The Ninja Apprentice

253 Pages·2016·0.98 MB·English

by  Merz Jon F

Contents
The Ninja Apprentice
Copyright
About This Series
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Connect with Jon F. Merz
Other Books by Jon F. Merz
About Jon F. Merz
THE NINJA APPRENTICE
The Lost Scrolls of Fudo Shin
Book 1
THE NINJA APPRENTICE
The Lost Scrolls of Fudo Shin
Book 1
© 2012 by Jon F. Merz All rights reserved
About This Series
Once upon a time, there was an author who had written many books for
adults. Then this author had an idea for a book series for young men that would
be filled with all sorts of action, craziness, and martial arts. It would be the
series that the author himself wished had been around when he was growing up
reading all sorts of other crazy books.
So he wrote it.
He called it THE NINJA APPRENTICE and filled it with cool techniques
from authentic Ninjutsu, bits of strategy, and the sort of characters that people
love to read about. When he was finished, he showed it to his literary agent,
who also loved the book. Together, they worked to make it even better than it
was, and when it was finally improved, the agent said to the author, “this is the
book I always wished had come across my desk when I was acquiring titles for
the publishing house I worked at.” Filled with hope and promise, the author sat
back and waited as his agent dutifully sent the book around to various editors in
New York City. They felt certain that some wise and knowledgable editor
would see the enormous potential of the series.
But alas, such was not the case.
Instead of marveling at the book, editor after editor rejected it. And they
would say things like “boys don’t read” and “this doesn’t have the commercial
appeal to gain a wide audience.”
But boys DO read.
And this series DOES have massive commercial appeal.
After all, it’s got ninja in it.
And what could possibly be cooler than that? Well, how about being able to
learn some real ninjutsu as you read? You see, not only is this a fun series of
books to read, it’s also a training manual of sorts. The techniques within these
pages are real - taken from the Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu family that stretches back
almost 1,000 years throughout ancient Japan and adapted into a fictitious ninja
tradition known as Matsuda-ryu. The author has studied authentic ninjutsu for
over twenty years and what he’s learned has found its way into the book you
hold in your hands. Along with the story, you now have the chance to learn
some very real stuff here.
And that’s pretty cool, too.
After the final editor turned down this book, the author decided to take matters
into his own hands. So he put the book out himself.
Here it is.
If you enjoy this first book in the series, tell your friends. Tell your family.
Tell everyone you talk to online. The “professional” publishing world thought
that you wouldn’t be reading this; they thought you wouldn’t be “into it.”
You’re proving them wrong - and that’s pretty awesome, too.
The more people who read THE NINJA APPRENTICE, the more we prove
that the publishers were wrong. There is an audience for books for boys about
ninjas.
And for girls, too.
Female ninja were called kunoichi. And they’re in the pages of this book, too.
So get ready for a real trip into the world of ninjutsu - there’s adventure,
violence, and much more within these pages. But like all the best ninja secrets,
some are hidden in plain sight.
And if you blink, you just might miss it.
Have fun and thanks for proving the publishers wrong!
-Jon F. Merz
May 2012
Acknowledgements
This story would not be possible without the incredible guidance and
teachings of Mark Davis at the Boston Martial Arts Center
(http://www.bostonmartialarts.com). I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate to be a
student of his dojo for over twenty years and the skills he has shown me have
saved my life many times. Some of those same skills are within the adventures
that Jimmy will face throughout this series. As such, I owe Mark my most
humble and sincere thanks for his teaching, guidance, and friendship. He is the
epitome of what it means to be a teacher of the martial arts and is an example to
all who would ever call themselves such.

This series is for my sons,
Jackson Frederick & William Edward
I hope you find the path of Budo as rewarding, challenging, and fulfilling as I
have.
Who Dares Wins