ARUKI By PAUL ADAMS – FUMA RYU NINJUTSU
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The night was silent, there was nothing amiss. The noises of the night sounded all around in the woods. Nature was in balance and the animals in the woods went around their normal nocturnal activities. It was as it should be. The night was passing without event and soon the last hour of the day would be reached and the new day would begin. The noises of the night would soon change as animals would prepare for the coming dawn. Behind all this activity lay the silence, within this the ninja moved in the woods. The sentry post was quiet. The Takeda troops were going about their routine, as they had done for many nights. They were watching the borders of their land, ensuring that the roads were safe and that any movements of the enemy would be picked up. Within the night a group of Fuma Rappa were moving silently around the Takeda foot soldiers. Their aim was to return home as quickly and as quietly as possible. The Fuma ninja had been on a reconnaissance mission. Their goal was to scout the land and map out the troop movements and outposts of the Takeda in preparation for war. As always the fragile peace of the region was hanging in the balance. Any time now one party would make a move, it was just a question of when. The Houjou family had decided that they needed to be prepared so they had tasked Kotaro Fuma to gather information on their rivals. There was a great need to be discreet. If the Takeda found the Fuma Ninja then war would be inevitable and the Houjou could be seen as having instigated it. The ninja must therefore undertake their actions without being seen. The need for stealth was paramount. All their skills would be tested to their full. This assignment had been set two weeks ago and with the information gathered the Fuma Rappa were now travelling home, their last barrier was the Takeda outpost, once they were past this then they would be on the road back into Houjou territory. This mission had used all of the Inton skills the group had learned and on their return journey they could not afford to let themselves slip. With the night being dark camouflage was not a problem, but they had to be mindful of any noises they would make to disturb the balance around them and give away their presence to the Takeda troops. It had taken them an hour to move through the land but with each silent step they were nearing closer to their objective. By the time dawn broke the land bore no trace that they had travelled through and no noise had been made to bring alert to their enemies.
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Aruki is a skill that is found within ninjutsu that is peculiar in that it is a separate skill that is not usually found in other Japanese martial arts. This represents the difference in ninjutsu in relation to these arts. Ninjutsu is more than just learning about fighting along with the other technical and academic aspects of their art. Ninjutsu in a pure form is an art of survival and aruki is an important aspect of this. Aruki covers walking skills. This is not just stealth walking and what most people think about, that is, walking without making a noise. Aruki covers walking skills for a number of different circumstances so that the ninja can adapt to a situation and continue to operate without them being compromised. Each ryuha of ninjutsu that is practiced today have their own methods of aruki. This article will explore some of the methods taught within the British Fuma Ryu Ninjutsu Society. I will look at a number of methods of walking and how these were employed to achieve a set aim. There are a number of aruki used within the school these are listed for reference below: Types of Aruki Taught within the BFNS Ayumi Kizami Tobi Suri Kougo Kousa Yoko
-Walk - Chop - Jump - Slide - Cross - Zigzag - Sideways
Within this article we will explore the use of Ayumi, Tobi and Suri. Each of these utilise a different type of movement to achieve a different aim.
