Nov 23, 2014

Nov 22, 2014

Nov 21, 2014

Nov 19, 2014


artwork by erictanart.tumblr

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Besuto Kiddo

 
artwork by Kevin M. Wilson
 

Nov 16, 2014

King Karate


I'm surprised that more hasn't been made of this comment about Johnny by Daniel.

"King Karate".

I've never seen any fan art come from this, or any comments at all really.

If Hollywood needs a movie ideas, I think a Karate Kid prequel is in order. They could call it King Karate and it would follow Johnny Lawrence in his early years, how he started taking classes at the Cobra Kai dojo, how his relationship started with Ali, etc.

It would be a blockbuster I think.

Nov 14, 2014

The world of the ninja

Lately I have been broadening my martial art knowledge by delving into the world of the ninja.

(more to come)
www.antonycummins.com

Antony Cummins MA was born in Lancashire, England and has a degree in Ancient History and Archaeology and a Masters Degree in Archaeology, both of which were obtained at the Victoria University of Manchester. Antony is also a published author, historian, artist, illustrator and TV co-host.

Overall, some of his greatest moments have included; searching Japan for the hidden history of the ninja and interviewing some of the most prominent figures in ninja history, living with the Tonga people of Ghana, Africa to establish a correct chronology and proven historical culture for the tribe as part of the Archaeological team under Professor T. Insoll, sailing the Tall Ship Royalist as Bosun for the Sea Cadet Corps of Britain, including the 2008 Tall Ships Race.

Antony currently lives between England and Japan and is in the process of translating a myriad of Japanese manuals with his co-author Yoshie Minami.
The Book of the Ninja

by Antony Cummins and Yoshie Minami

publish date 11-5-13

The Book of Ninja, the ultimate ninjutsu manual, was penned in 1676 by a ninja known as Fujibayashi. Born in the post-civil war era of Japan, Fujibayashi collected and combined information from the ninja clans of Iga - regarded to be the homeland of the ninja - and compiled it into an authoritative book. Known as The Bansenshukai, this book has now been translated into English by the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team.

The Book of Ninja begins with an in-depth introduction to the history of the times. The heart of the text takes us into the secrets of guerilla warfare and espionage. We learn spycraft, mission planning, concealment tactics, and infiltration techniques. We put on the mindset of a warrior. And those wishing to attain the highest levels of ninjutsu can discover how to kidnap enemies, perform night raids, make secret codes, and utilize the Ninja's system of divination.

The Book of the Ninja is the final say in the world of the ninja and the ultimate classic for samurai and ninja enthusiasts alike.

In Search of the Ninja

by Antony Cummins

publish date 9-1-13

Lost in modern myth, false history, and general misinterpretation, the Ninja have been misrepresented for many years, but recently, a desire for a more historical view of the ninja has become a popular theme in the history/martial arts community. Providing a rare, accurate view of the Ninja, this book is based upon the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team's translations of the major ninja manuals and consists of genuinely new material. Little historical research has been done on the Ninja of Japan. Here for the first time the connection of the famous Hattori family warriors with the Ninja is explained, the Samurai versus Ninja myth is dispelled, and the realities of Ninja skills are analyzed. Such questions are answered as How did a Ninja work underwater when mining castle walls? and How can a bird be used to set fire to the enemy's camp? The book explores newly discovered connections to ancient Chinese manuals, lost skills, and the "hidden: Zen philosophy that the Ninja followed.

Iga and Koka Ninja Skills

by Antony Cummins and Yoshie Minami

publish date 1-31-13

A retainer of our doman, Renpeido Chikamatsu Hikonoshin Shigenori, each morning washing his face and hands, dressed himself in Hakama and prayed in front of the kamidana alter… His prayer was thus: "Please afford me success in war." He kept to this routine all through his life.' Through patient and scholarly detective work, Antony Cummins and the Historical Ninjutsu Research Team have unearthed a Shinobi treasure. The 18th-century military historian Chikamatsu recorded the oral traditions of the Ninja and passed on those skills in lectures he gave at his Renpeido school of war in Owari domain during the early 1700s. Chikamatsu wrote specifically about the Shinobi of Iga and Koka, regions from which warriors were hired all over the land in the days of war. The lost scrolls are filled with unknown Shinobi teachings, skills that include infliltration, assassination, explosives, magic and commando tactics, including an in depth commentary on Sun Tzu's famous 13th chapter, 'The Use of Spies'.
The Secret Traditions of the Shinobi

by Antony Cummins and Yoshie Minami

publish date 11-24-12

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 Secret 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;

• one hundred poems written between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries—making them the oldest collection of written ninjutsu information in the world; and

