The Secret of the Ninja's Kihon Happo 'Fundamental 8 Techniques'
Within the modern training of the Ninja's martial art of Ninpo-taijutsu, there is a core set of techniques which serve as models for effective response to a self defense situation. This set of models is known collectively as the kihon happo.
This article focuses on the secret that lies at the core of these models, and the reason that 33rd Grandmaster Toshitsugu Takamatsu stated that, to become a master of the ninja's combat system...
... "all you need is the Kihon Happo."
But, as with all things that stand the test of time, time and human nature have insured that this secret remains hidden to most students and teachers practicing the art today.
Does this mean that teachers are not teaching the kata correctly?
No. Not necessarily.
Does it mean that most students are not doing the techniques the right way?
Again. Not necessarily.
At least... Not on a physical, step-by-step level, anyway.
However, what if the individual techniques - the kata "forms" - that make up the Kihon Happo, are not meant to be simply techniques to learn? What if the techniques that everyone is holding up as Holy and "official" proof that they are doing the "real thing"...
...are really models to be learned "from," rather than to merely be "learned?"
What if each technique was really a reflection of all the others, and a delivery mechanism which allowed you to take the core lessons it was teaching and not only apply them to all of your other techniques, but...
...to allow you to create an unlimited number of variations of your own.
In fact, what if you understood a simple little secret, buried within these 8 little techniques, that would allow you to virtually discover every single technique, on every scroll, from the 9 lineages which make up the training today?
Would that make a difference in your training?
What would that do to your ability to get results?
Well, I'm letting the "cat out of the bag," so to speak - I'm telling the secret.
Won't the Ninja clans send out their assassins to get me for revealing this secret? No. In fact, I'm so confident that most people who ever read this...
WON'T GET IT...
That I'm not concerned about it at all!
Would I like them to "get it?" Absolutely!
But, between the laziness that causes most to sit around surfing the internet, or reading books about the art - and the focus on belts and importance that's held by others...
...I'll be happy if you're the only one who gets this!
And the secret is this...
The Kihon Happo are NOT "8 Basic Techniques!" Yes, there are "8 Forms," but these are eight "examples" of an infinite number of techniques.
The "secret" of the kihon happo - the reason that Takamatsu-Sensei said that they were all you need is that you are supposed to take each technique, and make 8 variations of it.
Then, you take each of these 8, and make eight more. And, then 8 more of each of these.
And on and on and on.
And...
You repeat the formula for all of the original examples. And you don't stop until the original 8 have become just variations among variations.
Why do this?
Three reasons really:
1) To break your mind free from the typical martial arts "style" and kata mentality
2) To recognize that there are too many variables in a real fight, and the limited nature of any one form, and...
3) It was simply impossible for the past masters to write down every possible variation or technique combination that was possible. So, they wrote down the minimum necessary for you to get the "idea."
And then left the rest up to YOU!
Are you serious about mastering the art of ninjutsu - about having the power, confidence, and control to handle any attacker - any situation?
Read my newest
ninja training book, "Becoming The Master." Get your free copy at: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/becoming-the-master-subsc.html
This article focuses on the secret that lies at the core of these models, and the reason that 33rd Grandmaster Toshitsugu Takamatsu stated that, to become a master of the ninja's combat system...
... "all you need is the Kihon Happo."
But, as with all things that stand the test of time, time and human nature have insured that this secret remains hidden to most students and teachers practicing the art today.
Does this mean that teachers are not teaching the kata correctly?
No. Not necessarily.
Does it mean that most students are not doing the techniques the right way?
Again. Not necessarily.
At least... Not on a physical, step-by-step level, anyway.
However, what if the individual techniques - the kata "forms" - that make up the Kihon Happo, are not meant to be simply techniques to learn? What if the techniques that everyone is holding up as Holy and "official" proof that they are doing the "real thing"...
...are really models to be learned "from," rather than to merely be "learned?"
What if each technique was really a reflection of all the others, and a delivery mechanism which allowed you to take the core lessons it was teaching and not only apply them to all of your other techniques, but...
...to allow you to create an unlimited number of variations of your own.
In fact, what if you understood a simple little secret, buried within these 8 little techniques, that would allow you to virtually discover every single technique, on every scroll, from the 9 lineages which make up the training today?
Would that make a difference in your training?
What would that do to your ability to get results?
Well, I'm letting the "cat out of the bag," so to speak - I'm telling the secret.
Won't the Ninja clans send out their assassins to get me for revealing this secret? No. In fact, I'm so confident that most people who ever read this...
WON'T GET IT...
That I'm not concerned about it at all!
Would I like them to "get it?" Absolutely!
But, between the laziness that causes most to sit around surfing the internet, or reading books about the art - and the focus on belts and importance that's held by others...
...I'll be happy if you're the only one who gets this!
And the secret is this...
The Kihon Happo are NOT "8 Basic Techniques!" Yes, there are "8 Forms," but these are eight "examples" of an infinite number of techniques.
The "secret" of the kihon happo - the reason that Takamatsu-Sensei said that they were all you need is that you are supposed to take each technique, and make 8 variations of it.
Then, you take each of these 8, and make eight more. And, then 8 more of each of these.
And on and on and on.
And...
You repeat the formula for all of the original examples. And you don't stop until the original 8 have become just variations among variations.
Why do this?
Three reasons really:
1) To break your mind free from the typical martial arts "style" and kata mentality
2) To recognize that there are too many variables in a real fight, and the limited nature of any one form, and...
3) It was simply impossible for the past masters to write down every possible variation or technique combination that was possible. So, they wrote down the minimum necessary for you to get the "idea."
And then left the rest up to YOU!
Are you serious about mastering the art of ninjutsu - about having the power, confidence, and control to handle any attacker - any situation?
Read my newest
ninja training book, "Becoming The Master." Get your free copy at: http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/becoming-the-master-subsc.html