As a student of the Bujinkan for the last 8 years or so, I’ve benefited much from the training. The word Bujinkan means the Training Hall of the Warrior Spirit, and is a Japanese martial arts organization composed of 9 schools of traditional Japanese martial arts, 3 of which were ninjutsu schools.
A powerful lesson that’s stuck in my head through the years was something I first read from The Grandmaster’s Book of Ninja Training by our grandmaster, sōke Masaaki Hatsumi:
People create all their barriers for themselves. It’s really such a foolish thing to do. We create our own obstacles and lose our own way in the search for truth. So it represents no barrier for me now. All that it’s necessary to do when one faces a barrier is just keep walking, paying it no attention. Just keep going, keep walking, and the obstacles disappear! In my case, when I appear to be in trouble and I think I won’t make it, I just keep walking. And so it continues, even today.
The character for the word nin in ninja means ‘to endure’ or ‘to persevere’. It combines the character for knife on top of the character for heart, it means to go on despite having your heart under the knife!
Thus, a ninja is somebody who perseveres with his heart’s intentions even under threat or pressure.
This ninja philosophy is really simple to remember, and is summed up in 2 words: keep going.
Which sounds surprisingly like what another master martial artist, Bruce Lee, said (from the book The Warrior Within: The Philosophies of Bruce Lee):
It’s just a case of learning to look at hardship as if today the rain is coming on strong, but tomorrow, baby, the sun is going to come out again.
And in a letter Bruce sent to one of his closest friends while the latter was going through a profound hardship:
Life is an ever-flowing process and somewhere on the path some unpleasant things will pop up - it might leave a scar - but then life is flowing on, and like running water, when it stops, it grows stale. Go bravely on, my friend, because each experience teaches us a lesson.
Keep going.
January 19th, 2007 at 12:35 am
I know that i am creating obstacles for myself,by thinking too much about myself.6 months back,i met with an accident which fractured my legs badly.Now i am able to walk properly.(cant run yet ,but i will).But i still am unable to come out of a shock of another surgery i had 3 years back,because of a minor bone tumor in my left wrist.I am all right now but wrist movement is restricted.I have got some good tips recently to improve the flexibility ,but it is going to take alot of time.
So regarding my goals , i am unable to focus,or is it an excuse?
January 19th, 2007 at 1:49 am
That’s what I’m doing right now. Keep going…
It’s only the beginning.
Munish - Wow, the fact that you can walk now after that injury only means you’ll regain your flexibility and ability to run in no time, as long as you continue to breathe, exercise and believe. Believe in the power of your mind.
And what better than to keep going? All the best to you!
January 19th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
Kloudiia .
Thanks for the reply.
January 20th, 2007 at 11:04 am
Hi munish,
You’re going through a tough time, and finding out how exactly you’re not reaching your goals isn’t going to help you
Instead, I’d suggest you ask yourself what more do you need to get what you want - in this case to get back to a healthy, strong body.
I’d suggest you read this book on the power of your mind to affect your body and healing:
Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient
And specifically for you, find out more about the Feldenkrais Method.
Morris Goodman was a very successful man who in his 30s, had his neck broken, spinal cord crushed and every major muscle destroyed in a plane crash. But the Miracle Man (as the doctors dubbed him, and the name of the film which I first learnt about him from) not only survived, but regained full use of his limbs through persistent effort and a positive attitude.
I wish you all the best, munish, keep going
January 29th, 2007 at 12:47 am
Alvin,
I will read this book.Thanks again for your reply.
October 30th, 2007 at 12:28 am
I have read what it is that you are currently experiencing
and i think that you are doing great.
Keep on Keeping on.
That is the only choice that we have in life.
If you think about it…wheather you are down or not
you will eventually come to that conclusion.
Look at your improvement and build from that,
because that is what we were meant to do.
That is the survive, strive, achieve…and keep on.
So keep healing and improving and getting better….and focusing and believing…because i truley beleive that this is
all the key….Believe! and when you are done acheiving your goal..gear up and go achieve more… I have a link that i want to show you…i believe it speaks for itself just watch it and i challenge you not to be inspired by it… Keep on trucking Buddy…!!
Make sure you watch this video…it will change the way you look at yourself…
Lonnie
October 30th, 2007 at 12:30 am
By the by the last post i made was to Munish….
August 16th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I absolutely love this article, “Keep going.” I came across this page while I was searching for ideas for a tattoo I want to get. I was hoping to get the word PERSEVERANCE (in another language). I love the symbol you have posted here. Can you tell me more about it. What language would this be in?
Thanks, Melisa
August 18th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
The same character means the same thing in both Japanese and Mandarin, Melisa