Which art to go for?

Jaafa

So I'll be going to UCD this year and as you may know it offers a lot of MA to choose from. I know little about them and would like some advice as which one might be for me.

I'm 18 years old. Male. Average height, like 5'8, and weigh about 50kg so as you can tell I'm not the strongest chap. However I have a fairly high level of endurance and fitness due to playing a lot of soccer.

So the MA I have to choose from are

Aikido
Capoeira
Karate
Kung Fu Shaolin
Lau Gar Kickboxing
Ninjitsu
Taekwon-Do
Tai Chi Chuan

I was leaning towards Aikido but heard its not a very realistic MA if you ever actually get into a fight. I don't know if this is true.
Any advice is appreciated.

Jaafa

Ok now I'm liking to look of Bujinkan-Ninjutsu which seems to fit what I'd like to go for. i.e overpowering an opponent not being necessary and lots of evasive techniques along with practical street defense.

00MARTZ00

they have a facebook page under UCD Ninjutsu if you want to have a look or get in touch with someone.

Doug Cartel

Try them all and see which one you like. Just remember they'll all make big claims about effectiveness, etc. - keep objective, and try not get caught up by the hype.

CIARAN_BOYLE

Talk to the reps at freshers week and try the ones out that interest you.

There is a massive difference between the clubs that are supposed to be there and the clubs that are there

DIT was supposed to have two Karate clubs(shotokan and another style), an aikido club, a kickboxing club, a TKD club, a judo club, a BJJ club, a Krav Magna club, and a Tai Chi club.

Some of the clubs didn't exist and two of the ones that did exist didn't have qualified insructors so I was left with a choice between three clubs that seemed decently run. I just picked the one that was the most comfortable in regards scheduling and my timetable. Not a great reason to pick a club but I am delighted that I joined.

Clive

Try them out, normally the first week or two are free. Go with the one that's the most fun and has the best social scene is my advice.

Jaafa

00MARTZ00 wrote: »

they have a facebook page under UCD Ninjutsu if you want to have a look or get in touch with someone.

Yeah I did. They also have a site here. http://www.bujinkancarrolldojo.ie/ucd.php

I can't seem to find anything about their instructors tough. When I go to freshers week and ask them what should I look out for? What qualifies you as an instructor? Are there any other signs of a well run dojo?

bjj-fighter

Capoeira is great fun, haven't tried the rest.

Dyr

Capoiera is probably the only one that will get you chicks...no contest

hidinginthebush

As a member of the shaolin club I'd be massively biased in telling you to join that its non-competition, but we do spar the odd time (when you're ready) and you'll learn how to deal with blocking attacks. Good fun and with the meditation sets great for stress. I would say though take a walk down on Freshers well and talk to the people on the stands and see which suits you best. Best of luck!

CIARAN_BOYLE

Jaafa wrote: »

Yeah I did. They also have a site here. http://www.bujinkancarrolldojo.ie/ucd.php

I can't seem to find anything about their instructors tough. When I go to freshers week and ask them what should I look out for? What qualifies you as an instructor? Are there any other signs of a well run dojo?

Well that there is only one class a week in UCD would be a turn off for me. But thats a personal thing of mine, when you get advanced you tend to want instruction more than once a week. I see with the bujinkan website there is another location where they run training. Ask about it to see if it is a viable commute for you.

If there is talk about weapon training ask about insurance.

Ask what the instructors grade is. Is he a blackbelt. I know a blackbelt means something different in different styles but in Karate for example it would be unusual for a non blackbelt to run a class.

Ask if there is one or more instructors. The Karate club I train in has a few blackbelts who take training occasionally if the normal instructor is unavailable. This often leads to us getting different experiences because they all have favorite things to work on.

Ask what the clubs social scene is. You are entering college after all and going for a drink after training can be a good way to get to know people.

Emiko

If you're looking an effective MA, maybe try out the Tai Chi with Niall Keane, who posts on here and who I think is still teaching it in UCD.

KathleenMcCabe

I'd take the advice Doug Cartel gave above. Try them all and you'll find what suits you.

Remember MA conditioning is much different to Soccer conditioning. Throwing punches and kicks will tire you out in about 30-60 seconds if you're not conditioned to it.

Jaafa

Deleted User wrote: »

Remember MA conditioning is much different to Soccer conditioning. Throwing punches and kicks will tire you out in about 30-60 seconds if you're not conditioned to it.

