Ron Plunkett's dojo is ready to whip some folks into shape.
It's no gym, though, with weights to lift and laps to run. Nor is it a place to build rock-hard abs.
Instead, Desert Dojo gives its members a way to rise through the ranks of ninjutsu, a type of Japanese martial arts, to black belt and beyond.
Since it opened about five months ago, Desert Dojo has trained dozens of adults and kids, said Plunkett, the studio's owner. The dojo, or school for martial arts, has nine members, including one man who travels from Sierra Vista usually twice a week.
"For years, I've been planning on opening my own dojo" after leaving his job with the federal air marshals, Plunkett said.
Ninjutsu, in the specific sense, encompasses 18 areas. That includes taijutsu, or unarmed fighting techniques, according to a book published by the art's grand master, Shuto Tanemura, with whom Plunkett trained in Japan. Other areas include meteorology and geography.
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Plunkett says that before he opened his own dojo, at 7620 N. Hartman Lane, he taught ninjutsu in Colorado. In all, he's been teaching the art for about 30 years.
At his Marana location, most of those he's trained are kids, which he calls his "bread-and-butter" staple.
"People recognize the value of the martial arts and the value of their children getting exposure to other things," he said. Sometimes that variance in exposure could mean that parents have their children do other sports for a few months, then come back to the dojo.
"Ours is a unique martial-arts program," he said, in that the black-belt program "takes a little bit longer." The average time for getting to black belt, commonly known as the higher echelon of mastery, is about three years.
Aaliyah Midei, 12, went to the dojo in April after learning some martial arts elsewhere.
"She loves it there," said her mother, Ria. "It's a one-on-one type of environment where things are more personal."
By this time next year, Desert Dojo, also known by its official name of Arizona Ninjutsu Center Inc., expects to have extra activities to meet the other requirements of the art. That might include taking quarterly trips to a planetarium to learn about celestial navigation, Plunkett said.
But don't expect to sign up to win awards, he advises.
"There's no tournaments, no competitions so to speak," he said. "It's a matter of getting a technique and working with a partner until you've mastered it."
IF YOU GO:
What: Desert Dojo martial arts.
Where: 7620 N. Hartman Lane, Suite 112.
When: Programs for two, three and four times per week; unlimited plans available.
Cost: $80-$125 per month, depending on the program.
For more information: Call 572-7455.
