Book of Spinjitzu (LEGO Ninjago) Read online

  The Book of Spinjitzu

  “THE ROAD IS LONG AND WINDING,

  AND YOU ARE ONLY AT THE BEGINNING.”

  I have studied Spinjitzu all my life, but there will

  always be more to learn. My father, the First Spinjitzu

  Master, taught me the ways of Spinjitzu and the wonders

  of Ninjago — the world he created. Since I was a boy, I have

  recorded these lessons so that I may teach others. Parts

  of this book are from journals I kept as a child and young

  man (yes, I was young once!). I wrote other parts as I have

  continued my studies. Now, late in my journey through life,

  I have added more notes to these pages . . .

  To possess The Book of Spinjitzu is to bear a great

  responsibility. The information it contains is to be used wisely,

  and only for good. It is my hope that you, my reader, will let

  the power of Spinjitzu unlock the True Potential within you and

  become one of Ninjago Island’s great champions. Someday I will be

  gone, and this book is my legacy . . . as are you.

  - Master Wu

  THE PHILOSOPHY

  OF SPINJITZU

  “NOT ALL LESSONS ARE ABOUT FIGHTING.”

  My father’s first lesson was this:

  Spinjitzu is more than an ancient

  martial art of punches, kicks,

  flips, and throws. It is a

  philosophy of living that

  takes a lifetime’s journey

  to acquire. As a boy, my

  greatest desire was for

  Father to teach my older

  brother, Garmadon, and

  me how to defeat the

  forces of evil. Though I

  would indeed learn how to

  do this, I would go on to learn

  so much more.

  BALANCE

  Spinjitzu is about balance. Not just how a ninja stands as

  she fights, but also how she balances the Light and Darkness

  (good and bad) within herself and the world around her.

  ROTATION

  Spinjitzu is

  also the art

  of rotation,

  which is key to

  how a ninja moves.

  It teaches flexibility

  during battle and in life,

  which is full of change.

  Rotation is a source of

  strength. It adds force

  and momentum to blows.

  Once mastered, rotation

  helps a ninja create an

  elemental tornado. It

  also comes in handy

  while dancing!

  Spinjitzu mirrors the qualities of its students. Only a true Spinjitzu

  Master knows that human potential goes far beyond what most people can

  imagine. Spinjitzu is a quest for total perfection. It may not be reached,

  but there is value in trying.

  I was very young when my father explained that

  Garmadon and I needed to uphold and pass on the

  legacy of Spinjitzu. Taking on such responsibility as a

  boy was daunting. From the beginning, I took my studies

  very seriously. I did not want to let my father down.

  MASTER CLASS

  “TO BECOME A TRUE NINJA, YOU MUST BE ABLE TO SEE

  WHAT OTHERS DO NOT SEE.”

  One day, I will become a ninja! Father says being a ninja is one

  of the best things you can be. A ninja is honorable and strong.

  A ninja never quits and never leaves a friend behind. A ninja

  helps those who need it, and keeps dark forces from spreading evil.

  Look out, dark forces — soon I will be coming for you! (As long

  as the dark forces aren’t too dark . . . I

  still leave the light on when I go to sleep.)

  Garmadon and I enjoy listening

  to Father’s stories from long

  before time had a name.

  I want to grow up to be

  just like my father. He is

  so calm and peaceful –

  except when Garmadon

  and I fight. “Brothers

  should not fight,” Father says.

  Even if I am never to be the master

  that he is, I know I will learn many

  things. As Father likes to say, “The

  journey is more important than the

  destination.” I am excited to see how

  far I can travel on my journey.

  MASTER OF SPINJITZU!

  I can’t wait to

  begin my training!

  Little did I know what

  I was in for next !

  WU (ME)

  GARMADON

  TRAINING DAYS

  “A NINJA NEVER QUITS!”

  ????

  Training is hard. I didn’t think it

  would be like this. When the training

  sessions are over, I’m so tired I can barely

  lift my chopsticks!

  Before sunrise, Garmadon and I stretch our arms, legs, necks,

  shoulders, backs, and even our eyes and ears. Father says

  stretching loosens the body and mind for the challenges ahead.

  LEG STRETCHES

  NECK STRETCHES

  Then we run the

  training course Father

  has built. Something

  always throws, trips, or

  smashes us! Father just

  drinks his tea and says,

  “Fail,” every time we fall.

  Then we do it all over again.

  Next, Father leads us through Spinjitzu movements.

  We have learned hundreds of moves, but it seems

  there are thousands more. Sometimes I

  want to give up, but then

  I remember, “A ninja

  never quits.” (Although

  sometimes a ninja

  REALLY wants to!)