Depends on the type of soccer conditioning you did.

themandan6611

Jaafa wrote: »

Depends on the type of soccer conditioning you did.

no, it doesn't matter, you'll find MA is non-stop while with soccer / gaa you can get a break and a breath. Try 7 x 3 mins sparring in MA vs a football game :rolleyes:

Jaafa

themandan6611 wrote: »

no, it doesn't matter, you'll find MA is non-stop while with soccer / gaa you can get a break and a breath. Try 7 x 3 mins sparring in MA vs a football game :rolleyes:

I don't know about you but at my former club I've been so out of breathe during training I'd almost throw up on a number of occasions, and that was when I was at my fittest.

Now I don't want to start an argument on which is harder to do, but you have to accept depending on the club/dojo both soccer and MAs can be equally demanding physically.

CIARAN_BOYLE

No matter how fit you are as a soccer/gaa player you will get exhausted doing martial arts cause you tend to need loads of different muscles in different ways than you would as a soccer player. Its not about your general fitness. I know a few martial arts guys who would struggle with soccer too.

A mate of mine used to run every morning and was super fit. He moved apartment and is now near a pool. He swims some mornings instead. A few lenghts makes him tired cause muscles are being used differently and need to build up different types of stamina. Its the same thing.

Jaafa

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

No matter how fit you are as a soccer/gaa player you will get exhausted doing martial arts cause you tend to need loads of different muscles in different ways than you would as a soccer player. Its not about your general fitness. I know a few martial arts guys who would struggle with soccer too.

A mate of mine used to run every morning and was super fit. He moved apartment and is now near a pool. He swims some mornings instead. A few lenghts makes him tired cause muscles are being used differently and need to build up different types of stamina. Its the same thing.

Fair enough then I can accept that.

RoboRat

I don't know about you but at my former club I've been so out of breathe during training I'd almost throw up on a number of occasions, and that was when I was at my fittest.

Now I don't want to start an argument on which is harder to do, but you have to accept depending on the club/dojo both soccer and MAs can be equally demanding physically.

Played soccer to a very high level (went to England) and have since given up due to knee injuries. I do MMA & Judo these days and I can safely say that they are much harder than any soccer training I have ever done... and I have done some serious training playing ball. Perhaps this is down to slowly raising my resistance to football training as I was playing & training since I was 4 whereas I just jumped into MMA/Judo training when I hadn't done any martial arts for over 15 years.

Unpossible

Doesn't it depend on the martial art too? Years ago in college in Ireland I joined a martial arts club and it was very static, not much good for fittness. Then I joined the judo club

Hanley

CIARAN_BOYLE wrote: »

A mate of mine used to run every morning and was super fit. He moved apartment and is now near a pool. He swims some mornings instead. A few lenghts makes him tired cause muscles are being used differently and need to build up different types of stamina. Its the same thing.

He struggles because he's probably a terribly inefficient swimmer and his breathing pattern is all screwed up.

There's an element of transfer (look at how Lance Armstrong did in marathons -v- the tour), but sport specific fitness, esp for MAs is a totally different animal to field sports so I definitely agree in principle.

Zen65

Jaafa wrote: »

Any advice is appreciated.

I think the important thing is to find a club that motivates you to keep training, because MA's can be a bit boring while you go through the early learning phase.

Let me say at the outset that I'm very biased, as my training is almost exclusively in Shotokan Karate. I started my learning of karate in UCD decades ago. The UCD Karate Club instructors are all members of the Irish Shotokan Institute and are Dan grades (black belt). Most of the instructors are 3rd Dans (awarded by internationally recognised Japanese masters) and they have a lot of experience in teaching karate. The Karate Club was voted best Sports Club in UCD many times, and unlike many of the MA clubs there they continue to train both during term and between terms. That's partly why they are the 2011 intervarsity champions.

Importantly it's a good social club too. Check their Facebook page.

I know that last year they also gave dedicated self defence classes, which is uncommon (I think) among the UCD clubs. As a karate instructor myself I know how important it is to include dedicated self-defence sessions in your training.

The issue for you is which type of MA best suits you, and which club is most fun to train in. I'd suggest you join more than one (they charge a tiny sum for the membership and AFAIK the training is free after that) to try them out.

Cheers,

Z

PS: Yeah, I know the UCD Shaolin Club is good too.

Jaafa

Zen65 wrote: »

I think the important thing is to find a club that motivates you to keep training, because MA's can be a bit boring while you go through the early learning phase.

