Rating: 
Summary: A great book for the open minded questioner of reality.
Review:
Glenn Morris manages to weave a great deal of humor and
wisdom into a fascinating autobiographical account of his
physical and spiritual enlightenment. I highly reccomend
this book to any open minded person who is interested in
the supernatural and internal aspects and possibilities of
the martial arts.
For those that are not true seekers of the supernatural,
this book is still very good. It reads well. Morris has
an easy-going way of telling his story, his humor is not
lost on anyone, and whether or not you believe him, he tells
a story so out of phase with the popular notion of reality
that you are sure to love it.
If you are interested in or have allready read this book,
then check out:
Shadow Strategies of an American Ninja Master (Glenn Morris)
The Way of Energy (Master Lam Kam Chuen)
Rating:
Summary: A great book for the open minded questioner of reality.
Review: Glenn Morris manages to weave a great deal of humor andwisdom into a fascinating autobiographical account of his physical and spiritual enlightenment. I highly reccomend this book to any open minded person who is interested in the supernatural and internal aspects and possibilities of the martial arts. For those that are not true seekers of the supernatural, this book is still very good. It reads well. Morris has an easy-going way of telling his story, his humor is not lost on anyone, and whether or not you believe him, he tells a story so out of phase with the popular notion of reality that you are sure to love it. If you are interested in or have allready read this book, then check out:
Shadow Strategies of an American Ninja Master (Glenn Morris)
The Way of Energy (Master Lam Kam Chuen)
Rating: 
Summary: Enlightenment
Review: After reading this book I was quite perplexed. I didn't know whether to try to comprehend what I had just read of just start reading if over from the beginning again. I feel that perhaps the book was too far advanced for my interest. I found myself reading the same sentence over and over again for two minutes to even attempt to understand what was being stated. I have never experienced anything like this book in my life before, but it was interesting to take the dive into these uncharted waters.
For anyone who is very seriouse and very involved into the martial arts I would highly recommend this book. For any of these people, who want to enlighten their martial arts experience and their life even further they should read this book. It is a book for those who have basic and advanced training and who can understand the topics and techniques discussed in the book. Glenn Morris talks about a wide variety of his experiences and how it has affected him. He is a very knowledgable man in his hobby and has a lot to offer to those who want to go above and beyond. The biggest impression impressed on me while reading it was that you have to be dedicated to it an to constantly practice in order to attain one's enlightenment.
Rating:
Summary: Enlightenment
Review: After reading this book I was quite perplexed. I didn't know whether to try to comprehend what I had just read of just start reading if over from the beginning again. I feel that perhaps the book was too far advanced for my interest. I found myself reading the same sentence over and over again for two minutes to even attempt to understand what was being stated. I have never experienced anything like this book in my life before, but it was interesting to take the dive into these uncharted waters.
For anyone who is very seriouse and very involved into the martial arts I would highly recommend this book. For any of these people, who want to enlighten their martial arts experience and their life even further they should read this book. It is a book for those who have basic and advanced training and who can understand the topics and techniques discussed in the book. Glenn Morris talks about a wide variety of his experiences and how it has affected him. He is a very knowledgable man in his hobby and has a lot to offer to those who want to go above and beyond. The biggest impression impressed on me while reading it was that you have to be dedicated to it an to constantly practice in order to attain one's enlightenment.
Rating: 
Summary: One Man's Journey on the Ninpo Path!
Review: Although I must admit I don't buy into sensational claims of chi power, the supernatural, and such, I found author Glenn Morris's account of his journey along the martial arts path entertaining and enjoyable. This was one of those books I lost sleep over--reading when I should be getting a good night's rest. One unique feature of this volume is Chapter 6, "The Godan or Master's Test for a Ninja", where Morris describes not only how the Go-dan (5th degree black belt) test in Bujinkan Ninjutsu/Taijutsu is conducted, but his own experience taking this test (he failed the first two times). He writes, "The fifth degree means you are a master of the basic physical, mental, and spiritual fundamentals with your own contributions to make to the system." (page 87) Morris describes his philosophy of ninpo (ninja way, path of ninjutsu) as he relates amazing experiences with men such as Masaaki Hatsumi who is one of the world's few ~practicing~ ninpo historians (at least 6 of Hatsumi's 9 ranks in traditional Japanese martial arts have been verified), and Stephen Hayes who is Hatsumi's seniormost American Student (see chapter 8). There are a plethora of other individuals whose names will no doubt be recognized by Bujinkan folks, esoterica buffs, and amateur martial arts historians alike. Morris is an interesting man, and has no qualms about candidly sharing his spiritual beliefs and personal experiences with his readers. He describes seeing different colored auras around people during their practice, sending and receiving chi,and his own experience with the spirituality of sex. I'm not too sure the colored, shimmering auras Glenn Morris sees are anywhere but in his own mind, and I don't buy his inflated views of his own psychic prowess which he sometimes seems to cloak in selflessness (notably absent when he describes his first two failures during his Go-dan test). My skepticism however, hasn't stopped me from appreciating his unique point of view. If you enjoy reading the autobiographies of martial artists or interesting people in general, Glenn Morris has written this volume for you!
Rating:
Summary: WAIT!!!
