Ninjutsu school that crosstrains in BJJ/MMA...

[Drew Foster]

Many of you guys don't know, but I did Ninjutsu under Stephen Hayes at the NC Quest Center for 10 years. My teacher Hardee Merrit is alos a Purple Belt under Royce in BJJ and has fought several MMA fights. We crosstrain in BJJ, submission grapplin, and Muay Thai. Here's a clip of Hardee Merritt training and at the end one of his MMA fights where he wins by Guillotine. Just thought I'd post a clip of a Ninjutsu school that does some REAL training. One of the only I think. When criticizing his BJJ, realize that he was a Blue Belt and this clip was filmed in the fall/winter of 2007. The fight is from early 2007/late 2006.

Tell me what you guys think. The guy punching at 40 seconds is Hardee Merritt, the head instructor and guy to watch.

YouTube - Training at NC Quest Center

 

[Falc]

No kion happo? (spelling maybe wrong)

 

[Flounder]

Well I've told the story about a former training partner who would invite people from Bulshido to UFC parties. Well one of the guys was a Ninja. Well this same training partner would occasionally host Throwdowns at our school. Well The Ninja came to one, and he tapped me. In my defense though he did have a JJJ and BJJ background. Either blue or purple. It's been so long now, I can't remember.

 

[Drew Foster]

No kion happo? (spelling maybe wrong)

We do Kihon Happo and kata from the nine schools on Weds. nights. It is Ninjutsu but it is under Stephen Hayes. it is not a Bujinkan school, so the focus is on self defense. W are lucky to be the only Ques Center to be able to offer cross training in BJJ/Submission Grappling, Boxing, Muay Thai, Judo, outdoor survival, firearm training, and kinfe/gun retention, along with the classical Japanese martial art.

I know train at Evolution MMA in Wilmington, NC as that's where I live now. But this was my first school.

 

[LemonHerbWRX]

I was real interested in the whole Ninjutsu Bujinkan thing about 10 years ago, bought some books and even some of Hayes' videos for home training but never really followed through with it.

 

[Drew Foster]

I was real interested in the whole Ninjutsu Bujinkan thing about 10 years ago, bought some books and even some of Hayes' videos for home training but never really followed through with it.

Smart move. 9/10 Ninjutsu schools are a complete LARPing joke.

 

[Ninjamurf]

I would have loved to train under Hayes. I actually gave a half assed effort to track down Frank Dux a little over 20 years ago as I heard he was in the San Diego area. Hmm, not sure how that's relevant? Just one of those "wish I could have found so and so back in the day" kind of things.

 

[Drew Foster]

^

LOve your avatar. it was my first tattoo

 

[Silverblur]

Very cool.

They looked about a million times better than most ninjitsu and most other "reality based" martial art schools

 

[LemonHerbWRX]

Smart move. 9/10 Ninjutsu schools are a complete LARPing joke.

Well even if I would have went back in the day I couldn't get over the LARPing hump no doubt. I honestly wouldn't be able to really deal with a school where I had to bow to people and yell a lot either.

 

[POPPA ROTZEE]

I would have loved to train under Hayes. I actually gave a half assed effort to track down Frank Dux a little over 20 years ago as I heard he was in the San Diego area. Hmm, not sure how that's relevant? Just one of those "wish I could have found so and so back in the day" kind of things.

Lol well thank god you never found Frank Dux...you just saved your selling alot of wasted money

 

[dan42183]

Many of you guys don't know, but I did Ninjutsu under Stephen Hayes at the NC Quest Center for 10 years. My teacher Hardee Merrit is alos a Purple Belt under Royce in BJJ and has fought several MMA fights. We crosstrain in BJJ, submission grapplin, and Muay Thai. Here's a clip of Hardee Merritt training and at the end one of his MMA fights where he wins by Guillotine. Just thought I'd post a clip of a Ninjutsu school that does some REAL training. One of the only I think. When criticizing his BJJ, realize that he was a Blue Belt and this clip was filmed in the fall/winter of 2007. The fight is from early 2007/late 2006.

Tell me what you guys think. The guy punching at 40 seconds is Hardee Merritt, the head instructor and guy to watch.

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You could call it gungho-fumanchu-hongman-soolwong-shaqfu and if it works I have respect for it. It's always cool to see something unique being used too, most martial arts have some really unique aspects to them and if you can work them into your MMA it just makes you cool and a bigger draw, nothing wrong with that.
I also have respect for traditional not as effective martial arts if people are using them for self-discipline or inner peace or whatever as long as they aren't tell ing everyone they could kill them but just choose not too. Martial arts are and always have been cool.

 

[Mikey Triangles]

Ninjutsu is actually what introduced me to grappling and eventually led me to BJJ.

 

[elcapitan]

I also started as a ninja

 

[knoxpk]

Ninjutsu is actually what introduced me to grappling and eventually led me to BJJ.

me too but in a different way.

After watching the 1st two UFC's I knew I wanted some sort of ground grappling style.

I called Judo schools who basically told me yes we pratice ground but focus on throws,I called other styles with no luck.

One day I called a Tai Jutsu school and the owner said "I dont offer what you are looking for but I know of a guy who trains ppl out of his garage in St. Pete."

I got a number and ended up training with the same instructor who 1st started teaching Militech BJJ. This was around 96 and at the time there was NO BJJ on central Fl.

The great thing about the instructor was he trained just for MMA, no gi (thank god..gets hot in FL in a garage) and we got to roll with prospective fighters from time to time who would fly in from all over the country.

He ended up moving back to Brazil after a couple of years but he left behind some decent training baack in the day when people were accussing the Gracies of holding back techniques.

 

[jerunk]

Here's a serious question, do you actually use any ninjutsui techniques in a fight?

 

[Drew Foster]

Here's a serious question, do you actually use any ninjutsui techniques in a fight?

I would say there is a throw called Ganseki Nage that ca easily be used. Some armlocks standing like Onikudaki, Mushadori, Musodori, those re like straiht and figure 4 armlocks. Mostly principles of distance with the striking, but not the strikes themselves.

 

[TalkShowOnMute]

Was it scott morris that, in his UFC promo, he did that funny leglock thing, almost like a calf crusher from behind, when your opponent is flat on his face? Because after seeing that I used it on all my friends...long before I trained, I was like 11.

 

[NJrocks]

I'll tell you one thing, the interior of that school is pimpin'

 

[Drew Foster]

I'll tell you one thing, the interior of that school is pimpin'

Yes. It cost over a quarter of a million to open it back in the winter of 1998. The wood was flown in from Canada and custom built to the original owner's sepcifications. There' huge ori gates in there too. it's awesome.