Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu is a form of martial arts practiced by the ninja, more popularly called shinobi in Japan. It is a strategy, tactic and art of unconventional and guerilla warfare. There exist today several types of modern Ninjutsu, but none can be directly tied to the Ninjutsu of Japan where it has been practiced for many years.

What is Ninjutsu all about?

The main character is called the Nin and is composed of two important characters. “Ha”, the upper character means the “edge of a sword” while “kokoro”, the lower character means “soul” or “heart”. So, together they mean secrecy, stealth, perseverance and endurance. Jutsu is a form of art or technique. Ninjutsu is mostly about stealth and secrecy. People utilize this form of art to endure all the hardships in life. Ninjutsu teaches 18 disciplines that need to be followed. The schools that teach this form of martial arts will need to do justice to all the various fighting disciplines and arts. Many schools of Ninjutsu exist, though many claim to have Japanese origins controversially. Even a few other martial arts like the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu include Ninjutsu in their curriculum, but they are not considered Ninjutsu schools.

The history of Ninjutsu

It is very clear that Ninjutsu does not have a clear history or lineage, given its extreme stealth, secrecy and escapism. The earliest founders of this form of martial art did not want many knowing how exactly it came about. They tried to be tightlipped about its origin and practice in the early days. Being that unobtrusive and concealed, we do learn that Ninjutsu certainly came from Japan where the people had to possess some complex methods of survival.

However, Ninjutsu evolved as one of the most popular forms of art and many schools decided to teach Ninjutsu. Schools aimed at passing on the legacy and bounds of this rare and vast knowledge of Ninjutsu. Juhakkei, a ninja, during the early stages of this form of martial art, studied with a Samurai warrior named Juhappan. They set out to develop two different but yet similar standards of martial art techniques. These are called the 18 disciplines today. Every school which teaches this art is expected to abide by the disciplines laid by these two men. Masaaki Hatsumi, the head of Bujinkan Dojo was also fundamental in developing Ninjutsu as a traditional form of martial art. He devised modern techniques that could be easily followed by the Japanese people. He is now considered to be the head of Ninjutsu and has a hold of the 18 disciplines of Ninjutsu.

Ninjutsu has gained popularity over the years through several television shows and movies. Ninjas were showcased in movies such as Kill Bill and Beverley Hills Ninja. However, these pictures could not do justice to the art of Ninjutsu. The true ninjas could find these pictures embarrassing and are the only people in the planet who can understand the concept of this art thoroughly.

If Ninjutsu sounds like a martial art you would be interested in, find a Ninjutsu School near you.  Or discuss Ninjutsu on the forums.