The Grandmaster's book of Ninja training

6 Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi
teacher. Nevertheless, he holds a shidoshi license
from the grandmaster and is authorized to teach the
art of ninjutsu.
Jack Hoban has written two books on the arts of
tantojutsu and bojutsu, and is now working on a third
book on his training philosophy and how it applies to
various levels of contemporary life in the United
States. He holds a master's degree in business administration
and is an executive of a major financial
services corporation.
Background of Charles
Daniels, 5th Dan
Charles Daniels has studied the major martial arts of
Europe and Asia, settling on ninjutsu as his life's
guiding art. He has written several books on ninjutsu.
He tours the U.S. and Europe, giving seminars
on the art of the shadow warrior.
The Translator
Born in Africa almost half a century ago, in what is
now Zimbabwe, Chris Reynolds has spent most of his
life involved with languages (ancient and modern),
medical matters (Western and Oriental), Indian philosophy,
and martial arts (boxing, judo, aikido, and
ninjutsu). He speaks a few of these languages—some
quite badly—and works mainly as a freelance medical
translator, at which he thinks he is somewhat less
unskilled. He has lived in Japan for 14 years, and is
married, with two young children. He now studies
ninpo under Dr. Hatsumi, for whom he acts as an
occasional interpreter. Given the choice, he would
like to be younger, less clumsy, more intelligent, and
able to fly.
PRELUDE
Hatsumi Sensei (H): Those of you who have come to
Japan from the USA probably have got quite a different
impression during this seminar of martial arts as
practiced here, as compared with what you have so
far been used to in your own countries. So I'd like you
please just to say what you want about your
experiences.
Ed Sones (ES): In the States—I come from
Texas—it seems that most of the training, including
my own training for the past few years, has been too
intense and has been using too many techniquestrying
to learn technique after technique—and you
come over to Japan and you realize the depth of the
feeling of ninjutsu. It's something that you can't explain,
and you just have to experience. And this is the
place to do it.
Bill Atkins: I agree with the criticism of tension
and of trying to use one part of your body more than
another part, instead of everything being together.
Here I learn a lot more about everything moving at*