In our adults training Balance along with Distance and Timing (plus others) is taught as a principal embedded in technique. In martial arts, like life, balance can take on many different meanings, some examples are ….

• Training the right amount of time, don’t over train but train enough
  This is one way of protecting yourself, train enough so that if you need to use it one day then you’re ready, but not so much that your body suffers from injuries or you get bored and want to quit.

• Being an Uke and a Tori i.e. both giving and receiving techniques
  Lean how to apply techniques on another person, but also how to take pain and fall safely without it effecting your spirit.

• Doing enough to be safe while not hurting someone more than necessary
  In real life if someone tries to hurt you do enough to protect yourself , but if you do things to another person that are outside of a reasonable self-defence application you could end up in trouble with the law.

and also ....

Ninjutsu Alive training, in my opinion just what does that mean. Martial arts training is essentially about learning new skills, some skills you can practice by yourself and for others you may need a training partner or even several training partners to develop the skill being taught by your instructor.

So lets look at a few things we can do by ourselves and then others that we may need a training partner to complete the exercise.

• Solo Training:- Exercise, Rolling, Kicking,  Punching and Footwork can all be practiced at home or in a park without a training partner.Martial Arts Like Kung Fu, Karate and Taekwondo do a lot of training like this. In a class people line up and might do 100 punches in the air or 100 back kicks in order to practice the technique.

• Partnered Training:- Locks, Chokes, Controls, Throws and Self Defence scenarios all come to mind easily enough, to practice these you need a willing partner. Jujutsu, Ninjutsu, Judo, Aikido, BJJ and Wrestling all rely on these methods and need partners to practice their training.

When we start to approach a more realistic form of self defence, there is a nominated attacker and defender and the teacher might say something like ” Ok the attacker grabs my right lapel and throw a left punch towards my head” and then they show you what to do in order to defend yourself successfully. It might involve a wrist lock or striking etc.. .according to what technique the instructor is teaching in that class.

Your training partner should be relaxed and compliant i.e. go with your technique in order to help you learn how to apply a lock for example, it’s partnered so it’s a lot closer to real life . They allow you the time you need to apply the lock or do the throw etc without interfering …..But is that alive.

Sparring is a lot closer to reality, in that instead of being a rehearsed training drill each person is more free with their responses, for example a training drill might start with a lapel grab and strike to the head and then after that the training partner is (in a responsible way) able to continue on with any attack that they see fit to use, it might be more punches or maybe a kick , they might try to throw you to the ground or get around behind you to apply a constriction. With more spirit and conviction, and resistance to your techniques if they choose.

Their goal is still to help you learn what to do, just under more real to life circumstances.

So why not jut train like that from day one I hear you ask.

Good question, the reason is that in order to learn how to apply a technique first you must learn the technique itself. This is best done by repetition on a compliant training partner, the more techniques then the longer it takes you to get your skill set together.

At Ninjutsu Melbourne around half way (2 years ish) to black belt  we invite the student to participate

During a trip to Japan for training a number of years ago, I think about 2002, I was really surprised to find out the ABC’s Foreign Correspondent (TV) was going to be filming at the Dojo.

While talking to the presenter later on I found out that they had wanted to do a story on corruption in Sumo tournaments but couldn’t get anyone to talk about it. However during their investigations they heard about Hatsumi Sensei and thought it would be good for a bit of extra footage so they arranged to come along for an interview.

They spent the day with Hatsumi Sensei (Soke) and were really surprised at just how friendly and nice he was to everyone, I don’t know what he was expecting, Soke has always been pleasant as far as I know.

Anyway by the time class started later that night all the Japanese Shihan (Master Instructors) had been summoned and were putting on a little demonstration for the cameras. All amazing, and I’m sitting there jaw hanging down and mouth open when I hear these 6 words from one of the interpreters…

“Are the any Australians here today?” .....