Chances are, that if you are familiar with this pic, you have wondered what this is all about.When I first saw the pic, years ago, I thought to myself, " They are not going to understand." I knew that most would not get the jist, and think it eccentric.
Fact of the matter, The Sensei = Urban, took this pose from an old painting, and in his own words, I give you the explaination, as well as the painting, which was taken from Andrew Adams' book, NINJA the invisible assasins, which was THE original book covering NINJITSU published in the west, by Ohara Publications in 1970, but originally taken from an ancient scroll of the Edo period 1616 - 1867. The painting is actually of the famed kabuki actor, Danzo Ichikawa portraying the NinJa Niki Danjo weaving his fingers in a secret Kuji Kiri = a kind of shamanistic finger sign.
"The portrait of a ninja that you see in musiums is a very elite looking middle aged man with a scroll clenched in his mouth; enigmatic looking with piercing eyes. Everyone tries to guess what he is holding in his mouth. I shouldn't tell you the answer to that secret but I will. He is holding a diploma. He is holding a list of secrets that no person should know. What is that? Never disclose your mistakes, weaknesses, or your superiority." Urban
The kanji on the picture of The Sensei = Urban, says Kami which translates as Spirit.
Now You Know.
