Ninjutsu:

A Commoner’s
Guide
Tactics, Principles, and Philosophy

By
D. Holmes

2
 Ninjutsu:
Tactics, Principles, Philosophy

Contents
Introduction

Chapter 1 Defining Ninjutsu

Chapter 2 Ninjutsu Skills and Training

Chapter 3 Occult Practices and Philosophy of the

Ninja

Chapter 4 Warfare Principles and Ninjutsu

Chapter 5: Incorporating Ninjutsu Principles into

Self-Defense

Appendix A: Shinobi Equipment

Appendix B: A Commoner’s Dialogue and Opinions

Notes

Resources

3
 Acknowledgements and Dedication
This present work was made possible through
translations of ninjutsu manuals and various works by a
multitude of authors.
I would like to express my thanks to each of them for
their contributions to the community of ninjutsu enthusiasts.
Each work herein sourced has been listed in the references
section.

4
Introduction
“The means by which enlightened rulers and sagacious
generals moved and conquered others, that their achievements
surpassed the masses, was advance knowledge. Advance
knowledge cannot be gained from ghosts and spirits, inferred
from phenomena, or projected from the measures of Heaven,
but must be gained from men for it is the knowledge of the
enemy’s true situation.” –Sun-tzu1

Concerning the nature of ninjutsu, it is likely that

those unacquainted with what has been written of the
subject envision it merely as a form of martial art in a
layman’s sense of the term; consisting of men and women
utilizing a wide variety of physical techniques functioning
in the utter destruction of human beings.
When the word ninja is spoken, common people
tend think of men clad in black assailing targets of
assassination from rooftops or of a cackling trickster
disappearing in a puff of smoke. This image of the ninja has
permeated cinematics and other media of popular culture to
the extent that it is now difficult to separate historical
inaccuracies from historical facts.
For example, it has been this author’s experience
that the common person addresses ninjutsu as a diluted
and insubstantial “martial art”, associating the word with
the many men and women who attend ostensibly authentic
ninjutsu dojos.
While the notion that ninjutsu functions as a self-
defense system is partially true, it does not define nor
reflect the great depth of the art or its intimate associations
with the darkness of warfare. As will be supported in
following chapters, the claim that “ninjutsu” dojos offer,
5
teach, and practice real ninjutsu is in some cases misleading
and others simply not the truth.
Broadly stated, historically authentic ninjutsu may
be thought of as a skillset that incorporates a vast wealth of
warfare knowledge and techniques from a multitude of
schools (or ryu) and shinobi family traditions into a
methodology of survival and subsistence for the most
trying of human experiences. The art is not about dressing
in black and wowing an audience with acrobatic displays. It
is not about carrying a sword on one’s back and throwing
ninja stars (shuriken) at unsuspecting targets. And it is
most certainly not encapsulated by any dojo atmosphere.
The quote at the beginning of this introduction,
derived from The Art of War, describes the essentiality of
gathering and integrating intelligence into one’s strategy
for the purpose of effecting a great victory over an enemy.
This fundamental of successful warfare was the true
function of ninjutsu and is also the defining activity of a
shinobi warrior.
Ninjutsu concerns itself chiefly with the facets of
warfare that are typically underappreciated by the
commoner – i.e. espionage, guerilla tactics, and
survivalism. If one simply looks to the historical writings
about shinobi-jutsu (ninjutsu), it should become very clear
that the art deserves to be respected as a multi-faceted
methodology of protection and covert warfare, and not as a
mythologized or insubstantial martial art.

Problems with Summarizing Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu has gone through centuries of evolution
and refinement. Therefore, to contain in any single volume
the myriad traditions and knowledge/ skillsets of the
shinobi would be extremely difficult if not impossible.
It has been estimated that possibly 70-80 authentic
schools have existed at one time or another2,3, leaving
6
much room for speculation concerning the extent of the
art; as well as presenting a formidable gap for this author
to bridge in order to expatiate a summary of the subject.
Adding to this, there are a few other reasons one should
expect to find more in depth works on the subject in the
future.
First of all, heretofore undiscovered or forgotten
records of shinobi (ninja) traditions may have been lost to
history or are still held in the private hands of individuals
who have not come forward to have their knowledge and
traditions documented. This is understandable, for it is
well accepted that ninjutsu itself was spawned from the
activities of a secretive counter-culture. Thus, many of the
details surrounding and intrinsic to ninjutsu are likely to
remain hidden.4
If this secretive mindset has been adhered to
throughout the centuries, it is no stretch of facts to suspect
that there may very well be one or a few anonymous
ninjutsu families/lineages still in existence (though not
active) who have yet to cast light on their traditions. Only
time will tell. In other cases, many shinobi traditions have
been preserved within Japanese historical archives and it is
quite fortunate that ninjutsu researchers, such as Antony
Cummins and his team, have been patient enough as to
afford the western world translations of these records.
Second, it is quite possible that credible artifacts
concerning some of the more obscure schools do exist, but
due to the research impediments that cultural contexts and
foreign languages pose, this author must rely on English
translations of Japanese texts.
Thirdly, the voracious reader of ninjutsu literature
will take notice of a great debate concerning the
authenticity of certain proclaimed “masters” of ninjutsu
which must be settled before any definitive conclusions
about the art may be given. Respecting these “masters”, it
is most critical from an academic view that they present
7
verifiable documentation of their lineage and traditions.
Without this documentation, an accurate representation of
history cannot be constructed nor can the legitimacy of the
schools these “masters” head be appreciated.
In light of the above, the reader should take note
that this brief synopsis of ninjutsu should not be construed
to represent the whole extent of the shadowy art - its
implications, stratagems etc. Rather, it is hoped that this
present work will be improved upon by enthusiasts of
ninjutsu research, literature, and culture as more details
flow out from the annals of history.
On this note let it be stated that the history of
ninjutsu’s development is herein treated mildly because a
full synopsis would prove beyond the scope of this author’s
resources.

A Note on Sources
What follows has been derived from translations of
historical manuals on authentic ninjutsu tactics,
techniques, philosophy, and traditions of the Koka and Iga
ninja, along with other primary and secondary sources.
Where applicable this author has pointed out, or
expounded on, contradictions among the ninjutsu
literature so as to reflect the fact that ninjutsu is still in
need of serious researchers who may further clarify the
subject matter. The elucidation of these contradictions
serves as a first step in the direction of sensibility when
appraising the essence of the art and whether or not
martial arts dojos that advertise “ninjutsu” are indeed
legitimate.
Synoptically stated, this review is intended as a
primer concerning the subject of ninjutsu as well as a
gestalt representation of the various views of authors,
“practitioners”, and enthusiasts.

8
Admonition on Terminology and Ninjutsu Skills
Please note that throughout the following pages, the
terms “ninjutsu/ shinobi-jutsu”, “ninja”, “shinobi”, and
“ninjutsu practitioner” are used as nominal representations
of, more or less, the same subject in order to add flavor to
the writing (as the noun must be communicated
extensively). Be advised that the terms are not intended to
bear any distinction from one another, though the
development of each term is tied to a context in Japanese
culture and history that may be interesting to the literary
explorer - i.e. “shinobi” has its origins in the 6th-5th
century B.C.5 and the term “ninja” was first recorded in
1488 AD.6
Also, there are many instances throughout this text
where distinctions in skillsets of differing ninja families are
not made. For example, a reference to ninja training that
includes a specific method or technique will not always
include information on the familial lineage from which the
training was derived. This is so because the literature that
is cited within the present work did not itself always
include such information.
The shinobi operated in accord with differing family
traditions, and, as estimated by Zoughari, hardly any
shinobi were capable of absorbing the immense depth of
what constitutes the whole of ninjutsu.7 So, in these
instances where the family line is non-specific, the ninja are
spoken of in a general manner so as to present the idea
‘that at one time somewhere an authentic ninja did such
and such’. This generalization of the ninja spares the
reader and this author the headache of reading/writing
many linguistically foreign titles and colloquialisms of the
Japanese language. If one wishes to know from what family
lineage the skills and philosophies of the ninja are derived,

9
it is recommended that the reader buy the referenced books
and/or send an inquest to the cited authors.

The Translated Shinobi Manuals

The primary documents that inform this work
include the Bansenshukai, Shoninki, Iga and Koka Scrolls, and
the Shinobi Hiden. These manuals have been translated into
English from their Japanese text by the Hisorical Ninjutsu
Research Team headed by Antony Cummins and Yoshie
Minami. Here is a brief summary of each:

1. The Bansenshukai was written in 1676 by

Fujibayashi Masatake to preserve the traditions
of shinobi-no-jutsu (aka ninjutsu). It is a text
that is said to have arrived in the hands of a
capital magistrate known as Matsudaira
Ukyonosuke when three men of Koka offered it
with a solicitation for employment in the year of
1789.8 As the story goes, the violent and war-
oriented traditions of the shinobi were fading
during a relatively peaceful period of Japanese
history. To preserve these traditions, the manual
was written. The text consists of 22 volumes on
various aspects of ninjutsu.
2. The Shoninki was written in 1681 by samurai
and shinobi Natori Sanjuro Masatake.9
3. The Shinobi Hiden, written around 1560, is a
compilation of various skills and techniques of
the Hattori Hanzo shinobi traditions.
4. The Koka Ryu Ninjutsu Densho may have been
written around the 18th century (exact date and
author are not known). It contains various
shinobi skills, rituals, and techniques.
5. The scrolls of Chikamatsu Shigenori include
renditions of Koka and Iga shinobi traditions.
Chikamatsu was a licensed teacher and student
10
 of both Iga and Koka shinobi schools who
recorded the various teachings transmitted to
him by his teachers so as to preserve the shinobi
heritage.10

Other Primary Sources

Along with the above translations, some works of
“ninjutsu” martial artists have been incorporated herein to
better facilitate a comparison of what is taught in modern
martial arts schools with what is taught in the shinobi
manuals. Most prominent among these are the works of
the 34th Grandmaster of the Togakure Ryu, Maasaki
Hatsumi and Stephen K. Hayes, the first American to
receive the shidoshi title of the Togakure Ryu arts under
Hastumi’s tutelage. Mr. Hayes is also the notable founder
of the modernized ninja self-defense system known as To
Shin Do and recipient of a Black Belt Hall of Fame title
admission.
I have also provided a very brief overview of the
religion known as Shugendo, which has been derived from
Koshikidake’s recent book, Shugendo: The Way of the
Mountain Monks, for the purpose of casting light upon some
of the more esoteric and religious connections to the ways
of the shinobi. Also included herein are factual renditions
of Eric Shahan’s recent translations of works written by
Gingetsu Itoh who was an early 20th century researcher of
ninjutsu. Itoh claims that his research which culminated in
the below titles involved his own examination of shinobi
densho (teachings/scrolls), therefore I found what he has
written to be of enough historical significance to cite it
within the present work.

Itoh’s titles include:

1. Ninjutsu to Yojutsu (1909)
2. Ninjutsu no Gokui (1917)
11
3. Gendaijin no Ninjutsu (1937)

A Word of Caution
Please bear in mind that the shinobi arts are very
much associated with the darkness of war, thereby making
some of what has been recorded in ninjutsu manuals
dangerous information. The manuals delineate basic
recipes for explosives, blinding powders, and strategic
instructions on how to take the life of another and oneself –
a few of which have been cited and detailed within this
present work. This author accepts no responsibility for
what the reader intends to do with the information herein
presented.

12
Chapter 1: Defining Ninjutsu
“Ninjutsu may be defined as a methodology of covert
warfare that emphasizes surveillance and subsequent
exploitation of an enemy’s weaknesses through cunning
and deception.”

Is ninjutsu a martial art? The answer depends on

one’s definition of what constitutes a “martial art”.
The term “martial” first appeared in the 14th century and is
etymologically found to mean “warlike” after Mars, the
Roman God of war. The term “art” used to mean a skill
cultivated from consistent practice. Therefore, for one to
practice a “martial art” means to cultivate skill in
performing one or more functional activities of ‘warfare’.
With this definition in mind, it becomes apparent
that one need not possess a dojo nor engage in purely
physical art-forms of a medieval or modern period in order
to qualify oneself as a ‘martial artist’. This can be explained
by deciphering the connotations of the word “warfare”,
which typically espouses sentiments of shot and shell;
mortars and guns; generals and their strategies. Viable arts
of war include and are not limited to archery, pyrotechnics,
marksmanship, battle strategy, jujutsu, counterintelligence,
espionage, and exceedingly more.
“War” is a menace to humankind because it always
brings death, and this evinces the use of martial skill in
warfare – to kill or otherwise defeat an opponent.

So if we define a martial art by its entwinement with

the accoutrements of warfare (i.e. tactics, techniques,
stratagems, the skillful handling of weapons, and perhaps

13
systematized training for various matters of battle) then it
can be said that ninjutsu is in fact a martial art.
However, if one’s definition of a martial art is
shallow or ‘conventional’, being that which simply consists
of training for armed or unarmed competitions and/or
physical altercations rather than real-world military style
combat, then ninjutsu should not be thought of as a martial
art.
This clarification is important, for people who do
not know much about ninjutsu tend to shelve it within the
category of sporty martial arts like Tae Kwon Do, or they
may even relate it to the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
sensation of the 21st century. This is erroneous thinking
because “ninjutsu” is not competitive, it does not consist of
stylized forms of physical techniques, nor is it a sport.

Competitive Martial Arts and Ninjutsu

Understandably, fans of MMA and fighters alike
may find ninjutsu to be impractical for matters of pugilism.
It may be repudiated with a defining statement - that it is
nothing more than an illusionist’s art of “smoke and
mirrors”. But those who hold these opinions are not aware
that they cater to a paradigm of self-defense which defines
the worth of an art by how well it works under an
unrealistically narrow spectrum of circumstances (i.e. in an
octagon, in a bar, on the street wherein laws against
gravely injuring or killing still carry full effect). In tandem
with this, a confusion of pugilism as a close associate of
ninjutsu further clouds the utility of the art.
The shinobi were warriors and intelligence
operatives, not “fighters”. This is important to understand,
for fighting is to pugilism a subject that operates in the
realm of strikes, kicks, grappling, and submissions, whereas
the discrete and effective use of tactics, weaponry, and the
capacity to kill are properties of a warrior engaged in
warfare.
14
 Clarification may be made with consideration of the
following. A fighter (say an MMA participant) “fights” in
accord with a mutualistic agreement of adherence to fight
rules, the authority of a referee, and an understanding that
the fight is against one opponent only. There are no
weapons involved, no family to defend, nor is the life of the
fighter in any dire danger. The situations involving
warriors who are engaged in warfare differ, in that their
enemies can exhibit significant variance in characteristics
of body-weight, height, and body-type. Also, unlike
prizefighting, in the life or death struggles of warfare’s
battlegrounds there is a broader spectrum of circumstances
which regulate valid mediums of force. Weapons are
brandished and utilized with the intent to deter or kill the
enemy. These are factors of broad and somewhat
unmitigated violence, and it is this violence with which
ninjutsu is historically associated.
Now, what happens within MMA’s octagon, for
instance, does constitute violence, but as the myriad
international/ intranational conflicts that are recorded in
history will show along with a trove of data on criminal
assaults, this form of violence does not represent all
violence, nor are the circumstances under which this
particular form of violence takes place representative of
potential circumstances that color real-world, non-
competitive violence.
To paraphrase Sgt. Rory Miller, violence and
defense are huge subjects. Consequently, to boil down one’s
effectiveness in self-protection into matters of who is
faster, stronger, or more agile in a MMA venue is a serious
mistake. It is also an idea that promotes disservice to those
who genuinely seek to learn the means to defend
themselves and their loved ones from the incalculable
innovations of the criminally minded, militating enemies,
or the implements of truly despotic governments.

15
A Note on Violence
Violent altercations of a criminal typology happen
unexpectedly, often with deceptive or non-existent
telegraphing, along with weapons and weight/physical
fitness variations between the parties involved. Granted,
the strikes, ground-flow, and submissions of competitive
fighters do have utility in a “fight” which does not involve
weapons (some may even work with weapons), but violent
altercations are not always constricted to such technical
actions or pugilistic circumstances.
To clarify the issue further, one might consider
asking any combat veteran just how much of what is
displayed in the realm of competitive pugilism he/she
thinks can actually translate into a benefit under real-world
violence. It is likely that the reply will include more of a
reference to weapons and tactics as well as an
acknowledgment of the criticality of developed teamwork
than the importance of unarmed combat training. The
combat veteran will generally devalue one’s skill with the
foot and fist in relation to the above mentioned areas of
training.
In light of all these points and those that will follow,
it is a tenable position that any comparisons of ninjutsu to
competitive fighting will ultimately lack substance because
of a misconception of mortal violence, warfare, and the
false, implied definition of what ninjutsu really is.

Ninjutsu is not a “Martial Art”

The Grandmaster of the Togakure Ryu, Maasaki
Hatsumi, indicates to his readers that the principles of
unarmed fighting (taijutsu) was/is just one component to
that which comprises the whole of Togakure Ryu
ninjutsu.1 Stephen K. Hayes, who was trained by Hatsumi,
relates to his readers that the past ninja of his lineage
utilized “Koto Ryu koppojutsu”2 along with “Gyokko Ryu
16
kosshijutsu”3 when unarmed fighting was deemed necessary;
not some exotic physical combat style called ‘ninjutsu’.
Gingetsu Itoh, an early 20th century ninjutsu researcher,
also specifically states that ninjutsu is not a martial art.4
Seconding these claims, Antony Cummins of the
Historical Ninjutsu Research Team, is notorious for his
assertion that the ninja arts were adjuncts to conventional
(samurai) military training of the time which already
included physical combat skills. To him as well, ninjutsu is
not a ‘martial art’.
Ninjutsu is a system of warfare. It is the product of a
time when the sights, smells, and sounds of perpetual war
were the norm and thus, tactics that could insure survival
of oneself or the allied cause, no matter how
unconventional, were considered most necessary
acquirements. Respecting this fact, it should be no wonder
that ninjutsu manuals do contain skillsets that evince dark
connotations (i.e. arson, killing, infiltration, etc.).
Within these texts there are methods for burning
down buildings, points on using explosives, precepts of
espionage, and justifications for killing. Therefore,
historical ninjutsu could never be considered a suitable
product to be packaged for modern day civilian
consumerism. The truth of the matter is authentic ninjutsu
schools that maintain working concepts of the manuals no
longer exist, and if they did, they would probably be illegal.
Despite these facts, the myth of “ninja” training and
the presentation of black ninja iconography continues
within popular culture.

“Ninjutsu” Dojos
The ninja are often perceived as masterful wizards
of the natural elements, human psychology, deception,
acrobatics, and occult practices. Some of these attributes
are historically accurate.
17
 What is also true of the ancient shadow warrior,
respecting opinions of martial artists and ninja enthusiasts,
is that the shinobi of history does deserve to be described
with the extolled attribute of extreme skill in practically all
matters of ancient Japanese warfare and self-protection.
This is evidenced by the contents of the manuals which
also lend support to the claim that the shinobi art
constitutes a complete system of threat assessment,
deterrence, and survivalism.5
This reputation of formidability which has become
attached to ninjutsu comprises an impetus that moves
others to take up practicing it within modern “ninjutsu”
dojos. But if one is to accede to the notion that the
trimmings and substance of authentic ninjutsu was
originated and is now constricted to a violent and
unreachable historical context (i.e. the Sengoku period) it
will be a most unfortunate corollary that what is likely to
be learned at these dojos will not consist of a full overview
of historical ninjutsu traditions. Rather, the training may
include just a tenuous few of the components of the shinobi
arts which have been dispersed through a paucity of
lineages: armed or unarmed defenses and exercises for
refining the human spirit.
What may also be encountered within these schools
are a few applications of ninjutsu principles. Respecting this
point, it is necessary to note that an application of a
timeless principle formerly utilized by legitimate
practitioners of ninjutsu does not reflect the essence of
what ninjutsu is. In other words, one should not call a
system of defense “ninjutsu” simply because the content of
the system is predicated on ninjutsu principles.
To illustrate this point, consider the discovery of
electromagnetic induction by Michael Faraday in 1831.
This discovery served in the evolution of electrical
technologies. So much so that without this discovery, a

18
host of technologies that modern societies depend on,
including generators, may have never been invented.
That this discovery is fundamental to the operation
of modern electronics cannot be debated, however it would
be quite incorrect to credit Faraday with the invention of
the numerous technologies of today which incorporate the
principle of electromagnetic induction. Why? Because this is
a principle that underlies universal phenomena. It is
timeless and cannot be patented, owned, or evolved.
In our world, principles give rise to phenomena. In
ninjutsu, principles of warfare have given rise to specific
technical knowledge which contributes to that which
defines the essence of the art. In the same manner, what
was done by inventors after Faraday consisted of
identifying applications of the electromagnetic principle
which eventually allowed for an evolution of products and
technical engineering.
The activities within “ninjutsu” dojos resembles
those of inventors economizing on the principles of
electricity in that the students learn modern applications of
ostensibly historical ninjutsu techniques, which are
themselves derived from timeless principles. So in truth,
especially respecting things like gun disarms, these dojos
are at best simply creating techniques that are applicable to
a street-fight context of modern society. If the logic leads,
then these techniques should not be represented as
elements of the system known as ninjutsu.
To understand this point better, consider the
following questions.
Did the master ninja of old train the commoner in
specific technical details of how to effectively disarm an
attacker wielding a semi-automatic handgun? Probably
not. Did the ninja of old expect trainees to conform to a
standard of armed and unarmed pugilistic capacities
despite the obvious disparity in aptitude distribution that is
common between people? Probably not. Did the ninja of
19
old employ belt ranks as significations of one’s ability?
Probably not. And so, it is in light of these answers that I
must contend: modern “ninjutsu” dojos peddle products of
warfare principles that have a veneer of ninjutsu – they are
tenuous reflections of the real thing.
Regarding the authenticity of the Togakure Ryu
with which many enthusiasts of ninjutsu are affiliated, (and
one might say the school that birthed the ninja boom of the
1980’s), it is significant to note that there is a debate
around the authenticity of Hatsumi’s ninjutsu. Some say
that academic confirmation of Hatsumi’s lineage has not
been forthcoming, in that no real documentation or scrolls
have been offered up for a scholarly examination. Some
also feel that the only “credible” source that places the
Togakure Ryu lineage in the category of ninjutsu is
Hatsumi himself.
For example, John Man, author of Ninja: 1,000
Years of the Shadow Warriors, resounds a sentiment that has
been consistently dredged up by the skeptical community
concerned with the nature of Hatsumi’s ninjutsu, stating
that, “[n]o one else has confirmed the existence, let alone
the contents, of [Hatsumi’s] ‘ancient scrolls’.”6
And so, one must wonder. If the documentation
which would prove the legitimacy of Hatsumi’s ninjutsu
lineage exists, why has he not simply given in to the
demands of the people who wish to know the truth? Who
knows? Perhaps Hatsumi really does have the
documentation but does not find the request by ninjutsu
enthusiasts worthwhile.
Whatever the reasons, the point remains that there
are still ninjutsu enthusiasts and academics who will argue
that until the Togakure Ryu and affiliated Bujinkan
organizations can provide the interested academics
documentation of their alleged authenticity as ninjutsu
schools, one would be safer to assume that they do not
really teach the art.
20
 To be fair to the practitioners of Bujinkan and the
like, it must be said that if Hatsumi were to weigh in on
this debate, one could reasonably suspect that he would tell
others to stop gossiping and simply state their questions,
complaints, and concerns to the person of interest rather
than rally up support for either side and spreading
rumors.7 Once again it may be possible, albeit dubious, that
Hatsumi has legitimate documentation of his lineage, if one
would but gain good rapport with him to discuss it. But,
the truth of this matter is beyond me.
However, let us not forget the former predication of
the argument that unmitigated ninjutsu is no longer
practiced, for the art belongs to a specific historical
context, no longer existent, wherein the darkness of war
required its use. This day and age, those who attend
“ninjutsu” dojos including Hatsumi’s, are to an extent
merely re-enacting certain aspects of true, historical
ninjutsu (though this does not provide for the just
inference that Hatsumi himself does not retain real shinobi
skill or lineal ties).
To go one further, it is in accord with the manuals
that one could hardly tell if someone was/is an adept
shinobi or not anyway. The Bansenshukai explains that only
mediocre ninja are of some historical renown whereas
master shinobi are not known for their deeds or profession
(see below).

