In The Secret Traditions of the Shinobi, Antony Cummins and Yoshie Minami bring important documents from the historical ninjitsu tradition to an English-speaking audience. Included in this collection are the three shinobi scrolls of the Gunpo Jiyoshu, a manual enthusiastically promoted by the first Tokugawa shogun of Japan; one hundred poems, written sometime between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, that are the oldest collection of written ninjutsu information in the world; and the Ninpiden, or Secret Ninja Tradition, a manual commonly attributed to one of the best-known ninja masters, Hattori Hanzo. Seventy black and white historical sketches depict ninja tools and weapons, and the original Japanese text is provided in many places. These widely sought-after scrolls will enthrall martial artists eager to learn about the real skills of the shinobi as well as anyone interested in this exciting period of Japanese history and espionage. This illuminating study of martial artstechniques, philosophies, and lifestylesdemystifies one of the mostmisunderstood figures in Japanese history-the ninja. A landmark collection of shinobi texts featuring 70 illustrations and 100 poems representing some of the oldest ninjutsu writings in the world The shinobi, or ninja, is one of the most widely recognized figures in the world of espionage-and also one of the most misrepresented. What do we really know about the historical shinobi, his tactics, and his role in medieval Japanese society? In TheSecret Traditions of the Shinobi, these questions-and many more-are answered. Translated into English for the very first time, this widely sought-after collection of historical documents brings to light the secret practices, techniques, philosophies, and lifestyles of the shinobi. Included are- . the Shinobi Hiden, or "Secret Ninja Tradition", a documentation of techniques commonly attributed to one of the best-known ninja masters, Hattori Hanzo; . the Koka Ryu Ninjutsu Densho, a small but important work from the Edo period that reveals the realm of ninja magic and spells; . the three shinobi scrolls of the Gunpo Jiyoshu, a manual enthusiastically promoted by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun of Japan; . 100 poems written between the 12th and 15th centuries-making them the oldest collection of written ninjutsu information in the world . 70 historical black-and-white illustrations depicting ninja tools and weapons. The Secret Traditions of the Shinobi will enthrall martial artists eager to learn the real skills of the shinobi, as well as anyone interested in this exciting period of Japanese history and espionage.