Customer Reviews

The Way of the Ninja: Secret Techniques

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Maasaki Hatsumi is definitely the real thing (unlike Ashida Kim) and this book doesn't disappoint. It is informative and enjoyable to read. You won't be able to train or learn techniques from the book (for that, find a good instructor) but you will come away with an understanding of what Ninjitsu is and was.

Hatsumi's book is more philosphical and spiritual, focusing on the essence of this historical art. If you're looking for something on combative techniques and/or other "real-world" things, I'd recommend other books and videos on Amazon or www.navysealteams.com.

This book is the first in a series of three important books by Hatsumi Sensei. The first two have been written and released within the last five years, the third one will be released soon.
1. The Way of the Ninja
2. Advanced Stickfighting
3. Japanese Kenjutsu
I might be wrong about the title of the third book as it has not been released, but that is the subject. These books are filled with amazing photographs and some pretty high-level concepts in the text.
These books contain secret techniques that a non-Bujinkan student may have trouble deciphering.
In any event, there is much truth and wisdom written in between the lines and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Honestly, there really aren't any other authors that are worth reading when it comes to this subject. If you want to study real ninjutsu, start with these books.

Masaaki Hatsumi would have us believe that the ninja are/were an intense, inner-focused group more intent on developing their spiritual strengths and discipline than being involved in any sort of assassination or waring. He claims that the ninja opposed bloodshed of any kind, and "would avoid unnecessary conflict, and even if armed with a blade, would find a way to win without staining it."

This spiritualist portrayal of ninja is distinctly at odds with historically focused books such as Stephen R. Turnbull's "Ninja: The True Story of Japan's Secret Warrior Cult," which show the ninja as remote clans who specialized in spy work, assassination, infiltration and castle-breaking. Hatsumi's ninjas are surely not the same as Turnbull's, who's favored technique was to sneak into a castle, set the storehouses on fire, and send the castle dwellers fleeing into the waiting swords of the Samurai army.

Ah, but this is Hatsumi's book, and he obviously has enough clout to say what he likes. He is the Grandmaster of the last remaining ninja school, with accolades enough from every possible martial arts society as well as the FBI. Also, as he puts forth plainly in "The Way of the Ninja," one should not apply scientific thought to ninjas. They should be felt and experienced, not researched and reasoned about.

Although the book is subtitled "Secret Techniques," it is much more about Hatsumi's philosophy than active martial arts. The text is overflowing with his personal musings on things as varied as diet, art, the role of martial arts, personal pride and boasting, wealth, how to properly tie a ninja mask, and pretty much every other topic. His thoughts are free-form, drifting from topic to topic with little linear logic. According to the translator's note, this is very typical of Hatsumi's writing, as he feels that a reader should make discoveries on his own, rather than be told directly.

There are martial techniques in the book. Scattered about are photo-layouts showing various maneuvers. Not being a budoka myself, I am not sure how valuable these are to learning the techniques presented. I assume this is more of an introduction than an actual training manual, to give interested parties a feel to what they can learn from Hatsumi's tutelage. The photos are excellent, and I wish I could see some of them in action.

All in all, probably the most complete text available on the martial art of ninjutsu, but not something that will give insight into the historical ninja or the role they played in Japanese history. But there are other books that provide that. "The Way of the Ninja" has a unique insight, a personal touch lacking in historical text. Hatsumi is a man who has lived the life of a ninja, and preserved an intense physical lifestyle and tradition to pass onto future generations.

This is my first purchase from Hatsumi Sensei. It was very easy reading and helpful to understand the history. After reading it I put it on my shelf for a couple of weeks and then read it again. I still found different concepts and saw the photos in a different way then the first time. I gave it four stars because it would have been nice to have some color photos inside instead of all of them being black and white.

There are three reasons to read this book:
- The Philosophy
- The History
- The Techniques

In terms of the first two, this is a great book. There are a lot of great insights into budo, aspects of shinobi, and even in being. The history, along with images of the equipment worn and used and their explanations are probably the best I've found in any book.

Now, that said, and where this book lacks, is in the techniques. Don't misunderstand, the techniques themselves are fantastic... That is, if you learn them from a qualified instructor. If not, you won't be able to make out the moves at all. Images are often blurry and very often are out of order.

All in all, this is a great book on the teachings of the Bujinkan. While I can't personally vouch for the truth in relation to the classical ninja, I am personally willing to accept that, seeing as how Dr. Hatsumi is Soke of Togakure-ryu and eight other systems, he has authority behind his words.

For the record, I study ninjutsu under a Bujinkan certified instructor, so that may colour my opinions a bit.

This is a good book to catch more information on history portions which aren't generally covered in depth such as the armour and attire. There are beautiful images although in black and white. Many techniques are also demonstarted within the book, however, don't expect to learn them from the book itself. They, just like the text, is meant to be pieces of the puzzle of what ninpo is. The book is an enjoyable read which can be interpretted in a number of ways. Enjoy.

I read this book in two days after receiving it from Amazon.com! I enjoy the many Taijustu (Body Skills) pictures displayed. In addition, what I found unique about this book is the fact that the authors inserted the concept of Kyojutsu (Truth appearing a Falsehood) visually. For example, some of the pictures were blurry to symbolize a change in the body movement relationship with the opponent.

Lastly, this book created a complete picture of the many oral teachings available on the subject of Budo/Ninpo Taijutsu (Art of Distancing).

For those expecting lists of techniques and a 'one-two-three' approach to martial arts, this book will no doubt appear as a disappointment. This is not surprising as I would suggest that this book is directed at those who want to, and are able to, see the larger picture in the martial arts.

Suffice as to say, without a thorough immersion in the principles that Hatsumi-sensei teaches (an immersion based on CONTINUAL and DIRECT practice with Soke himself), then a lot of what is presented in this book, interesting as it may be, will probably appear to be no more than the random musings of an aging martial arts master.

The pictures and text work together in such a way as to provide a natural sense of confusion that is, dare I say, inspiring in it's honesty. Forget the naysayers who deride the lack of 'logic' as this book is quite direct with it's ninja-like glimpses of Soke's art. For better of for worse, this apparent confusion is part and parcel of learning in Hatsumi-sensei's art. Some can perservere with this approach, some cannot.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough to all martial artists, especially those who are inspired to learn Soke's Bujinkan art.

Masaaki Hatsumi is without a doubt the most advanced master of Ninjutsu alive.
This book tries to give you a better understanding of the ideas behind this art (it cannot be called sport).
It doesn`t teach you real techniques, but no book could ever do that, but will help you to seperate the movie-nonsense from reality and hopefully encourages you to start practicing this wonderful art yourself, as I am doing for years now.

This book is a great introduction to the ninja way of life and thinking. However, as others have said, many of the pictures are blurry, and the sequences of techniques aren't described in significant enough detail. I still found the book a good read, but I really don't consider any of the techniques worth trying to learn, since they are just not explained in enough detail. In any technique, there are various requirements of body structure that must be upheld for the technique to be done properly, and if no teacher is present for the specific technique, it must be explained in great detail to be learnt properly.

However, if you want to get a philosophical look at ninjutsu, it is definitely a very enjoyable read. I enjoyed it overall. I decided to give it only 3 stars though, because the name "Secret Techniques" is part of the title, and I honestly feel the author could have done a better job covering such techniques if techniques was part of the title of the book. Not to say you should judge a book by its cover, but the title should have sounded more philosophical.