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The Ninja have fascinated modern culture for decades. Steeped in legend from centuries past, Ninja, also known as Shinobi, were covert agents or mercenaries found throughout feudal Japan. Not unlike James Bond, these agents were sent on missions centered around assassinations, espionage, and surprise attacks upon anyone unfortunate enough to become a target in the Ninja’s eyes. It’s time to check your Ninja IQ.
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Ninja IQ – It’s Time to Separate Fact from Fiction
Ninjas were specially trained in a wide variety of tactics, including stealth, weapon use, disguise, and unconventional methods of assassination and killing. From the 17th Century forward, Ninja faded into obscurity—no longer a factor after the unification of Japan under the Tokugawa shogunate.
Jumping ahead centuries to the early to mid-1980s, the Ninja reemerged into society. However, it wasn’t as one might think. Replaced with the stealthy killers of the past, the Ninja of modern times were prominently presented as mysterious characters within modern cinematic movies. Hence, the Ninja craze of the ’80s was born. With the craze came a greater expansion of a Ninja’s abilities and, to a certain extent, extraordinary powers.
Mythical Warriors
From reality-based, dedicated training of the past, the reintroduced Ninja shot fire from gauntlets on his wrists, disappeared without a trace rivaling the best magicians of all time, and climbed skyscrapers like a black-garbed Spider-Man. Unfortunately for many viewers, these abilities have been cemented as truths.
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Here we separate true facts from fiction. The Ninjas were indeed supermen (and women, more on that later), but hardly any were the embodiment of Superman with superhuman powers and abilities that would put them above what a human being can accomplish, even with the most intense of training. So, pop that tape of Return of the Ninja out of your VCR and learn these masters of stealth’s true capabilities.
The Facts – How They Got Their Name
Right out of the gate, the word “Ninja” was not commonly used. As far back as the 8th Century, the word Shinobi was found in poems. There, it was implied to mean “to steal away” or “to hide.” The word ‘Ninja” didn’t come into prominence until the mid-20th Century, just after World War II. It was thought that Westerners would have an easier time using the word “Ninja” rather than “Shinobi.”
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Where They Came From
Overall, historical accounts of Ninja are both scarce and incomplete. It’s known that Ninjas were recruited from the lower class, where these individuals would have no issues earning money for services they performed without the burden of honor or glory getting in the way. With Ninja recruited from the lower class, missions of stealth and secret operations were easily achieved because the newly enlisted were literal “nobodies” that few would give any attention to.
Another aspect of the Ninja that is an absolute truth is their ability to perform many functions to complete their missions. From being spies to raiding camps to setting fires and even holding others for ransom, Ninja were well-rounded mercenaries that performed many “jobs” quite well.
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Arts and Crafts
A vast majority of the Ninja’s skills can also be verified. They were experts in martial arts disciplines. They often trained since childhood and were often born into the way of the Ninja. A child would learn from their father and so on, passing down vital techniques, tips, and tricks. A Ninja would also study survival, scouting, and tracking techniques, along with physical exercises not unlike physical workouts of today that included running, swimming, climbing, and stealth walking.
First-aid skills were learned, as was the creation of disguises and work habits of various professions, so they could infiltrate and pose as simple workers around their intended target. Additionally, they were experts on distraction tactics, camouflage, and a very unique skill called “earth techniques,” where the Ninja would curl up into a ball and remain motionless for long spells.
The Fiction – Supernatural Status
Back in the time of the Ninja in feudal Japan, many individuals found the exploits, tales, and stories of these mysterious assassins so compelling that they believed the Ninja possessed supernatural or magical abilities. With feats achieved that were seemingly impossible for a normal human, the Ninja were elevated above “mortal” men and were seen as mystical or even ghostly in nature.
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Obviously enough, this myth is untrue. But given the time in history, coupled with the nearly superhuman feats of the Ninja, one can surely see why this was overwhelmingly believed. It’s only because of the combined result of the Ninja’s intense physical training, use of otherworldly-viewed gear, and intense stealth and infiltration techniques that these black-garbed masters achieved a supernatural status.
Hatred of Samurai
A classic match-up in schoolyard discussions or fighting-style video games has been the Ninja versus the Samurai. So much so that most people probably assume that these two warriors were bitter enemies who would jump at the chance to fight one another if their paths were to cross. Well, most of this is entirely incorrect. In fact, the Ninja and Samurai had a unique relationship, going from enemies at times to “co-workers” to combat allies on the battlefield.
