Ninpō Makai Tenshō

, and are terms for the techniques and skills used by spies and scouts in pre-modern Japan known as ninja. Some of these techniques are recorded in ninja scrolls, some which have been published and translated. The study of these scrolls have changed the perception of ninja and ninjutsu.

While there are martial arts schools that claim to be modern styles of ''ninjutsu'', the historical lineage of these styles only go as far back as the 1950s.

Training

The skills required of the ninja have come to be known in modern times as , but it is unlikely they were previously named under a single discipline, rather distributed among a variety of espionage and survival skills. Some view ''ninjutsu'' as evidence that ninja were not simple mercenaries because texts contained not only information on combat training, but also information about daily needs, which even included mining techniques. The guidance provided for daily work also included elements that enable the ninja to understand the martial qualities of even the most menial task. These factors show how the ''ninjutsu'' established among the ninja class the fundamental principle of adaptation.

The first specialized training began in the mid-15th century, when certain samurai families started to focus on covert warfare, including espionage and assassination. According to Turnbull, the ninja was trained from childhood, as was also common in samurai families.

Outside the expected martial art disciplines, a youth studied survival and scouting techniques, as well as information regarding poisons and explosives. Physical training was also important, which involved long-distance runs, climbing, stealth methods of walking and swimming. A certain degree of knowledge regarding common professions was also required if one was expected to take their form in disguise. Some evidence of medical training can be derived from one account, where an Iga ninja provided first-aid to Ii Naomasa. Here the ninja reportedly gave Naomasa a "black medicine" meant to stop bleeding.

With the fall of the Iga and Kōga clans, ''daimyōs'' could no longer recruit professional ninja, and were forced to train their own ''shinobi''. The ''shinobi'' was considered a real profession, as demonstrated in the 1649 ''bakufu'' law on military service, which declared that only ''daimyōs'' with an income of over 10,000 ''koku'' were allowed to retain ''shinobi''. In the two centuries that followed, a number of ''ninjutsu'' manuals were written by descendants of Hattori Hanzō as well as members of the Fujibayashi clan, an offshoot of the Hattori. Major examples include the ''Ninpiden'' (1655), the ''Bansenshūkai'' (1675), and the ''Shōninki'' (1681).; based on different readings, ''Ninpiden'' is also known as ''Shinobi Hiden'', and ''Bansenshukai'' can also be ''Mansenshukai''.

Modern schools that claim to train ''ninjutsu'' arose from the 1970s, including that of Masaaki Hatsumi (Bujinkan), Stephen K. Hayes (To-Shin Do), and Jinichi Kawakami (Banke Shinobinoden). The lineage and authenticity of these schools are a matter of controversy.

Tactics

Most ''ninjutsu'' techniques recorded in scrolls and manuals revolve around ways to avoid detection, and methods of escape. These techniques were loosely grouped under corresponding natural elements. Some examples are:

* ''Hitsuke'': The practice of distracting guards by starting a fire away from the ninja's planned point of entry. Falls under "fire techniques" (''katon-no-jutsu'').
* ''Tanuki-gakure'': The practice of climbing a tree and camouflaging oneself within the foliage. Falls under "wood techniques" (''mokuton-no-jutsu'').
* ''Ukigusa-gakure'': The practice of throwing duckweed over water to conceal underwater movement. Falls under "water techniques" (''suiton-no-jutsu'').
* ''Uzura-gakure'': The practice of curling into a ball and remaining motionless to appear like a stone. Falls under "earth techniques" (''doton-no-jutsu'').

Disguises

The use of disguises is common and well documented. Disguises came in the form of priests, entertainers, fortune tellers, merchants, ''rōnin'', and monks. The ''Buke Myōmokushō'' states,

A mountain ascetic (''yamabushi'') attire facilitated travel, as they were common and could travel freely between political boundaries. The loose robes of Buddhist priests also allowed concealed weapons, such as the ''tantō''. Minstrel or ''sarugaku'' outfits could have allowed the ninja to spy in enemy buildings without rousing suspicion. Disguises as a ''komusō'', a mendicant monk known for playing the ''shakuhachi'', were also effective, as the large "basket" hats traditionally worn by them concealed the head completely.

