Book of Spinjitzu (LEGO Ninjago)
Page 5
Nadakhan, the powerful evil djinn I have spoken of, escaped captivity from the Teapot
of Tyrahn. He kidnapped Nya, intending to marry her. He wanted to return the
soul of his lost love, Delara, to Nya’s body. If he’d succeeded, it would have given
Nadakhan unlimited wishes of his own and made him invincible.
Nadakhan was not a foe that
could be easily defeated with
kicks and punches. He would
cunningly trick his opponents
by granting them wishes that
turned against them. My ninja
and I failed to seek the cleverest
way to prevail within Spinjitzu.
Thus, we fell into the djinn’s trap
when we recklessly wished for
things or abilities we couldn’t have.
Fortunately, thanks to Jay’s last
selfless wish, we were able to
defeat Nadakhan at last.
Were it not for Jay, we
would have been trapped in
the Djinn Blade forever!
This clash with the djinn was a lesson learned
the hard way. The art of Spinjitzu focuses on
harnessing the present. Of course, dreaming is
important, but wishful thinking gives you nothing
in return. Therefore, we all should reflect upon
these simple truths:
1. A Master of Spinjitzu is not a person of
words, but a person of action.
2. Make your dreams come true through
your actions.
3. Think twice before you act, or you could get
into trouble.
STRONGER TOGETHER
“SEARCH FOR THE POWER WITHIN, AND THEN REALIZE
THE GREATNESS WITHIN EACH OTHER.”
I wrote earlier of not underestimating your enemies. The same
can be said for your friends. Spinjitzu makes it very clear that
everyone has a skill. Your friends can help you reach your goals.
This Spinjitzu teaching was evident during the battle with Nadakhan.
Jay felt that because he was the only ninja with a wish left, it was
up to him alone to save the world of Ninjago. However, he had other
allies who were more than willing to help him.
The one-legged Captain Soto was experienced in fighting pirates;
Skylor had the unique ability to absorb the power
of others; Echo Zane was a rusty
machine programmed
to protect those
who cannot protect
themselves; Ronin
was a thief, but he
was resourceful
and crafty . . .
Never forget one of the most valuable
Spinjitzu teachings: No ninja stands alone.
. . . and the cranky
Ninjago City Police
Commissioner was
committed to doing
the right thing.
Ronin
Jay knew their obvious flaws and weaknesses, but he was also
able to see the great potential in each of them. By standing
together, they made a formidable team that helped Jay free
the ninja from the Djinn Blade.
ALL AROUND THE WORLD
“SPINJITZU IS EVERYWHERE.”
Ninjago Island, the home of
Spinjitzu, is a remarkable place
full of many wonders. It is a vast
land, with mountains and seas, forests, deserts,
villages, cities, temples, and caves. Many are
significant to its history and lore. I have traveled
far and wide and discovered how beautiful
my father’s creation really is. Some
places are worth highlighting.
DARK ISLAND
The world of Ninjago originally
consisted of one huge island.
When the Overlord’s Stone
Army threatened to overwhelm
the world with Darkness, my
father split the island in half,
and Dark Island became the
Overlord’s territory. The island
sank to the seabed and remained
underwater for years, only to
resurface when Lord Garmadon
reached it.
Note to self: Must
return overdue books!
On quiet days, I sometimes sneak off to the
city’s Mega Monster Amusement Park to ride
the Spinning Teacups.
THE HOLY CITY OF DOMU
This ancient library holds
many books and documents
of great importance to the
world of Ninjago, such as
Master Yang’s Scroll of
Airjitzu.
NINJAGO CITY
Ninjago City is Ninjago Island’s largest metropolis, with everything
a big city has to offer. Be sure to visit Mystake’s excellent tea
shop and see the magnificent Titanium Statue in the park.
JAMANAKAI VILLAGE
This peaceful village near the
Mountains of Impossible Height
was a key location of conflict
during the Serpentine Wars.
When it’s not under attack,
it’s a popular holiday spot.
