Book of Spinjitzu (LEGO Ninjago) Page 4

  EVERYWHERE

  “LISTEN TO YOUR HEART BUT

  BE GUIDED BY REASON.”

  Over the years, my study of Spinjitzu has taught me never

  to underestimate anyone as a potential enemy. Here are some

  great examples of this.

  The evil Nindroids,

  constructed by tech

  genius Cyrus Borg to

  serve the Overlord,

  can appear mindless

  and not much of a

  threat. However, they

  are tougher and more

  agile than humans. Yet

  Nindroids are unable

  to gain strength from

  friendship, and they

  are incapable of making

  sacrifices, which is

  where some of the

  Spinjitzu Masters’

  greatest strengths lie.

  Even the Nindroid proved

  surprisingly tough . . . especially

  when teased about his size!

  A Skulkin named Krazi is another

  surprising enemy. With his

  jester’s hat and foolish behavior,

  he might not seem dangerous.

  But Spinjitzu teaches us that

  unpredictable enemies are the

  most difficult to fight, and Krazi

  is certainly unpredictable.

  Spinjitzu’s strength also comes

  from the mind — and reason

  always defeats madness! Great

  for overcoming an unpredictable

  enemy like this one!

  Knowing your enemies’ strengths and

  weaknesses, regardless of their size, is the

  key to finding a way to defeat them.

  Monkey Wretch, the chief mechanic for Nadakhan’s

  pirate crew, doesn’t really look menacing, but a

  Spinjitzu Master should never judge by appearances.

  Monkey Wretch’s strength is not the same as a warrior’s, but

  as a brilliant engineer he has built many dangerous machines.

  INNER STRENGTH

  “FEAR CAN HOLD YOU BACK OR PUSH YOU FORWARD.”

  Spinjitzu shows us that, more than any Nindroid,

  Serpentine, or Overlord, fear is a ninja’s greatest enemy

  because it holds us back from true greatness. I have taught

  my students that in order to become real masters they should

  start believing in themselves, face up to their fears, and

  trust what their heart is saying.

  I spend much of the

  ninjas’ training time

  dealing with fear.

  Often, I will surprise

  them with what

  scares them most.

  Some are making

  great progress,

  but Jay still has a

  tendency to scream

  and run to his room.

  He will learn — these

  things take time.

  COMMON FEARS:

  1. Flying

  2. Speaking in front

  of an audience

  3. Heights

  4. Clowns

  5. The dark

  6. Failing

  7. Spiders

  8. Flowers

  9. Oatmeal for

  breakfast

  10. Dogs

  11. Dentists (especially

  ones dressed as

  clowns)

  12. Snakes

  If ninja can face and understand

  their fears, those fears are less

  likely to interfere with the ninja

  accomplishing their goal. Remember

  to center yourself when

  confronted with what scares

  you most. Nobody is free

  from fear. Even I fear I

  will fail others, my father

  in particular. He may no

  longer be with me, but I still

  do not want to disappoint him.

  A NINJA’S APPEARANCE

  “YOUR ENEMY MAY JUDGE YOU ON YOUR APPEARANCE,

  BUT YOU MUST ALSO SHOW THEM WHERE THE REAL

  STRENGTH LIES — INSIDE OF YOU.”

  To best practice Spinjitzu, a ninja’s typical

  clothing, or gi, should be simple, functional, and

  allow maximum movement. A hood lets the ninja

  see, but does not reveal the ninja’s identity.

  Boot soles are padded so the ninja may move

  silently. And the gi’s three belts make sure a

  ninja’s pants don’t fall down during a fight.

  (Embarrassment can be a powerful weapon

  in the hands of an enemy!)

  A Spinjitzu ninja always

  fights fair!

  During training, ninja

  wear special helmets, chest

  protectors, and other padding

  so they don’t get injured.

  These outfits emphasize a ninja’s

  abilities in battle: the tenacity

  of Ice, the spontaneity of Fire,

  the speed of Lightning, and the

  strength of the Earth.

  When fighting,

  Cole keeps his

  wallet under

  his shoulder

  plate.

  The rocks that orbit Cole when he

  is doing a Spinjitzu tornado never

  seem to block his vision.

  The ninja occasionally wear armored

  suits for combat involving heavy

  weapons. These suits have

  reinforced shoulder plating,

  sheaths for weapons, and masks

  that cover only the lower part

  of the face.

  When not in uniform, the ninja

  dress as typical young people.

  That way, they don’t draw

  attention to themselves. And they

  also seem to find it comfortable.

  HIDING IN

  PLAIN SIGHT

  “MAKE YOUR ENEMY SEE WHAT YOU WANT HIM TO SEE.”