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Samurai would often utilize the services of the Ninja in situations that were less than honorable. Additionally, Samurai and Ninja would work together on missions to defeat other Samurai factions. Warlords would also hire Ninja to assist their own Samurai on large or very complex missions. The truth is that money talked the talk even back in the day, so if the price was right, Ninja would work for and work with various individuals and groups, even the honorable Samurai.
Black Clothes
In the Ninja movies of the ’80s, black-garbed Ninja assassins were everywhere, with the possible “good” Ninja wearing white. However, black was not the only color used by Ninja. In fact, Ninja would use a variety of colors depending upon the needs of the mission. During night raids, black would be the color of choice. In a more rural or forest environment, more earth tones would be utilized. Simply put, Ninjas were masters of camouflage, and whatever color or pattern they needed to blend into their environment, they used, and black was not always it. Furthermore, they sometimes discarded their traditional uniform entirely and chose to disguise themselves as other personas, including Buddhist monks, peasants, and even traveling salesmen.
Weapons of the Trade
It’s a fact that Ninja used a variety of weapons throughout their missions, but the actual weapons used, the extent to which they were employed, and the deadly or not-so-deadly results of using such weapons contradict what is in the minds of people of today about Ninja weaponry. First, shuriken (throwing stars) were not the highly polished, razor-sharp-edged weapons from the movies. They were not a one-throw, one-kill weapon. The truth is, they were, more often than not, common household weapons that were used as a distraction rather than for dispatching enemies.
Most were blunt, rusted, odd-shaped, and were thrown at an opponent to set them up for the killing blow from the Ninja’s sword or sickle, called a shinobi-gama. Coins and chopsticks were examples of the Ninja’s “throwing stars,” and only through cinema’s creativity were the honed, aerodynamic killing projectiles created.
Short Sword
Next, the Ninja short (or straight) sword is questionable as a traditional Ninja weapon. This type of sword can be seen by Ninja in movies and accompany Ninja costumes, but in reality, it was only first mentioned at the beginning of the 20th Century. It’s now widely believed that Ninjas used Katanas, like a Samurai during the early periods of Ninja existence.
However, unlike the Samurai who treated the Katana with the utmost respect, the Ninja’s sword was a tool with many uses beyond just a killing blade. It could be used as a step when leaned against a wall, as a projector of dust and other irritants to distract an opponent when it was drawn, or used as a blunt instrument to strike an enemy before the killing blow was implemented.
Men Only Club
Few women have been portrayed as a Ninja in modern culture, which would lead one to believe that there were no female Ninjas, and this would be entirely untrue. In fact, women were trained similarly to men in the basic skills and tactics of the Ninja. However, women used their feminine “skills” to go above and beyond and become masters of infiltration, spying, and ultimately killing from within. The Kunoichi, or female Ninja, would frequently go “undercover” to gain trust from their enemies or targets and use it to infiltrate their strongholds.
From there, they would use their espionage skills to gain information about future invasions or troop movements and to get close to high-ranking officials for the purpose of assassination. The Kunoichi were masters of disguise and were able to mimic the style and look of peasants, salespeople, farmers, and nearly anyone within the courtyard of their enemy. Although many believe the Ninja were men only, the Kunoichi were just as deadly and, perhaps, far more cunning than their male counterparts.
Vanishing Masters
Although this may be linked to a Ninja being a supernatural being, a Ninja vanishing into thin air is a major misconception that many people may believe to be true. First, Ninja cannot teleport away, naturally, so tricks were employed to make that happen. It is factual that Ninja often used smoke bombs and/or explosive grenades along with homemade “pepper powder.”
The Ninja would use these tools to cover their exits in a dramatic, yet highly effective way. For example, when face-to-face with an enemy, the Ninja would toss a smoke bomb in between them or project some powder towards their enemy. Then, when the cloud formed or the dust irritated his enemy’s eyes and nose, he would use his stealth and speed training to make a quick exit, out of sight of his opponent.
Ninja
The Ninja were and always will be considered masters of stealth, weaponry, and assassination. Unfortunately, through modern cinema, comic books, television shows, and the like, their feats reached a status that defied logic and placed them within a category of absurdly superhuman. As such, their true abilities were overshadowed, and they didn’t get the full credit, for lack of a better word, that these masters should. They did dedicate their lives to their craft. They did spend hundreds of hours perfecting techniques that would crush others physically and mentally, and they did make a significant mark on Japan’s incredible history, albeit without walking on water, shooting fire, or vanishing into thin air.
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