GLACIER BARRENS
The Tomb of the Hypnobrai
tribe is located in this
frozen mountain range. And
the annual Ninjaball runs
through its peaks.
REMEMBERING OUR
FATHERS
“IF WE NEVER LOOK TO THE PAST,
WE CANNOT ENVISION THE FUTURE.”
The Day of the Departed always makes me reflect on the past and
the people close to my heart who are no more. I often think of my
father. I would give anything to be able to see and talk to him again.
And when I look at my nephew, Lloyd, I understand he must feel the
same about his father . . .
I cannot say I have missed the evil spirits from
Ninjago Island’s history that the ghost of Master Yang
summoned to fight us. But today, I am particularly
grateful for the knowledge and skills I have learned
from my father.
Kai and Nya relied on their knowledge of
Spinjitzu when they faced Master
Chen. They had learned how
to take advantage of the
enemy’s weakness, and
they realized Master
Chen’s weakness was
overconfidence.
Cryptor fought Zane in Birchwood Forest. The ninja tricked the evil spirit into
destroying the mannequin he had possessed with his own Techno-Blade and, without
a body to house him, Cryptor’s spirit fled.
I have told my students
many times that the
power of Spinjitzu
also comes from
friendship. Obviously,
Jay learned this lesson
— he teamed up with
Ronin to fight Samukai
and his skeletons at Ed
and Edna’s junkyard.
Kozu and a squad of Stone Warriors
attacked the ninjas’ friend Dareth, but
he remembered the Helmet of Shadows.
He used its powers to take command of
the warriors and force them to destroy
Kozu’s mannequin . . . and their own.
Dareth fancies himself the “Brown Ninja.”
But he is no ninja, and he will never be
one, unless someone teaches him. (And it
will not be me, that I can promise you!)
Pythor teamed up with the spirits and nearly crushed Lloyd under
the severed head of a
giant statue. But with Misako’s encouragement,
Lloyd rallied the power of the Green Ninja to turn the tables.
The spirit of Morro returned to
face me. But rather than fight
me, he helped us defeat the ghosts.
Perhaps
it was his
way of
making up
for the
past.
This year’s Day of the Departed has been special. I saw my
students put my Spinjitzu teachings into practice. Once again,
I realized how important my father’s legacy is. I wish he
were here to see that the work of his life has been
carried on. I wish my brother were here, too . . .
But I do not despair because I remember my history.
Garmadon has returned to me when I thought him gone
forever. Perhaps he will do so again. And I still have Lloyd.
I can see so much of his father and grandfather in him!
AN ALLIANCE OF
ELEMENTS
“A STRAW ALONE IS WEAK, BUT MANY WOVEN
TOGETHER CAN BE AS STRONG AS STEEL.”
“Ninja sharpens ninja,” my father always said. And my old man was right.
Now I am an old man myself. But the curious thing is that no matter how
old we get, we keep forgetting and learning this again. A Spinjitzu ninja
needs strong friendships and alliances, people you can trust, because one
day, you will need to stand united against a common threat.
The original Elemental Masters were the First Spinjitzu Master’s
guardians. Most of these men and women were not Spinjitzu ninja,
but skilled fighters to whom my father granted special elemental
powers. The Elemental Alliance was born.
Generations later, my
brother and I fought
side by side with the
Elemental Masters in
the Serpentine Wars.
After that, there was
a time of peace. When
the Hands of Time,
Krux and Acronix,
rebelled against us,
the Elemental Alliance
reunited to save the
realm of Ninjago.
My friends, Ray and Maya (Kai and Nya’s parents), used Chrono-Steel
to forge special weapons — Time Blades that could absorb one’s elemental
power. Only with those unique weapons were Garmadon and I able to
defeat the evil Time Twins.
There are four Time Blades:
- Forward Blade
- Reversal Blade
- Slow-Mo Blade
- Pause Blade
When all four
are put together,
the Time Blades
hold the power to
time travel!
POWER CORRUPTS
“TIME IS THE THREAD THAT SEWS
THE FABRIC OF THE UNIVERSE TOGETHER.”
Time can change villains into heroes, and heroes into villains.
