Rating: 
Summary: As a concerned, stick-fighting citizen...
Review: Perhaps a better title would be "How to deliver a brutal Hollywood beating to an un-armed man with a 3-foot piece of hickory in 50 ridiculously complicated and impractical ways." This book indulges in a kind of martial fetishism that is dangerous to all the arts. I've met some of the author's students, and many of them are legitimately tough guys and solid technicians, but this book is rather absurd. If you happen to have a bat and find a man who is willing to stand there and not hit you back (and you forget how to swing a bat), then this book is a golden find. With a wealth of martial history and traditions to draw from, to say nothing of the innovations made by martial researchers who breathe new life into a living tradition of martial arts, are we really willing to trade direct, effective training for ninja fetish value? Then again, if you are a ninja-hobbyist, be my guest...
Rating: 
Summary: Great book - if you can follow the disgrams
Review: This book has some great concepts and examples of self defense with a stick. One of the reviews complained that it wasn't "practical" and I would argue that any information read in a book is going to be just part of the puzzle. The techniques in this book are sound, but you cannot expect to gain a practical knowledge of ANYTHING from one book. The diagrams are well done, but due to the complicated nature (foot work, hand positioning, etc) it is a little difficult to follow some of the technqiues. Overall, a good book with some really good technqiues. Worth owning and learning.
Rating:
Summary: Great book - if you can follow the disgrams
Review: This book has some great concepts and examples of self defense with a stick. One of the reviews complained that it wasn't "practical" and I would argue that any information read in a book is going to be just part of the puzzle. The techniques in this book are sound, but you cannot expect to gain a practical knowledge of ANYTHING from one book. The diagrams are well done, but due to the complicated nature (foot work, hand positioning, etc) it is a little difficult to follow some of the technqiues. Overall, a good book with some really good technqiues. Worth owning and learning.
Rating: 
Summary: Written by THE Ninja Grandmaster!
Review: This book is a real treasure - it teaches the techniques from one of the original nine ninja clans in ancient Japan, and the Hatsumi should know what he's talking about, he's the 34th grandmaster of the nine ninja traditions (Ryu) that go back over 900 years!Aside from the historical interest, as a student of taijutsu and ninjutsu I found this book to be tremendously helpful. Even with no other training, you can use it to learn to defend yourself very effectively with a common cane or stick.
Rating:
Summary: If u want the most useful stickfighting book ever here it is
Review: This book is by far the best book on ninjutsu i have ever read. The book is loaded with information and u cannot have a better weopon than the stick. The preface give a very detailed account of why the stick is the most effective weopon you can learn to use. This is a rare gem of a book and if you are going to own one ninjutsu book this would have to be it.
Rating:
Summary: there is no substitute for this book
Review: This book was written by the only real ninja in the world. It deserves much respect.
Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: This is a great book. I practice ninjutsu for a few years now but never seen this book. When I finally came across this book and bought it I could see that my teacher taught every move in the order it was written in the book, ( I'm talking only at the basic moves!)which is not so surprisingly because he had mr. Hatsumi as his teacher. So, although I think you can always learn something from a book you should also find a teacher, because you can't always see the details which could sometimes get you killed. It's a great book for looking after some techniques you want to practice outside the dojo when you have forgotten them. By the way, there's not a word about it in the book, but masaaki hatsumi teaches Ninjutsu.
Rating:
Summary: an excellent book
Review: This is a really great book. It has many wonderful pictures detailing applications. The book's focus is on a three foot stick, about cane length. Of course, one cannot learn to fight from books alone. However, with help from a fellow martial artist, I was able to understand much of the book after some practice. This will be an interesting read regardless of the art you practice.
Rating:
Summary: Appropriate book with good explanations and photographs.
Review: This is an outstanding book, filled with many wonderful pictures and explinations. If you already train in Taijutsu you'll be able to understand this book without any trouble, grasping the ideas inside immeadiately. Hatsumi has provided tons of black and white pictures throughout this book to help you visualize the descriptions and instructions written in the book. All the photos are taken from the same angle and it's very easy to follow the progression of how a technique developes. If you have some background in taijutsu, or another martial art like it, you very easily understand some of teh basic movements that Hatsumi puts together to complete a technique. I can't comment on how good the book is to individuals who have no prior training, but I wouldn't recommend for anyone to learn martial arts out of a book anyway. If you have some background and are looking to expand your horizons or just have a reference to use during training, this book is worth every cent.
Rating:
Summary: A great companion to training
Review: This is an outstanding book, filled with many wonderful pictures and explinations. If you already train in Taijutsu you'll be able to understand this book without any trouble, grasping the ideas inside immeadiately. Hatsumi has provided tons of black and white pictures throughout this book to help you visualize the descriptions and instructions written in the book. All the photos are taken from the same angle and it's very easy to follow the progression of how a technique developes. If you have some background in taijutsu, or another martial art like it, you very easily understand some of teh basic movements that Hatsumi puts together to complete a technique. I can't comment on how good the book is to individuals who have no prior training, but I wouldn't recommend for anyone to learn martial arts out of a book anyway. If you have some background and are looking to expand your horizons or just have a reference to use during training, this book is worth every cent.
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