What our members have to say...
Ariel (White belt)
Ninjado wasn’t my first cca, I only joined in the second semester of my first year and since then it has been the best choice I’ve ever made. I’ve always been interested in martial arts but previous commitments didn’t allow me to pursue it. I decided that Ninjado was the one because of its diverse syllabus and that it was a special and unique club that is only available in np. So I decided why not? Plus, because we’re a smaller cca, trainings are much more productive and driven, everyone go through hardships together. When I first joined, I was obviously intimidated as I joined alone, in the middle of the school year but the people who now have become like family welcomed me immediately, the second I stepped into the training room, everyone stood up and flooded me with warmth. That really pushed me and motivated me as I was in a dark place when I first joined. Due to my relatively shorter journey, I have not experienced as much as my other mates but through it all I have experienced so much laughter and warmth no other previous commitments have given me and honestly I have learned so much. People are actually in awe when I tell them things I can do because they’d never expect a short and small person like me to be able to tackle someone twice my size! The syllabus may seem intimidating at first but honestly everyone went through it with me and taught me personally step by step, making sure every precise detail was in place as the finer things are the most important. At white belt, I think I feel less intimidated after seeing what my mates at upper belt levels have achieved. Not all of them have previous martial arts background and they are already ahead of me. I believed in them and in myself more. To any hesitant or scared freshie, don’t be afraid to join us. We don’t break bones and injure as we teach everything from basics and that we never ever allow dangerous tackling before having experience. Also, the people aren’t selfish, all of us give everything to this cca and it’s people, offering a shoulder, giving advice and pushing each other through times of difficulty. It’s basically a family I fall back on when I feel like I have hit rock bottom. Join us because we’re that something different. As I said, ninjado appeared when I was at dark place, without any self confidence and this club actually gave me a reason to keep pushing especially through all the darkest things thrown my way. |
Jing Hui (Green belt)
Throughout Primary and Seconday school days, I had no sports background and neither am I athletic. However, I have always been interested in learning martial arts for self-defence and also because it was intriguing. During the school holidays before my first year at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) started, a fellow part-timer, introduced me to Ninjado when I told him that I will be studying at NP and that I was interested in learning Martial Arts. Now, I can proudly say that I will never regret joining the Ninja-Do family. It was not easy throughout the first few months because of my poor stamina. Thankfully, the people here gave me the moral support which pushed me further through every lap of the training. One thing I fear the most during trainings would be sparring because I was afraid of getting injured. However, the seniors were very patient with me and would give me tips and extra trainings to help me. This reduced my fear of sparring. I did things I never thought I could do and I developed confidence throughout the way. Here, we learnt different elements of martial arts like defences, kicks, and sparring which are useful in real life situations. The members of the Ninjado Family are the main reason why I chose to persevere on. |
Estelle (Orange belt)
Joining Ninja-do is probably one of the decisions that I would never regret in my life. The only qualms that I have with it is that I didn’t join it back in Year 1. I previously practised karate as an orange belt. Though there are certain areas of overlap in the syllabus of the two martial arts, Ninja-do has undoubtedly instilled me with skills to become a more disciplined martial artist who is better able to defend herself. Previously, I felt unsatisfied at the fact that it was easy to grade to obtain the next belt, as if I was given the belt for the sake of it and never meeting the standards that is expected. However, coming to Ninja-do has made training and grading more fufilling. Having a plethora of previous sports injuries, my legs easily succumb to mildly intense training. What makes it heartwarming is that I have caring and overly-concerned club mates always nagging at me to rest and recover. It’s these kind of friendship that draws me back to train. For the freshies that are looking for a sign on whether you should join the CCA, look no more. Just do it! Don’t be deterred by the scary sounding name of the club and the supposed aggressive nature of martial arts. It’s okay if you don’t have any experience as long as you’re willing to learn. All of us had to start somewhere at first! |
Jorge (Blue belt)
