Otherwise known as "Ninja Magic" the Finger Signs are one of the many popular hoaxes found in most ninjutsu systems. Call it Kuji-no-in, Kuji-Kiri, Magical meditation or whatever, I call it finger twisties. The signs consist of various combinations of different gestures made by knotting the fingers together like that of a glazed donut.

These popular finger signs were said to be used by ninja for two main purposes:

1. To give the ninja a sudden surge of power.
2. To hypnotize the enemy.

In truth, the signs are nothing more than pieces of mudra (a Sanskrit word meaning , gestures formed with the hands). This magical offspring of the ninja was taken from a monk, Kobo Daishi,(founder of the Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism) who introduced it to Japan in the seventh century AD.

History does little to remedy the problem found in most ninjutsu schools. Magical claims and more hype than hypnotism lead misguided students down a seemingly mystical hallway, only to realize, it is all just a bunch of last weeks baloney. I can see an almost positive use for it in Feudal Japan. But let's be honest, do you think you will scare many people into submission because you wrap your fingers together? Picture the alley, the thugs and you playing thumb wrestling. At most, you will just confuse them and in turn, buy yourself some time, but then again, you could get the same result if you picked your nose or feigned a heart attack.

So what is the real purpose of these finger links? Well for today's Total Warrior, there isn't much use for them at all. However, there is some reality to this fiction. That is to say, I can teach you how to make it work. At least the part about getting a sudden surge of power. First, we have to clear the clouds of mysticism and bring ninjitsu back down to Earth. I know it is more exciting to believe unknown forces are lifting you off the ground during a side kick, but we have to keep a level attitude based on FACT. Thus we take a Martial Science approach to learning this technique.

Real Ninjitsu

In most systems you will be taught some very cool looking and historical finger signs. You may even meditate for a while and be told how powerful these signs really are. But in the end you'll still be sitting on the floor with your hands all tied up. That is not real ninjitsu, to me that is just another example of monopolizing instructors trying to replace reality with history or tradition. Don't be hypnotized into this game of scrolls and thunderbolts. If we were to really get technical, we could bypass the Japanese altogether and go to China since martial arts started there. And we could bypass China and go to India for the real beginnings. But that is silly, time moves on and things travel - just as it has from Asia to the Americas. We are the end of the chain so far and just as the Japanese claimed and developed it from China and India, we too can develop and change, wherever it is you are.  This is to say that YOU can claim your OWN style and system under the guidelines (system) of your choice.  Regardless of where you learned it. Most of this would probably have to be explained in more detail so you don't lose focus on what I am trying to say.

So how is it that we can make use of this finger game? Well you can toss out the hypnosis (of your enemy) right now. But the part about getting a sudden surge of power is possible - it just has to be explained. You also have to understand that it isn't magic or historical. It is simply a way the human body works.

Triggers

When we begin to learn, we need to have a physiology that is congruent with learning. We can create a kind of anchor. An anchor is where we create a stimulus response, much like Ivan Pavlov's bells had on his dogs. Have you heard of Ivan Pavlov? If you haven't, it sounds like a storybook for children, "Ivan Pavlov and his dogs." Actually, it is in reference to a scientific study by scientist Ivan Pavlov. What Ivan would do is put some tasty food on one side of a door with the dogs on the other. The dogs would smell the food and start to salivate. When they began to salivate, Ivan would ring a bell. He did this enough times that he created an anchor between the bell and salivating. All he would have to do is ring the bell and the dogs would begin to salivate, even when the food wasn't present. He conditioned the dogs to respond to the bell as if they smelled the food.

Do dogs eat bells? So why are they salivating at the sound of "ding?" Because their minds don't know the difference. They were programmed to link the bells with the food, which in turn created the stimulus response of salivation. We all have bells in our lives; some of us might have a bell that gets us to crave chocolate or ice cream. A bell might make you cry, feel depressed or react with superhuman abilities. Why? Because you have been conditioned to react a certain way when the bell rings. The bell could be anything from a touch on the shoulder to a song you remember from long ago. It could be music, the clapping of hands, a touch or even a look. Anything that is unique enough to trigger a response can create an anchor.

Can you see the link this has with the finger game? You are simply creating a trigger . The only problem with the finger signs is that they are not very unique. It takes a unique stimulus to set off a trigger, so you could use the hand signals (which we do teach), but they have nothing to do with the way you entwine the fingers.

