Customer Reviews

The Invisible Ninja: Ancient Secrets of Surprise

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I bought this book for one of my brothers for Christmas as a joke, and we had a lot of fun laughing at it. Ashida Kim (who's real name is Chris Hunter) seems to be lost in a 1980's ninja movie inspired fantasy world. You'd think he learned ninjutsu by watching Sho Kosugi movies.

Some of the "ancient secrets of surprise" in this book include tapping a sentry on the shoulder then moving in the other direction when he turns his head to look, and jumping out from behind trees and bushes. Heh heh heh.

If you've got money to waste and are up for some cheap laughs, then any of Ashida Kim's books will do. If, however, you are looking for books on real-world martial arts, get something else.

If you want to true history of NinjUtsu, the true techniques and fighting styles of Ninpo, then buy Hayes/Hatsumi.

This guy talks about Count Dracula or whatever that 60s karate guy's name was. Anyway, he talks about this guy who use to advertise in COMIC BOOKS ABOUT HOW GOOD HE WAS. And this man claims he TRAINED with him? He spreads lies, saying he got his mastership of NinjItsu when his "master" was lying on his death bed in some mountain on some far away land a long time ago. Was this also in a galaxy far, far away?

Another Ashida Kim Flop. Kim blends all he knows into one martial art. Unfortunately, it is not historical or authentic ninjutsu (he spells it wrong, "ninjitsu"). Kim mixes terms from Japanese martial arts with some chinese kenpo terms, creating a strange and confusing cultural mishmash that would seem more at home in a thriller comic book. Again, we are left with pictures of the author in a black ninja suit "sneaking" past a sentry in broad daylight, highlighted by a big white wall in the background that would make him stand out even at night.

The hand postures and kicking techniques are closer to kung fu and taekwon do, nothing like authentic bujinkan or genbukan ninpo. Ashida Kim claims to be affiliated with the Black Dragon Fighting Society, but recently the head of that group, Bill Aguiar took legal action to stop Kim from claiming association with the group, of which he was never an official member. Ashida Kim is the pen name of Christopher Hunter, who went maskless in his first book. There are authentic books on ninja arts by authors Hatsumi, Hates, and Daniels.

I like Ashida Kim's Philisopical approach to writing his book, it makes it all the more interest for reading.

Certainly worth the buy !

Whether or not the techniques work, its not Ninjutsu.

Don't waste your time on any Ninjutsu book not written by Hatsumi or one of his students.

If you are hoping to learn anything real about the 900 year old tradition of ninjutsu, do yourself a favor: Don't read anything by Ashida Kim. Follow the true path - Read Masaaki Hatsumi, 34th Grandmaster of the 9 Schools of Ninpo Taijutsu. Other reliable sources include Charles Daniel, Stephen Hayes, & Bud Malmstrom.

Ashida Kim obviously knows his stuff, and this was apparentfrom the first time I ever flipped through one of his books. I havebeen helped in a variety of situations by the knowledge he has given me. Let's make this clear: THE TECHNIQUES WORK. Even if he isn't Japanese by blood, who cares? Neither is Stephen K. Hayes, but no one seems to worry about that. Mr. Kim fought in the streets with the hippies in Chicago in 1968 (where he met Count Juan Dante), and from there he became a ninja. He is a man of peace, a man of knowledge, and a good example for everyone.

This author obviously has major insecurities about life. He sees violence and pain as the only way. All true ninjas are loving and gentle beings, and look at crap like this as mere prattle by undeveloped, fearful babies.

The author of this book destroys all credibility in anything he might say by the fact that whatever art it is that he learned is obviously Chinese, as he uses Chinese names for his techniques. Ninjutsu is quite obviously Japanese, and would not contain names for techniques which cannot be written in the Japanese language. This one, blatant lie leaved me with no choice but to distrust anything he has to say.

Ashida has done it again. A great source of ninjutsu (ninjitsu, doesn't matter how you spell it). People can say ninjutsu or ninjitsu, it doesn't matter. People call his books a gag or a joke because they don't want to put in time to learn it, martial arts does not come instantly people, get it straight already, if you want something with instant results, don't learn martial arts.
I learned martial arts from my dad when I was little, master at ninjutsu, even he says Ashida Kim (Chris Hunter) is correct. If you are gonna learn ninjutsu, you might as well take the time to read it. People who don't understand Ashida Kim, don't learn ninjutsu, you would just end up getting killed by someone if you can't do basic techniques.

ASHIIDA KIM IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!