Ninzen

The Heart of Ninzen

I am Eric Covey, founder of Ninzen and a lifelong student of martial arts, shadow work, and human behavior. My path has moved through dojos, casino surveillance rooms, retail loss prevention, sales, and high-pressure leadership roles. Across every environment, I witnessed the same truth repeat itself again and again. When people lose their breath, they lose themselves.

Ninzen somatic martial art of presence, shadow integration, and nervous system regulation. It was born from that realization. Years of training in Ryukyu Kempo, Kyusho Jitsu, Ninpo, meditation, and behavior change work condensed into two guiding questions. How do we train a person to remain present under pressure? How do we ensure they are honest with themselves, not merely performing technique?

I created Ninzen as a living discipline of mind, body, shadow, and soul. It is the way I turned survival into a path. My work is simple in language, but lifelong in practice. I Help people breathe like it matters, teach them to move with intention, and guide them to see beyond their first reaction. I remind them that their life itself can become a form of training.

Right out of high school, I stepped from student to instructor.

At barely eighteen, I was teaching people twice my age how to stand, breathe, and move. That shift changed everything. Training was no longer about how sharp my technique looked. It became about whether I could help someone else feel safer inside their own body.

Those early years on the mat taught responsibility quickly. I learned to see the quiet fear beneath nervous laughter. I learned to read the room. I adjusted the drill. I slowed the pace when someone was overwhelmed. I applied pressure only when they were ready to grow.

Becoming an instructor so young revealed a truth that has never left me. Martial arts is not just about fighting. It is stewardship. You hold another person’s trust in your hands. Ninzen grew from that same place of responsibility. A path where skill matters, but who you become while you train matters more.