According to legend, in 14th century Japan, land owners looking to protect their riches began to contract warriors willing to go against the code of the samurai. Assassins trained in the art of illusion and espionage, these men and women practice ninjutsu -- the art of stealth. They were known as ninjas.
Seven hundred years later, just 300 people can truly call themselves ninjas. Mark Roemke of Santa Cruz is one of them.
But while Roemke, 39, is skilled in the art of ninjutsu, he differs in several ways from his ancestors. For one, he's an electrician, not an assassin. Secondly, instead of keeping ninjutsu in its traditional shroud of secrecy, Roemke is trying to take his teachings public.
Roemke has created the Web site Ninja-Learning-Network.com, where martial arts enthusiasts can learn about the ancient art of Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu and share their own resources, enhancing the online training experience for both beginners and experts.
It's a modern approach to an ancient art, but Roemke sees no problem with it. He said he believes the art form itself must remain intact, but the methods of teaching have to evolve in order to reach students in the far corners of the world.
"Even today in Japan's own culture, ninjas are often considered to be a myth," said Roemke. "The secret is that it's not a secret anymore."
In the past, only a select few were given the privilege to learn from a grandmaster. That changed about 40 years ago, when grandmaster Maasaki Hatsumi of Noda, Chiba in Japan realized that because of its shroud of secrecy, ninjutsu had the potential to fall off the martial arts map. Hatsumi, the head of the prominent martial arts organization Bujinkan and the lineage holder of several forms of martial arts, decided to unveil the ninja practices to the general public and began teaching.
Hatsumi, whom Roemke refers to as a "revolutionary rebel," was the first to let foreigners in on ninjutsu practices. Today 95 percent of his students, including Roemke, are not Japanese.
Born and raised in upstate New York, Roemke began practicing martial arts at the age of 7, beginning with traditional Korean taekwondo. When he was 18, he witnessed a ninjutsu demonstration, in which weapons such as swords and bo-shurikens [throwing daggers] were used. Immediately, he said, he became enchanted by this legendary, almost mythical, martial art.
Roemke earned his fifth-degree black belt in 2002 by participating in a soke test administered by Hatsumi. During a soke test, the student faces away from the master while the master swings a sword at the student. The student only passes the test if he "senses" the direction of the sword and evades it completely.
Over the past seven years, Roemke has taken Hatsumi's idea and moved it to the Web. From his dojo in Soquel, he conducts live online classes where students can learn from him and ask questions through live webcams. The Digital Dojo via webcam has been up for two months. For the more timid who just want an idea of what it takes to become a ninja, the Web site offers a free curriculum for all belts up to the first-degree black belt.
"Most people still aren't aware that the art form of ninjutsu' or ninja' is accessible to everyone now," he said in a statement. "We started the Santa Cruz Bujinkan Dojo about 10 years ago to get people excited about this form of martial art, but it's only now that technology will let us celebrate it with the whole world."
Roemke's ultimate goal is to create an online community that is fully dedicated to martial arts similar to that of a real-life community in a dojo. Roemke visits Hatsumi in Japan twice a year and said he is always surprised to find such a wide range of students. There, ninjutsu masters from around the world share styles and methods.
"I'm just this mellow Santa Cruz guy, and I'm training with officers from the DEA and Israeli soldiers," Roemke said. "But the thing is, we're all family there."
"Through every encounter," he added, "we reach enlightenment together."
Roemke said this enlightenment is what ninjutsu is all about. That's what he wants to present online for anyone to experience.
Through this, Roemke finds himself at the forefront of the new online ninja revolution, which could bring about a unique opportunity.
Though Hatsumi is said to move like a limber 19-year-old in the dojo, the reality of his age, 79, is that he won't be able to fill his role forever. There is tension on the subject of who will become the next grandmaster of the tradition. For his part, Roemke believes anyone who can find a way to revitalize a dying, ancient art will definitely find himself on the list of potential successors.
But Roemke's not waiting for the promotion to share lessons that long ago would have been kept secret.
"We are really excited to be talking to a local youth group right now about bringing in young people who really need something ultra cool to help them learn about their personal potential," he said in an e-mail. "Under the sort of mentorship that is inherent in ninja study, we can really help them. It's actually pretty easy, too, in a way. It has fewer rules and structures compared to other martial arts, it encourages people to explore their own techniques based on simple concepts."
The trick is to preserve old tradition in a modern frame.
Jason Eisenberg
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz ninja looks to spread ancient teachings online