• seventy historical black-and-white illustrations depicting ninja tools and weapons.
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.
The True Path of the Ninja

by Antony Cummins and Yoshie Minami

publish date 3-10-11

True Path of the Ninja is the first authoritative translation in English of the Shoninki—the famous 17th century ninja training manual. Antony Cummins and Yoshie Minami worked closely with Dr. Nakashima Atsumi, author of the most comprehensive modern Japanese version of the Shoninki, thus making this English translation the closest to the original scrolls. The information and insights found in this translation are invaluable for understanding the skills, techniques and mentality of the historical ninja. Whether it involved tips for surviving in the wild, advice on intelligence-gathering techniques, or methods for creating chaos in the enemy camp, the True Path of the Ninja unveils secrets long lost. Along with its practical applications, this book is an important guide to the mental discipline that a ninja must have to ensure success in accomplishing their mission.
In addition to the translation of the Shoninki, this book also includes the first written record of the oral tradition "Defense Against a Ninja" taught by Otake Risuke, the revered sensei of the legendary Katori Shinto Ryu school of swordsmanship. Sensei reveals for the first time these ancient and traditional teachings on how the samurai can protect himself from the cunning wiles of a ninja.
True Ninja Traditions

by Antony Cummins and Yoshie Minami

publish date 2-3-11

True Ninja Traditions is a collection of three of the most profound historical works on ninjutsu to have come out of Japan. They have been brought together here for the first time to an English speaking audience and contain some of the greatest ninja secrets to have ever been written down. These works are: The three Shinobi Scrolls of the Gunpo Jiyoshu samurai manual, written in or before 1612, a document approved by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first great shogun of Japan, The Yoshimori Hyakushu or the Shinobi-uta which consists of 100 ninja poems that have been attributed to the 12th century tactician, Yoshimori and are considered to be the oldest teachings on ninjutsu to exist and finally the Ninpiden or Secret Ninja Transmission by Hattori Hanzo & Others in which the main body of the work is dated to 1560 and is considered to be one of the three great ninja manuals. Together these sort after scrolls will take you into the world of medieval Japan and divulge the shinobi secrets of espionage, ninja battlefield tactics and much more.
Shinobi Soldiers II

by Antony Cummins

publish date 11-5-10

Shinobi Soldiers II continues exploring the world of the ninja. Volume I was an investigation into the misconceptions we have about the shinobi, which allows this book to build on new ground and explore the historical world that the ninja lived in. This volume examines the religions, philosophies and social interactions of the ninja as well as investigating their skills. Learn how to tell the time by breathing or to see which direction your enemy is walking at night or find out the history behind the "ninja mask" or explore the history of all the ninja families across Japan . In Addition to this various historical documents have been translated here for the first time, including "how to present a decapitated head to a samurai lord" & the 16th century document "The commandments of Iga". Altogether this volume is a look at the true world of the shinobi.
Shinobi Soldiers

by Antony Cummins

publish date 12-22-09

Shinobi Soldiers is an investigation into the reality of the Ninja and the reality of the life they led. It is an adaptation of a set of articles of the same name that were published in the British magazine Combat. Taking all of its information from Historical documentation, it will blow apart the 'iconic Ninja image' and take a diversion from the normal 'rehashed' books about the Shinobi warriors. This volume takes you deeper into the real world of the historical Ninja and shows how inaccurate the western understanding really is redefining the word Ninja. It draws on information from the, Bansenshukai, Shoninki and Gunpo historical manuals and is written by the first author to bring a real Shinobi manual to an English audience.

Nov 13, 2014

Nov 10, 2014

Budo Ryu Ninjutsu


http://www.budoryuninjutsu.com/

Soke Anshu Christa Jacobson; Headmistress of the Budo Ryu Ninjutsu Dojo, is one of the most sought after instructors in the traditional and eclectic martial traditions. She is a member of the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame and is the only non-Japanese to receive a Menkyo Kaiden (The highest level license that exist in Japanese martial arts) and Sokeship (inheritor / grandmaster) of a koryu bujutsu / ninjutsu tradition.

In 2004 she wanted to bring back the tradition of Japanese Bujutsu, something that she felt has been lost in the modern world. To do this she established the Budo Ryu, meaning School of the Warrior Way.

The Budo Ryu Kai (Budo Ryu Ninjutsu Dojo) was developed by her personal research, training, experience, as well as the collection of seven Japanese warrior traditions (also called Nana Musha-den) and combining all of these facets into a way to fully develop one’s mind, body and spirit as one. 

The Budo Ryu Kai is Soke Anshu Christa Jacobson's modern approach towards the study of ancient samurai & ninja warfare.  The seven warrior arts that are taught within the Budo Ryu Kai are:

Koka Ryu Kempo (甲賀流拳法)
Tenjin Ryū Jujutsu (天神流柔術)
Tomo Ryu Shinobijutsu (戸猛流忍術)
Eishin-ryū Iaijutsu (英信流居合術)
Koto Ryu Koppojutsu (虎倒流骨法術)
Gyokko-Ryū Kosshijutsu (玉虎流骨指術)
Togakure-ryū Ninpo Taijutsu (戸隠流忍法体術)

Outside of the martial arts, Soke Anshu works in the adult entertainment industry as an escort / courtesan and erotic dancer.  She is an active pagan, who openly practices Wicca. She resides in Kansas City, Kansas where she owns and operates the Budo Ryu Kai, more commonly known as the Budo Ryu Ninjutsu Dojo.

Nov 6, 2014

Nov 2, 2014

Inaba Mountain Moon

artwork by Tsuki Hyakushi

Nov 1, 2014

Dojo scene from a little bit different angle


Look at those autographs!

Ralph Macchio, Rob Thomas, and "Sensei" Marty Kove.