  The Great Devourer

  took my brother away

  from me.

  Yesterday, something scary happened. During our training exercises,

  my katana was knocked over the monastery wall. Garmadon went

  to bring it back, but when he reached for it, he was bitten by a

  strange snake. Father and I were very worried, for we could tell a

  great evil had found its way into my brother’s heart. The snake’s

  venom could turn the purest of things wicked . . .

  FINDING YOUR

  TRUE POTENTIAL

  “SPINJITZU IS INSIDE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US. BUT IT WILL

  ONLY BE UNLOCKED WHEN THE KEY IS READY TO BE FOUND.”

  Over the last few years, Garmadon and I have made great progress

  in our study of Spinjitzu. Father says that to reach a higher level

  of mastery, we must unlock our True Potential. In each of us, there

  are obstacles and worries that keep us from true greatness. It is only

  when we conquer those obstacles that our hearts will be free and our

  True Potential — our own personal elemental power or skill — will be

  unlocked. Then we can achieve higher goals and truly master Spinjitzu.

  DOUBT

  FAILING

  EMBARRASSMENT

  Me (trying to be brave)

  Fear often prevents ninja-in-training from taking the next step

  forward. I wonder what my greatest fear is? Doubt? Failure?

  Father said True Potential unlocks the power

  of Elemental Masters. What can I do to unl
ock

  my True Potential? What is my True Potential?

  Which element will I be connected to? Fire, Ice,

  Lightning, Earth? Am I even an Elemental Master?

  How will I be able to help Father protect our world from evil? I hope

  the future holds the answers . . .

  KNOWN ELEMENTAL MASTERS:

  Pale Man - Light

  Griffin Turner - Speed

  Skylor - Amber

  Bolobo - Nature

  Karlof - Metal

  Gravis - Gravity

  Neuro - Mind

  Ash - Smoke

  Jacob - Sound

  Camille - Form

  Tox - Poison

  Kai - Fire

  Cole - Earth

  Zane - Ice

  Jay - Lightning

  Nya - Water

  Me, Elemental Master of ????

  THE JOURNEY TO MASTERY

  “ONLY A TRUE SPINJITZU MASTER KNOWS THAT THE HUMAN

  POTENTIAL EXCEEDS WHAT WE DARE TO IMAGINE.”

  Every morning, I ask Father, “Have we reached our

  True Potential yet?” But he always answers, “When

  you do, you will be the first to know!” But how?

  There is so much I still don’t understand. I must

  work hard, and study even harder.

  Garmadon is becoming less

  interested in unlocking his

  True Potential. He does not

  follow instructions and will

  not practice by himself.

  He has changed. A

  growing Darkness within

  him is pushing him away

  from the path our father

  hoped he would take.

  I train each day. I wish to

  harness not just my physical

  potential with Spinjitzu

  movements, but also my mental

  potential by studying their

  meaning. Everything in Spinjitzu is done for a reason, and every

  movement and thought has a purpose. These combinations are

  too many to count, but by understanding them all I may someday

  master Spinjitzu.

  “Life is but a series of small steps toward your ultimate goal,”

  Father likes to say. But I must admit, on many days, it feels as

  if we are walking backward!

  SPINJITZU IN

  EVERYDAY LIFE

  “SPINJITZU IS AS MUCH A PART OF

  EVERYTHING YOU DO AS BREATHING.”

  Father says many Spinjitzu

  movements involve rotation, or turning.

  The Spinjitzu tornado is one of these movements. Father

  challenged us to find examples of rotations in

  everyday life. Here are some:

  We stir tea in the

  teapot to dissolve

  sugar in it.

  Don’t stir too hard,

  or the tea will spill!

  We turn around to speak

  Pottery wheels

  to someone behind us.

  rotate so we

  can make pots

  and vases.

  It’s wise to talk to only

  one person at a time.

  By spinning a potter’s

  wheel, we can create

  true pieces of art.

  How

  will this

  training

  help me create my

  first Spinjitzu tornado?

  I must meditate on that

  and practice harder,

  for when I use Spinjitzu

  in battle, my moves should be quick and

  precise. Father assures me that stirring my

  tea properly is an excellent start.

  MY FIRST SPINJITZU

  TORNADO

  “A THOUSAND-MILE JOURNEY

  BEGINS WITH THE FIRST STEP.”

  Today, Garmadon and I

  created our first Spinjitzu

  tornadoes! It was AMAZING!

  Father sent us to the village

  to fetch tea. While we were

  there, bullies confronted

  us and tried to take the

  tea. Instantly, we put our

  training to use. The next

  thing we knew, we were in

  the center of whirlwinds

  that seemed strong enough

  to blow our enemies

  halfway to the Lost City of

  Ouroborus!

