About Ninjutsu
Shinobi is a Japanese word meaning "shadow warrior," which usually refers to a master of ninjutsu. More commonly, it's an art that's associated with the ninja, the stealthy and powerful warriors that have made a splash in pop culture. Ninjutsu is a secretive and resourceful martial art that is shrouded in mystery and hidden by exaggerated legends.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
The history of ninjutsu isn't specifically recorded, but it's generally accepted that it wasn't around prior to 600 A.D. During this period, numerous monks, unaffiliated samurai and courtesans were sent into the mountainous areas of Japan, out of the cities. The martial arts practiced by these people were added to by refugees from later wars and blended to become the basics of ninjutsu. The art really came into its "golden age" during Japan's feudal period, when daimyos, landowning rulers, had samurai bodyguards as well as shinobi spies. Many of the tools associated with ninjutsu, such as throwing stars and black garb came from the direct conflict between samurai and shinobi.
Function
-
The purpose of shinobis was predominantly information gathering, although they have been known to do assassination work. In addition to the black garb, the tools of the trade were cutting edge, at the peak of the technology of their heyday. They were also armed with swords that were largely as strong as those of their samurai counterparts, although they preferred the straight blade to the curved style of the samurai katana.
-
Legends
-
Many of the myths about ninjutsu make the ninja seem more magical and therefore terrifying than they should be. Many claim that ninjutsu was the art of special hand signals which were used in place of incantations that performed magic, anything from disappearing magic to fireballs and summoning mythic creatures. It's more than likely that these were exaggerations told by survivors and, in some cases, people trying to help promote the fearsomeness of ninjutsu.
Benefits
-
The benefits of a secretive, stealthy approach rely predominantly on a precise and skilled hand. When pulled off correctly, ninja techniques can be incredibly powerful. Instead of a brute force attack to kill a foe, an army of men trained in ninjutsu could sneak into a building, take out their target and leave before the enemy are even aware of what happened. This means the team needed for such an operation is far smaller, meaning practically there's less money needed to hire and train warriors. The practical benefit of all the legends surrounding ninjutsu is that people who know the art seem even more terrifying than they really are. Misrepresentation is powerful, and yet another tool in the ninja arsenal.
Geography
-
The origins of ninjutsu are believed to lie in the mountains of the small island nation of Japan, where refugees gathered and met and, among other things, shared their martial arts. From there, it spread first to the rest of country, and now to the rest of the world. There are schools all over America, as well as Israel and other parts of the world.
-
References
- Photo Credit samurai warriors image by Oxlock from Fotolia.com