Equipment

Ninja used a large variety of tools and weaponry, some of which were commonly known, but others were more specialized. Most were tools used in the infiltration of castles. A wide range of specialized equipment is described and illustrated in the 17th-century ''Bansenshūkai'', including climbing equipment, extending spears, rocket-propelled arrows, and small collapsible boats.

Outerwear

While the image of a ninja clad in black garb (''shinobi shōzoku'') is prevalent in popular media, there is no hard evidence for such attire. It is theorized that, instead, it was much more common for the ninja to be disguised as civilians. The popular notion of black clothing may be rooted in artistic convention; early drawings of ninja showed them dressed in black to portray a sense of invisibility.; Turnbull uses the name ''Buke Meimokushō'', an alternate reading for the same title. This convention may have been borrowed from the puppet handlers of ''bunraku'' theater, who dressed in total black in an effort to simulate props moving independently of their controls. However, it has been put forward by some authorities that black robes, perhaps slightly tainted with red to hide bloodstains, was indeed the sensible garment of choice for infiltration.

Clothing used was similar to that of the samurai, but loose garments (such as leggings) were tucked into trousers or secured with belts. The ''tenugui'', a piece of cloth also used in martial arts, had many functions. It could be used to cover the face, form a belt, or assist in climbing.

The historicity of armor specifically made for ninja cannot be ascertained. While pieces of light armor purportedly worn by ninja exist and date to the right time, there is no hard evidence of their use in ninja operations. Depictions of famous persons later deemed ninja often show them in samurai armor. There were lightweight concealable types of armour made with ''kusari'' (chain armour) and small armor plates such as ''karuta'' that could have been worn by ninja including ''katabira'' (jackets) made with armour hidden between layers of cloth. Shin and arm guards, along with metal-reinforced hoods are also speculated to make up the ninja's armor.

Tools

Tools used for infiltration and espionage are some of the most abundant artifacts related to the ninja. Ropes and grappling hooks were common, and were tied to the belt. A collapsible ladder is illustrated in the ''Bansenshukai'', featuring spikes at both ends to anchor the ladder. Spiked or hooked climbing gear worn on the hands and feet also doubled as weapons. Other implements include chisels, hammers, drills, picks, and so forth.

The ''kunai'' was a heavy pointed tool, possibly derived from the Japanese masonry trowel, which it closely resembles. Although it is often portrayed in popular culture as a weapon, the ''kunai'' was primarily used for gouging holes in walls. Knives and small saws (''hamagari'') were also used to create holes in buildings, where they served as a foothold or a passage of entry. A portable listening device (''saoto hikigane'') was used to eavesdrop on conversations and detect sounds.
A line reel device known as a Toihikinawa (間引縄 / probing pulling rope) was used in pitch dark for finding the distance and route of entry.

The ''mizugumo'' was a set of wooden shoes supposedly allowing the ninja to walk on water. They were meant to work by distributing the wearer's weight over the shoes' wide bottom surface. The word ''mizugumo'' is derived from the native name for the Japanese water spider (''Argyroneta aquatica japonica''). The ''mizugumo'' was featured on the show ''MythBusters'', where it was demonstrated unfit for walking on water. The ''ukidari'', a similar footwear for walking on water, also existed in the form of a flat round bucket, but was probably quite unstable. Inflatable skins and breathing tubes allowed the ninja to stay underwater for longer periods of time.

''Goshiki-mai'' (go, ''five''; shiki, ''color''; mai, ''rice'') colored (red, blue, yellow, black, purple) rice grains were used in a code system, and to make trails that could be followed later.

Despite the large array of tools available to the ninja, the ''Bansenshukai'' warns one not to be overburdened with equipment, stating "a successful ninja is one who uses but one tool for multiple tasks".

Weaponry

Although shorter swords and daggers were used, the ''katana'' was probably the ninja's weapon of choice, and was sometimes carried on the back. The ''katana'' had several uses beyond normal combat. In dark places, the scabbard could be extended out of the sword, and used as a long probing device. The sword could also be laid against the wall, where the ninja could use the sword guard (''tsuba'') to gain a higher foothold. The ''katana'' could even be used as a device to stun enemies before attacking them, by putting a combination of red pepper, dirt or dust, and iron filings into the area near the top of the scabbard, so that as the sword was drawn the concoction would fly into the enemy's eyes, stunning him until a lethal blow could be made. While straight swords were used before the invention of the ''katana'', there's no known historical information about the straight ''ninjatō'' pre-20th century. The first photograph of a ''ninjatō'' appeared in a booklet by Heishichirō Okuse in 1956. A replica of a ''ninjatō'' is on display at the Ninja Museum of Igaryu.

