Product Description

Fun, accessible introduction to the world of the ninja. Ninjutsu is an arsenal of martial arts moves--and also a set of methods for surviving in the wild, accupressure, meditation, diet and exercise. Japan's legendary spies spring to life in hundreds of full color photographs of a Ninja's home with all its tricks and traps; Ninja codes and secret languages; ingenious weapons and gadgets; techniques for stealth, fighting dirty, and making getaways; Ninja navigation.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1451572 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Review
A must for the Ninja enthusiast's library -- The Wave

About the Author
Based in Tokyo, cocoro books specializes in visually stunning books about Japan's vibrant pop and anime subcultures.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Introduction by Hiromitsu Kuroi

I'd like to think that not only has my work with the Iga Ninja Sect Association, Kurondo, found a wide audience, but it has given me a deeper understanding of the ninja world. But I must admit that much of what I know of ninjutsu, the art of the ninja, has come from meeting Jinichi Kawakami, who's known as the "last ninja." Kawakami is the 21st Bando of the Koka Ninja Sect, and even today he follows the practices passed down to him through the many generations. These include a daily five-hour regimen of mental and physical exercises, and a strict ninja diet, which has at its core the soybean curd, tofu. It's with him in mind that I want to teach the world what it really meant to be a ninja.

To do this, I organize ninja shows and workshops for Kurondo, and in the course of my work have toured Singapore, China and Australia. On these travels I have often been asked such questions as, "What dan are ninja?" It seems that outside Japan, the way of the ninja is thought to be a form of martial art, something like karate or judo. But ninja have no dan or level, and there are, unfortunately, no black or brown belts. What I hope to do in this introduction is to illustrate the many facets of the ninja tradition.

Although the actual beginnings of ninjutsu have been lost in time, let's try and begin at the roots. The earliest records we have can be found in the 6th century text, Ninjutsu Hisho Ogi-den, which describes a man known as Otomono Hosori. He is believed to have served the legendary figure Shotoku Taishi, who was said to possess, among other talents, the ability to hear and answer questions simultaneously from ten different people. It is thought that the ninja Otomono Hosori in fact found out the questions beforehand and prepared the answers for his "gifted" master.

The ninja would have to wait almost another 1,000 years before they gained the notoriety that they have today. In the 15th century, Japan was thrown into turbulence when military factions across the country rose up against the emperor, ushering in nearly a century of wars that came to be known as the era of Warring States.

Although the tenets of ninjutsu changed little over the centuries, the ninja's work varied considerably depending on the period. To clearly understand the breadth of these assignments, we must look at the Warring States era. It was then that the practices of ninjutsu became clearly defined, and when the ninja, as a distinct force alongside troops in the field, were most active. Each daimyo, or feudal lord, retained a unit of 40 to 50 ninja, although in some cases the number reached as high as 200. According to the task in hand, the required number of men would be called up and sent out before battle to infiltrate enemy lines, spread false rumors, and establish links with possible turn-coats. When fighting broke out, the ninja took to arson, setting ablaze the enemy's castles and fortifications. If a castle stubbornly resisted this onslaught, they would burrow underneath and then charge in to wreak havoc. On these escapades, they worked mostly in groups, risking their lives in daredevil feats which we'd associate today with elite units like the Green Berets. Their work was on a contract basis, and although the money was good, when the battle was over they returned to their quiet village lives, raising families and tending the fields.

With the onset of the Edo era, peace was finally restored. Not surprisingly, this cessation of hostilities wasn't particularly welcomed by the ninja -- constant war was a lucrative source of income. To survive, many became spies for the Bakufu government or bodyguards to the country's daimyo, an image that persists in TV dramas and movies to this day. But Japan was changing, and the ninja still had their part to play. As firearms became commonplace, gun-toting ninja squads were established. When the Commodore Perry arrived in 1853, the ninja were sent in to pry inside his ship. Records of what they found survive today. The ninja, though a part of the samurai, were in the lowest class. In the warrior class, where name meant everything, the ninja were looked down upon as "those without sound, without smell, without name." As this snub suggests, the ninja, whose secret activities were instrumental in changing the course of Japanese history, would remain forever in the shadows...

Customer Reviews

Brilliant -- Nothing Like it in the Ninja World of Books
I was surprised! I thought I'd seen all there was to see about Ninja in print. But this book, published in Tokyo, has got to be the best! Page after page of color photos of nasty Ninjas doing their stuff, and between loads of fascinating info that I, as a Ninja buff, never even knew. Like what do Ninja eat? How do they tell the time from a cat's eye? What's the real colors of their costumes? (The answers: Tofu; by the dilation of the pupil; blue, but also other colors, such as grey, brown, etc depending on light). If there was one complaint, that is that I want more! If you're into history, martial arts, Japan, or just get off on super cool Ninja coolness, get this book!

First-rate, historically accurate, "user friendly" reference
Collaboratively compiled and edited by Jennifer Cahill and Michie Itoh, Secrets Of The Ninja: Their Training, Tools, And Techniques is a fascinating compendium of ancient training methods, rituals, martial arts, survival strategies, and much, much more used by those ancient Japanese spies, saboteurs, assassins and warriors once known as "ninja". Enhanced with an informative introduction by Hiromitsu Kuroi (Director of the Iga Sect Ninja Association, Jurondo), the descriptive text combined with exquisitely detailed, full color photography, bring the "real world" of Ninja training, tools, costumes, codes, diets, lifestyles, techniques, and philosophy vividly to life in a first-rate, historically accurate, "user friendly" reference which is very highly recommended for martial arts students, Japanese history buffs, fantasy and historical fiction writers employing ninja characters, as well as the non-specialist general reader who is genuinely curious about what it once meant to be a ninja.

A Book of Ninja Photos - Yet A Photo Can Speak A Thousand Words
At first glance Secrets of the Ninja appears to be just an interesting picture book. And... it certainly is that, every page is filled with professional color photographs depicting some aspect of ninjutsu.

Although the photographs are all captioned, there is only a limited amount of actual text in the book. But, it has been said that a picture can be worth a thousand words, and in the case of Secrets of the Ninja that turns out to be the case.

The photograph series show many things, from how to write in the ninja's secret alphabet, to techniques for fighting with a length of rope, to how to make a compass using a candle and a sewing needle. We even find a recipe for `ninja tofu'.

Secrets of the Ninja reveals no great secrets, but it is still a well-done, though very basic reference to the training, tools, and techniques of the ninja.

This is a great book for children that have an interest in the martial arts and ninjutsu, and not too bad for adults with like interests.