Ninjutsu Masters and “Ninjutsu” Masters

Those who are still eager to find a ninjutsu
instructor to train under might ask, “What are the qualities
of a shinobi? Is the title given for his/her skill in
applications of physical techniques i.e. strikes, grappling,
and joint locks? Is mastery of ninjutsu conferred in accord
with one’s rank or accomplishments during times of

21
conflict? Does a master shinobi own a dojo? What really
defines a ninjutsu master?”
Holding to the content of manuals on the art, those
who ask these kinds of questions will be disappointed to
find that a “shinobi” who is skilled, and known for his skill,
would be considered by Fujibayashi Yasutake’s standards
as a very mediocre ninja if a ninja at all.8 And so, one
cannot expect to access the more recondite knowledge of
ninjutsu through these sorts of people if indeed they teach
any piece of the art.
The supreme quality that defines a master shinobi is
to be spoken of in terms of absolute anonymity respecting
profession, accomplishments, and skill. A master shinobi is
thought to have been so secretive concerning his affiliation
with ninjutsu that his family members and close friends
had no idea he even had the skills (this anonymity beckons
relation to intelligence operations of an ancient and
modern context).
Indeed, the Bansenshukai gives the admonition that
the aspiring shinobi should never reveal the extent of his
skills even to his closest relations, for the vicissitudes of
the turbulent times were such that an ally could
spontaneously flip relations and become an enemy.9 And so
according to Fujibayashi, one cannot tell a master shinobi
apart from a regular citizen or an average warrior.
If one happened to come across a true master of
ninjutsu, he would seem average, “stupid”8, and have
nothing to display that would offer the presupposition that
he is indeed a ninjutsu adept. This shinobi will not seek
recognition for his skill. He will not boast or even casually
speak of his accomplishments, and furthermore there will
be nothing at all which would allude to his capabilities
within the realm of ninjutsu. If his capabilities are called to
action against his enemies, they will produce effects that
are completely indistinguishable from (one might even say
camouflaged by) the cycles of nature.10
22
 Consequently, a master shinobi will not make
monetary solicitations in exchange for knowledge of his
skills. A master shinobi will not publicly open a ninjutsu
dojo for the common citizen. A master shinobi will not
refer to himself as a master. And a master shinobi will not
enter into a competitive match while stylizing his physical
techniques as “ninjutsu”.
What Fujibayashi claims has major implications for
the “ninjutsu” dojo industry. By his words, any acclaimed
“master” of ninjutsu is automatically disqualified from the
title.

Rank Mediated Access to Ninjutsu Traditions

Higher knowledge of ninjutsu traditions and
techniques was only imparted after the student had proven
to be of tactical value as an agent.11 In this way, the most
secret of shinobi traditions were protected through the
implementation of a sort of portcullis to higher knowledge
that required proofs of loyalty and promise as an agent
prior to gaining full access to the deepest secrets of the art.
So unless modern “ninjutsu” schools regulate access to
deeper and more deadly historical traditions in the same
manner, or based upon belt rank, the “ninjutsu” martial
artist can expect that he/she will not learn the more
sinister techniques of the ninja.
The students will not learn how to cook up
explosives, how to infiltrate a residence, how to learn an
attackers intentions, how to interrogate, torture,
assassinate, or concoct credulous disguises. They will
never be asked to survive in the wilderness, surveil enemy
territories, or kill another person over inadvertent
exposure to a vital mission secret.
This is the reality – real ninjutsu that includes
tactical training across various disciplines of warfare, does
not exist as a “martial art”. As previously argued, the
23
nominal forms of “ninjutsu” in modern society are at best
diluted nuances of their progenitor (historical ninjutsu).
Adding to this argument, it is important to take note of
what is written by the controversial “ninjutsu” martial arts
authority Maasaki Hatsumi.
As the 34th Grandmaster of the Togakure Ryu, he
asserts that historical practitioners of ninjutsu were,
“trained in eighteen fundamental areas of expertise,
beginning with ‘psychic purity’ and progressing through a
vast range of physical and mental skills.”12
These skills moved beyond mere unarmed combat to
include the aforementioned use of disguise, espionage
tactics, explosives, and a myriad of proficiencies in the use
of bladed, cord, chain, or projectile weapons.13 So far as one
can tell, these 18 disciplines are not taught in full to
Bujinkan members themselves.
If one were to assume that the credibility of Hatsumi
as an authentic teacher of ninjutsu has been established,
and that what he states is true, then the student of any
school that offers connotations of “ninjutsu” should be
aware of its inauthenticity on the basis of what is omitted
from a manual-based curriculum.
What is more, the Koka Shinobi no Den Miraiki
transcribed by Chikamatsu Shigenori contains
incontrovertible evidence that the schools of modern day
Koka “ninjutsu” (if not to include schools of the men of Iga
as well) cannot possibly teach authentic/deep ninjutsu.
This incisive document consists of a verbatim
dissertation on the art given by a Koka ninja master known
as Kimura Okunosuke Yasutaka in the year of 1719 AD,
and it supplies ten of his predictions concerning the demise
of his shinobi traditions. Among the ten, he laments that
the younger men of his century have no real interest in
preserving the traditions of ninjutsu as the peaceful Edo
period was affording the younger generations an easier life
free of the difficulties of warfare.
24
 Furthermore, he explains that the shinobi schools of
his century were all headed by lesser ninja who never had
access to the deeper secrets of ninjutsu nor any real
experience in utilizing the art, stating that the traditions of
ninjutsu were given in stages, and that candidates rarely
attained the level of worth to receive the higher teachings.
In fact, Kimura says that only one out of a thousand men
would be found suitable to receive full knowledge of all the
shinobi traditions whereas the rest would be taught
shallow arts. Hence the reason Kimura perceived it to be
inevitable that his art would fade with the passing
centuries as the veteran ninja died out without a vessel to
preserve their ways.14

Ninjutsu and Violence

What human beings call warfare, (its activities,
sights, smells, etc.), should not to be regarded with some
distorting light of fun-fantasy. But, respecting “ninjutsu”
enthusiasts and dojos, the mythical lore of the ninja is so
pervasive and misrepresentative of reality that he/she who
clings to it can come to develop an idea that fighting as a
shinobi would have been “cool”, “badass”, or “awesome”.
This is very misinformed, erroneous thinking.
To be blunt, anyone who holds to such perceptions
of historical shinobi and their operations lacks even a
superficial awareness of the grotesque content of warfare
or its psychological and physiological ramifications on the
human being.
Shinobi were more or less soldiers, and indeed, the
violence that the shinobi might have encountered in the
course of his/her missions was of such a horrendous
quality that it is quite difficult for the denizens of our
comfortably modern Western civilization to comprehend
it.
To serve as illustration of this declaration, imagine
if you would, infiltrating a castle in the dark of night with
25
the knowledge that to be detected is to be killed. So now
that you have, do you feel your heart racing? Do you feel
the fear? Do you long to see your family again? No? I
wouldn’t expect you to, for this abstraction of a potential
death and its implications hardly serves as an adequate
replacement of the real experience. One must be in the
midst of such circumstances to ever have an accurate
understanding of what it was like to be a wartime shinobi.
Consequently, for some, the idea of a shinobi in
combat is one to be romanticized with. I have personally
witnessed individuals who attend “ninjutsu” dojos describe
the shinobi as a sort of hero figure whose qualities and
military exploits are worthy of civilian emulation. How
wrong they are! The participants of these dojos are more
like children continuously engaged in pretend play of
shinobi warfare that isn’t at all representative of the horrid
reality.
This phenomenon is similar to the modern advent of
violent video games that glorify the sweat, blood, and
death of war despite the massive disparity of realism
present between virtual reality violence and violence of
physical reality. One should not make the mistake of
thinking it would be “cool” or otherwise self-gratifying to
take the place of a real shinobi engaged in a life or death
struggle, for again, one does not know the horror of battle
until one is immersed within it (talk to a combat veteran).
To illustrate the degree of perceptual disparity
between how violence is presented in “ninjutsu” dojos and
the reality of warfare violence that historical ninjutsu is
associated with, I would like to introduce the work of a
prominent speaker, soldier, and psychologist - Lt. Colonel
David Grossman.
In his book On Killing, Grossman collates and
analyzes first-hand accounts of military combat by soldiers
who have actually had attempts made on their lives, saw
others killed, and continued to live with the psychological
26
ramifications of having killed another human being. The
book is incisive, compelling, and a poignant step in
understanding the implications of human violence on the
psyche and in society including those of the Japanese
shinobi warriors –I highly recommend it. But for now it is
sufficient to know that Grossman makes the argument that
interpersonal violence of real-world combat is not
something that the typical human being is wired to enjoy:

“[T]here is a force within mankind that will cause

men to rebel against killing even at risk of their own
lives. That force has existed in man throughout
recorded history, and military history can be
interpreted as a record of society’s attempts to force
its members to overcome their resistance in order to
kill more effectively in battle.”15

In tandem with what may be inferred from

Grossman’s statement, Randall Collins, the author of
Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory supports the notion
that human beings are not inherently adept in methods of
inter-personal violence writing that:

“[d]espite their bluster, and even in situations of

apparently uncontrollable anger, people are tense
and often fearful in the immediate threat of violence-
including their own violence; this is the emotional
dynamic that determines what they will do if
fighting actually breaks out.”16

In light of the above, it would be prudent for the

defense oriented individual to take note of the idea that
human beings are typically very timid or downright
resistant to the idea of having to face an aggressive enemy
and possibly take the life of another human being.
Consequently, one should not delude oneself into thinking
27
he/she will thrive under conditions of violence that are
often encountered in military campaigns, or on the street,
simply because one has attained a degree of competency in
a ‘martial art’. True, the techniques learned within self-
defense dojos may be extremely effective, but it is
important to approach violence with a mature mindset that
doesn’t reflect characteristics of a sociopath (i.e. violence
itself should not be considered “fun”). The training can be,
but the real situation probably isn’t.
Make no mistake, the shinobi of old probably did
not roll around on mats in dojos merely for the sake of
promoting exercise or self-confidence in one’s ability to
fend off an attack. True shinobi did not learn and teach
ninjutsu for the purposes of self-aggrandizement or profit,
and they certainly did not display their skills to potential
consumers of defense classes as if to suggest credentials
best suited to prepare a student for a real, violent
altercation. No. The shinobi of old learned, among many
other things, how to kill and did kill, and this truth cannot
be ignored by those who are ninjutsu enthusiasts,
“ninjutsu” dojo operators, or those who attend said dojos.
Respecting the latter, participants seem to disregard
the fact that ninjutsu belongs to the realm of warfare in
favor of the popularized myth that it is just a Japanese
system of armed/ unarmed self-defense. As argued
previously, this is simply not the truth.

Ninjutsu and The Art of War

The principles upon which much of ninjutsu is
founded, are themselves principles of warfare that solidly
date back to the writing of Sun Tzu’s Art of War (5th-3rd
Century B.C.) and perhaps further.17
Whoever reads this work will ultimately come to
understand that ubiquitous proverb that states all
successful warfare is based on deception. But moreover,
28
successful warfare is determined by the knowledge one has
of weakness and strength in himself and his enemy.
This knowledge allows for one to discover gaps in
the integrity of the enemy’s defenses. Rather than
implementing the inferior strategy of attacking with pure
strength a target that is itself strong, a shinobi would
likely devise a strategy of attacking the weaknesses of the
enemy.
For example, Sun Tzu explains that if the strength
of an army lay in its abundance of victuals, one can still opt
to devise stratagems to cut off their supply lines and starve
the enemy out. 18 If the enemy is well rested, one can
disrupt the peace that allows for one to sleep through
shrewd calculation.19 Or, if one wishes to drive an enemy
out from a well-insulated fortification that seems
impenetrable, then rather than attacking with pure force, a
stratagem which employs attacks on poorly defended
enemy objectives can force the enemy out of isolation.20
Take away from Sun Tzu’s 6th chapter on war is to
seek means by which the strength of the enemy can be
weakened. No enemy is invincible, therefore it is most
essential to effecting victory that one retain the principle of
identifying strengths and weaknesses in oneself and one’s
enemies.

Ninjutsu is…Infiltration
Ninjutsu was utilized during times when death at
the hands of another was a very common reality – the
Sengoku period (1467-1603 AD) among others.
During this violent period of Japanese history, one
could not always simply rely on brute strength and
physical technique to dispatch an adversary, for it was
often the case that the enemy was too numerous or well-
equipped to take up a frontal assault with. In these sorts of
altercations the construction of an effective defense against
29
the enemy would require development of a skillset that
addressed more facets of conflict than the ‘sword and
shield’ mentality. What was needed was military
intelligence – networks of clandestinely operating spies
that could infiltrate an area and furnish the allied forces
with information indispensable in effecting a certain
victory. Ninjutsu is most associated with, and defined by,
these sorts of operations.
One well-known historical example of the stealth
shinobi arrives from the year of 1562 when Kamino castle
was captured by Tokugawa Ieyasu’s forces. As related by
John Man the victory over Kamino castle was only made
possible by Ieyasu’s prudent use of Hattori Hanzo’s Koka
ninja, who surreptitiously infiltrated the castle and began
propagating diversions against the enemy troops while
setting fires to the castle interior.21 The shinobi aided
assault on the castle was a success and yielded hostages
which Ieyasu eventually exchanged for his own captive
family. After the death of Lord Nobunaga, Ieyasu went on
to become the Shogun of Japan. And so without ninja
involvement in Ieyasu’s affairs, Japanese history may very
well look entirely different today.
Now, the strategies that could effect a successful
infiltration were of great importance to the ninja. So much
so that eight of the twenty-two volumes which comprise
the Bansenshukai are solely dedicated to the skillsets of
open disguise (Yo-jutsu) and hidden infiltration (In-jutsu).
This fact alone says a great deal about the essence of
ninjutsu.

Ninjutsu is… Espionage

The Bansenshukai explains that a ninja’s value to
commanders was partially established by the type and
amount of intelligence that a shinobi could gather prior to
an assault on the enemy. Useful intelligence included
things like:
30
-the integrity of enemy fortifications
-area topography
-enemy secrets, codes, and passwords
-dimensions of roadways
-potential ambush points
-the strengths or weaknesses of enemy troops of objective
and subjective qualities such as
their training, moral disposition, degree of loyalty to their
lord, and capacity for bravery
-the number of enemy troops and fortifications and much
more.22,23

By attaining the above information, a commander was

better suited to devise an incisive strategy against the
enemy.
To illustrate the significance of the shinobi in
relation to the subject of battle intelligence, one might
imagine the historical battlefield as a grand chess game. All
the pieces are set up and ready to go except for two
problems.
First, the allied commander has never played this
particular game before. Second, he doesn’t know how best
to fight an enemy who has deliberately hid his pieces from
view (with a large black cloth hung in the center of the
board). The allied commander knows in what way each of
his own pieces (troops) may move, but unfortunately he
cannot place the pieces with good reason. He doesn’t see
where the enemy has moved its forces on the other side of
the cloth. If the allied commander decides to just charge
right in, the whole game could be lost. So what to do?
Enter the shinobi.
The shinobi surreptitiously penetrates behind
enemy lines and begins drawing up detailed maps of enemy
positions – he is, in effect, conducting an intelligence
operation. After gathering the information conducive to
31
actionable intelligence, the shinobi then returns to the
allied commander, presenting the acquired material which
will allow the commander to better devise a good strategy
against his opponent.
This is analogous to what the shinobi did in
conflicts, and one of the reasons for why he was so valued.
By confirming enemy positions, strength, supply lines,
funding, etc. the allied commander was afforded a huge
advantage over his enemy, even more so if the enemy is not
aware of the prying eyes that are operating within its
domain.

Ninjutsu is…Endurance
To knead out the essence of ninjutsu, one
undoubtedly should look to the vicissitudes of Japanese
history that made its development necessary. But as this
author is no historian, alternative pathways of
understanding ninjutsu including the analysis of its
Japanese representation may be utilized.
The kanji ‘nin’, Itoh says, may be interpreted as a
meaning of endurance; specifically endurance of that which
is physically and mentally difficult. He goes on to assert
that ninjutsu is a method of cultivating fortitude of the
mental and physical body elements through adherence to a
regimen of intense training.24
Substantiating Itoh’s view, the author of the
Shoninki, Natori Masazumi, also states that ninjutsu is
associated with the most “perilous” and difficult of
circumstances. For this reason he maintains that potential
recruits for the ninja arts must be the best in discipline and
courage so they do not crack under stress or at the critical
moment of victory.25
It has been written by Hatsumi that the kanji ‘nin’
means to be in control of one’s body and mind, as well as to
32
have a solid delineation of morality.26 So in summary, a
ninja was physically, emotionally, morally, and spiritually
disciplined so as to be capable of enduring that which the
average human being would perish under.

Ninjutsu is…Cerebral
Referencing the ninjutsu manuals it must be
emphasized that ninjutsu is an extremely cerebral art –
which is to say the art as a whole emphasizes cunning and
wit. This is evidenced by the fact that the manufacture,
coordination, and deployment of the multitude of weapons
and skills detailed within these manuals would require a
certain level of intelligence or experience that would
doubtlessly surpass the common citizen (see chapter 3).
And so, time and time throughout the Shoninki, Natori
Masatake writes of the importance in keeping the mind
“sharp” if one is to properly employ any ninjutsu with
efficacy.27
According to the Gunpo Jiyoshu, other qualities
deemed essential for functions of a shinobi included high
intelligence, a tenacious memory, and the ability to speak
“eloquently”. It has therefore been advised that the
candidate of consideration who does not have these
qualities, does not meet the criteria to be used as a
shinobi.28
Respecting the human spirit, it may be said that
ninjutsu is not for the faint of heart. As Natori Masatake
relates, the shinobi way is “horrifying” in that it is
saturated with the possibility of one’s death.29 The shinobi
are known to have conducted missions within enemy
territories; subsisting through disguise, networks of
informants, and the fruits of one’s wits all the while closely
associating with the enemy in order to foster the birth of
disinformation among enemy troops or gain some
informational advantage. It is certain that their discovery
would have equated with the penalty of death. So verily, it
33
would serve a shinobi well to exercise caution while
engaged in the activities of his trade by maintaining an
alert, clear, and perceptive mind.

Ninjutsu is a Predecessor to Modern Intelligence

Seiryuken Natori Hyozaemon, an 18th century
retainer of the once secret ninja manual known as the
Shoninki wrote that to “anticipate the outcomes” of one’s
surroundings required an understanding of the shinobi
ways.30
This notion hardly seems revelatory to those who
have not the knowledge of what it meant to be a shinobi.
But to those with a rudimentary understanding of
intelligence warfare, the inferred implication of these
words is profound.
The shinobi wielded powers of covert manipulation
that are said to have altered the entire fabric of one’s
sociopolitical environment without leaving a vestige of
their work.31 Their stratagems were devised in the
protection of the state (servicing feudal lords) but differed
from conventional warfare tactics of the time, as their
deceptive techniques emphasized actionable information
and an understanding of the exploitable gaps of human
psychology rather than frontal confrontations with sword
and bow.
Fujibayashi Yasutake, the author of the
Bansenshukai, remarked that the capacities of the most
adept of the shinobi arts were such that one could not
discern if a stratagem had unfolded in front of one’s eyes or
if shifts in the observed environment were fomented by
natural causes. The contours of such a magnate and
legendary status would come to resemble those of the
shadowy modern intelligence agencies which, directly or
indirectly, owe some recognition to these masters of stealth
and deception.

34
 The ninja were arbiters of an unseen hand which,
through a patient cunning and apt use of intelligence,
altered the power statuses of presiding feudal lords, thus
determining the course of history. They were, in essence,
highly effective spies. As will be shown repeatedly
throughout this text, the activities of the shinobi warriors
of ancient Japan should be thought of as reflections of
modern intelligence practices.

The Principles of Ninjutsu are Timeless

As previously noted in the introduction, there are
allegedly 70-80 different ninjutsu families or schools which
have existed at one time or another.
It is confusing, to those who wish to define ninjutsu,
that these families received their status title as shadow
warriors despite the paucity of information within the
publicly available historical record respecting the
delimitation of specific techniques which collectively
comprised their particular brand of ninjutsu.
This difficulty, in ascertaining the extent of each
family’s ninjutsu, avails to the inquisitive mind a basis upon
which a further definition of the art can be premised.
Since these families were referred to as ninja despite
insufficient evidence of a ‘system’ of techniques, it can be
surmised that ninjutsu itself is not a system of techniques.
But if not a system of techniques, then what is it?
Chikamatsu Shigenori, an 18th century retainer of
the collected traditions of Iga and Koka, states in Yokan
Kajo Denmoku Kugi (1737 ad.) that his intentions for
writing down the teachings of the ninja were to preserve
them for future generations – implying in the same text
that one who studies what he has written with due
diligence can come to possess, to a certain degree, the skills
of the shinobi.
From Shigenori’s words one may infer, inasmuch
that he basically bequeathed his knowledge of ninjutsu to
35
anyone with the capacity to read Japanese (or English
thanks to Western researchers), ninjutsu is not necessarily
constrained to familial lines of descent. Rather, the art
seems to exist as an amorphous system of warfare that has
no defined boundaries of specific techniques or familial
values. Fujibayashi himself mentions in the Bansenshukai
that the proportions of the art are vast and interminable,
further substantiating the notion of no distinct
demarcations.
Also worthy of note is the time-period in which
Shigenori scribes his teachings – 1737, roughly in the
middle of the relatively peaceful Edo period. This fact
galvanizes the idea that to learn the teachings of the
shinobi, one need not exist during the height of the
Sengoku period (1467 -1603 ad.) – the time which is
historically attributed to the zenith of ninja activity
(though the practice of shinobi teachings does not mean
one may call him/herself a shinobi as will be explained in
proceeding chapters). The art then, is not constrained by
time. It is in fact timeless.
Because of this timeless characteristic, it can be
further reasoned that specific techniques are not the ‘stuff’
of ninjutsu, for times change, and with this change, specific
techniques for addressing novel or nuanced threats must be
developed. Therefore ninjutsu can, in tandem with other
definitional facets, be classified as a system of warfare
principles that emphasizes the functions of espionage and
information in the scheme of conflict, for these functions
are the most evidenced within the writings of the ninja.
What are the principles that comprise the art? I
cannot list all of them definitively, but I can say that the
principle of adaptability to prevailing circumstances is one.
Stephen K. Hayes refers to this principle as Ki-ai or the
“[p]ersonal harmony with the total scheme of things”.32

36
 The physical attributes and personality
characteristics that identified a potential practitioner of
ninjutsu are more readily discerned.

Here are a few:

1. Agile body movement.

2. A mind of clarity and astute discernment.
3. The will to survive.
4. Readiness and ability to learn anything of use to
self-protection.
5. Mastery of various sub-disciplines such as fire arts,
cultural arts, fighting arts, arts of strategy, and
many others.

The Path of the Shinobi is Treacherous and Difficult

What kind of person would have been a suitable

vessel to receive the full teachings of ninjutsu? The most
poignant prelect on this very subject comes to us through
the writing of Natori Masazumi, the venerated master of
Natori Ryu and author of the Shoninki, who is considered
by modern academics to have been a true ninjutsu master.

Within the content of the Shoninki, one will find a

dialogue between student and master in which the nature
of the shinobi path is clarified as one of horror and terror,
as he who has taken up the path would frequently find
himself in miasmic situations which threatened certain
death.33 It is therefore implied that a shinobi had to be
possessing of a certain physical, mental, and spiritual
tenacity as the trials of the path would extinguish the lives
of lesser men in these regards.

What kind of trials did the shinobi endure through?

To answer this question one can look to the historical
37
chronology of Japanese warfare that educes instances of
shinobi use, or one can look to the skills a shinobi was
thought to master, as they connote the situations a shinobi
was likely to have been engaged in (see chapter 2). What is
certain though is the shinobi were constantly in mortal
danger by nature of their profession.

Chapter 2: Ninjutsu Training

38
and Skills

In consideration of their function, it becomes

obvious that the ninja of old were quite skilled with the
properties of mind and body. The training methods which
some are thought to have used for the purpose of bringing
to fruition a strong body and a sharp perception were such
that, by the end of training, the ninja could perform some
astounding physical feats.
Here are a just few examples.
Ostensibly, a ninja could traverse a distance of
nearly 70 miles on foot, with no sign of exhaustion, within
a single day.1 He was accustomed to subsisting through
prolonged periods without adequate nutrition and could go
with no food at all, or even sleep, for a few days without
complaint.2,3 In fact, the Gunpo Jiyoshu and other texts
make this exceedingly clear as they list recipes for “hunger
pills” which would help sustain a shinobi on a prolonged
mission.
These feats are, superficially, beyond what is
considered within the domain of “natural” human ability,
requiring a certain sedulousness in training; a fact which
may constitute a contributing factor to the content of
myths surrounding a shinobi’s supernatural abilities. But
upon closer inspection of the shinobi figure it becomes
clear that these warriors were simply human beings who
extended their will to satisfy objectives by any means
afforded them by their human dispositions. In other words,
these feats can be emulated by anyone with due diligence, a
good body, keen mind, and an effective training method.

