In books devoted to the art of ninjutsu, you can see descriptions of a huge number of types of cold combat ninja weapons - all kinds of swords, sickles, halberds, pipes, shuriken, etc.
But from a historical point of view, the specific melee weapons of the ninja, which were used only by the “warriors of the night,” were only a couple of dozen types of military items that were invisible and used secretly. The rest was used to the same extent by samurai and bandits.
Types of shinobi bladed weapons
Ninja sword (ninja - to, gatana) is a short curved sword with a metal handle, entangled in black strips of leather. Under the influence of militants, a large number of misconceptions have arisen about the ninja sword. The ninja-to was not straight, but slightly curved and was not carried on his back, as shown in the films. To avoid drawing attention to the assassin, there were no patterns, ornaments or jewels on the blade, scabbard and hilt. Often the scabbard of the sword (sai) was made longer than the blade and small things were placed in the empty space that could help the shinobi in difficult situation– shurikens, poisonous powders, documents.
Ashiko - sharp metal claws that were worn on the feet and helped with high speed climb trees and walls. They were also used as weapons - they could cause serious damage.
Shuko - like ashiko, was used for climbing trees and overcoming high fortifications.
Kakute is the weapon of a female ninja. It was a ring with pointed protrusions onto which poison was applied.
Kama is a combat weapon in the shape of a sickle, with a handle 45 cm long and a curved blade attached perpendicular to it. Often used as a dual weapon.
Kusari-gama is a kama to which a chain with a load at the other end was attached. With the help of a chain, the enemy's weapon was intercepted and the blade was thrown out at a distance of the length of the chain, followed by the return of the kama to the ninja's hands.
Kaginawa - cat on a rope or chain long length. Used to overcome walls.
Kiyoketsu-shoge is a rope with a knife tied at one end and a hoop-shaped handle at the other.
Naginata is a Japanese halberd with a fifteen-centimeter blade. The naginata was often worn by sohei warrior monks, and ninjas used it if they wanted to disguise themselves as them.
Neko-te - metal, sometimes poisoned, claws that were worn on the fingers. They were mainly used by female shinobi kunoichi to damage an opponent's eyes.
Sai is a Japanese trident, which is a sharp round or multifaceted sixty-centimeter rod with sharpened guards.
Shobo is a sharp metal rod that is attached to the middle finger using a special ring.
Shuriken - thin, sharpened metal plate, which was used mainly to stop the enemy. Sometimes poison was applied to the ends of the shuriken, but a ninja with a poisoned shuriken could inadvertently injure himself and die from his own poison.
Throwing arrows - pointed rods 10-15 cm long, were worn secretly in a special quiver on the hand.
Tessen is a fan with metal sharpened knitting needles. Often used as a small shield.
Fukiya, fukibari - a blowpipe 5-30 centimeters long. With its help, the ninja could shoot poisoned needles.
Ninja weapons video
The video lists the most interesting items from the Shinobi Arsenal.
Greetings, fans of Japan. What do you know about the mysterious Japanese ninjas? Our imagination draws an image of a nimble man in a black suit, who knows how to fight well, run fast, climb walls and ceilings, and then masterfully disappears into the fog. We got this image of the Japanese superman from films and legends. But who were they really? Today my story is about who ninjas are, the history of their origin, the essence of their work and the qualities necessary to fall into this category of special people.
The essence of the concept
I would like to note that the concept of “ninja” in medieval Japan it just wasn't there. Such people were called “sinobi no mono.” How did they transform into ninjas? Let's try together to understand the names in more detail and understand who these mysterious ninjas are.
The word "ninja" contains two hieroglyphs 忍者 （にんじゃ）:
- "nin" 忍 - “shinobi” means “to hide, hide, do everything secretly”
- "ja" 者 - "mono" means "person"
Essentially, this is a well-hidden person who does his business secretly. In short, a spy, scout, infiltrator. Don't forget that part of these guys' work was assassination. We conclude that “ninjas” are highly skilled spies with the additional specialization of a killer. They were outlaws, killing and spying for or for an idea. This closed caste also had its own code of honor.
How did they appear?
