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True Path of the Ninja: The Definitive Translation of the Shoninki (The Authentic Ninja Training Manual) Paperback – March 14, 2017

by Antony Cummins (Author), Yoshie Minami (Author), Nakashima Atsumi (Preface),
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 446 ratings
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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 covers the following topics:
  • What a ninja is and what equipment he needs
  • The skills of infiltration and information gathering
  • How to disrupt and distract the enemy
  • How to be mentally prepared to carry out ninja missions
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.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tuttle Publishing
  4. Publication date
    March 14, 2017
  5. Dimensions
    5.13 x 0.5 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    4805314397
  7. ISBN-13
    978-4805314395
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"…the most excellent masterpiece of all the manuscripts on ninjutsu that have ever been written." --Otake Risuke, Katori Shinto Ryu, Head Teaching Master, from his foreword

"…every time you reread this book you will obtain a new perspective." --Dr. Nakashima Atsumi, Translator of the Shoninki into modern Japanese

"…the first definitive English-language translation of the Shoninki." --Metropolis

"Read it for the entertainment and interest in history but be open to expanding upon some simple life concepts that the ninja applied to their work. It's well worth the read if you're a fan of ninjas and Japanese culture." --Martial Arts + Action Movies blog

About the Author

Antony Cummins heads the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team, a project that documents, translates and publishes medieval documents pertaining to the shinobi of Japan. As a world-renowned ninja historian, his background as an archaeologist and historian gives him a unique insight into their mysterious world. Antony has revived an old samurai school of war, Natori-Ryu, with the aim of educating people on historical Japanese warfare. His aim is to establish a correct understanding of Japanese military arts and to bring about a deeper knowledge of, and respect for, Japanese arts. A trained martial artist, he is the author of nearly a dozen books on ninja and martial arts.

Risuke Otake is the teaching master at the world famous Katori Shinto Ryu, the oldest samurai sword school in the world. He is a member of the Order of the Rising Sun; an honored conferred on him in 2005 by the Akihito of Japan.

Dr. Nakashima Atsumi has worked with the Iga Museum on translating the Shoninki from 17th century Japanese into modern Japanese. He is also the chairman of the Federation of Japanese Koryu Bujutsu, an organization for the traditional schools of the martial arts in Japan.

Yoshie Minami was born in Tokyo and currently lives in Saitama, Japan. She has a B.A. in Linguistics from the International Christian University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tuttle Publishing; Translation edition (March 14, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 4805314397
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-4805314395
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.13 x 0.5 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 446 ratings

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  1. Antony Cummins

    Antony Cummins

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    Antony Cummins is an author-historian who concentrates on medieval Japanese warfare and is the founder of the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team, a team dedicated to the translation and publication of historical shinobi manuals into the English language. His goal is to bring together the greatest amount of reference material on the ninja and to help form a correct image of the truth behind Japanese samurai warfare. In his works you will discover the lost ways of the ninja, ancient stories of samurai heroes and secrets that have been hidden away for centuries.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Masazumi Natori

    Masazumi Natori

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
446 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ninpo26
5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable book
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2011
Verified Purchase
At first I was skeptical with this book when I decided to get a translation of Shoninki, because of some of the controversy surrounding the author. So I purchased the Axel version instead. But upon investigating the work of Antony Cummins, I came to the conclusion that most of the controversy is not founded in any objective criticism, but rather in personal attacks due to the author's comments regarding Bujinkan and modern Ninjitsu.

So from a skeptic, I came all the way, to my current opinion that this is a far better translation of Shoninki than the version by mr. Axel. The book is very detailed, and pays much attention to details. The author states that a lot of footnotes were incorporated into the text itself due to publisher's request. This is my only objection to this book, but I know the author didn't have a choice in the matter as much.

In regards to the work itself. It might be a disappointment to those who are used to the popular image of a Ninja warrior provided by media and modern Ninjutsu schools, which are unable to prove their lineage. This isn't a book for kids playing with shurikens. It's a manual on espionage, communication skills, strategy etc.
In fact it is much more usable in everyday life, than any martial arts book could ever come close to be. As the shoninki states itself, the real war is fought with words, not weapons. And the greatest Shinobi is he who manages to have no enemies. If a Ninja has to hit someone or use a sword, then he is a really bad Ninja. This is the whole message of the book.

If anyone is interested in REAL Ninpo, historical Ninpo, as opposed to modern imaginative reenactments, or 80's movies nonsense, I'd recommend this book. If you are, like me, looking to buy any translation of Shoninki and can't make up your mind, I'd advise you to buy this one first(and others then just to compare).
41 people found this helpful
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Joseph J. Truncale
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent basic manual on the Shinobi Ninja clan. A book many martial artists will enjoy.
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2011
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As a lifetime student of the martial arts I looked forward to reading this book. It is supposed to be "an authentic Ninja training manual." Indeed, it is a very interesting and informative treatise on Ninjutsu. This book on Ninja training is somewhat different than the many other books on this shadow art. This manual does not show any actual fighting techniques but goes into detail on many other aspects of being a true "Shinobi" Ninja soldier.

