The Secret Traditions of the Shinobi Hattori Hanzo's Shinobi Hiden and Other Ninja Scrolls

The ninja or shinobi is probably one of the most widely recognized figures in martial arts, but it is also one of the most misrepresented. What do we really know about the historical ninja, their battlefield tactics, and their role in medieval Japanese society? In Shinobi Secrets,Antony Cummins, with the help of translator Yoshie Minami, brings important documents from the historical ninjitsu tradition to an English-speaking audience. Included in this collection are: the three shinobi scrolls of the Gunpo Jiyoshu, a manual enthusiastically promoted by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun of Japan; one hundred poems, written sometime between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, that are the oldest collection of written ninjutsu information in the world; and the Ninpiden, or Secret Ninja Tradition, a historical documentation of techniques commonly attributed to one of the best-known ninja masters, Hattori Hanzo. Seventy black and white illustrations throughout the book depict historical ninja tools and weapons, and the original Japanese text is provided in many places. These widely sought-after scrolls will enthrall martial artists eager to learn the real skills of the shinobi as well as anyone interested in this exciting period of Japanese history and espionage. From the Ninpiden, part 4: Secret Teachings on the Preparation of Shinobi Missions The most important thing you should keep in mind when you go on a shinobi mission is to know the language of the province well or the way of local people and imitate it. It includes their appearances, the way of wearing clothes, the way of shaving the head, the way of making up their hair, the way of making a sword or Wakizashi,the way of enjoying refinement; these are all dependent on the place. Be sure to get used to the regional ways by observing and listening carefully, and learn to act in similar ways as to disguise yourself as a local. The most essential thing is to blend with the local people of the province. The above is the technique to be used when you impersonate a Bushi, but you can also impersonate a Shukke monk, shrine keeper, merchant, or Hinin outcast or beggar. However, if you have to investigate someone who is in a higher class than the middle classes, unless you disguise yourself as one of them, you will find yourself far away from any subtleties or secrets. You should use your ingenuity according to the opportunity. When you are mixed among Bushi, be sure not to behave in a loutish manner but have good manners at all times.

ANTONY JOHN CUMMINS holds an undergraduate degree in Ancient History & Archaeology and a master’s degree in Neolithic Archaeology. In addition to working as a ninjutsu consultant for documentarians and authors, he has copresented television programs dedicated to the ninja. He lives in Manchester, England.
 
YOSHIE MINAMI earned a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the International Christian University and has worked as a consultant for television documentaries about the ninja. As a translator, she has published True English (2009) and The True Path of the Ninja (2011). She lives in Saitama, Japan.