The history of the origin of the caste of Japanese secret agents goes back to the end of the 6th century, when the first mention of spies was recorded. A certain Otomo no Saijin, being a link between the aristocrats and the common people, was in fact a secret confidant of the feudal lord Shotoku Taishi. His task was to appear in the city dressed as a commoner, eavesdrop, spy, and report everything to his employer.
Another famous medieval spy is Takoya, a servant of one of the emperors, who already looks more like a ninja. He masterfully carried out various acts of sabotage, arson and murder.
As a powerful and terrible clan, ninja warriors appeared during the 9th-10th centuries. According to one legend, its basis was the warrior monks Ken Doshi.
Historical documents confirm that the very first place of training preparing professional ninjas was the Iga school. The founders were Buddhist monks who were quite militant. Exposed to persecution by the state, they went to, where they improved their skills. The monks were called “yamabushi” (mountain warriors), they were known as healers, dexterous warriors, experts in the art of espionage and trained those who wanted to become real intelligence officers. Yambushi have developed unique techniques to unlock unique opportunities human body.
In Japan they believe that ninjas could turn into demons, fly over tall walls and were invulnerable. According to legend, the monks intensively meditated, teaching these skills to future ninjas. Entering a trance, the warriors were reincarnated as a dragon or demon; their altered consciousness helped them do incredible things.
Medieval killers perfectly mastered the art of killing in slow motion, with a light touch. The ninja touched the enemy's body and after a certain time, he died mysteriously. Scientists suggest that simple blows were applied to certain vulnerable points of the human body, which is why death occurred. But how the killers could push it back for some time, no one still knows.
Who and how could become a ninja
Let's talk about how to become a real ninja. All Japanese youths did not dream about this. But they became trained intelligence officers by birthright and rarely by choice. Any Japanese boy born into a family belonging to a clan was supposed to become their successor. The baby's training began from the first days of life.
With the help of fairly tough games and exercises, children were taught agility, endurance, trained quick reactions, developed the vestibular system, received a strengthening massage and learned to swim. When the child could walk, run and float on his own, training began in climbing trees and walls, high jumping, and extreme horse riding.
Special attention was given to training in fighting without weapons and strengthening the child's body, a real spy must be able to carry out for a long time in the scorching sun or sitting in icy water for hours. Future spies developed ninja qualities such as attentiveness, visual memory, instant reaction, developed sense acuity, and trained the sensitivity of hearing, smell and touch.
Future spies except physical development received special education. They learned to read, write, translate,
The best spies had to be able to tell by the breathing of a sleeping person, determine his age and gender, understand by the whistle of an arrow how far away the enemy was, and name his type by the sound of a weapon. They had to skillfully master the skills of acting in order to easily change their disguises and masterfully imitate their death.
Professional intelligence officers communicated with each other using special codes: grains of rice left along the roads, special music, paper messages written in colorless ink.
Hired killers, also required excellent ability to quickly appear and disappear. To do this, I had to spend hours practicing incredible tricks, throwing homemade grenades. Ninja were masters of camouflage, which is why they seemed to appear out of nowhere. Secret spies used many different tricks to make people seem practically demons. And they succeeded quite well. They were feared, legends were made about them, stories were told.
Japanese culture has given the world many unusual and interesting phenomena. I will try to tell you about some of them. We will continue our conversation about the mysterious ninja warriors another time. I say goodbye for today. Thank you for reading my notes and sharing them with your friends on social networks!
Our knowledge of the ancients Japanese warriors-ninjas are based mainly on literary works, films and comics, which contain a lot of conflicting information. This post will introduce you to real facts about ninjas that will make you wonder.
Shinobi no mono
According to surviving documents, correct name is "sinobi no mono". The word "ninja" is a Chinese reading of a Japanese ideogram that became popular in the 20th century.
First mention of ninja
For the first time, the ninja became known from the military chronicle “Taiheiki,” written in 1375. It said that ninjas entered an enemy city at night and set buildings on fire.
Golden age of the ninja
Ninjas flourished during the 15th and 16th centuries, when Japan was torn apart by internecine wars. After 1600, peace reigned in Japan, after which the decline of the ninja began.
