The Path of the Ninja by Martin Faulks

by Martin Faulks

The memoir of a puny boy in a rural town who grew up to become a Ninja Grand Master.By turns thrilling, funny, and spiritually enlightening, this story is a real-life Kick-Ass. Martin Faulks grew up in a Norfolk village, England. Returning from the rec center with a friend one day, they were attacked by a gang of older boys. Martin ran away leaving his friend to be beaten up, but he vowed that would never happen again. He trained in the martial arts, and in his teens he began to hear intriguing rumors of two local ninjas said to have been in the special forces and to have trained in Japan. They proved highly elusive, but one day Martin was watching a stage magician in a club, and realized that the man on the stage was one of the guys he had been looking for. So began a series of initiations that would take him eventually to being trained by the Dalai Lama's bodyguard and living with the Yamabushi, the most secretive of the ninja sects, located in the mountains of Japan.

Hardcover

First published July 1, 2014

Reviews

[Todd Burnett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, I'm not much of a lover of biographies, and less so for autobiographies.

This book, however, made me think.

Mr. Faulks comes across straight away as an autobiographist - vain, self-obsessed, narcissistic. Bearing that in mind, his storytelling ability kept me reading as he described his journey.

I found myself enjoying this book. Sure, it's martial arts themed, however it's an insightful tale of self-discovery through the author's dedication to his craft. It brings to you his realization that however good you are (or think you are) at something, there's always room for improvement.

The author begins his tale describing how his past had shaped his goals, and the surprising turn as he learns more about his art and himself which leads him to reevaluate everything he thought he wanted.

There are a few violent scenes, and a few profanities, so this isn't for the younger audience, however I cannot give this a full five stars due to a pinch of glaring editing errors which force the reader to stop, re-read and work out what it was the author was actually trying to say.

If you enjoy tales of martial arts, visiting exotic locations, or stories of realizing self-awareness, then this is well worth a look.

[Vishal Shah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I saw this book in my local library and the word Ninja caught my eye, as I picked up book and started reading the introduction that was talking about the Ninja and how the word conjures an image in our minds to thinking of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, Batman comics and animation and Mortal Kombat. This book looks at the history of the Ninja and Ninjitsu as well Martin Faulk’s journey on the path of learning and becoming the Ninja.

Martin and his friend were beaten by a gang in Norfolk on their way home from the library after leaving his friend get beaten up; Martin decided this would not happen again and learnt martial arts. As he trained at Kuk Sool Won a Korean martial arts school attaining his black belt and winning tournaments in his teens.

Martin trained at other Dojo's but as he wasn't impressed by their teaching methods, therefore, he decided to go to America and train with Steven Hayes, James Norris and Masaaki Hatsumi in Japan. While he was training with Steven/James and Masaaki Hatsumi he learnt a very important lesson and made himself and anyone practising any form of martial arts realise that however good you are (or think you are) at something, there's always room for improvement.

This book has shown how dedicated this man is becoming and learning about the art of ninjitsu and becoming a Ninja. On his second visit to Japan, as he went and spent time with the Yamabushi going through their hard and rigorous training under the waterfall, in a hot steam room with chilli's and how he has used the elements Earth, Water, Wind and Fire to get through this training.

[Theo Kokonas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this in the library, and as a hobbyist martial artist I found the storyline premise somewhat intriguing. The story itself was interesting enough although at times it tended to drag on.
From my very distant view there was a certain amount of silliness to the endeavour and the book could have been improved no end if there was a little more self-mockery to it all.
There were points which I enjoyed and a few moments which really resonated; an example was where the author reflected on how society sees an individual as having failed if they undertook very basic work with low remuneration regardless of whether they chose to focus their efforts towards a higher cause.
It's definitely a worthwhile read for those who want to witness the exploits of a British ninja afficionado!

[Stuart Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

Played surprisingly straight for a book subheaded 'An Englishman's quest to master the secrets of Japan's invisible assassins'. At times I respected its focus and quick pace. At other times I thought it really needed to lighten up and tell a joke. I enjoyed the spiritual journey and philosophical explorations, so if you're into that, it's not a bad book. Also, the writing is surprisingly sensory and present. The front cover and title, meanwhile, is mouth-wateringly cringe.