A: First and foremost we wanted to eliminate a public misconception about what we teach and to bring to mind a place for serious study in all levels of one's development. Dojo (place of the way) or "school" have too ordinary a meaning now days and in my thinking are lesser terms for what our art has to offer. As far as religious ideologies, I prefer to leave that up to the students, their families and their pastors, priests, rabbi, etc. This is a place for the serious study of Martial Arts. Though training in the Martial Arts may aid the student in his/her spiritual development it is not my focus to promote one religion over another.

Q: Do you offer discounts?

A: No, the discount is already built into the tuition package. I do not charge students for belts, testing or certificates. Students earn these achievements, why should I charge for them? These items, depending on the school, can run anywhere from $50 to $150 per testing event in addition to monthly tuition. I also do not charge separate fees for "Black Belt Programs", "Weapons Training" or "Demo Team" participation. These programs are all included within our curriculum. Also, I am a Professional who has spent many years training under some very good teachers, countless hours practicing and researching my arts much the same as a Doctor, Lawyer or other professionals. A Doctor can possibly save your life after you have been in an assault, I teach you how to save your life before you get caught up in such events. A Lawyer can probably get you out of jail after you have been arested for "self-defense". I teach you and give you the skill to defend yourself and not have to suffer the trauma af being arrested. One would not even think to ask their Doctor or Lawyer for a discount so why would one ask me for such things?

Q: Is Tai Chi a fighting art or merely a bunch of exercises that look like Martial Arts?

A: Tai Chi Chuan literally means Grand Ultimate Fist which to the Chinese meant LARGER THEN ANYTHING CONCEIVABLE. That's a pretty tough name for a bunch of exercises solely developed for elderly persons to practice in a park on weekends. Tai Chi is a very effective Martial Art that cultivates and use internal energy (Chi) to develop power with devastating effect in contrast to strictly developing external (physical/athletic) abilities as in mainstream martial arts. Tai Chi is deeply rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is heavily ingrained with the art of Dim Mak (death touch).

A: There are many books devoted to defining the benefits of Tai Chi Chuan's chi cultivation. However in short some of these benefits are increased health, greater strength and flexibility, and a higher level of power focus in combat.

Q: Isn't Ninjitsu just the same as Karate?

A: Saito Ninjitsu is not only an art that utilizes stealth, perseverance, and human behavior as did other ninja clans it is also a battlefield art and it defines our way of viewing the world around us. That battlefield can be literal of figurative. Karate (used generically for explanation purposes) however, has been modified even de-evolved in some cases over the years. Karate has had to add elements of other arts such as Jujutsu to counter grappling and throwing arts and make it more complete. It has had to delete other aspects in order to fit a sport or exercise forum. Not bad mind you, merely ordinary and normal for business franchises. It's a great outlet for those who like sport fighting where there are established rules and the awarding of points to determine a winner. However, it is more often unrealistic and many of the "sport" techniques while flashy and effective on the big screen or in the ring have been proven by many practitioners of Sport Karate to be impractical in real situations especially when dealing with more than one enemy and multiple weapons. Ninjitsu has not had to be modified in order to deal with these different situations. In Ninjitsu we want to “end the threat now!” and get on with life not stand toe to toe to see who can out punch or out kick the other this is why we retain the art of Dim Mak (some say kyusho but that is a lesser art) handed down by monk Peng Wan Fen in the mid 900’s AD . In essence Ninjitsu views the world in a whole different mindset and we strive to be extraordinary in the practice and execution of our art.

Q: Isn't the word actually Ninjutsu with a "u" vice Ninjitsu with an "i"?

A: The Saito use Ninjitsu in the same fashion other ninjustu ryuha use the term Ninpo. This is explained on the Ninjutsu History page so I will refer you to this link.

Q: How can your art be authentic Ninjutsu when the Saito's say they were not Ninja?

There are a few things one needs to understand about Japanese Culture to explain this. First, Ninja were outcasts and considered dishonorable and despicable outlaws by all "civilized" Japanese definitions. What self respecting Japanese would want to be associated with a hereditary such as that when one's honor defined their existence? The Saito were no different in this respect. Their geographic location allowed them the autonomy to use their art to protect their village. In my discussions with my teacher Master Saito I have been told that the clan did indeed operate, in times of necessity, as the stereotypical ninja associated with Koga and Iga clans. According to him they (the clan) were, for a time, employed as body guards for a local Daimyo. In 1966 when Grand Master Saito first introduced the art extremely few in the west had ever heard of Ninjutsu or Ninja yet he still maintained they were not "ninja". Strange don't you think? Yet he was referring to "ninja" in this stereotypical sense. I have worked with and have many friends in the Bujinkan and Genbukan. They recognize similarities in some techniques and philosophy thought it is neither of these styles they do recognize it as a form of Ninjutsu.

