When you travel at night, you should try to avoid any street lamps or other artificial sources of light. Getting your eyes to adjust to true darkness is half the battle of learning to travel in the dark. Ninjas learned both “static vision,” which is grabbing something still in the darkness, and “dynamic vision,” which involves catching something moving at night. Try both of these tactics. Juggling in the dark is great way to practice.
You might want to invest in a pair of hand and foot claws and practice climbing trees using them. This will help you get a better grip into the bark of the tree. Getting to the higher ground of tree branches will not only help you avoid enemies, but will also give you a better view of your surroundings. From this height, you’ll be able to plan your espionage strategies more accurately, as you’ll have a clear view of your current location.
Another aspect of this strategy is Kannon-Gakure, where you’ll cover your face and stand in front of a tree. By hiding your face, you’ll blend into the tree and take advantage of the blind spot of the human eye. Ninjas also often hide behind trees. Much like Uzura-Gakure, you must become as still as possible, even stiller than the leaves blowing in the wind. If you can be stiller than the leaves, your enemies will only see their motion, making your body become practically undetectable.
The stealth walk is the simplest of these methods. If you guide your steps onto the outer edge of your feet, you’ll muffle the sound of a normal footstep. Practice on gravel or sand, as you’ll be able to assess the sound of your steps as well as the footprint left behind by your motion. Distraction and misdirection will also help you avoid suspicion from your enemies. This might involve you tossing a stone away from your path, or, in present day, having someone call the phone of the person you are attempting to move past. They will direct their focus toward the other sound, giving you ample time to sneak past. You can also use common sounds, like dripping water or the hum of a radiator, to mask the sound of your own motion.
The Thirty-Sixty Speed Training is a simple way to improve your cardiovascular strength and sprint speed. [5] X Research source Get a stopwatch and find a place to run without any obstacles. You’ll start by jogging for 60 seconds. After this jog, sprint for as quickly as you can for 30 seconds, then jog for another 60. You’ll repeat this cycle three more times, and it should take you exactly seven minutes. Make sure that you aren’t resting completely in your jog. This should feel like a passive recovery, but you want to make sure you’re keeping your heart rate up. It’s very likely that you’ll have to sprint for over 30 seconds when running from an enemy, so you want to prepare for the worst.
Perform lunges across the room. This will strengthen your quad muscles. Move in tiptoe to strengthen your calves. By walking on tiptoe, you’ll also practice moving more quietly, which will improve your skills in espionage. Jump as high as you can, on flat ground, until you feel exhausted. These are also known as box jumps. Sit in a horse-riding stance, bending your knees deeply and keeping your legs shoulder-width apart, for a significant amount of time. This squat will strengthen your legs. You can also jump repeatedly out of a squat, much like a box jump. Put your leg into the air, about waist high, and hold it there. This is otherwise known as a side-leg kick. Maintain this position for as long as possible. If you have access to weight training equipment, train your legs with weighted squats and leg presses. The stronger your legs are, the more force you’ll be able to put into your jumps.
Remember that mastering these exercises takes some time, as they require full engagement from your entire body, rather than just one isolated muscle.
From the get-go, your mastery of taekwondo will give you a leg up in the event of an attack. Your legs also have a larger range of motion than your hands when taking down enemies coming from all sides of you. Break boards to improve your speed, precision, and power. You’ll also need an immense amount of focus to snap a board, as it requires bringing your foot down on the perfect snapping point of the plank. Remember that you must think about moving through the board, not simply onto the board itself. [9] X Research source Aim for a spot that is past the board, and your foot will move through it with power. Make sure that whoever is holding your board has a firm grip, as this is half the reason that you’ll be able to bring your force through the wood to snap it.
One of the best staffs to train with is the bo staff, a tall staff usually made out of red or white oak. The bo staff has been used by the ninja since their beginnings in feudal Japan. Often deemed as an “extension of one’s limbs,” the movement of a bo staff is meant to mirror open-handed movements in martial arts. Your stance contains a great deal of your power when fighting with a bo staff. The placement of your feet will dictate a great deal of your upper body strength, and you’ll be able to strike your enemies differently depending on your foot placement. [11] X Research source You want to learn a wide variety of striking strategies. This will ensure that you have a keen eye for weak spots on your enemies. Pairing these strategies with your most nimble stances will maximize your dexterity with the bo staff. [12] X Research source Remember to practice your attack strategies in a safe and open location, as you don’t want to be harming those around you or causing any unnecessary damage to your home.
The most basic ninja outfit is the traditional head wrap and robe, otherwise known as the zukin and the shozoku, respectively. Contrary to popular belief, these outfits are actually not black, but actually are made from a dark blue fabric. Because a ninja wears the zukin and shozuku when traveling through the night, the dark blue blends into both the darkness and the moonlight, minimizing the risk of drawing attention from foes. The ninja also wears combat sandals, simultaneously lightweight and supportive when moving quickly. In addition to the traditional ninja garb, you also must learn to disguise yourself to travel unnoticed in the daytime. [14] X Research source Some of the traditional ninja disguises include monks, merchants, and actors. There are many disguise roles for a ninja, but it’s best for you to be concealed as a traveler. This way, you can enter any town and be perceived as a stranger, making your unfamiliar presence not seem abnormal.
Breathe in time with your steps. You will naturally enter the flow of your motion and assure that you’re keeping an even flow of oxygen into your body. When running, aim for a 3:2 ratio, allowing your in breath to cover three of your steps, and your out breath to cover two. When walking, you can use the more meditative 4:2 ratio. Practice deep breathing. Proper breath expands your whole torso. Practice breathing into your abdomen as often as possible, until it becomes habit. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth while walking. Running requires more oxygen, so you’ll need to breathe in through your mouth and nose at the same time.
You cannot eat any food that can lead to unforeseen body odor. If your enemies can smell your presence at any time, then you will arouse suspicion. It’s not enough to simply be unseen or unheard by your opponents. You cannot be detected with any sense.
Embrace a minimalist lifestyle by cutting down your possessions to the essentials.