Let me say at the outset that I'm very biased, as my training is almost exclusively in Shotokan Karate. I started my learning of karate in UCD decades ago. The UCD Karate Club instructors are all members of the Irish Shotokan Institute and are Dan grades (black belt). Most of the instructors are 3rd Dans (awarded by internationally recognised Japanese masters) and they have a lot of experience in teaching karate. The Karate Club was voted best Sports Club in UCD many times, and unlike many of the MA clubs there they continue to train both during term and between terms. That's partly why they are the 2011 intervarsity champions.

Importantly it's a good social club too. Check their Facebook page.

I know that last year they also gave dedicated self defence classes, which is uncommon (I think) among the UCD clubs. As a karate instructor myself I know how important it is to include dedicated self-defence sessions in your training.

The issue for you is which type of MA best suits you, and which club is most fun to train in. I'd suggest you join more than one (they charge a tiny sum for the membership and AFAIK the training is free after that) to try them out.

Cheers,

Z

PS: Yeah, I know the UCD Shaolin Club is good too.

Thanks for this reply its very helpful. Hope you don't mind answering a few more questions.

How big is the club (ie how many people in it)? How often is training? Also do you know anything about the Ninjitsu club?

Zen65

Jaafa wrote: »

How big is the club (ie how many people in it)? How often is training? Also do you know anything about the Ninjitsu club?

Hi Jaafa,

The club size varies from year to year. Officially there would be 100+ members, but in practice this boils down very quickly to a "hard core" of about 30-40 members. Like most clubs the attendance drops again after Christmas, but typically about 20 or so members train throughout the full year. The club has two fixed classes on Mondays (6-8pm) and Wednesdays (8-10pm), and I'm told that Saturday classes are organised whenever space is available in the Sports Centre, typically 11am-1pm, either for traditional training or self-defence classes.

Because both UCD and DCU Karate clubs are members of the ISI they have some arrangement which allows members to train in both clubs, so it's easier to find a time to suit. DCU club trains on Mondays & Thursdays @ 7pm, Saturdays @11am. It's a bit smaller than UCD club.

I'm afraid I don't know any of the Ninjutsu instructors. My understanding is that it is run by an external club, but I might be wrong about that. According to their website they train once a week on Tuesdays. I've seen the club training but never watched long enough to develop an informed opinion.

I have met the Aikido instructor and he comes across as a very genuine man. I agree that Aikido might be difficult to apply in self-defence situations, but the value of having a highly developed sense of balance and harmony in movement should not be under-estimated. If I had the time I would add Aikido to my repertoire of martial arts.

I mentioned the Shaolin Club; I've known them since... well since the club was formed. Again, it's a very good club with a very dedicated and genuine instructor. I've also come to know some of the Lau Gar club and watched them train. The students seem to enjoy what they do, and the club is quite active. I was not too impressed with the other MA clubs there, either because the training seemed a touch hap-hazard or because there was too much emphasis on competition (which doesn't float my boat, though I don't find it objectionable in any way).

Cheers,

Z

PS: Contact the UCD Karate Club at ucdkarate@gmail.com if you want answers to questions that I wouldn't be able to answer (like "what does it cost?")

SDTimeout

I'm not sure if someone said BJJ. However being light like you (64KG) the satisfaction of being able to sweep or control a guy who is bigger than you are with technique is one of the most satisfying things I've experienced in BJJ so far.

The only downside is, it takes a while to get there and it's probably only going to be in certain positions.

Either way try them all and once you find one you like don't be afraid to jump in at the deep end.

Doug Cartel

SDTimeout wrote: »

I'm not sure if someone said BJJ.

There's no direct BJJ club and the MMA club (where I think the guy who posts here as Rear Naked Jim coached BJJ) is listed as being inactive.

Does anyone know what the story is there? Also what about the judo club, have they reformed yet?

Jaafa

Zen65 wrote: »

Hi Jaafa,

The club size varies from year to year. Officially there would be 100+ members, but in practice this boils down very quickly to a "hard core" of about 30-40 members. Like most clubs the attendance drops again after Christmas, but typically about 20 or so members train throughout the full year. The club has two fixed classes on Mondays (6-8pm) and Wednesdays (8-10pm), and I'm told that Saturday classes are organised whenever space is available in the Sports Centre, typically 11am-1pm, either for traditional training or self-defence classes.

