The location can be somewhat intimidating as it is amidst the red-light district “Kabuki-cho”. The facility is a standard kickboxing gym with sandbags, sparring ring, and simple fitness equipment.
The one hour personal training consists of three parts:
(1) basic combat skill "taijyutsu",
(2) katana wielding technique "kenjyutsu", and
(3) hidden/throwing weapons "anki"
(1) and (2) require that you maneuver your body freely and protect the weak points at all time, similar to any martial arts and fighting technique. For safety purpose, Katana used in (2) are made of zinc alloy and won't do much damage.
(3) reminds me of survival game. The concept is very similar in that you need to remain quiet, calm, and take your shot carefully. It's surprising how many things in our everyday life can be used as a weapon... just don't teach your kids about that though :)
The training also covers Japanese history and explains why certain weapons are designed that way. While stereotype ninja movie and games may appear exaggerating, some of the techniques shown here are actually practical given the historical background. For instance, buildings made of soil and stones allows blades to be inserted and used as climbing holds.
I recommend this activity to all visitors who are looking for a not-so-ordinary activity during your stay in Tokyo!
Experience the weapons and martial arts of the ninja
NINJA CLUB TOKYO JAPAN
shinjuku.gym@gmail.com