39
 Depending on the skills emphasized within the
family line, a ninja was, generally speaking, a highly
conditioned, light operative (though this was certainly not
a standard). This body composition afforded the ability to
perform certain techniques that the commoner would find
unconventional and somewhat difficult. For instance, in the
event that an assigned mission required absolutely no trace
be left of his coming and going, a ninja might find himself
in need of utilizing his upper-body strength and balance so
as to adhere to rafters and rooftops.4 The Shinobi-Hiden
speaks of using kunai (a trowel-like digging tool) to climb
fortifications as well as cling to exterior surfaces of
buildings. Also, depending on the circumstances, he was
nimble enough to traverse atop various sorts of fences and
walls in order to avoid leaving discernable footprints on
the ground below.5

These actions were not the only means by which

shinobi could camouflage their movements however. Other
methods included making prints that looked like they
belonged to some strange or known creature, or simply
40
walking sideways with a technique called Yoko-Aruki, so as
to confuse the enemy as to which direction the shinobi was
traveling.6
What is also evinced in the manuals are
connotations of an equilibrium between accentuating the
properties of the body along with those of the mind. The
shinobi did not emphasize the physical aspects of training
at detriment to the emotional, cognitive, and spiritual
aspects of being. These differing areas were merged into a
cohesive whole that gave expression to an elite operative of
high formidability and an incorruptible discipline that
parallels the conditioning of modern day special forces or
intelligence operatives.
The following pages will summarize a small few
methods of training along with some notable skills which
espouse the reputation of the shinobi, following a brief
clarification on the matter of shinobi curricula.

Variations in Training Methods and Skillsets

There is a documented uniqueness to each ninja’s
skillset that provides ground to dismiss notions that there
was at one time a standardized ninjutsu curriculum that
every shinobi was proficient in.
Chikamatsu Shigenori writes that ninja were
specifically chosen for missions in accordance with their
type and level of skill. In other words, different ninja were
used for different jobs.7 Though the manner of agent
selection may have differed in accordance with lineal or
individual preferences, it is safe to assume that not all ninja
possessed known historical skills.
This point may be further substantiated by Hayes,
who claims that there were shinobi who operated without
any combat training at all.8 Indeed, the Togakure Ryu of
which Hayes is affiliated, was originally a school of
intelligence. And so, some family curricula may have
41
emphasized combatives while others sought the refinement
of skills in observation and spying or proficiency in the
technical subtleties of pyrotechnics and sabotage.

The Essence of Ninjutsu

Since an established curricula of technical
knowledge which defines the extent of ninjutsu is not
forthcoming, it is necessary that one attempt to understand
the essence of ninjutsu.
Zhoughari contends that because ninjutsu’s essence
is guarded by inexorably esoteric properties, the student
searching for it would have to engage in processes of
“initiation” and spiritual refinement prior to gaining any
depth of knowledge that conveys the heart of the art.9
This refinement of spirit was supposedly approached
by a shinobi as a necessary and worthwhile activity in that
the reality of war constantly beckoned one to consider
his/her mortal disposition,10 hence the relation of ninjutsu
to certain religious practices such as Shugendo and
Shingon Buddhism.
Without this form of spiritual initiation, Zoughari
maintains that one cannot hope to grasp the essence of
ninjutsu even from an intellectual perspective. But,
undaunted we may nevertheless try to tease out the
essence through the tools of logic.
What is revealing to note on this matter is that one
may infer a conclusion concerning the essence of ninjutsu
by reading from ‘Seishin’ (correctness of mind) of the
Bansenshukai and understanding why the chapters
concerning it were included within the text.
Thankfully, Fujibayashi expounds on their
importance.
He reasons that in consideration of the potential
abuse of the applications and technical knowledge
contained within the Bansenshukai, it was therefore most
42
necessary that the concept of a correct mind be
communicated to the reader so as to prevent the creation of
criminals. He relates that without this concept of a ‘correct
mind’, the text could very well be approached as merely a
reference work for any criminal who seeks techniques for
the service of selfish and nefarious motivations.
In light of this, one can tenably conclude that the
heart of ninjutsu does not consist of the skills and
techniques themselves, for if this was the case one could
simply emulate a technique of ninjutsu and call oneself a
shinobi. No, says Fujibayashi. The heart of ninjutsu lay in
the motivations and spirit of the practitioner (see chapter
3).
If these chapters on ‘Seishin’ do not contain the
essential substance of ninjutsu, then why would
Fujibayashi feel the need to include them in order to
distinguish ninjutsu from mere criminality? The logic
insists that ‘Seishin’ is fundamental to understanding
ninjutsu.
Furthermore, ‘Shochi II’ of Fujibayashi’s text
outlines the essential characteristics of a ‘jonin’ or master
shinobi who would apparently have a grasp of the essence
of the art (note that this term does not imply a social
hierarchy). These characteristics are:
1. He should be “gentle” and righteous
2. Possess a healthy body
3. Speak with fluency and have a mind impervious
to deceit
4. Have a firm understanding of Confucianism and
Buddhism
5. Not be quick to argue and be reputed as an
honest person
6. Must have an understanding of other cultures
and geography
7. Be adept in the practice of writing, devising
strategy, and all other skillsets of ninjutsu (those
43
 delineated by the Bansenshukai – implicit and
explicit)
8. Possess proficiency as a musician, dancer, and
impersonator11

The Kiai
Many who have watched martial arts films are
familiar with the “spirit shout” or kiai frequently employed
to disrupt an enemy’s focus or balance.
Often, the starring actor of these films emits a
powerful and sudden “YAHH!!” just prior to impacting the
opponent with a strong blow. The scream is of such
ferocity, that it is almost as if some ethereal force were
being called into action to be channeled through the hero’s
body for strength.
That’s how it goes in the movies anyway, but what
about in real conflict? Can a robust kiai really produce
tangible effects against an enemy in real conflict? And did
the shinobi practice any technique related to the kiai?
Gingetsu Itoh may have a bit to offer for these questions.
According to Itoh, one method of protection used by
the shinobi that functioned in the taking of an opponent’s
attention or breaking the opponent’s focus is called Shun
Kan Sa-Yo12.
In elaborating on the applications of the method,
Itoh explains that it works by taking advantage of an
inborn reflex to “wince” or “blink”.13 During this brief
interval, the shinobi whose actions induced such reflexes
makes a quick escape, as if to disappear from the eyes of the
bewildered opponent.14 The idea is to instantaneously react
to the presence of the enemy with Shun Kan SaYo before
the enemy has a chance to respond with violence.
So this is the method but how is it executed? What
is employed to mediate the desired response?

44
 Itoh writes that one should scream “like a lion”15,
offering opening for speculation that the shinobi may not
only have found utility in using the kiai, but scientific
observations holding true, Itoh’s description of Shun Ka
SaYo further substantiates the idea that the ninja were men
of war who had seen real human behavior under conflict
and took note of what behaviors could be taken advantage
of. How so?
A highly elucidative book that examines the
psychological ramifications of combat and killing must be
called in for support: On Killing by Lt. Col. Dave
Grossman.
Grossman, explains that intra-species aggression,
such as that which is displayed in warfare has been
observed to confound the fight-or-flight paradigm of
human responses to psychological stress.
Unlike with inter-species aggression (against non-
humans) wherein the responses evince this paradigm,
intra-species aggression adds to the fight-or-flight scheme
to “include posturing and submission”.16
Posturing is a common technique utilized by many
species in response to intra-species threats to suggest
dominance and power. Seldom ever does the posturing in
these situations boil over into an all-out fight to the death
with a member of the same species. And in this regard, the
phenomenon may be thought of as an evolutionarily
adaptive attempt to preserve a social hierarchy wherein
everyone is dependent on one another to some degree.
Rather than kill a useful member of one’s own species,
animals in an intra-species conflict tend to submit or flee
from the more dominant animal and retain a lower social
status, and indeed, this phenomenon is even observable to a
degree in humans.
As related by Rory Miller in his publication
Meditations on Violence, human beings engage in a form
interspecies aggression that functions in the determination
45
of social status. Referred to as “the Monkey Dance”, Miller
explains that posturing is a component of the display of
dominance that can break down into aggressive behavior
that does not typically result in death.17 In such situations,
if one’s posture/presence is good enough, a challenge to
status can be avoided altogether. So what does this have to
do with a kiai?
Regarding these insights into animal and human
psychology, a kiai may be thought of as a component to
effective human posturing in the event that inter-species
aggression is potentiated.
A pertinent example of this arrives to us through a
story of Toshitsugu Takamatsu, the noted teacher of
Maasaki Hatsumi. The story takes place within the
training hall of Takamatsu’s sensei - Toda. A student from
another school had arrived to test the teachings of Toda’s
school. As was customary, Takamatsu, who was of high-
rank, would be the natural candidate for fighting the
challenger. But unexpectedly, a student of lower rank, poor
fighting skill, and an eager drive to defend the reputation
of the school, rose to the challenger with a fierce scream
and began advancing toward him. The result was that the
challenger submitted without fighting the lesser student.
Why? Because of the student’s expressions of power and
dominance that were accompanied by a “demonic” face.18 It
was this ‘posturing’ of the student that frightened the
challenger enough to provoke a submission.19
Now it is informative to note that in relation to
historical instances of military combat, Grossman explains
that posturing, including that which incorporates
screaming, has been a decisive factor of victory in the tides
of battle.20
So what can be concluded from all of this? Firstly,
with the estimation that Itoh’s sources are reliable, we are
given evidence that shinobi of old were indeed men of
battle, for they had developed techniques which exploited
46
psychological responses to intra-species aggression. And
secondly, the use of kiai by shinobi to aid in escape or
attack is historically plausible.

Reading the Human Mind

The powers of observation that a shinobi possessed
may have served in functions of understanding a person’s
mind through non-verbal cues. Though today considered a
flawed and superstitious capacity, the shinobi of old did
find enough utility in the practice of reading a person’s
behavior and physical characteristics to include it in one of
their manuals, the Shoninki.21 Admittedly, much of what is
said about “physiognomy” by Natori Masatake may
realistically be nothing more than superstition. But,
considering what else is written about a ninja’s
observational skills and his/her understanding of culture,
custom, and human psychology, it is reasonable to state
that the ninja were, to an extent, capable of reading an
individual’s mind. How?
Natori Masatake says the reading of the human
mind is a hard thing to do. A shinobi functioning in this
capacity needs to know how to assess the mind of a target
without the individual being aware and should also master
the skill of kiruma ni kakuru, which is the understanding of
another’s mind and attainment of information through
flattery.22
One can easily see the pragmatic effect of using
flattery to gain information. Seldom anyone desires to not
be complimented and so, by caressing them with gestures
and comments which inflate their sense of self-worth
without being too obvious about it, the target may come to
enjoy the presence of the shinobi. So much so that the
shinobi may begin to subtly introduce questions that when
answered are engineered to touch upon areas of
informational interest. Also the target may become so
47
comfortable with the shinobi’s presence that he/she may
carelessly divulge mission pertinent information. Couple
with intentional flattery the ability to accurately interpret
non-verbal body language and the result is indeed a form
of mind reading.
In support of this claim, modern research has
shown that the majority of human communication and
intention is in fact non-verbal in nature (some estimates
indicate as much as 60%). As a practical corollary to this
observation, it is well-known that criminal investigators
consistently implicate assessments of non-verbal cues in
determination of whether or not a suspect’s story is
believable. Also, non-verbal gestures can be indicators of
malicious intent, a fact that is consistently recognized as
representative of reality by members of the United States
Secret Service.23
But of course despite the above, there are always
skeptics who remain unconvinced of the reliability in using
non-verbal behavior analysis to get inside one’s mind.
Concerning those today who would find the claim of non-
verbal behavior reliability unpalatable and continue to
mark non-verbal reading as wholly superstitious (it can be)
and utterly useless, it is informative to note that modern
day relevancy and applicability of this practice has been
established by the Supreme Court decision of Terry v. Ohio
in 1968. According to this decision, officers of the law may
stop and frisk individuals without a warrant given that
they have perceived non-verbal cues of criminal intent.
Therefore efficacy and reliability of non-verbal reading has
been established within a lawful domain along with the
understanding that it is a trainable skill which can carry
legal ramifications within the context of contemporary
society.24

How to Infiltrate a Castle

48
 There are many ways to sneak into a castle,
depending on the circumstances, and the Koka and Iga
manuals display a few that are well worth mentioning
along with some words on gauging the field-potential of a
ninja trainee.
Within the scrolls of Chikamatsu Shigenori, an Iga
tradition speaks of how to judge a student’s quality of
critical thought concerning matters of covert infiltration.
First, the tradition says, the instructor should display a
picture of a castle and ask the student how to best go about
infiltrating it. The dull or ‘untalented’ student might reply
that climbing over the walls would be the best way to go.
However, the astute student should point to the gate and
reason that it is the best way in.25 Why? By simply
observing what individuals enter through the gate, their
style of dress and comportment, one may imitate the same
and achieve entrance.
However this Yo-nin (see next section) method of
entry need not be the only viable option. Instead, the
shinobi may utilize his/her knowledge of locking
mechanisms to identify security gaps of door locks and
other forms of locks intended to bar entry. The shinobi
knew how to by-pass these locks,26 though doing so would
constitute an In-nin method of infiltration which could be
blended with a Yo-nin disguise.

Assuming a Credulous Disguise

A shinobi disguised himself in accordance with the
principles of Yo-jutsu and In-jutsu.27 Yo-jutsu consists of all
the skills that inform the creation of a believable disguise
for infiltration, while In-jutsu refers to the skills that
function in strategic infiltration through exploiting
security weaknesses (such as sneaking in past guards at
night).

49
 With any given mission requiring Yo-nin methods,
we can be sure that shinobi were meticulous in their
selection of clothing when venturing to neighboring or
faraway provinces. They may have had to blend with the
locals, or, they may have had to dress differently from the
locals, depending on the circumstances. For this reason the
dress of local populations was studied and retained by
memory.
It was also necessary that those shinobi, who were
to be involved with fast-communications as relay runners,
frequently travel the main-roads after acquiring the
knowledge of how to carry oneself in behavior and dress of
common travelers.28 Shinobi were even advised to wear
reversible clothing so appearances could be changed
quickly.
If night travel was required, black clothing was
choice only on pitch-black nights whereas moonlit nights
required other subdued colors to blend one’s profile with
the environment.
The art of shinobi dress is very much related to the
modern ‘gray man’ concept of wearing what will not
attract much attention. This concept is used by preppers,
modern agents, and special-forces alike in creating a veneer
that is quickly forgotten by observers. Like the shinobi art
of studying populations for appropriate attire, the gray
man concept is effected by detailing the typical wear of
people within the operating environment.
For missions requiring specific disguise, a strong
contrast between at least two veneers, as alluded to in the
above shinobi method, should be effected. If one were to
modernize this principle, the clothing must be easy to shed
and store (or trashed), and must be in accord with sub-
cultural behaviors and knowledge. For example, simply
donning the attire of a businessman (or for the shinobi, a
merchant), will not be effective as a disguise without
thorough knowledge of the character he is impersonating.
50
What if the shinobi was asked questions pertaining to the
role he assumed and he did not know the answers? The
results would be disastrous.
In an attempt to ensure that his cover would not be
blown, a shinobi made sure to learn and emulate the many
mannerisms, customs, and idioms of comportment that
were consistent with the disguise he assumed. This skill is
truly remarkable when one stops to consider that the
shinobi adopts more than an outer identity for the
accomplishment of a mission, but also ‘lives’ the artificial
identity.29
If a shinobi were to imitate the identity of, say, a
doctor or a nurse in a contemporary context, he would be
required to learn the nomenclature of pharmacology (what
are the side-effects and proper techniques for administering
this medication?). He would have to know how to perform
all the clinical skills that are required of a doctor or a nurse
(Did you auscultate for blood pressure or use a manual
cuff?); and concurrently, he would have to retain a false but
credible form of identification (Hello Dr. ‘Pseudonym’).
In this way the shinobi exercised a quality of
flexibility in thought and action in relation to the
accomplishment of mission objectives. Again, he made
himself become aware of that which constituted an effective
deception including the proper apparel and answers to the
questions that he might be asked throughout the duration
of his mission.
Below is a modern rendition of the disguise
principle. It simply illustrates how one can effect a sharp
contrast in outer appearance quickly by wearing layers of
clothing:

51
 The business shirt is trashed along with
glasses and a hat is pulled from the pocket
to shift from a ‘casual business’ veneer to a
‘rock/metal sub-culture’ For more creative
renditions, a carrying bag for props that
blends with the desired veneers is
necessary. It must be understood that this
is a very minor rendition of a flexible
principle. Once again, there is so much
more that goes into creating a good disguise, such as skills,
knowledge, and social buoyancy. Consult the ninjutsu texts
for a more historical understanding of the Yo-nin arts.

Ongyo-jutsu: Hiding Like a Shinobi

So a shinobi has successfully infiltrated an area,
accomplished his objectives, and is now in need of a hasty
retreat that will not get him killed, but oops, the shinobi
has been spotted and a pursuit ensues. What to do? The
shinobi may employ a variety of implements to throw his
pursuers into confusion or off his trail.
One popular tool that could be deployed is the
bamboo tetsubishi (aka caltrop). These caltrops possess
sharp points that, when thrown upon the escape path, will
deter one’s pursuers via injuring the feet. Proper use of
52
testubishi according to the Bansenshukai, can include
deploying them by the entrances of the structure that one
is attempting to sneak into, so as to avoid having to pitch
them out while fleeing.30
Depending on the circumstances, the shinobi could
instead opt to use the alternative escape method of feigning
a plunge into water. This technique is done by simply
casting an arbitrary object into a body of water that is
within hearing distance of the enemy that is pursuing.31
Another technique of escaping that is rather
comical, consists of pretending to be one of the alerted
pursuers. For correct execution of this technique the
shinobi is advised to wear clothes that are one color
(brown) outwardly and a different color (grey) inwardly so
one can quickly change appearance during the escape.
While fleeing, the shinobi should turn his clothes inside
out and yell to his would be pursuers that a night attack is
occurring while giving a false direction of the culprit’s
escape.32

Regulating the Breath

The attained habit of regulating one’s breath has
been described by Itoh as an essential first step of ninjutsu
training.33 One reason for the importance attached to this
skill is that the regulation of the breath functioned in the
art of avoiding detection by the enemy and in adhering to a
calm heart even in the face of adrenaline educing danger.34
Trainees were ostensibly advised that they should
develop the skill to the point where their breath could not
be heard by their own ears.35 The method by which this
skill was cultivated consists of a simple breathing
meditation in which the trainee focuses on a point below
the navel and employs abdominal breathing with an
intention to calm the mind. Over time, the individual may

53
so habituate the act of abdominal breathing that he/she no
longer must think to regulate the breath in such a way.
Another method given reference in the Shinobi
Hiden consists of dampening the noise of the breath by
inserting paper into the mouth and clenching it with the
teeth.36

Agility and Balance

To cultivate balance, it has been said that a felled
tree was used as a tool for the young trainee to walk and do
various exercises upon while maintaining equilibrium. As
the trainee advanced in skill the height that the balance
beam was leveled at became ever higher.37
What function this skill serves probably had
something to do with unconventional methods of
infiltration or espionage. Great balance affords the capacity
to utilize infiltration/espionage routes not recognized by
those who lack the skill. For example, balancing high up on
the branch of a tree in order to survey an area offers a
degree of security through natural camouflage.
Pertaining to the cultivation of agility, one should
ask first why agility is important.
Agility is all about dexterous movement of the body.
Because human beings have a physical body (obviously), it
is essential that this body be properly maintained as it is
the primary means by which one can interact with the
world. One should not relegate training in physical agility
to the domain of the categorical “fitness gym”, for within
these establishments are only machines, exercises, and
equipment designed to enhance the integrity of the muscles
and joints. One learns the “movements” of the machines
and fitness instructors rather than movements of creative
expression fostered for defensive or offensive purposes.
For example, one may go to a gym and do squats
and leg presses until his/her legs are raw muscle, but this
54
person will not possess the agility to run up a wall despite
his/her physical condition. This sort of skill requires a
certain physical agility that can only be obtained through
consistent practice with a clearly defined objective. It is
important to understand that attributes of agility and
physical fitness are separate.

Jumping from High Places

Hicho no Tsutae is a Koka ninja tradition described
by Shigenori as a means of reducing the risk of injury from
the impact of a fall or jump from a high place.
The shinobi is instructed to utilize a staff or sword
scabbard in such a way that when jumping from a height,
the scabbard or staff should impact the ground first
thereby absorbing and distributing the weight of the
body.38 The physics of receiving the ground properly from
a height are all about force distribution. If one does not
utilize any implement in accord with the classical method,
it is still possible to practice receiving the ground empty-
handed.
When jumping from a height, be sure to land feet
first and collapse the upper and lower body into themselves
so as to absorb the impact (preferably going into a roll).
Instead of depositing the energy of the fall into one part of
the body which could cause injury, one should try to
engage as many parts of the body as possible in receiving
the ground.
One can practice by first jumping from a small
height (3’) and solidify to muscle memory the mechanics of
receiving the ground. With time one may utilize this
ability to jump from great heights such as one story or
more.

Training Upper-Body Strength

55
 Great physical strength may be considered an
important attribute of any warrior. In truth, it may be said
that one’s level of physical fitness is perhaps one of a few
decisive factors in predicting the outcome of a physical
altercation.
To increase strength and tenacity of the upper body,
a trainee of the shinobi ways likely engaged in many of
what would today be considered “unconventional”
exercises. One example of these unconventional exercises
involves manual suspension up in a high place. It has been
said that a trainee suspended him/herself from a tree for a
duration that could approach an hour to develop the
muscles of the arms and hands.39
One wishing to develop strength in a similar way
can find innumerable modern methods such as suspending
oneself from under a bridge, climbing trees, etc.

Dislocation of Joints
56
The suppleness of the body was maintained to such an
extent that one could manipulate or dislocate joints in
order to free oneself of physical restraints.40

Swimming
In addition to learning how to navigate the terrain
quietly, the trainee also became quite proficient in the
activity of swimming silently. It has been further remarked
by Draeger that the ninja could swim well enough with
his/her legs that it was not at all difficult to write while
swimming.41 This skill can easily be replicated by an
aspiring enthusiast by attending a local pool or some other
body of water wherein a method of swimming using ones
legs alone while holding the hands high can be practiced to
satisfaction.

Manufacture and Deployment of Explosives and

Incendiaries
As evidenced by the manuals, shinobi were well-
informed on the construction and use of explosives and
incendiary devices.
The devices found within these texts are
understandably primitive, usually calling for potassium
nitrate as the primary ingredient, but nevertheless the
devices should still be respected as potentially deadly
weapons given the proper application.
Explosive device types found throughout the
literature typically consist of hand-grenades and land-
mines that predominantly function with a basic black
powder mixture of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and ash,
whereas incendiaries include quick-lit torches of different
shapes and sizes as well as airborne missiles (such as
flaming arrows).
Respecting the hand-grenade, it is noted within the
Bansenshukai that a valid application of the device was to
57
detonate it during a night raid so as to evoke diversionary
stimulation of the enemy. A proper detonation could aid
the allies in effecting a good escape, victory, or employed
for other purposes.
Its final construction resembles a sphere, consisting
of two clay hemispheres with large hollowed centers which
are circumscribed by eight smaller hollows that are filled
with charcoal. The center hollow is filled with ignition
powder, shot, and iron fillings. After the ignition fuse is
inserted, the two hemispheres are bound together and
wrapped up tightly in paper.42 Another notable recipe for
explosives that can be ignited with the strike of a knife
calls for the mixture of pine resin, camphor, potassium
nitrate, ash, sulfur, and a few other ingredients.43 This
example has been included so as to demonstrate the
sophistication of the ancient shinobi methods.

