Winjitsu

the Mental Martial Art System for success, memory, overcoming fear, confidence, personal growth, visualizing, and a healthy mindset


ALL YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

There are 5 areas of focus that increase the power to break through and the strength to hang on. 

My book of five fingers; “Winjitsu,” the Mental Martial Art, is all about improving the skills it takes to be both a good warrior and a cultivator.

Rick felt the mental training was so important, that he wrote 5 books to help Students with their training and life

Winjitsu book series

Through these books, a compilation and distilling of the Winjitsu System Levels 1-5, I am going to teach you how to maximize the true power within yourself, and with practical, proven, success principles – how to reach your full potential so you can…

...BE a Black Belt in what You Do!!

– RICK TEW AUTHOR

“Winjitsu is empowering. Winjitsu is the type of book that should be included in every school and home library. You read it once but reference to it daily. Winjitsu is a gift from Rick Tew to anyone willing to accept it and to those that do, the journey is forever changed.”  

– Trinity Ann McLeod Clark

Winjitsu the mental martial art

Life is an obstacle course

The Winjitsu graphic shows how life is laden with obstacles and the points of the Winjitsu W represent each of 5 key areas we focus on.

They represent the skills needed to not only navigate through these obstacles but to also have the mental toughness to endure.

With Winjitsu’s winning method, strategies and training, you can learn to navigate and overcome any obstacle in life.

The Mind-Body Connection

In the martial arts, we have learned that there is a mind-body connection. It is why Rick wrote the book series Winjitsu – The Mental Martial Art. 

Rick planted the seeds for me to grow

When we started corresponding many years ago, I had no idea about;

I had only negative experiences connected with sport, because when I was 10, I incurred a back injury. The doctors told me I shouldn’t train anymore and couldn’t go to physical training lessons at school. Now I know that you should never listen to this nonsense.

So, when Rick Tew started telling me about training, healthy food and positive thinking, it was quite new to me, but I felt it sounded like something I had always known, but forgotten for some reason.

My soul told me that it was mine. And it was Rick who first told me about the connection between body, mind and soul – a concept that is an integral part of yoga. So Rick planted that seed that grew two years later.

I remember Rick sent me the CD’S and his books that helped me to take my first steps and I liked his deep and all-embracing approach. Rick, I am really grateful to you and I am happy that you simply exist and that you are the way you are.

-Ilona S.

Why we do Winjitsu

NinjaGym® programs are not only about building a stronger body, a flexible body, a stable body or a body that can endure. The focus behind NinjaGym® is to provide you a place where we come together to also build a Stronger Mind, a more Flexible Mind, a more Stable Mind and a Mentality to Endure. Improving both your body and mind while connecting with great people from around the world.

At NinjaGym®, we follow the Mind and Body approach for overall student success. Although physical training in the Martial Science already offers feelings of joy and adventure, we also need routine and focused mental development. At NinjaGym®, we provide this growth through a mental system Rick Tew has developed a mental martial art called, WINJITSU.   

Combined what Rick Tew taught me

Through my association with Rick Tew I have learned and adopted a new way of life. I have also gotten into contact with other sources like books and programs on health. mental health, physical health and spiritual health.  From that, combined with the material from Rick Tew himself, I have taken parts and integrated it in my life.

Marco V. – Holland / Netherlands

Modern Self-Defense is Mental

With martial arts training, you might learn self-defense and how to be prepared for a physical situation required for survival. But in modern times, with our challenges being more mental than physical, your mind is most likely what needs to be managed and trained.

Maximized my memory

I’ve learned so much, upon recollection it’s unbelievable. I’ve learned to maximize my memory potential, set and follow through with goals, make the most out of my time, and take calculated risks. I’ve learned to relax, be happy, enjoy nature, and not worry about being afraid.

