For a martial art that is surrounded by myth and balaclava-clad adventures, there is very little widely available material about the actual, living and serious martial art of Ninjutsu. Besides the recent ‘comedy’ tome by the Robert Hamburger ‘Real Ultimate Power’ which was quite awful. However, this book successfully dispels some of the mysteries that the media may portray of this ancient and intriguing martial art, and one that is often misrepresented as being “nothing more than karate mixed with acrobatics.” Believe me, there is much more to Ninjutsu than bouncy assassins, as Simon Yeo successfully explains.

We are offered a comprehensive introduction to the basic principles and history of Ninjutsu. Born about a thousand years ago by people living in the mountains of Japan it fused its combination of Chinese fighting arts with some Samurai Jiu Jitsu; its very existence had to be kept a secret from the ruling Samurai warriors, the ruling oppressive class. Therefore, we learn that one of Ninjutsu’s unique qualities is that it can trace its lineage back about nine hundred years, with its real and still living Grand Master, Hatsumi Masaaki. Simon Yeo writes with great reverence about his living source of Ninjutsu and this is where this book makes for such an interesting read as we get the real impression that as much as this Japanese fighting system is based upon hundreds of years of tried and tested methods, it is still evolving where, “most other arts are repetitions of historic moves, and the techniques are inappropriate in today’s environment.”

The book offers many different techniques and forms that are part of the Ninjutsu repertoire, but it is the mental discipline involved that makes for such an interesting read. As Simon Yeo puts it, “This art is so much bigger than just fighting.” Throughout, Yeo adds his own, sensible and down to earth advice such as, “When you are attacked, don’t be there,” which adds common sense to a martial art that has such a spiritual aspect to it. This book also shows its rather more unorthodox approach of exposing students to various techniques whereby they can apply and be more creative with their applications of their martial art in a combat situation, rather than having to apply everything via rote, which makes a refreshing change in its flexibility.

This book acts as a comprehensive guide to those studying the martial art of Ninjutsu as well as offering useful sound bites from such an experienced martial artist as Simon Yeo. The only criticism is that there could have been more written about Ninjutsu’s history, which is surely worthy of a second volume by Simon Yeo. One cannot help but agree when he says “I think it makes good sense to train in something you can get better at with age.”