Ninjutsu: History and Tradition

by Masaaki Hatsumi

The higher order of ninjutsu, should be offered to the world as a guiding influence for all martial artists. The physical and spiritual survival methods eventually immortalized by Japan's Ninja were in fact one of the sources of Japanese martial arts. Without complete and total training in all aspects of the combative arts, today's martial artist cannot hope to progress any further than mere proficiency in the limited set of muscular skills that make up his or her training system. Personal enlightenment can only come about through total immersion in the martial tradition as a way of living. By experiencing the confrontation of danger, the transcendence of fear or injury or death, and a working knowledge of individual personal powers and limitations, the practitioner of ninjutsu can gain the strength and invincibility that permit enjoyment of the flowers moving in the wind, appreciation of the love of others, and contentment with the presence of peace in society. The attainment of this enlightenment is characterized by the development of the jihi no kokoro, or benevolent heart. Stronger than love itself, the benevolent heart is capable of encompassing all that constitutes universal justice and all that finds expression i n the unfolding of the universal scheme. Born of the insight attained from repeated exposure to the very brink between life and death, ninpo's benevolent heart is the key to finding harmony and understanding in the realms of the spiritual and natural material worlds. After so many generations of obscurity in the shadowy recesses of history, the life philosophy of the ninja is now once again emerging, because once again, it is the time in human destiny in which ninpo is needed. May peace prevail so that mankind may continue to grow and evolve into the next great plateau.

Genres: Martial Arts, History, Nonfiction, Japanese Literature, Japan, Historical

239 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1981

About the author

Formerly Yoshiaki Hatsumi, is the founder of the Bujinkan Organization and is the former Togakure-ryū Soke (Grandmaster). He currently resides and teaches in Noda, Chiba, Japan.

Hatsumi was born in Noda, Chiba on December 2, 1931. He heavily participated in sports during his school years, along with martial arts and theater, including becoming "captain of the football team". While attending the Meiji University, he continued learning judo and eventually rose to Yudansha or Dan rank. He also began teaching Judo during his time at the university to American soldiers at the nearby Yokota Air Base. After graduating, Hatsumi began to search for a teacher to further his study of martial arts. He began his Kobudo training under Ueno Chosui. When he was 26 he met Ueno's teacher, Toshitsugu Takamatsu, known as "the Tiger of Mongolia". Hatsumi was accepted as Takamatsu's student and spent fifteen years on Honshu Island learning various ninjutsu styles from Takamatsu and other members of the Takamatsu family, also he continued to learn judo, Shito Ryu karate, aikido, and kobudo.

Takamatsu died in Nara, Japan in 1972 after advancing Hatsumi from student to Soke and bestowing on him "all the art of the nine schools", and of course the grandmaster's scrolls, three of which he indicated were ancient ninja schools and six samurai jujutsu schools of martial arts. Hatsumi went on to found the Bujinkan Dojo in Noda, Japan to teach the nine schools to other students. His first trip to the United States was in 1982 and he has since continued to participate in yearly ninjutsu Tai Kai (gathering) around the world.

Hatsumi also worked as a Seikotsu-in (整骨院) bonesetter after his graduation and was chairman of the Writers Guild of Japan at one point in time. He was the writer of a martial arts magazine Tetsuzan, which was "distributed in 18 countries.

Reviews

[J.P. Harker · Rating 3 out of 5]

