It’s been about two weeks since I last trained at all. My son brought home a cold and made the whole house sick. Last night I felt willing and able enough to brave the cold dojo and train again. Everyone missed me and was happy to see me well again.
We started off with the plank as per usual, then some sit-ups. We went straight into body conditioning and soon my new partner bowed out just before the final call as I relentlessly pounded his midsection. I missed the flowing movements of my hands and the sudden impact on a human body so I got just a little carried away...
We went on to bag work, but I decided to keep it average as I could feel my heart pumping a bit faster than normal. It was a good workout nonetheless as I soon began sweating again while the Sensei used me as his demonstration partner. I was back and the fighter spirit in me more awake than during the last few weeks and I loved it.
We went on to syllabus work and I had the privilege to train with one of NinjaSAs longest training students. It was my first class in 5th kyu and in introduction to key ring and knife fighting. I have been romanticising about knife fighting for quite some time and even bought myself a Spiderco Civilian to be my companion, but nothing prepared me for just how brutal a knife can be in the hands of a trained ninja.
Hidden away from plain sight the ninja holds the knife in the reverse grip with the blade tucked away against the lower arm. The arm holding the knife lingers in the back like a caged snake ready to strike with fierce ferocity and brutality, but the knife has two sides to it. It, like the key ring can be used with minimum or maximum force. An incoming punch for instance can be blocked with the flat of the blade, causing no harm and by following through with a reverse strike with the hilt, you can prevent your assailant from being cut, but send the message home loud and clear.
When it comes to cutting the double blade provides for no less than 9 different cuts and a number of lethal stabs. The ninja cuts close to the body and as the blade never leaves the body until the final cut, it is important to keep a constant flow of cuts, up and down, backwards and forwards, leaving your opponent literary in shreds...
I was so impressed by the class that by the time I got to dream land, I had my Spiredco with me and sliced up three assailants and run away before the rest of them could leave their other victims lifeless body and ice me too...
Embrace the shadows.
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