martial arts is in order to understand why the Japanese martial arts have such a dominating presence and rich philosophy. For over four hundred years Japan existed as an island of competing provinces that fought constantly for many reasons, each employing their individual systems of combat. By the seventeenth century, this warring period came to a close and many of the warriors needed to seek out another career. Martial systems up to this point had been handed down from one master to the next. Their responsibility to the lineage was the preservation of it’s history, meticulously teaching and mastering the skills, and adding additions and improvements due to the changing course of the times. During this period of peace, these masters went about and began to openly teach the crafts which had been previously studied by warriors and military elite. They would otherwise be out of work, as war had stopped and the demand for their skills had diminished. This was the beginning of a critical era for the Japanese martial arts. It was during this period that the philosophies of the warrior philosophy became the “way”.

Hundreds of martial arts systems were codified during this period, becoming legitimate “schools.” The most celebrated and popular of these combative systems was the Jujutsu. Through history Jujutsu had been recorded in scrolls of various schools as many different terms including Yawara, Kenpo, Taijutsu and Jutaijutsu to name just few. Jujutsu during this period was taught as a means of un-armed and armed defense, with specific hand held weapons specific to a particular school, including methods of bone breaking strikes, soft tissue attacks, joint lock and breaking forms, armor grappling, un-armed weapon defensives, weapon specific forms etc.

From the late nineteenth century up to the beginning of world war two, the common practice for martial arts was found in the practice of karate and the sport arts of sword fencing (Kendo) and Judo. As a result of the more modern arts’ popularity and the passing of time, the old schools were somewhat forgotten. It must be remembered that many of the old martial art traditions were particular to field combat, tactics involving large groups and the strategies to employ the necessary techniques to see a battle through to victory, among others. While these old traditions were no longer recognized by civil authorities, it should be pointed out that many police and military personnel at this time still trained under the auspices of specialized headmasters of old-combat schools and after the second world war came to a close, the practice of martial arts became illegal for a period.

So why practice traditional systems of martial arts and most specifically the Japanese systems of the Samurai and Ninja? This is a very good question. Since time immemorial, the Japanese have been extremely particular about the documentation and recording of anything with even a slight degree of importance. It is in their heritage to maintain loyalty to the teaching of those who have tested and proven progressive methods of any action. This is just as true for martial arts as it is for business, cooking, writing, etc. For this reason, what a student of the true Japanese art learns is quite close to the original teachings and has only been improved upon through the ages. There have been no changes to suit the desire of someone else, cultural bias, commercialized fads or popular opinions.

The “traditions, lessons and philosophies” so quickly thrown away as useless or outdated by many modern martial arts and instructors still strongly influence the kobudo (old martial arts) of the Samurai and Ninja. Most often, instructors who discard these lessons have not obtained the skill level or experience necessary to recognize the value inherent in the teachings. The focus of the Japanese warriors was not simply to be a good fighter or warrior (bushi) but to temper those skills with the lessons and philosophies for a fundamentally more full, abundant and happy life. That is why Samurai means essentially “to serve” and Ninja essentially means “to persevere or be patient”. Too often modern martial arts, especially mixed martial arts (or perhaps appropriately called mixed up martial arts) fail to provide much skill or focus or purpose for life outside of the ring or being in a fight. That is not to say that there are not good mixed martial arts and instructors out there that add philosophy to their training but it is not an inherent part of the training.

The traditional arts of the Samurai and Ninja teach effective skills not only for defense and combat that have been practiced for hundreds of years but they build character, self esteem, focus and self discipline. As a physical activity they offer a non repetitive form of physical exercise and offer stress relief both physically and mentally. These skills help lead not only a safe and happy life but help increase the mental agility and focus and discipline that can give an advantage in work and work ethic as well as a solid moral and ethical approach to life and work as well.

One of the programs I am currently working on is a program to reach at risk youths. Every year, especially in hard financial times, the number of kids at risk increases, as parents are required to work longer and be away from home for longer periods of time. Many of these youths can’t afford to be in after school programs or simply don’t get what they need from those programs.