To anyone who has trained any length of time in the Bujinkan, this was probably the first book recommended to you by your fellow students and teachers. If you have not trained with them then the odds of your having heard of this book are slim, though you may have seen the author on various Ninja-themed TV programmes. Hatsumi Sensei, head of the largest Taijutsu (Ninpo) organisation in the world, wrote this book in the early days of that organisation, largely with the help of one of his first foreign students, Stephen K Hayes.
I first read this book when I got it for Christmas in my first year of training (12 years ago now) and have read it through several times since. The first time of reading it I was I think just very impressed and glad to have something to read regarding my new-found university hobby. I was only 18 at the time and knew very little other than ‘this is a book by the boss of our system’ and so read every word as if it were holy scripture. Later on, having gained a level of cynicism after looking into things more, I read it and thought ‘what useless nonsense this is, it’s just propaganda without teaching anything!’. Now, having gotten a little less angry but still keeping a cynical view, I find it interesting as a product of its time during the 80s Ninja Boom, and I quite enjoyed reading it again.
For those not as much in the know; the system being talked about is commonly known as Taijutsu, Ninjutsu or the Takamatsuden (after the headmaster who put it together in its current form). It consists of several traditional jujutsu/koryu schools, one of which is Togakure Ryu Ninpo Taijutsu. However, at the time of this book’s publication, the name Togakure Ryu was often used to refer to the art as a whole, as the ninja school was what made the system unique and as such was good for advertising.
The book opens with the sort of thing one gets used to from Hatsumi Sensei’s books – wordplay and some general advice on morality. Some interesting stuff but not all that useful to someone wanting to learn about martial arts. We go from there into a very brief section on the history of the Togakure Ryu. The lineage is covered in the simple form of a list of names and a bit of info on the founder (Daisuke Togakure) and the previous grandmaster (Takamatsu Toshitsugu) and the book then goes on to describe the traditional aspects of ninja training.
Most people who’ve practiced this art will be pretty familiar with 18 levels of training from what instructors have told them, though very few modern students will have actually covered more than eight or nine. Most will have done only the big 3 (Taijutsu, Bojutsu, Kenjutsu) with a smattering of shuriken and kusari work. In some schools there is a bit of strategy taught as well, but a great deal of this tends to be what instructors have picked up for themselves rather than the ‘traditional’ stuff. That said, as a look into historical training this is interesting, and it can be an inspiration to look into things beyond the confines of the dojo.
From this we go into the Taijutsu section, which I initially found informative, then woefully inadequate, and now tend to view more as an insight into its time than anything else. It includes about a dozen Kamae (not by school unfortunately, but this is more than made up for by the pictures needlessly including outlines of SK Hayes’ epic beard!). Then there’s a little Junan Taiso in the form of stretching, explanations and illustrations of the Hoken Juroppo (striking surfaces) and some very basic Taihenjutsu. Along with some nice photographs showing examples of strikes, probably the most interesting part here is the section on conditioning.
As any karateka will tell you, if you want to hit people there’s a real risk of hitting something hard (like a skull) even if you’re aiming for something soft (like a neck) and it’s generally a good idea to toughen up the bits of you that will be hitting bits of them. In our Koto Ryu there is a section on Atemi Tanren (roughly translated as ‘forging steel for striking’) explaining how to do this, but despite this, and the inclusion of conditioning advice in this well-renowned book, very few modern Taijutsu practitioners bother with it. A cynical man would say that it’s because people who are attracted to the relaxed ‘soft’ nature of the training don’t want to do the harder stuff – unfortunately even their own boss is of the view that the soft can come only after the hard, and every martial artist I know who is any good and who preaches the doctrine of relaxed movement, is also very capable of doing the hard training as well. (sorry – rant over, I just like that this oft-revered book advocates hard training and yet so few practitioners follow its advice).
The next (long) section covers weapons and other tools, both the commonly used and the more specialist stuff. Aside from the very ‘SK Hayes’ bit about straight ninja swords (which only appear in pictures of him, never in the ones of the Japanese masters…) this is mostly good, informative stuff. Like most of the book there are only short sections of text and lots of pictures but it’s a nice overview of the tools used and, like the 18 levels, it’s an encouragement to look outside the dojo and broaden your training.
Following this we have the Special Training section. This begins with a bit about the Togakure Ryu methods of escape and some stuff on the Go-Dai (5 elements). In fairness such a thing does exist in the ryu, even if Mr Hayes is rather keen on expanding on it. After this we have some more pictures (it’s a very pic-heavy book for a non-technical work) featuring some more lesser-used tools of historical ninja
