True Path of the Ninja is the first authoritative translation in English of the Shoninki—the famous 17th century ninjutsu manual.
Authors Antony Cummins and Yoshie Minami worked closely with Dr. Nakashima Atsumi, author of the most comprehensive modern Japanese version of the
Shoninki, thus making this English
translation the closest to the original scrolls. The information and insights found in this translation are invaluable for understanding the skills, techniques and mentality of the historical
shinobi. Whether it involved tips for surviving in the wild, advice on intelligence-gathering techniques, or methods for creating chaos in the enemy camp, this ninja book unveils secrets long
lost. Along with its practical applications, this book is an important guide to the mental discipline that ninjas must have to ensure success in accomplishing their mission.
True Path of the Ninja is covers the following topics:
- What is a ninja and what equipment does he need.
- The skills of infiltration and information gathering.
- How to distrupt and distract the enemy.
- How to be mentally prepared to carry out ninja misions
In addition to the translation of the
Shoninki, this book also includes the first written record of the oral tradition ＂Defense Against a Ninja＂ taught by Otake Risuke, the revered
sensei of the legendary Katori Shinto Ryu school of swordsmanship. Sensei reveals for the first time these ancient and traditional teachings on how the samurai can protect himself from the
cunning wiles of a ninja.
About this new edition:
This second edition contains a new introduction by the translator, and has been thoroughly updated to reflect developments that shed new light on the original Japanese text.
