KUDEN! Martial Arts, Self-Defense & Survival

If you read the comments left on self-defense videos, whether they’re on mind or anyone else’s material, where self-protection is the focus…you notice a HUGE, gaping, glaring discrepancy… …it’s that the vast majority of people leaving those comments…don’t know the difference between a “fight” – especially of the competitive variety – and a “self-defense” scenario […]

In this episode, we’ll be breaking down the differences in the quality of our choices, with both our day-to-day goals and responsibilities as-well-as with those pertaining to our Ninjutsu self-protection and personal development training. The question is… Are we choosing wisely or conveniently? Are we doing the best we can with what we have, while […]

One of the first things that I was taught by my teacher is that for a Ninja, anything which could be used to create the results that he or she is looking for – anything that can speed up the process – should be considered and, if applicable, applied to serve the Shinobi warrior in […]

A consistent and, yes, proper lesson heard by students again and again is about the importance of basics. This goes beyond the initial lesson heard by beginning students, but also as a reminder to intermediate and advanced practitioners. But, as odd as this may seem considering the lists of so-called “official techniques”, what are the […]

One of the most talked about aspects of Bujinkan Ninjutsu training is the taking and passing of the sakki – blade avoidance test – for Godan, 5th degree black belt, and where one becomes a Shidoshi (‘Teacher of the Warrior Ways of Enlightenment’). But, within the Warrior Concepts’ Black Belt & Life Mastery curriculum, the […]

One of the most common phrases, next to the word: “play!”, that any student of the Bujinkan Ninjutsu and Budo-Taijutsu (yes, there is a difference!) has heard from Soke Hatsumi over the years is the admonition to: “Keep Going!” During this episode, we’ll be looking at the meaning behind this phrase as it relates to […]

Have you ever had self-confidence called into question? Have you ever made a comfortable decision about something, demonstrate something that someone needed to learn, or expressed yourself from a place of knowing and had someone call you…arrogant? During today’s episode, based on a topic submission from one of our listeners, we’ll be looking at the […]

Students, practioners, and those interested in Ninjutsu, the Ninja’s martial and personal development arts, are encouraged to develop success far beyond the dojo and their fighting and self-defense skills. And that all starts with clearly defining one’s goals. But what if THAT becomes the problem; the reason why some students, no matter how much they […]

One of the earliest lessons I received, and one of the most important things that attracted me to the art of Ninjutsu, was the skill of ‘invisibility’. Of course, getting past the scoffing and disbelief this inevitably invokes was the first of many lesons needed to be able to develop this skill. During this episode, […]

Is there a process that underpins the seeming chaos of the world and everyday life? And, if there is, can it be understood, harnessed, and used to achieve the results and ultimate success we’re looking for? Within the ‘spiritual’ lessons that I was exposed to coming up through my training in the martial arts and […]

One of the most contested areas of Ninjutsu training I was exposed to from the earliest days of Ninjutsu in the West, is a framework known as the Godai, or “5 Elements”. Some argue that this ancient system has little to do with the art of Ninjutsu and the training of the Bujinkan, while others […]

If you’re in the martial arts and/or self-defense training realm, I’m sure you’ve heard the argument being thrown around that says: “Kata don’t work on the street for fighting or self-defense”. But if that’s true, then why did the past masters-combat veterans many times over – create them and pass them down to us? During […]

Your brain is wired to protect you from death or perceived death/danger. This includes both instinctive, hard-wired things like not letting the saber-toothed tiger eat you, all the way to guarding against what you tell it you’re afraid of. During this episode, we’ll be taking a look at the lessons I received regrading just “how […]

I began in the Ninja’s arts in 1980 (I know, I’ve got a few years behind me!). Over the years I’ve seen, not only the “face” of the art change but also, the way students approach the art change. Hollywood and teen slang aside, one of the biggest changes I’ve seen has to do with […]

Are the kata in our (or any) martial art, really usable for real-world self-defense? And, if so, how? Because the stiff, preset, choreographed models – whether done solo or with more than one student – don’t seem to fit what we’ve all seen when it comes to a real fight or self-defense attack. During this […]