A brief bit on kunoichi follows this, along with some pictures of ‘female-specific’ weapons and techniques. Best summed up with; ‘you know how we tell guys to be sneaky? Well if you’re a girl, be extra sneaky!’
After this we move on to a chapter on Kiai (prepare for another minor rant). Like conditioning, this is an aspect of training that is recommended in the book, used to be taught, and is still practiced by traditionalists, and yet the majority of Taijutsu students don’t bother with it. Your average Bujinkan instructor (even the ones who are very good martial artists) will encourage people not to, with excuses ranging from ‘it’s a waste of precious energy’, to ‘you’re a ninja, be quiet!’ The first excuse has some logic to it, the second one is just plain silly (to all my fellow Taijutsuka – you practice a style that is derived from ninjutsu; you are not a ninja, the sooner you accept this the easier it will be). What this chapter explains is that needless or spiritless kiai is indeed a waste of energy, whereas correct Kiai with the right attitude behind it can be invaluable.
This leads nicely on to the rather esoteric concept of Sakki, ie the ability to sense a person’s Ki, and the test now commonly used on potential 5th Dans. This is, naturally, the subject of some debate. Having practiced the Sakki test in the dojo quite a few times, I’m pretty sure I felt something and tend to ‘pass’ about 80% of the time, but whether that’s actually something extra-sensory, or whether it’s based more on catching subtle sounds very quickly, I can’t really say. Either way some nice pictures of the top men doing the test back in the 80’s, and a fairly good explanation of the concept.
The last section is on Kuji, and once again I sense the presence of the advertising hand (get it?) of Stephen Hayes. For all that Kuji do exist in the system, much like the Go-Dai they tend to be focused on far more by over-enthusiastic westerners than they are by the actual Japanese masters. Kuji are a genuine tool to focus the mind but they are also something people tend to associate with ninja and so naturally, they had to make an appearance.
The pictures at the end of Hatsumi Sensei throwing people about with the power of his spirit are a little bit odd to say the least, and I suspect they almost certainly relied upon some good but subtle movement on his part and some ukes who fully expected to be thrown, and so were. His worst critic could never say that Hatsumi Sensei was not a great martial artist, but I do feel stuff like this tends to undermine more than enhance his reputation.
OK; the summing up.
Something to keep in mind is that this is by no means a training manual so anyone buying this book hoping to learn technique will be bitterly disappointed. Unfortunately it doesn’t contain all that much on Togakure Ryu’s history and traditions either. There are snippets of information and a lot of photographs, but anyone really keen on learning the history of this art will also be disappointed. That said for the new student it’s probably a good place to start off as you won’t get bogged down with an information overload and given that most other students have read it, it’s something you can discuss with your instructor/ training partners.
Something else to remember is the fact that the book is as much a product of Stephen Hayes as it is of Hatsumi Masaaki, and this can be seen in quite a few places (Stephen Hayes is one of the men responsible for bringing the art to the west – probably the one student who did the most to spread it worldwide). Though doubtless done with the best intentions, his point of view does come across a fair bit (Yari-jutsu instead of So-jutsu, and straight ninja swords indeed!).
Perhaps the most important thing is to view this book in its historical context. This was essentially a 239 page advert for the Bujinkan style, and largely the creation of Stephen K Hayes. It contains pretty much what he and Hatsumi Sensei thought would best show off what they were teaching at the time and attract new people to the art. No shame in that; it’s what most MA books are doing, but it does mean that what you read should be taken with a pinch of salt. Most of us have dabbled in the weirder bits of training ie, gone up the woods to train at night, climbed trees, set up ambushes for each other and all that, but the vast vast majority of what you’ll actually do as a student of this art is the taijutsu; punching, kicking, locking, choking, and a bit of throwing and grappling. You’ll do some sword and staff with the odd bit of knife and chain and unless you actively seek something more, that’s pretty much what you’ll get (the odd week of hojojutsu and your home-made shuriken board not withstanding!). As such it is perhaps a trifle misleading, but then it does specify multiple times that all the cool stuff is what was traditionally done, and the title of the book is pretty clear.
A bit of fun as well is that the pictures show not only the sort of training that was done/advertised in the early 80s, but the astute observer will notice very young-looking versions of familiar faces in there, including both Manaka Sensei and Tanemura Sensei!
Overall I’d say this is a book well worth borrowing from someone if perhaps not worth buying if you’re a student of this style. It has some interesting information and is a great insight into how things were done at the time of its publication. Do not expect your taijutsu to somehow improve by its study, but it’s a good enough read and it has a place on my bookshelf.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first read by Soke. I keep re-reading. Definitely worth it. So many lessons to learned every time.

