Ninja Training Academy
OVERVIEW
Join history buffs and Ninja enthusiasts, Ian and Reagan, for a week of exploring the life of one 16th century Japan’s most feared figures, the Shinobi, or Ninja. This camp will prepare the mind and body for the rigors of being a Ninja and carrying out missions.
Subjects covered will be:
History: Campers will dive into a brief background of Medieval Japan and the role of the Ninja, uncovering how many of the enduring myths of the Ninja differ from historical reality.
Fitness: In this class, trainees will undergo a variety of physical training to condition the body for Ninja tasks. This will include strength, endurance, balance, and climbing practice, using the natural world to aid their physical training.
Espionage: Campers will learn the art of Ninjutsu, or spycraft. Trainees will practice gathering intelligence, creating codes, sending messages, and using disguises.
Wellness: Campers will learn how to maintain their health as the Shinobi did. They will learn meditation, natural medicine, and nutrition. Japanese food is included.
Stealth: In this lesson, Ninja trainees will explore why so many people thought the Ninja were truly invisible, and discover the secrets behind it. Campers will practice camouflage, moving silently, and infiltration to hone in on their most important tool, their stealth.
Martial Arts: This final lesson provides the opportunity for campers to spar in hand to hand role playing (jujutsu), practice swordplay (kenjutsu), duel with staffs (bojutsu), and hone their (cardboard) throwing star skills (shuriken.)
Please note: role play and structured exploration of combat will be a part of this camp.
Camp TIMES
June 19 - 23
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
AGES
8 - 13
LOCATION
Stoney Meadow Lane
Monkton, VT 05443
camp size
15
cost
$200
APPLICATION PROCESS
PAYMENT
I. Make checks payable to the Willowell Foundation and mail to P.O. Box 314 Bristol, VT 05443.
II. Pay through PayPal. Please enter camper’s full name and the name of camp they plan to attend in the description. Please note: due to costly surcharges we require a $10 processing fee FOR ALL paypal payments. Please add $10 to each paypal transaction. We do not accept camp payment via Venmo at this time.
Please note: as of this year, there is no longer a $50 deposit for camps. Full tuition is due upon registering for the camp. We will email you ASAP to let you know if you did not get in, but otherwise hitting submit on the registration confirms your enrollment.
CAMP CANCELLATION POLICY
If a cancellation is made 21 days before the start of camp, tuition minus a $50 processing fee will be reimbursed. Cancellation anytime three weeks (21 days) prior to the first day of camp will be non-refundable. Please note: your place in camp is not secured until we receive full payment.
instructor
Ian Gramling:
Ian is a member of the Vermont Youth Development Corps, in his third term of service at Willowell’s Wren’s Nest Forest Preschool and New Roots Project. He has spent his life residing in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. After graduating from the Willowell-run Walden project in 2017, he spent a few years at Norwich University studying military history, including the turbulence of medieval Japan. With the onset of Covid, Ian returned home, and eventually came back to teach kids in the great outdoors, drawing on his volunteer experience in the past at Ferrisburgh Central School, Shelburne Farms, and Willowell. While teaching at New Roots, he discovered a distinct lack of Ninja training curriculum, and so designed a class series using Japanese primary sources. Ian has been fascinated with Japanese history and culture since a young age, especially the Ninja and Samurai. He is excited to bring his research to present in a fun yet respectful summer camp format.
Amanda Schwab
I am so excited to be joining the Willowell Community! My name is Amanda, I’m 27 years old and have spent my recent years studying herbalism, yoga and Ayurveda. With a passion for gardening and permaculture, I was so excited for the opportunity to work for Wren’s Nest as a substitute teacher this year. We would explore the land, take walks in the woods, keep our eyes out for animal tracks, symbols of season change and local flora. It has been rewarding listening to the voices of our youth that will protect nature; not just because they are told to, but because they love it.
My greatest joys come from creating art, observing nature and playing with movements that keep the body feeling strong. I have always strived to live in a way that intertwines them all. I hope that my love for these simple, yet vital parts of human nature will inspire those around me to find their own way to live in harmony with the earth. Looking forward to a year of summer camps with willowell!