Richard Von Donk and Ninjutsu ?

I have been reading about the home study course where you video tape your tests and send them in to be graded for Ninjutsu under Richard Von Donk. I was wondering if anyone has done this and achieved any success...? Or if anyone can tell me anything positive about the courses etc..... Again thanks in advance for positive feedback....|||Hrm... Somebody who knows %26quot;Von Donk%26quot; and doesn%26#039;t know how to spell his name? Must have been a close, personal relationship. *sigh* Too much nonsense. I wouldn%26#039;t put much stock in that...





I can%26#039;t, in good conscience, give you only the good side. You need to know the whole picture from someone who has experience with the material from both the DVDs/Videos and from outside Van Donk%26#039;s school.





Typically, you can tell one of the home black belt study people. Their movement tends to lack. Shihan Van Donk is... a bit nutty... But a good guy with an honest love for the art. His taijutsu is decent (if you watch him on Daikomyosai videos or at the various Taikai, he sometimes is a little sloppy looking and other times hits you with something that just makes your jaw drop).





The good news about the course is that you get a strong look at what was once considered the core curriculum of the system. So you%26#039;ll have the potential to learn all of that. If you thrive under structure, it may work for you, but only to a very rudimentary level. The bad part is, while things get broken down well, you%26#039;re still really just guessing at how things should feel. You don%26#039;t get those corrections or to feel the way the techniques come alive in the hands of someone skilled.





Consider it in perspective: I%26#039;ve had Shihan tell me that they%26#039;ve just learned how to punch properly, and they%26#039;ve been studying in Japan for 20 years. Nothing in the system is as straight forward or simple as it may seem on videotape. If you%26#039;re really doing BJJ 6 days a week, then you may want to just stick with that. You won%26#039;t get too much out of the DVDs unless you can really spend time and break down the techniques until you%26#039;re sick to death of them.





Good luck. Train hard.|||i find my self in agreement with firecat on this although not all for the same reasons. most of the ninjistu in this country is bs. they make claims to history that never happened and a lot of the instructors take 1 week of classes then start there own dojo.


as for video courses, without a proper instructor to help you it will do little good. and if you want my honest opinion take a real style with an instructor that knows what there doing. and has actuality street fighting experience|||Well Firecat has her opinion thats for sure , The fact that both teachers she mentions are still very alive and do very well and have for a very long time should speak volumes also. Yes hands on training is best, that being said not everyone can get to a school in the style they would like. To the man mentioned RVD is very highly respected with in the Bujinkan and has recieved a 15th Dan (highest rank) from the Soke Hatsumi of the system. His credentials are there the product is good. (I own a complete copy)(I used for reference material but is a complete product well made and organized) The art might or might not be for you, whole forums discuss that.


Good luck |||I happen to know Von Donk and Stephen Hayes .. both of them are morons. Stephen was originally kicked out of his school when he was the equivalent rank of a brown belt and disowned by the governing agency. He, and Von Donk took what little training they actually did have and hitched their wagons to the American Ninja train and went about calling themselves Ninjutsu masters. The truth of the matter is they are both considered nonsense by any of the long established martial arts governing organizations.





In fact, at the time of their claim (to be ninjutsu masters), back in the early 1980%26#039;s, the All Japan Karate Association and the International Martial Arts Federation had only recognized 4, non-Asian, black belt level or better, ninjutsu practitioners in all of North America... To this day, neither Hayes or Von Donk are one of them. Since that time, the list has grown and their names are still not listed.





Plus, the statement, %26quot;ninjutsu master,%26quot; is a misnomer. It is like saying, %26quot;a karate master,%26quot; or %26quot;Kung Fu master.%26quot; Could he be a bit more specific? Yes, these two guys try to convince the general public that Iga and Koga Ryu are the only two forms of ninjutsu still in existence, claiming to be masters in one or the other of them.





Let me guess: Von Donk has a very well developed web site with all sorts of pretty pictures on it and lots of promises and things to buy? Typical Hayes and Von Donk Bullsh**!





Please, do not waste your money, those videos or whatever nonsense he%26#039;s trying to sell you really is no substitute for real hands-on experience.





I have said these things to their face and would not hesitate to say it to them again.





In 1992, at an open MA tournament, Von Donk was there, touting his BS. He and I had a confrontation. Frank Ruiz, the then grandmaster of Nesei Goju Ryu, looked at Donk and simply said, %26quot;Don%26#039;t mess with her, I%26#039;ve known her most of her life. She%26#039;s the real thing and she%26#039;ll clean your clock!%26quot; Personally, I really do not like senseless violence, but I would have been more than happy enough to put him in his place. Looking back, I am very glad Frank stepped in. As maintained as I like to be, this guy was really starting to piss me off!





Please forgive my tone, as these two individuals (Donk and Hayes) are a sore subject for me.