Self-Immolation
If an historical Iga shinobi ever found it necessary to
kill him/herself, it is directed that a futon be prepared by
circumscribing it with black powder. The shinobi would set
fires within the room and commit suicide on the futon. The
ensuing fires would then ignite the black powder and
immolate the shinobi’s corpse thus obscuring his identity.44

Surveillance and Espionage

Pertaining to the espionage skillset of ninjutsu
families, one may derive a deeper meaning of what it means
to be ninja from the term “kancho”. This word appears in
the question and answer section of the Bansenshukai
regarding its signification of the people of ninjutsu.
When a question is asked as to the origin of the
term and its use, Fujibayashi offers up a definition that
breaks the term into two character fragments: Kan = gap
or opening; Cho = to detect.45 From this one may intuit the

58
understanding that a shinobi specialized in detecting and
exploiting the weaknesses of an enemy’s defenses.
One required antecedent to assessment of an enemy’s
defenses is an immaculate capacity for observation, and
indeed the shinobi were quite skilled in this respect.
For example, Shochu Kokorozuke no Koto is an art
transmitted in the writings of Chikamatsu Shigenori and
alluded to in the Gunpo Jiyoshu46 that explains the
significance of observing the insects in one’s surroundings.
To illustrate this art Shigenori relates a story of two
shinobi who became aware of each other’s presence by the
activities of the insects surrounding the area. As the story
goes, one shinobi who was attempting to infiltrate the
quarters of an ally shinobi heard the sudden start of
mosquito movement which signaled to him that he should
abort infiltration. Likewise, the shinobi occupying the
quarters heard the slow decline in cricket sounds which
prompted him to be on alert for an infiltrating shinobi.47

Assessment of Truth
If one were to summate a comparison of a human
being with that of any other known species, it is reasonable
to conclude that the most salient aspects of the human
being’s evolutionary development, in terms of adaptation
and defensiveness, ultimately derive from the human mind.
Therefore, to make a human innocuous in most respects,
one merely must devise some method to deprive a human
being of its capacity to reason or utterly confuse the mind
as to the nature of truth and its reflection of reality. To
fulfill this intention, it is in good sense that one would use
deception.
Understanding this, a shinobi must have been armed
with the tools imperative to assessing the truth of certain
information that may be gathered in the course of
intelligence operations. What might these tools be?
Answer: The principles of reason.
59
 Truth is the result of the correct application of the
principles of reason. The first of these is logic. Logic is a
science concerned with the soundness or flow of
conclusions from their supporting premises. Logic,
“teaches us laws or principles by means of which we can
test the correctness of any piece of reasoning, either our
own or another person’s.”48 The science of logic is today
complexed with many rules to be followed in the validation
or refutation of truth. But to the shinobi of old, rudiments
of logic were likely indispensable to the identification of
propaganda.
For example, the 4th volume of the Shinobi Hiden
instructs the reader to be weary of information received
directly or indirectly from an enemy source. In order to
establish a value of truth concerning such information, it is
advised that the shinobi engage in a logical dissection of
the material characterized by a search for contradictions or
inconsistencies expressed by various other individuals
respecting the same matter of inquiry.49
Situations requiring a shinobi’s assessment of truth
no doubt required great powers of observation for the
omission of a single detail could prove detrimental to a
final conclusion.

The Network
Veritably the greatest risk to personal security is
uncontrolled information about oneself. It is through the
collection and subsequent analysis of information about a
thing that provides grounds to create actionable
intelligence.
To keep an ear to the activities of the enemy,
massive information networks were constructed by
sending shinobi to establish residence in various regions.50
These shinobi engaged in activities that brought them into

60
contact with many people so as to extend the reach of the
network over time.
When these shinobi arrived in the designated
region, they acted in accordance with a tradition that
advises to take up the mental mapping of the area by
walking and observing.51 In doing this, the shinobi built a
reservoir of knowledge that would eventually aid in the
accomplishment of his objectives.
Evidenced by the Bansenshukai, the secret
information networks of the shinobi could have been
extended to include different types of agents of varying
purposes including: female agents52 (kunoichi), children,53
and local residents.

How to Steer the Enemy

According to one ninjutsu principle known as
Suigetsu no Daiji (The Principle of the Moon on the Water),
an enemy spy who has successfully infiltrated allied forces
should not be rooted out and killed but rather considered
as a potential asset.
All that must be done is a conversion of the enemy
spy to the cause of the allied forces. Simple enough? To do
this, one should extend measures of generosity and
kindness to the enemy spy including provisions of clothes,
money, food, and advice concerning what is in his best
interest. With the use of this principle, the enemy spy will
may eventually exhibit sympathies resulting in conversion,
depending upon the circumstances, hence affording the
allied forces a most valuable tool.54
Another principle, Ura-awase no Daiji (Principle of
Secret Connection) detailed in the writings of Chikamatsu
Shigenori, offers up allusions to the cognitive acumen of
the shinobi respecting the propagation of disinformation
among enemy forces via exploitation of psychological
probabilities.
61
 The principle, when correctly applied, consists of
purposively instigating the anger and dissatisfaction of an
allied spy. He should become angry with the side he serves
and thus be less loyal to its causes. Eventually the allied
spy must overhear a plan against the enemy forces that
sounds credible but is in actuality a fake. Out of his grudge
against his lord, master, etc., the allied spy may long to ‘get
back’, so to speak, at who angered him. The idea here is to
get the begrudged spy to leak information of a “secret plan”
to the enemy side.
Now if successfully executed, the enemy may not be
so quick to act on the allied spy’s information given the
shadowy source (how do you trust a ninja?), so, as the
Koka tradition of the principle goes, the propagation of the
disinformation can be augmented by allowing a prisoner,
possibly from the enemy’s side, to also hear of some “secret
plan”. After this, a conduit through which the prisoner may
make his escape should be supplied in a manner that seems
accidental. The prisoner then may seek out the enemy to
divulge the “secret plan”.
At this point the enemy forces may act in accord
with the disinformation provided, thus allowing the allied
forces to gain a decisive victory by knowing in advance
precisely what the enemy will do.55
An Iga tradition of the above principle imitates the
same with the alteration of one variable – the plan should
be real and it should appear that the allied forces are
attempting to keep it a secret.
After spreading rumors of the “secret”, it is assumed
that the enemy intelligence network will pick up the
chatter and plan accordingly. The “secret” plan should then
be executed with awareness that an allied loss will be
incurred, but not for nothing.
After this ploy has been executed a few times, the
enemy will likely become accustomed to acting on rumors
of real plans. This instills within the enemy a confidence
62
that will eventually be taken advantage of by the allied
side.
When the time is right, another rumor of a “secret
plan” should be propagated, only this time the plan should
be a fake. Therefore when the enemy acts in confidence on
the false information gathered by their intelligence
networks, the allied forces will have the advantage of
anticipating the enemy’s actions and thus be capable of
delivering a devastating blow to their opposition.56

Good Cop
To protect an area from the activities of enemy
shinobi, it was advised that one openly hire a well-known
shinobi and publicize the recruitment. This action was
thought of as a deterrent against enemy activities by
sending the message that the province is being watched.
At the same time, one may augment security by
employing hidden shinobi to keep watch over the
province.57 These agents are to be respectively referred to
as Yo no Shinobi (not hidden) and In no Shinobi (hidden).

Assessing Fidelity
Following a mission that was carried out to retrieve
information, one should be weary of his/her own spies.
What if they converted and now are intending to deceive
you with false information? To prevent this Chikamatsu
writes of Kaeri toi no Koto – the art of questioning one’s
spies.
The traditions of the art make the admonition that
one should not question a shinobi about the information
collected from a mission in the presence of other shinobi.
This is done so as to prevent the group of shinobi from
maintaining consistency of a false story through hearing
one another. Instead, one should question each shinobi
63
individually and then compare the information provided to
assess for the presence of contradiction that would arouse
suspicion concerning a shinobi’s loyalty.
The traditions also suggest that one make up a story
and then question the shinobi about something that is
completely false in order to drive out indicators of the
existence of disloyalty.58

Relay Runners
In the event that shinobi were spatially distant from
one another, how did they convey messages secretly from
area to area?
Answer: There is an Iga ninja tradition which
speaks of utilizing a team of commoners as messengers,
geographically spaced at intervals, to facilitate the quick
transmission of information from one area to the next in
“urgent” situations. The translated text from which this
tradition derives doesn’t offer many details concerning all
the specific manners and tools that is required for a
successful operation, though, one could imagine many
potential nuances given that the principle underlying the
tradition is to simply find a way to send messages without
the enemy knowing.
Before understanding how the principle of this
tradition can be useful for those of the modern world, we
must have a rudimentary understanding of the historical
context connected with this tradition.
During the Sengoku Jidai of medieval Japan,
geographical regions were fractiously fragmented as power
shifted from clan to clan; family to family. With so many
influential powers vying for the seat of ubiquitous control,
it was essential to keep an ear to the activities of
neighboring provinces so as to be better prepared to make
a decision respecting troop movements or dissolving
alliances. For example, it is related in Cummins Iga and
64
Koka Ninja Skills that the brother of Kimura Yasutaka (the
ninja master of Koka who had taught Shigenori the Koka
traditions) once served the Owari-Tokugawa clan in the
messenger capacity. He was known as Kimura Kogoemon,
and in his service to the Owari-Tokugawa clan he reported
to on a potential insurrection of the Mt. Koya region in
1692. The intelligence report which was allegedly provided
by a still existing Koka network was to inform his lord on
whether to send troops into the region or determine if the
rebellion would be bolstered by more ronin, thus
communicating the development of a real problem for
regional stability.
Before the advent of fiber-optic cables and satellite
systems, information concerning distant lands was
acquired by the five-senses of a spy; a shinobi. Once
acquired, the information would not typically be
transmitted at the speed of light (though smoke and fire-
signals were used), but rather the speed of a horse or
human being, and sometimes, the speed of a loosed arrow.
The ninjutsu tradition of using ‘tsugi hikyaku’, or
information networks staffed by relay runners, then,
incorporated the use of commoners (peasant folk) to
transmit messages from enemy provinces or even allied
territories. The relay would be comprised of messengers
who were separated at intervals and would operate under
the guise that they were communicating market prices of
goods between provinces. If they were stopped and
questioned, their intentions were well-hidden and the real
message was preserved.59
In a modern world replete with information
technology, it is exceedingly easy to send messages far
across the planet in the blink of an eye. However while this
capability is convenient, it carries with it a certain amount
of security risk. One should just well assume that any
electronic transmission of any type of information is
logged somewhere or a means of breaching the security of
65
these electronic mediums exist. If one wanted to transmit
information across great distances without arousing
suspicion or leaving a virtual record of the message and
maintain the highest level of information security, it is
useful to resort to pre-modern intelligence methods such as
the use of relay runners.
Now as is the case with any message verbally
communicated between parties, the message may be subject
to the frailties of human subjectivity. Ever play the
telephone game? If so then at one time you have
experienced how messages can break-down and lose
resemblance to the original. With this understanding it
becomes apparent that the messengers must be loyal and
precisely check the information they receive.
In such a low-tech system, how fast could we have
expected a message to travel between runners? Given the
Itoh’s research is correct, messengers could travel 60-70
miles in a day, but for shorter distances the time required
could be much faster depending on the speed of the runner.

Diversion and Infiltration

For infiltration of a province, and one might even
say a compound or fortress for the purpose of spying, Iga
and Koka traditions of Yamabiko (echoes) advise that the
best use of diversion strategy is to approach the target
from a point that is not taking advantage of a full flank of
the enemy forces.
Chikamatsu’s text from which this tradition is
derived does not give information on what diversion
should be used nor what to use it for. But the location of
the tradition within the text, next to principles for shinobi
to use in infiltrating other provinces, indicates that
Yamabiko may have also been used for infiltration purposes.
For example, if one made a diversion by igniting fires or
some other method, then one should not approach from the
opposite direction from the point of diversion, but rather
66
approach from left or right compass direction in relation to
the diversion. If the fires are put down in the south, one
should make his infiltration from the west or the east.60

A Linguist
If an operation required venturing to a province
wherein the local inhabitants spoke with a different dialect
than that which the shinobi was accustomed, problems
with execution of a plan could arise. The locals may take
note of the regional tongue that the shinobi uses and
thereby make an assessment that he is an agent, or worse,
the shinobi would not be able to understand anything that
was communicated between parties of interest who are
engaged in conversation. For this reason, it was considered
essential that a shinobi express a mastery of regional
dialects – a skill akin to what is required of modern
intelligence agents who travel abroad in the course of their
duties.
As documented by the linguist Haruhiko Kindaichi
in the book The Japanese Language, differences in regional
dialects were and still are “conspicuous”, lending reason to
believe the shinobi had much work to do in attaining
fluency:

“The everyday conversations of people of

Kagoshima prefecture cannot be understood even by
the people of the neighboring prefecture of
Kumamoto, not to mention those on Honshu and
Shikoku.”61

To illustrate how much more difficult linguistic

matters could be for the shinobi, Kindaichi further remarks
that it was not unheard of that a regional dialect would be
encrypted or confused to protect against infiltrating ninja:
“[D]uring the feudal ages the Satsuma clan
purposely made the speech of its domain unintelligible to
67
outsiders in order to guard against spies from the
Shogunate.”62
A shinobi was therefore considered talented if he not
only mastered regional dialects but had also traveled
extensively abroad and within the nation.63
This is yet another reflection of what is expected of
candidates who seek to become modern intelligence
operatives.

Enervating the Enemy: Ude Karami

It is known through ninjutsu texts that the shinobi

took the matter of travel between and within provinces
with dire seriousness. They were prescient enough to mask
their identities with appropriate cover, making themselves
appear on the well-trodden roads as common travelers,
merchants, and monks, for the nature of their trade would
espouse mortal danger if they were to be known for
conveying communications against the lord of the region.
This was a vital facet of ninjutsu that was coveted enough
by opposing lords to the extent that they would employ
their own shinobi to thwart the sour prospect of spies
infiltrating their lands.
If the artificial veneer of the ninja was compromised,
by peasant aid or the work of a military functionary, they
would have found themselves in a difficult situation
wherein pursuit by the enemy could become inevitable. So
if a ninja was tailed by an enemy shinobi or perhaps a
common foot-soldier, what might we expect him to do in
effecting his good escape?
The resourcefulness of ninjutsu is vast, and so viable
options were not constrained down to a mere handful. He
might toss out thorny caltrops to attack the feet of those
following; he could race away into the darkness and toss
stones into nearby waters to evince an ostensible escape
68
into shadowy their shadowy depths; he may even fix fuses
to trees that would be lit in the darkness to confuse his tail;
but the single technique we will address today would
probably have been employed during the daylight hours to
make cautious a single enemy whose mission was to track
this spy who had been identified as such.
Ude Karami 64 is described as the
art of using one’s sword scabbard
as a psychological deterrent
against a follower. It is employed
easy enough, or at least inasmuch
as we can induce from the texts.
The scabbard was tossed on the
ground conspicuously so that
when the tail came across it he
could not help but raise his
senses to the potentiality of an
ambush. Meanwhile the evading
shinobi was making good his
escape.
Think about it. Try to envision a time when the common
armaments were swords, bows
and arrows, spears and pikes. To
see a scabbard laying on the
ground like this would have
surely evoked at least a small
measure of caution in whoever
came across it. One can imagine
this tactic could have been quite
effective in affording the evading
shinobi more time to create space
between he and his adversary.

69
Chapter 3: The Occult
Practices and Philosophy of
the Ninja

The ninja of Iga and Koka as described by Itoh,

were originally bushi (warrior/samurai) who refined their
skills of renown through years of in-fighting between
various clans of the two regions. Originally, Iga and Koka
clans were enemies of one another, a fact supported by
their history of frequent contentions.

70
 During this period, the Iga and Koka predecessors
to the ninja were apt to use area surveillance and methods
of mountain navigation to engage in battle with
neighboring families. It is in relation to this period of in-
fighting, that the moral quality of the ninja may be
questioned in that they were often implicated in acts of
thievery and assault.1
Upon the commencement of the Sengoku Era, the
men of Iga and Koka came to be valued and employed upon
hearing of their reputation for skills of espionage which
proved indispensable to military victories.
When the Sengoku Era gave way to the Edo Era,
ninja could no longer associate themselves with the acts
that did not reflect the integrity of a warrior. Therefore in
the preservation of their earned, noble status, any
semblance of a ninja with a thief was to be thoroughly
extinguished.2 The rise of adherence to a shinobi moral
code is evidenced within works such as the Shoninki and
the Bansenshukai.

Morality and the Bansenshukai

Given that the contents of the Bansenshukai include
many techniques that could be used to effect the
empowerment of the common criminal, Fujibayashi
recognized the necessity of scribing a guiding moral
philosophy within the first chapter of his manual.3 Titled
‘Seishin’ (correct mind), the chapter admonishes the reader
that a practitioner of ninjutsu must maintain the proper
mindset in all that they do. This correctness of mind
consists of a sense of what is “righteous”, loyal, and
“benevolent” and includes offering opening for the
presupposition that one is “gentle” and kind.
Respecting these virtues, one contradiction among
the literature that must be pointed out concerns the
shinobi’s capacity for loyalty to a lord.

71
 Zoughari has written that during the Kamakura
period (1192-1333 AD) ninja differed from the “bushi”
ideals of loyalty in that they were more concerned with
payment for their services than battle recognition.4 But
this idea blatantly contradicts what has been written by
Fujibayashi, for within the Bansenshukai he states in various
places that a shinobi must exercise a strong degree of
loyalty to one’s lord.5,6,7 Stephen K. Hayes differs from the
claims of Fujibayashi and Zoughari in declaring that
shinobi were more committed to the preservation of their
families rather than their relations with feudal lords.8 So
what is the truth?
The Bansenshukai, being a compendium of many Iga
and Koka traditions, surely should be considered a reliable
source with consideration that the man who penned it was
closer to the history, but as the words of a single man offer
up one facet of history, it is important to search for
contradictions.
With reference to Hayes’ claim of familial loyalty, it
is complexing to note that the manual of Fujibayashi also
admonishes one to maintain an image of non-affiliation
with any of the shinobi arts as the times were such that a
family member could very well come to serve the interests
of a lord counter to those of the shinobi. The historical
record related by Zoughari indicates that not all ninja
exercised extreme loyalty to their lord, but would flip their
allegiances given the circumstantial impetus to do so.
Admittedly, there is a possibility that the virtue of
loyalty found within the manual was only pontificated
upon so as to present ninjutsu in a more honorable light.
Whatever the case may be, the contradiction nevertheless
exists.
Respecting the virtues found within the
Bansenshukai, one might ask where they have come from
and what are their observed translations into human
conduct?
72
 Two of these virtuous principles comprise the Five
Virtues of Esoteric Buddhism which are also known as the
five precepts of Confucianism. These virtues are described
by the monk Kukai:

“The five virtues are benevolence, righteousness,

propriety, wisdom, and sincerity. ‘Benevolence’ is
termed ‘not killing’, and it means to treat others as
one would want to be treated by them.
‘Righteousness’ corresponds to ‘not stealing,’ and it
means to save things and give them to others.
‘Propriety’ signifies ‘not committing adultery,’ and it
means to observe the five rites in due order.
‘Wisdom’ corresponds to ‘not drinking intoxicants,’
and it means to make decisions carefully and to
reason well. ‘Sincerity’ is a synonym for ‘not lying.’
And it means to act without fail on one’s words.”9

The Ego and a Higher Cause

Shinobi eventually came to be motivated in their
endeavors by a value system which distinguished them
from criminals or rogue assassins and held them in
common with fellow shinobi and samurai. In fact the
notion that an individual may call him/herself a shinobi
upon being armed with the numerous skills of ninjutsu but
not the motivating moral philosophy, contradicts what is
written in the Bansenshukai.
Fujibayashi Yasutake, the man who penned the 17th
century shinobi manual makes admonitions that any
individual who attempts to use ninjutsu to achieve selfish
ends will eventually be harmed as a result.10 This
admonition corresponds with Itoh’s observation that
ninjutsu was utilized in the preservation of the state and
73
therefore adherence to a moral code conducive to state
interests was a requirement for a true ninja. If one ever
attempted to profit oneself through the use of ninjutsu, it
was taught that the action would ultimately result in harm
to the user.11
The reason for this is that the universal causality
from which all in existence has been derived, operates in
accord with motivating laws that underlie the principles of
“righteousness”, “fidelity”, “benevolence”, and “loyalty”.
Fujibayashi alludes to the notion that these principles must
be adhered to and respected in that they are intimately
associated with the ways of heaven, and therefore to
contradict them is to contradict that which is above you, be
it god, gods, “Buddha”, or whatever deified ascription of the
universal causality one prays to.12 Fujibayashi admonishes
with polemical prose that for one to disregard these
principles in favor of the sensory stimulations humankind
is apt to seek, is to act out of accord with the way the
shinobi. And so, to be on the correct path, it is most
necessary that the allure of temptations of the senses is not
reciprocated. In other words, one must not seek to indulge
oneself.13
These facts lend support to the idea that ninjutsu
was once the art of the self-less for only through the
elimination of the ego that is at the root of self-interest and
desire, would a shinobi be able to maintain discipline in the
face of torture, execution, and the facets of missions which
required great mental and physical resilience in tandem
with an unwavering loyalty to one’s lord.14
With this, it can be argued that the elimination of
one’s ego conveys positive social implications that speak of
the shinobi’s purpose in war and peace. The death of the
ego signifies one’s birth into a domain of being that
disregards the interests of the self. This manner of being
bears the collective burdens of a society with a strength
that the selfish individual could never possess. Because the
74
shinobi was purposed for the protection of the society
through whatever means necessary, including self-sacrifice,
it should be said that he suffered vicariously - giving the
whole of his life to maintain the welfare of others. This sort
of living could hardly be construed to represent the
qualities of a criminal.
Admittedly, there were probably shinobi who did
commit immoral, egregious, and selfish acts inconsistent
with the guiding principles of some ninjutsu traditions.
However, these sorts of shinobi should not be considered
master representatives of what ninjutsu embodies.
Zoughari of the controversial Togakure Ryu relates
that the knowledge of ninjutsu’s essence is only imparted
to those few individuals who possess the “deepest human
qualities”.15 But despite this allusion to compassionate,
benevolent masters of ninjutsu, one should know that the
authentic traditions of the shinobi were oriented to inflict
death and destruction upon whoever challenged their
prerogatives.
For example, Fujibayashi expounds that the killing
of one indecent person to save many is justified in
accordance with the principle of “benevolence”.16 This
principle, he says, consists of being compassionate to all
and therefore, in adherence of this principle, one may cut
down the individual who robs away the welfare of the
many.17
This concern for the “good” of the collective may be
what motivated the shinobi to eliminate any person who
may have compromised a mission, innocent or not. After
all, the shinobi of old were engaged in a militant
atmosphere that polarized one’s sense of right and wrong.
It was their job to protect their lord and his people. The
weight of one life was thereby counted as insignificant in
comparison to the thousands of lives his activities were
meant to protect.

75
 And so it is written within the translated works of
Chikamatsu Shigenori on the subject of Iga and Koka ninja
traditions, that it is acceptable and required that a shinobi
kill any person who overhears a secret that is not to be
divulged.18

In-Yo and the Five Elements

The historical shinobi understood the world
through an applied knowledge of duality – a concept that is
found across cultures. White and black, up and down,
empty or full, all these qualitative descriptions of the
innumerable phenomenon witnessed by the shinobi
resulted from a classification system of opposites that
functioned through definitions of “In” and “Yo”.19 While
the exact origins of the Japanese In-Yo classification of
phenomenon is hard to determine, it may be said that it is a
nuance of the Chinese concept of yin-yang.
Along with the in-yo classification of world objects
and phenomenon, Fujibayashi references the Go-Dai
alchemical theory which has origins of such antiquity that
it is believed to have been first expounded upon by Tsou
Yen (350-270 BC).20 This theory, derived from Buddhism
explains all universal processes as being the result of
interaction between five different energies signified as:
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water.

