Since the time of the "Second Ninja Boom" of the 1980s, the "ninja experts" have led novices to believe by that Taijutsu is Ninjutsu. Ranked instructors, who one assumes would know otherwise, have also perpetuated this erroneous notion among their student followers. Thus, the actual elements of Ninjutsu-intelligence-gathering, strategy, invisibility, among many others-are disregarded and omitted from contemporary training. The purpose of this book is to provide the reader with a more authentic and balanced understanding of what traditional ninjutsu was-and of what it can still be. It will be of value to - readers without a dojo affiliation who are nonetheless interested in ninjutsu training - practitioners who may be disillusioned with the authenticity of training, and - active ninjutsu practitioners, regardless of dojo affiliation, seamlessly complementing their training and providing them with an ancillary curriculum to broaden their skills.

In the final chapter to The Art of War, Sun Tzu writes, "There are five classes of spies-Local spies; Internal spies; Turned spies; Expendable spies; and Surviving spies. When these five kinds of spy are all at work, none can discover their secret system. This system is called The Divine Threads, and it is the sovereign's most precious faculty." Sun Tzu chose this metaphor to convey how a variety of spies, who deceptively appear to be unrelated, are in fact connected to the same general or ruler in a manner not easily discernible to the unsuspecting enemy. Centuries later, this and other teachings of the Chinese Strategist would serve as the basis for Ninjutsu-the Way of the Ninja-and the deadliest art to have evolved in Feudal Japan.

Even readers with no particular interest in Japan - if such odd souls exist - may expect unexpected pleasure from this book if English metaphysical poetry, grooks, hyperlogical nonsense verse, outrageous epigrams, the (im)possibilities and process of translation between exotic tongues, the reason of puns and rhyme, outlandish metaphor, extreme hyperbole and whatnot tickle their fancy. Read together with The Woman Without a Hole, also by Robin D. Gill, the hitherto overlooked ulterior side of art poetry in Japan may now be thoroughly explored by monolinguals, though bilinguals and students of Japanese will be happy to know all the original Japanese is included.--amazon.com.

Describes the history and philosophy of the Ninja, looks at their traditional weapons and tactics, and demonstrates stances, punches, and throws.

A lavish collector’s edition of the complete poems of eminent Japanese master of the haiku, Matsuo Bashō. Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694) is arguably the greatest figure in the history of Japanese literature and the master of the haiku. Bashō: The Complete Haiku of Matsuo Bashō offers in English a full picture of the haiku of Bashō, 980 poems in all. In Fitzsimons’s beautiful rendering, Bashō is much more than a philosopher of the natural world and the leading exponent of a refined Japanese sensibility. He is also a poet of queer love and eroticism; of the city as well as the country, the indoors and the outdoors, travel and staying put; of lonesomeness as well as the desire to be alone. Bashō: The Complete Haiku of Matsuo Bashō reveals how this work speaks to our concerns today as much as it captures a Japan emerging from the Middle Ages. For dedicated scholars and those coming upon Bashō for the first time, this beautiful collector’s edition of Fitzsimons’s elegant award-winning translation, with the original Japanese, allows readers to enjoy these works in all their glory.

Jiuta Sōkyoku Lyrics and Explanations is a compendium of seventy-three representative songs from the well-known genre of traditional Japanese Edo-period sankyoku ensemble music. Including extensive annotations along with commentaries and notes on their musical and performative aspects, the collection begins with an overview which traces the history of the jiuta sōkyoku genre and the various socio-political influences at work in its formation. The translations and analyses are followed by a substantive glossary and bibliography, allowing for a deeper understanding of both the literary and musical aspects of jiuta sōkyoku compositions. Jiuta Sōkyoku Lyrics and Explanations is a comprehensive anthology that will be of great interest to researchers, including ethnomusicologists, Japanese studies scholars and poetry lovers who are fascinated with the literary and musical impact of the Edo period.