Don't mess with Stan Higo. While he's normally a calm, even-tempered person, the 44-year-old Citrus Heights resident has a mean drop kick.

If ever attacked, Higo knows what to do, how to strike, even how to throw a weapon to defend himself. He has the skills to attack an assailant coming at him from behind, below and even above.

After 15 years of ancient Japanese samurai and ninja training, Higo feels confident he could defend himself in just about any situation.

Higo is one of a dozen students of The Bujinkan BuYu Dojo, an international training association based in Chiba Prefecture, Japan and taught locally at Granite Bay Kempo Karate on Friday evenings.

And while a lot of people might not be able to say it, they can do it, assures Ken Lux, who teaches the local classes.

"Pretty much anyone can do it," he says, explaining that his youngest student is 4 years old.

The goal of Bujinkan BuYu Dojo is to provide an intensive and complete self-defense training experience while keeping each lesson effective, safe and fun. Lux's training methodology is based upon Budo Taijutsu and the use of classical, modern and everyday objects as weapons for defense of self and others.

The skills rely on proper body alignment, positioning and use of maneuvers and tactics rather than upper-body strength, performance and speed.

The training covers kicking, punching, grappling, throwing and weapons handling as well as "warrior ethics" and the dual-life value system that helps students identify and evaluate real threats.

However, Lux's classes are taught in a noncompetitive environment and he says it's fairly low-impact.

"You don't have to go into a cage and duke it out," he says. "It's a real combat martial art with proven techniques. What's really neat is you can train at any level and any body weight."

Lux has been training since he was 18 years old. Now 42, he's an 11th degree black belt and travels to Japan once a year to train with the Grandmaster.

Growing up in Roseville, Lux moved to the Bay Area but returned to Granite Bay where he's lived and taught classes for the last six years. His work background is in marketing and sales.

What Lux especially appreciates about Bujinkan BuYu Dojo is it's an authentic discipline rich in Japanese history and culture, yet it's centered around skills he feels are appropriate for today's modern day lifestyles.

"People don't wear armor or carry weapons around," he says.

Typically a very exclusive class popular among military and law enforcement personnel, Lux welcomes the general public to his classes "because I believe it teaches fitness and health both emotionally and physically and puts value on people's lives. That's something we can go out and use in our fast-paced lives."

Roseville resident Mike Martin, a 46-year-old photographer, is another of Lux's students. Just two weeks into his training, Martin says he already knows it's going to be a lifelong commitment.

"It will better you," he says.

"It's social," adds Martin, who, in the past, has worked out in gyms. "It's more social than just lifting weights. You go over and talk with people and strategize."

Higo is Lux's most senior student. Now a fourth-degree black belt, Higo says he used to study judo and karate but found Bujinkan BuYu Dojo more complete.

"There is a component to karate which is very structured. I didn't feel comfortable in protecting myself. I was not learning the entire process. I was learning in little steps," he says. "Judo I compare to wrestling. It's a lot of tumbling and rolling. With Bujinkan BuYu Dojo I felt I could defend myself in just a couple of months. You're taught how to avoid getting hit, how to get out of the way. It's a full-self defense."

He also likes the fact that it's something he feels he'll be able to do when he gets older, unlike running or weight lifting.

"When I'm in my 70s I'll still be able to do it," he says. "It's about timing and distance rather than speed and strength."

For more information on Bujinkan BuYu Dojo or Lux, visit www.warriorfriend.com. Lux can also be reached at ken@warriorfriend.com or 780-0530.