Taijutsu

Book excerpt: This book is the author's attempt to present what is probably the most important aspect of ninjutsu in print. Of course, philosophy is very important to the ninja, but since technique is a reflection of philosophy, careful study of this book should shed some light on the ideas that were used, and are still followed today, by the "Shadow Warrior." This book is, in many ways, a companion work to the author's "Traditional Ninja Weapons." However, the present work presents many new ideas about ninjutsu, which hopefully will help the reader gain a fuller understanding of this fascinating, albeit often misunderstood, martial art. In this work, the author has outlined a general overview of taijutsu while remaining as true as possible to the art's traditional form. There are, of course, many special cases that have not been included in the book because of space considerations. As always, the author would like to extend his thanks to the many instructors and training partners that have made this book possible.