Other than identifying one kata or technique from another, is there anything special about their names? Can a kata’s name help you in mastering the technique or not? I mean, what’s in a name, right? We’re going to be exploring several perspectives on this, and more, during this week’s episode of KUDEN! Radio, the podcast […]

We’ve all experience not just the feeling of anger, frustration & even rage; but also suffered from the consequences of our thoughts, words, and actions spawned by that same emotion. During this episode of KUDEN! Radio, we’ll be taking a look at what our philosophical teachings say about the root causes behind anger, but also […]

I actually came at the Enlightenment teachings in a backwards sort of way though my martial arts training in Ninjutsu. Through exploration of conflict, the handling of violence, and the need to protect even my mind from aggression, the art of the invisible warrior actually made it easier for me to see the benefit of […]

It’s been said that when a fool sees or learns something new, he laughs at it; when an arrogant man see or learns it, he explains all the reasons why it’s wrong or it won’t work; but, when a wise person sees or learns it, they seek to understand it in order to understand how […]

Have you set goals, started the process, but keep getting stuck at the same or different points along the way? Do you feel stuck or unable to gain traction in making the kind of changes, progress, or success you’re looking for but see others enjoying? Well, you’re not alone as this is a common problem […]

During this episode, we’re going to taking a historical look at the fortitude, understanding, and consequences of failure when a Ninja acted; the morality behind the “why” of a Ninja’s actions; and the idea of fully committing to the accomplishment of the “mission” or goal. On top of that, what if one of the figures […]

Most of us, at some time or another in our training careers, will encounter those who will dismiss what we’re trying to do in one way or another. Some will roll their eyes, showing their true feelings; others will outright laugh; and still others will actually try to stop you. During this episode, we’ll be […]

Continuing with our exploration of a popular Japanese phrase, including within the martial arts, and what they point to as keys to progress in the mental realm. During this week’s episode, we’ll be looking at the 2nd half of the phrase: Mizu no Kokoro (“mind like water”), what it points to as a goal, and […]

While most students and practitioners focus almost exclusively on physical technique – the “what” what to do – the mental and philosophical aspects point to much more. In the realm of the Master Warrior there are more skills, perspectives, and guiding principles allowing him or her to produce more results in any given situation than […]

What does it mean to be Ninja? Did you know that there is more than one kind – more than the cloaked, long, black-clad warrior we see so often in the movies? Here’s a better question, especially if you’ve set your sights on being one: “What kind of Ninja do you want to be?” “What […]

Do you know you need to take action – to do what needs to be done to move closer to your goals? I understand, because we’ve all had moments where life gets in the way and we end up feeling “stuck”. One of the most common things I hear from those feeling stuck in their […]

Have you ever though about a goal, about being a high level black belt, or spoke a truth and…had to hide the visceral effect…the feeling that you were lying to yourself or others. This feeling holds the key to something deep within us that must be uncovered if we’re to break free of the limitations […]

Do you ever ask yourself, “Why do I think this way?” Not just, why do you DO certain things, but why do you think – why do you believe what you do. During this episode of KUDEN! Radio, we’ll be examining some lessons I was given from teachers who wanted me to not just think […]

An important part of the journey of personal development and life mastery is taking the time to review what we’ve done to this point in the process. By taking stock of both the vision, dream, or goals we’ve put in place – purposefully or just through our imaginings – AND the progress we’ve made form […]

As we progress in our training, and move through the skill sets and techniques we’re learning, we can often hit a proverbial “wall”. It’s during these times that we can feel like we’re stuck, where frustration, and even anger kicks – and we can lose motivation, stray from the Path, or even quit for any […]

It’s become unfashionable in today’s world to stand one’s ground – to stand for “thing”, rather than to be accepting of all – no matter what. The more spiritually oriented like to point out that that’s the goal, but conveniently miss the references in the ancient teachings where a spiritual teacher uses a “rough” lesson […]

Assuming that you choose your mentors because they are where you want to be, and not just because they are a little better than you with their skills, what questions should you be asking them? The truth is that most students, at least here in the West, think they just have to show up and […]

