Training Program

This simple guideline will help you develop a well rounded level of skill in the warrior arts. I followed this program when I was only a teenager training in my backyard. You can modify the program to fit your needs and add or subtract training so that you can focus more on yourself as an individual.

The Image
What is your image of a NINJA? This is an important first step towards your training. My image was designed mentaly by what I call a "Total Warrior." I envisioned a being who was skilled in many areas of the martial science. Even as I train today, I strive to reach this high level of skill. Creating an image is the first step in setting your goals as a complete warrior. So you must define COMPLETE and use that as a reference for your personal development. To me, a Total Warrior is someone who is in great shape, inside and out. A person who can manipulate weapons as well as his/her own body. A person always striving for higher goals and new information. A being not limited to the arts or style of any one person.

When defining your image, be sure and decide that this will be YOUR OWN image. You should not adopt my image or anyone elses. This is especially true if your own instructor sets a limit to your development. Is your instructor the image that you want to become? Is your instructor in good physical shape? Is your instructor healthy in the mind? These are just a few questions to help you understand that you are not your instructor. Regardless of his or her own image, you must take responsibility for yourself. Your instructor is simply your coach to help you become a better martial artist. Just as a boxer has a good coach.

Once you have your image and goals you will better be able to utilize the program and adjust it to your own designs.

In TRMS we have many programs and too much information to list here in our web pages. If you would like more information, become an official member by joining a school near you or signing up on the Home Study Program. 

Training Schedule
Once you have created your ultimate image of a Total Warrior and visualized your goals, it is time to create a training schedule. At this point you may be extremely motivated and think that it would be best to jump into training with 100% focus. This is true, in a way. Focus should be followed with the eat, drink and sleep training principle, but you need to make sure your schedule is not so focused that you have no real time for growth. Variety is key. It is best to give yourself days for rest and mental absorbtion.  Train hard when you train, but don´t train so hard each day that you end up breaking down. Mix the training up a bit. Bike instead of run, swim instead of bike etc. Here is a basic example:

Monday: Run / Ninjitsu Circle Drills / Weapons
Tuesday: Weights / Focused Training / Body Movement
Wednessday: Bike / Ninjitsu Circle Drills / Exotic
Thursday: Weights / Focused Training / Body Movement
Friday: Swim / Ninjitsu Circle Drills / Weapons
Saturday: Rest / Mental training
Sunday: Rest / Mental Training

Ninjitsu Circle Drill
This training requires one or more partners. The concept is to get into a circle. One person begins by saluting and rolling into the center of the circle. You decide the attack (straight punch, hook punch, side kick, bear hug etc.) Then one after another, each person from the circle charges you with the chosen attack. You then proceed to work your techniques on each person until everyone has attacked. You roll out and the next person rolls in. This type of training allows you to enhance many areas:

* Working with sudden attacks
* More responsive decisions
* Defending against different sizes and body movement
* Attackers get to work on falling and taking hits
* Targeting and body movement
* Developing your offense and defense
* You must defend immediately

If you only have one partner then you can adapt this drill by creating an attack to defense drill. This means that your opponent attacks and you defend - the defense that you choose becomes the new attack and the original attacker defends against your defense. This can sound confusing but you will get the hang of it. You can continue the loop for as long as you like. To start, begin with only one or two responses. For example: Person 1 attacks with a straight punch - person 2 sidesteps and throws a side kick - person 1 will now defend against the side kick and so on.......

If you don´t have any partners - use your imagination and go through 10 attackers just as if you were in the circle drill.

Weapons
A great way to train and keep up your weapon skills is to do another circle drill. This one however only requires you. Place all the weapons you are currently learning into a circle and stand in the center. Start with one weapon and focus on 3 areas of training. The first will be slow motion (or slower motion) training. This requires you to slowly take yourself through some moves - strikes, defenses etc. Once you have mentally reviewed most of what you know, it is time to pick up the pace and work the weapon with speed and power. Make sure you are careful, especially when working with blades. The third area of training is to work all the defenses you know with the weapons. If you have a partner then use them. So if you are currently working with the sword, review the many defenses against another sword etc. Do this until you have gone through all of the weapons.

Focused Training
This consists of working on developing individual areas or skills. For example: you may want to work on kicking, punching, or even wrist locks. Usually focused drills are aimed at developing punches and kicks. In TRMS we use a bag drill that includes all of the strikes and kicks. This isn´t so much focused training. Focused training would be more like working thai kicks on a heavy bag - or jabs and crosses with a focus mit. Personally, I like to fluctuate between kicks and punches.

Body Movement
Training your body also includes all of your body control skills. Regardless of your age, height or weight - there will be plenty of body skills for you to work on. This skills include but are not limited to: stances, rolls, falls, flips, handsprings, kips, cartwheels, climbing, stealthing etc. If you can´t do a wall flip due to some form of physical constraint, don´t worry. Your goal is to work around your own strengths and weaknesses, even if you are in a wheel chair. One of the best ways to work body movement is to use your Freestyle Forms. A form is a self designed set of movements that include various body movements. 

Mental Training
This period of growth is meant to enhance your skills through thought. Mental training can be anything that requires mental focus. Following are a few ideas:

* Personal Development books or tapes
* Fantasy books for imagination
* Creative Mental Training (see Mind Control)
* Self Hypnosis
* Mental Scenario Response
* Weekly training review

And anything else that works the mind.

This program is a simple guideline to help you with developing your skills. By followning it you will build a strong foundation in your own personal style. As you improve you can adjust the program accordingly. The key is to have fun and work hard. When training becomes boring or dull you will lose interest and growth will fade. Be sure and keep a spark in your training, when things get dull, change them around and shed a new light on the program. 

Good luck and have fun!

Sensei Tew
 
RTMS Head Instructor