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The Art of Ninjutsu »

It’s important to answer the literal question first: in a fight, of course, ninja would win. No matter how skilled a swordsman, your samurai can’t be awake every moment of the day, and no ninja worth his (or her) salt will be dumb enough to charge their foe head-on in broad daylight. But since these two warrior archetypes are so often juxtaposed, it seems worthwhile to ask: how are they related, and what do they represent? Sure, ninja, unlike samurai, “have no honor,” but isn’t the truth (as usual) more complex?

We’ve already explored various theories of the history of the ninja in a great article you all should read, and my personal take is this: the theory that ninja arose from the common people is the most plausible. Probably all the traits we ascribe to ninja (from their methods of attack to their philosophy) arose from different sources, but I suspect that on the whole it was a bottom-up social process.

As one historically accurate film, among others, show us, samurai employed ninja to do their dirty work. Ninja activities violate not so much the samurai code of honor, as the principles of a civil society; but it’s not hard to see how useful ninja would be for an ambitious lord. Samurai have, after all, two faces: the one, honor-bound warriors, courageous to the point of death; the other, corrupt landowners, chained by self-serving traditions. This two-facedness is showcased exceptionally in the Masaki Kobayashi film Harakiri.

On the other hand, it’s highly probable that certain ninjutsu arts were developed by peasantry as a means of resisting the brutal rule of samurai, when they had so few at their disposal. Like many arts once developed by an underclass–most notably karate–it later became symbolic of Japan itself.

The Japanese tradition is full of these tensions between the aristocratic and common: Zen meditation vs. the Zen monk Issa’s obscene poetry, the Lone Wolf vs. Zatoichi; and I posit that “ninja vs. samurai” is another such dichotomy.

In closing, for those ninja enthusiasts (and hence friends of the common people) out there, I did hear rumors in Japan that one of the last receptors of the ancient ninjutsu lineage is still teaching. He lives in Chiba. If you plan to go wait on his doorstep, I suggest you bring a magazine, as there isn’t much else to do in Chiba.


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Why Only One Form Gets Flack: A Comparison Between Ninja Assassin and Controversial Violent Video Games article:
Sorry, I would help our cause, but I’m too busy eating yellow pills, super growth mushrooms and shooting terrorists in the middle east. Cant you see how much video games have changed me?? -sarcasm


I don’t even know how some ppl think pirates can beat ninjas…


@JinraIlustrisimo:  Yes, Ninjatown is very very cute!


@DannyTruong:  Yeah, in my research I found a lot of different theories regarding the origins of ninjas and I have to say the peasant one makes the most sense.


sh0kr0k - 11/24/09 7:09 am

Wow, this is going to be terrific!  I’m looking forward to so many of these articles/pieces!  Thanks!

lol, hopefully we can keep up.. xD


Oh geez Ninja Town is tooooo cute.


Wow, this is going to be terrific!  I’m looking forward to so many of these articles/pieces!  Thanks!


I’m pretty glad this week is based on Ninjas. It’s a proud thing for this website to grow XD!

I’m definitely a ninja!


Origins of the Ninja:

Of all the origins I’ve studied, the most popular reason why Ninjas existed, was because The Samurai took away the small farms and land that they had to live off of. Being that they were poor and had only farming tools, they had to come up with some way to take back what was theirs. Then the trade of the Ninjutsu, was handed down from some ancient practitioners in China, where it finally landed in Japan and taught in secret. Thus led a Koga and Iga ninja clan. The Ninja turned their farming tools into weapons, and they assassinated the Samurai leader to take back their land. This lead to hatred of the Ninja, and they were forced to continue fighting as Ninja.

So thats the lore that I have. Ninjutsu schools actually exist down in my area and are true to functionality of it, down to the acrobatic movement and hand to hand combat.


Yes! Ninja it all week!!!


LOL.
I wish I was a ninja. . . :(


Oh yes. This week is ALL about ninjas.


WOAH, looks like an extremely busy week!


^ haha nice, i was wondering what the gin part meant XD JK


Hoc - 11/24/09 12:10 am

heh, I mentioned multiple time that it has raspberry

Ninjas drunk on gin! (FTW)


heh, I mentioned multiple time that it has raspberry


Hoc - 11/23/09 10:12 pm

hmm, I’m more Ninja then I thought…

I’m thinking to myself, maybe the word Ningin was derived from the word Ninja raspberry


^ i know right, so much ninja lovin <3


Wow, this is awesome.

NINJA GALORE!


yep. im definitely ninja.


Hoc - 11/23/09 10:12 pm

hmm, I’m more Ninja then I thought…

I agree! Just when I thought I didn’t have an identity crisis…


hmm, I’m more Ninja then I thought…


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