Modern Ninjutsu

“The Art of Strategy” — Sun Tzu, c. 100 BCE

“Those who are victorious plan effectively and change decisively. They are like a great river that maintains its course but adjusts its flow… They are skilled in both planning and adapting… for they win in advance.”

I haven’t posted on Facebook for a while. Senior Master Instructor Chris Oliver and I have been busy working on the 25th Anniversary Edition of Secrets of Modern Ninjutsu, while I’ve also been preparing for my upcoming trip to Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. Moving forward, I plan to post here more regularly.

Today’s Sun Tzu quote connects directly with something I wrote about on April 19:

“Train for the reaction—not just the technique.”

When you apply a strike, joint lock, takedown, or throw, knowing the technique itself is only the beginning. You must also understand how an attacker may react, resist, escape, or counter—and be prepared to adapt immediately.

That is a higher level of martial skill.

Like Sun Tzu’s river, your technique must have direction and purpose without becoming rigid. You must be able to “adjust the flow” in real time.

This is why Awareness—the “A” in the A.C.T.S. model I teach—is so important. Every technique can be countered. The skilled practitioner recognizes the opponent’s most likely options before they happen and is already prepared for the next response.

Ask yourself:

Do you know how someone could escape my wrist lock? Counter
my arm bar? Resist my throw? Block or evade my punch or kick?

And, more importantly, do you know what you will do next?

True self-defense skill is not simply performing techniques correctly. It is learning to anticipate reactions, adapt without hesitation, and remain one step ahead.

That is what Sun Tzu meant by “winning in advance.”

Don’t simply train the technique. Train what happens next.

Contemplate this deeply.

“Train for the reaction, not just the technique.”

In our Modern Ninja method, the first step in realistic self-defense is Awareness—the “A” in our A.C.T.S. model: Aware, Clear, Target, Survey.

Awareness means recognizing an attacker’s pre-fight signals—the physical and verbal “tells” that often reveal an imminent attack. We teach the acronym C.A.L.L. to identify four of the most common:

C – They Close the distance
A – They Angle off to one side
L – They Look away to distract before striking
L – They move one Leg forward to punch or back to kick

Failing to recognize these cues is how people get sucker punched, kicked, or stabbed. These are just a few of the warning signs, and there are many more that deserve attention.

But true Awareness goes beyond spotting the attack—it also means anticipating the attacker’s likely reactions when you begin your defense.

This is where much martial arts training falls short.

When practicing strikes, throws, joint locks, or any defensive skill, you must always consider the attacker’s options. In a real confrontation, an attacker will not stand still and allow a technique to happen without resistance. If your training ignores that reality, it becomes little more than role-playing—not functional self-defense.

For example, it is not enough to practice an outside wrist twist—omote gyaku in Ninjutsu or kote gaeshi in Jujutsu. You must also train for the attacker’s possible counters or escapes, and your responses to those reactions.

That level of awareness is what separates martial technique from real self-defense.

defense defense; self defense.

Call now to connect with business.

It doesn't get clearer than this.