The following is a translation from the Japanese Book, Hiden no Togakure Ryu Ninpo, or Secret Togakure Ryu Ninpo, by Soke Masaaki Hatsumi. As always, I have edited it only for grammar, and have left the content just as it was written by Soke. Ñ Shidoshi Ken Harding

People who are studying martial arts are apt to think that they are rightly human; that they have a right philosophy and that they are acting and behaving correctly. But what do other people think?

One day I was watching a talk show with a martial art novelist on TV. The novelist, who didn't look like he really knew about the martial arts, looked so weak, but was talking as if he had been a great swordsman. These modern day novelists become great swordsmen all too quickly. I don't know if they have a problem, or if the problem is with the mass media.

Novelists who are not studying or training in the martial arts can't talk about the way of the martial arts or movements of the martial arts. But some of them even interrupt the professionals who are studying or training in the martial arts. I call these kind of novelists megalomaniacs. I wonder why the mass media lets these amateur critics be sensei of certain arts. This is a crazy world.

I have heard that the writers, researchers, stunt men, and martial artists disputed over the mutodori scenes in the N.H.K. TV series "Haru no Saka Michi". To me, you have to risk your life to do muto dori against a real sword. There is a poem which describes the will and heart of muto:

Hell is under the sword which is brandished,
just step in, and there will be heaven.

When you face the sword, you need guts. The person who can't get true guts normally gets fake guts, (craziness) by using liquor or drugs. I once had a talk with one martial artist: "Hatsumi-san, I have met many sensei, but a lot of martial artists are nervous." "You mean persecution mania or being sensitive to winning or losing?" "Yes." "When I see my teacher, Takamatsu Sensei, I can tell that the martial art allergy, thinking too much, will be dull if you train enough. He says it is senility, but he is quite well and very strong."

There are times when a martial artist can become crazy, such as megalomania, inferiority complex, persecution mania, and too sensitive (chusatsu moso), which makes you think somebody is trying to attack you. For example, if you become a megalomaniac, you think you are strong, a hero. Inferiority complex, which you could get if you keep losing, can make you think you are not good at all, or that you don't have the talent to be a martial artist. Persecution mania makes you think that your opponent looks stronger. Chusatsu moso makes you think that somebody is trying to attack you because you have a lot of weak points. This is one of the mental diseases which everyone will have if they are in the process of training. Only an individual who is in the "World of Craziness" and can get out can become a master.

It is said that the sword saint learned zen a long time ago. But there was a dark period of Zen in the history of Japan. The priest Ikkyu lived during that period with the spirit of rejection called himself "Fukyo" (crazy). You can interpret craziness and courage as the same thing. One day, Shogun Ashikaga visited Ikkyu to reform the bad customs. Other priests started to shake and worry because of the presence of the Shogun, but Ikkyu took off his hat and stood up on a place higher than the Shogun, and was about to give his hat to him. One of the Shogun's followers was very upset and put his hand on the handle of his sword, ready to draw when he thought he better not cause bloodshed before the Buddhist altar. Instead he reached out his hand to receive the hat for the Shogun. Ikkyu then said: "I can't give this hat to a follower like you. I will only give it directly to the Shogun." This is an example of courage with humor.

There are many forms of the Kyo (craziness). The form of split: changes of techniques or martial art to find a good teacher. The form of depressive: a person who smiles (gets gratification) after cutting (attacking) someone. The form of diversion: the person who attacks the opponent's territory by himself. The form of alcoholic: a person who can't hold the sword without liquor, etc. Anyone who becomes crazy of the craziness and then returns back to the normal state will become a true expert. I tell my students that if they can do mental concentration, become a kind of schizophrenic or split personality, or they can't detect the existence of the opponents in every direction.

There is an tendency for modern martial artists not to do training by themselves. I used to train by myself. When my teacher was not there, I found out the secret by myself. I stayed in the mountains and trained with trees, wild animals, and nature. I trained using taihenjutsu against trees. When I trained against wild animals, I read their minds first and then punched or kicked them. I practiced throwing techniques against a big bull. I trained against the changes of nature, and learned to foresee them and take advantage of the changes.

But its better being with your teacher. But if your teacher is not good, you learn only the shape, and you end up with puppet martial arts. By the way, the book called A LAISSEZ-FAIRE POLICY, a bestseller, should be welcomed because this policy can give you great creativity. If I have a student who doesn't learn, but enjoys the martial arts, I leave him alone. I don't say anything and I don't even train him. But if he still likes martial arts, he trains by himself and starts to learn something. If you teach him too much, it sometimes doesn't work. Oh Yomei fore knew that people were coming to him by Do In Jutsu, technique of leading, conducting, but he thought that teaching this to people didn't do any good for them, and he stopped teaching. If you do too much, its no good. It is the same for the martial arts. I don't teach real advanced techniques unless they are to advanced students. The secret is not the number of techniques.

A laissez-faire policy is the method which was born from the realization of "nothing". Modern society, which seeks only the method which is born from "something", makes useless people. Sometimes I tell my students who are still in high school: "I don't like the way you study because you don't have a goal. I will teach you. First, fall in love with Ninpo. Falling in love will give birth to everything. If you fall in love, you can train by yourself. From there, you start studying everything." A lot of foreigners come to me, so I naturally started studying foreign languages. History of martial arts, thoughts, religion, philosophy, mother's tongue (advice), foreign language, psychology, chemistry, physics, etc. You start studying by yourself. So it is not important whether you are good or bad at something, as in budo, or how many techniques you were taught or know, but its more valuable to learn the truth of the game by self training. "Life is self training." This is the axiom I tell myself and my students. Of course it is most important to have attentiveness. Attentiveness lets you have a manner to train in order not to get into trouble.

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If I see that this is done properly, and if people request it, I will release more of this hard to come by information. This is part of a series of translations of authentic Ninjutsu material available in the martial arts section of America OnLine. Type Keyword: Grandstand. Send feedback to Shadowswrd@aol.com -- Ken Harding.