"Bansenshukai"
There are very few records of ninjas during the era of wars, but after the onset of peace, they began to keep records of their skills. The most famous manual on ninjutsu is the so-called “Ninja Bible” or “Bansenshukai”, which was written in 1676. There are about 400 - 500 manuals on ninjutsu, many of which are still kept secret.
Samurai Army Special Forces
Today, popular media often portrays samurai and ninja as sworn enemies. In fact, ninjas were something like modern-day special forces in the samurai army. Many samurai trained in ninjutsu.
Ninja "quinine"
Popular media also portrays ninjas as being from the peasant class. In truth, ninjas could come from any class, samurai or otherwise. Moreover, they were “quinine”, that is, they were outside the structure of society. Over time (after peace) ninjas were considered lower in status, however they still held a higher social position than most peasants.
Ninjutsu is a specialized form of hand-to-hand combat
It is generally accepted that ninjutsu is a form of hand-to-hand combat, a system of martial arts that is still taught throughout the world. However, the idea of the specialized form of hand-to-hand combat practiced by today's ninja was invented by a Japanese man in the 1950s and 1960s. This new fighting system was brought to America during the boom in ninja popularity in the 1980s and became one of the most popular misconceptions about ninjas.
Shurikens or shakens
Throwing stars (shuriken or shaken) do not have the slightest historical connection with ninjas. Throwing stars were a secret weapon used in many samurai schools. They only began to be associated with ninjas in the 20th century thanks to comic books and animated films.
Illustration of a fallacy
Ninjas are never shown without masks, but there is no mention of ninjas wearing masks. In fact, they should have covered their faces long sleeves when the enemy was nearby. When working in groups, they wore white headbands so they could see each other in the moonlight.
Ninjas blended into the crowd
A popular ninja look always includes a black bodysuit. In fact, in such a suit they would look just as appropriate as, for example, on the streets of modern Moscow. They wore traditional Japanese clothes.
Clothing for camouflage
Today, people believe that ninjas wore black clothes to help them hide in the dark. The Shoninki (The True Way of the Ninja), written in 1681, stated that ninjas should wear robes of blue color to blend in with the crowd as this color was popular at the time. During night operations, they wore black clothes (on a moonless night) or white clothes (on full moon).
Ninjas did not use straight swords
The now famous "ninja-to" or straight-bladed, square-hilted ninja swords did exist in medieval Japan, as square handguards were made back then, but they only began to be attributed to ninjas in the 20th century. "Medieval special forces" used ordinary swords.
"Kudzi"
Ninjas are known for their spells, which they supposedly performed using hand gestures. This art was called "kuji" and it has nothing to do with ninja. Kuji originated in India and was later adopted by China and Japan. It is a series of gestures designed to ward off evil in certain situations or to ward off the evil eye.
Land mines, hand grenades, explosives, poisonous gas...
The image of a ninja using a smoke bomb is quite universal and common in modern world. Although medieval warriors did not have smoke bombs, they had hundreds of fire-related recipes: land mines, hand grenades, waterproof torches, varieties of Greek fire, fire arrows, explosives and poisonous gas.
Yin Ninja and Yang Ninja
This is half true. There were two groups of ninja: those who could be seen (yang ninja) and those whose identity always remained a secret (yin ninja).
Ninja - black magicians
In addition to the image of the ninja assassin, in old Japanese films one could often find the image of the ninja master, a warrior-mage who defeated enemies with cunning. Interestingly, ninja skills did contain a certain amount of ritual magic, from magical hairpins that supposedly provided invisibility to sacrificing dogs to gain the help of the gods. However, standard samurai skills also contained an element of magic. This was common for that time.
The Art of Covert Operations
To be more precise, they were indeed often hired to kill a victim, but most ninja were trained in the arts of covert operations, propaganda, espionage, making and using explosives etc.
"Kill Bill"
Hattori Hanzo became famous thanks to the film Kill Bill. In fact, it was famous historical figure- Hattori Hanzo was a real samurai and trained ninjas. He became a famous general who received the nickname "Devil Hanzo". It was he who, at the head of a group of ninjas, contributed to Tokugawa becoming the shogun of Japan.
