Title: Fujita Seiko, The Last Koga Ninja
Author: Phillip T. Hevener
A couple of weeks ago I was trying to find some background information on Fujita Seiko, and I decided to buy this book.
I bought it for several reasons.
It was only 10 dollars, so even if it was a dud, it would be no big loss. It also seemed devoid of ninja sensationalism. And finally, it was written by someone who is a Bujinkan Shidoshi, so it was highly likely that the author knew what he was talking about.
This book does not cover any technical aspects of ninjutsu. No techniques or training method are covered at all, except for a description of some of the conditioning techniques he was subjected to as a kid.
Instead, the book covers the man himself, and his walk through life.
What's also impressive is that all claims and facts come with source references, and the first chapter of the book explains the different sources that were used as well as their reliability and their relevance.
The fact that this book steers clear of sensationalism and has many source references makes the man Fujita Seiko even more remarkable. I am still a white belt newbie to ninpo, and this is the first time I've read into the art. Perhaps this also explains why I am so in awe of this man. From what I learned, I have the impression that he was truly a man to be in awe of.
The flip side of that same coin is that after reading this book, I thought about westerners claiming to have learned genuine koga ryu ninjutsu.
Looking at his training, conditioning, and the reasons that his grandfather found him worthy while his father was denied... the idea of any westerner a) finding a teacher b) being accepted c) being able to complete the brutal training is imo impossible. And of course d) he'd still have to be a kid (so how'd he find the teacher) e) he'd have to speak japanese, and f) his western parents would not object to the brutality.
With some ciritcal thinking I'd probably manage to come up with g-z.
Imo the idea is absurd.
The book also covers his reasons for letting Koga Ryu die with him.
While I can sort of understand his decision, based on the reasons he himself gave and the story of his life, I still think it is a loss. On the other hand, in today's world it would be difficult to pass on the legacy in the same way it was passed to him.
The book is filled with lots of detail, and it is a gripping read. I am not going to spill any details, because that would be disrespectful to the author. So much effort and research has gone into this book, and at 10$ it is dirt cheap. Even at 50$ it would have been worth every penny.
Author: Phillip T. Hevener
A couple of weeks ago I was trying to find some background information on Fujita Seiko, and I decided to buy this book.
I bought it for several reasons.
It was only 10 dollars, so even if it was a dud, it would be no big loss. It also seemed devoid of ninja sensationalism. And finally, it was written by someone who is a Bujinkan Shidoshi, so it was highly likely that the author knew what he was talking about.
This book does not cover any technical aspects of ninjutsu. No techniques or training method are covered at all, except for a description of some of the conditioning techniques he was subjected to as a kid.
Instead, the book covers the man himself, and his walk through life.
What's also impressive is that all claims and facts come with source references, and the first chapter of the book explains the different sources that were used as well as their reliability and their relevance.
The fact that this book steers clear of sensationalism and has many source references makes the man Fujita Seiko even more remarkable. I am still a white belt newbie to ninpo, and this is the first time I've read into the art. Perhaps this also explains why I am so in awe of this man. From what I learned, I have the impression that he was truly a man to be in awe of.
The flip side of that same coin is that after reading this book, I thought about westerners claiming to have learned genuine koga ryu ninjutsu.
Looking at his training, conditioning, and the reasons that his grandfather found him worthy while his father was denied... the idea of any westerner a) finding a teacher b) being accepted c) being able to complete the brutal training is imo impossible. And of course d) he'd still have to be a kid (so how'd he find the teacher) e) he'd have to speak japanese, and f) his western parents would not object to the brutality.
With some ciritcal thinking I'd probably manage to come up with g-z.
Imo the idea is absurd.
The book also covers his reasons for letting Koga Ryu die with him.
While I can sort of understand his decision, based on the reasons he himself gave and the story of his life, I still think it is a loss. On the other hand, in today's world it would be difficult to pass on the legacy in the same way it was passed to him.
The book is filled with lots of detail, and it is a gripping read. I am not going to spill any details, because that would be disrespectful to the author. So much effort and research has gone into this book, and at 10$ it is dirt cheap. Even at 50$ it would have been worth every penny.