Nate P. – Palm Harbor, Florida – USA

Winjitsu Book Details

Level 1 ACE

This book is level 1 of Winjitsu

Achieving Combined Excellence

Taking Control of your Attitude

I believe we all have split personalities and the combination of these personalities is what makes us who we are as a whole. I am going to teach you how to maximize the power within, the power you already have, and how to combine these unique character traits with practical, proven success principles to reach your full potential, get a Black Belt in what you do and Achieve Combined Excellence.

grand canyon jump

Yes, that is a photo of me jumping at the Grand Canyon. This particular jump I did during one of our Travel & Training Tours. See the excerpt below to read what was the most frightening part of this jump.

Calculated Risk - Book Excerpt from ACE

Hello, I am Rick Tew and yes, that is a photo of me jumping at the Grand Canyon.


Looking at the photo of me jumping at the Grand Canyon you might think that I have to be suffering from false confidence or be completely insane.


Perhaps you are thinking that if I can do jumps like this, there is no way I would have very much to fear or need to apply a system of Winjitsu on a regular basis. I still have to muster up the courage to speak to an audience as much as the next guy. But much of my performance is based on all the hours I spent preparing.


This jump is a good example of a calculated risk. I have prepared enough in the past with rock jumping that this leap is one of faith in my training and experience. Not only that, but it was not listed “advanced” on my list of difficult jumps. This one is special because of location and the fact that if you don’t stop, you will get a closer look at the inside of the canyon.


The most frightening part of this jump was not the leap itself. In fact, I did it once for myself and another time for the photographer. But the frightening part of the jump was on my second flight. I heard a gasp so loud that it seemed to come out of the mouth of the canyon itself.


I discovered that a few buses had unloaded quite a few tourists, many of whom saw me jump and could only release that universal expression of “OH MY ______!”


The strategy before you leap is a good warm up. Risks are a lot more calculated if you have the training to back them up. You can assist improving this calculation with the Percentage Principle as taught in my Winjitsu system. Before you have your next business meeting, warm up. Before your next big fight, break a light sweat. You could review your notes and questions or your speech. Whatever the case, just remember to take a small step before you have a big one. Before instructors teach a class, they form a mental picture of what they would like the class to be like before they actually teach it.


A warm up is the preparation for an upcoming event, struggle, or performance…

Level 2 MAK

This book is level 2 of Winjitsu

Motivation – Action – Knowledge

Make it Happen

Making it happen. Most of us understand that the key to achieving success is through motivation, action and/or knowledge. But where do we begin, which is the first step? Is action the first step, or is it knowledge or motivation? Knowledge could easily be the most important part of any action. Would you jump out of an airplane without knowing how to operate a parachute? Could you defend yourself realistically against a knife if you didn’t know its strengths or weaknesses?

Level 3 MBS

This book is level 3 of Winjitsu

Mind – Body – Spirit

The Synergy for Success

I believe we all have split personalities and the combination of these personalities is what makes us who we are as a whole. I am going to teach you how to maximize the power within, the power you already have, and how to combine these unique character traits with practical, proven success principles to reach your full potential, get a Black Belt in what you do.

Level 4

This book is level 4 of Winjitsu

Neuro Reasons for Growth

Internal Power for Achievement

Although there are many ways to gain energy, the type of energy or NRG needed for a continuous never-ending plan to succeed is quite unique. NRG is a combination of specific beliefs to create a specific strategy. Neuro-Reasons for Growth are necessary for us to face our fears repeatedly, to train us to see striving for success as a pleasurable experience as opposed to a frightful one. What separates it from traditional motivation is that you don’t have to think about it once it (specific actions taken for success) becomes linked as a positive, pleasurable feeling.

Level 5 CMT

This book is level 5 of Winjitsu

Creative Mental Training

The Magic of Visualization

This book is designed to bring awareness to the concept of training mentally. It is equally as important (if not more important) than your physical efforts. Being aware is just not enough. You need to develop these skills, and CMT is the training gym for the mind. CMT will not only be the tool for sculpting a positive self-image, but also improving any area of life you decide to focus on. To do so, you need to make use of the most powerful part of your brain, your creativity.

