Cloaking: The Art of the Ninja

It was one of those awkward moments, feeling the axe suddenly hanging above your neck, your life continuing to plod along at the whim of a black-hooded thug. Well, perhaps not quite that intense, but having a small army of police suddenly emerge from a cloak of shadows at a High School party (synchronized with the fizzy hiss of opening another beer) can feel like being on the chopping block. The stark halogens on the porch were spotlights for the comedic presentations of a bunch of drunk teenagers. The audience: a bloodthirsty ravenous swarm of well-armed rednecks turned community servants with badges. Unfortunately, I was on stage.

The footsteps of the officers didn't slow as they entered the edge of the light, beady eyes scanning their crowd of prey. "Five-oh," I said quietly, the words slicing through conversation and silencing voices all around me. As heads turned and panic ensued, I carefully stepped backward against the wall of the house. Some ran like decapitated fowl, others quickly moved to hide their alcohol. I put my arms at my sides, with a full beer hidden behind my wrist, and sank deeper into the wall.

Those who ran were captured, those who moved to hide their boxes of watered down hops were accosted, and those in the light were questioned. Yet even though groups of officers walked past me countless times, they never once looked in my direction. I was a shadow in the wall, a crevice in the wood, and certainly nothing worth noticing.

There are many times when it is important to keep our field contained, and sometimes it is essential that we be cloaked entirely. In The Art of the Ninja, the study of invisibility is based upon a keen awareness of one's surroundings. When you are completely masked by your surroundings, you are invisible and inaudible. The energetic practice of achieving this is about bringing the resonant field of whatever lies behind you to the space in front of you. What ever lies to one side of you must be imagined to be visible from the other side of you. The mind holds the container of absence, envisioning an empty space where your body should be. Energetically, you switch the field of feeling in each direction around your body to the opposite direction. In this way, when someone reaches out with their senses in your direction, their first impressions take in only that which is behind and around you. Physically, it requires stillness and patience. The body must move as the shadows move, be still as the walls, be composed and fluid as the breeze.

Proper positioning is another essential physical technique, when it can be applied. When in a well-lit space, and being still, you want to hold a position in a location where only a very well trained and focused eye might notice you. While moving, keep your movement at an angle to any direct field of unwanted view, preferably past 90 degrees from a forward view, but at least 45 degrees. Use objects and other movement to your advantage.

The final key is to bring focus to another direction, another object, a position other than the one you hold. Trigger it with your energy, or physical action. Let your thought settle upon it like a radiant beacon. Notice the shift in sense as the awareness that may have been sweeping or attracted to you is suddenly displaced elsewhere, leaving you free to maneuver without notice.

Even though we may seldom or never come across a situation in which complete invisibility is necessary, the techniques discussed here have far reaching applications. When there is an individual or entity who seems to be overly interested in your or your energy, melting your field into the surrounding space while activating a distracting field in another area can be a useful technique to effectively redirect this unwanted attention. This is only a temporary solution, however, and should be included with a strategy for maneuvering into a more suitable position.

It may be important to cloak your vehicle at times while driving, yet do so with caution. Always keep a window of awareness open to any car that may pull into your intended trajectory of motion. Distraction and conscious redirection is the most effective process for cars that are behind you, whereas invisibility is more effective for cars that are in front or to the side of you. Again, please practice with caution.

An excellent space in which to get a feel for the variety of applications and techniques that are available to you is a busy nightclub. When you have friends about, practice remaining invisible as you approach them, and then see how close you can get to them while escaping their notice. Wait, and see how long it takes for them to discover your presence, and try different ways of revealing yourself. Trying to scare them is not recommended, as you will then generally disable your capacity to approach them or others again (as your own energy will reflect the edge they now put off).

The key element in all these practices is mental and vibrational focus. You may have had the experience of looking for something for a long time, yet it was in a very obvious location that you could have seen at any moment. Physical positioning and presence is secondary to the state of mind and energy when dealing with awareness. What is it that you notice when you enter a room? Why do you notice those things? What do you ignore at first, and why? What made those things seem unimportant? Leave the room, then return, and look again. Is there anything that completely escaped your notice the first time?

Study this intensively, and you are well on your way to becoming a Ninja.

A few resources for the avid explorer:

Light of the Kensai by G. Bluestone

The Mystic Arts of the Ninja by Stephen K. Hayes

Cultivating the Ch'i by Stuart Alve Olson (editor)

Tai Chi Chuan by Master Liang, Shou-Yu & Wu, Wen-Ching

http://phoenixtaoistcenter.com <http://phoenixtaoistcenter.com>

- History & Excellent Lineage Teachings

http://www.kerwinbenson.com <http://www.kerwinbenson.com>

- Variety of Creative Martial Techniques

Image by Hugovk, used courtesy of a Creative Commons license.