Review: Before you consider buying this book, there are a couple of things you should know. First, "Path Notes" is not a book about becoming a ninja. Second, this book does not contain any pictures of "flying" ninjas, "invisible" ninjas, or even pictures of Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope summoning "The Majick Ninjas!" The book isn't about ninjutsu at all, so if you are looking for a training manual, look elsewhere. And if you DO look elsewhere, I would suggest that you stay away from the drivel produced by posers like Haha Lung, Ashida Kim, or Jay Sensei. Instead, look for books authored by actual practicioners like Masaaki Hatsumi, Stephen Hayes, or, if the chinese arts are your preference, try the excellent works of Yang Jwing-Ming.
Ok, now on to what this book really IS about.
This book is about chi.
This book is about chakras.
This book is about enlightenment, and how one man found it.
So, if you don't believe in any of those things, then I can't recommend this book to you. If, however, you haven't made up your mind yet, then this just might be the book to convince you that you're missing out on something. And if you're looking for realistic, down-to-earth information about how to find out what that something is, then this is a wonderful place to start.
I'll be honest with you, when I first picked up this book I was all like "Whoa, man...Ninjas are Cool!" But fortunately I actually read the book and I was impressed to say the least. I had read some books before that had some vague references to chi, and energy, and auras and stuff like that, but it always came across as some amazing mystic skill that only masters had any hope of acquiring. This book is completely different from anything I've read previously. Dr. Morris lays down the facts in a very conversational, easy-to-read way that makes sense of the esoteric qualities of the martial arts accessible to anyone willing to put in a little work and 'keep goiing'.
Dr. Morris starts with the very basics: i.e. Breathing and Posture. He goes into details that others skip over when covering meditation including silencing the mind and how to focus your intent. Later chapters go into specific uses of new energy as well as some very interesting stories about people and instructors he has interacted with. Towards the end of the book, Dr. Morris gets into the spookier "magickal" manifestations of energy and spirituality, but it never comes across as corny or unbelievable. He also has a veritable library of recommended reading for further information, which makes "Path Notes of an American Ninja Master" my personal training manual of choice. If you've been looking for the esoteric in your martial art of choice and have found it lacking, this is a great study guide!
Rating:
Summary: The best western chi-sensei
Review: Dr. Glenn Morris is my philosopher of chi. He's smart, he's savvy, he could kill me with a strike. He knows science and he's enlightened. He's far too humble to let you know he's humble. He's a real guy. And, in contrast to most of the wishy-washy chi-authors out there, he can write! Let's get this out of the way: the things in this book are real. They're also mindblowing. This is NOT a book just for (would-be) ninja, this is for anyone who wants a new perspective on life in general too. Alot of people talk about enlightenment but this guy actually DID it (without necessarily expecting to), and not only that - he remained himself and refused to look at the process as anything other than bio-psychology. Enlightenment to him is fundamentally an electrical phenomenon, and nothing to do with ascetism; he thinks most religious documents are bull because they describe the life which results but not the process for getting there. At the time his kundalini rose this guy smoked a pack a day, drank scotch and drambuie, and thought sex was the best exercise. Definitely a hedonist, definitely a human being. And yet when he visited Petra some guy there instantly thought he was a holy man and asked him to call the faithful to prayer! This amused him... This book is a magic read. You'll be through it in a couple of days first time around, but then you'll want to go back and read more carefully. Partly this is a book about Dr. Morris's experience, described as he had it, and partly it's a series of instructions on how you can have it too, which is where the careful reading comes in. The style is casual, but alot of stuff is packed in! A little extra attention will be rewarding. You get more too - alot more. There's a great chapter on the history of ninja ryu, some wonderful portraits of people Morris has taught/learned from, some very far-out practices involving mirrors, experiences and theories about healing, philosophical digressions that take in Musashi and Hatsumi-soke, a whole section on sex with chi... I could go on. And the crowning piece of excellence (in all three of Morris' books actually) is the bibliography at the back - a whole slew of volumes for you to pore over, from psychology to yoga to martial arts, to round you out and make you think. 'Path Notes' is for anyone who wants to have an idea what a ninja should be - or ANY person could be. It's also fun, with a love of life and wry grin. This book (and the other two as well, which I recommend equally highly) helped me so much that now I think the whole world would be a better place if everyone else read them. But let's start with you - if anything above sounds interesting to you just go for it... you won't be disappointed. PS To the earlier reviewer who said 'I could never meditate because I have problems calming my mind' - duh! That's like saying 'I could never learn to swim because I have trouble floating'! You learn it. You have to practice! Don't you want to play with this??
Rating:
Summary: Brief Explanation on the Fun of Dr. Morris
Review: Dr. Morris is an excellent guide and has been a marvelous mentor for me. His insight into the academic and psychological worlds has provided me with much guidance. Path Notes is a required reading for my clientele who are learning about themselves. The Shadow is real and they have all learned to face theirs with the help of Path Notes. It is a marvelous tool for the psychotherapeutic professional and I highly recommend it for work with adolescents, bi-polar, and drug/alcohol addicted clientele. I am currently using and measuring its effects with the elderly in a depression and anxiety diagnostic center. Peace and enjoy! The Black Tiger
Rating:
Summary: Fun, engaging and thought provoking
Review: Dr.Morris' book takes you to places you have always been curious about but did not know where to start looking. It is a fun biography, how-to book, and historical novel all wrapped up into one. Real ninjutsu practitioners take note!
Rating:
Summary: an eye opening experience
Review: For those of you out there who feel there must be more to life than the rat race, this is the book for you. Dr Morris does an excellent job putting in to words what many of us just cannot put our fingers on....what it means to truly LIVE.
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