What we’re about
This is a holistic fitness program that also teaches practical self-defense and other survival skills. Our workouts begin with a very practical real-world fighting art that is connected to the famous ninja of old times. However, we aren't the kinds of people who wear black ninja costumes and play make-believe. Our program is taught by Nick Ugrin, who is both a former Army Special Forces soldier (Green Beret) and a former State Department contractor. Nick joined the Army in 2004 and he is a veteran of the Global War on Terror. He is assisted by Yoko Ono, an incredibly talented artist from Japan, who attended art schools in both Japan and New York City.
Our Youtube page with some preview videos
Online Tutorials
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Nick has been taught by many great martial arts teachers over the years, finally settling on a true martial arts master who began his own training at 3 years old where he was born in the Pacific islands, and began his formal training at 6 years. He was good enough to be invited to Japan by the age of 13. He later spent 25 of his adult years working as an "operator" (a term we don't use loosely) on the "black side" of Special Operations. In layman's terms, he served almost his entire military career in the special operations units beyond SEALs and Green Berets--those highly secretive units that are not officially recognized by the U.S. government. He spent another 20+ years designing training programs for Federal government agencies.
There is possibly economic trouble on the horizon. Two years of Covid lockdowns have hit people and businesses very hard. Nick and Yoko want to strengthen good people in the community by offering their's and their teacher's secrets in the form of a very real and practical pathway to success in anything.
These body, brain, and spiritual development practices are not only time-tested, but also combat tested, and they will not only keep your body fit, but also keep your brain sharp - even into your later years. They will also keep your immune system strong and help you to deal with stress. Once learned, you can do the training anywhere--you don't need a gym or fancy equipment.
It all begins with training in stickfighting (a very practical, traditional weapon of the Buddhist monks who were not allowed to kill, but who trained ninjas in Feudal Japan). Training continues on into empty handed self-defense techniques such as knife defense, and survival tactics--such as how to survive a mass shooting event, how to properly secure your home, or how to survive natural disasters like floods and fires. Everything taught has practical real-world application for every member of the community.
At a certain point in the training, students have the option to add to the holistic element of the program with specially designed courses in guitar and art (drawing)--these were also significant parts of ninja training in Feudal Japan, and combined with the coordination used in our stickfighting drills, they have incredible benefits for the brain.
