Ninjutsu

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Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu [ nin.dʑɯ.tsɯ ] ( jap.忍術) is used today as a generic term for martial arts in the so-called ninjutsu organizations Bujinkan , Genbukan and Jinenkan . Historically, it is a term for the art of espionage used by the Japanese shinobi . This art included methods of gathering information and clearing up enemy troops. There is no clear definition for the term, which is why controversies keep coming up.

term

Ninjutsu is Japanese and literally means "the art of enduring" and is also called "the art of the persevering heart" because patience, perseverance and self-discipline were among the decisive virtues of the ninja. It is also an ideogram , the meaning of which can be interpreted as “one heart, sharp as a sword”. The term describes the espionage techniques of the Japanese ninja, which historically evolved between the 12th and 15th centuries and which have been preserved in different schools / styles, the so-called ryu . Three historically relevant secret texts from the 16th and 17th centuries have been preserved until today: the Shōninki , the Bansenshūkai and the Ninpiden , which show the tradition of such schools.

The story of the ninja

There are many theories about the beginning of the martial art , which is now mostly referred to as ninjutsu. It is difficult to find an exact place, person, or time to begin ninjutsu. Nevertheless, names of people are known who practiced and developed ninjutsu with certainty, such as: B. Minamoto no Yoshitsune , the Hattori Hanzo , Momochi families , and others. In the martial arts scene, ninjutsu is believed to be at least 800 years old. In some cases, however, dates go back to the 6th century, but there are no clear written certificates for this and the first schools did not emerge before the 13th to 15th centuries.

The ninja did not refer to themselves as such, but rather regarded themselves as practitioners of religious, political and military strategies, which also moved outside the limited views of the ritualized samurai culture. This is why it is often claimed that they were so culturally the opposite of the conventional mentality of the day. The origin of the martial art lies in the dark, which is partly due to the deliberate falsification and mystification of the ninja by various circles. Postmodern Hollywood myths have drawn a caricature of the shadow warrior who surely never existed. Here the enemy image of the terrorist or the hooded villain is projected onto a figure who appears to be suitable. But also in Japan the "ninjas" (as mentioned above often a foreign name) were said to have a lot that contributed to a mystification from outside. But of course the school owners themselves wanted to make their art appear mysterious.

Ninjutsu - The martial art of the ninja

Characteristic of the ongoing development of ninjutsu is the adaptation of knowledge, which is still taking place today, into an active system of accessible information sources: the ninja who offered his services not only required fighting techniques from the various schools mentioned below. He also needed extensive knowledge of the healing arts, as well as special silent and inconspicuous movement techniques, techniques of camouflage and hiding. The characteristic black clothing, which comes from traditional Japanese kabuki theater and was worn by the stage people (so that they could not be seen by the audience), is just as much an example of the adoption of knowledge. The development of espionage techniques originated in Japan with the progressive development of ninjutsu, as such services proved to be profitable.

A final and comprehensive description of ninjutsu is difficult because it involves a very complex system of self-defense and fighting techniques, both with and without weapons, and because today's ninjutsu is a martial art that is composed of three different ninja and six different samurai schools . The 18 levels of training in Togakure-Ryu are:

  • Seishin Teki Kyoyo: spiritual refinement
  • Tai Jutsu : unarmed hand-to-hand combat
  • Ken Jutsu : sword fighting
  • Bōjutsu : stick and stick fight (with Bō and Hanbō )
  • Shuriken Jutsu: throwing blades
  • Yari Jutsu: spear fight
  • Naginata Jutsu: halberd fight (The term "halberd" is rather inapplicable as the Naginata was used like a sword with a long handle)
  • Kusari Gama: Handling the sword and sickle weapon
  • Kayaku Jutsu: Use of fire and explosives
  • Henso Jutsu: disguise, representation
  • Shinobi-iri: methods of camouflage and penetration
  • Ba Jutsu: horseback riding
  • Sui-ren: water training
  • Bo-ryaku: strategy
  • Cho Ho: espionage
  • Inton Jutsu: escape and hide
  • Ten-mon: meteorology
  • Chi-mon: geography
  • Tio Nashidua Jutsu: Art of killing with various single light blows

The basis of all techniques is Tai Jutsu, the unarmed close combat. It is based on natural body movements and instincts, which means that physically stronger opponents can also be defeated. Tai Jutsu includes:

  • Ukemi (fall techniques)
  • Kaiten (roles)
  • Aron (jumps)
  • Taihenjutsu (kamae, balance, stretching, endurance, strength, self-treatment, meditation)
  • Dakentaijutsu (punching and kicking techniques)
    • Koppojutsu (blows and blows to bones and hard body parts)
    • Kosshijutsu (finger and toe stitches on muscles and soft tissues)
  • Jutaijutsu (levers, throws, fixing techniques)

However, the word Tai Jutsu can not be found in any historical script, which strongly suggests its synthetic origin. There was no written documentation because the techniques involved were secret. In contrast to the bushi , the ninja was not dependent on following an etiquette and maintaining reputation. Hence there was no tendency towards documentation.

