The Way of the Ninja ─ Secret Techniques

A Ninja was someone whose very existence expressed the spirit of Budo. He would protect himself with techniques not of assassination but rather of sensation and an acute awareness of his natural surroundings. He would avoid unnecessary conflict, and even if armed with a blade, would find a way to win without staining it. These are the true techniques of Ninjutsu, and the art in which Ninja persistently trained.

Ninja exercised endurance throughout their secretive lives in order to protect their families, their clans, and their country. Their harsh training endowed them with a tough but pliant spirit, and martial skills suitable for coping with any situation, together with a sense of awareness that had universal application.

Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, Ph. D, is the most famous Ninja grandmaster in the world today. In this book, he explains the essence, truth, and wisdom of Ninjutsu, an art of a thousand forms and innumerable variations. Through perceptive observations and many detailed pictures, the author reveals the hidden reality behind this mysterious and fascinating martial art. The Way of the Ninja will help widen readers' perceptions and deepen their understanding of two essential principles. One is that Ninjutsu is the very backbone of the martial arts; the other, that Ninjutsu reveals their true spiritual significance.

Dr. MASAAKI HATSUMI was born in 1931. After progressing through various martial arts, he found his life's mentor, Takamatsu Toshitsugu, and studied under him for the next fifteen years, becoming 34th Grandmaster of Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu and eight other arts, which he unified into the Bujinkan system. While traveling the world, teaching thousands of individual students as well as law enforcement agencies, he received numerous accolades from politicians and spiritual leaders of many nationalities. He has also worked as a professional osteopath, acted in a popular television series, and as the author of many books on Ninjutsu, was for many years Chairman of the International Department of the Japan Literary Artists' Club.

BEN JONES: After winning a scholarship to Oxford University to study Japanese, he moved to Japan and trained in the Bujinkan, interpreting for Dr. Hatsumi at seminars around the world. Former head of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting's Japanese Network, he now runs a successful translation and typesetting business from his home in Kent, UK.