The Go-Dai described by Hayes however is different from

what Fujibayashi references, consisting of:
Earth, Water, Fire, Air/wind, Void/ space

What Hayes describes is the Go-Dai of Japanese Esoteric

Buddhism that includes an additional sixth animating
element – the mind.21

Death and Life

76
 Fujibayashi says that the “primary principle” from
which all form is derived, including one’s existence, is
emptiness itself –shapeless and all pervasive. In that one’s
being is comprised of the various combinations of the Five
Elements (earth, water, fire, metal, wood) which are
themselves moved into existence through the primary
principle, the shinobi should realize that his essence is
inseparable from the womb of the universe. With this
understanding the shinobi may cast away the fear of death
and attachment to the material world. His life and death
are one and the same in relation to the primary principle
and, therefore, any thought or deed committed against the
laws of the Five Elements is itself against the essence of
one’s very being.22 As a corollary to this philosophical idea,
death should be welcomed with open arms in that the
closure of life may be thought of as the return of oneself to
the universal source of everything.
Speaking further on the truth of death and life,
Fujibayashi explains with quite poetic prose that what is
called ‘death’ is but an abstract illusion anyway. Nothing
truly dies for all things, manifest and non-manifest, are
interconnected and arise from and dissolve back into the
substance that is the blood of the universe and hence all
existence. That which is formed will not truly cease to be
but rather will perpetually comply with the vicissitudes of
the universe for all eternity.23 Therefore life and death are
one. They are only divided by the mind’s preoccupation
with duality. With this understanding the shinobi could
cast away the fear of death and attachment to the material
world; he was able to move beyond the fetters of existential
inquests and resolve to live in accordance with the will of
the universe.

Determinism and the Determination to Die

Throughout Fujibayashi’s ninjutsu manual, a motif
of a deterministic philosophy resounds. It was his belief,
77
and one might say the belief of other shinobi, that every
individual at conception is inexorably bound to a destiny
that effuses from universal law.24 Though the choices we
make in life seems to promote a strong testament to the
free-will philosophy, one should be reminded of the fact
that no matter what choices one makes in life, he/she is
sure to die eventually. The laws of the universe are
incorruptible and immutable in this way. Any attempt to
escape these laws is to attempt to remove oneself from
existence.
To illustrate, consider the manner by which a plant
grows and comes to bear fruit. The entire potential of a
single plant is already determined by the seed from which
it sprouts. One may augment the growth rate of the plant
by providing good soil and adequate sunlight, but no
matter how many choices one makes in the care of the
plant none of them can take away the eventuality of death.
The plant will run its life course sprouting, maturing, and
bearing fruit, regardless of the environmental variations
we might impose (unless we don’t want it to live to begin
with) because its potential has already been determined.
A human being’s life is like this. We may choose to
take this direction or that, deluding ourselves into
believing we have control over life. We may even begin to
alter our genetic predispositions with new medical
techniques such as gene therapy so as to extend the
number of years we can enjoy. But no matter what choices
we make, we might never escape death. It is there, always
lurking.
So it is best to accept the eventuality of one’s death
right away.

Shugendo
What spiritual practices might have aided the
shinobi in the elimination of the ego or the development of
Fujibayashi’s Seishin? For the ninja of old, it has been said
78
that this “correct mind” may have been attained by
subjecting oneself to intense physical and spiritual training
in relative isolation via Shugendo practices and rituals.25
“Shugendo” translated as the way of ‘training and
testing’26 is a religion originated by the mountain monk En
no Gyoja (634-706 A.D.) that has been characterized as a
blend between Shintoism and Buddhism.27,28 According to
Man, many ninjutsu practitioners, some formerly peasant
farmers, immersed themselves in the difficult ways of
Shugendo so as to absorb the knowledge of the yama-bushi
(mountain ascetics – one who trains in the mountains)
which was thought to be a source of immense supernatural
power.29 True to its name, the religion has a reputation for
its harsh “shugyo” oriented method of spiritual refinement
that may be characterized as a perpetual test of one’s inner
and outer strength.
Indeed, Shugendo monks practice(d) many rituals
that would test the limits of one’s mortality, displaying to
the observer a certain element of physical difficulty that
only the devout may endure. For example, one such
practice consists of a winter seclusion from technological
comforts high up in the mountains that is undertaken with
the objective of attaining special spiritual powers, including
the ability to walk through fire and subject oneself to the
insult of boiling water.30 Such rituals seem on the surface
to be testaments to the reality of attained supernatural
powers, though, to be sure, the implications of such an
observation may be debated. Regarding this debate in
relation to the ninja practitioners of the kuji, it has been
noted by Kevin Keitoshi Casey, in his book The Ninja Mind,
that the ninja were not concerned with the particular
details of how the kuji rituals worked, but instead were
thought to approach the matter of the kuji with a sense of
pragmatism, putting emphasis on ascertaining the reality
of whether or not the rituals could aid in the development
of great power.31
79
A Ninja’s Shugyo and Shugendo
Shugendo pilgrimages are physically demanding
and therefore those who endure the pilgrimages not only
triumph with an understanding of their physical limitations
but also a mental attitude that allows for furtherance of
human potential – a characteristic essential to the
composition of the historical ninja.
Ostensibly the most difficult of Shugendo training is
a pilgrimage known as Okugake. This pilgrimage consists
of traversing a distance of 80 kilometers on foot through
the mountains within a period of a few days. The route is
said to be treacherous and unforgiving as people go
missing each year from the pilgrimage path.32
For what reason does one of Shugendo subject the
body to such difficulty? Answer: these shugenja (one who
practices Shugendo) were heroes of their respective
communities in that they suffered for the greater good of
their fellow human beings. Their venture and hermitage
within nature was, in the past, endured with the intent to
retrieve knowledge and power from the spirit realm that
could protect the community from whence they came.33 As
may be intuited, only the most devout were known to
attempt these practices indicating the presence of a mental
fortitude which has been affixed to the public perception of
a shinobi.
This connection of Shugendo with ninjutsu may be
further supported with the writings of Itoh who
characterized ninjutsu as a method of intense spiritual and
physical conditioning that leaves the practitioner with a
tenacious capacity to endure through the most testing and
“brutal” of life-events.34 The acquisition of such physical,
mental, and spiritual fortitude was the aim of intense
shugyo or “tanren”, a method of conditioning the mind and
body to “challenging” conditions by consistent exposure to

80
harsh natural elements and extremely difficult physical
training.
Another link between ninjutsu and Shugendo
practices resides in what is known as the kuji goshin ho of
ninjutsu. This kuji goshin ho is an occult method of self-
protection that utilizes various hand postures and finger
intertwinements (mudras), concentrated intentions
(mandalas), and spoken vows (mantras) that are believed to
enhance one’s sensitivity to his/her environment when
executed properly.35 It is salient to note that within the
ritual practices of Shugendo there exists a method of
demon exorcism known as, “the kuji 九字 ceremony which
utilizes nine mudras and nine formulas to draw on the
power of supernatural deities.”36, a fact that evinces an
influence of the ritual on the kuji goshin ho.
Also within the teachings of Shugendo is a ritual
known as ‘Takigyo’ that is executed to purify the mind and
body of all negativity by standing beneath the torrent of a
freezing waterfall and chanting mantras that are thought
to invoke the powers of the ‘kami’.
Koshikidake states that the “kuji-in”, which consists
of performing nine specific intertwinements of the hands
and fingers along with invoking a certain mental state, is
used prior to entering the waterfall.37 And so the idea that
the kuji goshin ho of ninjutsu has associations with the
mountain religion should not be considered a speculative
notion, but rather a substantiated fact. Furthermore it
should be noted that modern day ninjutsu practitioners
still engage in practices that harken back to their
Shugendo roots. For example, within both Koshikidake’s
and Casey’s texts on Shugendo and the kuji respectively,
Stephen K. Hayes appears in the full garb of the Shugenja
performing what seems to be a ‘Taikgyo’ ritual.

Kuji-In and Ninjutsu

81
 As to the exact origins of the kuji goshin ho, this
author may not state anything definitive. However, it is
interesting to note that the nine finger entwinements of
the ninjutsu kuji goshin ho have a precise resemblance to
the Nine Esoteric Seals of Buddhist qi-gong38 which has
the origin of its nine spoken command characters set in the
4th century writings of master Ge Hong39 indicating a
Buddhist influence.
This Buddhist influence validates the idea that the
teachings of the kuji were carried into Japan from China
more than a thousand years ago as the religion spread.
This claim is further supported by a modern day
practitioner of Kuji-In known as Francois Lepine who
states in his book Advanced Kuji-In that the kuji rituals
originated with Hinduism in India and were later carried
into China.40
The Romanized vows of the Chinese command
characters and the Japanese jumon are compared here:

Nine Jumon Vows of Ninjutsu’s Kuji Goshin Ho = Rin,

Pyo, Toh, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen.41

Nine Command Characters of the Baopuzi by Ge Hong

= Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Zai, Qian.42

The stated purpose of the nine command characters

of the Baopuzi is to keep evil away, thus evincing further
similarity to the stated purpose of the ninja’s jumon vows.
In contrast, Lepine claims that the purpose of practicing
the kuji is to attain self-knowledge, though he
acknowledges that others may purpose the kuji in
accordance with one’s varied intentions and needs.43
Therefore, kuji-in practice should not be primarily
regarded as an artifact of ninjutsu despite its associations.
The principal functions of the ninja’s kuji rituals, being
those of supernaturally derived self-protection, can,
82
according to Hatsumi, be expressed by individuals who
have no prior experience or training with the occult
rituals.44 Consequently, one might ask why bother with
seeking a preceptor of the ninja’s kuji goshin ho?

Practicing the Kuji

Stephen K. Hayes, Francois Lepine, and Kevin
Keitoshi Casey maintain that the kuji cannot be
apprehended from mere texts alone but can only be learned
under the guidance of a competent teacher.45,46
If this is so, one who has consulted the literature may have
conjured up the following questions.
Firstly, who taught the original preceptor of the
ninja’s kuji ritual? Understandably, deep knowledge takes
time and, in many instances, generations to develop.
Therefore a competent teacher of this clarified knowledge
may be necessary in instructing a student of the kuji.
However, it nevertheless should not be assumed that one
cannot learn the kuji without a competent teacher, though
the acquisition of deep knowledge respecting the kuji
without the guidance of a teacher has not been ascertained.
Secondly, Hatsumi of the Togakure Ryu has stated
back in 1988 that he would not teach anyone the secrets of
the ninja’s kuji until his/her taijutsu had become perfected.
In fact, he finds the acme of excellence that is required
prior to his preceptorship of the kuji to be of such a rarity
that one would do well to just pretend the kuji do not even
exist, as one will not likely attain the requisite candidate
status.47 In the same conversation Hatsumi explains that
the essence of the kuji is not exclusive to ninjutsu kuji
training, giving examples of how physically inexplicable
actions that connote supernatural power, such as moving
out of the way of an incoming punch that one does not see,
can be performed by people without any training in or
awareness of the kuji.48 In addition to this, Hatsumi
83
declares that there is “nobody” who has attained the
characteristics suitable to serve as a vessel for the kuji
teachings. So one must ask, where has Stephen K. Hayes
attained his kuji training if not from Hatsumi? This author
has chosen not to pursue such a triviality but encourages
the reader to seek out the answer if it peaks an interest.
Now we shall turn to the content of the kuji rituals.
As the precise details of how kuji-in is to be
performed are not forthcoming within the literature on
ninjutsu, one must alternatively rely on a paucity of other
sources not directly affiliated with the historical shinobi
arts.
According to Lepine and Hayes, each of the nine
kuji are associated with a particular philosophy that is to be
transmitted to the student by a competent master and
thereafter contemplated while executing the assigned
mantra and hand-seal (mudra).49,50 The kuji are to be
advanced through in a systematic manner, beginning with
the philosophical contemplation and mastery of Rin.51 Each
kuji after Rin builds upon the philosophies and
ramifications of the previous seals - one does not skip
around in the practice. A very brief eclectic rendition of
each character’s philosophy is as follows:

Rin: The practitioner comes to recognize that he/she has

the right to exist and also cultivates a faith that the
universe guides the practitioner’s life.52
Alternatively one trains his/her attention on
cultivating a mind free of disturbance along with a
powerful spirit unperturbed by life’s difficulties.53
Also, the Rin seal is utilized to invoke strength for
the endurance of adversarial situations.54

Kyo: The practitioner comes to believe and understand

the karmic cycle of retribution for one’s actions in
terms of energy exchanges and thereby recognizes
84
 his/her power to guide life outcomes while also
learning to channel subtle energies.55,56,57

Toh: The practitioner holds to a philosophy of adaptation,

flexibility, and resilience in relation to the
vicissitudes of life events, operating in harmony
with natural law.58 Also, one may channel the
intention to be unyielding and full of courage when
faced with a difficult life situation.59 The seal of Toh
is also associated with the development of one’s
intuitive abilities.60

Sha: The practitioner integrates the philosophical

saliencies of the preceding three seals to declare the
power and right to channel one’s energies for
necessitated purposes including the healing of
others and oneself.61,62Alternatively the practitioner
may cultivate the power of Sha to enhance control of
one’s body and that of another.63

Kai: The practitioner comes to value and practice a

philosophy of loving compassion for all through
recognition of one’s existential origins.64 He/she
recognizes all human experiences as inexorable
manifestations of the universal mind, and that the
universe therefore experiences itself through the
activities of all things. As a corollary to this, one
might view difficult life situations as a cue to look
deeper into the root causes of one’s suffering. One’s
life has value and purpose determined by the reality
of that one’s life is immutably intrinsic to the overall
structure of the universe. In that one’s intrinsic
relation to the universe is recognized, supernatural
or ‘extrasensory’ capacities of intuition may be
developed through a connection to the universal

85
 mind.65 This enhanced intuition is thought to aid the
shinobi in detecting danger before it manifests.66

Jin: The practitioner brings to fruition the ability to

speak and truly listen to, or intuit the thoughts and
intentions of others.67,68,69 A general openness to
new information becomes a characteristic of the
practitioner. The philosophy of Jin is a synthesis of
preceding seal philosophies.

Retsu: The practitioner is advised to approach all the

various phenomena and objects of life with a mind of
innocence and receptivity. Over time, the
practitioner is believed to be capable of accessing
subtle realms of information not typically available
to the common individual.70,71

Zai: The practitioner comes to view one’s being as

essentially spiritual in nature72 while merging
oneself with the source of all creation. The
inseparability of one’s manifest existence from the
universal scheme is recognized and becomes a
source of power in actualizing the will of spirit.73,74

Zen: The practitioner cultivates the ability to ‘disappear’

from the less spiritually inclined entities of the
universe.75 Complete mastery of this kuji is
associated with the attainment of enlightenment.76

Hypnotism
It has been claimed that the occult practices of
ninjutsu incorporated an element of hypnosis that
functioned in the capture and control of an enemy’s mind.77
However this idea contradicts what has been promulgated
by the 20th century Japanese historian of ninjutsu-
Gingetsu Itoh; muddying the waters of truth. In his work,
86
Itoh accentuates an emphasis that historical ninjutsu has
no relation whatsoever with hypnosis of any kind.78 True,
the ninja were known to utilize various diversionary tactics
in order to “guide” the enemies mind, but in no manner
should these instances be construed to support the notion
that hypnotism held a highly cherished place in the shinobi
arts.
Now as has been previously iterated in the opening
statements of this present work, there remains the
possibility that some heretofore hidden ninjutsu traditions
incorporate “hypnotism”. But unless documentation is
provided any assertion of ninja training and tactics
involving hypnosis is dubious.
The philosophy which guided the skill of the shinobi was
not attained early in life but rather was the result of a life-
time of practice.79

Matters of Prudential Conduct

Just about everything a shinobi did was probably
well-reasoned. For example, one principle of conduct that
shinobi were advised to adhere to is that of not lying.80
This advice may seem quite ironic given that the shinobi
functioned through deceptive means, but upon closer
inspection one finds that the reason lying should be
avoided is actually a prudent strategy that holds to the air
of deception. The principle is meant to foster the
development of others’ trust in the shinobi as an honest
person so that, when deemed appropriate, a lie will be
taken as truth.
Concerning the vicissitudes of life, it has been said
that a practitioner of ninjutsu must never become surprised
by what life brings – harkening to the cultivation of an
ever clear and calm mind.81,82
87
Shinobi Code of Conduct
Assembled below is a succinct list of behaviors that
comprises a code of conduct. The majority of these
behaviors are delimited by Fujibayashi in ‘Seishin’, Volume
2 of the Bansenshukai.83
As one may infer from the following points of conduct,
the historical ninja seems to have acted more as a
functionary of higher philosophical principles than as an
incorrigible criminal without discipline or assassin without
conscience.

1. Do not lie
2. Do not steal for self-interest
3. Do not cheat
4. Do not fear disgrace or shame
5. Do not be greedy
6. Do not act impetuously
7. Do not joke
8. Do not drink
9. Avoid the allure of lust
10. Do not ally yourself with unprincipled people
11. Cherish truth
12. Respect your parents
13. Value the higher principles of ‘benevolence’,’fidelity’,
and ’righteousness’ instead of valuing the pleasures
of the human senses

88
Chapter 4: Warfare
Principles and Ninjutsu

While not a martial art, anyone who studies

ninjutsu will find that its principles suggest the cultivation
of flexibility in mind and body –in thought and action that
allows for adaption to the total circumstance. One must
identify the problem and then use the ever potent salience
of human cognition to create a solution rather than beat it
to a pulp with aggressive implements.
The maturity of ninjutsu as a self-protection method
can teach us to think outside the metaphorical box of our
weaponized hands and feet in creating a solution to our
problems of self-defense. It can teach us to respond to our
problems with tact and intelligence, and this is why the
study of ninjutsu still matters.
Fujibayashi states that while the specific methods or
techniques of the old shinobi can be effective and are to be
regarded with high-esteem, it is more important to
understand that there are principles which underlie these
methods that may be adapted to any circumstance.1 The
principles of ninjutsu in this regard are timeless and
89
(theoretically) infinite in their properties of adaptability.
Therefore the individual who sincerely studies them is sure
to find a useful application that may be incorporated into
his/her self-defense method.
For example, Shochu Kokoruzuke no Koto, is the
aforementioned art of paying attention to insects in one’s
environment. One may read Shigenori’s words once and
feel content that an understanding of the art has been
attained- ‘just watch the insects for signs of human
activity’. But if one peers deeper in between the lines, it
becomes clear that what the art is predicated on is a
principle - in this instance, the principle of situational
awareness.
By applying this principle to a modern context,
paying attention to the activity within one’s environment,
one may come to cultivate a knowledge of meaning behind
superficially inconsequential events.
The hasty flight of birds from a wooded area is no
longer perceived as an insignificant event but is recognized
as a signal that a potential predator is among the trees. As
one continues to pay attention to the environment,
associations of objects and activity with various
phenomena begin to take root in the mind, laying a depth
of knowledge about one’s surroundings that the average
person doesn’t cultivate.
Now, it would be wrong to assume that one could
still practice true ninjutsu this day for, as established in
previous chapters, true ninjutsu was originated for warfare
purposes of the previous centuries.
Fast-forward to the 21st century and the spy-game
has changed dramatically in terms of techniques, tools, and
weaponry. Where the mud-encrusted scout once provided
tactical intelligence on enemy troops by silently enduring
through the vicissitudes of the elements, the camera,
satellite, and drone have now become the finest
apparatuses for the acquisition of battlefield information.
90
And even the spy masquerading as a wandering monk, has
been replaced with the fabrication of deceptive online
identities that prowl among the hyperlinks of social media
and the world-wide-web.
Today, the warfare functions of the ninja have been
replaced with the rise of electronic surveillance
technologies, information dragnets, special-forces, and the
variety of personnel and services of three-letter agencies
(CIA, FBI, NSA, etc.). It would be wrong for one to attach
the term ninjutsu to any of these examples for it would
imply that true practitioners of ninjutsu have always been
active, even from the time of 17th century Japan when the
skills were reportedly dying out.

No, true ninjutsu is no longer practiced, but its

principles and techniques still live on within the manuals of
Natori Masazumi, Fujibayashi Yasutake, Chikamatsu
Shigenori, the Hattori family and many more.
What follows below are a few examples of how
ninjutsu principles are timeless, and are therefore still
applicable to modern conflict and the mundane.
Within Fujibayashi’s manual, ‘Shochi I’ of Volume 4
contains ’10 articles’ that convey potential benefits for
commanders who utilize shinobi intelligence and their
skills in formulation of battle plans against the enemy.
These articles are listed within the Bansenshukai with
roman numerals applied by the translator. The two titles
below include the article number and a summary title of
what the article contains regarding their intrinsic
principles, followed by this author’s renditions of a modern
day application:

1.Infiltration and Observation/Analysis of Quantitative

Information
0 The first article explains the advantageous use of
shinobi in gathering intelligence of the enemy’s land,
91
troops, fortifications, and potential points of ambush that
may be quantitatively defined.
The shinobi should be deployed to the geographic
region of interest prior to the inception of battle. He/she
can then gather battle critical information which includes
dimensions of roadways, troop number, number of
fortifications, fortification integrity, geographical saliencies
(i.e. forests, valleys, mountains, rivers, etc.), and more. The
shinobi can map the gathered information or memorize it
depending on the circumstances.2

0 Modern Application: This principle may be committed to

a variety of mundane dilemmas and conflicts given that one
has the creative capacity required to apply it.
The principle is to know as much as on can about
the enemy’s objective properties.
If one is aware of say, an upcoming camping
experience in an area one knows little about, he/she may
apply the above principle to effect a better plan for the trip.
For example, a modern rendition of this principle would
include visiting the area in advance and scoping it out with
a video camera taking note of indicators of potential
predators, water sources, the type and extent of vegetation,
and locations of various other useful facilities or resources.
The more information gathered, the better. This
information can then be integrated into the plan for the
trip. Agreed this is a mundane example, but remember that
the potential applications are innumerable.

2. Infiltration and Observation/Analysis of Qualitative

Information
0 Like the previous article, this one speaks of
infiltrating an area of interest prior to battle. The article
differs from the first though in delineating what type of
information could be gathered. Instead of focusing on
92
predominantly objective/quantitative information, the
historical shinobi may also be used in acquiring
information of a subjective/qualitative value. The shinobi
can return to the allied commander with details of the
enemy’s internal atmosphere (emotions, level of thinking,
etc.) along with other troop attributes of the enemy that
can thereafter be exploited. Specifically, the shinobi can
observe for the enemy’s quality of training, moral
disposition, diplomatic connections, and capacities for
valor/bravery.3
0 Modern Application: Utilizing modern
surveillance technologies, one may covertly monitor and
analyze any given target for an idea of his/her
psychological attributes.

Psychological Operations
The espionage aspects of shinobi-no-jutsu have
roots in a careful study of Sun Tzu’s Art of War, a text that
continues to be of service to modern military tacticians.
Chikamatsu Shigenori relates to his readers that Iga and
Koka traditions of Shinobi-no-jutsu put an emphasis on
thoroughly studying Sun Tzu’s work, in particular his
exposition on spying and spies.4
This specific section of The Art of War is rather
short, consisting of merely a few pages within the
translation available to this author. Admittedly though,
this compactness can be deceptive, allowing for its inner
secrets to be ever elusive to the one who does not read
between the lines and recognize the potential applications
of principles rather than specific techniques.
Respecting this section, what is of special interest
for any individual investigating the connection between
shinobi operatives and modern day psychological
operations is Sun Tzu’s instruction to utilize “expendable”
spies to effect the dissemination of false information among
the enemy.5 The principle of spreading disinformation or
93
misinformation against an enemy is contemporarily
classified as “propaganda”, and is a principle that has been
accoutered with the equipment and precision of modern
day armies for psychological operations.
Harkening to Sun Tzu’s directive for manipulation
of the enemy through information, FM 3-05.301 titled
Psychological Operations Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
declares that the purpose of a psychological operation
(PYSOP) is to “convey selected information and indicators
to foreign target audiences…to influence their emotions,
motives, objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior
of foreign governments, organizations, groups, and
individuals.”6 Adding even more contemporary semblance
to Sun Tzu’s principle of utilizing expendable spies for
propaganda dissemination, it has been remarked that media
of modern day psychological operations, depending on the
situation, “may have to be disseminated by covert means,
such as agents who risk their lives to transport and
distribute the materials.”7
In contrast to “psychological operations” of the time
period wherein shinobi operatives were likely participant,
contemporary PSYOPs are amplified in effectiveness and
technical span by the emergence of unprecedented
advancements in “mass communication” of the electronic
and print type.8 Rather than relying on Yabumi 9 letter
drops or the oration of a chosen spy or group of spies to
disseminate propaganda, one could imagine that
modernized principles of shinobi-no-jutsu would now be
colored with particular techniques that incorporate leaflet
drops from airplanes, radio/cable/ internet broadcasts, and
various other mediums of message dissemination.
Respecting single agents engaged in a massive
PSYOP, a modern technique for spreading information
conducive to military objectives calls for the utilization of
mannerisms, apparel, linguistic colloquialisms, and
comportment that reflects the image of a “common man”
94
which superficially seems to identify with the particular
audience that is being targeted.10 The principle of this
‘chameleon effect’, for gaining rapport with a target
population for eventual manipulation through
understanding it, can be derived from ancient ninjutsu
manuals. For example, Fujibayashi discloses in the
Bansenshukai the importance of learning, for intelligence
purposes, the ways of the people of a given region
including their habits of language and dress.11
The Shinobi Hiden advises the same12 and Chikamatsu
Shigenori expatiates on a Koka ninja tradition that duly
advises a shinobi to understand the “character” of a people
for infiltration purposes13, and one might add, the effective
dissemination of propaganda along with casual intelligence
gathering activities. In his book The Master of Disguise, ex-
CIA operative Antonio J. Mendez discloses how one
particular propaganda campaign he was engaged in was
tailored to take advantage of the Buddhist belief system of
the people targeted. This is obviously impossible to do
without first acquiring a good understanding of the target
population’s beliefs and culture.