I joined Ninjado only after I left my previous CCA and was recommended by a close friend of mine and then Treasurer, Dylan. At first I felt a bit left out as I was new and everyone already more or less knew each other. However, I think that is pretty normal in such situations and as time passed I eventually opened up to everyone in the club and was accepted for who I am. What made me decide to stay was not only the dynamic and interesting things taught during trainings but also the fact that these things are practical and can be used in real-life situations. Other than that, my friends and club mates were also a major reason I stayed and managed to get through the trainings. One lesson I learnt from Ninjado is that camaraderie is key to self improvement and that sometimes, a helping hand will bring you a long way. |
Cheryl (Purple belt)
Joining Ninja-Do was something that I never envisioned myself doing, but I am thankful that I did. As I only had a performing arts background, I have never joined a sports CCA and deciding to join Ninja-Do was a daunting thought. I wanted to try out something new and step out of my comfort zone. On the first day that I joined, our coach, Jin Quan, and our seniors were all very friendly and patient as they taught us; that was what made me stay. Many of us joined Ninja-Do without any prior experience with martial arts and we never looked back. Ninja-Do helped me to push myself physically and mentally, instilled discipline in me and became a place filled with people that I have grown to be (too) comfortable with. Learning new things and spending time with the people in Ninjado are indeed fun, but aside from that, Ninjado also taught me what perseverance is. It takes discipline and determination to keep going when we have to repeat practising the same technique over and over again, until we get it right. The idea doing something repeatedly may seem mundane but it is necessary in mastering any skill. I hope that the idea of physical training, or being a girl with a small build like myself would not intimidate anyone to join Ninjado. Through it all, no matter where we start, seeing our growth as time passes by, going for gradings and attaining new belts makes all of it extra rewarding. |
Limxi (Red belt)
Ninjado is a really unique martial art, and it cannot really be compared to other martial arts. Other martial arts have a focus. Besides Ninjado, I learn Taekwondo outside and both forms of martial art has its own merits. Taekwondo focuses mostly on kicks. However, Ninjado teaches a wide range of techniques from Kata to Sparring. In terms of grading, Taekwondo tests students on pattern (kata) and sparring, which are the 2 main areas that students train for in preparation for grading. In Ninjado, our grading tests us on Kata, Kicks, Punches, Defences, Kick defences, Rolling, Breakfalls. (Refer to Syllabus) Of all martial arts, I chose Ninjado because I saw that it includes weapons training (Sticks, poles etc) during CCA fiesta. But on top of that, the people I met during the trials were really nice and welcoming when I first came. They try their best to make the freshies feel included and welcomed. What made me stay for 2 years despite having no obligations to was because Ninjado felt like family to me where everyone would help one another out. Even the alumni that graduated from NP, for up to more than a decade would come back to help out every once and then, or join us for trainings and dinner afterwards. The friends I made here are also the ones who made me stay even though juggling CCA and studies isn’t easy. Additionally, I have a passion for the martial art itself. I can say that through Ninjado, I have improved myself physically and mentally, and I found a place that makes me feel at home. |
Paolo (Red belt)
Ninjado is a different yet familiar style of martial art. I’ve had different types of martial arts training under my belt and yet, Ninjado teaches something new yet weirdly familiar. Most forms of martial arts has a focus on 1 area - be it striking, grappling or weapons combat. Ninjado teaches a little bit of each and also has its own style. If it’s one thing that Ninjado focuses on, its utility in practical situations. It’s not restricted to a point system or things like that. It focuses on pure self-defense, on how to keep yourself safe or how to defend yourself in real life. Ninjado also emphasises on equal grounds. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a male or female, tall or short, Ninjado teaches you that whatever size or gender you are, there is a way to defend yourself. This is instilled in us by our coaches, whether in normal practice or sparring. Respecting each other, and helping one another up instead of looking down on them are just some of the values taught to us. I’ve been in Ninjado since my first year in NP, and will still continue to be a part of it even when I graduate. It’s a close-knitted club, and with that comes stronger friendships. You don’t just learn the values of Ninjado alone, you learn it together with your fellow club mates - senior or junior. We are not just a club, or a martial art. We are a family. |