Ninjutsu

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Ninjutsu (忍術, Ninjutsu?), which means the "art of forbearance," is the Japanese martial art created by a group of families originally from the Iga and Koga regions of Japan.The term shinobi is the native Japanese word for a practitioner of Ninjutsu. Ninjutsu is sometimes used interchangeably with the term ninpō (忍法, ninpō?)

History

Skills relating to espionage and assassination were highly useful to warring factions in feudal Japan. However, because these activities were seen as dishonorable, Japanese warriors hired people who existed below Japan's social classes, literally called "non-humans" (非人, hinin?), to perform these tasks.

At some point, the skills of espionage became known collectively as ninjutsu, and the people who specialized in these tasks were called shinibi no mono, and later, ninja.

Ultimately, the skills of ninjutsu were so essential to conducting warfare that some samurai began to practice their techniques, as well incorporating ninjutsu into their formal schools of martial arts (ryū). The school of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū claims to have been the first to incorporate ninjutsu into its curriculum, and other schools make competing claims.

Ninjutsu was developed by groups of people mainly from the Iga Province and Kōka, Shiga in feudal Japan. Throughout history the shinobi have been seen as assassins for hire, and have been associated in the public imagination with other activities which are considered criminal by modern standards.

Ninjutsu was developed as a collection of fundamental survivalist techniques in the warring state of feudal Japan. The ninja clans used their art to ensure their survival in a time of violent political turmoil. It also included methods of gathering information, non-detection, avoidance, and misdirection techniques. Ninjutsu can also involve training in disguise, escape, concealment, archery, medicine, explosives, and poisons.

Even though it may have been influenced by Chinese spying techniques and the strategic principles of Sun Tzu, ninjutsu is regarded by its adherents as being wholly of Japanese origin.

Eighteen disciplines

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According to Bujinkan members, the eighteen disciplines (jūhakkei < jūhachi-kei) were first stated in the scrolls of Togakure-ryū and they became definitive for all ninjutsu schools, providing a complete training of the warrior in various fighting arts and complementary disciplines.

Ninja jūhakkei was often studied along with Bugei Jūhappan (the "18 samurai fighting art skills"). Though some of them are the same, the techniques of each discipline were used with different approaches by both samurai and ninja.

The 18 disciplines are:

Seishin-teki kyōyō (spiritual refinement)
Taijutsu (unarmed combat, using one's body as the only weapon)
Kenjutsu (sword fighting)
Bōjutsu (stick and staff fighting)
Shurikenjutsu (throwing shuriken)
Sōjutsu (spear fighting)
Naginatajutsu (naginata fighting)
Kusarigamajutsu (kusarigama fighting)
Kayakujutsu (pyrotechnics and explosives)
Hensōjutsu (disguise and impersonation)
Shinobi-iri (stealth and entering methods)
Bajutsu (horsemanship)
Sui-ren (water training)
Bōryaku (military strategy)
Chōhō (espionage)
Intonjutsu (escaping and concealment)
Tenmon (meteorology)
Chi-mon (geography)

In recent times the espionage techniques of ninjutsu are rarely focused on, since they serve little purpose to the bulk of modern populations, and tend to attract negative publicity and students with unrealistic expectations.

Schools claiming to teach ninjutsu

Bujinkan Organization headed by Masaaki Hatsumi. However Hatsumi has stated that he has modified the art of traditional ninjutsu to better suit modern ways. Hatsumi's Bujinkan Dōjō consists of nine separate schools of Japanese martial arts,[citation needed] only three of which contain ninjutsu teachings. According to the Bujinkan, Hatsumi is the inheritor of nine ryu (schools) some of which are Ninjutsu. He is considered by many to be the foremost on Ninjutsu, Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu, and Shinkentaijutsu.[citation needed] He also claims to hold the densho (scrolls) of the ancient schools and can trace his lineage 34 generations. However, the authenticity of his claims have often been called into question.[2] Hatsumi learned a variety of martial arts skills from To****sugu Takamatsu.

Genbukan World Ninpo Bugei Federation headed by Shoto Tanemura, who stopped training with Hatsumi in 1984 after achieving several Menkyo Kaiden in Bujinkan arts. He created the organization in order to maintain the method he learned that is changing rapidly to adapt to the modern world.

Jinenkan Organization headed by Kancho Fumio Manaka, who held several Menkyo Kaiden in Bujinkan schools but stopped training with Hatsumi in 1996 to found the Jinenkan. The Art focuses in harmonizing oneself with the natural flow of the elements.

The AKBAN Organization uses the Bujinkan curriculum the way it was used when Doron Navon, the first foreign Bujinkan shihan, studied under Hatsumi. Israel was one of the first places where Bujinkan ninjutsu was practiced outside Japan, with Doron Navon pioneering it there in 1974. Doron Navon no longer practices Bujinkan ninjutsu.

The Quest Centers headed by Stephen K. Hayes who studied under Masaaki Hatsumi and is the person who first brought Hatsumi's art to America, founding his first dojo in the Western Hemisphere in Atlanta, Georgia, in the mid-70s. Mr. Hayes relocated to Ohio around 1980, where he continued to teach the art for a number of years. He now teaches a Westernized system, To-Shin Do.

The Jizaikan organization headed by Thomas "Jotoshi" Maienza who studied under the Bujinkan Ninjutsu tradition with many influential practitioners of the art and was also head of the Quest Centers for a time and producer of many of Stephen Hayes works. He also has trained in Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu amongst other disciplines. There are many speculations of his accomplishments in all of the arts outside of the 9 traditions of the bujinkan where his training is verified through Stephen K.