This book is organized into three basic sections. Some of the topics covered include: What it means to be a Shinobi, tools of the trade, how to disguise yourself, how to infiltrate the enemy's home, camp and areas. This text also explains how to work in teams to achieve an objective, how to find your way in the wilderness. It also explains a basic guide to the proper philosophy a Shinobi must be guided by to succeed, and outlines how to understand your weak points and how to correct them.

In conclusion, this manual will be of interest to all martial artists who desire to better understand the mind-set of the ancient Japanese Ninja. This book will also be of interest to martial artists and Japanese scholars.

Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Martial Art Myths)
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hyogoken
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Translation of the Shoninki
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2020
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There are now numerous translations of the classic shinobi-no-jutsu (ninjutsu) manual which can be found online and throughout the research communities. This is updated work, in my humble opinion, is very accurate and includes some additional content which helps to serve the researcher or student well. I highly recommend this for one seeking to study, train, or simply learn more about shinobi (ninja) tactics and philosophy. On a side note, this manual is an advanced-level manual in many respects, which hinges on foundational aspects found within earlier manuals of the Natori family. This point is often overlooked and misunderstood. It would serve one well to include the study of earlier basic manuals, as well as, additional shinobi-no-jutsu (ninjutsu) material to gain a deeper context of this. Excellent work. Highly recommended. - Ukyo, Seininkai Dojo
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Necrogue
5.0 out of 5 stars 'True Path' is a path to truth.
Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
The Ninja. Virtually everyone in the modern world has heard the term, but what do we really know about them? Those seeking a true understanding of the historical realities of these mysterious figures will find scant few volumes available. In a market saturated with and dominated by long held misconceptions and often blatant misinformation and misdirection about the ninja, 'True Path' is a path to truth.
This slight volume is a translation of primary source documentation about the legitiimate historical ninja and the practice of ninjutsu; and as such provides a rare glimpse through the veil of fiction and fantasy, leaving us with factual accounts by an actual ninja!

The diminutive size of this volume belies the abundance of information with which it is packed. I've read this tome many times and I'm always astounded by just how much information is contained in such a small book. I think it's fair to say that a great many books of double (and even greater) size often do not contain a fraction of the information contained in this one! If I were to make any criticism of the book it would be soley with the publishers and their marketing ploys to capitalize on long held, but erroneous popular misconceptions of the ninja despite the efforts of the translators to present a different (i.e. - accurate and factual) representation in the form of primary evidence. That said, this should not be seen as a reflection of the efforts of the translation team and these little nuances do little to underscore the importance of this historical work and wealth of it's content. An updated and revised second edition is forthcoming and I have already pre-ordered it, for anyone seeking a glimpse into the actual thoughts, practices, and operations of the ninja of old, I would HIGHLY recommend you do the same! In my humble opinion this is among a small handful of books that no person having an interest in the ninja should be without.

-J. Farthing, March 2017
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Top reviews from other countries

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My Self
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in Canada on July 21, 2021
Verified Purchase
Excellent book, got that old copy with the blue cover even if not up to date compared to the red cover one.
The red cover one is the same book with some removed parts that were not factual (to my
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Duraznito
5.0 out of 5 stars El libro es lo que se esperaba, pero el servicio de entrega no mucho.
Reviewed in Mexico on July 1, 2018
Verified Purchase
El libro es justo lo que se ofertaba y esperaba.
El único detalle de este pedido fue el desempeño del servicio de entrega.
La caja en la que llegaron presentó daño; abolladuras para ser concretos, y por consecuencia el libro sufrió daños en una de sus esquinas.
Estos libros fueron un encargo de una amiga, la que me comentó al respecto,
Al comentarle sobre la posibilidad de regresar la pieza dañada para que le enviaran uno en mejores condiciones, desestimó la opción, dado que ya no podía esperar más tiempo dadas sus actividades de estudio.
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Short pants
5.0 out of 5 stars Still reading
Reviewed in India on March 31, 2018
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Even the paper is so fine.
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Lindsay Stodden
5.0 out of 5 stars Great detail
Reviewed in Australia on October 30, 2022
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A very comprehensive summary of key attitudes and skills. Antony and Yoshie give great insight to the scroll texts. Highly recommended
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Graham J Oldacre
5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for any serious student of Ninjutsu!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
When researching the real history of the
Shonobi no Mono (aka Ninja) and what they actually did, Antony Cummins is an absolute must!
True Path of the Ninja is the genuine article. Translated from the Shoninki (written in the late 1600's) it is ram packed with useful information and gives a clear window into the shadowy world of Medieval Japanese Espionage!
One person found this helpful
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