  Ninja must not only be good fighters, they must also be clever.

  Many missions call for speed, stealth, and disguise. Camouflage

  is an art within the art of Spinjitzu.

  I’m proud of my students, who have practiced Spinjitzu’s art of

  disguise in many different ways. When Nadakhan’s crew took over the

  Misfortune’s Keep, the ninja boarded it disguised as pirates . . .

  My students have also improvised disguises using materials they had at

  hand. They once cobbled together disguises as Stone Warriors to sneak

  into Lord Garmadon’s camp when he was still on Dark Island.

  Obviously, this was before they

  perfected the art of disguise.

  Nya has proven quite skilled at all manners

  of disguise. She posed as a Kabuki

  performer to blend in with Master

  Chen’s entourage. She also

  designed and built the DB X

  and equipped it with software

  that allowed it to change its

  appearance so the ninja

  could travel unnoticed.

  TO WARM THE SOUL

  “EVERY CUP OF TEA IS LIKE A JOURNEY IN ONE’S MIND.”

  When our world is in peril, a true Master of Spinjitzu takes no rest

  and fights until the agents of Darkness are pushed back. However,

  there are moments when one needs to stop, relax, regain strength, and

  reflect upon the world through meditation.

  My preferred method

  of relaxation is making

  and drinking tea.

  Tea making is an art, just like

  Spinjitzu. It requires concentration

  and patience. The temperature

  of the water is important, and

  the timing and technique used

  to steep the leaves and
extract

  the flavor is crucial.

  I was amazed to

  discover how much

  I had learned about

  rotation from stirring

  my tea . . .

  There are enough different

  kinds of tea to satisfy the

  most sublime tastes. Some

  even have magical qualities.

  There is the tea that can

  speed up the aging process,

  and the tea that helps one

  forget certain events (highly

  desirable, but rarely

  available). When made

  properly, some teas allow

  you to transport yourself

  across enormous distances

  and even between realms

  (a comfortable method of

  traveling for a Spinjitzu

  Master, I must admit). These

  all can be bought in Mystake’s

  tea shop.

  Mystake’s tea shop

  I have often dreamed of opening my own tea shop. I look forward

  to making my own blends and showing customers the delights and

  benefits of tea.

  I’ve been told about a type of tea that helps its

  drinkers grow a mustache and beard. Who would

  need such tea?

  EVERYONE HAS

  POTENTIAL

  “THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE.”

  Spinjitzu teaches us to recognize potential even in our enemies.

  Someone who is our adversary today might become our friend

  tomorrow. Life has proven many times that everyone deserves

  a second chance.

  Here are some examples:

  When we met Lloyd, he was our enemy. Initially he allied with the

  Serpentine, but when he discovered their evil nature, he joined the

  ninja and me. He even sacrificed his youth to become the Green Ninja.

  Lloyd’s father, Garmadon, experienced several changes of heart. Initially, he was pure

  of spirit and a devoted student of Spinjitzu. But after the Great Devourer bit him, his

  spirit was poisoned, and he slowly became evil. Later, when his son was in peril, Garmadon

  returned to the side of good and gave his life to save the realm of Ninjago.

  Another example is my first Spinjitzu

  student, Morro. I suspected he might be

  the Green Ninja, but when we learned

  he was not, Morro couldn’t accept it.

  He wanted to prove that I was wrong, so

  he left the temple and became my fierce

  enemy. Nevertheless, in the fullness of

  time, we discovered he wasn’t entirely

  evil. He returned on the Day of the

  Departed to help the ninja and me.

  Nothing remains the same forever. Change is a part of everything. A student of

  Spinjitzu must be open to change, and flexible enough to deal with it.

  AIRJITZU

  “SPINJITZU IS A TREE FROM WHICH MANY BRANCHES GROW.”

  All new martial

  arts can be traced

  back to Spinjitzu.

  The one created

  by Master Yang

  is a perfect

  example. Yang was

  a keen student

  of Spinjitzu. Who

  trained him, I

  don’t know. But,

  like me, he was

  also extremely

  interested in

  the possibilities

  and powers of

  Spinjitzu. He

  carefully studied

  it and developed

  his own movement

  called Airjitzu.

  Yang wrote

  the secrets of

  the martial arts

  discipline of Airjitzu on

  this ancient parchment.

  The scroll now resides in

  the Library of Domu.

  Jay insists on calling

  Airjitzu “Cyclon–Do.”

  Users of Airjitzu create elemental tornados that

  allow them to fly for short periods of time.

  Important: To maintain an

  Airjitzu tornado, keep legs

  tucked during flight.

  Important:

  Be aware

  of weather

  conditions before

  forming a

  tornado!

