What is Ninjutsu?

Ninpo and Ninjutsu

Ninpo represents a complex martial and spiritual discipline, converged into a unconventional life philosophy based on the concept of preserving the human life integrity, both phisical and mental. This way of life relies on a continuous training and preparation, adapted to one's needs, in order to be able to successfuly face any difficulty. If Ninpo refers to the art in its own complexity, both martial and spiritual, then Ninjutsu represents the effective unarmed and weapon martial techniques (from several old japanese schools - ryu-ha), including various methods of fighting, leaping, hiding, walking and running methods, as well as sword evading techniques, and special utilization of the body.

The arsenal of weapons includes a wide range of conventional weapons such as Tachi (katana), Yari (spear), Roku-Shaku-Bo (6 feet staff), and also unconventional weapons such as Shuko, Kusari fundo, Shurikens, and concealed weapons.

A fundamental aspect of Ninjutsu was represented by the methods of infiltration into enemy's territory, to gather information, to cause disorder, to disseminate false information, or simply to assassinate the enemy's leaders in order to facilitate a victory. As explained in Bansenshukai, a 17th century document wrote by Fujibayashi Sabuji, with sections on special weapons, history, philosophy, astronomy, topography and more, such stealth and spying techniques were part the base training that made ninja warriors so famous.

Bit of History

Ninjutsu's roots are going deep into Japan's history, and are directly related to its warriors history, clans fight, social segregation and military conditions. Many of the Ninjutsu schools were founded by formal samurais, willing to follow a different path, with a different understanding of the man, nature and fight techniques relation. With influences coming from the continent (chinese military, warrior monks, political refugees), from China or Coreea, the first art's methods were created as a new concept of life, including religious practices, mind and body fortification techniques, nature understanding methods, and more.

This new concept was thought and practiced in several small warrior villages in the ancient Japanese Iga and Koga regions, in 11th and 12th centuries (though most of the Ninjutsu schools were codified as we know them today later, in 15th century). With a self governing and a strong geographical position, the Iga and Koga regions became in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) well known for their warriors abilities, the historians identifying about 75 Ninjutsu families in Iga and approximate 53 families in Koga who were regularly employed by some of the Japan's leading casts. Organized in a hierarchical structure, the ninja families/clans were variously sized from small family groups to large clans organized as small armies, very disciplined and relying on the military and political abilities of the clan's ruling casts. Their military power and the success of some of their operations created such popularity and fear, and they became such a respectful military force (and possible allies), that the general Oda Nobunaga was determined to start the historical extermination campaign against Iga warriors villages, hoping to eradicate the warrior clans in 1581. Though Nobunaga succeed to overwhelm and defeat the Iga ninja warriors, the survivors spread in the other regions and kept practicing and transmitting through generations their art and knowledge.

Although historical data shows that some of the ninja have become the order police forces or bodyguards, in (and after) the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868), as the political and military situation became stable, ninja were effectively unemployed, ironically, the peace period being the most effective enemy for them. The knowledge was secretly transmitted within warrior families or clans through the centuries until today, when several of the ancient schools can be studied as part of the japanese history and culture.

Ninjutsu came back to light in the 70's, when Soke Masaaki Hatsumi founded Bujinkan as the first public and official Ninjutsu organization, and worked to made Ninjutsu seriously and correctly perceived by the society, by the other martial arts practitioners and by the non-japanese world. He accepted foreign (non-Japanese) students, and step by step, true Ninjutsu was spread around the world.

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