| One of the most important lessons that you could | | | | you, only to be met by the explosive spray of liquid |
| ever learn about real-world self defense can be | | | | coming from the now charged bottle you just |
| found in the Ninja's unorthodox self-protection | | | | strategically opened in his direction! |
| methods. It's the skill of thinking and acting "outside | | | | You move to pick up your remaining groceries and |
| the box!" | | | | get out of there, when you feel the grip of his |
| This article focuses on the ability to see anything as | | | | massive arms wrap around you from behind. |
| a potential weapon in your own defense. So, read on | | | | As you drop the bag, you hold onto the bunch of |
| and join me for a day at the grocery store. | | | | celery that was waiting it's turn inside. Then, using |
| Ninja-style! | | | | the vegetable's leafy end you reach over your |
| Can you imagine being out at the store on your day | | | | shoulder as if to dust off his face - attacking his |
| off? The sun is shining, it's a beautiful day, when | | | | eyes with what he will soon find is an example of a |
| suddenly there he is... the mugger who wants your | | | | combination weapon type. Because, as he flinches |
| money! | | | | back from the assault on his eyes, his grip loosens |
| What do you do? | | | | enough for you to shift to the side and slam the |
| You've got your gun in the glove compartment, and | | | | club-like bunch of celery into his groin. |
| your shuriken back at the dojo. All you have in your | | | | While he is doubled over, you look into the bag and |
| hand is a grocery bag full of food! | | | | look at the lone pack of lunch meat, sealed in that |
| Follow me through the recesses of your grocery bag, | | | | thick, plastic wrapper that takes super-human |
| as we back up to create necessary space and time - | | | | strength to open. You're still looking at it, when you |
| put the bag down, and begin to employ surprising | | | | suddenly realize that he has upped the rules of the |
| examples of the Ninja's 5 primary weapon types. | | | | game, and is lunging at you with a knife. |
| The first thing we do is pull out a loaf of sliced bread | | | | Sidestepping the attempted stab, and bringing the |
| and pull back as if to use it as a club. As soon as the | | | | serrated edge of the lunch meat wrapper across his |
| attacker stops to figure out what he's looking at, we | | | | cutting arm, opening him up with a cut of your own |
| quickly tear the plastic open and help ourselves to | | | | with your make-shift blade-type weapon, you quickly |
| several slices. | | | | cause him to drop the knife in his now wounded |
| As he recovers from his surprised disbelief, he begins | | | | hand. |
| to move in again, only to find that he is being hit by | | | | Undeterred, he reaches out and slaps the small |
| bread shuriken - slices of the bread in your hand that | | | | package from your hand. Then, with a warning yell |
| you are launching at his face like the Ninja stars - | | | | that speaks of his pain, frustration, and humiliation... |
| projectile type weapons - they resemble! | | | | ...he makes a final attempt to do what he set out to |
| This gives you the needed time to reach back into | | | | do. Except, as his fist flies out to smash into your |
| the bag and pull out that bottle of soda you were | | | | face, you slip by his moving arm to use the bag in |
| going to enjoy on the way home. | | | | your hand like the flexible weapon that it is. You |
| Now, with fury at the fool that you made of him | | | | deftly parry his arm to the side far enough to catch |
| with the bread, your assailant comes in at you with a | | | | his head with the bag stretched between your hands. |
| clothing grab to take control of the victim who thinks | | | | As soon as you know you have his balance, you shift |
| he's a comedian. Except that as soon as his hand | | | | into position for a rear hip throw and, using the bag |
| grabs your shirt, he feels the splintering pain shoot | | | | as a rope, you shift out - causing his head and neck |
| through the back of his hand and up his outstretched | | | | to crash into the pavement - rendering him |
| arm. | | | | unconscious! |
| As he starts to let go, the pain moves to his head, | | | | And, that's how we Ninja are always "armed." Except |
| as the bottle is suddenly slammed into his face and | | | | now you're out of weapons...I mean food! |
| the side of his head. As he reels from the | | | | I guess it's back into the store to refill your grocery |
| brain-jarring attack, and tries to contain his dizziness | | | | bag for dinner... |
| from the plastic, soda filled bottle - an example of a | | | | ...or the next unsuspecting criminal who has no idea |
| stick or clubbing type weapon - he turns back to | | | | who he's choosing as a target! |