There are many great things about a good traditional martial arts program. A big one is the focus on self-improvement-self-esteem-personal growth. While it seems like these should be three separate things, they really are so intertwined that our language does a disservice to us in using different words. Self improvement is not about getting better at fighting so you can win a trophy or a competition or be better than someone else. It is about being better than you were yesterday and without the right motivation, role models, and lessons, many kids begin to learn these important roles from each other. Where the problem occurs is that counting on kids to teach other kids right from wrong doesn’t work, and they often come up with and use inappropriate examples and role models.

In a good traditional martial arts program like ours, that focuses and the lessons and teachings of the samurai and ninja, is that everyone participates. Unlike a lot of sports there is no A and B squads, no “Starters” and “Backups”. Everyone learns together and excels together but each in their own way and they help each other learn as well.

I am currently reaching out through speaking engagements and other avenues to help find candidates and sponsors who are willing to provide scholarships to at risk kids to participate in my programs. It really is a simple matter of “Pay Now” and save these kids while there is time or “Pay A Lot More Later” through paying for the court filing fees, defense attorneys and in some cases jail and prison terms that can occur when these kids get older and into trouble and your tax dollars are allocated to help them. Please contact me at #858-486-0059 to schedule a speaking engagement on “At Risk Youth Programs” or, if you know of an organization ready to provide sponsorship now.

There are a lot of martial arts today, from Karate to Mixed Martial Arts covering the distance between sport and art. Most of them have been created fairly recently from the late 19^th century to a combination of different arts into a so-called “real” martial art and of course sport fighting in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. There is no doubt that there are intrinsic values in each of these from physical skills to discipline, confidence, respect and other values.

It takes a lot of discipline and skill to be a MMA fighter and it is no less so to be skilled in karate, kenpo or any other marital art. However, going beyond the physical and the inherent discipline, etc., the real question is why train in these arts at all. Some train for physical fitness, some for self-defense skills and others for trophies and titles.

When training in the traditional martial arts, and speaking even more specifically to the kobudo arts we train at Poway Samurai Martial Arts, the teachings go beyond these concepts. Some mistakenly think of the samurai arts as being only the sword or weapon training. And it is true there is a diverse set of skills with weapons in kobudo training. However, traditional martial arts are the source for many of the modern unarmed martial arts. Kobudo is a very diverse training that builds the highest levels of discipline, dedication, confidence as well as leadership and focus.

What really sets kobudo apart is that it is what I call “Martial Arts with Meaning.” The samurai didn’t go “do” kobudo. It was how they lived. The samurai virtues were a code for their entire life and how they strived for the “ever appropriate response” to whatever situation they encountered. Above all the samurai lived a life of service.

Many with only a cursory knowledge of martial arts and the samurai, think only of their tremendous fighting prowess and martial skill. While those were present, what motivated these warriors were service and love of family, lord and their country. It was equally important for the samurai to be skilled in other arts to remain in balance. Whether it was painting, writing or any other number of forms of art, the samurai needed to live a full life in balance.

Now I do not mean to suggest that no other martial art form carries any lessons, philosophies or “meaning”. However, not all more modern schools do or focus on it. In kobudo that original purpose and the “meaning” is inherent and is such an integral part of the training, that Julian R. Fuller in the British Journal of Medical Psychology p.321 wrote that “Traditional martial arts training is more beneficial than modern martial arts training.” When comparing the samurai code of bushido and its principals and effective modern psychotherapy.

Michael E, Trulson, wrote (“Martial Arts Training: A Novel ‘Cure’ for Juvenile Delinquency, Human Relations, vol 38, no 12) “The majority of…schools teach only self-defense techniques, and our data reveals that this type of training enhances negative personality traits of people who are already delinquent…Traditional…martial art philosophy places great emphasis on respect for others, humility, confidence, responsibility, honesty, perseverance and honor.”

There are a number of reasons for training martial arts and choosing a school and there is no “correct” answer for everyone. When considering a martial arts program and school, what do you want most for you and your family?