Hayes quest center at 5th Dan in To-Shin-Do and 4th Dan in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu. His schools study under both ninja and samurai martial arts traditions creating a unique martial art called Jizaikan Aiki Ninjutsu based on his formal and informal training.

Some smaller schools claim to have survived as well. One example, the Fuma Ryu, claims to date back from as far as the Sengoku period and that it is much more traditional in its teachings. These claims are felt to be highly skeptical and doubted by many in the Bujinkan. This school is headed by Harunaka Hoshino.

Other extant traditional martial arts such as the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū contain some aspects of ninjutsu in their curriculum, but are not ninjutsu schools per se. Also several other schools of ninjutsu purportedly exist, some of which claim to be traced back to Japanese origins.

Unverified origins

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Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

There are several persons and organizations that teach martial arts which they identify as ninjutsu but who lack a clear lineage to Japanese teachers. While such arts may still be effective, they lack proof of Japanese origin.

Ashida Kim is an American martial artist who has made unverified claims of cross training into ninjutsu, as well as unsubstantiated claims of being the last grandmaster.

Frank Dux is a martial artist whose claims of origins are unverified.

Haha Lung is a writer of over a dozen books about mind control and ninjutsu but his authority on the subject is unverified.

Robert Law is a Canadian martial artist who claims to be the 119th grandmaster of the Geijin Ryu and 29th grandmaster of the Yoshin Miji Ryu, as well as being head of over 20 sub-group clans.

Joanne K. Martins is perhaps the only female American martial artist to have reached an official Kunoichi title after reaching the highest possible rank at the Bujinkan Ninjutsu Dojo in Kyoto, Japan at the age of twenty-five. Even if this information is still unverified, it was published in an article at the Black Belt magazine (March 2007 Issue).

Ronald Duncan is an American martial artist who runs the Way of the Winds Martial Arts System and claims to be the Father of American Ninjutsu.

Harunaka Hoshino is an American martial artist who runs the San Francisco Ninja Society and the British Fuma Ryu Ninja Society.

SWAN Shadow Warriors Association of Ninjitsu A worldwide organization teaching modern Ninjitsu. The SWAN training facility is located in the United States.

Neo-ninja is a term that refers to modern martial arts schools which claim to teach elements of the historic ninja of Japan, or base their school's philosophy upon traits attributed to the historic ninja of Japan.

Some people believe Kōga-ryū Ninjutsu to have survived into the mid-20th century, purportedly having been passed to Fujita Seiko by his own grandfather. Seiko had students, but did not pass on this legacy. Any actual direct lineage of the Kōga-ryū that might have existed, ended with the death of Fujita Seiko on January 14, 1966. Koga-ryu arts are generally considered to have been similar to the Iga-ryu arts.

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Ashiko Foot Spikes
Used to aid climbing and walking on slipery surfaces i.e. snow. Popular "Ninja" movies will show Ninja trapping sword blades with their feet, but, in fact if your tried this you would lose your foot.

Tetsubishi Caltrops
Thrown on the floor to slow an enemy down, as they are sharp and the soles of footware in old Japan were thin, so they would stick in the feet of the enemy. They could also be thrown into the face of an attacker to blind them.

Uchiwa Fan
Uchiwa was used mainly by Konoichi (female Ninja) for surprise attacks with hidden punches
or conceled weapons. Also used for disguising the face.

Kusarifundo / Manrikigusari Weighted chain
Used as a swinging weapon to strike or entangle the enemies body or weapons.
This is a very powerful weapon when used correctly and can easily be concealed in the hand.

Gama Sickle
A farm tool that was turned into a weapon and mastered by many martial arts styles.
Often seen in movies bening used in pairs it was more likely that they were used indivually.

Kagi Hook and Rope
Used for climbing and scaling walls. This was the perfect tool to allow the Ninja to gain entrance to a guarded castle without being caught. Hence the legend that the Ninja could walk through walls.

Ninja-To Ninja sword
Probably made from broken or stolen Samurai swords. The blade is straight and
not as sharp as a Samurai sword.
Ninjas did not beleive that their swords had spirits and
they were used as a "tool"

Sai
Used for traping and breaking sword and yari blades
these weapons were made famous by the Ninja Turtles ;-).

Shaken Throwing star.
A weapon that could be thrown (short range) at an enemy as a distraction or used as a hand held weapon in close combat

Shinai Bamboo sword
Used to practice full contact Kenjutsu (sword fighting)

Shoge
Bladed weapon with a chain and ring attachment used for snaring the opponent and his weapon.

Shuko Hand spikes
Used to aid climbing
Could be used to attack bare skin or the face, but the danger here was that they may become entangled in clothing

Shurinkan Throwing blades
The term can be used for any blade that is thrown, including shaken.

Tabi Boots
Tabi boots have split toes that enabled the wearing of hard soled footwear or sandals.

Tesson Iron war fan
A fan or fake fan (i.e. looking like a folded fan) that is made of metal and would be used to strike the enemy
or to aid locks

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YouTube - Human Weapon Ninjutsu

YouTube - Mind Body & Kickass Moves - Ninjutsu

YouTube - Mind Body & Kickass Moves - Ninjutsu, Pt.2: Training Methods

YouTube - bujinkan ninjutsu Demonstration

YouTube - ninjutsu Shinobi: Winds of the 34th Generation

YouTube - Nine Cutting Fingers of Ninjutsu

YouTube - Ninjutsu- locking techniques