Women can be Ninjas too - Kunoichis Unite!

Jeremy Kenarangi on Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:30PM

Women aren’t the first thing you think of when someone says ninja. More often than not, your mind jumps to men with dirty glares in black outfits. What you may or may not know, is that women played an integral role in ninja clans of the past. Kunoichi, as they were called, were female ninja who often utilized their feminine ways along with an arsenal of hidden weapons to spy, assassinate, and slip past enemy lines. Much like La Femme Nikita, these deadly beauties were not above using whatever they could to achieve their mission. For example, a traveling man comes across a crying woman, stopping to see if she’s OK. He hops off his horse and approaches her, asking the woman if she needs any assistance. Before the man can utter another sentence, the crying woman unsheathes a knife from beneath her robe and slits her target’s throat.

That was only an example but it’s not hard to see why kunoichi were so coveted in the ninja clans. With their deadly ability to trick their foes, kunoichi were a force to be reckoned with. Besides targeting people for assassination, they also served as excellent tools for gaining valuable information. In many ways, kunoichi were more fit for espionage missions then the ninja, as a kunoichi had the advantage of her gender. By disguising herself as a concubine or geisha, they could gain access to areas with tight security, then use their womanly charms to get the required information, and even kill the enemy commander if necessary. It’s not surprising that when word of mouth spread about the kunoichi, people had this to say about them - no matter how hard a castle is well guarded, there isn’t a castle a kunoichi can’t enter.

It should come as no surprise, that kunoichi were trained differently than male ninja. They’d have to be. From singing, to dancing, to playing instruments, kunoichi were trained in everything that could be used to their advantage. While they underwent exhaustive physical preparations, above all they were trained in tactical and psychological methods primarily.

Kunoichi were strictly close combat fighters, employing such things as needles to land deadly blows to their foes. They often used these needles to pin their hair up, pulling one out at a moment’s notice before driving it deep into their target’s neck. Usually dipped in deadly poison, these lethal weapons would kill almost instantaneously. Kunoichi employed other killing tools besides needles, such as knives in their sleeves, hidden blades in their fans, and even seemingly harmless items like wooden shoes which could be used to break bones.

It’s a shame kunoichi haven’t seen a huge explosion of popularity like the ninja, as they’re just as deadly if not deadlier than their masculine counterparts. While they have made their way into some anime, movies, and video games, it would be nice to see them take a more lead role in these various mediums as they’re largely delegated to more minor/side kick roles.

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