Our confrontation with Krux and Acronix proves this.
Power can corrupt anyone, even the most warmhearted
among us. Krux and Acronix had the strongest powers
of all of the members of the Elemental Alliance. Over
time, they started to believe that their immense power
entitled them to rule the realm of Ninjago.
End of the
Serpentine Wars
Krux and Acronix betray the Elemental
Alliance and war breaks out.
Luckily, Garmadon and I foiled the brothers’ plans. Knowing how dangerous the Time
Blades could be — and that time was too great a power for anyone to control — we
threw the weapons into a Time Vortex. We hoped they would be lost forever, but the
Hands of Time leaped in after them and disappeared.
Acronix has arrived from the past. For him, it was a quick journey into a distant
future. Now, facing me, an old man, he wanted to finish what we had started. This
encounter did not go as well as I might have hoped. . . .
Spinjitzu teaches us that time is a river that flows only forward, but the Time Twins
can speed ahead of the current, or travel back to a place already passed. Time travel
is too dangerous. You change anything, you change everything . . .
Ray and Maya forge the four
Time Blades from Chrono-Steel
Garmadon and I throw the
Time Blades into a Time Vortex.
Krux and Acronix leap into the Time
Vortex to Reclaim the Time Blades
We use the Time Blades to absorb
the Hands of Time’s powers
Note to self: Talk to Lloyd, it’s
very important that he . . .
FOCUS
“SHARPEN YOUR MIND AS WELL AS YOUR SPINJITZU.”
The path to becoming a Spinjitzu Master is long and winding. The
greatest challenge is to control oneself. A ninja must learn the art of
concentration and move toward attaining inner balance.
Over time, I have come to
recognize my students’
greatest distractions.
However, the aim is not to
make them abandon these
distractions, but rather
to teach them to recognize
situations in which the
distractions shatter their
inner peace.
Kai’s primary distraction is anger.
When he becomes upset, he loses his
ability to help the team. He must
stay focused on team goals.
Zane is a
Nindroid, and
people may
not always
understand his
behavior. He
focuses a lot on
his sense of
humor, so
jokes sometimes
make him lose his concentration.
Jay is often
distracted by Nya,
comics, and shiny
things. Giving him
duties crucial to
our missions keeps
him on track.
Nya is always
distracted by Jay.
To keep her
focused, I remind
her of her
parents’ focus
on protecting my
map to the Golden
Weapons.
Mistakes distract Cole.
If he fails, the events
play over and over in
his mind, and he doesn’t
pay attention to what he’s
doing. And unless a
ninja has a Time
Blade, the past
cannot be changed — the
present is what matters.
Lloyd’s major
distraction was his
relationship with
his father. He and
Garmadon made peace
before Garmadon
sacrificed himself to
save the world of
Ninjago.
As my journey toward
mastery of
Spinjitzu
continues,
I strive to
eliminate all
distraction from
my life. Well . . .
a good pot of tea
can still turn my head on occasion.
AMONG THE PURE-HEARTED,
SPINJITZU ENDURES
“A WATCHFUL EYE NEVER SLEEPS.”
If I have learned one thing in my years of studying Spinjitzu, it is
that a ninja never comes to a point where he can say he has learned
all that there is to know. True masters should always continue their
quest,
even when they are nearing the end of their days.
The Book of Spinjitzu is my legacy, which I will eventually
pass on to my successors and which they will one
day pass on to theirs — because the world of
Ninjago will always need protectors. My father’s
teachings — and now mine — must live on.
If you are reading these words, it means that I am gone —
or that somehow this book has been lost.
Life is a great adventure. I have devoted mine to studying
the secrets of Spinjitzu, and I discovered that they can
be of value not only to ninja, but to all. The essence of
Spinjitzu lies in the ability to know and accept oneself,
because self-worth and inner balance are what helps each
of us weather adversity and gain confidence.
BE NINJA.
May your path be a long, healthy, and happy one. If my
teachings and reflections come in handy on your life’s
journey, please do remember me sometimes — perhaps
over a nice cup of tea . . .