Today we studied tracking with instructor Ian Sanderson as part of BQC's Grown-Up Ninja Camp. 50% of tracking is looking at footprints and as we studied the different tracks, we discussed how different animals interact differently with their prints. Some animals will notice if you step in their tracks. Some animals step their back foots into their front prints. Other animals (like the roadrunner) have a symmetrical print.

With all the thoughts of the spiritual and psychological aspects to walking, the next logical line of inquiry was America's Next Top Model. I love ANTM and one of the biggest themes of the show is on the runway walk. It's about how you move and what you communicate with every step. In a paved world where it's hard to leave a mark, the view of our walk becomes so important. The ninja are an excellent example of signature walks. The way we glide silently over terrain is immediately recognizable, if you can manage to spot us. Our walk represents how we interact with our environment and what we communicate to the world. Even the split-toed tabi has a message: a commitment to balance and functionality, even a nod to traditional knowledge. It's fascinating to me that our walk is similiar despite 900 years of martial tradition evolution. I know it's trendy to leave no trace but I think animals instinctively want to make an impression. Even if gliding silently through the shadows, ninja do so to have a quiet, positive impact on the world. What do your tracks look like?

Labels: America's Next Top Model, ANTM, footprint, ninja, tracking