  The Spinjitzu tornado is one

  of the most important moves

  to master, and being able to

  perform one is a huge step

  forward.

  We must use precise motions to create the Spinjitzu tornado, which

  acts as a shield of energy. It protects the ninja, and it can also create

  devastating attacks. This is how I begin my Spinjitzu tornado:

  2. I begin a series of precise

  1. I shout “NINJA-GO!” —

  3. Once I achieve perfect

  movements to build up momentum.

  this helps me concentrate

  balance, an unstoppable whirl

  Momentum increases as I begin to

  and attain inner balance.

  of energy surrounds me.

  rotate. It builds into one balanced

  motion, almost a dance.

  5. . . . but I’ve

  created a Spinjitzu

  tornado! Now each

  of my blows will

  be equally strong.

  Then I slow down,

  4. I maintain the pace without

  concentrate, and

  losing force. At first, I feel

  do it all over

  a bit dizzy . . .

  again. Practice

  makes perfect!

  THE PROPHECY OF

  THE GREEN NINJA

  “ONE NINJA WILL RISE ABOVE THE OTHERS . . .”

  What’s my destiny?

  “One ninja will rise above the others

  Is my life’s mission to

  and become the Green Ninja — the

  become the Green

  ninja destined to defeat the Dark

  Ninja? Or maybe it

  will be to find the

  Lord.” So says the Prophecy of

  Green Ninja and

  the Green Ninja. Since the day

  protect him (or

  my father first told me of this

  her)??

  prophecy, I haven’t been

  able to stop thinking

  about it.

  The Green Ninja is

  the most powerful

  of all the ninja. It is

  said he will be revealed

  only when the Four Golden

  Weapons of Spinjitzu are laid out

  before him. It is also said that

  the weapons will recognize him.

  I wonder what that means? Will

  they say, “Hello, Green Ninja?”

  Somehow, I do not think so.

  The Dark Lord is the

  Overlord — the eternal,

  indestructible enemy of all

  things good. He is a being

  born of pure Darkness

  who was created when the

  first shadow fell, after

  my father formed the

  world of Ninjago with the

  Golden Weapons.

  As it turns out, the Golden Weapons glow green

  in the presence of the Green Ninja.

  Once we find the Green

  Ninja, we must protect him

  or her, as one day he or

  she will save us all. The

  Overlord’s Dark Forces will

  want to keep the Green Ninja

  from mastering his powers,

  and they will stop at nothing

  to accomplish their goal.

  THE DARK SIDE

  OF SPINJITZU

  “SPINJITZU IS A SWORD WITH
TWO BLADES.”

  Father says Spinjitzu, if not performed exactly right,

  can cause great harm. I learned that lesson today.

  During sparring, I rotated my hips too much while

  executing a Kick of the Mantis, and I accidentally sent

  Garmadon flying through a support beam. The entire roof

  almost came down on him!

  Afterward, Garmadon lashed out at me with a kind of anger I had

  never seen before. He was so furious, he didn’t use Spinjitzu

  correctly. And he nearly destroyed the entire monastery before

  Father calmed him down!

  These days, it seems there is almost as much Darkness in Garmadon

  as Light, and nothing Father tries can reverse it. Now my brother

  is undergoing different training — training my father hopes will

  return him to the right track. Father says using Spinjitzu for evil

  purposes could affect the balance between good and evil, and that

  whoever gives in to that temptation could destroy the world.

  I will not let that happen to me.

  THE SCROLL OF

  FORBIDDEN SPINJITZU

  “SOME SECRETS ARE BEST LEFT HIDDEN IN THE SHADOWS.”

  One day, we were browsing Father’s library, hoping to find a cookbook to

  replace Father’s usual “plain noodles.” When Garmadon pulled out a book

  called The Art of Broth, a scroll of black paper fell from its pages. He

  picked it up and said it felt hot.

  He wanted to read it. I sensed we should not. Garmadon started to unroll

  the scroll when Father raced in and snatched

  it. He told us never to touch “the

  Scroll of Forbidden

  Spinjitzu.” Then he

  ordered us to

  leave.

  The next

  day, Garmadon

  returned to the

  library. He said the scroll was

  “calling” him. I should have told Father,

  but instead I followed my brother. The

  scroll wasn’t there, much to Garmadon’s

  frustration . . . and my relief.

  Sometimes I wake at night and find Garmadon is missing from the

  bed next to mine. I imagine he is looking for the scroll. I cannot

  imagine what dark secrets it contains. A long-forgotten phrase

  that will turn the sun cold? A chant that will raise the spirits of

  the departed? A great tea recipe?

  As I suspected, Garmadon was still looking