Hobbyists and Enthusiasts
The first major boom in modern ninja popularity came in Japan in the early 1900s, when very little was known about these medieval spy-assassins. In the 1910s - 1970s, many books were written by amateurs and enthusiasts, which were simply replete with errors and falsifications. These errors were then translated into English language during the boom in ninja popularity in the 1980s.
Ninja is a reason to laugh
The study of ninjas was a laughing matter in Japanese academic circles, and for many decades the study of their history was considered a whimsical fantasy. Serious research in Japan has only begun within the last 2–3 years.
Encrypted Ninja Scrolls
It is alleged that the ninja manuscripts were encrypted so that no outsider could read them. This misunderstanding arose due to the Japanese way of writing scrolls. Many Japanese scrolls simply listed lists of skill names without properly deciphering them. Although their true meanings have been lost, the texts have never been deciphered.
Hollywood myths
This is a Hollywood myth. There is no evidence that mission abandonment resulted in suicide. In fact, some manuals teach that it is better to abandon a mission than to rush things and cause problems.
Sleeping agents
It is believed that ninjas were much more powerful than ordinary warriors, but only certain ninjas who were trained in a special style of warfare were so. Many ninjas simply lived life in secret ordinary people in enemy provinces, carried out the usual daily activities or traveled to spread rumors. Recommended abilities for a ninja were: disease resistance, high intelligence, fast speech and stupid appearance(because people usually ignore those who look stupid).
There is no clan, no clan...
There are a number of people in Japan who claim to be masters of ninja schools that trace their lineage back to the times of the samurai. This issue is very controversial, since there is not a single proven fact that ninja families or clans have survived to this day.
Spy saboteurs
While fictional ninjas have haunted people for the past 100 years, historical truth often turns out to be much more impressive and interesting. Ninjas were engaged in real espionage activities, carried out covert operations, worked behind enemy lines, were hidden surveillance agents, etc.
They appeared out of nowhere. And they disappeared into nowhere. They were worshiped and hated. It was believed that no mortal could defeat them. Because they are demons. Demons of the night.
Fear settled in the fortress. The servants hid in their closets, afraid to show themselves to their masters again. Everyone was talking quietly, as if afraid to frighten off that unknown force that had made its way into the fortress. The provincial governor lay in his bed, soaked with blood. No one dared to approach the dead man; they were afraid to even look at him.
The guards were perplexed - the fortress was impregnable: the walls were high, the corridors were full of soldiers, and the entire courtyard was occupied by soldiers. Not a single living soul could penetrate here. But someone did it anyway. Who?
The servants whispered quietly among themselves: there was a flash of blinding light, and two guards on the North Tower were found dead; there were no wounds, only the lips turned blue and the eyes bulged as if at the last moment they had seen all the horrors of the world. The samurai suspected treason, but could not understand where to look for it. Who was at the governor's late dinner? Warlord. Yes, there were two more geishas from the nearby teahouse, but they visited the viceroy almost every night. The geisha left before midnight - the owner was still alive. Unexplained death. And none of them could know that there were not two geishas that night, but three. Meanwhile, the old woman, the owner of the teahouse, was counting the huge amount received at night and was silent. Silence was costly. His price is life. Time loves to reveal the past, but so far it has told very sparingly about the most unusual warriors of the Land of the Rising Sun - about the mysterious clans of professional spies and assassins, about the legendary ninjas. There are almost no written sources that shed light on their lives. According to legend, they passed on their secrets by inheritance in scrolls, and if the master did not find a worthy successor, the scroll was destroyed. Shadow warriors have always remained a mystery, the embodiment of another, dark world. Mikke temples and secret teachings, mountain cult and darkness worship. The ninja's amazing abilities to walk on fire, swim in icy water, control the weather, read the enemy's mind and stop time were usually attributed to dark forces. In the eyes of the samurai, ninjas were worthy of hatred and contempt. But all these feelings were generated by one thing - the fear that the “dark people” inspired in everyone in Japan - both superstitious commoners, and brave samurai, and sovereign princes.
Shinobi mono - a person who penetrates secretly
Surprisingly, in Japanese medieval chronicles there is no such thing as a ninja! The word "ninja" appeared only in the last century. It consists of two characters: Nin (sinobi) means to endure, hide and do something secretly; Dzya (mono) is a person. Those whom we now call ninja were called shinobi no mono in Japan - a person who penetrates secretly. This was a very accurate name, because the main occupation (and meaning of life) of ninjas was high-class professional espionage and masterly execution of contract killings.
