Learn Ninjutsu – A Basic Lesson on the Ninja’s “Defensive Stance” from Bobi No Kamae
To master anything, it’s important to have a solid foundation, a firm foundation from which to build your expertise. And, if you’re looking to do more than just learn ninjutsu, if you really want to be able to use your skills for more than just impressive young students in the dojo or observers at a demonstration, then you need to focus your attention on some key. pieces of the “domain equation”.
One such “piece” is the concept of kamae (“mind/body/spirit attitudes”) – the postures or postures of Ninpo-taijutsu, “the body skills of the Ninja”.
Unlike the conventional “stances” seen in conventional karate and other martial arts, Ninja kamae are not static poses from which to launch your punches and kicks. In fact, they are quite the opposite.
Ninja kamae are “living” things – states of being that reflect in an external form what is going on in the heart of the shadow warrior. Just as our bodies reflect our internal emotional state when we are angry, happy or bored, the fundamental postures of the Ninja correspond and relate to what we are thinking and how we feel within the situation in which we find ourselves.
One of the foundational ninpo-taijutsu kamae introduced to intermediate students on the path to Black Belt is the Bobi no Kamae. Like all proper kamae training, students learn more than just how to “stay in this position.” They also learn the feeling behind the form and the psychological and strategic application of the form.
A basic outline of the Ninja Bobi no Kamae
Bobi no Kamae means “defensive posture/attitude” in French. He hails from Koto-Ryu, one of the 9 main lineages that make up modern Ninjutsu training, as passed down through Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi’s Bujinkan Dojo.
As an aspect of Koto-Ryu (“Pulling down the Tiger School”), Bobi has certain qualities and was developed within a particular context that coincides with the general strategic and philosophical perspective this lineage has on combat and survival in the wild. combat. And, although this stance is often confused with the Shoshin no Kama learned as part of a student’s training in the Sanshin no Kata of Gyokko-ryu, they are actually two very different “stances.”
This is very important when studying anything about lineages. Knowing “why” something was developed allows you not only to apply it correctly, but also to develop the mindset of a warrior who thinks about solving a situation strategically, rather than mechanically, step by step.
Like any other kamae, Bobi is not chosen as such. He is assumed in response to our feelings and intentions that arise from the situation, the environment and the movements of the attacker. What this means is that, outside of the most basic levels of training, your kamae is not chosen by you, but by the situation you find yourself in.
That said, to take on the physical “form” of Bobi no Kamae, start by outlining your torso towards your assailant. She does this by stepping back with her right foot so that her feet are about hip-width apart. Place your feet in the universally stable “L” position with your lead foot/toes pointed at the center (spine) of your attacker.
Next, place the rear hand, the right hand in this case, on the right hip, like a Boshi-ken (‘sword point’ or ‘stick finger’ fist). The main arm is extended towards the opponent, with the hand open and the fingers “plugged” in the heart of him.
There are many more details to go into with this kamae, but the important aspect is the internal momentum that this pose creates. And that feeling is “I’m ready for you!”
Many people find it difficult to reconcile the idea of ”defensive” with the attitude of this kamae. But we must remember that while the translation may be simple, the actual state is more dynamic than mere words can describe. Instead of seeing this from the perspective of simply “defensive”, which could imply a fearful or “hiding” attitude, a covering attitude, a better translation could be “in defense” or “In defense”, as in the case of defensive players. we have a sports team.
In this sense, the attitude is not one of fear, but of “stopping”: having the attitude to act to prevent the opponent from succeeding.
As you can see, there is much more to the Ninja self-defense method than simply learning a bunch of punches, kicks, techniques, and in this case, stances. And this is just one of the Ninja’s defensive stances!