Product Description

This book offers self-defense enthusiasts a comprehensive guide to the mysterious and ancient art of the ninja, written by the Western world's foremost authority, Stephen Hayes. Profusely illustrated with more than 580 action photographs and diagrams, this book clearly shows the correct body positions and movements for mastering the ninja method. Techniques such as hitting the ground and rebounding safely, shifting and evading strikes and weapon hits, and applying natural body weapons and handheld tools for combat are covered in detail. The book's physical conditioning program includes training exercises for increasing flexibility and building muscle strength, followed by footwork drills, reaction drills, counter techniques, and combat skills. Of equal importance to this ancient art is the spiritual training. Stephen Hayes provides all movement and meditation tech- niques essential to the ninja combat method. Stephen K. Hayes is the only American ever awarded the title of shidoshi ("teacher" in Japanese) and full teaching credentials in the art of ninjutsu. He has written eight books and numerous articles for Black Belt, Kick, Official Karate, and Ninja. He operates his own dojo ("school") of ninjutsu and spends his time between trips to the Far East, as a teacher, lecturer, and writer. He is the author of Wisdom from the Ninja Village of the Cold Moon and The Mystic Arts of the Ninja (both Contemporary Books).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #390035 in Books
• Published on: 1984-04-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Customer Reviews

A great introduction to basic taijutsu!
This is one of Hayes's first "instructional" books on ninjutsu, and it does a good job teaching the "basics." Hundreds and hundreds of great pictures saturate most of the pages, making it an easy-to-follow guide for beginners. Still, it's hard to learn simply by following Hayes's movements. The reader ought to have some understanding of the fundamentals--ideally through lessons from a certified Bujinkan instructor--before putting this book's techniques to use. Nonetheless, it's a great one to read and to own. Hayes, of course, is more than qualified as an instructor. I own almost all of his literature, and I enjoy reading them over and over as a reminder for the basics. It still feels like I gain something new every time I read one of his books--an excellent complement to ninjutsu classes!

Excellent book for beginner ninjutsu practitioners!!!
This was the first book I got on ninjutsu when I started studying it 3 years ago. If you are interested or training in ninjutsu this is a must read book! It will first teach you the junan-taiso, which is the conditioning and stretching. Then it will teach you basic taijutsu, which is the unarmed combat of the ninja. It also shows you the kamaes, which are the postures of taijutsu. It is a great book that will show you how to use taijutsu one on one, with great step by step instructions and photos. Also you will get into basic jo-staff, tanto, and sword grips. So if your starting out or interested you HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK it is probably one of the best and is the easiest to follow.

One of the best
This is one of the better books I've bought and read on the art of the ninja and I recommend it to anyone. The basic training drills will help any new student of the art progress. While I somewhat agree with some people that learning from a book is not the best way to learn any martial art, I believe with the right intention anyone can gain good knowledge and even master some techniques through this book and others by this author.