NinBuKai is a dynamic system of self defense that is effective, easy to learn, and fun to do. NinBuKai incorporates Kicks, Strikes, Grappling, Rolling, Traditional & Modern Weaponry, and much more to build a complete system of self defense. By learning a large variety of different aspects of self defense, NinBuKai students are prepared to defend themselves in any situation. The large variety of skills that are taught also ensures that the lessons never get boring, because there is always so much to learn. The NinBuKai fighting system molds its self to the strengths of the individual student, instead of requiring the student to mold to the style,

Philosophy
One of the most prominent philosophies of the NinBuKai is that training in the Martial Arts should be fun. It is our belief that no matter how great a martial art style may be, if students don’t stick with it they are not going to learn anything. Training in the Martial Arts can be difficult, at times it can be painful, and sometimes it can even be frustrating. But if the training environment is fun then it can make even the difficult times easier.

We work hard to ensure that our dojo environment is friendly and positive. Students often comment that the dojo feels like a family environment because the students treat each other well and people encourage each other instead of putting one-another down. The Instructors work hard to ensure that everyone is treated well, and to maintain a friendly learning environment where people feel comfortable being themselves.

Another extremely important philosophy of the NinBuKai is that realism is the key to an effective martial arts program. Training in unrealistic ways leads to students with a false sense of security, whose skills do not match their egos. We do not train with any padded body armor or padded hand guards, because we believe that this causes students to develop unrealistic habits in their self defense training. Training without armor and pads reminds students quickly that unblocked attacks are unpleasant and helps students develop strong blocking and avoiding skills.

Our most important philosophy is that safety is always the most important aspect of any class. NinBuKai schools traditionally have an extremely low rate of injury because the Instructors are always focused on keeping the training as safe as possible. We realize that our students need to be able to go to work or school tomorrow, so we do everything possible to keep the students safe. As with any contact activity, the possibility of injuries can not be completely removed. But we have a strong focus on safety, and we will continue to keep safety at the forefront for all activities in our classes.

The final philosophy that we’ll discuss here is our philosophy on Attitude. The Martial Arts schools of the NinBuKai do not tolerate bullies, and we do not tolerate egomaniacs. All students are encouraged to treat other people, in and out of class, with respect. Students are also encouraged to adopt a humble and respectful approach to their skills and abilities. Along those same lines, we do not support prize-fighting. It is our philosophy that the martial arts are about learning self defense, discipline, and respect… not about stroking egos and winning prize money. While we fully acknowledge the rights of other Martial Artists to participate in No-Holds-Barred matches and other forms of Prize Fighting, we encourage NinBuKai students to avoid that type of activity.

The NinBuKai Difference
One of the first things that many people ask is “what makes NinBuKai different than any other martial art?” Our answer is that the NinBuKai is different than most of forms of martial arts in many ways. Some of these differences are apparent from the first moment that someone watches one of our classes, and some of those differences are more subtle.

Body Motion
One of the first things that people notice about our schools, that is different than most other styles of martial arts, is that our system of body motion is quite a bit different than the stiff and rigid movements that many people are used to seeing in the martial arts. NinBuKai uses a very fluid and dynamic form of body motion that builds on the body’s natural instincts, instead of forcing the body to react unnaturally. For instance, if someone throws a punch or kick at your head, it is your body’s natural reaction to move your head out of the path of danger. Many styles of martial arts teach their students to keep their head in the path of danger and to rely on their blocking skills to intercept and redirect the danger away from the head. That approach is not natural, and (in our opinion) is it not the best way to keep the head safe. In the same situation, the NinBuKai system of body motion would move the head out of the way of danger (most likely while also blocking with your arms), which works with your body’s natural urges to move the head out of the way of danger.

Since our system of body motion works with your body’s natural instincts, it tends to be much easier to learn. In many forms of martial arts you have to completely re-train your body how to move in stiff and unnatural ways, and so it can take many years to master this type of approach. While it can take 5 to 10 years to become proficient in many styles of Martial Arts, the average student can become extremely proficient with the NinBuKai fighting system in just a couple of years. NinBuKai students can become as skilled at realistic self defense in just a couple of years, as students in some other systems of martial arts who have been training for many more years. However, one thing to keep in mind is that new students who have never trained in the martial arts sometimes catch on to our movement system faster than experience martial artists because people without prior experience can build on their natural body tendencies and do not have other forms of movement that they need to let-go-of to embrace our different approach.

Reality
Another aspect of the NinBuKai fighting system that is different than many other styles of martial arts is our focus on the realistic aspects of self defense. This does NOT mean that we beat the tar out of our students on a weekly basis. But it DOES mean that we focus on real-world applications of the martial arts skills.