Because both UCD and DCU Karate clubs are members of the ISI they have some arrangement which allows members to train in both clubs, so it's easier to find a time to suit. DCU club trains on Mondays & Thursdays @ 7pm, Saturdays @11am. It's a bit smaller than UCD club.

I'm afraid I don't know any of the Ninjutsu instructors. My understanding is that it is run by an external club, but I might be wrong about that. According to their website they train once a week on Tuesdays. I've seen the club training but never watched long enough to develop an informed opinion.

I have met the Aikido instructor and he comes across as a very genuine man. I agree that Aikido might be difficult to apply in self-defence situations, but the value of having a highly developed sense of balance and harmony in movement should not be under-estimated. If I had the time I would add Aikido to my repertoire of martial arts.

I mentioned the Shaolin Club; I've known them since... well since the club was formed. Again, it's a very good club with a very dedicated and genuine instructor. I've also come to know some of the Lau Gar club and watched them train. The students seem to enjoy what they do, and the club is quite active. I was not too impressed with the other MA clubs there, either because the training seemed a touch hap-hazard or because there was too much emphasis on competition (which doesn't float my boat, though I don't find it objectionable in any way).

Cheers,

Z

PS: Contact the UCD Karate Club at ucdkarate@gmail.com if you want answers to questions that I wouldn't be able to answer (like "what does it cost?")

Thanks again a very informative reply. Yes initially I was looking into Aikido and does seem like an MA I would like to do at some stage. However I'm not sure it's really for me as a beginner. I will take what you and everyone else has said into consideration when I go to the MA stands in a couple of weeks. Its good to have an idea of what all the different MA's are about before going.

Thanks again to all the replies.

crazy cabbage

try them all out and see which one you like the most. in my experence it is more the instructor and his methods will be the deciding factor of wether you will stay. i do taekwondo and love it but went to a different tkd school for a cuple of classes (with instructors permission of course) and didn't really like it. the training wasn't as intense.

so yea. try them all out and whatever training style you like best go for

G-Money

Thinking about getting into some sort of MA myself but I'm not sure which type to go for. Unlike the OP though, I'm not in UCD or any educational institute.

I did karate when I was a teenager but didn't stick at it past orange belt. I didn't enjoy the sparring. One of the things I disliked was constantly trying to avoid being tripped up/sweeped. Perhaps that's normal, I don't know.

A friend told me about ju-jitsu, I think it was the brazilian version he did as he said it was mostly ground based grappling.

Kung Fu looks appealing from an aesthetic point of view but I don't know how realistic my opinion of it is.

dave80

G-Money wrote: »

Thinking about getting into some sort of MA myself but I'm not sure which type to go for. Unlike the OP though, I'm not in UCD or any educational institute.

I did karate when I was a teenager but didn't stick at it past orange belt. I didn't enjoy the sparring. One of the things I disliked was constantly trying to avoid being tripped up/sweeped. Perhaps that's normal, I don't know.

A friend told me about ju-jitsu, I think it was the brazilian version he did as he said it was mostly ground based grappling.

Kung Fu looks appealing from an aesthetic point of view but I don't know how realistic my opinion of it is.

where are you based so people can give you a few recommendations in your area?

G-Money

dave80 wrote: »

where are you based so people can give you a few recommendations in your area?

South County Dublin, Dublin 18 area.

Cheers.

Zen65

G-Money wrote: »

South County Dublin, Dublin 18 area.

Cheers.

There's a couple of good clubs in the Loughlinstown Leisure Centre: Shotokan Karate (they don't do a lot of leg sweeps there, so don't panic) and BJJ/MMA (I couldn't find a website for them). Enquire at the desk.

Be at peace,


Z

Nakor

G-Money wrote: »

South County Dublin, Dublin 18 area.

Cheers.

If Dun Laoghaire is not too far for you than you can drop by to one of our class as well and see if you like it (www.doolandojo.com) It is a small but very dedicated club

There is just no better way than trying a few different clubs before you decide which club/art/sport you like the best.

PM me for details

Niall Keane

http://www.ymaa.ie/

You said you were thinking of Kung Fu, well Paul Moran who posts here has a club in deans grange and also in stillorgan I think, genuine Kung Fu as in real deal and real lineage, unlike the usual Irish mcDojo story - judo that became karate that became Kung Fu that became MMA. :-(

Also his school competes in Sanshou always the best check to tell if a Kung Fu school does what it says on the tin!

G-Money

Thanks for the info.