Aruki is an important skill for the ninja. If implemented correctly, as part of Inton, aruki can ensure that combat skills are not employed 49
AYUMI
Ayumi is the normal aruki you would use within the dojo. It is the walk that is used when forming enjin, between techniques and as part of normal dojo activity. When you walk normally you have a natural heel toe action, placing your heel on the floor before rolling your foot forward onto your toes. This is how everyone naturally walks. However, this motion makes it very difficult to stop you transferring your weight onto your foot as you walk if you feel something underneath it as you are walking. This increases the chance that when you step on a sharp object it will stick into your foot. Walking in ayumi is different to how you would walk normally. As well as making it difficult for you to stop transferring your weight the normal action of your feet can also be very noisy. This can create a slapping sound as your foot rolls and you toes are placed on the ground. Ayumi allows you to walk more quietly and stop you transferring your weight onto your foot if you feel something underneath as you walk. Ayumi is executed as if you were walking normally, but the action of placing your feet on the ground is different to how you would usually walk, as explained above. You place your foot down on the outside then roll your foot inward, this way if you feel an object under your foot you will be able to stop yourself from putting your weight directly on it. This method is also quieter than walking normally as your feet do not flap in the walking motion and you will not create the normal noise associated with human footsteps. This motion with the foot is utilised in nearly all of the aruki practiced within the ryu as it is a stealthier way of walking. Ayumi is demonstrated in the following pictures:
Start in Shizen standing relaxed
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Begin to walk as normal stepping forward with one leg
As you walk you place your foot in front of you on its side
You then roll your foot as you transfer your weight
Ayumi takes practice to implement naturally, to begin with students will over emphasise the movements so that the walk will not appear natural and will not flow. It is essential that ayumi flows as if you were walking in the normal heel toe motion. This will ensure you continue to walk at the same speed as you would normally. Ayumi should be the walk that is used within all BFNS dojo. Practicing this walk enables students to get use to moving without making too much noise. It is also a very good aruki to practice as most aruki use the side of the foot to help minimize noise, therefore mastering Ayumi in a natural fashion helps students get use to the motions they will need when they train in the other methods of walking within the ryu. TOBI
Tobi is a fast moving aruki which requires good balance and strength. It is utilised to draw opponents into a swampy area or an area of un-even ground where you know the safe and quick route through. You move quickly jumping from one leg to the other as you navigate your path through the area. Tobi is not about getting height, it is more about getting distance as you move. This is because you will need to jump from one area to another that you know can take your weight. This way you run through a safe path while the people following you will be left struggling with unfamiliar ground. When practiced within the dojo the students need to visualize a path in their minds as they are not using the aruki within its natural environment. There is also a temptation to lean too far forward as they tobi in a bid to get distance. This can cause people to lose their balance as their head is too far in front of their centre of gravity. Essentially to implement tobi you jump from one foot to the other as quickly as possible, keeping on the move and placing one foot on the ground at a time as you jump.
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Tobi is a quick moving aruki. It is executed at speed and you should not place both feet on the ground, which helps to keep you mobile. This aruki also utilises changes in direction, which can be achieved through turning as you tobi or as you land. Balance and posture are very important in this aruki to prevent you from becoming unstable and fall over. This aruki takes a lot of practice to master as it is difficult to develop speed and distance without having strong legs. SURI
Suri is a slide aruki. This is another aruki which is employed to make a sound. When you use suri you know that you will be making a noise so you slide you feet to make a noise that does not sound like a human footstep. This should distract anyone listening to your movements and if executed correctly the noise may be ignored as a threat because it does not sound like someone walking.
Start in Shizen standing relaxed
Place your toes on the ground and begin to slide your foot forward
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Bring put one foot forward and point your toes towards the ground
As you slide your foot forward twist your foot from side to side at the ankle to create noise
Suri should be used when you know that you will make a noise. It disguises that you are stepping forward. Your knees will be bent to help keep you balanced at all times and it may be necessary for you to implement this aruki at low levels, keeping below the night line, this can be difficult. Suri is generally used to mimic the noise of small animals foraging or running in the undergrowth. It is a technique that needs to be practiced outside of the dojo to ensure that your foot movements are correct and that the noise you make does not sound like a person walking or a person making another noise. It is a difficult aruki to master. All aruki require good conditioning of the legs and ankles to implement effectively. You must be able to hold all of your weight in a low position with one leg and keep your balance at all times to be sure you can utilise aruki. This takes training and dedication, conditioning kamae such as sonkyo no kamae are good at developing your leg conditioning and ability to hold your own body weight. Training in these kamae is useful to develop your ability to implement aruki. The three aruki that I have covered within this article each have a different use. Suri is used in situations where you may have to make noise, tobi is used for quick movements in uneven ground while Ayumi is used for normal walking within the dojo. Each is therefore important to learn to be applied in different situations. Aruki are therefore not just used for moving unheard.
歩 き
Ayumi is an important aruki to learn within the ryu as it teaches students to be mindful of where they place their feet and how they walk within the dojo. Using this aruki as part of training allows everyone to hear what is going on around them and you can tell the effort some students make to keep quiet and watch how they walk around. Once people have got into this frame of mind it can be taken outside of the dojo and used as part of the practice of inton. Fuma Ryu Ninjutsu offers a range of training in a number of martial disciplines as part of the skills taught to the Ikusa Shinobi. If you would like to find out more information about this form of martial art or have any further questions about Fuma Ryu Ninjutsu training please log onto our website: www.fumaryu-braintree.co.uk . Article Written by Paul Adams Joukyu Renraku Shinobi BFNS © January 2010
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