Customer Reviews

Ninja Secrets from the Grandmaster

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

 

 

Hayes has done us an incredible favor in offering a glimpse of what a relationship between a teacher and a disciple should be. This volume is one long interview between Hayes and his teacher, Bujinkan Taijutsu (ninjutsu) Headmaster Masaaki Hatsumi. The dialogue is occasionally spiced with interjections from Mrs. Hatsumi and Hayes' wife Rumiko, as topics ranging from medicine, fighting, Tibetan martial arts, ninpo history, theory, philosophy, mikkyo Buddhism, women in martial arts, rank, and many other concepts. This volume more than any other will answer those funny little questions that puzzle your teacher (in other words, this moves far beyond basics into meaning and understanding).

It is honestly a treat to see between two serious martial scholars a relationship built on love, repect, and encouragement without a lot of formal digression. Stephen Hayes also talks about his early days of involvement in the martial arts. Hatsumi, a bonesetter (doctor) by trade, is a seasoned martial artist and one of the foremost ninpo scholars alive today. This volume is excellent when read in sequence with Hatsumi's other book, "Essence of Ninjutsu", and "The Grandmaster's Book of Ninja Training", although this is probably the easiest for a non-Bujinkan person to digest. Keep in mind this is NOT a how-to-be-a-ninja book (no sequence pictures of guys in black stalking about with straight-bladed ninja sword!), most of the volume is dialogue with some still shots of Hayes, Hatsumi, etc. thrown in. If you're looking for knowledge, this is the book. It is just a pity that there aren't more works written by such fascinating people in this manner.

As a practitioner in the Bujinkan, I find this book by Soke very enlightening, although no book can take the place of real training! Great read!

As a bujinkan member, this book is very interesting and shows you that ninjutsu is not made up of a bunch of assasins. Great book this is how every relationship should be between teachers and students throughout Martial arts.

I only can rate it at the lowest rate available 1 STAR because i am encouraged to rate it by PsillieRabbit from the Dragon Elite friend of Ed Martin and Maasaki Hatsumi Sensei all this friends are encouraged for PsilliieRabbit to make reviews but in reciprocity i can rate it exactly as PsillieRabbit sugestmy rate is 1 STAR
Maybe a great book however dragon elite have your fools and not all is very good in denmark and in usa too.
Martial Arts are Arts of war
but Ed Martin Bujinkan friendship books are not the best way
however Papasan Ed Martin and Maaasaki Hatsumi are OK
The fool is psyillirabbit
this is not true martial art!