I'm not sure how interested I am in martial arts from a sparring perspective. It wasn't something I ever really liked when I was doing karate in my teens. Although it was light contact back then when I was doing it, but still wasn't a major fan of it for some reason.

However I like the idea of supplementing my running with something else to help me get fit and to help me get out of the house and it appeals to me from that perspective.

smacl

G-Money wrote: »

Thanks for the info.

I'm not sure how interested I am in martial arts from a sparring perspective. It wasn't something I ever really liked when I was doing karate in my teens. Although it was light contact back then when I was doing it, but still wasn't a major fan of it for some reason.

However I like the idea of supplementing my running with something else to help me get fit and to help me get out of the house and it appeals to me from that perspective.

If you don't like striking, try something more wrestling / grappling oriented. Great fun and great for fitness. If that doesn't appeal to you, maybe a boxing fitness class or boxing club that will let you train without sparring, also great for fitness.

Bambi wrote: »

Capoiera is probably the only one that will get you chicks...no contest

Also great for fitness, no contact, and looks like great craic if you can find a club. Never tried it myself, but I believe there's a class starting up in Loughlinstown.

G-Money

Plenty to think about. Martial Arts definitely appeals to me, just not all of it. The wrestling/grappling thing sounds good fun too. But I like the ideal of training in martial arts and being able to kick and punch properly. Sorry for the newbie style thoughts there

I've considered some sort of boxing class too, but never really looked into it.

pearsquasher

Check www.bujinkan.ie for local clubs. This art does not have a large sparring component and involves all sides of martial arts - weapons, strikes, kicks, grappling, locks and throws.

cletus

G-Money wrote: »

Plenty to think about. Martial Arts definitely appeals to me, just not all of it. The wrestling/grappling thing sounds good fun too. But I like the ideal of training in martial arts and being able to kick and punch properly. Sorry for the newbie style thoughts there

I've considered some sort of boxing class too, but never really looked into it.

Your unlikely to learn how to punch or kick properly if you dont spar regularly nad with some intensity

Cill94

I'd choose kickboxing if I were you. It's the most useful if you're ever in a real fight imo. Although I thought that UCD have wrestling and boxing too? Either of those would be good too. And yes aikido from what I've heard is useless.

Jaafa

So I ended up going with Ninjitsu. Had a chat with one of the instructors and they seem to put a lot of emphasis on modern self defense instead of being all traditional. Also they only train once a week which I know wouldn't appeal to many but suits me fine as I already have a busy schedule and want to try out other clubs too. So thanks again for all the advice folks.

650gs

Best bet to learn self defence is to go in to Dublin city center any Friday night a just kick a bouncer in the rocks after two months of this type of training you should be well able to take care of yourself

Pride Fighter

OP, I've been to UCD for many years and know the lay of the land. All the MA clubs are great IMO. They are generally ran by student committees with the coaches brought in. It's a great way to meet friends and socialise, the committees do fun days out, back each other up at tournaments etc. Whatever one you pick you'll have a blast.

Also maybe try the boxing club? I know many people who hate martial arts and fighting in general that do it. You can learn the basics and not spar. The workouts they put on are infamous, extremely tough. That's why they do it. UCD athletics, rowing and boxing will get you super fit and are well known for it. The boxing club will have you super fit and ease you into the sparring at whatever pace you want.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Jaafa wrote: »

So I ended up going with Ninjitsu.

Thank you for coming back to the forum with an update, most don't.

Good luck with the Ninjitsu.

650gs wrote: »

Best bet to learn self defence is to go in to Dublin city center any Friday night a just kick a bouncer in the rocks after two months of this type of training you should be well able to take care of yourself

And YOU are banned from the forum for ten days.

pearsquasher

Good look with the bujinkan (Ninjutsu) training. Been doing it for 22 years myself....... never gets boring!

they put a lot of emphasis on modern self defense instead of being all traditional

.

{small rant }
Absolutely....ninjutsu has always adapted to the period its trained in... thats part of its nature. "Tradition" just refers to the fact that there's a connection back into the past. A lot of folks incorrectly mistake "traditional" for "old" , "redundant", "archaic" etc. What it actually means is that you're really studying the current iteration of an art that has continued along an ever-evolving line.

So the guys studing ninjutsu in say, 1701 were'nt doing the exactly same thing as the guys in 1620, but they were part of the same tradtion just as we are now - the same outlook on fighting but adapted to our own needs, technology, clothing, environment etc. Now bujinkan is established in the West for over 25 years, its adapted again but still retains its core priciples which are independent on era and dependent only on natural human ability.

