Skeptics, how did this Ninjitsu master do this?

[really?]

[Craig Browning]

[Scepcop]

Skeptics,
Can you explain this one? Is it for real? What is this touch he has that renders people unconscious? Is there such a thing in ancient martial arts?

[Arouet]

Is there anyone on this site that you think has the experitise to evaluate that Scepcop? Do you suppose there is something non-physical going on? was the demonstration done in conditions you would consider reliable? Is there enough information in that video to draw any reliable conclusions?

And yes, I do believe there have been martial arts for a long time.

[Craig Browning]

He's doing exactly what he claims. I was fortunately enough to take a few classes in Dem Mak back in the 80s and on top of that I was an Akido student in my teens, so pressure point techniques are quite familiar to me. What they are saying about Dem Mak however, is a hint of exaggeration for the sake of hype perhaps but certainly over-simplification in that certain strikes and the desired effect can only be delivered during certain times of day and even then, only to persons acclimated to the time zone in question. Toss onto this other physical influences such as the victim's breathing; a subtle knuckle strike in the rib area during the early evening hours will bring on all the symptoms of a Cardiac Arrest and unless someone knows how to counter that strike within a given time frame following the original strike, the victim will die.

This is a part of the martial arts world from which the more mystical lore seeps from because it is "invisible" for the most part, usually only taught to those taking on the mantel of assassin or "ninja" as the case were. But on that thought, Porky Boy ain't no Ninja Master he's using the term because of its commercial appeal and little other. There is only one living Shidoshi that I'm aware of in the U.S. and that would be Stephan Hayes who teaches the Iga Clan forms of the craft. Frank Dux claims to be trained in the Coga Ninjitsu styles but is likewise one of the biggest laughing stocks in the Martial Arts world it would seem. He is the one behind Jean Claude Van Dam however, Jean-Claude's first big movie "Blood Sport" being about Frank's like. . . having once worked for Frank I can assure you, there's a lot of misinformation in the film as well as the world of Mr. Dux, but I'll not go down that path.

My suggestion when it comes to this sort of stuff, is that you actually do some footwork around it. In the case of Dem Mak, look up the books by Ashida Kem, they'll give you a general picture as to what's what. Stephan Hayes also has a fair number of books that may enlightened you as well.

[ProfWag]

[ProfWag]

[Craig Browning]

[ProfWag]

[DarkArackana]

Joey Nuzum is a psychic: http://youtu.be/E8ouWTLf9L8

[DarkArackana]

[Craig Browning]

First of all Ninjitsu is NOT a single Martial Art style but a combination of no fewer than 3 but typically 5 or more chief disciplines. The typical student that's qualified for this field of study has what would amount to being a Brown Belt rank or higher in each of these alternative systems before even being considered for the advanced training.

In the case of the film loop above, most of what this guy was demonstrating were advanced forms of Jujitsu as well as elements of Tai Chi Chuan (the lethal side of traditional Tai Chi) and as with any and all pressure point and joint attacks, Akido.

Ninjitsu, while it does have some of its own "dirty work" deals more with helping the warrior learn how to combine his/her many skill sets along with stealth techniques, deception & misdirection tactics and of course an extensive list of weaponology including the us of poisons.

The time table factor I mentioned previously ties to these factors in that you may, in the heat of battle, kick the Ninja's butt and chase him off, but a few hours after the combat you will begin to suffer certain physical health conditions as the result of certain seemingly clumsy strikes made by the assassin during the fight. On another front, when a Ninja is sneaking about to enter or exist a target facility or even making a "hit" on someone, they take the time factor into consideration so that non-lethal force can be applied; stifling and taking a "guard" out of play without causing major trauma. Certain strikes can render the victim "paralyzed" for as long as 30 minutes or exceptionally weak physically for a matter of hours. At the same time, a particular type of strike, let's say to the top of the head during the early morning hours, will result in an aneurysm and thus, probable death within a few hours if not treated immediately.

When I worked for the Dux Academy my job was to teach students about stealth and herbs/poisons. Needless to say, we are talking about the older students and not the 8 and 9 year olds. I worked closely with another teacher that specialized in rolls, tumbling, flips, etc. so that we could create training courses in which both skills were used (stealth/concealment with gymnastics).

Because of Hollywood (primarily) people build far too much romance around the legend of the Ninja, including belief that they had some kind of supernatural sense of training. While strong mental discipline was a must alongside a sense of spiritual commitment, the only thing that is semi-mystical when it comes to any aspect of the martial arts, is the issue of Ki/Chi. Science loves to negate it's validity while it is a factor deeply woven in Asian life (as well as that of the Jedi).