Trap for Sarutobi
The official mention of the first professional spy in the history of the Land of the Rising Sun occurs at the end of the 6th century. His name was Otomo no Saijin, and he served Prince Shotoku Taishi, one of Japan's greatest figures. Saijin was a kind of connecting link between the people and the aristocracy. While changing clothes, he went outside the palace walls in the guise of a commoner, looked and listened, listened and looked. He knew everything: who stole what, who killed whom, and, most importantly, who was dissatisfied government policy. Saijin was the ears and eyes of the prince, for which he was awarded the honorary title of Shinobi (spies). This is where Shinobi-jutsu came from. True, some historians are inclined to think that Saijin was not a spy, but an ordinary policeman. However, this is not confirmed by sources.
The second famous spy was a certain Takoya, who served Emperor Tenmu in the 7th century. This servant was closer to modern concept"ninja" than Saijin. His task was sabotage. Making his way behind enemy lines at night, Takoya set fires. While the enemy was running around the camp in panic, the emperor's troops struck an unexpected blow. Both Saijin and Takoya may have been the forerunners of a powerful society of assassins and spies; the clan itself appeared in the 9th-10th centuries. In Iga, in the Ninjutsu Museum, a fragment of the 9th century chronicle of the ancient Togakura family is kept. In one of the battles, a representative of this family, a certain Daitsuke, was defeated and his possessions were seized. What could he do? Just run to the mountains to save your life. So he did. Hiding in the mountains, Daitsuke not only survived, but also began to gather strength for revenge. His teachers were the militant monks Ken Doshi. On the barren slopes of the province of Iga, Daitsuke persistently mastered the ancient art of completely subordinating the body to the dictates of will and mind. According to the chronicle, he created new type a warrior who moves as easily as the wind, unnoticeable to enemies; a warrior who knows how to win without a fight! Since then, many legends have been made about shadow warriors. Some of them were recorded in historical sources. Moreover, thorough comparative analysis conducted by researchers showed that much of these legends may well correspond to real facts. History mentions the legendary Sarutobi, who was one of the best ninjas. Sarutobi lived in trees; all day long he swung and hung on them, developing his dexterity. No one wanted to engage in hand-to-hand combat with him. And yet one day he was defeated. While spying on an influential shogun, Sarutobi tried to infiltrate his palace, but was spotted by sentries. This did not upset him at all, for more than once he easily escaped his pursuers. But this time luck turned against him. Jumping down from the wall surrounding the palace, he fell straight into a bear trap. One leg was firmly stuck in the trap. This could confuse anyone, but not an experienced shinobi. Sarutobi cut off his own leg, stopped the bleeding and tried to escape by jumping on one leg! And yet he did not manage to get far - the loss of blood was enormous and he began to lose consciousness. Realizing that he could not escape and that the samurai would soon overtake him, Sarutobi managed to fulfill the last duty of a ninja - he cut off his face...
But more often than not, ninjas emerged victorious even from the most hopeless situations. According to one legend, an experienced shinobi was ordered to kill his “colleague” Juzo. This was quite possible, because ninjas from rival clans did not spare each other (these guys had no corporate solidarity at all). Shinobi did not kill his “colleague”; live Juzo was more expensive. The prisoner was delivered alive to the customer shogun, and he, as a sign of respect, mercifully allowed the poor fellow to commit suicide. For hara-kiri, Juzo chose a short, blunt knife. Having plunged the knife into the stomach up to the hilt, the dying man stretched out on the floor. His breathing stopped, and all his clothes were soaked in blood. The corpse was thrown into a ditch near the castle. But this is precisely what should not have been done. The shogun paid for his mistake immediately - that same night his castle burned with fire! The arsonist was none other than the dead man, who had cut open his stomach a couple of hours earlier. The solution was simple - the cunning Juzo simply tucked the rat into his belt in advance, and then skillfully ripped open the belly not of himself, but of the unfortunate animal.
By the way, ninjas knew hundreds of similar tricks. And they not only knew, but also knew how to perform masterfully.
