Let me ask you a question, --

Have you ever been in class - or maybe it was watching a training video lesson - and, out of the blue, you see the teacher do something that is so counter-intuitive that it literally makes your brain stop? It's one of those things that, after this new logic is explained to you - and after you get over heaing yourself say, "I never thought of that before"...

...that everything changes. Everything about, not only how you see your training but, about self-defense, controlling an attack-situation... everything.

Have you ever had one of those moments?

I remember one of these moments for me, way back in my training, when I saw Hatsumi-sensei pick up a training knife and hold it "upside down." He was holding it in the fore-grip manner, with the blade pointing away from him and at his opponent but, the edge of the blade was UP, not down like you'd expect.

Now, at the time, I had already gone through way more than the basics with regards to knife training. I knew the 10 basic kamae that I was taught, how to hold the weapon in fore-grip and reverse-grip fashion, and I had more than a handful of cool techniques in my little bag of tricks.

And, I also knew about and had a decent handle on the concept of kyojitsu tenkan ho , the method of interchanging truth and falsehood which, based on what I knew at the time, was what was going on. Looking at Soke holding the knife that way, immediately ego raced forward to tell me that he was trying to convince his attacker that he really didn't have a clue about knife-fighting. In fact, you know that feeling of satisfaction that you get when you know that you know the answer? Yeah... that's the feeling I had.

Until...

Soke said... "This is the way a Ninja holds a knife." "This is the method because it offers more flexibility than the edge-down position."

He then demonstrated how, should he miss during a stabbing attack at his opponent, he could simply lift the edge straight up and across a new target! It was mind-blowing, and so simple, at the same time!

Sensei deomonstrated how the blade could still be used to cut left or right, diagonally, etc from this position. And, as for downward cuts?

From a missed stab position - even from a neutral, mid-level (chudan) posture, there are NO good targets, and therefore no good, tactical or strategic reasons for holding a knife in an edge-down position! You can cut the femoral arteries along the inside of the thighs, the groin, and other low targets, just as easily with the edge-up position as with edge-down, but...

The Edge-up position actually allows for a deeper, more powerful cutting action because of the way the arms and upper torso muscles that will be doing the work, are actually wired!

Do you get it?

Have you ever had a lesson sam you like that?

If not, I suggest that you find a different teacher because... THAT, my friend... is the teacher's job .

If your teacher is only showing you different combinations of the same moves, stances (kamae), strikes, etc., but never exposes things (and there are a lot of them) that not only you didn't know, but you didn't even know you didn't know! If that's the case, and in the words of one of my teachers speaking on this very subject over 15 years ago...

Either...

1) You're not being challenged and exposed to lessons that are "game-changers," or...

2) You're allowed to believe that you're better than you are

Either way... you need a new teacher.

And that goes for me as well. If I'm not exposing you to different ways of looking at things - not just dfferent combinations of the same moves...

Then, you need to find someone else who does.

That being said, if the above lesson about how to hold a knife resonates with you, if it made your mind stop as well... then you might want to consider making it in for Spring Ninja Camp 2013, because that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg as to what I'll be sharing at this year's camp intensive.

Spring Ninja Camp is set for the weekend of April 26, 27 & 28, and will be held here at the main academy (see the Academy address at the bottom of this email). http://tinyurl.com/amkwfow

And, I'm offering a huge $75 discount savings for early registrations before March 1st.

Get all the information about, and register to be here for, Spring Ninja Camp 2013 at: http://tinyurl.com/amkwfow

If the above short link doesn't work on your system, here's the full URL:
http://warrior-concepts-store.com/wordpress/martial-arts/spring-ninja-camp-2013/

Check out the theme and what we'll be doing. If it's something that you think is as important for modern, 21st century self-protection as I do, then I promise you won't be disappointed.

I look forward to training with you very soon.


In Mastery!

Shidoshi Miller