Important weapon systems in ninjutsu

The handling of weapons is basically based on Tai Jutsu. The main weapon systems taught in ninjutsu include:

  • Hanbōjutsu (techniques with the short stick, approx. 91 cm long)
  • Kenjutsu (sword techniques)
  • Bōjutsu (techniques with a long stick, approx. 1.82 m long)
  • Kusari Fundo Jutsu (techniques with short rope / chain)
  • Juttejutsu (sword catcher techniques)
  • Tantōjutsu (knife techniques)
  • Kyoketsu-Shoge-Jutsu (dealing with the Kyoketsu-Shoge)
  • Yarijutsu (techniques with the spear)

In addition, other weapons are also used, such as. B. the Naginata, throwing blades (Shuriken), bows, sickle chain weapons (Kusarigama) and many others.

Ninjutsu uniform

The Ninjutsu uniform is around 500 years old, but historically unproven. You train in a black gi. The uniform protects the fighter from weather, looks and latent cuts. Originally, the face was hidden with three cloths, because a cloth is portable and universally applicable. These cloths were used as choke and bondage weapons and as climbing / holding tools. The mask consists of two or three parts, a long, narrow scarf for the lower part of the face, a large one for the upper part of the face and a third that once again covers the whole face.

Fiction and reality

A falsified, artificial and idealized image of the “warriors of the night”, their weapons and their equipment was established in the media. The same goes for modern “combat schools” that go hand in hand with the media and paint ninja pictures that are often far removed from reality. The most popular:

  • It is controversial whether the ninja sword Ninjatō ever existed. Such a straight blade cannot be seen on any of the many Japanese drawings that contain ninja (12th to 18th centuries). On the contrary: most shinobi used a very common katana or a wakizashi . A straight sword would nullify the achievements of Japanese swordsmithing and return to the 6th to 7th centuries. Iaijutsu techniques cannot be carried out with a straight sword. Nonetheless, ninjato can be seen as a synonym for prey swords with broken blades or swords that are not expertly forged by yourself. Shortening a katana can also create a sword with less curvature, giving the impression of a straight sword. Due to the straight, relatively short blade and the stronger, square tsuba , the ninjato has different properties than traditional swords such as katana, wakizashi or tachi .
  • A sword like a ninjato could never be used as a climbing aid or even as a crowbar. The Japanese blade is very fragile, and it takes enormous force to push the sword blade into a tree or a castle wall. A sword can only be used as a climbing aid by leaning it against the wall and then climbing onto the tsuba. Furthermore, Ninjato would immediately identify every wearer as a ninja - which might contradict their principle of secrecy.
  • The sword was rarely carried on the back. It was only buckled up at the back when climbing to avoid possible disabilities. Otherwise, the daisho (pair of swords), like the samurai, was worn on the left hip. In addition, vital skills such as Iaijutsu (sword drawing) could not be performed from the back. Nevertheless, the "back sword" is often emphasized in western productions like Last Samurai .
  • The ninja culture never counterbalanced the samurai culture. The ninja were also incorporated into the military hierarchy and belonged to one of the lowest castes. Ninja were therefore also samurai. However, not all were members of the ninja. Many famous samurai were ninja at the same time and vice versa.
  • There is no historical evidence that the famous black ninja costume was actually worn by the Shinobi. According to contemporary sources, the Shinobi usually disguised themselves as ordinary civilians on their missions, e.g. B. as wandering monks or traveling merchants. It can be assumed, however, that dark clothing was worn at least on night-time sneaking missions. In addition, it can be stated that the traditional Japanese clothing of the Edo period comes close to the modern, fictional representation. The most common was a dark blue color of clothing.

Web links

literature

  • Remiguisz Borda: The Illustrated Ninja Handbook. Hidden Techniques of Ninjutsu . Tuttle, Tokyo / Rutland (Vermont) / Singapore 2014.
  • Antony Cummins: Samurai and Ninja. The Real Story Behind the Japanese Warrior Myth That Shatters the Bushido Mystique . Tuttle, Tokyo / Rutland (Vermont) / Singapore 2015, ISBN 978-4-805313-34-3
  • Masaaki Hatsumi : The Way of the Ninja. Secret Techniques. Verlag Dieter Born, Bonn, 2009, ISBN 978-3-922006-53-4
  • Stephen K. Hayes: Ninja . Translated by Johann Schmit. Falken-Verlag, Niedernhausen / Ts. (Original title: Ninja, spirit of the shadow warrior .)