Guerilla Warfare and Incendiary Devices

Modern texts on guerilla warfare have parallels to
the guerilla tactics of shinobi, particularly in the use of
incendiary devices. For example, it is well-known that
shinobi were used to infiltrate enemy fortifications to set
them ablaze. This tactic facilitated the division of enemy
forces, as many men would have to be dispatched to put out
the fires. While confusion ensued, the other enemy troops
would find themselves engaged by a shinobi-allied strike
team.
The U.S. Army Special Forces Guide to Unconventional
Warfare contains techniques and recipes for incendiary
devices to be used in sabotage of wooden structures as well
as other combustible targets. This evidences that the
95
principle underlying the shinobi saboteur is still alive and
well within modern armies.

Cameras and Counter-Surveillance

In modern society, technology has given criminals
new options of approach in targeting a victim for violent,
extortive, or other types of crime. For this reason, it is
important for the individual interested in self-defense to
expand one’s awareness of real and potential vulnerabilities
that could be exploited by the technologically savvy
criminal.
For instance, surveillance technologies take many
unexpected forms which can afford the user significant
advantages over the selected target. These technologies
are likely to be simple respecting their components,
consisting of nothing more than a microphone with some
sort of camera. But what is important to remember about
surveillance systems is that they can be disguised to look
like any other mundane, innocuous item.
The two pictures below (fig. 5.1) depict a personal
computer carrying bag that has been modified to contain a
camera which has been discreetly installed into one of its
side panels. The contained camera is hooked up to its own
battery supply and a portable recording device for digital
video (DVR).
A system like this may be bought or made by any
willing individual and then planted within the vicinity of a
target to gather data without arousing suspicion.

96
(fig. 4.1)

The selected guise of a hidden camera can come

from an infinite variety of possibilities, and so the system
can be constructed to look like a tree, a pen, a coffee mug,
an electrical outlet, etc. Because the number and form of
surveillance systems cannot be reliably predicted, a
potential victim would be better off simply expanding
his/her awareness of the possibility that at any given time
one could be the target of some sort of covert surveillance.
Along with this awareness, one should resolve to
make feckless the very function of surveillance systems by
exhibiting unpredictable behavior. This can include
breaking patterns of coming and going, leaving home at
arbitrary times, and even setting up counter-surveillance
(deploy your own system to watch for suspicious activity).
Whatever resolution one chooses, the essential point here
is to know the tricks and tools of the enemy, for only by
knowing what technologies exist can one construct
effective counter-measures against those who would
maliciously use them.
How might someone use surveillance technology for
malicious ends?
In general, surveillance methods are used to gather
information on the intended target of interest which would
inform future tactical decisions. In protecting oneself
against surveillance it is important to note that adequate
surveillance prior to an assault or an attack is a patient
procedure that does not owe allegiance to any side of a
conflict.
For example, a major topic of public debate as of late
has been what to do about terrorism, as the army of ISIS
has been receiving recruits from the U.S.. Some think an
attack can happen here any day now. And as a deterrent
against such potentiality, the Boston Police Department
has promulgated a “brochure” on behaviors and actions
97
designated as indications of terroristic activities and
intentions.14 These indicators include specific surveillance
behaviors such as:

1. Deliberately initiating activity which elicits a

response from law enforcement in order to take note
of “response times”.
2. Photography and video recording of specific places
and events.
3. Graphing a map of the area.

Unfortunately, as evidenced above, terrorists

employ the same sorts of warfare principles as the shinobi
of history. Therefore by studying ninjutsu, one can come to
develop a counter to terrorism in that the potential victims
of terroristic activities are, to a degree, educated on the
tactics of terrorism (know the enemy).

Corrupting the Nature of Security

Work as a security guard or watchman is rather simple,
observe the environment and report if anything is amiss or out
of place.
Skills of observation and memory are key to serving well
as a security guard, for if you lack these essential skills, one
might get the better of you by breaking in, stealing, or
otherwise manipulating personnel to gain access to what they
seek. On this note, of manipulation, it should be pointed out that
the very function of a security guard or watchman, particularly
that of observation, can be exploited for malicious or deviant
purposes.
Tendo Chido Narai is a chapter of the Shoninki which
offers insight as to how this might occur.15 Natori explains
therein, among other things, that shinobi should possess a high
level of skill in swaying the sense-mediated observation of
sentinels or general onlookers up toward the sky, or down low,
depending on the target of entry.
98
 For example, say one desired to enter a highly guarded
area by way of a tunnel intrinsic to the facility, but it tends to be
guarded, at least tenuously, by foot patrols. To insure the plan
to enter in such a way, the infiltrator might implement a
strange display of lights (say fireworks, a holographic projector,
or a fleet of Chinese floating lanterns, etc.) in the sky to direct
the attention of the guards away from the path of entry and
towards the heavens, for the show of lights above is indeed
something strange and anomalous to take note of. Only the
seasoned or astute sentinel would question whether such a ploy
was indeed meant to distract from potential gaps in the secured
perimeter.
Likewise, if one desired to enter from above, say a roof,
the intelligent infiltrator would employ a distraction on the
ground below. There are many ruses that one can think of that
might suffice a particular situation. A partner could feign a
heart attack or sudden onset of illness, perhaps even rudely
argue with a doorman to make a scene, meanwhile the
infiltrator would enjoy the convenience of entering the facility
by a window or other roof-bound entrance while security is
distracted.
Gifted social engineers and common crooks alike might
employ the principle of swaying attention to the heavens or to
the earth, so it is important that the discipline of a security
guard or watchman is such that there is awareness of his/her
own weaknesses. It is truly remarkable how the very function of
security can make the defended area insecure.

Chapter 5: Incorporating
Ninjutsu Principles into Self-
Defense

99
 ‘Self-defense’ is a term that connotes the protective actions one
takes to fend off a physical attack. It is a term most frequently
encountered within the domain of martial artists who may stylize
‘this or that’ technique of a traditional art in such a manner that
conforms it to modern trends in assault/battery scenarios. In this
respect, it may be said that many arts succeed in providing some
form of useful training to students interested in ‘self-defense’,
insofar that consensus relates the term to physical attacks of the
fists and kicks variety (sometimes weapons).

However, what I aim to express is that notions of ‘self-defense’

should not be constrained to the facets of physical, hand-to-hand
combat, but rather the term should extensively represent an ever-
evolving concept protecting oneself against virtually any
potential detriment or attack on the mind, body, or spirit. In this
regard, true ‘self-defense’ may be considered to comprise a way
of living; a lifestyle that mitigates injurious potentials and never
ceases to emphasize the imperative of evolving one’s defenses in
parity with the evolution of crime and violence.

Understandably, if one prepares everywhere, one will be weak

everywhere, or so the adage goes. But consider this – all
techniques of self-defense are predicated on easily absorbed and
adaptable principles. If you understand the principle, you may be
better equipped to work out an effective, specific defense to
whatever ‘self-defense’ issue you face.

“Principles, not Techniques”

Let us look to the Bansenshukai and see if any of the principles

therein parallel or compliment modern ideas of warfare and self-
defense.

Firstly, Yasutake unequivocally writes that shinobi are essential

to mastering the art of war.¹ His reasons stem from the principle
of warfare popularly attributed to Sun Tzu which admonishes the
reader to ‘know the enemy’. To do this is the function of
intelligence which was the key tradecraft of the shinobi.
100
In Yasutake’s time, and prior, gathering intelligence on the
enemy typically involved old-fashioned human observation. The
shinobi would sneak behind enemy lines and surreptitiously
accrue as much intel as possible before venturing back to allied
territory. It was a very dangerous process, quite different from
the specific methods of modern intelligence that rely on the high
technology of satellites and social media platforms. Where the
ninja once used stone pencils and paper to draw up maps of
enemy fortifications, modern warfare practices employ the 1.8
gigapixel ARGUS-IS spy drone.

Again, the specific technique doesn’t matter to the ‘self-defense’

mind. What matters is the principle of intelligence present in
both the ninja’s and the modern soldier’s techniques. It is the
principle of intelligence that serves as the basis of new
intelligence gathering techniques. By understanding this,
effective ‘self-defense’ can be created for any situation, you
simply must study the principles of violence and warfare (along
with crime and psychology if desired).

Now, a quick internet query of the term ninja or ninjutsu is sure

to yield an abundance of results which imply the existence of a
comprehensive “ninja” hand-to-hand self-defense system.

From Stephen K. Hayes’ To-Shin Do to the Bujunkan, along with

less reputable “masters” of ninjutsu who have peddled dubious
“ninja” techniques, one is sure to be impressed with the notion
that the ninja art of self-defense has been well-
established…somewhere. Upon viewing the wares of this
instructor or that, it may be concluded that the quality of these
supposedly authentic ninjutsu systems varies from one to the
next (my personal favorite being the fine work done by Yoshi
Sheriff of Akban which exhibits an exceedingly precise finesse in
movement and skill). But the allure of ninjutsu as a self-defense
system operating in the realm of physical altercations (i.e.
grappling, striking, etc.) is provably deceptive when viewed
through the lens of history.

101
Did the ninja, aka shinobi, have skills with the foot and fist? Of
course they did!

Is there a particular brand of ‘hand-to-hand’ combat that is

exclusively tied to the shinobi? This is where things get dicey.

We will look for answers to these questions, but first, here are
some important points to bear in mind:

1. Shinobi-no-jutsu was an adjunct art of samurai who, prior

to learning shinobi-no-jutsu skills and traditions, were
often already highly trained in a variety of combat skills
which included hand-to-hand styles. Logic would have it
then, that a ninja’s method of fighting was predicated on
samurai prelects of combatives and could therefore vary
from clan to clan.
2. Nowhere, in any shinobi-no-jutsu texts (such as the
Bansenshukai, the Shoninki, Chikamatsu Shigenori’s
scrolls, the Shinobi-hiden or Gunpo Jiyoshu) is there an
inkling of hand-to-hand fighting techniques depicted, or
even expatiated on.
3. In speaking of ninjutsu, it is impossible to establish the
credibility of a particular system without historical
documentation, as the ninja are warriors of a
chronological period that has been buried by the sands of
time. To study history, we must rely on texts, relics, and
other archaeological evidence, and cannot resort to the
mere word of alleged “masters”. We now exist in the 21st
century, not feudal Japan, so we must resource historians
and archaeologists to verify the authenticity of a ninjutsu
system.

I am not an historian by degree or profession. I am a commoner

who has taken the time to study historical texts on ninjutsu in
order to construct conclusions about this appealing but
misunderstood art. That said, I will also tell you that I am a
former student of To-Shin Do (3 years or so) and thereby have
gleaned an insider awareness of this particular art which has
102
fomented an unpalatable conviction that true ninjutsu is only
marginally reflected in (at the least) the dojo I attended and (at
the most) in all other TSD dojos.

This process of cultivating truth concerning matters of ninjutsu,

has thus far taken me 8 years and has been, at times, difficult as I
strive to move along a path towards clarity. Ninjutsu is
something close to my heart, so I will not abuse it by pretending
to be without an awareness of the texts that define it (i.e. by
exalting “ninjutsu” dojos). The translated texts are quite clear,
true ninja have long ago departed this realm. What we have of
their traditions are vestigial remains.

I know the keen of you will point out that, in my not being
Japanese, or speaking the language, that I am deluded to believe I
can grasp a full understanding of the art. This is a fine criticism.
But I have to ask, who does have a full understanding of the art?
Can you point him/her out?

Also, is the art defined by particulars of language or should we

not be so naïve to think principles are delimited by native
tongues?

The principles of ninjutsu are the wellspring of the art’s essence.

By understanding the principles, you will understand ninjutsu.
By understanding these principles, you will know the value and
extent of ninjutsu as a self-defense system. The texts tracked
down by Antony Cummins and translated by Yoshie Minami are
quite sufficient for the purpose of inferring or deducing these
principles.

So, where does this leave us regarding our question of ninjutsu

and self-defense? I will share some of the art’s salient principles.

1. Recognize how information can make or break you. The

shinobi of old were adept at spreading propaganda
instrumented to twist the psychology of the masses. In
this information-rich era, it is important to learn how to
103
 recognize truth so as to avoid being deceived. Rudiments
of logic were indispensable to a shinobi as it was often
the situation that he had to cut through the
misinformation and disinformation spread by enemy
ninja. On another note, you should understand that
everything we do evinces information of some variety.
What you drive; how you dress; your internet traffic; the
content you put on social media; whether you plant flags
in your yard; whether you speak with confidence or
prefer not to speak, all of these offer insights into your
personality and inner psychology. How do your enemies,
if you have any, perceive you?

2. Be prepared to endure through difficult times. The

universe is unpredictable, so to go about your merry way
without any thought towards cultivating a preparedness
plan or a hardy mentality is inviting pain. Shinobi, for
instance, were known to have extensive bush-craft skills
that afforded them a measure of survivability should a
difficult situation arise (this is a most basic “self-
defense”). This does not mean you should go out and
learn how to live off the land (though it can’t hurt), but
rather this means you should assess your existential
context (i.e. location, demographics, crime level, access
to utilities, personal characteristics, etc.) with the intent of
insulating yourself against pain should the systems you
depend on break down.

3. Learn to think outside the box of a pugilistic means to

defense. It is easy to get dragged into the currents of self-
defense sensationalism that profits peddlers of weapons, a
macho mentality, or extreme strength. Seldom does one
consider that the greatest warrior is the one who doesn’t
have to fight. Just like the domain of medicine, wherein
the superior doctor is one who prevents a disease rather
than treats it, the superior warrior is preemptive in
extinguishing the roots of conflict rather than violently

104
 engaging in its bloom. There is greater glory in averting
danger and war than there is in prevailing through it.

“Those who have mastery of shinobi arts have no enemies in the

world.” – Natori Sanjuro Masazumi

4. Know what you are willing to live or die for. The shinobi
sealed an allegiance with his lord that remained
interminable unto death. Who are you answerable to?
Your friends? Your family? In defending yourself or
those you love, how far are you willing to go?

Goshiki-Mai (5 Colored Rice):

This ancient ninjutsu method entails the deposition of colored

rice within an area of operations to convey information to allies.
The shinobi would use blue, red, yellow, black, and purple dyes
to color the rice which would be carried on his/her person in
bamboo tubes. The rice would be placed in accord with a pre-
established, closely guarded crypt-key to avoid unwanted
decryption of the message. Different arrangements of the colored
rice conveyed distinct meanings intelligible to only those
possessing the crypt-key.
Method Disadvantages: 1. potential for disturbance of
the coded message by animal, climactic, or human
interaction 2. short communication distance and lack of
reception precision (recipient must be in close proximity -
20 ft. minimum- of the rice in order to decode the
message) 3. potential to arouse suspicion (Why is there
colored rice on the ground?)
Method Advantages: 1. ease of use (message can be
encoded quickly if the crypt-key is memorized) 2.
communication medium doubles as a food source 3.
message can be destroyed quickly 4. message may appear
as random noise to interceptors
Suitable Use: This method is suitable when the weather
is not expected to produce high winds or precipitation
105
 (rain, snow, etc.). Leave messages in inconspicuous, but
readily visible places. You may inform your
communications team on what specific placement method
is preferred (i.e. by trees, on rocks, along roads, etc.). The
total amount of colored rice to carry should not be
cumbersome, and the amount dispensed for each coded
message should be kept to a minimum. Be sure to devise
a crypt-key, patterns for rice placement, and instruct each
communications team member on the type of information
that is to be conveyed (this will vary by the scenario). Do
not allow for witnesses of message placement and inform
team members on protocol if a coded message seems to
be tampered with (i.e. advise senders to practice message
redundancy, placing the same code twice in two different
but proximal areas). Above all, guard the crypt-key.

Escape and Evasion: Lockpicking

It has been well-documented by Stephen Nojiri and the works of

Antony Cummins that the skillset of a shinobi included the art of
lockpicking.

This art would have been used for a variety of purposes, from
surreptitious entry into a restricted area, to escaping capture. In
application of the principle, it is well that one routinely practice
bypassing modern locks and learn of their components and
security features. You may start by purchasing a lock-pick set, or
smith your own tools from flexible but durable metals. You can
purchase several tumbler pin locks for pragmatic practice, as
these are among the most common locks encountered today.

Moku Ton-Jutsu and CCW with a Hoodie: Modernized

Shinobi-no-jutsu Concepts

Don’t undervalue your common hoodie. Believe it or not, this

article of fabric is brimming with utility.

106
For concealed carry permit holders, the hoodie can be easily
purposed as a concealment and retaining holster for a firearm.
Depending on the color of clothing and bulk of material used,
this technique offers comparable performance as a concealment
holster to that of standard holsters, but I wouldn’t carry a gun this
way if a holster was available.

Note that, as with any concealment holster, this technique of

drawing demands practice. The gun could snag; you may wear
too thin of material that displays an obvious profile of the tool;
you might even wear the hoodie too loose, thus potentiating the
possibility of the firearm dropping to the ground. This article is
for informational purposes only, and therefore I am not
responsible for your lack of conscience in failure to train safely
(also, CCW permits are typically required by law to do
this…check your laws) . That being said, one technique of
hoodie draw is described here:

The color scheme herein doesn’t matter,

though I will say that using a darker color
of hoodie allows for lower tool profile,
which is important as it associates with the
107
very function of carrying concealed. When draw is necessary,
use your thumb to guide the firearm to open display (photo 2)
then grip and draw. Once again, practice…practice…practice.
Anyone who is desiring to learn this method, should go about
their practice by first carrying an UNLOADED firearm around
one’s own household. This is to condition comfort-ability and
confidence with one’s technique so that awareness of how to
keep the firearm properly holstered is developed. If you found
the technique worthwhile, depending on your life circumstances,
extra magazine holders and a specifically designed muzzle
holder could be sewn on to your hoodie. Be creative, but be
realistic. Hoodies are a common article of clothing, so think of
how it can be used to benefit you aside from elemental
protection.

Gingestu Itoh, a 20th century researcher of ninjutsu has

described moku ton-jutsu as, “techniques involving evading,
escaping or otherwise, concealing the body within trees or
grasses.”4 . As for historically documented, academic cases of
shinobi climbing trees to evade capture, I cannot cite any at this
time, though it is a certainty that the shinobi were familiar with a
wide variety of methods of concealing themselves among the
vegetation of woodland.

A shinobi is thought to have used his obi belt to climb trees.

Rather than use an obi, as effective as it is, one can instead use a
hoodie as a climbing implement for those stubborn trees without
branches. The technique is easy enough. You may feel like a
lumber-jack. I know I did. Just be sure to wrap your hands with
the loose ends of the hoodie, otherwise you may end up with a
couple of scrapes on your knuckles.

108
 Appendix A:
Shadow Zone Material
The material presented here consists of articles on ninjutsu
that may be found on the Shadow Zone
(www.shadowzone.net)

The Creative Process Applied to Ninjutsu

"If we were to look at one meaning of ninjutsu, we would find

that it is purely...a set of techniques for enduring." - Gingetsu
Itoh

How is a thing defined? I mean, if we were to ask "What is

ninjutsu?" how do we go about defining it?

Insomuch that words are symbols used to describe phenomena,

ninjutsu eludes our observation because its phenomena are
confined to the past. Naturally, we cannot describe, let alone
define, what we cannot observe.

So, as for the case of defining ninjutsu, we are forced to rely on

vague social/cultural conventions and tenuous historical records
109
that, much like records of modern intelligence agencies, are
redacted with the Japanese colloquialism "Kuden (口伝)", or oral
instruction. In other words, our understanding of ninjutsu will be
haunted by the possibility that "kuden" would clarify what we
think we know. The corollary here, is that the true contours and
boundaries of the art will never be known to us; we have just a
few drops of water from the ocean of shinobi knowledge.

But we don't fret over this, but rather enthusiastically, we begin

delving into the records left behind. Then, we are faced with yet
another obstacle to defining ninjutsu - language barriers.

As with the English language, many modifications have been

made to the Japanese language throughout the centuries.
Consequently, without a modern expert in the tongue used by the
authors of historical ninjutsu records, we will inevitably be
found grasping in the dark for the essence of the art (and even
with a linguist, we will not have the whole truth).

Summarily: We have a dilute vestige of ninjutsu to hold onto.

This is my justification for experimenting with the concepts of
the art, and hence, creating something new from its ashes. We
must apply the principles of ninjutsu to the modern world if we
are to keep its touted heart alive - a heart made "to endure".

110
Knowing the Territory: Points on Applying Ninjutsu to
Emergency Planning and Basic Scouting

Scouting is an underappreciated facet of ninjutsu.

Know that the modern "ninjutsu" dojos that emphasize

rumination of martial arts techniques as opposed to the rudiment
functions of a shinobi scout are missing the mark of authenticity
in conveying to their students the most pragmatic of ancient
shinobi ways which could serve them well in times of crisis
and/or emergency. No doubt, the historical records of ninjutsu
imbue the reader with the understanding that observation (that
capacity to perceive, apprehend, and record information), was
considered of fundamental importance to the art. So, if you are
not learning how to observe a target or conduct basic
surveillance of a locality, let alone survey an entire territory (and
for what purposes), then you are missing a vital step along your
path.

111
In this post, I want to emphasize the value of ninjutsu as it is
applied to planning for emergencies. But before I get to this
content, we must reflect on the history of ninjutsu as it was used
during the feudal period so as to evoke those principles of
scouting that are still applicable to the contemporary period.

Here are some questions to get us started:

 Why did shinobi scout a territory (i.e. what was the

function and context of this activity)?
 How did shinobi scout a territory (i.e. what equipment
and methodologies were employed)?
 Are the principles of ninjutsu scouting/surveillance still
applicable today?

It is well-known that shinobi were typically employed as spies.

Scroll after scroll, one can find historical references that declare
the function of a ninja was to 'know an enemy', fulfilling the
opposing diametric of Sun Tzu's admonition to commander's that
they know the capabilities of their own armies. According to the
Art of War, by knowing yourself, and knowing your enemy,
victory in conflict may be certain, and so it is no wonder that
shinobi were known to provide an essential intelligence service
to any army of the time.

Shinobi scouted out territories to produce intelligence that could

better inform their lords should a crisis of military nature spring
into existence. They assessed infrastructure, roads, ports, and
watercourses as well as the behavioral dispositions and
appearances of the people in the region of interest. The
categories of regional detail that these agents found relevant to
their occupation were numerous, and comprehensive enough to
allow for successful Yo-nin infiltration of the community at hand
should a directive to do so be issued from their commander.

As alluring as it is to think of the shinobi as a lone "master" of

will and force, we must understand at this point that his services
were part of a well-organized feudal military machine. His
112
integration with this machine meant that his skills would only be
employed should an order be precipitated down from higher
authority. Contrary to the notion of shinobi autonomy, it has
been established from such ninjutsu texts as the Bansenshukai
that an agent's loyalty to higher authority was considered a
critical determinant of a mission's success.

In sum, the 'why' of shinobi scouting revolved around military

success, and thus, survival of the state or domain of his lord.
Insomuch that modern students of ninjutsu do not have "lords",
the corollary arises that the truest application of ninjutsu's
surveillance/scouting functions is a thing of the past. But dont
worry, the skills of scouting are still relevant, and were likely
used by the shinobi despite the decline of their military status
during the Edo period.

This brings us to the next question, 'how' did shinobi scout?

As you may be aware, their is a wealth of variations in

methodologies a shinobi would use, depending on the situation
of course. A few of these are covered in the Hoi no Maki
(Volume of Principles) of Chikamatsu Shigenori, which advises
agents to travel widely, and visit as many towns and territories as
possible to gain valuable acquaintances or informants as well as
knowledge of the areas customs, manners of dress, the
dispositions of the military, and more.

