Ninjutsu History:

 

     

 

Ninja were trained from childhood in the arts of war and deception, ninjas were at the height of their power during Japan's feudal age, from the 12th to the 17th centuries. Some say that the origin of ninja tactics was created in china

 

It was barrow from the book the Art of War by Sun Tzu's it was written  around the fifth century BC, and contains a chapter about the importance of espionage. Some of the tactics described in this book, specifically the espionage chapter, were eventually put into use by the ninja. For this reason, ninja skills are often described as Chinese in origin.  The Chinese often referred to it, and many other books which followed it, when planning for warfare and studying tactics. The Japanese, too, came to use the book and many of its teachings, not just the espionage chapter. Samurai battles used tactics laid out in The Art of War.

 

The Kanji "nin" means hidden, stealth, or secret; and the Kanji "jutsu" means technique, or art. Literal translation of ninjutsu is "the technique or (art) of stealth". Ninjutsu emerged in Western Japan in the province of Iga and Koga between the 7th and 12th centuries. The province of  Iga  and Koga were  had 40 to 50 ninja families , Three great clans ruled Iga  -  The Hattori, The Momochi, and the  Fujibayashi, the largest of them could call on the service of over 1000 members. In the golden days of ninjas there were 25 ninja school in japan.

 

During the period when the shogan were strong they employed the ninja as spies and assassin. the ninja were usually commados or guerrillas, harassing the enemy , cutting the supplies and communication lines of opposing forces, spreading false rumor and assassinating enemy general.

 

 

     Some of the special skills learned by ninjutsu practitioners  have historically given the ninja a reputation of possessing magical powers. Climbing walls and swimming while clad in armor are two skills that have earned this reputation.  Other skills taught to the ninja included map making, disguise, silent entry and escape, leaping, high endurance, sabotage, and the use of available surroundings as weapons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BASIC TRAINING

 

• 50 MILE run around the mountain and  forests near thier village to build stamina
• They increase their strength and muscular endurance by climbing trees and hanging form thier branches as well as from ropes  for long peroid of time.
• Balance skills are taught by performing walking,running,and jumping exercise on narrows tree truck , and tightropes.

 

After basic training they will studie in the specialist area of ninjutsu.

 

There are 9 major schools of Ninjutsu 

 

• Togakure Ryu Ninpo Happo Hiken.
• Gyokko Ryu Kosshijutsu Happo Hiken.
• Koto Ryu Koppojutsu Happo Hiken.
• Shinden Fudo Ryu Daken Taijutsu Happo Hiken.
• Kukishin Ryu Taijutsu Happo Hiken.
• Takagiyoshin Ryu Jutaijutsu Happo Hiken.
• Kumogakure Ryu Ninpo Happo Hiken.
• Gyokushin Ryu Ninpo Happo Hiken.
• Gikan Ryu Koppojutsu Happo Hiken.

 

     Link to the explanation of each schools

 www.bujinkanbc.com/about.html 

 

  Associated 18 levels of training

1. Seishin Teki Kyoko  ->	Spiritual Refinement
2. Tai Jutsu   ->	Unarmed Combat
3. Ninja Ken   ->	Ninja Sword
4. Bo-Jutsu    ->	Stick and Staff Fighting
5. Shuriken-Jutsu   ->	Throwing Blades
6. Yari-Jutsu ->	Spear Fighting
7. Naginata-Jutsu  ->	Halberd Fighting
8. Kusari-Gama      ->	Chain and Sickle Weapon
9. Kayaku-Jutsu     ->	Fire and Explosives
10. Henso-Jutsu   ->	Disguise and Impersonation
11. Shinobi-Iri  ->	Stealth and Entering Methods
12. Ba-Jutsu   ->	Horsemanship
13. Sui-Ren    ->	Water training
14. Bo-Rya   ->	Strategy
15. Cho Ho   ->	Espionage
16. Inton-Juts  ->	Escape and Concealment
17. Ten Mon   ->	Meteorology
18. Chi-Mon   ->	Geography

 

Link to the explanation of each skills

www.ninjutsu.org.uk/the-18-skills-of-the-togakure-ryu-ninja.html

 

Art of invisbility

 

the first technique that the ninja learned in order to avoid being seen was how to become compeletly still, the ninja also trained in meditation techniques which allowed them to remain immobile for long periods of time.. the ninja distort their the appearance by changing the shape of their bodies drawing in their limbs and lowering their heads

 

 

NINJA RANKS

 

The Ninja like samurai are organized in a strict hierarachy,  the field agent are the Genin, thier immediate superiors are the Chunin, and their leader or bosses , who decide which jobs to take, are the Jonin

 

• JONIN
• CHUNIN
• GENIN

 

Women ninja

 

When girls grows to maturity, from then on her training will exploit the expportunites a woman might have to get close to a male target in Japan's feudal cultue. Women are trained in the art of seduction, if she is both attractive and gifted in music, a female ninja may pose as entertainer or courtesan in order  to get close to her victim.

 

 Weapons

     Bokken: a long wooden sword made from japanese oak

 

Jo: simple wooden staff about 4-5 ft long

 

Kamma : two short handled sickles used as a fighting tools

 

Tanto: wooden knife use for training

 

Hojo Jutsu: long rope with a noose on one end

 

Sai: Long,thin, and sharp spikes held like knives and featuring wide spiked hand guard just above handle

 

  Tonfa :short poles featuring side handle, lik police batons

 

Katana: Traditional Japanese sword, slightly curved ,razor sharp cutting edge

 

Butterfly Knives: pair of knives each one with wide blade

 

  Nunchaku: flail like weapon consisting of two section of staff connected by chains

 

Shinai: bamboo training sword

 

Iaito: stainless steel training sword with blunt blade

 

 

Ninjutsu VS Bushido

 

Ninjutsu developed as an opposing force to Bushido. Samurai valued loyalty and honor above all else. Going into battle, a samurai would select a single opponent, announce his challenge, list his family pedigree, and then attack. Samurai wore bright colors on their armor to announce their clan identity. Bushido was very noble, but it couldn't always get the job done. That is where ninjutsu came in: the ninja code valued accomplishing a mission by whatever means necessary. Sneak attacks, poison, seduction and spying were all shameful to the samurai, but fair play by the rules of the ninja. this is the reason , to the samurai , the ninja who lived and treachery and deception were the lowest of low. Any Ninja captured by a samurai could expect the most horrible of deaths. boilded in oil, slowly impaled on a bamboo stakes, or skinned alive. Ninja were trained to kill themselves rather than be captured, if they were caught disarmed,they were taught to bite off their own tongues and choke themselves to death.