Have you ever been asked by someone, why you “want” to be violent? After all, you are studying methods and learning skills designed to break a human body quickly and efficiently, and even kill if necessary. This dilemma has been covered by master martial artists throughout time, and in this episode, we’ll take a look […]

One of the earliest lessons I was exposed to was a part of the opening and closing ceremonies for our martial arts classes. And, while this phrase can be translated in many different ways, one of the perspectives comes from our Mikkyo ‘secret knowledge’ and points to a significant key to growth and mastery. During […]

During this episode of KUDEN! Radio, listen in as chat with my long time friend and fellow Ninjutsu Master instructor, Will Maier. We’ll be discussing, not just “the good old days” of Ninjutsu & catching up on things; but also what we think is important for students of the art in today’s world of the […]

eep within the Ninja’s Mikkyo mind-science are several related teachings, all directed towards uncovering the reasons for both failure and success in, not just our training but, every area or endeavor within our lives we strive to be successful in. During this episode we’ll be looking at one of these study areas, a major part […]

Here’s your chance to decide the topic(s), flow, and focus of this week’s episode! That means that I’ll be answering the questions that come in, both leading up to as well as during, this episode. So, if you haven’t done already done so…get those questions in so we have something to discuss…otherwise, this will be […]

One of the things that I had to understand on my journey from ‘poor’ student to where I am now, is in mastering the problem-solving process. In this episode we’ll be looking at this with an eye on solving one of the major problems for a lot of students and those who want to be […]

During my time with various teachers along the way, there has often arisen what seemed like major contradictions in thinking – things that inspire the question: “How can BOTH be True?!” But, after working through these things, I found that what made others confused and even leave their training, were the very things that, after […]

This week’s episode will be another Q & A session where I answer questions from listeners about the art, self-protection, and any sticking points getting the way of your progress in your self-protection and personal development mastery. Join in, throw your questions in the mix. I’ll answer as many as I can in the time […]

Having historical validity behind what we’re doing is important. But, we can agree that few if any attackers are carrying swords, spears, or wearing traditional hakama in today’s world. In this episode I’ll look a what it takes to bring the original core training areas of the Ninja into the modern, Western world of the […]

If you’ve read Grandmaster Hatsumi’s first book in English, “Ninjutsu: History & Tradition”, then you know about the 3 Aspects. We’ll be looking at these from the perspective he outlines in the omote side of training, as well as what the training looks like on the URA (hidden)side to take our progress full circle. This […]

In the core teachings at the root of our Ninpo-Mikkyo ‘mind-science’ training lies lessons regarding the ‘Truth of Suffering’, the ‘Truth of the Cause of Suffering’ and of course, the ‘Truth of the Liberation from Suffering’. And, while this lesson, as well as others, seems to point to eliminating all of the negative from our lives, […]

One of the most important lessons I learned from my teachers when actual “self-protection” was the goal of training; and not just collecting techniques or religiously adhering to an “official stylized way of doing things (while believing we were focused on self defense); was to not limit my focus only to, literally, the LAST place […]

Rather than continue to pull topics out of my proverbial Ninja “hat”, I posed a question at the end of a recent episode… “What questions do YOU have about the art, certain techniques, or your training?” During this episode I’ll be answering a few of those that came in. Rather than continue to pull topics […]

Had it not been for lessons about more than just weapons, techniques, and cool tricks that I received from my teachers; this podcast wouldn’t even exist. Why? Because I’d be just another in a long line of teachers showing you the same “moves”, but nothing for the challenges of living the life you dream about. […]

When it comes to your Ninjutsu Training whether for self-protection of life mastery – are routines and habits a good thing, or a bad thing? Personal development gurus would tell you they’re a necessary part of your progress and help to increase your chances of success. But…are they? That’s the topic for this episode of […]

Of all the things students expect their teachers to do for them, motivation is near the top of the list. But, it’s the one thing that no one can do for, or to, anyone else. During this episode of KUDEN! Radio, we’ll be diving into this critical aspect of success, both in our martial arts […]