This information came by way of the human senses and

interaction with the public. Recording the information was done
by relegating it to long-term memory, or by taking detailed notes
through the use of a sekihetsu (stone pencil). More clever means
of recording information in view of onlookers were developed as
well, for instance, shinobi would count items or people of
interest by dropping beans to the ground. After finishing his
count, he would simply subtract the number of beans left in his
pockets from the number he started with to arrive at the value of
interest. He could count large numbers of troops with this
method without attracting much attention at all.
113
Applying Ninjutsu Scouting to Emergency Preparedness

Though we do not have feudal lords to serve, we can enhance our

security and response posture to exigent crises by applying the
intelligence gathering functions of ninjutsu to the modern world.
Instead of gathering intelligence on enemy capabilities, we can
gather intelligence on the surrounding and outlying areas to
inform our emergency response plans. Upon assessing what
crises or calamities are more likely to manifest in your nation or
state, you may begin to apply ninjutsu to your emergency
preparedness plan by doing the following:

 Study maps of your local area. Pay particular attention to

roads, waterways, population centers, distances between
towns, the size of each town, city, and county.
 Save detailed images of maps to your phone and retain
physical copies of maps of the nation, states, and towns.
 Calculate the time it would take to traverse distances
between points of interest (i.e. two cities, your locale to
nearest water-source, etc.) on foot and by vehicle.
 Travel the highways. You can assist your surveillance
efforts by purchasing an on-board camera for your
vehicle to log your trips and record important details.
 Memorize county codes for easy plate locality
identification so you can hone in on what strangers to
contact should you need information on their area of
origin.
 Travel to the nearest towns and cities in your area. Visit
them from time to time, and as you become familiar with
these places, gradually extend your circumspection to
more distant locales.
 While visiting other locales, be particularly observant of
infrastructure (bridges, train-tracks, waterways,
buildings), emergency services (hospitals, police stations,
fire stations, FEMA posts, etc.), the industries of the area
(types of employment), and recreational areas that may
provide suitable ground for camps. Mix with the locals at
common gathering places such as restaurants, general
114
 stores, and even churches to gain information of interest
on the surrounding area.
 If planning for emergency evacuations, take note of
which localities may be suitable for caching supplies in
advance, and/or allow for rest checkpoints along the way
to your final destination. I prefer recreational parks for
this purpose, as caches can be readily hidden in forested
or foliated terrain.
 Learn how to construct supply caches that can endure the
elements. Include within these caches life sustaining
equipment such as firestarters, ammunition, medical
supplies, food, water, cordage, and the like.
 Establish a network of shadow preppers. If you have
connected with a "shadow" in a distant town, arrange a
dead-drop site for clandestine emergency
communications with this person.

Fundamentals of Intelligence Gathering

Because shinobi were first and foremost spies we should

therefore expect anyone who is attempting to recreate, discuss, or
practice ninjutsu in accordance with what is verifiably true, to
exhibit knowledge of 'the art of intelligence' as it is called today.

The art of intelligence has ancient roots. Veritably the most

essential element to any successful military campaign, espionage
115
and its fruits have has been embraced by multitudes of cultures
and is still essential to military affairs today. It may be surmised
that even prior to the teachings of Sun Tzu, spying on the affairs
of others was practiced in the preservation of power or in
facilitating an attempt to wrest power away from perceived
enemies. You can imagine the activities of these proto-spies,
skulking around to eavesdrop on conversations that might
produce vital information.

Unfortunately, imagination is all we have to animate a great

many spies who will never be known to human history…for
they dealt in the trade of secrets. Likewise with the shinobi, it
will never be known just how many of them existed, or how it is
exactly that they lived.

What is known is that in the distant past they developed their

methods of gathering intelligence under the constraints of their
human senses and relatively inferior technology. Unlike the spies
of the 21st century, shinobi did not have cameras or satellites,
and so again their modes of intelligence work were confined to
creativity and the human sensorium.

A shinobi, needed to have good senses and a robust memory, for

it was through these characteristics that information would be
recorded and transmitted to the interested party. Fortunately, the
human senses can be trained, and I imagine shinobi had their
own methods of sharpening them, but as tempting as the
digression into this avenue of inquiry is, let us stick to the
essentials of spying. All that we need to know now is that
espionage in the past required acute senses and a good memory
for the acquisition of select information.

Now, just what kind of information did the shinobi gather? Well,
anything about the target's dispositions could have proved to be
valuable. The Yokan Denkai places emphasis on retrieving
details of the political situation circumscribing the enemy and
their system of justice having to do with rewards and
punishments, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of
116
everything, including their fortifications, military command,
military behavior and customs, and how many troops are
stationed in a given area. There is a wide assortment of other
information that ninjutsu manuals advise a shinobi to target, too
many to list at this time.

Let me stop here and point out another component to good

intelligence gathering: Implicit to the practice of gaining
information on the enemy is secrecy (obviously).

If a spy is not familiar with deceiving the enemy as to his

presence, then he will not live long once he has been found out.
This is where human creativity kicks in. The sundry details of
ninjutsu dealing with Yonin disguises and In-nin infiltration
techniques, as well as listening devices, lockpicking techniques,
creeping around on rooftops, and moving beneath the still waters
of a moat revolve around this fundamental intelligence principle,
to be secret and to deceive.

In understanding this, we can see now that ninjutsu itself has at

its core the principle of secrecy in gathering intelligence, and it is
around this principle that ninjutsu seems to have developed.

The same principles intrinsic to ninjutsu are found within the

details of modern intelligence modalities, and due to the timeless
nature of these principles, we can still apply them to our lives
today with a bit of creativity.

Why should we incorporate the art of intelligence into our own

system of self-protection or preparedness skillset? Because
according to Sun Tzu, we may be sure to defeat our enemy only
with the fulfillment of two conditions: knowing ourselves and
knowing the enemy. Introspection and self-assessment in relation
to the abilities of others can help us fulfill the first condition. The
second condition can only be fulfilled if we understand and apply
the art of intelligence.

117
One caveat here. Do not fall into the tendency to see your enemy
through your eyes alone. It is just as important to your strategy
that you see yourself from the enemy’s point of view- through
the enemy’s eyes, for he may be studying you without your
knowledge. In this respect, one can see how every bit of
information you publicly divulge about yourself can be used
against you if your enemy has the know-how. Social engineers
offer prime examples of this and if you do not know what a
social engineer is, I advise you look up the term.

Anyway, applying the principles of ninjutsu to a modern context

requires creativity and common sense of the times. It would not
be wise, for instance to emulate the dress of a shinobi in Yo-nin
get-up while trying to gain entrance to some place of
informational interest. As entertaining as this sight would be, it
offers no value to your self-protection.

Now that we have covered the theoretical, I will now give you
the practical content. These are not authentic ninjutsu exercises.
They are exercises that you can use to develop your senses.

Sensory Training: Attire Identifiers

This exercise is all about developing short-term memory as it is

applied to retaining a picture of what a person is wearing. Find a
place to people watch. Enter the area and begin observing the
people around you. Be sure not to make it obvious that you are
watching them. You can opt to wear sunglasses or a rimmed hat
to conceal the fixation of your eyes if you wish. When you are
ready, select a random person and briefly scan over their manner
of dress. After a few seconds, look away and try to hold the
image in your mind as long as possible. You will notice that the
image becomes more and more distorted in your minds eye as
time goes by. With practice, you will accustom your mind to
holding the image for longer periods until you are ultimately
capable of scanning a person and remembering hours later
exactly what they are wearing. How detailed can you get? Is the
person wearing a watch, or necklace? How is the hair styled?
118
What is the person doing? You can increase the difficulty of this
exercise by entering an area, selecting three or more people,
briefly scanning them over, and then leaving. Afterwards write
down everything you remember.

Sensory Training: Candle Meditation

Get a candle and place it a few feet from where you intend to sit.
Light the candle, dim the lights, and assume a comfortable
meditation posture of your choice. Focus your concentration on
the flame. Notice its size, colors, and movements. Relax your
breathing. At varying intervals, take a mental snapshot of the
candle and hold it in your mind’s eye as long as possible before
returning to the stare. Continue as long as you like.

An Introduction to In-nin

Though In-nin (pronounced ee-neen) skills are considered by

Fujibayashi to be of lesser significance than Yo-nin (Open
Disguise) skills of infiltration, the former is what has made the
ninja of old so attractive to a popular audience.

A shinobi engaged in 'In-jutsu' is what we think of when he is

scaling a castle wall in the middle of the night, or hiding among
the trees to survey the target prior to infiltrating. It is with In-
jutsu that we get the dark garb, shinobi mask, breaking and
entering tools, and the secretive movement methods of the ninja,
whereas Yo-jutsu consists of deceiving the enemy by operating
right under their noses through clever use of disguise, speech,
and behavior.

Fujibayashi admonishes us to remember that In-jutsu is not very

useful without Yo-jutsu, and thus, both arts should be studied to
the extent that one can shift between the two with ease while
operating.

Defining In-jutsu

119
To infiltrate by In-jutsu means to use techniques of hiding, or
stealing oneself into, a target of interest by means of camouflage,
tools, and hiding techniques (Ongyo-no-jutsu). The
Bansenshukai gives us examples of In-nin through the successes
of 'Dojun', who infiltrated Sawayama castle by first disguising
himself as a 'lumberjack', a Yo-nin skill. After getting within his
target of interest with Yo-nin, Dojun is said to have switched to
employing In-jutsu by concealing himself underneath the floor.

Another example of In-nin infiltration methods afforded to us by

the Bansenshukai, is the story of Suyama and Komiyama who,
under the cover of a heavy rainstorm, used grappling hooks to
covertly penetrate the defenses of Kasagi temple in 1331.

Known as the 'Siege of Kasagi' of the Genko War (1331-1333),

Suyama Yoshitaka and Komiyama Jirō lead Hojo forces against
those of Emperor Go-daigo who was stationed within the
fortified temple atop Kasagi mountain (Kasagiyama). The siege
was successful only after Suyama and Komiyama quietly scaled
the rocks of Kasagiyama with grappling hooks, at night, and
under the additional cover of a rainstorm. After scaling the
mountain, they were stopped and questioned by the enemy.
Suyama and Komiyama are said to have fooled the troops by
pretending to be of Go-daigo's own men, answering that they
were assigned to a night patrol to catch shinobi, who may have
taken advantage of the weather to infiltrate the fortress (a Yo-nin
tactic). The troops apparently bought the deception and let them
go. As the pair of agents advanced towards their target, they
would come across more troops. Each time they did, they would
advise them to be on guard against shinobi infiltrators. Once they
had reached within the temple fortress and located the emperor,
they then set the temple ablaze. Shinobi arson at its finest.

Though Emperor Go-daigo managed to escape the clutches of the

Hojo, the siege of Kasagi was made possible by the skills of In-
jutsu.

120
The Legal Ramifications of Attaining Skill in Ninjutsu

If you are familiar with my perspective on ninjutsu, you know

that "ninjutsu" dojos can teach only a diluted form of the dark
art. The reason is rather simple. Among the sundry skills of a
shinobi are activities that certainly would be considered highly
illegal (i.e. arson, how to decapitate someone, how to carry the
head, breaking and entering, manufacturing explosives,
assassination, etc.).

For a business dojo then, to operate in compliance with the law,

certain shinobi skillsets must be omitted from the publicly
available curriculum. Dojo owners can't have their students
wandering around the country surveying public officials, they
can't show their students how to break into a residence,
compound, or castle, and they most certainly can't exhibit to their
students proven methods of conducting psychological operations
against a state or how to burn an entire village to the ground.
These obscurities of ninjutsu cannot, will not, be disseminated
via any contemporary training method of a dojo that operates
within the confines of the law. Period.

But on the contrary, I am sure some of you might be thinking

that learning the darker aspects of ninjutsu while maintaining a
law-abiding dojo is achievable, if only the training is modified to
respect the laws. If this is your line of thought, then prepare
yourself for a reality check.

Realism Makes Good Training

Practicing skills, under realistic conditions, is about the only way

to ensure that what you learn is transferable to a real-world
scenario. Any lesser substitute will only prepare your confidence,
which is bound to be shattered once you come face to face with
an enemy that reacts, responds, and attacks in a manner nothing
like what you have experienced in your dojo.

121
This principle is applicable to training in anything. If you want
real skill with using a fire-extinguisher, you are going to have to
taste the smoke and feel the lick of flames as you spray the fire
down. If you want to get good at riding a bike, the training
wheels have to come off. If you want to learn to parachute, at
some point you are going to have to jump out of the plane.

Learning ninjutsu then, requires a similar degree of reality that

cannot be found in a dojo.

But what if?

What if you had a means of training in all the sub-disciplines of

ninjutsu? What would be illegal, and what might you be able to
pass off as a legitimately law-abiding activity?

Legal Ramifications of Training in Ninjutsu: A Few Examples

To begin we must first delineate which aspects of ninjutsu we

want to assess for their functional import to modern society.
Because we do not dwell in feudal Japan, some specific
traditions of ninjutsu adjuncts must be discarded as they have no
modern parallel (speaking regional Japanese dialects for
instance).

Using ninjutsu realistically means to apply it to our temporal

context. Realistically, you will not find yourself in a situation
requiring that you speak a dozen different Japanese dialects, but
you may have to pick a lock or fake an illness. Peruse your texts,
watch some videos, and talk to your teacher. Ask yourself what
ninjutsu skills you would really like to learn and compile a list.
After you have done that, you may begin assessing what you can
legally learn, and what would be illegal to learn, and how you
can learn it.

Today I will focus on a few of my favorite ninjutsu sub-

disciplines: lockpicking, taijutsu (body movement/ techniques),

122
shadow surveillance (following a target), and ka-jutsu (art of
making fires and incendiaries).

Lockpicking: This skill can be learned legally. You must

purchase or manufacture the required equipment (i.e. picks, bolt-
cutters, tensioners, locks, etc.) and have a place to position the
locks to simulate a real-world situation that requires you to
bypass the lock. If you have a willing friend, you can opt to take
turns infiltrating a room that has a door fitted with a lock. The
legal line blurs once you begin picking locks that do not belong
to you. I started practicing lock-picking with a pair of Smith and
Wesson handcuffs and a variety of cheap padlocks.
Locksmithing in general is a vast discipline that will require
much research and effort on your part to gain any appreciable
skill.

Taijutsu: Taijutsu can essentially mean any technique of the

body executed with agility and finesse be it for defense, offense,
or general movement. I like to run up walls and get onto
buildings. For the most part taijutsu is legal and is going to
comprise the bulk of what is encountered in modern ninjutsu
dojos. To train taijutsu, attend a dojo or identify the specific
techniques you want to learn. I have taught myself back-flips and
wall-runs (the former is not functional but looks cool) by using
trees. If you want to learn how to break someone's neck, you will
be pushing legal boundaries and safety unless you attend a dojo.

Shadow Surveillance: Following around people you don't know

on foot is called stalking and, if caught, can bring on legal
consequences. Unfortunately, this is the only way to get good at
foot surveillance unless you have a friend who has agreed to
allow you to pursue him/her from time to time without their
knowledge.

Ka-jutsu: for the most part this art is illegal to learn. In the US,
the BATFE (Bureau of Alcohol Tabacco Firearms and
Explosives) enforces laws against manufacturing your own
explosives, fireworks, incendiaries, etc. without a proper licence.
123
Deploying any of the above is highly illegal, therefore realistic
training is not possible (why do you want to burn down a
village?). However, ninjutsu manuals are replete with recipes for
legitimate shinobi fire-devices and you may be able to find a few
you can construct legally, though, once again, tactical use of
them is likely illegal.

I hope this gets you thinking about why so much is omitted from
modern "ninjutsu" dojos.

Hideyoshi’s Sword Ban and How the Koka SHinobi

Responded

In 1588 the powerful Toyotomi Hideyoshi set upon Japanese

society the "sword hunt" edict, which mandated the
requisitioning of swords and armor from the common people.
Hideyoshi, using religious allusions to impel them to do their
part in bringing a long peace to Japan, announced that the metal
from the confiscated swords would be contributed to the creation
of a monolithic statue of Buddha, thus implying the commoner
could absolve a bit of negative karma by following the order.
This campaign to disarm the population proved successful, and
from then on a clear distinction between nobility and the
peasantry was evinced. Samurai could carry the sword, while
farmers and the lowly could not.

It was a time of great transition. The blood feuds of the Sengoku

Jidaii were fading into history, foreigners were being expelled
from the country in preservation of culture, and the ways of the
shinobi were in senescent decline (like Fall leaves
descending into the dim obscurity of a forgotten season).

With the artificial peace of the Edo period well under way,
Kiumura Okunosuke Yasutaka, sensei of the Koka Ryu
traditions, imparted his predictions of the fate of his ninjutsu to
Chikamatsu Shigenori. The conversation entailing these
predictions was recorded in the Koka Shinobi no Den Miraiki
(1719 AD).
124
In this document, Kimura portends that the younger
generations lineally tied to the Koka would be lulled, by the
peace of Edo, into the comforts of an easier life, hence those
cultivating skill in ninjutsu would continue to decline in number.
Peace was making people soft and complacent while the utility
of ninjutsu was being forgotten in the absence of war.

Kimura doesn't stop there however. He references the vetting

process involved in imparting the most secret traditions of Koka
ninjutsu to the aspiring student, stating how those running the
schools in his time possessed only a partial knowledge of deep
ninjutsu. He explains how ninjutsu is 'indispensable' to the efforts
of warfare, and thereby implies the sanctity of the art and why it
must be preserved.

This sensei of the Koka ninja and Chikamatsu

Shigenori responded to the peace of Edo by preserving the
myriad secrets of the shinobi for future generations. Peace does
not last forever, and for this reason those dark implements of war
are best left in the attic than relegated to the burn pile.

Modern Reflections on Ninjutsu

What I have observed in modern 'ninjutsu' dojos typically

constitutes a colorful reanimation of Japanese history (albeit
quite dilute in many instances). This claim is not informed by an
academic acumen steeped in the real history of Japan, but more a
reason which perceives all history and historical imitations as
dubious on some level.

There were no photographs, videos, audio recordings back then

which could provide we of the modern world an exact
representation of what life was like during the period of the
ninja. We may recover their tools, clothing, and other artifacts,
but are invariably left with scant instruction on how they may
have been used (how could they possibly record every stratagem,
125
tool, and its respective use?). We may read their texts, but no
translation of an Eastern text can ever reflect the exact
consciousness of the writer and language is a limited conduit to
reality. We may yield to experts on history and glean some
insight as to the nature of ninjutsu, but they did not 'live' during
those times and are therefore ensnared in the same game of
inferring history rather than deducing history.

Can we have correct knowledge on ninjutsu? Yes, to some

degree. We can make reasonable assertions, informed by texts
and other historical references, that a ninja was, did, such and
such. But we must remain skeptical. This said, I will divulge to
you that respecting ninjutsu, I am a pragmatist. I do not wish to
adopt anything from 'correct knowledge' of ninjutsu that I cannot
apply to my world. I live in the 21st century, with internet, thugs
that tote hand-cannons and rapine about with combustion-
engines, and an exceedingly different legal framework which
dictates what I can or cannot do in effecting violence against an
assailant. I cannot hack people down with a sword, run a
clandestine intelligence network (though that would be
interesting), or carry IED's on my person to be used in the
service of my province. I am not Japanese, nor do I live in Japan.
What then, if anything can I derive from ninjutsu that is useful?

Answer: Principles

Principles give rise to specifics. From principles, real techniques

may be devised for specific circumstances, regardless of time
and locality. Principles offer the user flexibility to create his/her
own responses to the basic and surreal threats of human
existence that the shinobi was bound to encounter (i.e. death at
the hands of another, flagrant war, covert operations to deceive
the public as well as the enemy, etc.). For example, with the
knowledge that shinobi were adept at exploiting structural and
human flaws in order to bypass security, we may advance our
own security awareness of contemporary flaws of the human
sentinel and physical security. Take for instance RFID card
readers. There are now devices that are capable of 'cloning' an
126
employee ID badge in order to trick the RFID reader, permitting
unauthorized access to secure areas. A shinobi living today
would not hesitate to learn of things such as this, for it was his
job to know how to infiltrate.

Now, I do not claim to practice or teach real ninjutsu (in my text,

in person, nor on my website). I claim a right to be informed by
the nature of ninjutsu, insomuch that its principles are made
evident. Here are a few things I am relatively certain about when
it comes to ninjutsu:

1. Ninjutsu was cerebral. It was not so much about how well

you wielded a weapon, but rather, it was more about how
well you could think on your feet.
2. Referencing the Bansenshukai, the essence of ninjutsu
may be found in ‘Seishin’, or the correctness of mind
advised by Fujibayashi himself to be the only thing that
distinguishes a ninja from a criminal.
3. The above noted correctness of mind evinces the
existence within the shinobi of an indomitable will. The
will to persevere through ghastly trials, while adhering to
this correctness of mind, is an attribute of the shinobi to
be considered worthy of admiration.

In my life I do not wear a gi and move about in a dojo as if I am

a retainer of some 15th century knowledge. I recognize my
disparate relation to the historical past and therefore only
emulate, adopt, and use those precepts and principles of ninjutsu
that are still applicable to this world. Does this make me a ninja?
That depends on who you ask.

What if Fujibayashi, Shigenori, or Natori Masazumi were alive

today? How might they judge the character of an individual and
deem it reflective of a shinobi? Perhaps this is the question of
significance.

Undoubtedly the shinobi would do the following:

127
Hierarchy: Learn who holds power over what. He would likely
scrutinize big business, the national government, and civil
administration down to the local level. Why? Because a shinobi
allied himself with the lord (or power magnate) who may have
best served his ideals, community, and family as opposed to
those that would pollute and denigrate all. Mind you
Confucianism was big during the medieval period in China as
well as Japan. Collectivist mindsets, such as what "benefits the
masses" drove the shinobi in his affairs. He was loyal to those
who promised order in the land, and he may even be thought of
as one who cherished justice.

Martial Skills: Familiarize himself with modern combat,

weaponry, and tactics. He would likely immerse himself in the
new "teppo" characterized by machine guns, and long distance
snipers. The shinobi may even delve into the art of intelligence
as accorded by three letter agencies like the CIA, FBI, and NSA.
But even those acting as basic information agents (also shinobi)
would not hesitate to familiarize themselves with the internet and
other document repositories that might yield valuable secrets.
The battles during the Sengoku period were often fought with
warriors bearing the significant weight of their armor, thus
certain hand-to-hand techniques were necessarily conformed to
this context. The shinobi in the 21st century would likely develop
or practice a hand-to-hand system centered on modern attire and
realities (i.e. he may study MMA, PPCT 'Pressure Point Control
Tactics', or some other system of physical defense).

Law: Retain an understanding of codes and statutes. The shinobi

are recorded to have participated in the apprehension of criminals
(see the Bansenshukai). He acted as a bounty hunter and de facto
law enforcement officer who was familiar with tactics for dealing
with criminals holed up in a structure and even various methods
for restraining (binding) the wanted (see the Bansenshukai). A
shinobi, then, may have had at least a rudimentary understanding
of the law.

128
Cultural Surveillance: Observe and emulate the culture.
Reference after reference we can read how the shinobi was
advised to study the province he would be operating in. Not only
would he be compelled to learn the local dialect and
colloquialisms, but his manners, subjects of conversation, and
attire would match (or differ depending on the circumstances)
those dwelling in the area. He knew how to remain anonymous
by blending in.

Territorial Surveillance: Know the advantages and disadvantages

afforded to operations by a given territory. A shinobi functioned
in wartime (and peacetime) as a scout. He would typically know
the ins and outs of any area he was operating in (see Shinobi
Michi Fumiyo no Koto).

General Surveillance: Learn conventional tailing, and video

surveillance methods. Some of the most intriguing motifs
respecting the ninja include black clad figures who silently stalk
their targets. The historical references are clear, a shinobi of the
past knew how to tail someone on foot without arousing
suspicion, be the setting in broad daylight or at night. A shinobi
in the 21st century then, would feel compelled to learn how to
use a vehicle for tailing his targets and video assisted
surveillance for record keeping.

There is so much more but my fingers are getting tired.

I may add to this in the future, especially if some of you found it

worthwhile.

All said, I will leave you with this. There is one particular
principle of ninjutsu that is most important for the shinobi of the
past as well as those dwelling in the 21st century:

Never give up. Persevere through the fire. No matter what your
trials in life are, teach yourself to hold on and be patient through
the storm.

129
The Kaginawa

Shinobi of antiquity were instructed to carry six items considered

essential inventory for any mission. One of these items was the
Kaginawa.

