The Ninja and Their Secret Fighting Art
by Stephen K. Hayes
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Book Reviews of The Ninja and Their Secret Fighting Art
Book Review: Great history, philosophy, stories and photos.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the first books that I read about ninjutsu back in the day as a teenager and it still is fun to pull off the shelf and skip around. It recounts Hayes's first encounter with Hatsumi, his finding himself being one of the few non-Japanese to study the art before the big ninja boom of the 80s when everything got so stupid in the public's eye, the brutality of early training under Hatsumi, some recollections of unconventional training and a few demonstrations of techniques. There are also many great photos from the old school, which you may find as interesting as I do.
I would highly recommend Hatsumi's "Secrets form the Grandmaster" recently re-issued, "Essence of Ninjutsu", as well as a highly illustrated, if also slightly inaccurate text by Lewis on the subject entitled "Ninja".
Below you will read many reviews that tear the book up for not being clear, not teaching enough, etc. Fine. But how much can a person learn about movement from a book unless they already know how to move? Same goes for fighting. So dismiss those reviews as not understanding the point of the text. Then of course there is the person who suggests the Ashida Kim books are the real deal and that the techniques of Hatsumi and Hayes are "too weak". Well, anyone can do bad Japanese karate in a black uniform with a mask while holding exotic weapons and call it ninjutsu, but that is not the case with the legitimate instruction of the Bujinkan. If soft equals weak, then that's enough said. But for those with eyes to see and ears to hear, the truth is evident. Moreover, I would suspect that those who have ever trained with Hayes or Hatsumi in person would not say such things, at least the pain in their body would tell them they are lying!
Book Review: A marvelous introduction to the world of Ninjutsu
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a great introduction to the world of ninjutsu for those not already involved. The book, however, does not contain step by step fighting examples as some of Mr. Hayes' other books do. This book, although different in set-up, is just as valuable, perhaps more so. The book takes your along with Mr. Hayes on his odyssey in search for the last remaining ninja master. It is the details of his experiences training in Japan with Soke Hatsumi. The style of the book is to explain what he went through in his training, but not how to go about doing it. This may be a slight put-off to some people, but for ninjutsu practitioners, or those hoping for a chance to become one, it is a great addition to your library for background history and information. I did find the last several chapters to be particularaly enlightening; those chapters containing the philosophical viewpoints and spiritual outlooks of the ninja. Bravo to Mr. Hayes for this fine piece of work. This book was the first book on the Ninja that I ever purchased, only two years ago, when I was 13. It has become a sort of cornerstone in my martial arts library, and an inspiration to me to keep training every day.Book Review: The FIRST book you should own!
Summary: 5 Stars
After 16 years of training, this is still my favorite ninjutsu book. The story of how Hayes searched out real ninjutsu and became accepted in what had been a closed system is the heart of its honesty. If you're looking for "How to Kill in 6 Easy Steps", then this is not it. But if you've done the sport arts, the belts, and the ego strokes of other arts (I did) and are looking for the real thing, here's where to start. As his first book after returning from years in Japan, it is not as polished as his later books but it is so honest and you come away with a feeling of his respect for the art and Grandmaster Hatsumi. It's a great read whether you ever train or not and the beginning of the path for those that do.Book Review: a very good book
Summary: 5 Stars
This the one of the very best books on ninjutsu ever released in the U.S. some of the past reviews on it are very misinformative and written by people who have probably never had any serious training and are just looking for demonstration techniques to show their friends, when in reality this book is much much more. It talks about the history, people, training, and occurances that came to shape ninjutsu into what is is today. If you are just looking for watered down techniques and death touches than you had better look the other way, but if you are looking for an aw-inspiring book to read and re-read on, in, and between the lines than your search is complete because this is exactly what you need.Book Review: Yes .. A good foundation IS important!
Summary: 4 Stars
While I am not sure what people look for exactly in books like these, I can tell you that while this book may not be full of demonstrational techniques, it IS an excellent source for information on the history of Bujinkan taijutsu and how it came to be available to all of us westerners in the United States. Roots are important, and this book will become a beacon lighting the shadowy history of the ninja as their path transforms and stretches into yet another century. No matter what you think about the author, the importance of his writings are like the cornerstones in the foundation of American Budo.