Ninjas in the Algarve

Shikin Haramitsu Daikomoyo!

It’s a school for Ninjas. The building looks like a little Japanese temple. It’s decorated simply but there’s a definite atmosphere of “culture” inside, where each object has its own significance and occupies a special place – the kamidana (“altar of the Gods”) rises up in the centre. On one of the walls, the alert expression of the Soke (“grandmaster of the tradition”) Masaaki Hatsumi looks out from a photograph.

The oriental mystique almost makes one forget that this Faro “do” (path) “jo” (local) is in a place called Galvana, almost on the side of a narrow road on an old agricultural property that now belongs to Telma Guerreiro and her husband Humberto Brito.

When we arrive to do our report, most of the students (Kyusha) are equipped for the training ceremony, and ready to demonstrate what they have already learned.

They are the first to enter, together with the Shidoshi (instructor) Telma, and Shidoshi Humberto and the Shihan (master instructor) Ernani Pinto Bastos. Shoes are left by the door.

Ninjutsu, also known as Ninpo, is a martial art that evolved during the Japanese Medieval Period (16th Century), more than 800 years ago, from the need of warriors to be able to act under any circumstances. The short-distance fighting tactics of the time allowed them to get close to their enemy, throw him down and decapitate him. Hardly surprising then, that films have explored to exhaustion the image of the invisible Ninja, attacking in the still of the night.

Exaggerations apart, Ninjutsu combines innumerous techniques which require constant study on the part of those practicing the sport – even if at first impression, and judging by the agility of the Algarvian Ninja candidates, it looks incredibly easy to strike an adversary, giving little or no margin for resistance.

What do people need to be able to learn Ninjutsu? Shihan Ernani and Shidoshi Humberto explain that there are no special capacities required – as there are for a high level competitive athlete or acrobat – and anybody interested can start. “It’s the Ninjutsu that adapts to the person, not necessarily the person needing to adapt totally to the art”, explains Humberto Brito, a 39-year-old electrician, about the training that retired 64-year-old Shihan Ernani gave him more than a decade ago when he first took up the sport. “It’s not a fighting sport. We spend our life training and learning”, affirms Brito.

The learning begins with passive exercises to protect the body. Mainly falling techniques – fundamental practice to develop ability, mobility and flexibility.

This first discipline, called Taihenjutsu, is considered the “Art of Changing the Body” (Tai = body, Hen = change, and Jutsu = art/skill/technique), which includes jumps, falling techniques, rolls and various forms of combat positions, including silent movement (perhaps the most famous characteristic of Ninjas).

From the moment when the basics become natural movements for the student, they are ready to start training with some of the traditional weapons.

In this particular Dôjô, they are instructing the use of, for example, the Hanbô (a 3 foot - 90 cm baton), the Rokushakubô (a 6 foot – 180 cm baton), the Ninjantô (the Ninja Sword), and the Senban Shuriken (four-cornered stars that are thrown), amongst others.

“What changes in us throughout the training process is our mentality. Many people want to become Ninjas to defend themselves, and after a lot of training they know that what they are capable of doing to someone is so terrible that they learn to control themselves”, a 3rd Dan student - who prefers to remain anonymous - tells us. (Dan is the name given to the level that the student reaches in the training hierarchy).

The master

The title “Shihan” is given from the 10th Dan - and the maximum that can be achieved is the 15th Dan. Ernani Pinto Bastos, who lent his name to Faro’s new Dôjô, is the only person to have reached this level in Portugal.

He discovered Ninjutsu 30 years ago, searching and studying various books. In 1988, on his first trip to Japan, he met Masaaki Hatsumi in person – the man internationally recognised as the greatest Ninja mentor of the time.

In that same year, Shihan founded the “Bujinkan Portugal – Association for the Study and Information on the Art of Ninja”, something totally new in Portugal.

Today there are Dôjôs in Armação de Pêra, Barrosas, Entroncamento, and Faro (the main one), with around 100 students in total.

Because it’s not a sport with objectives to raise levels or score points, like other more popular sports - and because there are no cups, medals or championships – Ninjutsu seems to be somewhat overlooked by the Portuguese sporting authorities.

Certain important events for the sport in Portugal - such as the visit in 1992 of Masaaki Hatsumi, brought to the Algarve by Shihan Ernani - went completely unrecognised in both national sporting and newspaper circles.

According to Ernani Pinto Bastos, there are rules that students must adhere to and respect. Among these are two keywords – “patience” and “perseverance”.

To understand the true meaning of both is the greatest challenge for any Ninja student - in the Algarve or anywhere else…