The Book of Ninja: The Bansenshukai - Japan's Premier Ninja Manual

This is a pretty impressive, big book. I never thought English version of Bansenshukai would be ever become available. The original text (PDF) is available online but it's in old Japanese and parts are written in some kind of simple codes and also requires historical and cultural knowledge so it's hard to understand the real meaning without proper interpretation even for native Japanese speakers. The fact that the first complete modern Japanese translation was just published this year (2015) in Japan, it's not an easy task to interpret the old Japanese text. And this English translation even came out two years ahead of that. I haven't really took time to compare how accurate the author's English translations from the original, but the sheer effort and the enthusiasm the author had to have to tackle this project itself is impressive. The contents wise, it's a very interesting read as a historical reference. Many methods the book describes are ruthless and ninjas were indeed not messing around. There are some outright ridiculous / Medieval superstitions mixed in but a lot of the principles seems to be still applicable for modern day espionage and I am sure those intelligence agencies are still operating under similar principals. The author's intro to the book and the history of ninja is also very good. The main section that interest me the most is ninja tools. This section has original drawings and it will be fun to try to replicate what is described here. I only wish if they came up with better English title for the book and cover art. At least they didn't put cliche images of samurai and ninja.

I have been waiting for this translation to emerge from SOMEWHERE for the last 15 years and thanks to the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team, I finally have it. If you are a practitioner of any form of ninjutsu or a history buff, this book will not disappoint. The sheer volume of information is impressive to say the least, though keep in mind what you are receiving was never intended to be read like novel, so you can pretty much start anywhere in the book and be captivated by the information that's presented. If you are looking for information to support your Hollywood style ninja fantasies, you won't find it here. You also will not find support for Bujinkan, Genbukan or any other ninjutsu combat systems. Clearly, shinobi of the senguko period were skilled in unarmed combat, but it wasn't until Edo era, that we began to see organized "ninja combat system." Instead what you fill find is fascinating battlefield strategy, ninja tools, fire devices, communication methods, astrology and more. There is no fluff, no candy coating...this IS ninjutsu. What's particularly fascinating are the fairly obvious Chinese origins. There are many references to Sun Tzus Art of War throughout the text and the shinobi clearly implemented these strategies. The Ninjutsu Rearch Team's devotion to preserving historical accuracy is impressive. Perhaps not as entertaining as the shuriken hurling, straight blade wielding, bullet dodging, black costumed ninjas of the 1980's, the ninja of the 17th century were people just like us. If you are seeking historical truth about the ninja, than this book is definitely for you...and if you are really inspired, you may even try one of the many ninja fire recipes. Surprisingly, many of the recipes require the use of mouse dung. Enjoy!

I like this book. It has common sense information in it where in which the practitioner of Ninjutsu can and will find a lot of value. I do not know if the book is entirely correctly translated, but it encourages me to learn more. Congratulations to the author for this production of the Bansenshukai.

4

Have read it twice and plan to read it again. You wouldn't believe the things these folks knew.

All the other reviews do this book justice. A great read if you are interested in the history of the ninja, or guerrilla warfare in general. Bansenshukai is a primer to advanced book not only on the ways of a functioning active duty ninja, it gives you a good idea of their general mindset as well. A must read for all ninja enthusiasts or anyone who is curious about Japanese history. Antony Cummins does a fantastic job of taking the words of Fujibayashi and placing them into a readable (and highly enjoyable) manuscript. It is akin to a light in the darkness when venturing into the history of Shinobi. Highly recommended.

Great reading material for anyone who is interested in this area of the martial arts.

Historical private facts of how Shinobi was operating through philosophy and practices in the early environments.

El libro es excelente. Cumple con lo que se ofrece. El único inconveniente es que la caja fue maltratada durante el trayecto y uno de ellos sufrió daños. Ojalá y Amazon tome en cuenta esto.

Very informative

Die Anlieferung hat sich zwar um 1 Woche verschoben, da Fedex die Lieferoption "vor der Türe ablegen" nicht kennt, aber beim zweiten Versuch war jemand im Haus und die LIeferung ist entsprechend der vorangekündigten Tageszeit erfolgt. Das Buch war sauber verpackt und unbeschädigt. Das Bansenshukai gibt einen sehr detaillierten Überblick über das, das seinerzeit in Gebrauch war. Die eher strategisch und taktischen Grundlagen sind zeitlos.

Written like a Manuel, boring to read but the skills are solid. Excellent reference material if you study ninjutsu yourself, love ninjas, or want to write something similar yourself. Highly recommended.

Great info into the ancient system and principles of the shinobi.Its a guide for knowledge and training