New DVD from "the Dojo" - New Budo Martial Arts lesson is now available

I've been following Mr. Norcross and his channel, "The Dojo", on YouTube for a few years now. 

I like his videos, they are fun to watch and you can tell he has dedicated his life to his dojo and the art of ninjutsu. 

Onitama - an elegant and simple game of martial tactics

 

Carved into the crags of the mist-shrouded mountains of ancient Japan lies the Shrine of Onitama. It is a place of enlightenment and skill, a site dedicated to the spirits that guide the Schools of Martial Arts across the land. Masters of these schools hazard the journey to Onitama with their most promising disciples to meet within its hallowed walls and to prove their superiority in battle against the others.

In Onitama, players will vie to capture their opponent’s Master, or, traverse their Master across the board to their opponent’s Master’s starting position to win the game.  To do this, you will be armed with a handful of special and ancient maneuvers, presented on beautiful Tarot size cards, that manipulate the field of battle to your advantage.  Will you use the Dragon to overpower your opponent, the Horse to outmaneuver them, or the Cobra to strike quickly?

These special moves are not yours alone though.  In Onitama, players will shuffle the deck of moves, dealing two moves to each player to begin a game.  In addition, a 5th will be placed face up, to the side of the board.  When it is your turn, you may choose to move any piece using your cards, however, the card you choose to use will then be exchanged with the card to the side of the board.  This means your opponent will have access to that move, after their next!  Can you out-think, out-maneuver, and out-wit your opponent?

With multiple moves to make every game unique, the speed, the grace, and the unique play style of Onitama truly makes this an Essential game for any gamer’s collection!

Beware of anyone who says they have a "no-touch knockout" technique

You see a few of these guys around on the internet.

They either hold a "15th degree" in some art, or they hold a "10th degree" in something like nine or ten different arts. 

Zen seven, ken three

"Zen seven, ken three" is a samurai saying that you hear in a martial arts dojo (training hall) even today. It means that technical ability with the sword (ken) or any other weapon is only 30 percent responsible for your success or failure.

The 70 percent factor (the Zen of the saying) in any battle—crossing swords in kendo, or solving a problem—is inside you. Inner training is devoted to cultivating that inner power.

Steven Nojiri books

 

In Praise Of Spies: Ninjutsu's Role In Shaping Japan - (2012)

Shinobi-no-jutsu played a crucial role in the history of Japan, yet its contributions have become almost completely forgotten. Based on actual shinobi manuals and intricate historical analysis, this book presents an accurate presentation of shinobi-no-jutsu and the role it played in shaping Japanese history.

"In Praise of Spies: Ninjutsu's Role in Shaping Japan" by Steven Nojiri is about Shinobi (aka Ninja) who were essentially highly trained covert agents in the feudal Japan era. The Shinobi specialized in unorthodox warfare which included the black arts of espionage, sabotage, infiltration, evasion and assassination, and overt combat in certain situations. Their covert methods of waging war contrasted the ninja with the samurai, who observed strict rules about honor and combat.

This book focuses on the "spying" aspect of the Shinobi. Espionage was the chief role of the ninja; with the aid of disguises, the Shinobi gathered information on enemy terrain, building specifications, as well as obtaining passwords and communiques, just information in general to develop plans of action. Overall intent of this book is twofold. First the author wanted to provide a reference to the effect indirect impact that Shinobi had on early Japanese history. Additionally the author has intended for this book to be a jumping-off point for the reader to investigate and delve deeper into the various topics through outside sources. Of note this book contains a significant amount of material that has never been printed in the English language. The material within this book is based on actual Shinobi manuals and intricate historical analysis presenting accurately the role played by the Shinobi in shaping Japanese history.

I highly recommend this book to anybody interested in spycraft, espionage, early Japanese history and Ninjutsu practitioners and historians. - T.A.L. Dozer

Sacred Conspiracy: A Commentary to the Fukushima Ryu Shinobi-no-Maki - (2015)

A commentary on the Fukushima Ryu Shinobi-no-Maki by Steven Nojiri. The commentary covers both the original Shinobi-no-Maki and the Annotations. Also included in this book is a brief survey of Kusunoki Ryu. This is not a strict history book. This is a book of commentary and personal opinion.

First of all, as explained by the author, "Sacred Conspiracy" is personal commentary concerning the legitimate historical documents of Fukushima ryu ninjutsu, as well as related subject matter. With that said, while it is not a collegiate history text book, it does indeed offer enjoyable insight into medieval Japanese warfare. Mr. Nojiri also provides his family's (the House of Nojiri) kuden (oral tradition) on this topic, in addition to just translation of historic documents. As oral tradition is not something easily corroborated by independent academia, a fact which is fully explained by Mr. Nojiri, it is up to the reader to determine its validity. I for one enjoyed the book immensely, as well as Mr. Nojiri's previous publication "In Praise of Spies", & do highly recommend reading it. - Thomas Urso

Samurai Traditions of the Tada Genji: An Introduction to Tada, Kusunoki, and Jingunden Traditions - (2023)

This book serves as an introduction to the samurai traditions of the Tada Genji. During the course of this introduction, the reader will also be introduced to the basics of the Kusunoki Tradition(s) and the various Jingunden traditions. Includes presentations of historical teachings from samurai manuals, author commentary, diagrams, and translations.

https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3ASteven+Nojiri&s=relevancerank&text=Steven+Nojiri&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1