Yamabushi. Eagles are born only in the mountains
Historical documents clearly indicate the first school of spies - it was the so-called Iga school. It was founded by wandering monks who preached Buddhism. The authorities, and especially the official Shinto priests, persecuted these ascetic hermits. They retired far into the mountains and there they received everyone who was ready to share their faith and hard journey with them. Over time, these white monks began to be called yamabushi (mountain warriors), and it was they who became the first teachers in the Iga school. Yamabushi practiced medicine and enjoyed great respect among the population; they successfully treated many diseases, saved crops, could predict the weather and, as simple peasants believed, protect against evil spirits. The main goal of the Yamabushi was to search for the drink of immortality. The chronicles are silent about whether they succeeded in this or not, but over three centuries of persecution, the mountain warriors developed their own special art of murder and espionage. Yamabushi taught future ninja many military tricks, among which the most famous was the nine-syllable defense. It was she who turned ninjas into demons and invulnerable warriors. Here sits one of the “mountain warriors.” Swaying rhythmically, he makes monotonous sounds, now louder, now quieter. The fingers are folded into strange shapes. At all times, the art of Shugendo saved him from his pursuers. For 30 years he studied the language of nature, slept in the snow and talked with demons. The warrior stood up and leaned his whole body against the rock. His arms and legs went into the rock like tree roots. The head became like a mossy boulder. Now this is not a person, but only stones destroyed by wind and time. The pursuers run past, two steps from the rock. A lot, about two dozen. Their eyes carefully look around - nothing, no one... The Yamabushi owned a special technique that revealed the amazing abilities of the human body. They knew that if you rhythmically bite the tip of your tongue in a special way, you can completely get rid of thirst. They knew that if they simultaneously rhythmically press the index fingers of both hands on special points located on outside calves (closer to the knee), you can overcome your worst fear. They knew that if the tip thumb right hand press in rhythm with the pulse on a point located on the pad between the first and second phalanx of the little finger of the left hand, then in a few minutes you can relieve the fatigue that has accumulated over two sleepless nights or a day of hard hiking along mountain trails. They knew that when a person pronounces certain combinations of sounds, they cause a resonance in the larynx, which has a powerful effect on the subconscious. Some sounds give a person courage, others make him restless, and others help him enter a trance. They knew a lot. The mysterious nine syllable technique helped the Yamabushi and their ninja students to use hidden reserves the human body, and use it in such a way that everyone around was amazed. According to many sources, shinobi did amazing things. They could reach speeds of over 70 km/h, jump over 3-meter walls and even temporarily stop their own heart.
The most mysterious Japanese monastic order- yamabushi - brought rituals and ceremonies into the ninja world that allow you to master almost supernatural power. The Shadow Warriors remained faithful disciples of Yamabushi for centuries. Yamabushi taught the ninja such secrets that now, many centuries later, science is unable to explain many of them (although some were still unraveled). The monks passed on their secrets only orally. One of the most amazing secrets of Yamabushi was the method of protection with nine syllables, kuji no ho (Kuji Gosin Ho) - nine steps of power. Every ninja owned it. The defense included 9 spells (jumon), 9 corresponding finger configurations and 9 stages of concentration of consciousness. When pronouncing jumon, you should fold your fingers and concentrate your consciousness. For the ninja it was the right way gain energy for your supernatural actions (for example, jumping over a three-meter fence or becoming elusive).
Jumon
Modern science already knows: various combinations of sounds create a resonance in the larynx that affects the brain. Moreover, scientists have confirmed that the frequency of vibration determines the appearance of different feelings in people: joy, anxiety, etc. Thus, one of the first explanations for the amazing capabilities of the ninja was found. Until then, their ability to instantly change their mood and suppress feelings of fear remained a mystery. Everything was attributed to dark magic. Usually the spell (jumon) was recited 108 times. It had to come from the heart, respond in it like an echo, and fill the body and fingers with vibration. Yamabushi taught ninjas that finger configurations (mudra) affect the entire energy of the body. Each finger, like each hand, has its own energy. Some figures could calm the mind. Others gave strength and helped in critical situations. By folding your hands and fingers into certain shapes, you can control the flow of energy both entering and leaving the body. This helps to concentrate consciousness and use the body's hidden reserves. One of the calming mudras of Jumon should sound like “rin-hei-to-sha-kai-retsu-zai-zen.”
