About L.I. Ninjutsu Centers
We are dedicated to providing our members with elite martial arts instruction. We are also committed to helping you develop the attitudes and behaviors required to reach BLACK BELT EXCELLENCE - in all areas of life. Our goal is for all our students to become focused, self-disciplined and confident individuals who have the utmost respect for themselves and others.
In 1991, Allie Alberigo opened the first L.I. Ninjutsu Center location on Higbie Lane in West Islip, NY. At that time, the school was called the L.I. Ninjutsu Dojo of Self Defense. Allie was primarily teaching “Circle of One System” ninjutsu from Shihan Felix Vazquez, along with a blend of his own martial art experiences. The school was small (only 700 square feet) and it grew rapidly. In merely one year it had outgrown the space, so Allie relocated the school to its present location at 235 Union Boulevard.
In the mid-nineteen nineties, after a visit to the school and a personal blessing from Grandmaster Shoto Tanemura, the school was bestowed with the Japanese name of "Hanata", meaning flower garden, because of its large training area and beautiful interior design. Over the next decade, Allie continued this tradition with all of his schools, giving them each a Japanese name based on personal meditation and spiritual feeling in the location. In 1998, L.I. Ninjutsu Centers opened its second location in the town of East Islip, NY called the “Shin Shin Dojo," a spiritual name meaning “God’s heart, God’s eyes.”
Today, L.I. Ninjutsu Centers prides itself on having two of the largest, most modern facilities for martial arts instruction in the Long Island and New York region. We are also one of the few schools that teach traditional Ninjutsu (also known as Ninpo) and classical Ju Jutsu. The 6700 square foot West Islip location has two separate training floors, and a full shuriken and archery range. Also on premises is a complete martial arts equipment and supply center called "A Touch of Zen" (www.ATouchofZen.com) and a private parking lot. Our East Islip location is the second largest school in the N.Y. area. This school offers three training floors, and a fully maintained outside playground and recreation area. Outdoor events including Tactical Ninjutsu Training, Family BBQ’s, Luau’s and many others are hosted at this location.
Why we Soar Above the Rest!
The L.I. Ninjutsu Centers offer unparalleled martial arts instruction at extremely reasonable prices. Group classes for all ages are taught six nights per week. We have daytime classes for adults, and our world-renowned Little Warrior Program for children 3-5 years old during early mornings and early evenings. We also offer private lessons to fit your schedule. Of course, newcomers are always given a complimentary class, and Shihan Allie Alberigo and his staff of licensed instructors teach all the classes.
We welcome invitations from public and private schools, PTA’s, youth groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, sports teams, private fund raisers, charity benefits, etc. We will send our champion Ninjutsu Demonstration Team to come and perform, or have a representative come and speak to your group personally.
Licensing
Licensing is something Shihan Allie takes very seriously within his organization. Being a martial arts business consultant, he is acutely aware of the variations in quality amongst martial arts educators. A common, and very important question we often hear from our student’s parents is...
The answer to this question is, "no." There are no governing bodies that dictate a specific knowledge base required for martial art instruction. It is very hard to form a governing body over the martial arts because there are hundreds of different arts, styles, and systems, and they often have different philosophies, ideals, requirements, and protocol. The truth is, there are thousands that are legitimate, and there’s no way to know how many are not. Simply put, anyone can put on a black belt and claim to be a teacher. In fact, I have had students who didn’t earn their teaching license, or who had it revoked, open they went out and opened up their own schools without my approval. There is not a thing I, or anyone else, can do about it. What we can do is recommend that anyone interested in martial arts classes for themselves or their child thoroughly check the credentials of any martial art instructor they may be considering. This can be done in two ways...
- Visit them and interview them, make sure you trust your gut and feel that you or your child are in the right hands.
- Ask to see their ranking or certification. Legitimate teachers will normally have a diploma indicating the rank they've received, the instructor(s) who gave it to them, and they system(s) they have learned. (Just remember, with today’s technology, anyone can make a certificate or falsify documentation.)
Also, do not be fooled by certification from "vanity" organizations. There are numerous martial arts organizations out there that will give certificates of rank to people as long as they are willing to pay a fee to that particular organization. In the majority of cases, genuine certification comes directly from the teachers own instructor(s), and they will have a record of granting that certification. Do not hesitate to check their credentials. We recommend you do your due diligence and research. In the case of our school, please check out our page - About our Head instructor.
The answer to this is, "YES." Realizing the problem with licensing in the martial arts many years ago, Shihan Allie Alberigo custom designed a licensing program with specific boundaries and requirements all instructors must meet and abide by to be able to teach in his schools. The L.I. Ninjutsu Centers Instructor Training Program eliminates any chance of less than superior instruction.
Although a black belt must work diligently for a minimum of five years to achieve the rank and respected title of "sensei" (Japanese for teacher) in our schools, they are not considered full-fledged instructors. In many schools, earning a Black Belt automatically gives a student the right to teach. Within L.I. Ninjutsu Centers, there is a curriculum of training an instructor must undergo, tests they must pass, and abilities they must possess, in order to have the privilege to pass on their knowledge. We equate it to person graduating college – just because you received a degree, doesn’t mean you possess the qualities, experience and specialized knowledge to teach what you've learned. There are many people who are outstanding martial artists, who may even be the toughest fighters in the world, but that doesn't mean they have teaching ability. We make sure that our teachers are masters of not only physical fighting skills, but also the philosophy and history of our art, and the life-skills that are only gained from years of practice and dedication.
We teach the art of Ninjutsu. There are many different styles of Ninjutsu. Traditionally the style originated in Japan, but the roots of the system come from China and India. The Japanese art of Ninjutsu was once shrouded in secrecy, but it is now taught openly at L.I. Ninjutsu Centers. Shihan Allie has been privileged to train with one of best American Ninjutsu practitioners, and the founder of the Circle of One System, Shihan Felix Vazquez. He also traveled to and from Japan for over a decade to train in the Genbukan Ninpo system.
Ultimately realizing that teaching one particular system would be limiting to his students, Shihan Allie chose to take another path. He incorporated his vast knowledge from over four decades of training in many styles into a system he calls 21st Century Ninjutsu. You can read more about Shihan Allie’s history in the martial arts by clicking here.
Today, L.I. Ninjutsu Centers teaches 21st Century Ninjustu at its two Long Island locations, West Islip and East Islip, along with satellite locations throughout the country.