  Although many of his deeds were not glorious, Master Young

  will always be remembered and highly esteemed for developing

  Airjitzu. I am confident that there are other martial art

  forms related to Spinjitzu. As a student of Spinjitzu, I

  must continue documenting my father’s work.

  MUSCLE IN MIND

  “YOU MUST TURN THEIR GREATEST STRENGTHS

  INTO THEIR GREATEST WEAKNESSES.”

  Spinjitzu teaches us that what may seem to be a

  weakness can be turned into a strength. Cole’s

  story, after he had become a ghost, is the perfect

  illustration of this teaching.

  Cole found himself trapped inside Yang’s Haunted Temple, the old

  Temple of Airjitzu, at sunrise. As the legends foretold, he was

  transformed into a ghost. He became depressed, believing that as

  a ghost, he could no longer be a part of the ninja team.

  Cole: Normal

  Cole: Ghost

  Nya suggested that rather than dwell on what he could not do, Cole should

  find other ways to help. Cole learned that he could possess materials

  and objects and even pass through walls. These abilities proved crucial in

  defeating both Morro and Nadakhan.

  Even a small impediment can be used

  to one’s advantage. Once I got the

  hiccups during a fight, and I used

  it to deceive my opponent. I faked

  an extra hiccup while

  sneakily delivering an

  unexpected blow!

  Fumbling speech in a time of crisis can also add to the time it takes

  to convey information . . . and help gain precious time before

  reinforcements arrive.

  When he returned to his human

  form, Cole unlocked a new elemental

  power — the Earth Punch — that

  he is now struggling to harness.

  Never forget: A weakness is only a weakness

  if you let it make you weak.

  DIFFERENT WARRIORS,

  DIFFERENT WAYS

  “MANY ROADS MAY LEAD TO THE SAME DESTINATION.”

  Simple and light

  The samurai and the ninja are very

  different. The former rely on

  their extraordinary weapon

  skills; the latter derive

  strength from their

  bodies and minds.

  Great warriors never

  miss an opportunity to

  learn and develop their

  skills. The samurai

  and the ninja can

  learn from each

  other. Spinjitzu

  encourages an

  endless quest

  for inspiration.

  Quiet and easy to clean

  Flexible

  and stylish

  Helmet — elaborate,

  but makes vision

  difficult

  Armor — protective,

  but restricts

  movement

  Although the heavy

  armor never affected

  Nya’s performance, I’m

  happy she has passed on

  her Samurai X legacy

  to someone else . . .

  Samurai Sword —

  dangerous, but

  requires time

  and space to use

  For a long time, Nya fought alongside the ninja as t
he mysterious

  Samurai X. She managed that role very well because she is an

  inventive engineer. It is difficult for her to follow the path of

  the Master of Water without the mechanized armor she had as

  Samurai X, but I am certain she will find her inner strength

  and confidence and become an excellent Spinjitzu ninja.

  ONE ART, MANY MASTERS

  “SPINJITZU REFLECTS OUR QUALITIES AND PASSIONS. OUR

  DIFFERENCES ARE SHOWN IN HOW WE MASTER SPINJITZU.”

  My father was full of secrets. He never told me whom he had

  trained before Garmadon and me. Over the years, I have trained

  a select few, but somehow others across Ninjago Island have

  learned Spinjitzu as well.

  Note for the future: Assemble a

  list of all known Spinjitzu masters.

  Who are allies and who are enemies?

  My brother was

  a great Spinjitzu

  master. Could he

  have taught Spinjitzu

  to others before

  he was banished to

  the Underworld?

  I trained Misako

  before she married

  Garmadon, and we

  grew close during

  that time.

  Nadakhan was a powerful,

  evil djinn with the ability

  to grant wishes. His

  henchman, Doubloon, once

  studied Spinjitzu, but that

  was long before he became

  a thief. Caught stealing

  from the Misfortune’s

  Keep, Nadakhan made him

  into a mute, two-faced

  pirate.

  Word to the wise: Never, EVER

  steal from a djinn.

  Once Doubloon became

  Nadakhan’s thug, he

  used Spinjitzu tornadoes

  in combat. That made

  me incredibly sad.

  Spinjitzu is not for

  pirates and thieves.

  LEARNING FROM

  MISTAKES

  “DO NOT WISH, ACT. ONLY THIS WAY

  YOU CAN INFLUENCE THE PRESENT.”

  It is important to dream and have ambitions, but

  wishful thinking can lead to disaster. Our recent

  clash with a wish-granting djinn proved that I

  have not spent enough time

  teaching my students the

  dangers of wishful

  thinking. This mistake

  turned out to be a

  hard lesson for the

  ninja and me . . .

  Nya and Delara looked

  almost exactly alike.