The key is to use something unique . Let's say that you wrap your index finger of your left hand with the right fingers and touch the top of the left pointer with your right thumb (as seen in many ninja comic books). Well this could create a unique feeling for you. It isn't a normal occurrence to get that feeling. So that means it can become a trigger. Now what you decide to trigger is completely up to you. Unlike tradition and ninja books, that symbol or sign is not linked to any one sudden surge of power. By using some simple strategies and techniques you can link the desired result to that finger position. The way you hold your hand is not important - it is the feeling you get when you do it that generates the power. But if you don't have anything linked to that unique feeling you won't get a response.

If you really wanted to make use of this power you wouldn't limit to just your fingers. The whole body is so much more powerful. We use our hands everyday and this makes them some of the worst places to generate triggers. We still teach it as part of the training, but we also instruct students on the entire use of the anchors.

So how can we condition ourselves for achievement? You have to ring your own bells. You can start by anchoring a time you when you felt good or like a peak performer. When you feel great, anchor and remember all the things you did when you felt that way so you can continue to anchor it at home. Find all the things that you can, combine them together to create the state you desire. When you feel great, make a fist and sooner or later, just making the fist will make you feel great. It works the same with your fingers or your foot. Now naturally it would help to get some professional instruction on how to do this.

You feel a certain way, you touch a certain point UNTIL, touching the certain point, makes you feel a certain way. I call it the POWER LOOP.

The fastest way for someone to change their state is to change their body; change their physiology. Remember, it is the mind-body connection. If you want to get into a prepared state, make a fist or some other movement that has been anchored into your neurology. In other words, the body needs to mimic a past position that stimulates the necessary response.

For example, if you made a finger twisty every time you practiced self-defense, then the necessary mental state would be triggered when you repeat the sign.

Still, it is much more powerful to use your entire body. So what we need is an anchor that creates the mental state we want and the best way to do this is to get our body into a position that mimics the feeling. For example, how would you stand, breath, walk and talk if you felt happy and serene? How would you stand, breath, walk and talk if you were about to defend yourself from a punch to the nose? I am sure you will notice the difference, even your breathing will have a drastic change. Try it!

What we then have are simply stances that generate states.

Stances

Now it is time to move into body postures. In the Martial Science, we use a set of ten stances to teach an overall concept of good fighting positions. The first of these is the horse stance. It simulates the position you form when riding a horse. Many stances were developed from the movements and attitude of animals. This is especially true in the Chinese martial arts. This is also how we first began to develop many of our strikes and kicks. Maybe you have heard of snake, monkey, dragon, crane or tiger strikes, stances or movements. But what exactly is the purpose of a stance? It is important to know the best stance to take during a situation that requires self-protection. If you want to be mobile and quick, it is important to get into a "fighting" stance where you will be light on your feet. If you want to have stability, then it is wise to use the "power" stance. The situation will determine the stance. Stances are also just advanced versions of the finger signs.

Stances and States

Every stance is an attitude. If you want to have a specific feeling, you change your stance. Remember--stances are nothing more than physiological changes. Change your physiology and you change your mental attitude along with it. Thus, we can use stances to determine our states. What state of mind do you want?

We all know that when someone is depressed, they change their physiology to match their emotional outlook. The same rule applies when someone is happy and enthusiastic. Have you ever seen a joyous motivated person with their head down, shoulders slumped and a barely audible mumble of, "I can do it?" It is totally incongruent and impossible to succeed in this way. Our mind and body are linked; if you change one, you will change the other. This is how we use our stances. If we want a feeling of power, then we stand in a power stance. It is much faster to change your physiology than to meditate over your emotions, especially in a combat situation. Can you imagine asking your opponent to wait a minute while you mentally prepare for the situation? It is much faster to simply drop into the correct stance and use it like an anchor. When you drop into a power stance and yell while you're are breaking a piece of wood and you do this over and over, whenever you drop into the power stance, that mental attitude of breaking through is going to be triggered. This way you don't have to think about it. It is an automatic reaction and that is true ninja magic.

Once we know this, we can begin to build our physiological arsenal. By having ten different stances, each with a given attitude and purpose, you will have enough postures to adapt to almost any situation. Add your finger signs and other body triggers and you will be well on your way to the real power of training.  In the martial science we focus on using the elements for our hand signs.

Check out the next issue when we talk about the Power of the Elements and their use with Stances, Attitudes and Communication.

Sensei Tew
 
RTMS Head Instructor