Ninjutsu Melbourne
What are throwdowns?
Another thing we have done in the past that is not typical for Bujinkan schools is taking part in, and even hosting, throwdowns. Throwdowns are (relatively) friendly multi style open mat sparring and pressure testing events. You might have a Kung Fu practitioner sparring against a BJJ student, or Karate against Capoeira or Judo.
Throwdowns are not competitions. There are no trophies or rankings; the point is for people from different martial arts to test their skills against each other in a respectful environment and learn from the experience.
How we got involved
One of our students was reading about throwdowns on the internet and asked if I thought it would be good to try out. I was more than happy for him to go and have a roll (it's all learning). He came back from the day with good things to say about it and asked if he could host one at the dojo, so we did, with about five of our black belts taking part.
All found the experience positive, so we hosted another, and then sort of forgot all about it and just got on with our training. It scratched that itch and we moved on.
Why test Bujinkan Ninjutsu against other styles?
Bujinkan Ninjutsu has a reputation in some circles as a style that is rarely tested, and most Bujinkan schools do not spar at all. We have always believed that if a technique is worth learning, it should work against someone who is genuinely trying to stop it, including someone who moves in ways you have not seen before.
Every martial art has its own habits: the distance it prefers, the way it attacks and the way it defends. A wrestler will try to close the distance and take you down, a kickboxer will try to keep you at range, and a BJJ player is comfortable fighting on the ground. Facing those different approaches shows you very quickly which parts of your training hold up and which need more work.
What throwdowns test
- Distance and timing against people who move differently to your training partners.
- Composure when you do not know what is coming next.
- Adaptability: using the parts of your training that suit the situation instead of forcing a favourite technique.
- Respect for other martial arts, and an understanding of what each one does well.
How throwdowns fit our training
Throwdowns were an extension of the testing we do every week. In our sparring and randori classes, once students can handle Bujinkan attacks we add attacks from outside our system, such as shoots and different kicks. Our pressure testing puts students under stress against multiple opponents. Throwdowns simply took that one step further by bringing in people from other styles.
If you are interested in a martial art that is tested rather than just talked about, come and try a $19.95 trial at our dojo in Thornbury.
