As this is the first Ninja Day that we will be commemorating with the Day Of Ninja movement, I will be reflecting on what WayOfNinja.com means to me as its Founder and Editor for the past 5 years.
Way Of Ninja Origins and About Me
It was back in 2008 when I became a ninja enthusiast after watching Naruto. I am well aware that Naruto is a work of fiction and far from what real ninjas were, but that was the starting point where I researched more about ninjas. I was already a martial arts enthusiast at that time, having trained in Taekwondo and Aikido when I was a kid. But I wanted to take it to the next level in terms of having more well-rounded skill sets and, at the same time, help like-minded individuals to reach their ‘way of ninja’. During that time, I got back to training in Aikido before being called up for military service in 2010 for around 2 years (mandatory for all male citizens in my country).
If you were wondering, I’m from a small South-east Asian nation called Singapore, where we have a mix of different races (i.e. Chinese, Malays, Indians and Eurasians) and religious beliefs (i.e. Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Taoism and many others) living together. I’m of mixed descent, being part Indian and part Chinese.
What the Way Of Ninja Community Means to Me
Throughout the life of this website, Way Of Ninja has always strived to motivate people to take action for their goals and to build a positive community. And I’m glad to have received positive feedback from many members of how Way Of Ninja had been a motivation to embark their goals in Ninjutsu, martial arts, Parkour and many other skill-sets.
Within this community, I have been in contact with many supporters, whom I also consider friends. And I will give a shoutout to these awesome people: Christian Locher, Eric Olsen, Brandley Winkler, Charles T Franklin, Dante Vrankovich, Juliana Clairmont, Michelle Garcia, Kurtis, Michael Iline, Mini Ghost, Kuro Tetraskai, Vincent Malcorps and many others. Thanks for your support of Way Of Ninja.
I would also like to add here that there was a point in time in 2011, when my granddad died while I was still serving the Army, that I felt extreme guilt and regret for not being able to hear his last words. The Way Of Ninja community members have been extremely kind with their words and made that time a little more bearable. So, thank you fellow ninjas.
Day Of Ninja Success?
The planning for the Day Of Ninja movement only began three to four weeks ago. While I was trying to make the movement huge, time was not on my side. Nonetheless, I am extremely happy with the participants we have. This movement is about setting goals together to get nearer to becoming ninja. While I have yet to see how this event turns out, having gotten sincere responses from several participants and contributors who care makes this Day Of Ninja worth it.
Way Of Ninja’s Future Direction
During these five years, Way Of Ninja took on different directions. We started out with exploring what ancient ninja did. Thereafter, it was about discovering your way of ninja to align it to the modern world. Finally, during this Day Of Ninja 2013, Way Of Ninja aims to help all aspiring ninja to make their ‘way of ninja’ a reality.
I remain committed as the founder to foster friendships within our ninja community and help all to reach their way of ninja. I will also make a stand now that Way Of Ninja will not tolerate discrimination of any kind (i.e. race, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation). All are welcome. In addition, I would like Way Of Ninja to be a force to make the world a better place and support some non-profit movement; for instance, anti-bullying campaign, domestic assault awareness and so on.
So, with that, I wish everyone from all over the world a Happy Day Of Ninja. A huge thank you to all participants and contributors. May we all persevere in our goals!
