In 1984, James Loriega founded the New York Ninpokai, a training facility that soon came to be regarded as “the premier academy for the traditional shinobi arts in NYC.” Mr. Loriega began his formal martial arts training in 1967 with the late Grandmaster Ronald Duncan, the first non-Japanese to teach the shinobi arts in the United States—and the acknowledged Father of American Ninjutsu. Though he later trained with other ninjutsu masters, it was from Duncan-sensei that Loriega learned the myriad strategies, tactics, techniques, and disciplines of the ancient shinobi. Mr. Loriega holds instructor ranks in Ninjutsu, Jujutsu, and Aikijujutsu, as well as in the Western martial arts of Savate, La Canne, and Acero Sevillano, the latter being an Andalusian edged weapons system. His extensive writings have appeared in mainstream martial arts publications such as Black Belt, Warriors, Inside Kung-Fu, Ninja, and Tactical Knives.