Great leaping ninjas, gaijin are getting a grip on martial arts
Sydney Morning Herald
There was a moment, just as the sword could have cleaved the skull, that time froze. The ninja master lowered his weapon.
Yes, it would cut, said Roy Ron, one of the highest ranking non-Japanese ninja in the world, who stopped the sword just in time. Although only a practice blade, lighter and duller than the real thing, the sword is part of a ninja martial arts tradition.
As a martial art, it became a household name because of movies and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze of the 1990s. In reality it has a history that puts it among Japan's most ancient traditions, dating from the samurai era.
Japanese legend tells of battles in which ninjas fought with sword, stave, bow and arrow, gun, concealed blade and vicious metal stars. They used paralysing body holds, bone-breaking throws and were so inventive and devious that, by using special shoes, they could walk on water.
Supernatural powers were said to have allowed them to peer into the eyes and see the soul, which petrified their enemy. They could also disappear, legend says.
Centuries later, during a Sunday morning training session in central Tokyo, the ninja arts still look ferocious and painful. There seem to be two possibilities for students: either be thrown or get caught in a painful hold that is released only after a frantic tap on the bamboo practice mat....more...
