| The positive benefits of living near an authentic | | | | teacher - you can determine your own training |
| dojo where you can learn ninjutsu under the | | | | schedule. Training on your own allows you to pick |
| guidance of a real, skilled and proficient master | | | | the times that work best for you. |
| teacher cannot be beat. However, in today's | | | | 2) You have free choice of the topics and study |
| technological world, it has become easier through | | | | areas |
| online ninja training programs to train on your own | | | | Again, with the exception of your teacher's set |
| and still get the guidance you need. | | | | agenda at seminars and in online ninja training |
| This article outlines a few of the many benefits of | | | | programs, you determine the topics and the |
| solo training as a primary path to mastery in the | | | | order in which you will train with them when |
| centuries' old art of Japan's ancient shadow | | | | you're doing solo training. |
| warriors. Remember though, that these benefits | | | | 3) Training is self-paced |
| are no substitute for the guidance, direction, | | | | Solo training allows you to pace yourself based on |
| focus, and feedback that you get from personal, | | | | your understanding, with no concerns about what |
| one-on-one time with a living master of the art. | | | | other students are doing, or how long your |
| That being said, there is a long tradition of solo | | | | teacher schedules a particular topic to last in |
| training with only periodic training with a master | | | | group training. |
| teacher in this art. I for one have never been | | | | 4) Easier on the budget |
| closer than a 9 hour drive to any of my teachers | | | | Solo training allows those on a fixed budget or |
| while training in Ninjutsu. | | | | with other priorities to spread their training dollars |
| Even Masaaki Hatsumi, the current generation | | | | much further. You can take a core online training |
| head of the Bujinkan Dojo, and the headmaster | | | | program or attend a yearly or semi-annual live |
| of the 9 historical combat schools that make up | | | | training session to get the bulk of your |
| the core teachings of this international organization | | | | information - information that will keep you busy |
| used to make weekly overnight train trips to visit | | | | in between training sessions - and then establish |
| his own teacher, 33rd Grandmaster Toshitsugu | | | | certain feedback mechanisms so that your |
| Takamatsu - only to return home with training | | | | teacher can review what you are doing along the |
| material to practice until his next visit. | | | | way. |
| There are many reasons why you might choose | | | | 5) Free to focus on results and proficiency rather |
| to train on your own. But, where some might | | | | than rank |
| choose this avenue out of preference, others | | | | It's far too easy to get caught up in the belt color |
| might be forced to do solo training with long | | | | game when you are training in a regular dojo or |
| distance guidance. Either way, the following are a | | | | group setting. Even if you have the right intentions |
| list of benefits that cannot be ignored: | | | | at the onset, it's very easy to forget what you're |
| 1) Very flexible training schedule | | | | there for and start to train merely for rank - |
| With the exception of the online ninja training | | | | instead of what you'll able to do against someone |
| classes that require a live call, teleseminar, or | | | | who wants to beat, break, or kill you. |
| webinar - or the periodic trips to actually visit your | | | | |