Achieved a higher level of focus

Your mind power will take you a lot further than your physical power. With the system of Winjitsu, we to teach you How to Be a Black Belt in what you do.  

The Winjitsu training program and books are broken down into the following 5 levels:

Mentally I have learned that I can achieve a much higher level of focus and concentration in my training. Sometimes I found it hard to do this while at home, or I tended not to train for as long, but CMS soon changed that!

Mark W. – Portsmouth – England

Benefits of Winjitsu

This complete program for mental training uses modern strategies available today that will help you become the best you can be.

Everyone has challenges from time to time and many have these mental shadows sneaking up on them on a daily basis.  You need a system for defeating these negative Ninja and master your mental domain.  

Mr. Tew suggests you learn to control your mind through life-balance, use of your physiology, and the understanding basic neuroscience.  All of which can help you to learn:

Winjitsu also teaches you:


How to set goals and create a plan

Mentally: Learned to set Goals, Create a plan of action, Learn from your mistakes and Always keep moving forward. You can do and accomplish more things then you can ever believe. Learn to visualize your goals, simply set your mind to it and take that first step.

Ortwin C. – Holland / Netherlands

Motivational Entertainment

Rick Tew is focused on providing edutainment (a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse) by combining comedy and his martial arts with his mental arts (Winjitsu). His performances are fun and memorable.

If you would like to contact Rick Tew for details on having him as a speaker or trainer for your organization, please fill in the form now for details.

Mr. Tew delivers dynamic principles based on his 5 Level System for Life Balance. They include real life experience and stories to share practical concepts on:

Rick Tew realizes the power of personal achievement. He believes it is through the combination of specific parts that make a stronger whole, whether it is an inner or outer team.

I learned to adapt and change

Mentally, I learned how to increase my memory; I learned how to adapt to changes and overcome them by having a good attitude and staying in a positive state of mind. I also learned how to approach obstacles and mental blocks in such a way that I might easily overcome them.

Josiah L. – Chattanooga, Tennessee – USA

What is Winjitsu?

It is not a sport. It is a way of life. It isn’t about just mastering a Martial Art Style, but instead, how to develop a Lifestyle.

As a professional “Martial Science” instructor, I make my living teaching and sharing the Way of the Warrior. And because it is so unique, I often run across people who seek a verbal definition of exactly what it is I do and teach. Words alone, however, seem to be inadequate, even for someone who is an experienced speaker and lecturer. I still have difficulty doing justice to the real meaning of my Martial Science with words alone.

It is a very clear picture for me, but trying to explain my life to those who don‘t yet have this picture is like speaking in my own dialect. We each have our own view, our own mental image (it‘s called a paradigm) of the world. Those mental pictures are similar to different languages. So although my words are used for that initial spark, it is the picture that you see, based on your own life experiences, that will lead to an interest in my art and perhaps an eventual development of a new way of life. In any case, we all have pictures of how our life is represented. This book is about improving that picture—bringing it into sharper focus.

What does survival mean to you?

Let’s think about survival for a moment.  How do you picture survival?  If there were two pictures in your mental museum of life, one of a caveman and one of modern man, what would your picture of SURVIVAL look like for each?

The caveman’s day might have been spent hunting wild animals and defending against neighboring tribes.  Physical skills determined survival as a cave dweller.  Is this the image you have of the world today?  Do you picture people with knotted hair, dirty skin, and bad teeth wearing animal skins, sharpening long sticks, and preparing for combat?  Not likely.  Today’s real world challenges have changed.  The knife has been replaced by the mobile phone.  Knowledge of spear throwing is not as important as how well you use a computer.  And the courage the caveman needed to face a wildebeest has evolved into modern man’s fear of facing a live audience.