Q: You say you teach every class. How is that possible with everything that you offer.

A: Yes I do teach every class. However it is also a requirement for upper kyu and dan ranks to teach and I am always on the mat to give support and answer more difficult questions while they are giving instruction from the curriculum. On very rare occassions (serious illness which have not occured) or if I have been invited to lecture on Japanese martial arts and history and will not make it back to class in time do I have the most senior students fill in for me. Again my missing a class is extremely rare.

Q: Do you do a lot of sparring to hone your skills?

A: No we do not "spar" as you would find in "mainstream" franchised schools. We do however have single and multiple enemy sho-waza (many techniques) that serve to develop the student's understanding of the principles of the art. There are a few reasons for not "sparring" in the modern sense. First, it is my professional experience as a military veteran and having graduated from schools that focus on sparring that it develops bad habits that the body and mind will commit to memory. It is this bad muscle memory training that is contradictory to what Ninpo is teaching the student. In Ninjitsu (Ninpo), these teachings, for example, are composure under pressure another is natural body movement. So, in our mind all this hopping and jumping around is contradictory to that teaching. My art does not change when I switch from training mode to combat mode. The dynamics of the techniques and principles are the same whether I am practicing or actually fighting. Go to any tournament and watch the forms competition and then compare it to the contact competition. Ask yourself why the two look so different. Where did their art fail them? Why did they have to resort to mere kickboxing or sparring techniques that even they admit will not work on the street? Ninpo doesn't work that way.

Q: Why do you call what you do Michinoku Ryu Bugei when it is actually Shorinjin Ryu Saito Ninjitsu?

A: The name reflects and encompasses everything I teach, an umbrella if you will. Michinoku is the ancient name for Fukushima, Japan and means "the way furthest from the road". I use it to honor all the arts that were developed in that northern region such as Saito Ninjitsu and Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu, etc. We teach Saito Ninjitsu as the core of our training and I still train directly under the new Soke (inheritor) Master Maui Saito. I also teach Kenjutsu and Aikijujutsu as well as Tai Chi. When students have acheived shodan they are eligible to start training in Won Hop Loong Chuan Gung Fu (Coordinated Dragon's Fist as it is currently known), an art that I began training in over 30 years ago and is interestingly a forebearer to the Saito art. We can trace its coming to Japan to around 950 AD when it was introduced by a Taoist Chinese monk from Shaolin Prefecture named Peng Wan Fen.

Q: Your Bio states you were involved in Anit-Terrorism while in the Navy as well as having SWAT Training?

A: That's correct. It began during the Reagan Administration and the Salt Treaties between the U.S. and former Soviet Union. Marine Security Forces, who were responsible for Special Weapons Security, though I can neither confirm nor deny any such weapons were present where I was stationed, were removed from Naval bases and volunteers were needed to fill the security void. I attended a Marine Security Force Academy that specifically trained in Anti-Terrorism and Tatics. This training also included VIP Protection for High Level Military Officers and Civilian officials as well as special weapons and tactics (SWAT) and Hostage Rescue. Additionally there was, during that time, an agreement with San Diego County Sherriffs SWAT that in return for utilization of some of our training facilities they allowed selected individuals from our unit to attend elements of their training. I was one of the lucky ones who got to attend. We even conducted training with other Government Agencies such as the FBI and Secret Service. After a short time I was selected to the Security Training Team (STT) since I was the last remaining member who had gone through the "Operation Kennel Lance" exercises conducted by the old Red Cell group. At that time our base was due for another cycle of this exercise but the Red Cell group was disestablished so our STT was assigned to conduct a similar set of exercises to test the security effectiveness of our base and tennant commands. My assignment was to design and conduct Terrorist Drills to test our regular Security posture and readiness. I ended up instructing for the next 11 years at the various commands I transfered to. Later I graduated from the Navy's Shipboard Security and Engagement Tactics (SSET) and Shipboard Security Engagement Weapons (SSEW) schools. When I was Station aboard the USS KITTY HAWK CV63 during the first Gulf War, I stood up (established) their first Ship's Self Defense Force. Their function was that of Shipboard Anti-Terrorism. One of my former Anti-Terrorism Instructors had been assigned to the MARDET (Marine Detachment) on CV-63 and I was allowed to conduct Vessel Boarding Search and Seizure (VBSS) training and ops with them because of my past training record and current leadership position. I have since retired from Active Duty.