Tai Chi Chuan is known for its slow and rhythmic movements. This may be the furthest thing that comes to mind when you think of the term Ninja. For any martial artist old enough to remember the eighties Ninja boom, you probably know what I mean. The Ninja in these early movies were portrayed as Japanese mystics, masters of stealth, and acrobatic high-speed killing machines. Although we can almost certainly say that the Ninja of old were extremely fit - and fast -not all skills of the Ninja require speed. In fact, some Ninja techniques require the opposite, in particular the ancient skills of Shinobi-iri stealth and infiltration techniques. In these methods, moving slow and steady to go unheard is what keeps the Ninja alive.
On a recent refresher course on my long-lost Tai Chi Chuan skills, the instructor, an elderly gentleman with decades of experience, had us drill the famous Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg. Within the Yang Short form, the movement that comes before Golden Rooster Stands on one Leg is the Snake Creeps Down in Grass sequence. The Snake Creeps Down in Grass sequence is a slow transition into Pu Bu (crouching stance 仆步), which then leads into the one-legged stance known as Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg. In Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg, one hand is held high in an attacking motion the other low in a defensive posture.
The drill that the instructor had us do on this particular day was to do the one-legged posture while moving several times forward, then several times backward, all along with slow steady and balanced movements. Emphasis was placed on foot placement, having a bent supporting leg, and of course, balance.
Moving slow and steady with a focus on weight distribution has many benefits. Moving slowly improves balance. This can be beneficial for health. For example, with elder individuals, falling and injuring oneself is a health risk. In a self-defense situation this can mean not getting wrestled to the floor. For the Ninjutsu martial artist, this can mean moving quietly, by controlling one’s movements while balancing on one foot at a time.
Enter Shinobi-iri stealth walking methods of the Ninja. Like any martial artist growing up in the eighties, I had a deep fascination with the art of the Ninja. My first introduction was at a local bookstore where there was a small selection of martial arts books. Two popular authors of the time each had a book in the small shop, with a very different approach to the mysterious art form coming from Japan. Differences didn’t matter much as my interest was sparked. However, it wouldn’t be until the early nineties until I would get my first taste of the art.
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu (a.k.a. Ninjutsu) was the system I would study for the next seven years, eventually earning a black belt in the art. On several occasions and by several different instructors (though not as often as I would have liked), we would turn out the lights and practice methods of silent walking, crawling, and running. It’s something I remember and still practice on occasion this day. Hey it could come in handy, when not when not teaching the Chinese martial arts, I currently supplement my income with an armed night watchman job.
The Ninja techniques of stealth are very similar to the Tai Chi Chuan movements especially the Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg sequence. Often the Ninja of old would do covert operations during the darkness of the night. The way I was taught to move in silence while in complete darkness involves balancing one’s weight completely on one leg, while the other acts as a feeler - feeling for obstacles that might block the way, while trying not to noisily bang into them. Once the area is scanned and if the space in front of you is free, the probing foot is slowly placed down to the ground. While practicing Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg and its slow controlled foot placement onto the ground, I could not help but be reminded of my past Ninja training. In fact, the whole Tai Chi Chuan practice would greatly help one to move quietly by balance and slow steady movement.
Not only are the lower extremities similar in the two arts so are the arm and hand movements for this stealthy sequence. When I was training in the art of Ninjutsu back in the nineties, it was not uncommon to train at different schools from time to time, as well as participate in seminars of well-known instructors. During this time, I learned two variations of the same stealth walking movement. Both involved moving in complete darkness while making minimal noise. One involves a stacking arm posture very similar to the Ward Off movement in Tai Chi Chuan, where the arms are held in a circular movement in front of the body. The other is quite similar to the movement known as Cloud Hands, where circular arm movements move about as if floating in the sky. Both are used to detect objects before banging into them and causing noise.
One interesting note as to why the Ninjutsu students keeps the palms facing the body and not facing outward, is that when the palms face outward there is a tendency to grab. In the case of a trip wire or boobytrap, you would want to decline this instinctive action.
Although Chinese arts such as Shaolin, Tai Chi and others may not have a separate category of stealth techniques, the skills learned will automatically transfer to skills needed for survival. For example, when I was living in the Songshan area just outside the Shaolin Temple, my Shifu once had us do a meditation session in the mountains. While innocently playing after practice, my Shifu’s young disciples slipped over the large boulders with effortless ease and vanished out of view. On another occasion the students led me to a popular natural swimming spot known only to the locals. Getting to the location was not easy, downright dangerous at times. While I took the safer routes, when possible, my Shifu’s young disciples again effortlessly climbed and scaled steep rock cliffs.
Martial arts are a beautiful journey, and no matter what system or systems you learn they are bound to add many great benefits to your life. Whether Tai Chi, one of the hard Chinese systems or even a Japanese martial art like Ninjutsu they are simply different paths leading to the same location - happiness, health and safety.