For example, we have dozens of paired kata that start with the defender kneeling Japanese-style. We practice them but then adapt them for sitting-in-chair style. The techniques still involve striking in a particular way, shifting at certain angles, taking balance, using the environment etc.

Jaafa

pearsquasher wrote: »

Good look with the bujinkan (Ninjutsu) training. Been doing it for 22 years myself....... never gets boring!

.

{small rant }
Absolutely....ninjutsu has always adapted to the period its trained in... thats part of its nature. "Tradition" just refers to the fact that there's a connection back into the past. A lot of folks incorrectly mistake "traditional" for "old" , "redundant", "archaic" etc. What it actually means is that you're really studying the current iteration of an art that has continued along an ever-evolving line.

So the guys studing ninjutsu in say, 1701 were'nt doing the exactly same thing as the guys in 1620, but they were part of the same tradtion just as we are now - the same outlook on fighting but adapted to our own needs, technology, clothing, environment etc. Now bujinkan is established in the West for over 25 years, its adapted again but still retains its core priciples which are independent on era and dependent only on natural human ability.

For example, we have dozens of paired kata that start with the defender kneeling Japanese-style. We practice them but then adapt them for sitting-in-chair style. The techniques still involve striking in a particular way, shifting at certain angles, taking balance, using the environment etc.

That interesting know. Looking back at a few of the other MA's leaflets I notice a lot of them are actually stressing the modern aspect of their club but its good that Ninjutsu actually has the updating factor inherently built in.

C14N

I'm in the same situation as the OP. Pretty much same build too (although a little over 60kg, still on the light side). I really have no idea which MA to go with. Really, I guess I'm more concerned with self defense than anything but I like the idea of learning control, discipline and respect too.

I like the look of aikido. I know a lot of people label it as useless for real life situations but I've seen aikido supporters refute this vehemently as it has been taught in military and police environments around the world. I think people think it looks a bit silly and unrealistic when two experienced fighters are doing a demo but many people have said that an untrained fighter would most likely break an arm in the same demos. My real issue is that it has no grading system, which is something I would find very motivational.

I don't know much about karate and what the style is about. I feel a little worried that it might be the most "mainstream" of the MAs and might attract a lot with little genuine interest.

All I know about Kung Fu is from movies (so I expect it to be inaccurate). Is it really about leaping around and doing overly extravagant attacks?

Lau Gar looks pretty good, the only thing I would be worried about would be the sparring, I'm not a fan of getting kicked in the face :P I'm sort of in two minds about it though as part of me thinks that a bit of beating could toughen me up a bit.

Ninjitsu sounds pretty cool too but it's probably the one I know the least about and I don't know how structured the training is either as I've heard ninjitsu doesn't have a centralised school.

I did Taekwondo when I was about 10 but never got very far with it. I'm unsure of its effectiveness as self defense though because I've heard there is a strong emphasis on kicks.

Tai Chi Chuan is the same story as ninjitsu in that I really just don't know anything about it or its effectiveness.

I want to try a few out and maybe I'll talk to some of the reps over the next few days. Does anyone know if there are any demos or if I can try any out for free for a short while?

00MARTZ00

as far as i know the ninjutsu club is free in UCD because it is used by the student (and possibly the staff). i am open to correction but i would of thought that most MA clubs in UCD would be the same. so if they're free just try them and see what suits you.

pearsquasher

Ninjitsu sounds pretty cool too but it's probably the one I know the least about and I don't know how structured the training is either as I've heard ninjitsu doesn't have a centralised school.

Every decent Ninjutsu instructor has a syllabus based on the teacher training manual/program issued by the HQ in Japan in the early 80's and their own training under a qualified teacher. For Bujinkan the art is centralised in Japan with all instructors asked to train there as often as possible - to keep sharp, as it were.

The training often seems haphazard to the untrained eye but in fact there is a very deep level of structure to it all that I personally find endlessly enjoyable sifting through.

Jaafa

00MARTZ00 wrote: »

as far as i know the ninjutsu club is free in UCD because it is used by the student (and possibly the staff). i am open to correction but i would of thought that most MA clubs in UCD would be the same. so if they're free just try them and see what suits you.

The first week or two is free to try out. Its then a tenner to continue for the year. So still very cheap IMO.