Jock Brocas - Book of Six Rings: Secrets of the Spiritual Warrior (Life Lessons and Intuitive Development Inspired by the Masters of Budo)

Perception is strong, sight is weak.

Miyamoto Musashi ( The Book of Five Rings )

In mainstream society, there is a general acceptance of the belief that martial artists can develop abilities that seem to defy explanation. In spite of this, there is also an inclination to attempt to refute what cant be detected with the five senses or proven through traditional scientific methods. However, there is a new school of thought that is emerging, and the barriers of disbelief are slowly beginning to break down. Humanity is gradually beginning to grasp that there is a correlation between science and spirituality. One can deduce that this same science is found within the martial way. In fact, the division between the science of budo and its associated spirituality is a veil that is extremely thin indeed, and with proper understanding and training the veil will be broken through. Whether or not you believe in the sixth sense (intuition), it is there, and heres the reality my friends: it will eventually force you to recognize it when you least expect! It may even save your lifeunbeknownst to you or those around you. My very good friend Ed Martin, a.k.a Papasan (or Granddad as I call him), had this very type of experience, which perhaps encompasses what it is all about.

I am alive today because I listened to a voice that clearly spoke to me inside my head. Ill explain. About eight years ago I had begun riding my bicycle for four miles each day I was at home. One day, during the summer of 2000, I had departed for this daily ride and had gone about one half mile from my home. I was pedaling up a small hill and beginning to breathe rather heavily when a voice went offin my head. It said, Ed, get offthis bike or you will fall off. I pulled over to the side of the road and got off. The next words the voice spoke to me were, Ed, lay down or you will fall down. I laid myself down on the grass and remember popping the strap on my helmet and that is all.

The next thing I knew, a couple had parked their car and were walking across the grass to me and asking if I was all right. At that point my mind was crystal clear but my body was too weak to get up. I didnt even know Id passed out until I realized that my bowels had let loose and Id fouled myself. They called both my wife and emergency services. Both arrived very quickly and by then I could stand, so after first going home to clean myself, I went to the hospital.

It was found that my aorta valve had closed to 6/10 of a centimeter in diameter (down from the average two centimeter opening). I was receiving only a fraction of the life-giving blood that should have been flowing to my body and brain. I had already gone into oxygen debt and if I had not listened to that voice, I would have died right there on the street. Anyone who has had such an experience no longer questions the existence of such sensesthey would be a fool to do so. For all others, it is much better to keep an attitude of suspension of disbelief than to refuse to accept such a possibility. I urge you to keep such an open mind.

Ed Martin (Shihan)

Kudan Bujinkan Ninjutsu

I remember watching those ninja and martial art movies when I was a kid and I particularly remember all the supernatural abilities that a ninja or even a master of kung fu was supposed to haveabilities such as sensing danger, increasing stamina and strength, and controlling the minds of opponents during combat. Even though I have been naturally psychic since birth, I have never viewed what I can do as supernatural and as far as I am concerned, paranormal is normal. As a child I yearned to be a ninja or a kung fu master and develop these super powersmuch to my mothers chagrin. Like every other kid on the block, I used to go around trying to emulate what the ninja were doing in the films. My mother even had some very expensive collectible coins that I threw away by using them as ninja shuriken weapons, and I destroyed many of my mothers gardening tools as I used them in battle I suppose she can thank Hollywood for that.