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the modern world, most people, especially Americans, have a very misguided concept of Ninjutsu. Simply hearing the word 'ninja' brings to mind thoughts of black-clad assassins slinking through the night, taking out guards with throwing stars, sword-fighting through an entire fortress single-handedly, then disappearing into a puff of smoke once their missions are completed. While there is actually some historical basis to this idea, the reality was far more mundane than the fantastical images depicted by the modern media - though also far more practical. Then, if we want to dispel these illusions and shed some light on the real, historical Shinobi warriors of Japan, who better to learn from than the current grandmaster?

Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi is the 34th Soke (head of tradition), of the Togakure Ryu - possibly the oldest, and definitely one of the most legendary, traditional schools of Ninjutsu. Additionally, he is the grandmaster of two other surviving schools of Ninjutsu, and six remaining schools of the Samurai arts, but he has limited this book to the aforementioned Togakure Ryu. Hatsumi-soke learned this art directly from the previous grandmaster, his teacher Toshitsugu Takamatsu, and is the foremost authority in the world on the subject. Ninjutsu: History and Tradition is his attempt to enlighten the public on the true role of the ninja, and was written in 1981, just at the time when the media portrayal was beginning to get out of hand. The effort, in my opinion, yields mixed results.

Going on the title alone, I assumed the book would be, of course, a simple history of the martial art. Well, it starts out as such, but quickly turns another direction. It's divided into sections, rather than chapters, and the first focuses on a very brief history of the Togakure Ryu, including a list of past grandmasters and a few anecdotes of notable Shinobi feats. The introduction and this section heavily stress the fact that traditional ninja were much more grounded and real than the popular misconception, but don't actually give that much detail on how; the subsequent sections, however, become almost too detailed.

Before a warrior can learn how to fight, he first must learn how to avoid a fight. Dodging and evading attacks, falling and rolling without injury, and other more detailed escape techniques are covered in a section longer than the introduction and history combined. Next, unarmed combat is discussed in some depth, as well. Each of these chapters quickly ceases to be a narrative, and becomes more instructional on how to do the techniques. Descriptions are accompanied by photos, which begin to take up most of each page, showing the actions being performed by either Hatsumi-soke himself or other masters of the Togakure Ryu. The following section, on armed combat, quickly devolves into a list of weapons that were or could be employed in classical ninja operations. Page after page is covered with the implements' names and images, with only occasional, brief explanations of their uses. Once this catalog is complete, special tactics are discussed, such as concealing blinding powders in sword sheathes, and hiding in trees and brush, to name just a few. Once the sections on combat and tactics have taken up most of the book, a bare handful of pages are devoted to the roles of female Shinobi, then Soke finishes up with a brief discussion of energy shouts and energy focusing techniques, stressing how the warrior must become one with the flow of events around him, rather than merely carrying out a set of physical actions.

My biggest criticism of this book is its seeming lack of intent - it can't seem to decide between being a history or becoming an instructional manual, and the result is that it fails at really being either. The combat sections basically just give examples of specific techniques being used in specific ways, which means that only a handful of moves get displayed, out of the literally thousands of possible variations. The photos are black and white only, and very poor quality and resolution (even by 1981 printing standards). The catalog-style weapons listing entices readers into even more daydreaming and hypothesizing, while doing very little to dispel the fantasy and explain the mundane ways in which the tools were more commonly used. The organization of the book into sections isn't bad, but the order in which they are presented could be improved upon, and there is absolutely no transition from one to the next. After the final section, the book simply ends, with no conclusion or effort to tie the segmented topics together.

If the original purpose of Ninjutsu: History and Tradition was to counter the fantastical media portrayal of the ninja, then I'm unsure as to its success. Personally, as a student of the Bujinkan martial art system (founded by Hatsumi-soke and based on the nine schools he heads), I found the book useful. Its more instructional parts helped illustrate and explain some of the techniques I've already learned, and gave me a better understanding of them, and I'm glad it was on my dojo's required reading list. However, I don't think a casual reader will get very much out of it - except, perhaps, their interest piqued even further.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a mandatory read at my dojo years ago. The content was mediocre, but serves as a nice introduction to the Bujinkan's approach to ninjutsu. You're not going to learn how to sneak, or fight here, jsut descriptions of what the ninja can do essentially.

It has also been said that even though Hatsumi's name is on the cover, it is suspected that it was ghost written by Stephen Hates.

[Robert Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative and easy to read and follow along. If you like Martial Arts in any form this is a good read for you.

[P.J. Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was written by a younger Soke Hatsumi.
As such it is the views of younger less experienced grand master. The book is good and dose give a good introduction to the art but compared to his later book it has nothing on them. His later books are much in depth and give a greater insight to the art.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is great, ninjas are awesome.

[Bas · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty good for $6. Mostly pictures though, which can be a bit dark at times. The text describing history was decent, the text describing the techniques was a bit artificial.

[wally · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was okay!

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book when I was in middle school. It increased my interest in Ninjitsu

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book...classic and love the cover.