In the physical martial arts, you learn self-defense to help prepare you for a situation that might be required for survival.  It is a basic human need to feel protected.  But in today’s world, our challenges are more mental than physical, and you are indeed often your own worst enemy.  Today, your mental skills will take you a lot further than your physical skills.  Unless, of course, you are among the tiny percentage of the population making millions by playing a professional sport.   But even top-ranked athletes will tell you that their ability to perform is largely based on their mental skills; their “Mental Martial Arts.”

What’s more important – physical or mental power?

Consider this: In 2007, Slovenian marathon swimmer, Martin Strel, set a new world record by swimming the entire length of the Amazon River (3,274 miles).  It took him more than two months and a support crew of about 20 people following him in a boat for protection.  He was asked that very question.

His reply:

“I’d say mental power.  I could not do such a great swim 20 years ago when I was much younger, now I can do it.  And the reason is I am now mentally matured.”

Although it isn’t likely you will be jumping into a river filled with schools of flesh eating piranhas, bloodsucking toothpick fish, giant anacondas, and aggressive bull sharks anytime soon, the idea is that your life will have many challenges and may be fraught with dangers just as threatening to your wellbeing. Your mental characteristics are going to determine your ability to succeed and to survive.

Survival in this day and age is based on our quality of living, our balance of needs, and how we feel.

Everyone (including you) can benefit from the Mental Martial Arts for survival in today’s world. Getting a better job (for example) is probably part of your modern day plan for survival.  Improving your working life and upping the success quotient will improve your quality of living.  Since we don’t have the external worries of a neighboring tribe, that fear is replaced with more internal enemies like self-doubt, a lack of interest, depression, or a disorganized, unfocused lifestyle.  Success leads to success!

Winjitsu is the art of winning against our mental opponents.

I have taken the word “Win” and combined it with the Japanese word “Jitsu” (true method) to create the Winning Strategy or Winjitsu.  I chose these two words for very specific reasons.

First, let’s look at the meanings associated with the word “win”:

And now let’s look at the definition for the Japanese word “jitsu”:

Jitsu (also similar but different than jutsu) means true art, or true way – as seen in jiu-jitsu or Ninjitsu.  It is similar to the way “do” is used in judo or kendo.  It usually follows the main concept or idea.  For example, in kendo, the “do” represents the method or way and the “ken” represents sword and thus it is the “way of the sword.”

So Winjitsu is the “True Art of Winning” or the “Winning Way.”

I have compiled this text to give you an often-confused description of the benefits of Martial Science, especially in improving self-image.  It is not necessary for you to participate in any “Martial Science” to benefit from the system of Winjitsu taught in this book series.  I use the Martial Science only as a way of explaining the principles that I believe can help improve our lives, build confidence, generate inspiration, give us courage and techniques to face our fears, and enjoy a healthy lifestyle.  It is my experience, as a martial artist, however, that has brought me into the arena of personal excellence, and I owe much of my current lifestyle to the teachings of this so-called martial knowledge.  I was able to kick-start my life through the martial arts.  Perhaps you will too.

Perhaps this knowledge will add some light to a dark path and/or brighten your future with the use of the principles and strategies contained herein.  Maybe you will embark upon your own journey through the Martial Science as I have.  Or perhaps this information will encourage a new motivation, a lifetime habit, help you strive for a new goal, better performance, or a more balanced lifestyle.  My hope is that it will improve your life and that you will use this information any way you choose, whether that is to balance your character, break free of limitations and take on more goals, or to increase your level of joy in this world.

I teach the skills of freedom, balance, and facing your fears with initialisms associated with each finger. Yes, it’s unorthodox, but I consider the thumb to be a finger.  I like the concept of using five toes and five fingers, even if we call one of them a thumb.

The five fingers correlate perfectly to the five areas of focus that help us create the power to break through (fist) and the strength to hang on (grip).