An array of darts, spikes, knives, and sharp, star-shaped discs were known collectively as ''shuriken''. While not exclusive to the ninja, they were an important part of the arsenal, where they could be thrown in any direction. Bows were used for sharpshooting, and some ninjas' bows were intentionally made smaller than the traditional ''yumi'' (longbow). The chain and sickle (''kusarigama'') was also used by the ninja. This weapon consisted of a weight on one end of a chain, and a sickle (''kama'') on the other. The weight was swung to injure or disable an opponent, and the sickle used to kill at close range.

Explosives introduced from China were known in Japan by the time of the Mongol Invasions in the 13th century. Later, explosives such as hand-held bombs and grenades were adopted by the ninja. Soft-cased bombs were designed to release smoke or poison gas, along with fragmentation explosives packed with iron or ceramic shrapnel.

Along with common ''shinobi buki'' (ninja weapons), a large assortment of miscellaneous arms were associated with the ninja. Some examples include poison, ''makibishi'' (caltrops), ''shikomizue'' ( cane swords), land mines, ''fukiya'' (blowguns), poisoned darts, acid-spurting tubes, and ''teppo jutsu'' (firearms). The ''happō'', a small eggshell filled with '' metsubushi'' (blinding powder), was also used to facilitate escape.

Legendary abilities

Perceived control over the elements may be grounded in real tactics, which were categorized by association with forces of nature. For example, the practice of starting fires to cover a ninja's trail falls under ''katon-no-jutsu'' ("fire techniques"). By dressing in identical clothing, a coordinated team of ninjas could instill the perception of a single assailant being in multiple locations.

The ninja's adaption of kites in espionage and warfare is another subject of legends. Accounts exist of ninja being lifted into the air by kites, where they flew over hostile terrain and descended into, or dropped bombs on enemy territory. Kites were indeed used in Japanese warfare, but mostly for the purpose of sending messages and relaying signals. Turnbull suggests that kites lifting a man into midair might have been technically feasible, but states that the use of kites to form a human "hang glider" falls squarely in the realm of fantasy.

Kuji-kiri

''Kuji-kiri'' is an esoteric practice which, when performed with an array of hand "seals" (''kuji-in''), was meant to allow the ninja to enact superhuman feats.

The ''kuji'' ("nine characters") is a concept originating from Taoism, where it was a string of nine words used in charms and incantations. In China, this tradition mixed with Buddhist beliefs, assigning each of the nine words to a Buddhist deity. The ''kuji'' may have arrived in Japan via Buddhism, where it flourished within Shugendō. Here too, each word in the ''kuji'' was associated with Buddhist deities, animals from Taoist mythology, and later, Shinto kami. The '' mudrā'', a series of hand symbols representing different Buddhas, was applied to the ''kuji'' by Buddhists, possibly through the esoteric ''Mikkyō'' teachings. The ''yamabushi'' ascetics of Shugendō adopted this practice, using the hand gestures in spiritual, healing, and exorcism rituals. Later, the use of ''kuji'' passed onto certain '' bujutsu'' (martial arts) and ''ninjutsu'' schools, where it was said to have many purposes. The application of ''kuji'' to produce a desired effect was called "cutting" (''kiri'') the ''kuji''. Intended effects range from physical and mental concentration, to more incredible claims about rendering an opponent immobile, or even the casting of magical spells.; These legends were captured in popular culture, which interpreted the ''kuji-kiri'' as a precursor to magical acts.

See also

* ''Kunoichi''
* Ninjas in popular culture

References

Further reading

*
* Cummins, Antony. ''The Book of Ninja: The Bansenshukai - Japan's Premier Ninja Manual'' 2013
* Cummins, Antony. ''Ninja Skills: The Authentic Ninja Training Manual'' 2018
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*
* Toshitora, Yamashiro. ''Secret Guide to Making Ninja Weapons'', Butokukai Press, 1986.
* Zoughari, Kacem. ''The Ninja: Ancient Shadow Warriors of Japan'', Tuttle Publishing, 2010.

External links

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