When you think of a self-defense situation, what are the top three considerations for being effective? Is it having strength, stamina, power, or a lot of techniques?

In the Ninja's art of unarmed combat known as ninpo-taijutsu, there is the core lesson of kamae - the use of effective body positioning. Other martial arts might refer to this strategic positioning of the body as "stances," but the Ninja sees kamae as an outward manifestation of the inner workings of his or her heart, rather than a fixed position dictated by one's style.