A martial art that was created by Thomas Jotoshi Maienza in 2002 when he combined twelve different lineages from the era of feudal Japan: six systems of the Samurai families and six of the Ninja clans. By melding these systems into one martial art, students could study these systems in a comprehensive manner rather than pursuing each one independently. With the intention of training his students to become empowered and compassionate protectors of others, Maienza focused on the additional philosophies and lessons behind each martial art technique. Students learned to sense and use their opponent’s Ki, or energy, while tapping into their own Ki. The prevailing thought follows the system of Yin and Yang (China) or In and Yo (Japan) where exists the duality of all things. All things have 2 sides and nothing is “good” or “bad”, “strong” or “weak”. Each side exists in duality with the other without judgment. These modern day warriors learn that “…every technique, strategy, principle and secret they will learn in the course of training has two sides, an omote or obvious side and an ura or not so obvious side” (Maienza and Eichenberg, 2009). Ninjutsu, put very simply, teaches the student about resistance and force to protect himself. The student must understand his own powers and limitations, and transcend his own fears in order to prevail and be strong. By confronting danger and overcoming his fears, the student can then open himself to the pleasures of the natural world. Without this transcendence, the student remains fixated on fear and danger.
Aiki, on the other hand, embodies the art of non-resistance. The founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, is quoted as saying, “The art of peace is invincible because it contends with nothing” (Maienza and Eichenberg, 2009, p. 118). Students learn how to sense their opponent’s Ki and join mindfully with the Ki, not resisting it. Aiki takes a circular, harmonious and supple approach to its techniques, strategies, and philosophies whereas Ninjutsu takes a much more linear and forceful approach. The combination of these two opposing forces creates the duality of Aiki Ninjutsu.
By taking these lessons into their daily lives, students learned how to refine and renew themselves in their relationships with others, and in how they thought about themselves. In what ways could they see themselves using the different linear and circular techniques to get a different outcome in a situation? In what ways could they use their own Ki, or better sense the Ki of another person? How could the outcome of a situation be changed when a different approach was applied? These become important questions to the Aiki Ninjutsu student.