Picture the following two characteristics for survival:

A WARRIOR:

An individual that combines the power of the fingers to form a fist and is able to break through barriers, overcome challenges, conquer enemies, and courageously fight to survive.

The survival strategy of the Warrior is to take the spear in hand and head out for the hunt – an immediate and forceful solution to an existing problem, which might be safety (a threatening animal/foe), or hunger (literally, or a strong desire).

A CULTIVATOR:

An individual that combines power and strength with the fist and fingers for maximum effect.  The cultivator cannot just fight or hunt, he/she can hang on, stick to the task, condition the mind, and provide loyal team effort.

The survival strategy of the Cultivator is to plant seeds, grow a garden, and over time, provide a lasting solution.

Winjitsu is all about improving the skills it takes to be both a good Warrior (a person able to defeat immediate challenges) and a Cultivator (a person able to survive the test of time).

Breaking it Down to Build it up

In The Palm of Your Hands

Each finger of the hand represents an initialism/acronym (ACE, MAK, MBS, NRG, and CMT) that refers to a set of strategies or lessons that will help you to practice your Mental Martial Arts.  Don’t worry, we will learn about each of these strategies as we move forward.

Self-Power will enable you to master and use these strategies until they are not just external (visual) teaching aids, but also internal personalities that will become a part of your thought process.

Once you memorize the three-letters for each finger (and the meaning behind each of them), it will be easier to recall the tools for each section.  You will then be able to take time using the principles of Creative Mental Training (Book 5 of Winjitsu) and enter the Dojo (training hall) of your mind in order to develop your skills.

Most of these skills I learned through my experiences in life and training in the martial arts; others are a collective energy from many sources including books, friends, teachers, and lecturers.  But most of all, they are techniques I have developed and continue to use to build my confidence, overcome my fears (Yes, I have them!), help others grow stronger, and improve my life.  They are universal principles and will work equally well for you, if you are willing to commit to the complete learning system:  Winjitsu.

Now let’s get started on your journey to success.  Become a Member, buy the book and Share your positive thoughts.

Different ways of thinking

Mentally I learned that there are many different ways of thinking, and a strong result of those thoughts are your action and success. Much of what you get out life, and what life is going to offer you, is dependent on how you think.

Kris B. – Canada

Rick Tew's speaking / Workshops

Rick Tew is the founder and author of, WINJITSU – the Mental Martial Art – and just the person to add a little kick to any program or seminar. He has been teaching and speaking to audiences for the last 20 years.

Rick Tew is an internationally acclaimed Sensei or teacher in the martial arts and founder of NinjaGym®.

Utilizing the martial arts as a gateway to excellence, he created his personal development programs. His courses are for everyone who wants to integrate mind, body, and spirit to access his or her true potential.

Mr. Tew’s principles are on the cutting edge of personal development. Rick Tew will give you simple principles that can be applied immediately in your life and work.

Hi, my name is Rick Tew and even though my last name (pronounced like the number) says otherwise, there is only one of me. But, I do have a split personality:

In fact, I believe we all have split personalities. And the combination of these personalities is what makes us who we are as a whole. It is what makes you unique. Through Winjitsu, I am going to teach you how to maximize the power you already have, and teach you how to combine these character traits with practical principles so you can reach your full potential and get a Black Belt in what you do.

Learned to be more mentally flexible

Mentally I have learned to be more flexible and have a more open mind. Encouraged to read up on business management subjects (e.g. 1 minute manager, Dale Carnegie) and personal motivation. Learnt that the best way to learn is to be self motivated – be a starter.

Craig H. – Australia

How to be comfortable with yourself

I’ve learned more than could probably ever fully be put to words, but to give a short Cliff’s Notes version: Mentally, I learned that thru the years I became happy with my station in life, which was the quintessential jolly fat guy. I then learned that I didn’t have to always be that guy, and could be what I always wanted to be.

Richard N. – Galveston, Texas – USA