The kaginawa was basically a ship anchor that, according to the

Shinobi-Hiden, would be used to dredge things up from water,
board ships, pull fences down, and climb enemy fortifications.
Within the Shoninki there
is also a terse list of uses
for the kaginawa,
including the locking of
doors and binding a
person. Owing to its
sharp points, the
kaginawa can also serve
as a weapon..

Testsubishi

Tetsubishi are nasty little tools that a shinobi-no-mono would use

to puncture the feet of his pursuers. In those days (Sengoku
period), these testubushi were made from bamboo or iron and
carried on person as an aid to infiltration missions and
emergency egress situations. It is documented within the
Bansenshukai that, before stealing into a building, tetsubishi
would be dropped around the entrances for assurance if
something were to go wrong and the shinobi found himself being
given chase by barefooted or sandaled warriors, these little traps
would surely hamper his pursuers.

130
In the west, we refer to
these miniature weapons
as “caltrops” from the
latin ‘calcitrapa’ which
literally translates as
‘foot-trap’, and armies
since time memorial have
utilized them with the
same principle of shinobi-no-jutsu in mind – attack the means to
pursue. Alexander the Great employed them, and even the Office
of Strategic Services (OSS), the forerunner to the CIA, is said to
have used them:

“During World War II, caltrops were used extensively for

Jedburgh team operations. The Jedburgh teams were created in
the early days of the Office of Strategic Services—the
predecessor of today’s CIA. The teams of American, British and
French officers would parachute into enemy-occupied territory to
conduct sabotage. The Jedburghs scattered caltrops across enemy
aircraft runways. These caltrops were made out of hollow spikes,
which could puncture a self-sealing tire and cause it to blow out.
When a fighter plane rolled over a caltrop during take off or
landing, the tires would blow out, causing the plane to go into an
uncontrollable ground loop and eventually crash.”1
https://www.cia.gov/news-information/featured-story-archive/cia-museum-the-caltrop.html

Tetsubishi have since then been used in a litany of geographical

regions for defense purposes, and now an example will be given
of how you can use this principle in creating implements of
home-defense.

Say you have an acreage; or you are a preparedness advocate; or

you simply like medieval style weapons; whatever the case may
be, tetsubishi like devices will probably be able to aid you in
deterring home invaders, trespassers, and hordes of zombies (ok,
maybe not that last one, but you get the idea).

131
For example, spike-boards can be deployed beneath windows,
outside or inside entrances, or along roads and even foot-paths.
All that is really required are some nails or screws and wood. As
shown below, you can even go so far as to have the boards
painted and camouflaged by natural foliage. Specific uses are
determined by the user’s circumstances.

Appendix B: A Commoner’s
Opinion and Dialogue

Values

Q: Why Should I concern myself with developing a means of

defense?

A: So that you might better protect yourself and your loved ones,
as well as your country.
132
Q: But say I am without family, or have been expatriated from
my nation, what then is the reason for a means of defense?

A: To protect yourself is what remains.

Q: So, as inferred from what you say, the cause to self-defense is

the defense of values, yes? To defend my family is more or less
to say I value my family. To defend my country is to more or less
say I value my country, likewise with my own life.

A: To defend or protect a thing is to simultaneously assert value

of the thing. So if you value your life, you might consider
learning how best to protect it.

Q: I do value my own life and so I shall protect it. I value my

family as well, so I shall also protect them. But what am I to do if
I must choose between protecting my family and protecting
myself?

A: To obviate such a decision, one should first strive to acquire a

means to defense that prevents such circumstances from arising.
If such circumstances could not have been prevented then you
must know whether you value your own life more than the lives
of your family. If you value more the lives of your loved ones,
then sacrifice yourself if it is certain doing so will spare them. If
you value your own life more, then sacrifice your family if you
can live with shame.

Q: I cherish my family more than my own life. So I will sacrifice

myself in defense of them. But what if I am to choose between
defending my family and my nation? What then?

A: First one must assess what is of greater value. You love your
family. This means you do not wish any harm on them. But you
must realize that to neglect the defense of your nation whilst it is
embattled without and within is to permit a great possibility of
harm to your family which might arise from such chaos. You
depend on your nation for many things with which the support of
133
your family, with love and devotion, is instituted. And so, it is
wiser to bring peace to the nation with your life than it is to
withdraw support from it so that you may personally protect your
family. Know that great enemies will come to exist in the stead
of your nation should you let it fall – and this means greater
threats to the prosperity of your family.

Q: So it is wiser to defend my family than it is to defend myself,

and wiser still to defend my nation than it is to defend my
family?

A: If it accords well with your values.

Fear

Q: I value peace within the nation, for this peace is a benefactor

to my family and myself. But what if I am embattled within?
How do I keep my inner weather in order?

A: You must recognize the nature of your inner conflict.

Q: I have much fear. I fear outer conflict. I fear the death of my

family. I fear my own death. What is the nature of this fear?

A: We fear as an impetus to protect life or values. Fear is

functional, to a degree. It prompts us to avoid that which is
perceived as a threat to our well-being. But understand that fear
can become pathological, manifesting as irrational phobias which
are without a functional basis. It is natural to fear the death of
what you love, just as it is natural to fear your own death.
However, it is not natural to be preoccupied with notions of
death, though death itself is a most natural component/t to this
existence. If you wish to bring cessation to this fear of death, you
must examine why death frightens you. By understanding death,
you will understand your fear.

Q: I fear death for it is perceived as the final end to existence. It

is a passing away into non-existence…annihilation.
134
A: This may be so. But regardless of the reason for your fear, it
may ease your suffering to realize that life is occurring whilst we
ponder this notion of death. While we occupy our minds with the
fear of death our tangible existence is slipping away with the
sands of time. Death is not yet. But we make it seem so near as
we reflect on our own impermanence. Reflection on the nature of
death is good. But I advise you to contemplate it down to its
essence and then let the fear go, bringing your attention to the
present of your life. You also say you fear the death of your
loved ones, but this fear will not serve to keep death away
indefinitely. It is the nature of this universe that things are seeded
with impermanence. Death will come. This is inevitable. But the
while you spend worrying about the death of your family is
squandering those precious moments that could be spent in focus
on the joy of existence – for it is now, and death, not yet.

Enemies

Q: I thank you for your insight. Now I have a question

concerning how best to fight my enemies. What is the greatest
means to self-defense?

A: If you desire to know the superior way of self-defense, you

must first learn to identify the greatest enemy. By studying the
characteristics of the greatest enemy, you may learn how best to
defeat it. In learning how to defeat this great enemy, you will
have attained the superior method of self-defense.

Q: I see, there is wisdom even in these words venerable sage.

Indeed who could contend with me once I have defeated the
greatest enemy in the land? I will find this enemy and study his
ways. Where do I begin my search?

A: You will do well to look within.

Q: I don’t understand. Point the way venerable sage so that I

might hunt this enemy down and learn to defeat him and arise to
greatness!
135
A: The greatest enemy is your own mind. Within the mind all
enemies are created.

Q: Nonsense. I have true enemies that created themselves. They

have brutalized my family. Some have stolen away my property,
and the least have sought to disrepute my name. How can you
insist that these enemies were my own creation?

A: Without the mind, how can you denote an enemy? Without

the mind, what enemy can be observed? Without the mind, there
is no enemy. To understand this is to understand that all things
are without value. It is the mind that incites value. It is the mind
that classifies, separates, and disparages. The mind is the source
of all hatred, resentment, and enmity. Fujibayashi Yasutake
admonishes that you have “an enemy and an ally nowhere else
but in your own mind.” 2 Therefore I say it is most wise, in the
cultivation of a superior defense, to study your own mind. When
you master mind, there is no enemy that can rise against you.
Natori Masazumi has written something to this effect, stating that
by understanding the nature of mind you can come to subdue
those who threaten your existence without weapons or armor.3 If
you study your own mind, you can apprehend the motivations of
your perceived enemies and manipulate the situation
accordingly. What more evidence of this truth is necessary?

Q: I stand corrected. I shall study my own mind so that I might

understand myself and my enemies.

The Shinobi Kuji-Goshin Ho and Anomalous Cognition

I used to devote much of my spare time to the writings of

Stephen K. Hayes, a legend in the martial arts community who
once served as the physical security detail for his holiness The
Dalai Lama.

136
I remember being particularly fixated on those sections of his
books concerning the spiritual arts of the shinobi, such as
the kuji-goshin ho, which was purported to, if executed by one
with the proper understanding, afford the user ‘supernatural
powers’ such as invisibility and psychic precognition – the kind
of stuff that makes a skeptic roll the eyes.

What it was about this subject that captivated me so much was its
curiousness and relation to existential questions of life and death.
Are psychic phenomena real? If so, what implications are
therefore extant respecting the existence of an after-life? Could
shinobi really apprehend a premonition of danger after devoting
themselves to such practices as Kuji-in/ Kuji Kiri? Were any of
them really ‘psychic’?

In a world which holds to a materialistic paradigm, ‘No’ is the

default answer to such questions.

The idea that shinobi had any supernatural powers at all is

considered superstitious by the Historical Ninjutsu Research
Team headed by A. Cummins. And this is not without basis, for
authentic ninjutsu manuals DO call for such things of a
superstitious material such as carrying around the liver of a black
dog to avoid detection by one’s enemies.

We live in an era well-defined by science, and any phenomena

contrary to this paradigm is unworthy of our attention.

Yet, there is a caveat to this impulsive assertion. A phenomenon,

no matter how absurd, is legitimized by its subjection to and
survival through the rigors of science.

And science HAS confirmed the existence of anomalous

cognitive capacities.

‘Anomalous Cognition’ (aka psychic functioning) has been

statistically demonstrated under scientific conditions. Not only
that, but the evidence that is the basis of this conclusion was
137
scrutinized by the now President of the American Statistical
Association Prof. Jessica Utts. She confirms in the paper titled
“Assessment of the Evidence for Psychic Functioning”, that
psychic capacities are not only real, but that they must be studied
for their effects instead of continuing the discussion of whether
or not they exist:

“I believe that it would be wasteful of valuable resources to

continue to look for proof. No one who has examined all of the
data across laboratories, taken as a collective whole, has been
able to suggest methodological or statistical problems to explain
the ever-increasing and consistent results to date. Resources
should be directed to the pertinent questions about how this
ability works.” – Prof. Utts

With the notion that psychic capacities are

real, we can now peer deeper into what has
been written of the Togakure Ryu ninja’s
spiritual practices which were thought to
facilitate, among other

things, the development of extra-sensory

perception (ESP).

The preceptors of the questionable Togakure Ryu traditions,

such as Hatsumi and Hayes, allege that the functional
fundamentals of the Kuji-goshin Ho are related to the notion that
the human body includes a subtle energy system consisting of
various meridians and reservoirs, which one can learn to
intentionally modulate for specific purposes. Hayes states in his
writings that the mudras (hand seals) of the Kuji-Goshin Ho
work in tandem with an undisclosed cognitive exercise to
manipulate the energy meridians of the body. He claims that the
human energy meridians have “sensitive ends and turnaround
points” in the hands and feet, hence the reason mudras are a part
of the ritual.

138
The source Hayes explicitly cites for this particular philosophy is
the ‘Doctrine of Mikkyo’, a secret doctrine which effuses from
Shingon Buddhism propagated through Japanese society by
Kobo Daishi (a.k.a. the monk Kukai).

Since we have established a premise of psychic functioning as a

real phenomenon, what we need to factually establish now, in the
validation of the “psychic shinobi” thesis, consists of two things:

1. Are energy meridians real and related to psychic

functioning?
2. Do practices of Shingon Buddhism really accentuate the
flow of energy through these meridians?

Starting first with energy meridians, we can confidently assert

that they do exist and are currently being studied under the rigor
of modern science.

In December of 2013, the Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian

Studies published an article titled:

The Primo Vascular System as a New Anatomical

System

Just what is this Primo Vascular System? The article declares the
following:

“The PVS is a previously unknown system that integrates the

features of the cardiovascular, nervous, immune, and hormonal
systems. It also provides a physical substrate for the acupuncture
points and meridians.”

Acupuncture points?

Yes. As history would have it, Chinese medicine is replete with

references to such points which, if stimulated in correct sequence
and combination, are known to effectively alleviate, eliminate,

139
and prevent disease through harmonizing the flow of the body’s
“Qi”.

So half of the first item of thesis verification can be knocked off

the list – energy meridians do exist and are being actively studied
by modern scientists. As for the subtle energy known as “Qi” (Ki
:Japanese), it has been well-established by a slew of authors and
researchers that it is real as well.

But do any of the practices of Shingon Buddhism accentuate the

flow of energy through these meridians and if so, does it thereby
result in heightened perceptions or ESP?

I leave my readers to cogitate, for I cannot submit a tenable

answer.

140
 Notes
Introduction
1. Sawyer, R. (1993). The Seven Military Classics of
Ancient China. p185
2. Draeger, D. (1989). Ninjutsu: The Art of Invisibility.
p23
3. Zoughari, K. (2010). The Ninja: Ancient Shadow
Warriors of Japan. p69
4. Hatsumi. (1989). Ninjutsu: History and Traditions.
5. Cummins & Minami. (2013). The Book of Ninja: The
First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai. p.19
6. Man, J. (2012). Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow
Warriors. p93
7. Zoughari, K. (2010).The Ninja: Ancient Shadow
Warriors of Japan. p23
8. Cummins, A; Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja: The
First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai. p.xx
9. Cummins, A.; Minami, Y. (2011). p24
10. Cummins, A.; Minami, Y. (2014) p2

Chapter 1
1. Hatsumi, M. (1989). Ninjutsu: History and Traditions.
p12-18
2. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p9-10.
emphasis in original.
3. Ibid.
4. Itoh, G. (1907). Yojutsu to Ninjutsu. p18
5. Zoughari, K. (2010). The Ninja: Ancient Shadow
Warriors of Japan. p21
6. Man, J. (2012). Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow
Warriors. p242
7. Hatsumi, M. (1998). Ninpo. p92

141
8. Cummins, A & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja.
p28-29
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid. p103-104
12. Hatsumi, M. (1989). Ninjutsu: History and Traditions.
p12
13. Ibid. p12-18
14. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p165-171
15. Grossman, D. (2009). On Killing: The Psychological
Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. p336
16. Collins, R. (2011). Violence: A Micro-sociological
Theory. p8
17. Sawyer, R. & Sawyer M. (1993). The Seven Military
Classics of Ancient China. p150
18. Ibid. p166
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Man, J. (2012). Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow
Warriors. p108
22. Cummins & Minami. (2013). The Book of Ninja: The
First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai. p.56-57
23. Ibid.
24. Itoh, G. (1907). Yojutsu to Ninjutsu. Translated by Eric
Shahan. p17
25. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2011).The True Path of the
Ninja. p32
25. Cummins A. & Minami, Y. (2012). The Secret Traditions
of the Shinobi: Hattori Hanzo’s Shinobi Hiden and Other
Ninja Scrolls. p78
26. Hatsumi, M. (1989). Ninjutsu: History and Traditions.
p10
27. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
The First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p56-57
28. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2012). The Secret
Traditions of the Shinobi: Hattori Hanzo’s Shinobi
Hiden and other Ninja Scrolls. p78
142
29. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2011). The True Path of the
Ninja. p46, 47,151,153
30. Ibid. p.172
31. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja
p.28
32. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p.20
33. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2011). The True Path of the
Ninja. p46

Chapter 2
1. Itoh, G. (1909). Ninjutsu to Yojutsu. Translated by Eric
Shahan. p39
2. Ibid. p39,43
3. Ibid. p44
4. Itoh, G. (1909). Ninjutsu to Yojutsu. Translated by Eric
Shahan. p72-75
5. Ibid. p72-75
6. Ibid. p72-75
7. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). p14-15, 41-42
8. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p9-10
9. Zhougari, K. (2010). The Ninja: Ancient Shadow
Warriors of Japan. p90
10. Ibid.
11. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja.
The First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p77-79
12. Itoh, G. (1937). Gendaijin no Ninjutsu. p14
13. Ibid. p24
14. Ibid. p22
15. Ibid. p25
16. Grossman, D. (2009). On Killing: The Psychological
Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society. p5-6
17. Miller, R. (2008). Meditations On Violence: A
Comparison of Martial Arts Training and Real World
Violence. p42-52

143
18. Hatsumi, M. (1989). Ninjutsu: History and Traditions
p233
19. Ibid.
20. Grossman, D. (2009). On Killing: the Psychological Cost
of Learning to Kill in War and Society. p5-17
21. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2011). The True Path of the
Ninja p126-128
22. Ibid. p150
23. U.S. Secret Service Training Guide:
Characteristics of the Armed Individual. 2010. D.o.a
2/28/16.
https://publicintelligence.net/category/documents/unit
ed-states-documents/dhs/u-s-secret-service/
24. Navarro, J. (2008). What Every Body is Saying: An Ex-
FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People. p18-19
25. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p26-27
26. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
the First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p.xxix-xxxii
27. Ibid. p100-267
28. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p97
29. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
the First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p100-165
30. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
the First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p218-221
31. Ibid.
32. Ibid.
33. Itoh, G. (1909). Ninjutsu to Yojutsu. p23-24
34. Ibid. p27
35. Itoh, G. (1909). Ninjutsu to Yojutsu. p25-26
36. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2012). The Secret
Traditions of the Shinobi. p54
37. Draeger, D. (1989). Ninjutsu: The Art of Invisibility.
p29
38. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
144
 Skills. p58-59
39. Draeger, D. (1989). Ninjutsu: The Art of Invisibility p32
40. Ibid. p34
41. Ibid. p35-36
42. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
The First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p399-400
43. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p111-112
44. Ibid. p69
45. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
the First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai. p20
46. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2012). The Secret
Traditions of the Shinobi. p121
47. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p101
48. Leonard, H.(1967). Principles of reasoning: An
Introduction to Logic, Methodology, and the Theory of
Signs. p12
49. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2012). The Secret
Traditions of the Shinobi. p43-44
50. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p30
51. Ibid. p99
52. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
the First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p107
53. Ibid. p105
54. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p32-33
55. Ibid. p34-35
56. Ibid. p35-36
57. Ibid. p96
58. Ibid. p62-63
59. Ibid. p25
60. Ibid. p31
61. Kindaichi, H. (1957). The Japanese Language. p55
62. Ibid.

145
63. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
The First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p78
64. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p72

Chapter 3
1. Itoh, G. (1917). Ninjutsu no Gokui. Translated by Eric
Shahan. p.25-26
2. Ibid. p.42
3. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
The First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai. p6
4. Zoughari, K. (2010). The Ninja: Ancient Shadow
Warriors of Japan. p35
5. Cummins, A; Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja: The
First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai. p30
6. Ibid. p32
7. Ibid. p39
8. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p157-
158
9. Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai; Namata Center for Translation
and Research. (2004). Shingon Texts. p145
10. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
The First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p.33,37,38
11. Itoh, G. (1917). Ninjutsu no Gokui. Translated by Eric
Shahan. p.13
12. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
the First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p38-40
13. Ibid. p40
14. Ibid. p39
15. Zoughari, K. (2010). The Ninja: Ancient Shadow
Warriors of Japan. p23
16. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
The First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p37
17. Ibid.
146
18. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p48
19. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p23
20. www.onmarkproductions.com/html/number-five.html
D.o.a. 4/14/16
21. Koshikidake, S. (2015). Shugendo: The Way of the
Mountain Monks.p13
22. Ibid. p54-59
23. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja:
The First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai.
p46-50
24. Ibid. p46-48
25. Ibid. p48
26. Man, J. (2012). Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow
Warriors. p19-21
27. Koshikidake, S. (2015). Shugendo: the Way of the
Mountain Monks. p19
28. Ibid. p48
29. Man, J. (2012). Ninja: 1,000 Years of the Shadow
Warriors. p18
30. Hitoshi, M. (1989). Religious Rituals in Shugendo.
Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. Vol 16/2-3, p102-
116.
31. Casey, K. (2013). The Ninja Mind. p19
32. Koshikidake, S. (2015). Shugendo: the Way of the
Mountain Monks. p124
33. Hitoshi, M. (1989). Religious Rituals in Shugendo.
Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. Vol 16/2-3, p103-
104.
34. Ibid. p23
35. Itoh, G. (1909). Ninjutsu to Yojutsu. Translated by Eric
Shahan. p19-20
36. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p291
37. Hitoshi, M. (1989). Religious Rituals in Shugendo.
Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. Vol 16/2-3, p102-
116
38. Koshikidake, S. (2015). Shugendo: The Way of the
Mountain Monks. p109

147
39. Liang, S.; Wu, W. (1997). Qigong Empowerment. p157-
159
40. Lepine, F.(2006). Advanced Kuji-In: transformational
Approach. p9
41. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p291
42. Liang,S. & Wu,W. (1997). Qigong Empowerment. p157
43. Lepine, F.(2006).Advanced Kuji-In: Transformational
Approach. p9-10
44. Hatsumi, M. (1988). The Grandmaster’s Book of Ninja
Training. p48-49
44. Casey, K. (2013). The Ninja Mind. p8
45. Lepine, F.(2006). Advanced Kuji-In: Transformational
Approach
46. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p291
47. Hatsumi, M. (1988). The Grandmaster’s Book of Ninja
Training. .48-49
48. Ibid.
49. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p291
50. other p.98
51. Lepine, F. (2006). Advanced Kuji-In:Transformational
Approach. p17-18
52. Takamatsuden Books. (2010).Kuji-In. p.6
53. Hayes, S. (2013).The Complete Ninja Collection. p292
54. Lepine, F.(2006). Advanced Kuji-In: Transformational
Approach. p.25-26
55. Takamatsuden Books.(2010). Kuji-In. p7
56. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p292
57. Lepine, F.(2006). Advanced Kuji-In: Transformational
Approach. p33-35
58. Takamatsuden Books. (2010). Kuji-In. p8
59. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p292
60. Lepine, F. (2006). Advanced Kuji-In: Transformational
Approach. p51-53
61. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p294
62. Takamatsuden Books. (2010). Kuji-In. p9
63. Lepine, F. (2006). Advanced Kuji-In: Transformational
Approach. p61-63
64. Ibid. p.65
65. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p294
148
66. Lepine, F. (2006). Advanced Kuji-In: Transformational
Approach. p71-74
67. Lepine, F. (2006). Qi-Gong and Kuji-In. p79
68. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p294
69. Lepine, F. (2006). Advanced Kuji-In: Transormational
Approach. p77-79
70. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p296
71. Lepine, F. (2006). Advanced Kuji-In: Transformational
Approach. p83-86
72. Ibid.
73. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p296
74. Ibid.
75. Lepine, F.(2006). Qi-Gong and Kuji-In. p79,95
76. Hayes, S. (2013). The Complete Ninja Collection. p296
77. Kim, A. (2000). Ninja Mind Control.
78. Itoh, G. (1909). Ninjutsu to Yojutsu. p53-54
79. Hatsumi, M. (1989). Ninjutsu: history and Traditions.
p181
80. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p.96
81. Hatsumi, M. (1998). Ninpo: Wisdom for Life. p12
82. Itoh, G. (1909). Ninjutsu to Yojutsu. p27
83. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of
Ninja. p.32-43

Chapter 4
1. Cummins A, & Minami, Y.(2013). The Book of Ninja: the
First Complete Translation of the Bansenshukai. p100
2. Ibid. p56
3. Ibid. p57
4. Sawyer, R. (1993). The Seven Military Classics of
Ancient China. p136-137
5. Ibid. p186
6. FM 3-05.301. (2003). Psychological Operations: Tactics,
Techniques, and Procedures. p1-1

149
7. Golstein, F. & Findley, B. (1996). Psychological
Operations: Principles and Case Studies. p6
8. Ibid. p7
9. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p76
10. FM 3-05.301. (2003). Psychological Operations: Tactics,
Techniques, and Procedures. p5-11 psyOP
11. (2013). The Book of Ninja: the First Complete
Translation of the Bansenshukai. p103
12. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2012). The Secret
Traditions of the Shinobi. p41
13. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2014). Iga and Koka Ninja
Skills. p51
14. Boston Police Dep. (2016). Suspicious Activity Behavior
& Indicators For Public Sector Partners.
15. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2011). The True Path of the
Ninja. Tuttle Publishing. p.98

Chapter 5
1. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja.
p.56
2. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2013). The Book of Ninja.
p.50
3. Cummins, A. & Minami, Y. (2011). The True Path of the
Ninja. p.169-170
4. p.88 Ninjutsu no Gokui

Online Resources
www.natori.co.uk
www.antonnycummins.com/ninjutsu
www.commonersguide.com
150
151