| In 1979, Soke Masaaki Hatsumi, grandmaster of | | | | lasted several months or even years. The new |
| the nine martial traditions that make up the core | | | | person was made to clean the dojo, wash his |
| training of the Warrior Concepts Mastery | | | | senior's training clothes, work on the meals and |
| Programs, wrote a book entitled Mono-no-Mikata, | | | | cooking, and run errands. It was only once the |
| Kangae-Kata ["Ways of Seeing, Ways of | | | | teacher recognized that this person's personality |
| Thinking."] In it, he wrote a section called Deshi-iri | | | | could put up with these mundane inconveniences, |
| which, translated from Japanese, means | | | | that he was taught the martial arts and put |
| "Becoming a Student" or, more literally, "Entering | | | | through the often remorseless training on a |
| an Apprenticeship."I'm sure that many of you | | | | regular basis.When I say that this training is not |
| have noticed that, in my articles, I write more | | | | for everyone, I'm not just talking about it in a |
| about mental aspects than anything else. The | | | | sport or preferential way......like basket-weaving is |
| purpose for this is that you should realize the | | | | for some and ice hockey for others.Especially |
| importance of your attitude before you enter | | | | here in the West where we have been taught |
| martial arts training, especially the kind of | | | | that, if we are a paying consumer, we can get |
| authentic warriorship training that I focus on in my | | | | whatever we want......the business has to prove |
| programs, as opposed to the general or | | | | itself.No, what I'm talking about is the difference |
| conventional kicking/punching sport-activity that so | | | | between someone who wants to do something |
| many get involved with these days.Unlike today, | | | | because it "looks neat" and someone who feels |
| the traditional means for a person to be accepted | | | | so compelled to do something that they will |
| as a student of a warrior master were quite | | | | endure whatever they have to along the way to |
| different. Today, a person enrolls in the training | | | | fulfilling that desire.Training in Budo ("martial ways") |
| and, from day-one, the teacher says, "Fine, step | | | | is tough.Those who lack a martial artist's insight |
| this way" or "do this technique like this." But, | | | | are either dismissed or eventually fade away. This |
| according to Hatsumi-sensei, imagine that an | | | | is not meant to be cold or uncaring, it's just the |
| aspiring student, someone hoping to learn the | | | | way it happens. Teachers can see who has the |
| martial arts, comes to the dojo hoping to train. | | | | potential within them and who does |
| The teacher of the dojo did not accept that | | | | not......regardless of what any one particular person |
| student immediately. He decides whether to admit | | | | says or does to try to prove otherwise.Jeffrey M. |
| him or her after watching them on repeated | | | | Miller is the founder and master instructor of |
| visits, burning with the desire to become a | | | | Warrior Concepts International. A senior teacher in |
| student, and observing their attitude. So, that | | | | the Japanese warrior art of Ninjutsu, he specializes |
| type of person would be accepted.Students in the | | | | in teaching the ancient ways of self-protection and |
| mastery leadership and SWAT instructor training | | | | personal development lessons in a way that is |
| programs at Warrior Concepts should remember | | | | easily understood and put to use by modern |
| that a recommendation was necessary and | | | | Western students and corporate clients. Through |
| certain criteria had to be fulfilled before we even | | | | their martial arts training, his students and clients |
| sat down to discuss your becoming a full student | | | | learn proven, time-tested lessons designed to help |
| under me. Still, this is different from the traditional | | | | them create the life they've always dreamed of |
| training in that a teacher usually did not teach | | | | living, and the skills necessary for protecting that |
| Budo right away.This "trial" period may have | | | | life from anything that might threaten it. |