We do many unique training scenarios to get students thinking about a variety of self defense situations. We practice situations where the students have to defend themselves in confined spaces, crowded areas, places with unusual or uneven footing, and even in the dark. If students have to defend themselves in a real-life situation, it may not be in a well-lit area with a padded floor and plenty of clear and flat footing to move on. By constantly throwing new situations at the students in regular training classes it helps the students prepare to defend themselves no matter what the situation or setting.

Some martial arts schools focus on “points fighting” or constantly preparing for tournaments and other competitions. While we agree that competing in points fights can be fun, and can be a good source of exercise, it is not usually a good preparation for an actual fight. If a student is attacked on the street, the odds that the attacker will be a skilled martial artist are pretty low. Most likely the fighting approach taken by a skilled martial artist in a tournament will be completely different than the fighting approach taken by an attacker on the street. So, constantly training to combat an opponent who is trying to do fancy kicks is probably not the best way to prepare a student for realistic self defense on the street. The NinBuKai fighting system prepares students for both defense against a martial artist, and defense against a more brute-force street-fighting or bully approach.

Variety
Another way that the NinBuKai differs from many martial arts schools is that there is a great deal of variety in our lessons and the skills that we teach. Students almost never spend an entire class doing endless repetitions of the same kick or punch. That is not to say that repetition is not important, but we have so much to teach you that we don’t have time to spend the entire class doing the same kick. Students will want to practice their kicks and punches at home or on their own time, to build the muscle memory and skill that comes from repetitive motion. But doing many repetitions of kicks and punches is something that the student can do almost anywhere. You don’t need to pay for a class where you spend an hour doing something that you can do for free at home and achieve the same results. By removing endless hours of repetitive motion training in the dojo we can cover more material in class, our classes are less boring and more fun, and when you are at class you can concentrate on doing the skills that can’t be done at home as easily.

Also, the NinBuKai schools do not put very much focus on memorizing complicated drills and series of movements. We have a basic Kata at each level, but the Kata are designed to build body motion, not to challenge a student’s ability to remember endless series of blocks and strikes. The vast majority of our skills are built around improvisation and adapting to unexpected situations. For instance, we teach hundreds of different combat techniques (methods to deal with various attacks), but each of these techniques are designed to be uses as improvised movements and small parts from one technique can be tweaked and used in an almost unlimited number of other techniques. Students are not required to memorize specific techniques; instead they are taught how to improvise and respond to whatever situation is presented to them.

Eastern Religions
Our schools do not teach oriental religions to our students. Some styles of Martial Arts say that the Martial Arts encompasses three aspects of training: mental, physical, and spiritual. In NinBuKai we explore the mental and physical aspects of the Martial Arts and we allow our students explore their own spiritual beliefs at their own church or through their own methods. Our schools offer a Christian training atmosphere, but our instructors do not preach their religious views to the students.

What is the best?
Some schools try to tell you that their style is the best style around. It is our belief that there really is no such thing as the single “best style”. A system that works extremely well for one student, may not work at all for another. It is our belief that anyone who claims to have the “best style” is either lying to you or lying to themselves. This web page has spent a lot of space describing what makes NinBuKai different from other styles of martial arts. Our approach to many aspects of the martial arts is different than some other styles, but different doesn’t necessarily mean better and it certainly doesn’t mean worse. It is simply a different approach. If you are searching for “the best” school, you should visit several schools and try several different styles, and then decide what is the best for you.

What does NinBuKai mean?
Simply put, the translation that we use is the “Persevering Warrior Organization”. For a more complex, and more descriptive, answer we will need to look at the Kanji that makes up the name. NinBuKai is Japanese Romanji for the Kanji seen at the top of the page: Let’s take a closer look at each kanji. The first character is Nin, which can also be pronounced Shinobi. Nin is made up of two Kanji, the symbol for Blade and the symbol for Heart. There are several accepted translations for Nin including Perseverance, Endurance, Forbearance. Stealth, and Concealment. Ninjutsu Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi says “Nin really means to be in control of one’s body, mind, and perception of right and wrong”. The middle Kanji is pronounced Bu and it can be translated as Warrior, Martial, and Soldier. The last Kanji is pronounced Kai and it can be translated as an Organization, Association, or Gathering.

Where does NinBuKai come from?
NinBuKai began as a combination of many different martial arts. There are aspects of styles such as Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu, Robert Bussey’s Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Bujinkan, Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, Aikido and several other styles that have influenced the formation of the NinBuKai in one way or another. For the last two decades the Instructors who lead the NinBuKai have compiled their skills and past martial arts experience into what is now known at the NinBuKai system of Martial Arts. NinBuKai is a fully independent martial arts system and is not affiliated with any of the above listed systems, those systems are listed simply to give the interested reader an example of the types of martial styles that have influenced the formation of the NinBuKai.