Want to chart the history of martial arts training (and exploitation media) in the U.S.? Just look at the ads that ran in comic books. They went from Judo to Karate to Kung-Fu to Ninja, decade by decade, always promising deadly secrets revealed and skills that would keep you from getting sand kicked in your face on the beach.
Here’s some great ninja ads, from a very nice write up at the blog of Mr. Dan Kelly.
Gotta get me some of them there Physio-Mental Powers!
SteyrAUG
Love your website. I grew up in the late 70s heavily involved in the same martial interests you seem to have enjoyed. Starting with the works of Andrew Adams and the first books by Stephen Hayes.
Then came the “ninja” films and the discovery of Japanese ninja films.
While I was more involved in karate and kobudo arts I spent a lot of time running around at night in a shinobi shozuku.
I appreciate the time you’ve taken to catalog this unique moment in time.