DESHI-IRI - Becoming a Student of an Authentic Ninpo Warrior Martial Arts Teacher

In 1979, Soke Masaaki Hatsumi, grandmaster of thesenior's training clothes, work on the meals and
nine martial traditions that make up the core training ofcooking, and run errands. It was only once the teacher
the Warrior Concepts Mastery Programs, wrote arecognized that this person's personality could put up
book entitled Mono-no-Mikata, Kangae-Kata ["Ways ofwith these mundane inconveniences, that he was
Seeing, Ways of Thinking."] In it, he wrote a sectiontaught the martial arts and put through the often
called Deshi-iri which, translated from Japanese, meansremorseless training on a regular basis.When I say that
"Becoming a Student" or, more literally, "Entering anthis training is not for everyone, I'm not just talking
Apprenticeship."I'm sure that many of you have noticedabout it in a sport or preferential way......like
that, in my articles, I write more about mental aspectsbasket-weaving is for some and ice hockey for
than anything else. The purpose for this is that youothers.Especially here in the West where we have
should realize the importance of your attitude beforebeen taught that, if we are a paying consumer, we
you enter martial arts training, especially the kind ofcan get whatever we want......the business has to
authentic warriorship training that I focus on in myprove itself.No, what I'm talking about is the difference
programs, as opposed to the general or conventionalbetween someone who wants to do something
kicking/punching sport-activity that so many getbecause it "looks neat" and someone who feels so
involved with these days.Unlike today, the traditionalcompelled to do something that they will endure
means for a person to be accepted as a student of awhatever they have to along the way to fulfilling that
warrior master were quite different. Today, a persondesire.Training in Budo ("martial ways") is tough.Those
enrolls in the training and, from day-one, the teacherwho lack a martial artist's insight are either dismissed
says, "Fine, step this way" or "do this technique likeor eventually fade away. This is not meant to be cold
this." But, according to Hatsumi-sensei, imagine that anor uncaring, it's just the way it happens. Teachers can
aspiring student, someone hoping to learn the martialsee who has the potential within them and who does
arts, comes to the dojo hoping to train. The teacher ofnot......regardless of what any one particular person
the dojo did not accept that student immediately. Hesays or does to try to prove otherwise.Jeffrey M.
decides whether to admit him or her after watchingMiller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior
them on repeated visits, burning with the desire toConcepts International. A senior teacher in the
become a student, and observing their attitude. So, thatJapanese warrior art of Ninjutsu, he specializes in
type of person would be accepted.Students in theteaching the ancient ways of self-protection and
mastery leadership and SWAT instructor trainingpersonal development lessons in a way that is easily
programs at Warrior Concepts should remember thatunderstood and put to use by modern Western
a recommendation was necessary and certain criteriastudents and corporate clients. Through their martial
had to be fulfilled before we even sat down to discussarts training, his students and clients learn proven,
your becoming a full student under me. Still, this istime-tested lessons designed to help them create the
different from the traditional training in that a teacherlife they've always dreamed of living, and the skills
usually did not teach Budo right away.This "trial" periodnecessary for protecting that life from anything that
may have lasted several months or even years. Themight threaten it.
new person was made to clean the dojo, wash his