Ninjutsu Hiketsu Bun
(Essence of Ninjutsu)
by Toshitsugu Takamatsu


     The essence of all martial arts and military strategies is
self-protection and the prevention of danger.  Ninjutsu epitomizes the
fullest concept of self-protection of not only the physical body, but the
mind and spirit as well.  The way of the ninja is the way of enduring,
surviving, and prevailing over all that would destroy one.  More than merely
delivering strikes and slashes, and deeper in significance than the simple
out-witting of an enemy; ninjutsu is the way of attaining that which we need
while making the world a better place.  The skill of the ninja is the art
of winning.
     In the beginning study of any combative martial art, proper motivation
is crucial.  Without the proper frame of mind, continuous exposure to
fighting techniques can lead to ruin instead of self-development.  But this
fact is not different from any other beneficial practice in life carried to
extremes.  Medical science is dedicated to the betterment of health and the
relief of suffering, and yet the misuse of drugs and the exultation of the
physician's skills can lead people to a state where an individual's health
is no longer within his or her personal control.  A nutritious well-balanced
diet works to keep a person alive, vital, and healthy, but grossly
over-eating, over-drinking, or taking in too many chemicals is a sure way
to poison the body.  Governments are established to oversee the harmonious
interworking of all parts of society, but when the rulers become greedy,
hungry for power, or lacking in wisdom, the country is subjected to
needless wars, disorder, or civil and economic chaos.  A religion, when
based on faith developed through experience, a broad and questing mind, and
an unflagging pursuit of universal understanding, is of inspiration and
comfort to people.  Once a religion loses its original focus, however, it
becomes a deadly thing with which to deceive, control, and tax the people
through the manipulation of their beliefs and fears.  It is the same with
the martial arts.  The skills of self-protection, which should provide a
feeling of inner peace and security for the marial artist, so often
develop without a balance in the personality and lead the lesser martial
artist into warped realms of unceasing conflict and competition which
eventually consume him.
     If an expert in the fighting arts sincerely pursues the essence of
ninjutsu, devoid of the influence of the ego's desires, the student will
progressively come to realize the ultimate secret for becoming
invincible - the attainment of the 'mind and eyes of the divine.'  The
combatant who would win must be in harmony with the scheme of totality, and
must be guided by an intuitive knowledge of the playing out of fate.  In
tune with the providence of heaven and the impartial justice of nature, and
following a clear and pure heart full of trust in the inevitable, the ninja
captures the insight that will guide him successfully into battle when he
must conquer and conceal himself protectively from hostility when he must
acquiesce.  The vast universe, beautiful in its coldly impersonal totality,
contains all that we call good and bad, all the answers for all the
paradoxes we see around us.  By opening his eyes and his mind, the ninja
can responsively follow the subtle seasons and reasons of heaven, changing
just as change is necessary, adapting always, so that in the end there is
no such thing as surprise for the ninja.