Review: In Search of the Ninja: The Historical Truth of Ninjitsu

http://themartialist.net/?p=2647

This made me chuckle because he hits the mark on a number of things, it's just a shame the book wasn't looked at in depth but then I suppose that's been done a few times.

 

I had no idea who [EDIT]A.C.[EDIT] was after reading that, so I googled him.

Turns out I had seen him previously trying to pedal some ridiculous nonsense to certain Aikido and Japanese weapons fan pages on Facebook, but obviously didn't think much of him then as I couldn't remember him.

Yeah, he's got an...interesting reputation...online, hasn't he?

Can he really not read or pronounce basic Japanese?!

 

Nope.

 

I doubt he can even read English.

 

Dang...when Phil Emore is calling your work crap you really need to up your game.

 

Yup he's a pleb, can you edit you post removing his name? We usually use 'AC '. Just don't like the idea of someone like him getting free advertisement.
' there's no such thing as bad publicity'

 

I don't think this is going to count as the kind of publicity people want.

 

*shrug* yeah, sure. Done 'n all that.

Googled him a bit more. It's impressive what some people will do to get noticed.

 

Doesn't matter. It will improve his search engine ratings, regardless of whether you call him a turd or a saint.

 

My wife worked as a graphic designed on this TV show about ninjas. It's a pretty cool documentary, until AC rears his ugly head as a "consultant". My wife met him in the production offices and described him as "creepier than Pedo Bear."

 

But when you say his name a fairy dies...

 

Wait, he posted on here previously?

...How do you search him?

 

There is so much controversy over A.C's work, I don't really get it. Isn't he just offering an alternative perspective on Ninja based on his research? I haven't read any of his books but from what I've gathered from the few youtube videos I have seen his research material comes from universities and museums. He also has people that work with him (mind you, I dont know how much credibility they have) and he's up front about his research being a passion and monetary endeavor. So for those of you who are familiar with A.C, have you found flaws in his work? Is it poorly done? Or do you just not like him? Again, I haven't done any research on the history of ninjutsu so I'm in no position to judge anyones work on the subject, so I'm curious to hear from people who do study or have studied this subject.

 

Ah, I...just...can't...go on reading all that.

I think I'm gonna lie down now.

 

There is so much controversy due to several reasons. Nr. 1 is that he has been busy building his youtube empire for a long time now, kissing behinds here and kicking them there, falsifying his credentials and training history (such as pics supposedly taken in Japan but actually in his yard, proven by Manga on this forum) etc., lying so much that every shred of credibility is destroyed. Nr. 2 is that he has not got the credentials. He is no historian, nor has he any proper knowledge of the older Japanese language. Most of his sources/accomplices, also the Japanese ones, do not have these credentials as well.
He has not, repeat not, got what it takes to write this kind of book. Loads of people have told him so. Yet he keeps on doing it. So what does this tell us about him? Right...

Regards, Tom.

 

The thing is: He is making bold statements about an art he never studied, from a culture he doesn't understand and whose language he doesn't speak. And what he says often contradicts what we know from people who have studied the art for decades, who lived in Japan for most of the time, and who are fluent in the language.

And then there are the things like him being proven to have lied, to have falsified pictures, and to have stalked / threatened someone he thought was the user 'manga' but who really was leo spencer.

 

I still don't know what he thought he was going to do when he was planning to pay Renshi Spencer a visit.

 

See I've heard stories that he has actually got some history in the bujinkan, but not an extensive one. Perhaps he became jaded and disappointed?

sad thing is I started having doubts about him when I found out about the Natori Ryu school he has reopened. From what I have read, the Natori system hasn't been taught and has no living heir, he just found the scrolls. It's just like the bartitsu revival, yet he attacks the bujinkan on questionable lineage of it's schools. Isn't that somewhat hypocritical?

Then there's also the matter in one of his visits to a ninja museum on his youtube channel he talks about several tools and actually says 'in my opinion this is not accurate' when describing a tool of some kind that's there in the museum. Forgive me if I'm wrong but I don't think an opinion qualifies as evidence.

Shame really, I liked the Ninpiden...