Stephen K. Hayes was the first American licensed to teach ninja martial arts by Masaaki Hatsumi, the thirty-fourth master of the Togakure-ryu ninjutsu tradition. A member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame, founder of the mind and body personal protection system of To-Shin Do, and an ordained meditation teacher, he lives with his wife Runiko in Dayton, Ohio. Visit his website at StephenKHayes.com.
The Ninja Defense shares a holistic approach to what martial arts training can encompass...This provides a great resource for modern people seeking simple solutions to violence...Overall, The Ninja Defense carries many ideas and tactics that are good for the masses: non-martial artists, beginner students, and advanced practitioners wishing to delve into a different martial art approach. - Martial Journal The contribution regarding the philosophy of martial art and what To Shin Do represents teaching which I feel has great value. The first six chapters as well as the last chapter were of particular interest to me as my own passion as an instructor and practitioner of martial arts always asks the questions on how to explain the mental aspects. Hayes and his editors I feel have done this very effectively, using relative and easy to understand terms with realistic but hypothetical situations to increase the readers understanding of these terms for practical use and further reflection. -Cyril Jackson, White Cat Publications Hayes has spent the last 20 years recasting the ninja strategies into a self-defense framework more suited to the threats and experiences of modern societies, and The Ninja Defense serves as a well organized, accessible quick introduction to these techniques. [T]he uniqueness of Hayes's approach is how he has integrated them into a practical self-defense curriculum that is suitable for all body types and even psychological profiles. The Ninja Defense also comes with a DVD so that, indeed, these moves and skills can be practiced in the home. -Tallahassee Writers Association