Bushido is a widely used but little understood term which is usually translated as the "Code of the Samurai". It relates to our study of Ninpo, and must be understood. You may have heard it in the popular martial arts movies, or read it in the magazines. Another, more correct way of putting it is the "Way of the Warrior." Most people have some vague sense of what this is supposed to have meant to the Japanese warrior. A sense of honor, serving one's lord in all ways until the very end; honesty and loyalty, etc. Although these interpretations sound very good, they aren't quite accurate. This type of opinion comes from a Western viewpoint (even though it may be held by some Japanese!). People say this because it gives an almost holy appearance to the warrior, both Samurai and Ninja, and they want to be identified with that type of "idealistic" warrior.

The people who would have you believe this have not studied the real budo, or arts of war. It is very hard, almost impossible, to get the real feeling of the warrior lifestyle from tournament martial arts. In fact, very few men can quickly answer the question "What is the Way?" When studying an art like Ninjutsu, it is possible to see deeper into these types of philosophies. The Way, simply stated, is death. Nothing more. It means that if there is a choice to be made between living and dying, the warrior chooses death. It was written very well in the Hagakure (hidden leaves {pages}), the seventeenth century warriors' bible.

It is written that the warrior should keep death foremost in his mind, from the time he wakes until goes to sleep. These strict codes also included harsh precepts such as "Have no preference in anything", "Have no desire for a house and family", and "Like nothing". However, the Ninja did not necessarily adopt such a rigid view. We say "Keep death foremost in your mind" basically in a more pragmatic way: There is no such thing as surprise for the Ninja.

Hatsumi Sensei has in fact said that the Ninja were not allowed to let themselves be killed. Their intelligence gathering missions were so vital that they were required to do absolutely whatever it took to return with their information. One way of looking at this mindset from a modern perspective is that if you let yourself get killed, you wouldn't then be able to protect your family, provide for them, or be around to raise your children. So now we see a larger overview of Ninjutsu: training to stay alive.

But then again . . . don't forget the Way of the Warrior. If you must risk your life to save your family, then I hope that you won't hesitate.

Shidoshi Ken Harding, 6th Dan, heads the Missouri Ninja Center in St. Louis. He started his training in 1984, has trained with Hatsumi Soke in Japan, and studies Japanese, Yoga, shiatsu, herbology and nutrition. He may be contacted via E-mail: Shadowswrd@aol.com.