Concentrating consciousness through meditation helped ninjas get used to various images, for example a lion, a demon, a giant. It was trance that changed the consciousness of the warriors and allowed them to perform miracles. There is nothing supernatural about this. Psychiatrists and physiologists confirm: a person in a state of altered consciousness even changes physically - the so-called hidden reserves of the body awaken in him. Sometimes this can be observed even at the everyday level, for example, strong fear forces a person to develop a speed that he would never have achieved in a calm state. Rage also gives a person additional physical strength.
Another thing is that to an ordinary person It is very difficult to force yourself into a trance “on command.” Try lying peacefully on the sofa and create such rage in yourself that you can crush the glass with your hands and not feel pain. Ninjas knew how to artificially put themselves into different states and awaken unprecedented physical powers. Today, experts are confident that ninjas used self-hypnosis. Moreover, self-hypnosis is based on the so-called “anchor” technique, in which three anchors are used simultaneously: kinesthetic (interlacing of fingers), auditory (sound resonance) and visual (visual image). All this served as a trigger for entering a combat trance.
The practical results of the “nine syllable defense” were colossal - in combination with grueling training, it allowed the ninja to develop enormous speed, see in the dark and break through stone walls with a blow of the hand.
Death Touch. The art of slow death
The ninja mastered this terrible art. A light touch to the enemy's body - and after a while he unexpectedly died. Could have died right away. He could have died even in a year. But death was inevitable. The effect of the death touch was not caused by a blow at all - there was a release of energy at a certain point of the body, the energy of the body was disrupted. The art of slow death is the most mysterious part of the Yamabushi teachings. Any ninja who would reveal this secret to mere mortals was to be killed, and his soul was doomed to eternal damnation.
The technique of striking the most vulnerable points of the body formed the basis for the training of warriors of the night. The ninjas of Ikeoosaki succeeded most in it. Each of their blows strikes vitally important points, led to death. Science is not yet able to explain the mysterious “art of slow death”. However, even orthodox medicine today admits that through individual points on the body it is possible to influence internal organs person. A Chinese medicine has been successfully using “spot treatments” for centuries. Most likely, ninjas used similar techniques. The most amazing thing about the art of slow death is how the ninja managed to “postpone” death.
Here we can assume the following. Perhaps the ninja’s touches did not so much “kill” a person as disrupt the well-coordinated functioning of the body; This is how you can turn off a powerful and complex engine by throwing an ordinary nut at it. And after a physiological failure, a person died from his own diseases, depending on the predispositions of the body.
Unchildish childhood
All clan babies were awarded the honorary title of ninja immediately after birth. Child's career, i.e. promotion from genin to chunin depended solely on his personal qualities. From the first days of birth, a long journey of learning began. The cradle with the baby hit the walls when rocking. The push forced him to instinctively shrink - this was the first grouping. One year old child he already knew how to deftly walk on a log (later he was taught to move along a rope). Until the age of two, reaction training was the main focus. They did it for the kids special massage using strong painful blows and pinches - this is how future warriors got used to pain. Later, the body was “treated” with a faceted stick to get used to it.
Serious training began after eight years. Until this age, children learned to read, write, imitate sounds made by animals and birds, throw stones, and climb trees. The children of the clan had no choice. Since childhood, they played with real weapons, moreover, they were taught to turn everything that came into their hands into weapons. They were taught to endure the cold, walking in bad weather without clothes and sitting for hours in cold water. Trees and thorny bushes served as jumping trainers. By hanging little ninjas by their hands at a great height for more than an hour (!) they were instilled with endurance. Night vision was developed through many weeks of training in dark caves and special diet from foods with a high content of vitamin A. By the way, the sensitivity of the ninja's eyes was fantastic. In the pitch darkness they could even read.
