Looking back almost 1,000 years, the mists of Japan's chaotic past shroud the development of a way of life, an ancient struggle waged against fierce feudal lords who ruled the island nation with swords of steel and a code of death before dishonor. The people of the mountainous regions of what is now Iga prefecture wanted to live in peace, but their lords had other plans-so the people learned the martial arts of self-defense and used their meager farm tools as weapons against the samurai blades of their oppressors. Nine traditions of the ninja arts grew out of this seemingly endless struggle, and legends were told of the supernatural abilities of the ninja fighters. The ninja never gained the kind of power that topples tyrants, but they gained a reputation that made tyrants cautious. And they gained the kind of power that makes the spirit endure and the mind the master of its fate. Told in actual stories of past grandmasters and in dojo lectures on techniques-with photographs, drawings, and paintings-the last surviving grandmaster of the ancient art of ninjutsu, Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, presents Essence of Ninjutsu: The Nine Traditions. In it, he explains why, after more than 900 years, the art of the shadow warriors continues to inspire and serve practitioners from around the world. Dr. Hatsumi's book contains historic ninja scrolls and describes techniques for self-defense, and it debunks tricks that are attributed to the ninja but actually derive more from the circus than the martial arts. Essence of Ninjutsu is a fascinating, authoritative look at the roots of ninjutsu and how it continues to enrich the lives of its practitioners today. Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi is a bone doctor, artist, and writer, as well as the 34th grandmaster of the nine schools of the ninja arts in Japan. He has toured the United States in recent years to help Americans better understand the ninja and their way of life. His articles have appeared in all of the major martial arts magazines.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Standing on the summit for the first time:
This is probably the first book to faithfully reveal Hatsumi-sensei's approach to writing. In some of Soke's other works, the translation and editing have in many ways dampened the total effect of Soke's words. Not so in this book. The translator has done a superb job in capturing Soke's feeling in the written form. And he has done so by simply removing himself from the equation and instead has allowed Soke's words to do all the work. Throughout this book, the reader ought to be able to sense the depth... more info
never really gets to the heart of the matter.:
As someone interested in japanese history and culture, rather than in learning martial arts. From previous comments and the authors pedigree, I figured that this book provide me more illumination on the historical ninja. Unfortunately, by the end of the book I still didn't feel that I had a very good grasp of who the ninja were and where they fit into japanese society. One problem with the book is that Masaaki Hasumi's writing tends to jump around quite a bit (perhaps better translationa and editing would... more info
Lots of interesting background information.:
As a relative newcomer tot Ninjutsu I wanted te read more about the history of Ninjutsu and its roots in Japanese feudal society.
I found this quitte suffeciently in Essence of Ninjutsu. It has a lot of illustrative stories and historical context. A must read for the avid nunjutsu practicioner !
An exceptional view of Ninjutsu:
Massaki Hatsumi gives an exceptional view of Ninjutsu that is practically unparelled to the rest. One such interesting notion is that ninjas are not cold-blooded murderers. Hatsumi states that hundreds of years ago Togakure ninjas avoided killing anyone in the enemy's camp and only did it when there was no other choice. This I would say is a perfect example of the difference between a ninja and an assassin. Another interesting thing about this book was the many insightful stories Hatsumi tells. The... more info
