In Search of the Ninja (The Historical Truth of Ninjutsu) - 9780752492100

Now available in paperback, the first book to describe the reality of ninja history

Lost in modern myth, false history, and general misinterpretation, the ninja has been misrepresented for many years, but recently, a desire for a more historical view of the ninja has become a popular theme in the history/martial arts community. Providing a rare, accurate view of the ninja, this book is based upon the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team's translations of the major ninja manuals and consists of genuinely new material. Little historical research has been done on the ninja of Japan. Here for the first time the connection of the famous Hattori family warriors with the ninja is explained, the samurai versus ninja myth is dispelled, and the realities of ninja skills are analyzed. Such questions are answered as "How did a ninja work underwater when mining castle walls?" and "How can a bird be used to set fire to the enemy's camp?" The book explores newly discovered connections to ancient Chinese manuals, lost skills, and the hidden Zen philosophy that the ninja followed.