Some exercises were particularly cruel. So, for example, to develop dexterity it was necessary to jump over a solid grapevine, covered with sharp spines. Each touch to the vine immediately tore the skin and caused severe bleeding. From infancy, children were taught to swim. In water they were like fish: they could silently cover long distances, fight in and under water, with or without weapons. Every year the exercises became more and more difficult, cruel and painful. The little ninja could turn his foot or hand in any direction - exercises for free dissection and supernatural mobility of joints began at the age of four. These were very painful exercises, but they were the ones that saved the lives of warriors more than once - by freely turning their foot and hand, the ninja easily freed themselves from the strongest bonds. Push-ups, pull-ups, weight lifting - everything was so commonplace that any child raised in a ninja clan could easily outperform a modern athlete. At 10 years old, the ninja child could easily run more than 20 km a day. His speed was tested quite in original ways, for example, a straw hat, pressed against the runner's chest by the oncoming air flow while running, should not have fallen. Or a strip of fabric about 10 meters long was tied around the ninja’s neck, freely falling to the ground. Speed was considered normal when a ten-meter strip of fabric fluttered in the wind while running and did not touch the ground!
What the children were taught to modern man seems incredible: from the sound of a stone thrown from the wall, they should have been able to calculate the depth of the ditch and the water level with an accuracy of up to a meter! The breathing of those sleeping should indicate their number, gender and even age; the sound of weapons - their appearance; the whistle of an arrow - the distance to the enemy. They learned to feel the enemy with the back of their heads - how “telepathic contact” was established with an enemy sitting in ambush is impossible to explain. But adult warriors could actually deliver and repel blows without turning around. Their intuition always preceded reason. “The body itself knows how to move if we leave it alone,” great mentors taught.
More than one generation has grown up on Hollywood stories about ninja warriors. Born into a clan of assassins and raised by ruthless senseis, ninjas dedicated their existence to the ceaseless fight against the villainous samurai. Shadows in the night, ready to carry out the most disgusting order for the right price.
All this is a cheap selection of populist myths that appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century. Most of the stories about these Japanese warriors are based solely on the filmmakers' desire to create a vivid, marketable image. Today we will tell you a few amazing facts from real story ninja: less romance, more truth.
The original Japanese name, which was used by the Japanese themselves, is shinobi no mono. The word "ninja" came from the Chinese reading of the same characters and became popular only in the twentieth century.
First appearance
For the first time, shinobi are described in military chronicles of 1375. The chronicler mentions a group of spies who managed to infiltrate the fortified castle and burn it to the ground.
Golden age
For two centuries - the XIV and XVI - the cause of the warriors of the night flourished. Japan was immersed in civil wars and shinobi were very popular. But after 1600, life on the islands became much calmer, and this began the decline of shinobi no mono.
Ninja Bible
There is very little documented information about this secret organization. The shinobi themselves began to chronicle their deeds only after 1600. The most famous work, written by an unknown sensei, dates back to 1676. The book is considered the real shinobi bible and is called the Bansenshukai.
Confrontation with the samurai
Modern culture clearly depicts ninjas as fierce opponents of samurai. There is not a grain of truth in this: ninjas were a kind of mercenary special forces unit and the samurai treated them with great respect. Moreover, many samurai tried to improve their fighting skills by studying ninjutsu.
Ninjutsu
There is an opinion that ninjutsu is a kind of martial art intended for an unarmed warrior, something like karate-do high level. But there was no point in shinobi fighters devoting most of their time to practicing hand-to-hand combat. Original ninjutsu techniques are 75% intended for an armed person.
Shuriken ninja
In fact, it was samurai who used shurikens. The art of throwing a steel star was taught in special schools, but ninjas preferred to use much simpler and easier-to-handle blowguns. The stereotype about shurikens appeared only at the beginning of the 20th century.
Masked warrior
And, of course, a ninja should never appear without an ominous black hood on his head - otherwise who would be afraid of him! Shinobi actually used masks when necessary, but they could easily attack with their faces uncovered.
Sinister Assassins
In fact, most often employers used shinobi as spies. They could also be assigned political assassinations - rather, as an exception.
Victory or death
This is a Hollywood myth. There is no evidence at all that the failure of the mission cost the shinobi their lives. What's the point of this? Professional mercenaries preferred rationality to romance: it was better to retreat and strike again than to solemnly thrust a sword into one’s throat without any positive result.
