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Photo essays: Your stories in pictures
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- Posted September 11, 2012 by
- ByHandMedia Follow
Location
Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York
Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York
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Way of the Modern Warrior
I recently helped photographically document Grand Master Ronald Duncan's 21st Annual Cross-Training Seminar in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York. The one-day advanced training session included empty hand and weapons training with various instructors from the worlds of Ninjitsu, Aikido, Aiki-Jujitsu, Kempo, Sanuces Ryu, Kobujitsu (weaponry), and more.
Professor Duncan's style of martial arts training continues a legacy that dates back hundreds of years and has been adapted into his own system of fighting called The Way of the Winds. The system draws from numerous martial arts disciplines and has roots in the art of Ninjitsu, where Duncan - known as the "Father of American Ninjitsu" - was a pioneer. Many years prior to the arts of the ninja being popularized in films such as 1981's Enter the Ninja, he was one of a few individuals to master its techniques, many of which have been shrouded in secrecy for generations.
Grand Master Duncan has had a long and distinguished career in the martial arts, including hundreds of demonstrations at martial arts tournaments, magazine cover stories, as well as appearances on television shows such as: Thrill Seekers, which was hosted by Rifleman star Chuck Connors; ABC's Wide World of Sports; NBC's Sportsworld; and Wesley Snipes' Masters of the Martial Arts Tribute back in the 1990's.
In today's mechanized world of modern machinery and technological warfare, witnessing this type of training is as refreshing as it is rare, and it connects students to the roots of universal combat strategies. I took part in photographing this seminar as part of my documentary and ongoing photo essay Blvd. Warriors, which talks about how urban Americans have been inspired by Asian martial arts, leading some men and women to dedicate their lives to cultural traditions developed thousands of years ago.
Professor Duncan's style of martial arts training continues a legacy that dates back hundreds of years and has been adapted into his own system of fighting called The Way of the Winds. The system draws from numerous martial arts disciplines and has roots in the art of Ninjitsu, where Duncan - known as the "Father of American Ninjitsu" - was a pioneer. Many years prior to the arts of the ninja being popularized in films such as 1981's Enter the Ninja, he was one of a few individuals to master its techniques, many of which have been shrouded in secrecy for generations.
Grand Master Duncan has had a long and distinguished career in the martial arts, including hundreds of demonstrations at martial arts tournaments, magazine cover stories, as well as appearances on television shows such as: Thrill Seekers, which was hosted by Rifleman star Chuck Connors; ABC's Wide World of Sports; NBC's Sportsworld; and Wesley Snipes' Masters of the Martial Arts Tribute back in the 1990's.
In today's mechanized world of modern machinery and technological warfare, witnessing this type of training is as refreshing as it is rare, and it connects students to the roots of universal combat strategies. I took part in photographing this seminar as part of my documentary and ongoing photo essay Blvd. Warriors, which talks about how urban Americans have been inspired by Asian martial arts, leading some men and women to dedicate their lives to cultural traditions developed thousands of years ago.
- TAGS:
- warriors,
- blvd_warriors,
- weapons_training,
- photography,
- fighting,
- photo_club,
- sports,
- ninja,
- martial_arts
- GROUPS:
- CNN International,
- Creative
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