The history of U of G’s ninjutsu club
A public building, in broad daylight, filled with hundreds of passersby may not be where you would expect to witness the legendary ninja. Of course, the specialty of these shadowy figures is to appear where and when you least expect them.
On Monday, February 4, students in Rozanski Hall had the rare privilege to observe two local ninja in practice — and an even rarer honor — to be invited to join them. Ace and Arthur, who were willing to reveal only their first names, are second year students at the University of Guelph, and have been studying with the university’s Ninjutsu Club for just as long.
The Ninjutsu Club has been active on campus for over 35 years. While there was a brief period when the club gathered elsewhere, it returned to campus at the specific request of the university. Lead instructor Jeff Blythe, has been teaching ninjutsu on campus for 25 of those years and has a fourth degree black belt.
Blythe told The Ontarion that in order to stay afloat, many Ninjutsu schools have had to “water-down” their art as a means of attracting students. However, because there has always been a dedicated group on campus, the U of G club has been able to maintain more of the traditions of the art. Rather than a proclivity toward the mythical image of ninjutsu like shurikens, stealth, and shadows, these traditions are instead embodied in more practical ways, such as enduring a difficult posture for long periods of time.
“What separates Ninjutsu from other martial arts is that it teaches a student to handle conflict the best way they know how,” said Blythe. “Conflict can be anything from someone suing you, to a car crash, to a stressful exam. Ninjutsu is about personal success.” Blythe notes that all of his students have been successful in their own ways, whether that be as doctors, tech workers, or even in personal pursuits.
The Ninjutsu Club gathers in the Combatives Room of the U of G Athletics Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For those aspiring ninja who are unable to attend at these times, despair not: the club also meets on both Saturday and Sunday, at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
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Feature photo by Ryan Williams